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Restaurant Review: Ducks
by Kentara Hamabata
Ducks, located in a tiny plaza in San Gabriel, CA is one of the few
Japanese-owned restaurants left in the entire vicinity. The restaurant
itself is also tiny (with less than 10 tables inside), but if you're able to
find it, you'll discover sort of a hidden treasure that many in the area
have enjoyed for the past decade.
Most of the dishes Ducks offers here can
be found in other Japanese restaurants in Little Tokyo of Los Angeles CA,
but here, some are just as good, if not better, besides being available at a
much more convenient location (if you're in the area).
Don't be fooled by the restaurant's name though! "Duck" isn't on the menu,
and don't expect to see barbequed ducks hanging from inside its window like
the ones you'd find at those famous Chinese restaurants in Chinatown.
Their specialty here is their Japanese style curry, served with a choice of either
beef, chicken, pork, or vegetables offered in 3 levels of spiciness; mild,
medium, and hot. It also includes a plate of rice (or spaghetti) and a small
Japanese style cabbage salad. Though their curry has a slightly sweeter
flavor than other the curry offered in the Japanese restaurants in Little
Tokyo, it's defintely worth trying!
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Ducks' Curry Dish
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If you're not much of a curry fan,
Ducks also offers ramen [Japanese style noodles] which is a popular
selection here and an excellent alternative to "pho" served at the many
Vietnamese restaurants in the area. They also offer some good chicken or
pork katsu dishes which include rice, as well as a teriyaki unagi dish
(freshwater eel) which is a little more on the expensive side. Specials
change from time to time so be sure to ask the friendly waitresses what they
are.
As with most Japanese restaurants, you may not consider the portions
here to be generous enough depending on how much you're used to eating. If
you're a big eater, I would recommend ordering a side dish to accompany your
entree! Japanese beer and sake are also available. Considering that Ducks
is a mom and pop-owned restaurant, prices are mostly fair, depending on what
you decide to order.
Plan on spending on average $9-$13 per person. In
addition, diners will also be happy to know that Ducks has consistently
received an "A" as a result of their restaurant inspection which is required
of all L.A. county restaurants performed by The Los Angeles County Health
Department.
Ducks
1831 E. Las Tunas Drive
San Gabriel, CA 91775
(626) 287-8743
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