Silken udon noodles crowned with crispy chicken tempura. Yuzu-kosho karaage that’s marinated so thoroughly it requires no sauce. Ramen that ranges from tonkotsu to Sapporo miso and niboshi (made with dried sardines). These are just a few of the options at Yuu Japanese Food Hall, which brings some of Japan’s most coveted restaurants stateside for the first time.
The food court, which opened Saturday with 14 vendors in a Round 1 bowling and arcade center in Ventura’s Pacific View shopping mall, is three years in the making. According to Round One Entertainment executive vice president and chief operating officer Hirotoshi Takahashi, restaurant owners and chefs were meticulous about ingredient sourcing and how the food is served, ensuring that each dish is as close as possible to the version you’ll find at the original locations in Japan.
New equipment was installed in order to achieve specific textures and flavors, such as a filtration system that produces soft, low-mineral water similar to what you’ll find in Japan. Although some ingredients are procured locally, many are imported directly from Japan.
“We can’t say that it’s 100% [the same] because of the difference in ingredients,” Takahashi said, “but we are confident that it’s well over 80%.”
For example, at its 23-seat Tokyo restaurant, Tonkatsu Keita uses Roppaku Kurobuta, known as the Wagyu of pork, for its juicy, golden-crusted tonkatsu. Unable to source the same pigs in America, the Ventura stall opted to use heritage black pork instead.
Okonomiyaki Hana stands out for the light, tempura-like batter on its cabbage pancakes, and Curry bitSOMA cooks each ingredient separately before layering them in deeply flavorful curry dishes. Onigiri Gorichan serves delicate Koshihikari rice balls stuffed with salmon flakes, pickled plums or Spam and egg.
Not all stalls are focused on Japanese cuisine. Kyoto-based Pizzeria Da Naghino offers crackly edged Neapolitan pies and Gelateria Il Brigante, from the coastal city of Kamakura, serves scratch-made Sicilian gelato.
Orders are placed at self-service kiosks, allowing guests to mix and match items from various vendors without the hassle of separate checks. When the food is ready, the order number appears on a screen above the kiosks as well as on individual screens at each corresponding stall. Food is picked up directly at each stall.
A wraparound bar anchors the massive food hall, with mounted TVs playing live sports. A full cocktail menu is available, including premium sake and drink specials such as $3.99 Bud Light and wine all day.
Upstairs is the Round 1 bowling alley and arcade, with karaoke, rows of claw machines and other games imported from Japan. Billiards and ping pong tables will soon be added. Takahashi said the goal for the food hall and activity center is to become an all-day destination that will attract locals as well as day trippers from Los Angeles and the Central Coast.
Yuu Japanese Food Hall plans to open in Escondido later this year with a fresh slate of concepts, including Shaved Ice Housekibaco, serving kakigori with ice that is slowly frozen over 72 hours, and Osaka-founded takoyaki shop Osaka Iggy, with octopus-stuffed takoyaki and Wagyu-filled sujiyaki.
“It’s exciting that we’ve been able to bring so many Japanese restaurants to the United States,” Takahashi said. “It’s a long time coming.”
Yuu Japanese Food Hall and Round 1 Bowling and Arcade are at 3295 E. Main St., Suite 2, Ventura, and open daily from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
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