Ducks - San Gabriel

Having lived in Japan for a year, this place brings back the vibes and the atmosphere of eating at a Japanese restaurant. The moment I walked in, the decor, the smell, the vibe, the only thing missing was the size (Japanese restaurants tend to be incredibly small because land is a luxury there. The food was good, I was not expecting amazing blow your mind food that's not what this place is, but it tasted familiar, it tasted like the place I called home for a whole year. It tasted like that town I used to live, the town by the ocean. I definitely recommend you try this place, if you are feeling nostalgic for Japan.

I have never been able to figure out the schedule at Duck's. It seems like they open when and only if they feel like it. But this is the best place in L.A. County for Japanese Curry and Donburi Matsuri in Pasadena and Kouraku in Little Tokyo $15 parking?! tie with a close second for Donburi . It's a 45 minute drive from my house, but it's worth it. Nothing else to be said.

I ordered two servings of katsu don, a shrimp tempura, and some Japanese fried chicken pieces. The food tasted really good and the portions were generous. Everything was crispy and flavorful. It’s perfect for a relaxing dinner. The only downside is that it was a bit hot inside of restaurant, possibly because the air conditioning wasn’t strong enough or due to the semi-open kitchen. Overall, it was a nice experience, and I will come again!

Basic classics for Japanese staples. Enjoyed my cold soba noodles and tempura. Chicken cutlet and curry not bad but next time I'll try the spicier version and unagi, this was bland. Gyozas are too deep fried for my liking, Lotta extra batter.

I ordered the pork katsu curry. The taste is fine but for the price, I felt it wasn’t worth it at $16.95. This is by far the most heavily battered pork katsu I have ever had and I’ve had pork katsu in Japan, Taiwan, and the States. The batter to protein ratio felt disproportionate to me. If I had to go back here, I definitely won’t be ordering anything fried. The restaurant atmosphere was cute and cozy at least. Service was okay but the waitress got one of our orders wrong.