Blehtacular

Hamada-Ya Offers Three-Dollar Yakisoba Sandwiches

Hamada-ya's <i>yakisoba-pan</i>
Hamada-ya’s yakisoba-pan Photo: Tatiana Arbogast

L.A. has all but lost its noodle over noodles as of late. So, the introduction of this dubious-looking yakisoba sandwich at Hamada-Ya Bakery inside of Mar Vista’s Mitsuwa will probably be met with as many drooling grins as it will be with moderate and understandable winces of repulsion. This book-ending of sweet-and-sour sauced, fried Japanese noodles into a hot dog bun, known as yakisoba-pan, is more common in Japan, where it appears at street food stalls and in markets, than it is in L.A., but it’s only been served here for the last week, coming in from Hamada-ya’s Torrance headquarters as per a customer’s request and sold at the low price of three dollars. So, how does it taste?

Like the fulfillment of a coprophagiac fantasy with a Japanese Pillsbury Doughboy, the slack weave of wheat noodles and tinge of tart…no, just messing with you. It basically tastes like a bunch of yakisoba in a hot dog bun with a little sauce that goes down in about three or four bites. (Either way, Dr. Atkins totally gets the finger on this one).

We wouldn’t not eat it again or anything if someone handed us one, but it’s hardly about to rock the foundations of the culinary world. That is, until ink.sack or another enterprising sandwich-ya can offer us an upgrade.

Available at Hamada-ya Bakery at Mitsuwa, 3760 South Centinela Ave. Mar Vista.

Hamada-Ya Offers Three-Dollar Yakisoba Sandwiches