The Torrance branch of Mitsuwa is the largest Japanese supermarket in southern California and effectively a small Japanese cultural centre. The supermarket itself is exceptional — proper fresh fish counters, hard-to-find Japanese vegetables, a 50-metre wall of soy sauces, and a bakery selling melon-pan and anko-pan made on-site.
The food court at the back is the reason most non-locals come: half a dozen Japanese restaurants with separate counters around a shared seating area. The Santouka ramen counter is the standout — silky tonkotsu broth and a salted pork bowl regularly cited as the best ramen in LA. Open early and late, often crowded at weekends.