Alhambra’s Newest Japanese Restaurant Serves Western-Style Comfort Fare

Alhambra’s next restaurant arrival is Saly Papa, a traditional yōshoku restaurant in the former Tokyo Table space. The Irvine-based Tokyo Table closed a few weeks ago to make room for the new eatery, which is a Japanese style of Western-influenced cuisine. Saly Papa opens Saturday, June 23.

According to a spokesperson, Tokyo Table’s central Alhambra location proved challenging to give up. Tokyo Table did not perform well among Alhambra’s crowded field of Japanese restaurants, including Tomomi Sushi, Gatten Sushi, and Daiki Sushi. The company closed Tokyo Table and spent three weeks performing a quick renovation.

Yōshoku combines Japanese food with Western cuisine. The massive 90 item menu offers items like Japanese curry, Hayashi beef rice, Japanese spaghetti, panko bread crumb fried pork cutlets, shrimp, oysters, and croquettes. Saly Papa joins a handful of similar yōshoku and tonkatsu restaurants in the neighborhood, like the longstanding Hanashima Restaurant, and Curry House Japanese Curry & Spaghetti.

Saly Papa is named after legendary Swiss chef Saly Weil, a pioneer of yōshoku cuisine. Weil traveled to Japan in 1927 when she invented many original dishes such as doria or rice gratin, chopped hamburg steak, and spaghetti Napolitana.

Tokyo Table opened in Irvine in 2008, and the Alhambra location in 2016. Tokyo Table’s parent company is mega restaurant group Toridoll Holdings Corporation. The company owns a number of global restaurants, including Marugame Udon on Sawtelle, and Pasadena’s Crackin’ Kitchen.

Saly Papa. 100 E Main Streeet. Suite 100. Alhambra, CA

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