Tachibana...

.... on Olive, pretty far west.

Had the chicken udon (noodles) Friday night after a sashimi starter. Very good. I've had the nabeyaki udon there before --- big noodles in broth with various goodies on top, also very good.

Guy at the next table had shabu-shabu (beef cooked at table in boiling broth). Looked very authentic except that it was do-it-yourself rather than the waitress prep you see in Japan, but he seemed to be enjoying it.

The tempura looked so good that I wished I had ordered it.

I enjoy steak houses like Robata's and Kobe, but they are a caricature of real Japanese eating. The majority of the customers at Tachibana Friday looked to be Japanese. Good sign. The only thing that doesn't seem authentic is the prices --- would be 5-10X as high in Tokyo. People were picking up take-out tempura, which I would think is a let-down, because it should be eaten immediately after prep.