At Ozu East Kitchen in Atwater Village, owner/filmmaker Paul Yi and his team have carved out a user-friendly dining experience that includes communal wood tables, benches, and cubes, and a blend of Japanese and Korean flavors that are rooted in ramen and extend to the house-made soda selection.

House-made sodas are a more common occurrence at L.A. restaurants in recent years, but they typically lean on sweet syrups and way too much ice, leading to muted flavors and quick dilution. Thankfully, Ozu East Kitchen takes a more balanced approach to soda.

At my recent lunch, I particularly enjoyed Yuzu Ginger Soda ($3) with spicy debris and cloudy appearance. They also make vanilla green tea and star anise shiso soda, though they were apparently about to sub out star anise shiso for a strawberry cucumber soda. If soda isn’t your thing, they also have four Craftsman beers on tap and a full Caffe Luxxe coffee bar.