Sola boosts the Japanese comfort food quotient in Encino, replacing Pepper Deli & Grill in a plaza set back from the Boulevard. A woman named Miki is the owner, bringing life to the wood tables and bar and olive green walls. Sola means sky in English, and the sun shines on speckled tables in front.

The dinner menu features three key food categories: From the Garden, From the Ocean and From the Land. In total the menu touts more than three dozen dishes. Some of the most compelling options include agedashi tofu with eggplant, butter sautéed squid presented in a cast iron skillet, sake steamed clams, Nagoya style sweet and spicy chicken wings, and Kurobuta sausage served with spicy mustard and kewpie mayo. You’ll also find a smattering of soups, some bowls with ramen or udon noodles and others with oden.

Lunch places a bigger focus on ramen, with tonkotsu, miso and soy broths all in play. Curry rice is available with or without chicken karaage. They also tout the rice balls called onigiri, served with ume (pickled plum), flaked salmon or spicy shrimp tempura.

15928 Ventura Blvd., Encino, 818-784-7652