4.5/5 I rounded up…read morebecause the new location is SO nice and feels massive, but I do miss the packed aisles from the other location in Arcadia. I does feel a bit too spaced out and I wish the shelves were a bit higher. I can understand the shelves being low as a way to deter theft, but maybe towards the center of the store they could be higher. I came a few days after the grand opening and it was packed. Plenty of selection, but the prices of books once again were a bit too much compared to other places. Love the store, worth visiting if you're in the little tokyo area.

A massive, nostalgic slice of Japan in Little Tokyo~~~ If…read moreyou remember the old Kinokuniya location, prepare to be blown away. This new space is absolutely massive and beautifully spread out! Walking inside instantly triggered so much nostalgia for the cute little bookstores and stationary shops I visited when I was in Japan. Everything is so neatly arranged and wrapped. They have an incredible selection of books in both English and Japanese. Seriously, they have everything you can think of: manga, magazines, cookbooks, adorable plushies, stationery, and T-shirts. When we went, they even had some amazing JoJo's Bizarre Adventure artwork on the wall and tons of Pokémon merch. My friend and I stopped by right after the anime convention ended, and the place was packed. Because it gets so busy, they have a strict "no drinks" policy, resulting in a hilariously massive pile of boba and coffees left at the front entrance. The employees seemed overwhelmed & nobody greeted us. My only real critique: Prepare yourself for the price tags. Everything is extremely overpriced. I saw a pretty basic black T-shirt featuring a famous Japanese artist's work going for $60. I get that it's specialty import stuff, but it's definitely an investment! Tip: It's a fantastic place to visit, but if you want to actually browse the Studio Ghibli or anime sections without fighting a crowd, try to come during the week!

Huge assortment of goodies and a bunch of things that are imported. It's a great place to look for…read moregifts.

Don't get me wrong! It's a great place for merch and has had a lot of great pop ups recently! The…read morestaff is usually amazing and super efficient. The reason why I'm giving it a 3 out of 5 is because of a bad experience today with the door person. We came in today, July 19th around the afternoon, about 3-4 PM. I understand their bag policy, it sucks but what can you do. We were very compliant with the doorman, but he seemed to have an attitude. Listen man, I get that it's hot and you may be having a day, but that doesn't mean you get to be rude. We went in, and immediately he needed to take our bags. We complied cause it's policy, and I politely told him "oh I have a small bag!" As in to tell him we have another bag to give him. He took it the wrong way and said "trust me I don't want to take it more than you do" under his breath. Buddy, I can hear you. I didn't even say it in a rude way, I'm just informing you that there was another bag. Whatever, we handed all our bags over, one of which was a bag carrying some merchandise (mainly some posters we purchased from another event we came from) mind you, there was 4 posters from a limited time event in there, worth $65. He asked "what's in the bag" all judgmental, like buddy, I get you need to know so you know where to place it on the shelf, but there is such a thing as asking in a nicer way like "is there anything delicate in here" or such. I told him it was some posters I had got. So. TELL ME WHY THIS GUY PUT THE BAG WITH THE POSTERS LAYING FLAT DOWN FIRST AND THEN PROCEEDED TO PUT OUR HEAVY BACKPACK AND OUR SMALLER BAG ON TOP OF IT. BUDDY. YOU ARE USING A METAL RACK SHELF, AND PUTTING HEAVY ITEMS ON TOP OF PAPER. SOME OF IT WAS EVEN ON THE EDGE SO YOU'RE ACTIVELY CREASING AND BENDING MY BELONGINGS. Anyone should know if you have anything fragile like posters, you would put it on top of the other bags so they do not get folded or creased or get and indents. I quickly told him if he can put the bag with the posters on top because I don't want them to get creased or bent. He doesn't say anything and just quickly does it, but he made a face. Buddy, if you don't like your job or can't do it well enough to know common sense like not putting delicates under heavy items, quit and go find something else, and leave your attitude at the OUTSIDE the door. I went home after this, and saw that all of four of my posters were creased in the same spot, coincidentally the same spot that was bent over the edge of the shelf. I don't care if they're posters and they can be replaced, not everyone has the luxury to replace broke items, especially not limited ones, I spent my hard earned money on it for it to be permanently ruined by some boy who doesn't care about other people's belongings despite being entrusted to handle them. Anyways, come for the merch! But maybe leave your valuables someplace where you know they'll be safe from damage.

Freshest original croissants and other tasty pastries. I see them in local coffee shops around LA…read more Loved their gochujang sesame!

Absolutely delicious. Served at a catered event . All participants present raved of the tasteread more

If you LOVE banchan, Perilla is the place for you! This takeout-only space has no room inside for…read moretables. A cold case offers an array of pre-packed banchan, and hot boxes are ordered at the same register where you pay. May sure you order the Dosirak for rich slices of buttery black cod. You get to try four banchan with it as well. The Mushroom Dupbap is another hot option. The maitakes are fresh and perfectly cooked but could use a little less salt. A side of Smoked Eggs is a must. These are the best thing they make aside from the cod. Not all banchan are made equal, and it seems all the mushrooms are a miss. Mushroom Bokkeum is mostly tofu, and the Jang a Ji has maybe 6 slices of king trumpet mushroom. Love the mix of sweet and spicy from the Fermented Cucumber with Korean Pear, and the Spigarello Namul is umami and mild. I didn't love everything I ate, but I do love coming here. The banchan can be hit or miss, but the cod is fantastic, and it's just so much fun to try it all!

Such a cute place!!! It's hidden behind a coffee shop and burger place. It took me a minute to find…read moreit, but walk towards the coffee shop and there's a "driveway" to the right of the coffee shop which has a courtyard of food places. Walk straight up and you will see a tiny looking house. I saw them on "Worth it". Lady behind the counter was so nice and helpful. I went for the potato salad, $6. This one has apples and cucumber in the mix. Pretty good! Kimchi is just perfectly layered And delicious! $8. It is worth it as you could tell it's homemade and not processed. Plenty of other Banchan to choose from! Kimbap and a whole menu. You can eat out in the courtyard. Street parking.

I grew up on Enix, since Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest 1. And I also grew up on Squaresoft. Rad…read moreRacer. 3-D World Runner. King's Knight. And of course.... Fuainaru Fuantashiiiiiiiii. Final Fantasy. To say the least of both company's timeless collaboration that is Chrono Trigger (RIP Toriyama Akira sensei). To see a dedicated shop here in Little Tokyo, even if only seasonally, is like a dream come true. It really is a store for the most hardcore of fans. Merchandise that you can see in person - from all the figures, toys, stuffed animals. Soundtracks on vinyl and CD. My only heartbreak is that I wish I had bought the Final Fantasy IX Vivi action doll, the last time the shop popped up. There are a lot of cool figures, but the price is truly truly premium pricing. Nosebleed, like, really take advantage of your deep emotional connection to these characters, level of pricing. Like their prices even leveled-up to test the strength and HP of your wallet. And the shop keep is immune to any kind of pricing de-buffs. I would totally buy some of the metallic King Slimes, the posable FF VII Sephiroth, and 2B. But again, it's a tall ask to splurge. But I'm glad the wares are here in-person, so you can see everything for yourself, instead of just online photos.

The popup store had a lot of merch but was pretty expensive. When we went, there was a pretty long…read moreline so you may have to wait during popular times.

Wow these were amazing soft, pillowy bao buns that were STUFFED with loads of meat and cheeses…read more Such a unique experience and the best comfort food packed with flav! They are located on the streets of Chinatown with a stand. We got the: Tikka Bun (5/5): If you had to pick one bun I would HIGHLY recommend this one! It was stuffed with huge chunks of spicy butter chicken and ooey cheese. It wasn't spicy but was super flavorful thanks to the spices added to the butter chicken. The melted cheese complimented the tender chicken and soft buns sooo well. It was brushed with a garlic cilantro butter on top. The bun was soooo soft and this was good comfort food or drunk food that hits the spot. The bottom had melted mozzarella pan fried into the bun. One of these is very filling! Lava Bun (4/5): This bun had grilled chicken inside with melted mozzarella and flavored with buldak sauce! It had a hint of spice that went really well with the filling since the spice cut through the heaviness of the bun. The bun on this for me was less doughy and a little bit more firm which I do like a more doughy, fluffy bun like the tikka bun. Overall, very good bun loaded with filling!

This place is so awesome, they have Bruna buns, tikka, and a tikka buldak bun which is so unique. I…read morestumbled across this place after General Lee' and this gem somehow appeared. With a Mexican Asian fusion bun, I was so surprised that this was a thing. The bun was so juicy and savory at the same time, that it just melted in my mouth. The buldak was probably the most unique thing ive seen and was definitely something I'd had to try. If you have a moment to try and taste this, try the tika and the buldak as they are the most unique and fusion flavors. Would recommend.

My cousin wanted to stop here a time or two to shop during the anime expo; I also got a few of the…read morepower ranger belt buckles (that operate as a bottle opener!) as gifts and thought their wine bottle openers were so fun! The owner and staff were super cool too :) They offered great quality products and deals that made it easy to choose and not too bad on the wallet either!