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    Afuri

    4.3 (387 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Afuri Reservations

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    AFURI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Afuri

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    Inside
    Lianne P.

    Everything was really good. I could have done without the ramen it was more of a soup vs ramen.

    Tsukemen
    Miranda L.

    Noodles texture was nice. The kakuni was also pretty good, nice flavor. The dipping sauce was on the saltier side. I would have liked more yuzu fragrance. Overall still very enjoyable.

    Karaage
    David Y.

    This Afuri location is tucked away behind the Culver Steps. It serves ramen with a twist: bright and citrusy yuzu in most bowls. Unfortunately, I think it's not for me. I tried some karaage to start. It was two delicious hunks of meat, with a thick and crunchy shell containing a juicy and flavorful interior. It's also kind of hard to mess up fried chicken. For the main deal, I opted for the yuzu shoyu ramen. The bowl is put-together aesthetically, and it has flavorful components. I just couldn't get over this weird sensation coming from the yuzu. Perhaps I've grown too accustomed to rich and savory tonkotsu ramens... Afuri is clear about what it does and it definitely achieves its goal. Whether you'll like it or not is up to you. Nonetheless, I'm glad I tried it.

    Tonkotsu Shio.
    Jetrina M.

    I went here for dinner with a group of 4 on a Friday evening. No wait for a table and we sat outside on the patio. We ordered the crispy ramen egg to share, it comes with 2 eggs cut in half so a small portion for each person. The inside was yolk-y and it was flavorful. I ordered the yuzu-tsuyu tsukemen and my partner got the tonkotsu shio ramen. The food came out pretty quickly. I'm a big tsukemen fan and enjoyed the flavor of the dipping broth. I also like thicker noodles and felt like they were generous with the meat portion. The ramen comes with thin noodles which I wasn't a huge fan of, but my partner enjoyed. His only qualm was that he wished the portion was bigger. Total per person was ~$30 including tax and tip. Parking available in the lot underground or one of the other lots on Culver City.

    Spicy Chicken Karaage
    Jenny Z.

    Pretty good salmon bowl but quite pricey for $21. The salmon was fresh paired with a sticky vinegar rice, wasabi, and ginger. Immediately seated with no wait and clean tables with both inside and outside dining.

    Kevin T.

    TL;DR: underrated spot for little to no wait whenever you're fixing for some ramen. Quick service and, although not my type of decor and lighting, still a fun and relaxed vibe Ordered: - Yuzu Tsuyu Tsukemen: the dipping sauce was a little heavy for my taste but overall a yummy bowl of noods. Yuzu flavor is really on the nose, so you've been warned. Will be back whenever in the area - cheers, Afuri!

    Yuzu Shio.
    Richie D.

    Afuri Izakaya is a chain of ramen restaurants based in Tokyo with locations throughout the globe and expanding in So Cal. I tried their Yuzu Shio during their 2nd year anniversary when they offered BOGO of any ramen! The Yuzu Shio ramen was good overall. A good decent serving per bowl, not too much or too little noodles per broth. I really liked the chicken broth and firmness of their noddles. Service was quick and friendly. Ambiance was a blend of a bar; ramen, izakaya establishment. $20.50 for a simple chicken ramen is on the pricy side IMO. You can get as good or better ramen in other places in LA. In the last year, 3 ramen shops appeared in downtown Culver City. I hope this competition brings down the price and brings promotions. They also offer sushi, nigiri, sashimi, rolls, donburi, alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages. Parking is available under the steps validated for an hour and reasonable cost per hour after.

    Crispy Brussel Sprouts.
    Kelsey T.

    One of my favorite Japanese restaurants in Culver City!!! We got the Brussel sprouts, Tori kaarage, pork dumplings, and yuzu shio ramen. I loved how all their dishes we ordered had a hint of yuzu. My favorites were the Tori Kaarage and the yuzu shio ramen. The broth and the chasu tasted sooo good on a rainy day. The service was quick and very helpful. We got all our food in less than 15min. The restaurant has a good amount of space and it's a nice sit down restaurant to catch up with friends.

    Crispy Brussel Sprouts
    Yael F.

    We came here on a whim on a random Wednesday night when we felt like ramen was going to be the perfect dinner - we were right! The restaurant was fairly empty when we arrived at 7:15pm, but was filling up significantly by 8pm. The service was quick and attentive; the food came out quickly with the appetizer coming out just a few minutes after we ordered it. The lighting in the restaurant was very blue and the music was pretty loud. Because the restaurant was mostly empty, we were able to hear ourselves talking for the most part. If the restaurant had been more crowded, it may have been too loud to have regular conversation. To start, we shared the Crispy Brussel Sprouts. Our waiter told us that it was a new addition to the menu that he had just tried and said it was really good. We have to agree - they were crispy and delicious. For our mains, one of us got the Tonkotsu Shio and the other got the Yuzu Shoyu. We both substituted the pork chashu for the chicken chashu and it was very good. One important thing to note: there were very few vegetarian/vegan options here. There was one ramen listed as vegan, but it had the spicy miso tare. So if you don't like spicy and don't eat meat, this might not be the spot for you.

    Chef's Spoon - uni, ikura, chives, wasabi, and sushi rice
    Lisa Y.

    I had been to another Afuri location before, but the location in Culver City is definitely an elevated version! Their decor and menu items are definitely more upscale. After parking in the underground structure directly below the restaurant, we took the elevator to the ground floor where the restaurant was located. We had made a reservation for Saturday at opening and were seated right away. There were a few other parties, but it wasn't crowded at all. The first thing that caught our eye were their Chef's Spoons! They's only available on Fridays! Each is served in a soup spoon with sushi rice topped with uni, ikura, chives, and wasabi. They were good, but the price point was a little high for one bite. The portion size of the uni was also inconsistent. One spoon clearly had much more uni than the other. For my entree I got the Yuzu-Tsuyu Tsukemen that comes with a dipping sauce on the side. There's also braised kakuni pork, menma, greens, egg, chili sesame, scallion, kizami nori, and noodles. For the noodles, you can choose thin or thick. You can also choose if you want the noodles served cold or warm. Our server recommended getting them warm so they don't stick together as much. The pork was tender, and I enjoyed the flavor of it! I also enjoyed the taste of the dipping sauce. I tried some of the "Egg" Mazemen. With this dish, the sauce is mixed into the noodles. It comes with ikura, tobiko, wasabi tobiko, poached egg, cured egg yolk, yuzu, celery, chives, wasabi soy reduction, and noodles. I was a bit disappointed with this dish. It felt a little thrown together, and the ingredients didn't seem cohesive. The colored roe was fun visually, but it didn't really do much in terms of taste for the dish. I also felt like there was a little too much wasabi flavor, and the celery seemed like an odd choice. I wouldn't get this mazemen again. Get the tsukemen instead!

    Liv B.

    The pot stickers and fried chicken were really good, and the ramen was just okay. Unfortunately, the service was terrible. Our cucumber salad never came, and after waiting 40 minutes for dessert, we finally had to cancel it. The waitress just wasn't attentive at all. The worst part was the bathroom ,the sink was completely filled with dirty water. Really disappointing overall. I can't see myself coming back.

    Eunice N.

    Normally, I'm not really a ramen person, but this place was really solid and took me by surprise! My friends and I came here around 3:30/4pm, so there was no line and we were seated right away. I ended up ordering the Yuzu Ratan (with a requested switch from thin to thick noodle) and my friends got the Yuzu Tsuyu. The Yuzu Ratan had a nice spice touch to it, where it wasn't under or overwhelming. The meat was tender and I think the portion was good. My friends' Yuzu Tsuyu was a pleasant surprise, since it was unique and I enjoyed the tanginess of it. I'd be back to try it fully as well, or another flavor. Service was lovely, and our orders came out great. The interior had a nice ambiance, and I thought it felt quite intimate with the candle and low lights. We were able to find street parking nearby, but they also do validation (for 1 hour). I'd be back again :D Thank you!

    Jane S.

    We learned about this place from social media -- people were saying it's a popular spot in Japan. Since LA has a location, we thought why not give it a try. We had two of their signature ramen. Love the cocktail options they offer too.

    Yuzu Shio.

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    1 year ago

    Always a great time. Plenty of seating on Friday if you go for early dinner. Service is fast and friendly. Food is great.

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    11 months ago

    Great Ramen and salmon tacos. Service was great and chill place to eat. Large bar selection! Nice place for a downtown culver drink.

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    1 year ago

    Ordered tonkotsu shio but gave me a regular one. Tasted so mid. Karage only had few pieces of chicken. What a scam

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    Page 4 of 10

    Afuri Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Afuri

    Is there Happy hour?

    Yes and it's great! : )

    How can I make a reservation?

    Hi Gabby! Reservations can be made directly through Google using Toast Tables.

    Is a reservation required?

    No, you can just walk in

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Hakata Izakaya HERO

    Hakata Izakaya HERO

    4.3
    (230 reviews)
    2.9 mi

    I just visited the Getty's museum and took a bit too long so I figured to take my daughter to a…read morelocal place to eat and wait out the crazy traffic. I am glad I did, this place is great. I didn't have a reservation and the hostess squeezed me in on what seems to be a busy Thursday night. The staffs are very nice and the food comes out quick. I got the steak and it was very tasty. My daughter must be hungry so she ate most of the food so I order a ramen to get full. The ramen is surprisingly good for a izakaya place. If you like Izakaya, try this place. The place is pretty small so it'll feel very cozy and you can definitely hear the couple next to you having a fight. There is parking lot right next door but the attendant may not be there so you don't have to pay if he is not around. I sure didn't.

    A friend brought me here and prefaced by saying it was the best japanese food he's had outside of…read moreJapan. Although it didn't necessarily live up to the hype, it was definitely an authentic spot tucked in a busy area of LA. Parking, was particularly hard to find. Definitely recommend making a reservation in advance. Immediately greeted by a friendly staff who showed us our table. Ambience was reminiscent of a local spot you'd find in Tokyo. A comforting, warm, bright place that serves as a familiar dinner spot that makes me wanna go back to Japan. For first timer, the menu was slightly hard to navigate. Lol, but I guess that speaks to the authenticity of the Japanese menu. Assorted pork belly wrapped yakitori/skewers, 7.8/10: these were hyped up by both my friend and the server, but overall it was slightly underwhelming. The skewers were all seasoned nicely, although they were a bit hard to eat since they were so big. Starting with the pork belly wrapped cabbage skewer, I don't believe the cabbage added any sustenance to the dish. I did like the bacon wrapped tomato skewer since the pop of acidity and freshness from the tomato paired well with the fat from the pork. Chicken Karaage, 9.1/10: definitely the best dish here. Chicken was fried perfectly, and was warm when it came out. The batter was not too thick or heavy. Season well with enough space.The lemon is a must for acidity and brightness. And of course they kewpie mayo is a nice touch. Tonkotsu Ramen, 7.5/10: the pork broth was rich and deep. The noodles were nice and chewy and firm clinging onto that broth. However, the portion was a bit small for the price. I was caught off guard by that. Granted, this place doesn't boast about the ramen. Overall, this wasn't anything mind blowing. Stuffed chicken wing, 8/10: stuffed generously with ground chicken ginger scallions and seasonings. The outside skin was flavorful crispy and savory. The temperature of the wings were pretty good too. Solid.

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    Shojin

    Shojin

    4.4
    (836 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$$

    My partner and I were thoroughly impressed with both the quality of the vegan dishes and their…read moreincredible flavors. Every dish was thoughtfully prepared and absolutely delicious. We also loved the ambiance, which created a welcoming and enjoyable dining experience. What truly stood out was the attentiveness and hospitality of the staff. Their friendly, professional service made our visit even more memorable. We may have just found our new favorite vegan restaurant, and we look forward to coming back.

    Let me start by saying I have loved Shojin for over 10 years and been many times to both this and…read morethe downtown location that closed down. Every time, the price deters me from going as frequently. So I was interested when I saw on their site that they changed things up because they know affordability is a concern and they wanted to rebrand as somewhere you could eat regularly instead of just a special occasion. We took our out of state friends who were visiting. For a party of 4 we spent over $400. I also really don't like that they made their rolls only 6 pieces now when they used to be 8 (so much easier to share with 4 people). The food quality is still really good but I don't understand what they mean about their prices having accomodated so people can have it as a regular meal instead of a fancy treat. At that price it still sits squarely in the "fancy treat" box for me. That said there is nothing wrong with being a "fancy treat" kind of place if the entire experience screams "luxury." This time we had the absolute worst service we have ever had. We were 15 min late due to traffic but called to inform them since they charge $25 pp for noshows. They didn't pick up the first time and I got a weird outgoing message and could not leave a message. When I tried again several minutes later, someone picked up and I got my message across. Considering we were late it was really surprising that we had to wait an additional 10 min or so to be seated. A frazzled looking woman just asked us to wait and and said someone else would be with us to seat us. She had us wait at a set table which was really confusing as it was unclear if that was going to be our table (set for 4) or we just were supposed to wait at table to be seated. Eventually we were taken to the other table but we did not even get water for probably 30 min and then only when we asked for some. They did not pour for us. With those prices I would expect prompt service, pulling out chairs, placing napkins in the lap, checking on how the food is and if we need any water, etc. The food took a really long time to come out. In fact we spent an additional 40 min or so after we had eaten waiting for them to make 3 takeout rolls because I think they only had one person in the kitchen. It felt like they had had several members of their staff fall ill in one day with how thin the staff was spread. Two women were running around managing the entire restaurant, trying to seat people, manage bills, orders, cleaning up plates, serving food, etc. When the spicy baked scallop roll arrived the server told us it had already been torched in the kitchen. We had raved to our friends about how they torch it at your table and it clearly is written on the menu when you order it "torched at your table." So, of course this was a huge disappointment. Luckily it is my favorite roll so we ordered a second one and I made sure to request it be torched at the table. But the fact I had to request it when it is expected based on their own menu is bizarre. Finally, we ordered the strawberry rose waffle to share for dessert. After about 10 min we saw what we ordered being served to a table further down and it looked great. When we asked about our dessert, only then did the lady tell us they were sold out out that dessert. What if we had not asked about the status of our order? Would we still be sitting there waiting today? Did she forget we had ordered it? At the end of the night when we were waiting for the to go rolls (with only 1 other party in the restaurant at that point) we received many apologies as it was obvious we were ready to go and just waiting for the food. However apologies only go so far when you have already received subpar service for steep prices. Customer service in this situation would have been apologies plus amends, maybe comping the rolls we ordered to go, or offering any kind of discount on the next visit. Anything at all to back up the apologies. This visit only reconfirmed that Shojin should be reserved for when we have extra time to kill and cash to blow and we will probably just get takeout at this rate if we do go back.

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    Shirubē

    Shirubē

    4.2
    (223 reviews)
    6.0 mi

    Parking: Easy metered street parking or Santa Monica public parking garages have reasonable rates…read more Reservation: Easy to make online using Tock but walk-ins also doable Service: Really on top of it - menus provided right away, no long waits for food, friendly servers and hostess, my water was always refilled, and plates were taken away as soon as they were done Ambiance: The front is a nondescript black door right next to the Chevron along Wilshire and inside is a nice atmosphere with a Samurai in a display case, bar seating along the side, and dark minimalistic interior. Food: Really appreciate that there are plenty of non alcoholic and mocktail options since very few places have such a variety. The poppin' lychee with mint was delicious. Mentaiko udon - very light, subtle flavor; wish it had a stronger mentaiko presence though not too creamy which I liked Toro sushi taco - good amount of quality toro though wasabi is mixed inside which wasn't my preference Sunomono cucumber salad with wakame seaweed - not bad though even with the HH price, the portion was small and not worth it in my opinion Aburi shime saba - seared cured mackerel that was torched tableside was fun and the searing to order gave a freshly smoky flavor while the fish itself was cold so it had good contrast Sashimi mori - thick portioned cuts of good quality fish served on ice to keep cool and they're able to accommodate the amount to the number of people sharing; fish changes depending on availability but salmon, scallop, and yellowtail were good, wasn't crazy about the sweet soy sauce for the chutoro, sea bream not bad, bonito was smoky Kakuni pork belly taco - not overly heavy and really good flavors Corn ribs with shoyu butter - such a delicious glaze and crisp texture outside, super unique in flavor Hojicha creme brulee - really love hojicha and they infused it so well into the creme brulee with solid tea flavor that balanced really well so it wasn't too sweet Wagyu meatballs with onion soy reduction - personally love caramelized onions and they did such a good job getting the rich, sweet flavor out; it wasn't overwhelming since I broke down the meatball to soak up the sauce Edamame - sea salt and lime gave it good seasoning and portion was worth it for HH Honmaguro salmon - sashimi was good but pricey for the small portion Honmaguro bluefin tuna - sashimi was good but also pricey for the portion, though the cuts were thicker than the salmon so slightly preferable Poke taco - good amount of poke on a seaweed "tortilla" which was really worth it for HH Bluefin tuna nigiri set - good flavor and quality though toro chewier Premium nigiri set - absolute favorite from here though sadly was only a seasonal special; toro with caviar was amazing, sweet shrimp melted in my mouth with how tender it was and ikura was great, and the seared scallop was smoky with uni on top Negitoro with garlic bread - solid though prefer without cream and wasabi personally Karaage - super juicy and flavorful with dark meat used so it didn't need sauce Garlic shrimp - good with garlic chili crisp on top and great size Wagyu curry - good curry with a spicy kick that's not overpowering though the wagyu is ground beef so hard to distinguish the quality Dan dan noodles - prominent peanut flavor Omakase - Caesar's salad was great without cheese or heavy ranch and crisps on top for texture, seared cured mackerel always good, sashimi was thick cuts of sea bream, bonito, and bluefin tuna which were good, mussels and clams had great flavor from sauce, corn rib in shoyu butter and tempura battered shrimp with chili mayo was one of my favorite courses since the shoyu butter flavor and texture on the corn is so delicious and the shrimp was well cooked, the black cod was subtle in flavor and I was pleasantly surprised that it came with a sweet potato puree and roasted tomato as well as crispy skin and had that smokiness, wagyu meatball was great as usual, wagyu curry was super filling, miso soup great palate cleanser, and mango sticky rice sorbet was a bit too hard in texture for me personally and not enough mango Skip: mentaiko udon, sunomono cucumber salad with wakame seaweed, honmaguro salmon and bluefin tuna, dan dan noodles Would order again: HH edamame, HH poke taco, HH kakuni pork belly taco Must orders: hojicha creme brulee, aburi shime saba (seared cured mackerel), corn ribs, wagyu meatball (if you love caramelized onions), karaage I've been here four times now and have to say the $70 happy hour omakase (typically $80) was my favorite experience here so far although my favorite bites were from their seasonal special when the $20 nigiri premium set was offered. They have all day happy hour on Sundays and Mondays which is really nice to not worry about a cutoff and late night on Fridays and Saturdays from 9-10:30pm in addition to Tuesdays - Fridays 5-6:30pm and Saturdays 4-6pm. The omakase does end 30 min before happy hour does though!!

    Stumbled on this amazing place when we were in the mood for Japanese. It had a small sign out front…read moreafter parking and we hopped inside. It's a cozy place with great service and unique options. If you're looking got rolls here, don't bother because it's a traditional place and they don't mess with rolls. Everything was delicious and they had a lot of vegan options. The vegan curry was amazing. They have a regular and late night happy hour as well with all day on Mondays and Sundays. Everything is made fresh and the kitchen is right in front of you over the counter. Highly recommended place for everything. Food; traditional, fresh, lots of variety Prices: $6-$30 Parking: lots of meters on Wilshire and side streets Dietary: plenty of vegan and vegetarian options Atmosphere: cozy for dates, but also tables for groups, and a bar area. Service: very helpful and fast

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    Hamakaze Sushi Izakaya

    Hamakaze Sushi Izakaya

    4.0
    (494 reviews)
    3.6 mi
    $$

    This restaurant is seriously slept on. There should be a line out the door (not that I wanna wait…read moreto eat all the delicious food). We've been here a gazillion times and we'll be back a gazillion times more. We love both the sushi and izakaya items. The nigiri, rolls and carpaccios are (literally) chef's kiss! And their fried, steamed, sauteed items are exceptional. I don't know what magical incantations and techniques are used on the miso eggplant, but people who actively don't like eggplant love this dish. It's caramelized deliciousness. Straight-up witchcraft I tell you.  I know I waxed on and on about the bacon mochi in my previous review, but I need to you hear me when I extol its virtues from the highest mountain. Plus, this time, I have video of the epic pull! The fish tacos are superb. There a light, crispy batter on the flaky fish with fresh veggies on top. I daresay I felt healthy eating these tacos. The sauteed scallops with ponzu is an absolute must-order. The scallops are cooked (not overcooked, not undercooked) to a perfect texture that retains the natural sweetness of scallops, which contrasts beautifully with the savory-tangy-umami elixir created by ponzu and butter. The sauce is so delicious that we always order a side of rice to get every last drop.

    A great hidden gem! We love having omakase here! We've only ordered sashimi and sushi and have not…read moreordered any of the warm cooked dishes. Their fish is solid! This place is MUCH better than some of the other local sushi spots. My favorites here are: Red snapper Salmon Halibut (tiny citrus topping) Amberjack (with truffle oil) Big eye tuna Golden eye Black snapper If you're looking for more of a bar/ social vibe, go to Hama sushi. If you're looking for low key spot with high quality sashimi, come here!

    Photos
    Inside restaurant
    Inside restaurant
    Tako and ika
    Tako and ika
    Kurobata corn dog

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    Kurobata corn dog
    Izakaya Tora

    Izakaya Tora

    4.4
    (559 reviews)
    4.2 mi
    $$$

    Wow the food is so good!! Recommended by a friend that this place was like Izakaya Osen several…read moreyears ago. Chirashi - the fish is QUALITY. 2 types of each fish, so it's still shareable with a friend. Standouts: their Uni was so creamy and fresh. Also loved the kanpachi pieces - firm and flavorful. Hamachi was also so buttery and fresh. The Miso Chilean Seabass skewers were the best. So tender, soft and grilled and marinated perfectly. What a nice thick satisfying chunk. This is a must order. Pressed sushi - these are hard to find outside of Vancouver so it was a delight to see them! We had the salmon and hamachi version. Loved that the Hamachi had a delicious spicy kick to it! The matcha mochi chocolate cake was so soft, gooey with strong matcha flavor! Great way to end the meal. It's on a poppin street on West Hollywood. We walked to Dayglow for matcha and the Pacific Design Center for inspiration.

    10/10 Experience!…read more We stumbled upon this spot since it was within easy walking distance of our hotel, and we are so glad we did. It has the warm, welcoming feel of a family-owned business. We ordered the Kiss of Fire roll, spicy tuna roll, and a selection of nigiri (I've attached photos of all of them). Everything was delicious and clearly made with very high-quality fish. On top of that, it's incredibly well-priced compared to nearby alternatives. Excellent value for the quality. We will definitely be returning!

    Photos
    Izakaya Tora
    House dessert
    House dessert
    Scoop of Heaven

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    Scoop of Heaven

    Afuri - ramen - Updated August 2026

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