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    Azay

    4.6 (495 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, French
    Closed 9:00 am - 1:45 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Azay Photos

    Business Info

    AZAY ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Azay

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    Reviews With Photos

    Menu 7/3/26
    Michael K.

    Parking: If you can get into the Aiso Parking Garage across the street it's the best price, but it was full when I got there. There is very little street parking and two parking garages around the block, with typical super fast accelerated pricing which becomes $20 quick. You can make a reservation on their website or the app using Resy. I called because it was a holiday and was able to make a same day reservation, unfortunately it took me over 30 minutes to figure out the parking siutation and to get there. Service was good, both the host and the server were very friendly and helpful. It was warm and super busy so I could see they were stressed. It's pretty small inside, good for couples harder for bigger groups. There is also some seating outside but glad I was inside since it was even hotter out there. I got the bentobox: binchotan jidori chicken teriyaki, seasonal vegetables, ztsukemono, miso soup, rice. Everything was crafted well and beatifully plated. Overall a very delicious meal. The chicken was definitely fatty and heavy

    Mackerel Bento
    Stella C.

    Azay is a popular French-Japanese fusion restaurant in Little Tokyo. Overall, I thought the Japanese mackerel bento was decent (especially enjoyed the soba side), but it wasn't anything special or memorable. Unfortunately didn't get to try any of the more French-inspired dishes so can't comment on that aspect. It was busy on a Saturday morning at 11 am and we had to wait a bit, even with reservations that I had booked 2 days in advance (there were still plenty of slots left). However, the service and turnover were fast and the wait staff were extremely nice and attentive. The interior was snug but clean and comfortable. We parked at the Aiso Parking garage for $2 for 2 hours.

    Vegan Japanese breakfast and watermelon agua fresco
    Diane W.

    We found street parking a short walk away around the corner. My boyfriend and I made a reservation here for Saturday brunch. We were a little late but they managed to accommodate us at a table inside after a short wait. As a vegetarian, I really appreciate how many of the meals on the menu can be made vegan. I chose the vegan Japanese breakfast and I loved it. It was light and simple but wonderfully satisfying. Seasonal watermelon agua frescas weren't on the menu but our server told us we may want to try them! It was very refreshing and we didn't taste any artificial flavors. I tasted a hint of cucumber. We tasted the ice cream, custard, and peach on the stone fruit tart. It was delish. However, the crust on the stone fruit tart was too hard. We really had to drive the fork downward into the crust to even break off a piece. We informed a server about this and we ordered a matcha crème brûlée. We were charged only for the crème brûlée. All in all, we really enjoyed the aesthetic food and the intimate ambiance. The servers were very friendly, there was hardly a wait for our food and drinks once we were seated, and my boyfriend's water glass was never empty. After our pleasant balanced meal, we walked over and visited their super cute, super cool hardware shop next door. I thought the restaurant-hardware business concept is outstanding. Extraordinary little place!!

    Amelia W.

    Super delicious food and they have vegan options! The vegan Japanese breakfast (pictured) and the vegan bento is amazing.

    Japanese breakfast  Daily bento
    Jenny H.

    A little bit of a wait on Friday at lunch time but outdoor seating was available with umbrellas to block the sun, fortunately. The Japanese breakfast was a delightful meal with just a little bit of everything and I thoroughly enjoyed it, nothing was too salty or sour, etc. Very small menu though. I wish they still served omurice!

    Japanese breakfast with saba
    Amanda Y.

    I love a traditional Japanese breakfast, and I love Azay! Service is always friendly, and the restaurant is cozy and comfortable. The quality of food here is excellent and fresh. This is my go-to spot when I'm craving Japanese breakfast, and it's all I've ever ordered here. I will have to return and try their other menu items to broaden my palette, as I'm sure they are just as delicious. By the way, if you are unable to find street parking, parking in the lot across the street (Judge John Aiso parking garage) is the key!

    Adeline S.

    Super cozy comfort breakfast we had here! We didn't have a reservation on a Saturday morning, but the staff was so nice in accommodating us and we were seated quite quickly. The unagi bowl is delicious and the traditional Japanese breakfast was yummy too, although it wasn't as filling. The French toast was delicious, I highly highly recommend it. Next time I come I definitely want to try the loco moco! I love how you can look over at the kitchen and see how the chef prepares the food, if there was not bar seating I definitely would have asked to be seated there, but it's a super tight spot - cozy, but def something to keep in mind for large parties.

    Karaage

    Amazing food. Unagi bowl definitely the top one. Croquette was yummy it had curry flavor. Matcha Creme Brulee was so yummy not very sweet and the apricot paired so well Fun to watch the chefs make the food right in front of you. Really nice lighting and decor inside too Nice service. August 22.

    Matcha crème brûlée
    Britt L.

    So glad to have found this spot in LA! Was really missing traditional Japanese breakfast from our travels abroad and so happy to have come across Azay. Menu is simple but with good variety of options. We tried the breakfast bento and lunch bentos. The array of accompaniments was excellent. Service is also wonderful & very friendly. Food was served hot & fresh, quality was excellent as to be expected. Beautiful, bright and cozy space. Really enjoyed our meal here & looking forward to our next visit. Also got the matcha crème brulee--one of the best desserts we've ever had. Perfect balance of matcha & sweetness. Pro tip: make a resy! Tables fill fast.

    Pam Y.

    We had a good time at Azay. I had the daily bento with jidori chicken (the chicken was DELISH), my guests had the Nagoya hitsumabushi (eel bowl) & crab curry. The service was excellent (they even gave me xtra salad since I omitted rice). Water/tea refills were spot-on. My only complaint is that the soba noodles were totally overcooked, like, beyond. Probably needed 2-2.5min less cooking time. Other than that I thought the meal was decent. Would def like to return & try their Japanese breakfast.

    Soba noodles, part of the bento
    Mary E.

    First time at Azay in Little Tokyo today, and somehow it felt like I'd been meaning to walk through those doors for years. One of those places that quietly lingers on your "must try" list until you finally give in. Azay was opened by chef Akira Hirose, who built the space around the kind of Japanese breakfast he grew up with. Thoughtful. Seasonal. The opposite of rushed. It's a small, intimate restaurant in the heart of Little Tokyo, where the morning light hits just right and everything feels intentional. The Japanese breakfast was exactly what I hoped for and somehow better. A neat lacquered tray carrying grilled fish, delicate sides, miso soup, rice, pickles. Comforting in that quiet, steady way. Home cooked but precise. Balanced without trying too hard. Elegant, nourishing, and deeply satisfying without ever feeling heavy. It's the kind of meal that doesn't shout for attention. It simply exists with confidence. And sometimes that's exactly what you want.

    Tofu and maitake mushroom bento
    Linda C.

    Met a friend here for lunch and thank goodness we had a reservation, place was packed when we showed up. Service was warm and genuinely friendly. The menu is small and everything sounded good. I ordered a coffee and the tofu & maitake bento: super light, clean, and really satisfying. Bonus points for the coffee refills, and it was actually good coffee, not an afterthought. My friend went with the chawanmushi and the miso black cod bento, which was perfectly cooked. We ended with crème brûlée and a cookie, and wow, perfect Japanese-style sweetness. Not cloying, not heavy, just right. Loved it. Only downside: parking is an absolute nightmare. Truly awful. But once you're inside, it's worth the hassle.

    Tofu Japanese breakfast
    R C.

    We were so excited to have the chance to try this place for the first time. The service was great. They were able to accommodate us without a reservation. The staff was attentive and courteous. The dining space is clean and they have an open kitchen. The food was excellent. It was an authentic Japanese breakfast experience which brought us back to the ryokan in Kyoto. Restroom was clean, which is always a plus! Street parking available. Reservation is recommended. We will definitely return!

    Japanese breakfast with saba.

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    9 months ago

    Delicious food and great service I am so happy they reopened I kept passing by to check as to when they would open worth the wait.

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    Azay Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Azay

    Do they still take reservations?

    Yes, call at least a day before. Azay takes same day reservations although not guaranteed seating.

    Is everything on the menu available for to go order?

    What are your hours right now? Are the hours listed up to date?

    Hi! Our hours are Tuesday through Friday (11am-1:30pm), Thurs-Sat (5:30p-7:30p), Sat and Sun (9a-1:30p).

    Do you allow dogs at your outdoor seating? Do you take reservations?

    Hi! Yes we allow dogs at our outdoor seating and we take reservations

    Do you have dine in breakfast on Sundays that serves with real plates(not takeout containers)? Can we make reservation?…

    Hi! We only offer outdoor dining on our spacious sidewalk at the moment. Yes! Please direct message your reservation information

    What's good to order?

    I love to get their daily bento, especially when they have pork belly as the main dish.

    Is it possible to dine in? Plan on visiting Friday brunch

    Hi Angie! We don't have seating inside but do have several tables outside if that works for you!

    Do they have gluten free options?

    Hi Alice, We do have gluten free options and can modify some items to be gluten free.… 

    What are the hours for breakfast?

    We serve breakfast and lunch all day from 8am-3pm.

    Do you provide vegan (no animal products at all) options?

    Hi Paula, Although we could make custom vegan orders with the ingredients that we have, we are… 

    Do you take reservations?

    We can take reservations for small groups for breakfast and lunch. We do ask for the lunch reservations to be after 12:30pm since lunch is our busiest time. Thank you.

    Can I order food to go, breakfast and lunch?

    You can! Although we can only provide them in limited quantities.

    What are you hours?

    HI Cynthia! We are open Tuesday - Sunday, 8am to 3pm.

    Do they serve any vegetarian options?

    We do have vegetarian options and we can modify any of dishes, if needed.

    View All 15 Questions

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    One of the best sushi restaurants I've tried so far. I arrived as a walk in and was quickly seated…read moreand served. Their customer service was top notch despite the restaurant being busy. The food was excellent. I ordered a couple rolls, sashimi, and chicken katsu curry. All dishes exceeded my expectations. The drinks were well balanced as well. The restaurant is quite dark and very intimate. Perfect place for a date or if you're looking for something more personal.

    The Bottom Line 3.75 stars: Recommended for Japanese food with Korean flare while shopping at the H…read moreMart Shopping Plaza in central K-Town. Location 3.5 stars: Inside the H Mart Shopping Center, on the West side of Western Blvd, between Wilshire and 6th Street in K-Town. Paid parking structure. You can get at least a portion of the parking fees validated electronically by shopping at H Mart or one the restaurants or stores or the movie theater at the plaza. Possibilities for street parking are very limited if any. Venue 4 stars: Nicely decorated modern venue, with inside and outdoor tables and a sushi bar. Service 4 stars: Staff were polite, courteous and attentive. Food 3.5 stars: Large selection of traditional Japanese food including sushi, sashimi, rolls appetizers, ramen, hot stone and hot pot, along with some Korean staples. We had sushi, sashimi and rolls which were good but a little lacking in flavor. Drinks 4 stars: Beer (bottle and tap), wine, sake, soft drinks, coffee and tea.

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    KazuNori | Downtown LA

    KazuNori | Downtown LA

    4.4(3.6k reviews)
    0.4 miDowntown
    $$

    There's a parking structure nearby where you can park and get your ticket validated, which makes…read moreparking pretty convenient. Seating inside is very limited and consists entirely of bar seating, so don't expect to come here with a large group. The staff was very attentive and did a great job making sure we had everything we needed throughout the meal. One small detail I really appreciated was the restroom. They have two types of hand soap: scented and unscented. The unscented soap is meant for when you're going back to continue eating, while the scented soap is for after you've finished your meal. It's such a small touch, but it really adds to the overall experience and shows how much thought they put into the details. For the food, we got the 6-hand-roll set, which ended up being plenty to fill us up. The rice was perfectly warm and had a slight seasoning to it, which helped bring everything together with the flavors of the fish and seafood. The hand rolls were fresh and satisfying without feeling overly heavy. Price-wise, I think it's fair for the quality you're getting. Overall, Kazunori is a solid spot for hand rolls if you're in the area or just craving some good sushi!

    I've visited this location numerous times, but this review is based on my most recent visit…read more * Parking is available in the same building for $7. Street parking is also available, but it can be difficult to find and may require a bit of a walk. * We were a party of two. My partner ordered three ankimo hand rolls because she loves ankimo, and I ordered the six-roll set. * The rice in my first two rolls was a little too hot, possibly because it had just been prepared. From the third roll onward, the temperature was fine. * After my partner had the second ankimo roll, we both felt that there was too much sauce and that it was overpowering the ankimo. We had just visited the Pasadena location the week before, where the flavor was much more balanced, so the difference was noticeable to us. * We asked the server if they could use a little less sauce on the next ankimo roll, but we were told that everything was standardized and could not be changed. * We tried to clarify that we were not asking them to change the ankimo recipe or any pre-made seasoning. We were simply asking for a little less of the sauce that the chef squeezes on while assembling the hand roll. However, we were given the same answer again that it was standardized and could not be adjusted. * At that point, we stopped asking and just accepted it as it was. Interestingly, the last ankimo roll actually tasted just right, which made us think the chef may have understood what we were asking for even though there seemed to be some miscommunication with the server. Overall, the food itself was not the main issue. We've visited this location many times and have generally had good experiences. This visit was disappointing mainly because a very simple request turned into a communication issue that we felt could have been handled more easily.

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    KazuNori | Downtown LA - Available Starting Aug 6th.

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    KazuNori | Downtown LA - Lobster Hand Roll

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    Daikokuya Little Tokyo - Daikoku Ramen

    Daikokuya Little Tokyo

    4.1(10k reviews)
    0.1 miLittle Tokyo, Downtown
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    Daikokuya is a long time staple of Little Tokyo, whenever I'm in town on business or vacation I…read moremake a point to visit. Their ramen noodles are always cooked perfectly (I like them a little firm) and their broths are super flavorful, their eggs cooked perfectly. I usually enjoy their spicy or black garlic broths which add extra kicks. Daikokuya can be busy throughout the day, but there servers and kitchen staff work hard to turn around orders and tables relatively quickly. Anytime is a good time for ramen from Daikokuya.

    Daikokuya is a solid ramen franchise from the Bishamon group. I miss how close the Hacienda…read morelocation one back in the day, and now the closest one to me is the MPK location, but if any of my out of town, out of state, out of country friends are visiting and they have a hankering for ramen with a strong, but not super heavy kotteri flavor. The location isn't super big and it does get super busy with people putting their names on the wait list and people queueing busily outside (overflow of people waiting for many of the other restaurants along this part of the block too). Overall the ramen isn't bad, chashu is nice and fatty and tender. Ramen is rich and filling. It's nice that it already comes with an egg too and you don't have to add another one. Lots of other side dishes and combos too if someone in your party doesn't want ramen. However, with the increases in prices, the fact that there's many other options in LT, and the fact that there are other Daikokuya locations, it's an alright LT option.

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    Daikokuya Little Tokyo - Inside

    Inside

    Daikokuya Little Tokyo - Spicy Miso Ramen

    Spicy Miso Ramen

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    Budonoki

    4.6(373 reviews)
    3.4 miEast Hollywood

    Budonoki is easily the best meal I've had during my most recent trip to LA. In my party of four, we…read moreshared the following dishes: two orders of the spicy tuna handrolls, two orders of the negima -- "jidori chicken oyster with negi", a scallop crudo, a curry pan (two pieces to an order), a charred Japanese sweet potato (three pieces to an order), an order of aburi salmon (six pieces to an order), budo-"gnocchi" -- made with rice cakes instead of actual potato gnocchi, wagyu zabuton -- prepared as steak frites, and a few cocktails. Although their menu is regularly updated and posted on their website, they'll also have a piece of paper on the table listing on the special of the day. On our visit, the special was fried yellow tail, but we ultimately passed since our order was already loaded. After you place your order, the dishes are coursed out so not everything hits the table at the same time. Pacing was perfect and service was polite and attentive. Of the items we ordered the crowd favorite was the fries from the steak fries dipped into the sauce of the budo-gnocchi dish. The fries were effectively a perfected version of the McDonald's fry: golden and crispy, crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. The wagyu was sliced into beautiful bite-size pieces and was melt-in-you-mouth tender. Definitely a must order! Another favorite of mine was the Japanese sweet potato. The surface of the potato is beautifully brûléed, there's an intense richness from the glob of miso koji butter on top, and the chives add a nice freshness to the dish. I cannot recommend Budonoki enough if you're a foodie. Seriously some of the best food I've had in LA.

    Wow! Just delicious! Everything was amazing, but the budo-gnnochi surprisingly took the cake! Just…read morea ball of flavor and wonder! A true party in your mouth. We mixed steak with the budognoochi, and it was terrific! I will be back! Phenomenal service!

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    Budonoki - Interior

    Interior

    Budonoki - Quarter sheets x TOMATO PANZANELLA: munak ranch heirloom tomatoes, focaccia croutons, chickpea-miso dressing | $18

    Quarter sheets x TOMATO PANZANELLA: munak ranch heirloom tomatoes, focaccia croutons, chickpea-miso dressing | $18

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    kodo

    kodo

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    1.3 miDowntown

    The inside is low lit & gives an elevated ambiance. Service was fantastic and very attentive. We…read morestarted with the pacific oysters & spicy tuna crispy rice. The pacific oysters are a good size and I really enjoyed the yuzu-kosho ponzu sauce on it. The spicy tuna crispy rice have a good amount of spicy tuna on top & I loved how crispy they made the rice underneath. The Kodo trio comes with uni, toro, & wagyu and the Toro sampler comes with o-toro, chu-toro, akami. All of these handrolls were phenomenal & just left you wanting more. The Wagyu katsu you cook on a hot stone at the table which I liked as an interactive dish. The Wagyu cheeseburger was dripping with juice but still had those crunchy edges. The Uni pasta was beautiful & delicious. The Chimichurri prawns I could eat multiple plates of- the shell comes sliced down the middle so you just have to peel it off. For dessert we ordered the Kodo basque cheesecake & Miso chocolate torte. I love a basque cheesecake & the sesame crumble added great texture. The miso chocolate torte made me wish I ordered my own. Everything from start to finish was amazing, it's hard to pick favorites. Parking- valet $13

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    Entrance Seating

    Azay - japanese - Updated September 2026

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