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When I say everything was 10/10 im not being dramatic, very expensive very cute and very delicious little spot. I wish I could wat here weekly but im telling you its pricey. Irregardless id say go here for a date night or a celebration its got a very romantic setting and the service A++++ she was very attentive. I left there with a happy belly and a happy experience
Decided to try something new and this little gem was closest to our other arrangements. Apple Maps took us down a mini market at the opposite side of the street, so it can easily be missed depending on what direction you're coming from. It's on the corner, right next to the $14 valet , which you should probably do since street parking is nonexistent. We arrived right after it opened and it was almost full. Luckily, we got the last indoor table and were sat immediately. We really liked the dimly light ambiance inside. Everything we drank and ate was delicious. All the dishes are meant to be shared, which made everything fun to eat. We're not necessarily playing with our food but there are some dishes that you put together yourself, which I thought was a fun touch. The servers were attentive and informative. Our table was kept clean and all dishes were delivered at the appropriate times.
Ambiance: Casual/Dress-up Service: Sit-down -- Super friendly staff. The staff is really knowledgeable about the menu and ingredients, very attentive, and fun and conversational. They definitely add to the experience and make you feel comfortable asking questions or getting recommendations. Drinks: Fun and refreshing. Joshikai: Refreshing and on the sweeter side, but really good. If you like the mug and decide to take it home, there is a $150 fee. Food: Fun Japanese fusion. Lots of creative dishes and flavor combinations, with familiar Japanese dishes given a fun twist. I recommend: Spicy Tuna Hand Rolls: Comes in a bowl with rice on the bottom and seaweed paper on the side so you can make your own hand rolls. Fun way to eat it and you can make each bite as big or small as you want. Yakisoba: These noodles are really well seasoned from the sauce and wagyu. Lots of flavor and definitely something I recommend. Negima: Chicken skewers that come with a sweet and savory sauce. The sauce adds a really nice flavor to the chicken and makes this an easy one to order. Soft serve: must try Their homemade ice cream is delicious and captures the essence of the strawberry flavor. Parking: Street/meters. There is ample street parking around the area, but make sure to read the signs carefully because the restrictions can vary.
Great vibes and a perfect spot for date night. This place is tucked away in silver lake area of LA and this whole place was a vibe. The staff here were trained really well. The hospitality was second to none. I felt I was taken care of the whole time. However, the food here was mainly just hype. What we ordered: Spicy tuna handroll - not that great. Look, you're in LA... you can get kazunori for handrolls that can taste better than this. The whole DIY handroll was a great concept but the whole dish was lackluster. The rice was bland, needed vinegar. The tuna quality was mixed too much with sesame oil to the point that you couldn't really taste the fish. The tempura flakes were also kind of unnecessary. Soft shell crab - absolutely delicious. This is a seasonal item... so if you see this, order this. Love the coconut milk broth its cooked in with all the aromatics. Naem - really good. I loved it when you stack the crispy rice, thai pork, and the salad together. The whole thing was salty, sour, spicy... absolutely delicious. I just wished there was more Negima skewers - solid but drowned in too much sauce. I felt like these were good on its own. The negi was juicy and had a lot of flavor. I liked it more than the chicken pieces Budo gnocchi - waste of $30. Don't even get this. The whole dish didn't make any sense. First of all, this dish took forever to be sent to us. The flavor of this was just tart with not much seasoning. The foam cheese didn't really do anything. I think it would've made more sense if it was a blanket of cheese on top. I really don't get the hype about this dish. Strawberry soft serve - super super tasty. It's a great ending to your meal. It was so good that I felt like my wife and I should have gotten our own. The creamy texture was perfect and it was not too sweet. Overall, this is a 4/5... hard for me to say this is a top 10 in LA though. For a menu thats small, we just expected all the dishes we ordered to be great.
First time here! We were here for dinner and we love the cozy, dimly lit ambiance of the place. Alyssa was nice, friendly and helpful. She helped us understand the menu and the size of servings. Everything we ordered was delicious! We had salad, Agedashi Tofu, 6pc Wings, Sweet Potato fries, Salmon, and Steak. The only thing I didn't like is the 4% service charge they added to cover for the medical expenses of their team. And mind you, this 4% also gets taxed! So you're really paying an additional over 4% more (4% + 9.75% of that 4%). They said you can have it taken out and this is not gratuity. I''d rather be generous with gratuity especially if the service was good than help pay for benefits that I think should be the employer's responsibility. Until I am comfortable asking our nice server to have it taken out, which I probably won't, I most likely won't be back! So the low 3-star rating is because of this. Everything else is good. This addtl charge just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Budonoki is fun, dark, lit by a neon glow, and packed. At the center, there's a huge L-shaped bar where you can have great drinks in cuddly animal mugs. Along the walls, there are also little tables where you enjoy phenomenal small bites and beats so good they have a Spotify playlist. This izakakaya's grill skews toward Thai and Japanese creations, and items that don't normally receive such attention from live fire. Naem: This plate has instructions from the chef. You are supposed to break the crispy rice balls open, place a slice of the fermented Thai pork sausage on tip, and cover it with the herby slaw. You end up with little "open face sandwiches" that highlight the different textures. The rice is hot and crispy with red chilies. The mortadella colored sausage is cold, gelatinous, and squishy. The slaw adds fresh crunchiness, tangy citrus and minty flavors. The best bite in town delivers excellent textures and flavors. Charred Japanese Sweet Potato: Do believe the hype. Is this a dessert or a treat? It's the best thing on the menu. The bite sized squares of yellow sweet potato have a luxuriously thick slathering of butter, miso koji, and chives, which is so rich it's almost like a savory frosting. The sweet potato is expertly grilled with a slight smoky char. The potato is so dense and creamy, my mind thinks of pound cake, pudding, custard? Parking: There's street parking a few blocks away in the residential neighborhood.
The food, the ambiance, the drinks...all of it so well curated at Budonoki. This restaurant offers Japanese style bar foods with an elevated twist. Everything we ate was delicious. My favorite dishes were the zabuton and sweet potato. For dessert you can't skip out on the soft serve.
Having been hunting to get a reservation here, we finally made it on the Memorial Day! Entering the venue for first time got us stunned as we totally didn't expect this kinda bar-ish vibe LOL. It's pretty impressive though, especially amidst summer when dinner time was still bright outside then suddenly entering the venue felt like transported us into a venue with minimum lighting. It's pretty packed as early as 6pm-ish with almost all tables occupied. The servers were all so nimble though in taking orders and waiting time was relatively short. As the concept was more like Tapas bar, we shared some dishes, most of which were those from their popular ones. We started with Spicy Tuna handroll, so fresh and tasty with just right amount of everything. Then we got the Charred Sweet Potato, which totally worthed all the shoutouts from different review, being so so good with savory touch from the miso butter perfectly paired to sweetness from the sweet potato. From the bigger portion selection, we got the Iberico Char Siu, super juicy thinly sliced and well-seasoned pork. The only downside was the sticky rice side being tad dry. Not to forget, skipping their dessert was illegal! The Tokyo Banana softserve was like perfection. Despite the banana tasted more like flavoring, really hooked by the peculiar salty hint within the mix. We just couldn't stop digging into the cup!
Wow. Lately it's been hard to find a restaurant that genuinely surprises me, but Budonoki proved it's still possible. This was easily a 5-star experience for both the food and the exceptional service. We came in without a reservation, put our names on the waitlist, and were seated in about 30 minutes. Definitely worth the wait. We started with the tuna handroll, except it's not really served as a traditional handroll. The fresh tuna comes in a bowl surrounded by crispy, crunchy rice, with nori sheets on the side so you build each bite yourself. Super fresh and such a fun way to start. Then came the chicken wings -- to die for. So flavorful and Korean AF in the best possible way. Probably one of my favorite dishes of the night. The salmon rice was good, but honestly nothing too special compared to everything else we tried. The wagyu pasta, though, was incredibly rich and packed with flavor. Then the wagyu empanadas surprised me all over again. Such a unique combination and flavors I really haven't had anywhere else. We ended with the banana ice cream and it was the perfect ending. But I have to give just as much credit to the service. Beyond exceptional. Everything was extremely organized and the entire staff worked like one team. Just because we had a waiter didn't mean only that person took care of us -- everyone was helping, checking on the table, clearing plates and bringing things out. It genuinely felt like we were welcomed and taken care of by the entire team. Budonoki is exactly what I've been missing lately: creative food, unexpected flavors, fresh ingredients and service that actually adds to the experience. It's rare for a restaurant to surprise me this much anymore, but this one did. The ambiance matched the food perfectly. The space is dimly lit, dark and cozy, giving it an intimate feel without trying too hard. It's the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to settle in, order a bunch of dishes to share and stay awhile.
Not your typical izakaya - this place is INCREDIBLE. Great unique food options. The small plates make it great for trying multiple dishes, but are big enough to share. Our servers are friendly, accommodating, and very knowledgeable about their menu. I love coming back here for a late night vibe.
Utterly disappointed. I was really excited to come here for date night with my gf and I was hyping up the place on the drive over because of the reviews I'd seen on social media but soon I realized that it was all just hype. The dishes were all just okay, nothing particularly special. The budo-gnocchi was probably the biggest disappointment for me. It was a glorified tteokbokki and frankly wasn't that good. Service was friendly but sadly I was not a fan of this place.
We weren't expecting much from the spicy tuna hand roll, but it ended up being one of both my husband's and my favorite dishes of the meal. The tuna was fresh with the addition of crispy garlic, making every bite delicious. Our other favorites were the naem and the yakisoba.
I was recommended this spot for aburisushi and oishizushi. I came on a weekday night and still hade to make a reservation. Parking on the side streets is free and not too difficult. I ordered salmon and shrimp aburisushi, a diy handroll set, and yakisoba. Once the food got to my table I realized that the aburisushi is also oishizushi, which was a huge plus. I loved the seared taste of the salmon and shrimp and the box shape making it easy to take double bites. The insides of the rice also had their own respective filling. Yakisoba that is like an okonomiyaki without the gooiness. It was very enjoyable though I could have done with any meat aside from their offered wagyu. The diy handroll was a fun concept but otherwise just exactly what I expected from making my own handrolls, an absolute mess. It did taste good but nothing special or memorable. For dessert, I ordered both ice creams thinking it was gonna be small. These two cups were huge and I could only finish about 80% of each before tapping out. Overall, great food for a decent price. If I'm ever in the area, I would come back but I don't know how bad the walk in situation is. I also heard about their kichikichi omurice collab but unfortunately wasn't able to make time to go.
SO GOOD. Food was absolutely amazing, I love the shareable portions because we got to try more dishes! Drinks were outstanding, my boyfriend and I tried the Daiquiri and Awa cocktails- both were light and refreshing with great flavor. As for the food, everything was delicious. They had a few specials and was glad to try their new dish- a smoked fish dip with marinated ikura and homemade chips, I'm still thinking about it! Also tried the yakisoba, negima (chicken skewers), miso butter sweet potatoes, chef's salad and salmon sushi! Everything was delightful, and dessert was also great. Our server was also very nice and helpful and had great food recommendations. There's street parking around the neighborhood, you know the vibes. They also have valet as an option. Great spot for date night or get together with friends with awesome drinks and food! Can't wait to be back. read more
2 days ago
Budonoki is the perfect place to catch up with friends over delicious bites and tasty cocktails. Although the restaurant is always bustling, it still manages to feel intimate, whether you're sitting inside or outdoors on the patio. The patio stays pleasantly warm with multiple table-side heated lamps. Service is attentive without hovering. All of the food is delicious, although the plates are a bit on the smaller side. Our favorites were the scallop crudo and charred Japanese sweet potato. The drinks are also inventive; we enjoyed the Girls Night Out for the depth of flavor and cute mugs. Parking can be challenging, but we all managed to snag street parking on a Saturday night around 7:30. There is also valet parking right next to the restaurant for $13. read more
The outside of the place was very deceiving however when you walk in it's almost as if it's a hole in a wall spot! Very modern and dim on the inside but very aesthetic. There were two of us and the waiter recommended sharing 4-5 dishes and honestly it was the perfect amount for both of us! Spicy Tuna Handroll: 10/10 We started off with the broken down spicy hand-roll which usually I am not a fan of tuna but this dish wasn't fishy at all! It was crispy, umami and warm all in one! Great as a starter. Dragon roll: 9/10 Pretty unique take for a dragon roll but was very delicious. Almost melt in your mouth feel. Negima (chicken skewers): 7.5/10 Chicken was cooked perfectly! In between were green onions (definitely burnt than expected) but overall was good. It comes with a sauce however I was not a fan of it as it was way too over powering. For some reason I tried liking it but the flavor profile was something I couldn't enjoy. Milk tea soft serve: 9/10 Pretty basic soft serve can't complaint much but it was a great sweet treat afterwards. read more
I finally gave Budonoki a try after hearing about it for some time. I went for an early weekday dinner right after opening, and it was easy to find bar seating for one person. The service was attentive, with repeated check-ins during my meal and before ordering; I also appreciated the recommendations I got about menu items. In retrospect, it was hard to get a robust sampling of the menu since I did not come in with a huge appetite. However, I enjoyed everything I tried. The yellowtail sashimi had a tender texture and spicy heat from the sliced chili though I did not love the bits of sauce (if I remember correctly it was a charred salsa verde) on top. Combining the various components of the naem dish made for a tasty bite with a winning mix of crunchiness, acidity, and savoriness. There was a long delay in getting dessert; from what I could tell, they needed time to get the soft serve ice cream machine ready. However, the staff members were apologetic and made sure I felt well-treated despite the wait. I'd be curious to revisit with other people to try a wider selection of food items! read more
All the dishes were made for sharing. We ordered the scallop crudo, dragon roll, curry pan, Budo-gnocchi, steak frites, & charred japanese sweet potato. The scallop crudo is thinly sliced and refreshing with the market fruit. The dragon roll is savory with its shrimp tempura, avocado mousse, & grilled unagi. The curry pan is well stuffed and crispy fried with wagyu, Japanese curry, cheese, & aji verde. The Budo-gnocchi is a MUST- I see why it's popular. The rice cakes are chewy and the black truffle / mushroom sauce makes you want to lick the plate. If you get fries- dip it in the sauce! The steak frites are juicy & tender with crispy fries. The charred Japanese sweet potato are dripping with miso koji butter and delicious. To finish the meal, we ordered the strawberry milk soft serve. It is light and has spoons in the shape of shovels which is such a fun detail. The inside aesthetic transports you to another place and vibe entirely. Service is attentive & friendly! All the dishes were amazing, there's definitely something for everyone. Parking- valet or street read more
My friend & I visited Budonoki for the first time on Friday night. We found free parking across the street from the restaurant and arrived at around 9:30pm. It took a minute for a staff member to greet us, and we were seated by the bar in a few minutes. The staff member behind the bar that took our order and brought out our food was nice and fast. We shared the two pressed sushi items, which were the Aburi Salmon ($20) and Dragon Roll ($25). The portion sizes were smaller than I expected for the prices we had to pay. Of the two items, I liked the Dragon Roll more because the flavors complimented each other well, including the avocado mousse, which was bright & tart. Also, we liked the ambiance of the place; a neighborhood izakaya that's casual, yet intimate and stylish. We had a good first experience at Budonoki, and I may return if I'm in the area and willing to search for parking. read more
2 months ago
Perfect place for date night!! My boyfriend and I went for a cute casual date dinner and it was amazing! Joe was our server and he was exceptional! He gave great recommendations and had such a warm energy while taking care of us! We tried their wagyu steak and frites which were sooo tasty! 10/10 would definitely have to come visit again to try some of their other items! read more
Very unassuming restaurant on the outside but such an incredible spot on the inside. The ambiance and decor were done extremely well. The service too was also very attentive and friendly. The food itself, absolutely incredible! I wasn't a big fan of the milk tea soft serve but everything before that was soooo tasty! My favorite had to be the budonoki gnocchi and the spicy tuna hand roll. It was such a creative take on these dishes and they were done to perfection! We also ordered the skewers and dragon roll, both of which were very good! I really liked the meat itself of the skewers as it was cooked perfectly but wasn't a big fan of the sauce it was in. Overall, I had a fantastic experience at Budonoki and I would definitely go there again!! read more
19 days ago
2 months ago
This was a place where I had saved to go and finally did for my birthday. When I say everything we tried was DELICIOUS, believe me. The portions are not the biggest but flavors are massive! A small and cozy dim place that's probably good for a girls night out or a date. Service was also great! Exceptional food although the menu is not too big either. Drink were great too! read more
LOVED Budonoki! It everything we ate was AMAZING! The vibes were amazing, the restaurant isn't super big but the atmosphere was great. We arrived right at 5pm when it open since we didn't have a reservation. Highly recommend the sweet potato, the steak and the sushi (honestly you can't go wrong with anything you order). The staff was all super attentive and kind, can't wait to go back! read more
1 year ago
Great evening spot with an immaculate playlist. We dined here with friends on a Friday night. Between the 4 of us we were able to try a lot of the menu including the, steak frites, maitake & argula, wings, charred Japanese sweet potato, naem, aburi salmon, budo-gnocchi and one of the yellowtail specials. It's recommended to place your order at once as some of the dishes take longer than others -- meaning they will also bring out whichever dish is ready first. Every dish tastes absolutely fresh and was shareable. The maitake & arugula, wings and gnocchi. Each had a super unique flavor and had excellent fusion flavors. We also tried a few of their cocktails which all had excellent flavors and some even came in a cute cup! To end our night we tried both soft serve - the milk tea one was my favorite for sure! Overall, a great vibe and a unique spot to try Japanese fusion flavors. I would recommend coming with a group to explore the menu! read more
I wish I had that Tokyo Banana soft serve with me right now. It was so good, and I was surprisingly unfamiliar with what "Tokyo Banana" even was! My friend explained and that dessert was so delicious- banana soft serve with crumbled Nilla wafers (they may have been house-made, sorry), and you get cute little shovels for it. You get an occasional hint of sea salt and the flavors combined are amazing. Everything else: Dan's Smoked Fish Dip -loved it but the toasts were cut so thin, they barely held anything and kept breaking on the table -charged us $3 for a few equally sad toasts to finish the dip Agedashi Tofu -tasty, piping hot Iberico Char Siu -I love charsiu and this was good until we got to to a big, tough vein of fat in the middle -paying $3 for hard, "probably old" my friend said sticky rice sucked Charred Japanese satsumaimo (sweet potato): This was actually very impressive and I'm going to try to replicate it at home. So rich and tasty. Aburi Ebi Pressed Sushi -very good but fell apart easily. Would order again though. The place is small, dark, and sexy if you're on a date. Drinks were unimpressive, unfortunately. I want to go back to try more of the menu though, even though some items looked over-hyped and over-priced. That Tokyo Banana though... read more
1 year ago
This place is a total LA vibe. Period. And I loved every minute of it! I came here for the Budonoki/Kato collaboration and wow it did not disappoint! Immediately when you walk in there is an electrifying energy and buzz in the spot, at 4pm the restaurant was already half packed (and packed by 5pm!). I made a reservation in advance and walk-ins were available but due to the popularity there were only a few spots. Music was fabulous and the decor is modern and full of life! The staff were all super helpful and friendly, made great recommendations on what to order and how many dishes would be good for our party. We tried the aged bluefin sashimi, stuffed wings, budo-gnocchi with pork belly, tomato salad and char siu Iberico pork. All had a unique and balance set of flavors, perfectly seasoned and cooked, showing a true culinary art and skill as well as a mastery of choice ingredients. And for dessert we had the corn sundae with the poured hard shell and it was sublime! I absolutely can't wait to go back for their regular menu! The restaurant is located in somewhat of a neighborhood and industrial area so parking might be a little tough and watch for those street signs! read more
1 year ago
The CUTESTTT girl's night out dinner spot! My girls made a resy and we had a table outside that's super cute for photos! We all shared the Spicy Tuna Handrolls, Scallop Crudo, Charred Japanese Sweet Potato, & Aburi Salmon. Not a lot for us to be full, but enough to be satisfied! Each piece was delicious every bite and filled with so much flavor. My favorite was definitely the handrolls or the salmon. Definitely try as many dishes as you can! As for drinks, I got the Daikiri/Daiquiri, but my friend's Hyoketsu/Frozen was like a dole whip in a cup. Wouldn't have known there was any alcohol in them! read more
7 months ago
Came here for an early dinner with a friend. I was lucky to find street parking in the neighborhood, but they do have valet ($14). Perfect dining experience for sharing. Highlights were the spicy tuna roll, chefs salad and dessert Tokyo Banana soft serve. The service was very attentive, friendly and nice. The vibe is cool too. Excited to come back! read more
19 days ago
Girls Night Out best and cutest drink. Went here for an anniversary, staff was great. Wings and potato are a must, curry bun was good. There is nothing comparable to the Tokyo banana dessert read more
Drinks were great. Mule was favorite Food: pressed salmon sushi - great. Loved the spice coming from the pepper on top Wings - nothing special but liked the green onion. A little salty Thai sausage - the sausage had some chilis in it which gave it a kick. The salad really helped cut through the fried rice balls. I think there was mint and basil. Scallop crudo - good. Reminded me of a Thai curry bc of coconut Chicken yakitori - really good but wasn't sure if it was all chicken oyster? Sauce was salty though. Loved the grilled green onion Yakisoba - solid but nothing special. Beef in it was good quality. Great service. Waitress was attentive and nice. Explained everything. Cute inside with good music. Would definitely come back if craving Asian fusion read more
I haven't stopped thinking about Budonoki since I saw them featured in Westways Magazine a while back. Featured on a page was their aburi salmon oshizushi--talk about eating with your eyes first! Well you can't really do that inside of Budonoki because it's pretty dark inside with only a small candle at each table. We used the flashlights on our phones to get a good look at what we were eating. This restaurant was stop 2 of a dinner hop my friend and I were doing while she was in town--going restaurant to restaurant to eat a small selection of things we wanted. We ordered the two selections of oshizushi (pressed sushi) and an order of sashimi from the specials menu. It's been a couple of days and I haven't stopped thinking about what we ate! 1. Yellowtail sashimi from the daily specials menu for $20: It was served with charred salsa verde and a piece of pickled fresno chili. I wish I had my own order of this and didn't have to share it. The dish was simply perfection. 2. Aburi salmon oshizushi for $20: Made with Ora king salmon, this melted in my mouth. The rice was the absolute best rice I've ever had in any bite of sushi. It held together in its form while hitting the palate very loosely packed so it just fell apart in your mouth while each grain gave a proper bite (despite my dense description). Just wow! The salmon did just the slightest fishy essence on my first bite. Though not off-putting, I was reminded that the torched, lightly cooked upper surface will have a stronger taste than the more raw base. 3. Dragon roll made with unagi (eel) on top and shrimp tempura in the middle and topped with avocado mousse for $25: Amazing. If you enjoy any of the elements of a dragon roll, this will rock your taste buds. Again, the lightly packed rice really elevates this dish! I can't wait to return and try more of the menu. Though the options are few, the three dishes we tried make for great indication that the rest of the menu options are polished and delicious. Everyone from hostess to our waitress was as nice as can be considering I arrived far earlier than my reservation time and we barely ordered any food. PARKING: I found street parking about a block away. I don't know if I missed the valet parking stand and signs during rush hour but online seems to indicate it is available daily. read more
One of the newer restaurants in the city that has easily became very popular since opening. It's probably due to the recognition they received as one of Eater's Best New Restaurants in America in 2024. They open weekdays at 530pm. We arrived at 5pm to make sure that we'll get a seat since they don't take reservations. Sure enough more and more people started coming and just like us, were willing to wait until opening. It took probably only about fifteen minutes for the entire place to be filled up by enthusiastic customers. It was very busy but service didn't suffer. We decided to order a bunch of different things which we truly enjoyed. Naem - thai pork sausage, crispy rice, herby slaw $17 Grilled hamachi collar $16 Sweet potato $12 Yakisoba - pan fried noodles, wagyu, bulldog sauce $18 Pandan coconut soft serve $10 Side sticky rice $3 4% surcharge is automatically added to each check to offset medical benefits of staff. It could be removed upon request but we just left it at that and added more tip for good food and great service. read more
2 months ago
1 year ago
Cocktails 5/5 Maitake and Arugala (salad) 5/5 Wings (hot honey soy garlic winfd) 5/5 Naem (Thai pork sausage) 5/5 Budo-gnocchi (rice cakes with shimeji mushroom and black truffle) 5/5 Atmosphere 5/5 Service 5/5 Overall 5/5 Budonoki deserves ALL the hype. If you're looking for a spot that masterfully blends fusion flavors, top-tier cocktails, and laid-back vibes, this is the place in LA. The food is absolutely phenomenal -- every dish feels like a creative, flavorful adventure. Think Japanese meets global street food with a gourmet twist. The Budo-Gnocchi and Wings were standouts, but honestly, everything we tried was next-level. You can tell the chefs puts a lot of thought into balancing bold flavors with texture and presentation. The cocktail program here is just as impressive. Not only are the drinks super inventive, but they're also actually good (not just pretty). I had the Girl's Night Out - citrusy, bright, and dangerously smooth. This cocktail also came in the cutest mug! We also tried the Hyoketsu which is a frozen cocktail and the Martini (bold and smooth). As for the vibe -- perfection. The lighting is low and warm, music is chill but not too loud, and the overall design strikes that perfect balance between modern and laidback. Whether you're out on a date or just hanging with friends, it sets the right tone. Service was friendly, attentive, and never pushy. Everyone we interacted with seemed genuinely happy to be there, which made us feel even more welcome. I Highly Recommend Budonoki. This restaurant exquisitely executes the fusion dining experience and leaves you already planning your next visit. read more
I've heard great things about this place for the longest time, but I just never got around to it. Finally, I went and it definitely lives up to the hype. My favorites were the charred Japanese sweet potato, the curry pan (I could've had at least four of them) and the Che's salad with a mound of shaved pecorino in top. We also ordered the banana soft serve, the salmon pressed sushi and the chicken oysters, and everything was really great. The vibe is super cute and trendy and I'll be back yo try their other dishes! read more
6 months ago
It was our first time here. The Asian fusion tapas, was delicious. Nothing disappointed. A handful of the dishes were mouth watering good and will be the reasons we come back. Our favorites were: Negima- chicken skewers, charred perfectly, juicy with a light crisp. The sauce it sweet and a slight kick. Wagyu Zabuton- best dish to share. Rich and a great sauce too. The fries were crispy. Agedashi Tofu- tasted like fatty miso soup. read more
10 months ago
Outstanding. That's it. That's the whole review...well not really but you get what I mean. Every part of my meal at Budonoki exceeded my expectations. The vibes were on point right down to the eclectic Super Mario and Pokémon artwork on the back wall of the restaurant. The staff was incredibly friendly from start to finish. We arrived early for our reservation since we anticipated traffic being much worse and they made sure to accommodate us without hesitation. The food was exceptional. This was some of the freshest sushi and fish I've ever had. The quality was unmatched. I literally loved everything but the standouts were the spicy tuna hand rolls and the pressed sushi rolls. I thought the operations were generous. Not nearly as small as I was expecting for a trendy restaurant. My fiancé and I ordered 5 dishes to split and that was plenty. I left very full but could have kept eating just because it was that good. This will definitely be on my list for any future trips to LA. read more
1 year ago
Came here for a chill dinner and left feeling a bit underwhelmed. It wasn't bad by any means--just decent, nothing that really wowed me. The yellowtail sashimi was probably one of the better items. It was fresh and the flavors worked well together. The wings were spicy--which I usually enjoy--but they were drenched in sauce and ended up being too salty for my taste. If you're into heat, though, you might still like them. The dragon roll was a creative twist on sushi with a hint of lemongrass, but it wasn't really my thing. Felt like it was trying to do something different without quite landing it. Surprisingly, my favorite dish was the pasta! Super flavorful and unique, though the seaweed bits kept sticking in my teeth which was kind of annoying. It gave an odd texture. Overall, the meal was okay. Nothing was terrible, but nothing stood out either. Probably wouldn't rush back, but might give it another shot if I'm in the area. read more
9 months ago
This was a fun girls night out!! The inside ambience is fun, dark, with scents that pop out. They also have a lovely back patio with heat lamps. The service was great! Our waitress was attentive and gave us great suggestions. The food itself was so much fun. It is a limited menu with small plates, so we ordered probably 3/4 of the menu honestly. Of course it was a girls' dinner so we each had to get the girls night out drink. It was refreshing and tasted great. We ordered: -scallop crudo - 9/10, soooo good! So fresh! I love the refreshing green sauce it comes in and the persimmons were a perfect complement. -tuna handroll - 9/10, my fiend didn't love having to do the work herself, but we loved the flavors. Simple but really delicious. And great texture with the crunch -miso sweet potatoes -??? None of us know how we feel about these honestly. It's a crazy bite like none of us had ever experienced. I can't tell if I loved it or wouldn't order it again. It's really unique, so I'm glad we ordered it at least once -skewers -9.5/10, I LOVED these!!! The sauce was perfect!! I wish I could eat this every night -salmon belly - 9.5/10, man was this good. Perfectly cooked. That belly slice is so fatty, so rich. It was great and I loved the pickled garnish that provided an acidic relief from the richness of the salmon belly -Iberico char siu - 9.5/10, this was decadent. You could see the marbling in the Iberico pork. The sauce was delectable and I loved the mustard that came with it and the pickles were so good! -dragon roll -3/10, none of us liked this roll. It looked great, and we all love unagi, but there is a weird taste on this. I think it might be the avocado dollop on top of each piece. Whatever it was, none of us wanted our second pieces. -gnocchi - 9.5/10, SO good! My friend who was not sold on ordering this dish LOVED it and finished it off! The rice cakes are perfectly crispy on the outside and pillowy inside. The Parmesan and truffle sauce was delicious. I loved this one. Parking LOOKS like it would be tough, but 2 out of 3 of us were able to find street parking off of the Main Street. Our other friend did valet which was $12 or $13. We all said we would definitely come back! We are glad the red dining book brought us here :) read more
10 months ago
We loved the food here! The food was izakaya meets Asian/Western fusion, with fun cocktails and a fun atmosphere. We got a few dishes to share, including the yellowtail sashimi that was a weekend special. Their signature cocktail is served in really fun animal shaped mugs! Every dish was delicious but our favorite dishes were the steak frites, naem, wings, and charred sweet potato. We would skip the yellowtail sashimi and negima skewers next time to make room for the larger dishes like the budo-gnocchi. read more
6 months ago
Let me preface this by saying, I've been extremely picky and brutally honest with my reviews lately. So don't take it lightly when I tell you this place is phenomenal, take that with the full weight it deserves. This is a beautifully executed fusion concept that doesn't just throw flavors together and hope for the best -- it means it. Quality is evident across the board, and the menu is thoughtfully designed to allow for sharing, which made the whole experience feel social and dynamic rather than just an average meal. The Spicy Tuna Handroll is chef's kiss. Probably my favorite on the menu. It comes in a bowl with the ingredients for you to make yourself. Don't let this deter you. Think of it as you controlling the spice level, fish amount, or if you even want seaweed at all. I am not a salad person, but the Roasted Maitake & Arugula had me going back for more and more. The wings deserve to be talked about because it's unlike anything I've ever had. It's perfectly glazed and filled with flavor + contains an insane crunch -- the kind of bite that triggers a full ASMR moment. Absolutely unreal. Salmon and steak both held their own at a noticeably high quality level. Breaking an egg on top added a nice touch as well. We had many other delicious dishes, but these were just to name a few. The drinks were also exquisite! We went through multiple beers, sake, and the "Girl's Night Out" cocktail. Ignore the name, do yourself a favor and just order it, especially if you're into rice milk. It's a sleeper for sure. Quietly the best drink I had all night. Vibes were great. Staff was helpful, outgoing, and friendly. If you have a sensitive stomach, pace yourself. This menu is a full spectrum -- salty, spicy, sweet, and umami. When you add drinks into the mix, it's a lot of beautiful chaos hitting your system at once. Savor it, don't sprint through it. Needless to say, I'll be back very soon. Cheers! read more
This self described West Coast or LA Izakaya is where you can dine with fun, lively vibes and a streamlined menu. The sense of hospitality is felt as soon as you walk through their door along with attentive, friendly service. Although heavily influenced by Japanese eating/drinking culture, the menu shows influences from multiple different Asian cultures (not unlike areas of LA). While I think this place is ideal for small groups (so you can order a lot and share everything), it feels flexible where you can go with one other person or even by yourself and have a great time. Came here with a reservation on a weeknight (party of 5) and we were all excited to finally get to eat here. So excited, we pretty much almost ordered the entire menu! Everything we ordered was highly shareable, beautifully presented, and most important of all, really delicious (with flavors from the multiple Asian and some non-Asian cultures shining through. We ordered Daily specials - roasted maitake & arugula, grilled hamachi collar Regular menu - scallop crudo, chilled tofu, seafood pancake, yakisoba, naem, curry pan, wings, charred Japanese sweet potato, Negima (skewers), Iberico pork coppa, steak frites and both oshizushi (or pressed sushi - salmon and dragon roll). I really loved the food here and I mean everything I tried on this night - with some of the standouts for me personally being the sweet potato, Iberico pork, curry pan, and pressed sushi. I want to come back soon to try the gnocchi and handrolls. And some soft serve (the machine was down during our visit). Big fan of this restaurant! Parking in this area of town could be pretty tough. It's kind of a craft shoot, but if you're willing to walk, you'll eventually find a spot. read more
4 months ago
gotta be my fav restaurant in LA. Maybe fav restaurant of all time? Been here like 5 times and every time its life changing mind altering yummy delicious. Got the arugula and mushroom salad, sweet potato, wagyu, gnocchi, black sesame soft serve, and sake. This def a place i bring family that comes in from out of town or a cool lil date. Our server at the bar was super friendly and approached us w a smile every time. Cant say enough good things about this place. I will be back many times read more
10 months ago
The salmon belly and charred sweet potato with miso butter - very rich and comforting. Agedashi tofu broth is very gelatinous. Love the mugs the cocktails come in. Portions are all small and it adds up dollar wise. We liked the cherry soft serve more than milk tea. Service friendly and attentive. Very good about clearing tables. read more
I've been here several times and it never disappoints! Always friendly and helpful service. This time we had the DIY spicy tuna hand rolls, naem, negima, and Japanese sweet potatoes-so delicious. Will definitely be back for the chill vibes, good music, and yummy food. read more
9 months ago
It's been awhile since I left a restaurant and felt like I got my monies worth in a full experience at a restaurant. First off, I would like to acknowledge that this was one of the best serving experience that I have gotten in a long time. I dined here with my mom and brother and our server was incredible. I wish I got her name but we sat at the corner table beneath the neon light and she took immaculate care of us. We never once had to ask for a water refill, we never had to ask for her to clear our plates and even one time when we were about to ask her for extra nori for our tuna handroll, she literally dropped a plate of extra nori right before my eyes. I was truly so so impressed by her service and the team overall, 10/10 experience on that front. As for the food, it was quite delicious and the portions are definitely smaller and I would recommend at least 2-3 plates per person as our server recommended. The pace at which the plates came out were also incredible, I'm not sure if it was a coincidence or if it was planned but it was truly spot on. Dishes we got: - scallop crudo - chefs salad - hamachi collar - yakisoba - spicy tuna handroll - wings - char sui Overall all of our dishes were well flavored and balanced. The portions are definitely meant to share so if you have a larger group you'll want to get multiples of each item. My only advice would be is to ask for less cheese on the salad, we did find it to be a bit way too much and not necessary. The sauce on the scallop crudo was also just a little overpowering for the freshness of the scallop. Other than that everything else we ordered was spectacular. It was very balanced and cooked to perfection. We came for the waygu but they were sold out but it looked amazing in photo reviews and would probably try that again next time we visit. We would definitely dine here again overall as the food was delicious and the service was spectacular. Parking is definitely hard to find but we just paid the $13 for valet. Thank you to our amazing server for a great experience. read more
More info about Budonoki
Ask the Community - Budonoki
What's the noise level inside on a Sunday evening?
This place is small and buzzin'. While it's not particularly romantic it is a fabulous spot.
Can I make a reservation?
You absolutely can and should. Sitting at the Bar is very cool. Enjoy it.
What is the dress code?
No real dress code - pretty low key and casual attire is fine.
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Budonoki - izakaya - Updated September 2026
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