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    Cafe Hiro

    4.0 (1.4k reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 1:30 pm, 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

    Cafe Hiro Reservations

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    CAFE HIRO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Cafe Hiro

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    Reviews With Photos - Cafe Hiro

    Seafood risotto
    Veronica B.

    Just came here for dinner with the fam. Cute restaurant with friendly staff. Wasn't busy but of course it was a weekday! Me and family ordered family style so we got to try a few dishes. My sister in-law ordered beef tongue stew and I have to say that the meat was VERY tender! Everything was tasty. Some of the main entrees come with salad which is a plus. I got the karaage curry in mild but definitely could've done more spice. The only thing missing was the ground red spices! But I would definitely try this place again.

    The salad dressing is so delicious.
    Rebecca L.

    The scallop risotto at Cafe Hiro is one of those dishes you keep thinking about long after the last bite. The scallops were perfectly seared...tender, buttery, and just the right amount of caramelized on the outside paired with a creamy risotto that was rich without feeling heavy. Every bite felt balanced and intentional, with flavors that complemented each other instead of competing. I have not had risotto like this elsewhere. That's why I keep coming back. Service is very good which I like. The ambiance feels like a cozy cafe. And the watermelon margarita? Easily one of the most refreshing drinks I've had in a while. Light, slightly sweet, and incredibly crisp it had that perfect fresh watermelon taste without being overly sugary. It paired so well with the richness of the risotto and made the whole meal feel elevated yet effortless. Overall, such a standout combo comforting, refreshing, and definitely worth going back for.

    Ernest F.

    Great food as always! Plenty of parking. Cozy quaint decor. Service was off last night, but they did have a larger table of 7 and one of 5; usually tables of 2's and 4's.

    Bry N.

    Yoooooooooooooooooooooo! I've been coming here maybe 4-5 times a year--not super often, but enough to know how good it usually is. Unfortunately, my last two visits have been pretty mediocre compared to how I remember it. One thing I noticed was that the Japanese chef who's usually in the kitchen wasn't there. The staff mentioned he was on vacation, so maybe that explains why the food didn't hit the same. Service was also really slow. I did see a "help wanted" sign outside, so I get that they might be understaffed--but it still took about 30 minutes just to place our order, and another 35 minutes for the food to come out. We started with the calamari, but it came out without marinara or tartar sauce. When I asked, the server said he had to check if they even had any--which was kind of surprising. They did end up having it, but only after I asked. I ordered my usual--kurobuta pork cutlet with curry--which is normally cooked perfectly, but this time it was overcooked and not tender like it usually is. My mom and sister got the seafood uni pasta, and they also said it didn't taste the same as before. I'm hoping this was just an off couple of visits. I'll probably come back when the main chef is back and give it another shot.

    $30 for so little food.
    Sylvie C.

    I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone I know. Worst bowl of spaghetti I have EVER had in my life. I ordered takeaway for mentaiko spaghetti. The woman inside made me wait outside for more than 30 minutes and couldn't have been ruder and more aggressive about it. The actual spaghetti itself wasn't worth the wait, the hostile and racist attitude to put up with, or the $30 price tag. My college dining hall had better tasting over-boiled spaghetti than that. The Mentaiko spaghetti was extremely overboiled and had the wrong flavors. It was soggy, sweet, bland, and downright DISGUSTING. It was coated in sweet milk like sauce and had a bitter aftertaste to it. The noodles had no salt and it was truly the most disgusting thing I have eaten in a very long time. The lack of customer service made the whole experience all that more vile. I highly recommend no one to get any sort of food from there. How someone can charge so much money for so little food with such foul quality is mind boggling to me. I have no idea how this place even stays in business. There are so many restaurants in the vicinity with far better quality of service and food. I suggest going to Unico Tokyo Pasta, Pasta e Allegro, Akane Chaya, just to name a few. Seriously. Anywhere but Cafe Hiro.

    Scallop Carpaccio
    Gabriel B.

    Had a lovely four course meal on Valentine's Day. I really liked the ambiance in here, it gives a homely hole in the wall vibe compared to Ini (which has similar food). Uni Pasta was amazing as was their bread pudding. However I was not a fan of the service. I made a reservation and asked to be sit in one of the EMPTY tables available for guests. Whoever the waitress with the blonde balayage was completely gave me attitude and coldly told me that we were getting the booth. I didn't know that a customer making a request was grounds for irritation. If you wonder why you didn't get a tip, there's your answer.

    business front, exterior
    Van D.

    It's been over a decade since I discovered Cafe Hiro and they are as popular as ever. I highly recommend making a reservation as there are scarce availability for walk-ins. I came with my boyfriend at opening time and they definitely asked if we had a reservation. During our time there, we saw each table fill up slowly. I noticed some enhancements since my last visit like the cushions on the seats Nice touch. They had a menu for 2 but we weren't hungry enough for that amount of food, so we decided to order by the dish. My boyfriend had the Seafood Pasta ($28) and I had the Sea Urchin "Uni" Pasta ($28). My uni pasta was as delicious as I remembered it. It was well coated and you can see clumps of uni in the pasta. My boyfriend's seafood pasta had a generous amount of seafood. There was shrimp, scallop, calamari, mussels, clams, and mushrooms. Nice and chunky. The seafood felt like a large portion since the protein it comes with were more hearty whereas the uni pasta is a light coating, but it is sufficient for my appetite. Looking forward to coming back to try more of their menu. Maybe we need to recruit some friends because they have an omakase that requires 4 people due to the large portion size. I really want to try their risotto.

    Peking Pork
    Yan L.

    This is my favorite Japanese Italian spot! You honestly can't go wrong with any dish that they have to offer. I've tried such a variety - Peking pork, mushroom salad, uni pasta, osso bucco, hamburg curry, risotto, panna cotta, and croissant bread pudding. Each dish was so good. If I had to choose some favorites to recommend, it would be the uni pasta, risotto and croissant bread pudding. Service is always good. All the servers are super nice and interior really gives off cute & homey vibes. Perfect spot for a date or catching up with friends.

    Denise M.

    I really enjoyed the food at this interesting little Japanese/italian fusion restaurant. We arrived without a reservation, but they found a table for us at one of the tables that's in the hallway. It is not at all like a Japanese restaurant, but more like an Italian themed room. There are clouds and Vines painted on the ceiling and a few pieces of art. It is very cozy and intimate. There is a framed copy of the article about this restaurant from the Los Angeles Times. I'm not going to lie, though--where we were sitting I could see that the base of the wall near the could use a really good cleaning. I tried not to let it bother me, but it kind of did. I kept reminding myself of the "pass" health department certificate posted in the window. No worry, though, because the food more than made up for it. There is a Zagat sticker in the window from a past year. Our server was really good and very sweet. She came to check on us often, which is always a good thing. We weren't terribly hungry, so we ordered light. We ordered: *Beef Tataki *Ahi Tartar *Karaage Curry *Chicken Salad The food was delicious, especially the Tataki. Yummmmm!! The portions were generous, too. This place could definitely be on repeat for us. It does look like it's very popular, as reservations are recommended and the place was full when we left. Honestly, it would easily have been 5 stars for me if the walls down by the floors had a good scrub.

    Seared tuna and eggplant
    Joanne L.

    Came here with a reservation. Pretty tiny restaurant but the food here tastes so delicious and unique! It's not often that you find an Asian fusion place that does it right. My favorite was the seared tuna dish. The sauce is very umami and light. Highly recommend. And it also comes with rice !! The chicken katsu was also perfectly crispy and juicy inside and the curry had a nice sweet kick at the end, I think from apples in the sauce possibly? I'd say I'd try other options than the seafood spaghetti tho. The flavors were a bit straightforward and it tasted like seafood + tomato with not much else. They give a lot of protein with that though which was nice! I'd love to come back again and try more of their menu. It's a lovely restaurant and everyone here is super nice.

    Shiso pasta with seafood mix
    Emily C.

    My favorite thing to order here is the shiso ume pasta with seafood mix. The uni pasta is also really good. The salmon with veggies is a lighter entree and come with a small bowl of rice so it's good if you aren't very hungry. The salmon with risotto is on the heavier side cause of the risotto. We like to dine in here once in a while cause they take reservations. It's on the smaller side and quaint but I like the vibe. Service has been good but also slow when they're super busy. I like the sauce with the complimentary crudités they serve in the beginning.

    Scallop carpaccio. Pretty good 8/10.
    Jessie Z.

    Very prompt and attentive service. No wait at noon on a Saturday. Fair prices. Decent option for dates. Inside is very cozy. You can make reservations but I wouldn't come with a huge group, maybe 6 max. Food flavors overall are very light and subtle. You get full, but no food coma. Scallop carpaccio (4.5/5): fresh and has a very slight kick from the curry oil. Overall quite subtle but tasty. Chicken and mushroom curry (3/5): decent, creamy, but wish it was a little more flavorful. The rice was not impressive and was more on the wet/mushy side. Seared sesame seed crusted ahi tuna (3/5): Large portions but the tuna was cooked quite a bit more than a sear. End up being like a looser pork texture. Comes with rice on the side. Wish it was more flavorful, but the bok choy is much more salted, and combined with the sweet snd savory sauce, it offsets the lack of flavor in the tuna. They seem to give kids their own sectioned kids plate, which is nice.

    Julie Y.

    I've been coming here for many years & it's always been consistently good. Service is always kind & efficient. I've tried many items on their menu & I have no complaints about the quality of their food. For my recent visit, my friend & I came here for dinner on a week night. Ambiance is a hole in the wall hidden gem. Place was still packed on a week night but we got seated right away since we made reservations. We had the scallop carpaccio, pork katsu curry, crispy tofu, & bread pudding as dessert. The scallops were fresh, pork katsu was crispy, & tonkatsu sauce had a rich bold flavor which I love. The tofu was soft & the texture on the outer layer had just the right amount of crisp. The bread pudding was delicious & wasn't too sweet. I will continue to dine here as long as they are around.

    Hamburg steak

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    Cafe Hiro Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Cafe Hiro

    What are some gluten free options?

    They don't really have any gluten-free options. It uses Japanese condiments that has gluten.

    Do you have options for my vegetarian friend?

    They have salads but the portions and pricing makes it not worth it. They are not accommodating with any requests whatsoever.

    Do you really need a reservation?

    Not really, I've walked-in several times.

    Do you host private events? I am very interested in a luncheon event for approximately 20-25 people.

    We can accommodate private events as long as it is planned ahead of time with us! Please give us a call during our hours. Thank you

    Are they doing omakase for take out?

    They don't offer any sort of omakase.

    How much does wine corkage cost?

    $10/bottle, but Tue&Wed are BYOB!

    While cleaning, I found a 7 year old gift "card" (it's paper form), can I still redeem it?

    If it doesn’t have an Expire date on it, yes you can use it anytime.

    What do you recommend here for a first visit? What's one of your favorite dishes?

    Besides uni pasta the other item I love love love is their kurabata (deep fried pork) with curry. If you like spicy ask for extra spicy.… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Pasta e Pasta by Allegro

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    Pasta e Pasta is one of my favorite Japanese Italian spots. The interior is super cute and I love…read morethe wine display in the restaurant. I also appreciate that every table comes with olive oil and vinegar. We ordered the mentai cream pasta and the uni pasta. The mentai pasta was packed with umami and the pasta itself was cooked perfectly al dente. The nori and mushrooms paired really well with the sauce as well. The uni pasta was just as good. The sauce was rich and creamy and the uni on top was fresh and buttery. The meal also comes with complimentary bread and salad. The salad was light and refreshing which helped balance out the richness of the pasta. The bread was simple but great for dipping in olive oil and vinegar. The service is always friendly and efficient. If you're a fan of Japanese Italian fusion, this place is definitely worth a visit. I honestly have nothing bad to say and can't wait to come back and try more of the menu!

    Pasta was mid, prices reflect what most pasta dishes with seafood cost these days…read more The bread they serve at the start was soft and made for great soaking up of the sauces from the pastas. Pastas were oilier than expected. Tight seating; they really packed as many tables in. It was loud and hard to have a conversation unless you were yelling. They seem popular... that being said, I'd rather pick up uni from one of the Japanese markets or Maruhide and make my own.

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    Pasta e Pasta by Allegro
    Pasta e Pasta by Allegro
    Shrimp and Spinach

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    I'm here to confirm the reviews don't lie. The meat lasagna is soooo yummy!! Not overly thick..ohh…read moresoo flavorful and without a ton of cheese. Very hearty portion as well. We also did a build your own pasta --- we got a Fusilli with a pink sauce. The pasta was cooked to perfection. The tiramisu was unique with one layer of soaked in espresso ladyfingers and a super fluffy think top layer of mascarpone. A really large portion as well. Our server was super knowledgeable and helped us with some great recommendations. The wine list was a tad limited. The ambiance is really casual. They also have a nice selection of food from Italy...would make a fun hostess gift.

    Food: 4/5 Portion: 3/5…read moreCustomer service: 2/5 We ordered Alfredo fettuccine for take out. Asked for chicken and the cashier said they had no chicken. Not sure if they were out or if they don't serve it (which seems odd). He offered meatballs, which we said yes to, since we didn't want seafood. The pasta portion seems rather small for a $30 take out meal. The actual pasta was very tasty but there was hardly any sauce. The meatballs were served with a good amount of sauce (marinara) and were tasty but not the best I've had. For the price, we were expecting a small side of garlic bread, but I suppose it's not included. For the location, we were expecting superb customer service. Perhaps they offer this for patrons who dine-in, or perhaps for patrons who look only a certain way. Based on this experience, we will not be returning.

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    Cassone Funghi - @rayz
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