A Long-Awaited Visit to Izakaya Go, Now in LA…read more After years of making the trip to Izakaya Go's original Las Vegas location, I finally got to experience the new LA outpost -- and it did not disappoint. Go-san had mentioned the LA expansion to me a while back, so this visit felt like it had been a long time coming. From the moment I walked in, the place delivered exactly what I'd hoped for. The ambience captures that same warm, lively izakaya energy I fell in love with in Vegas -- the kind of space that makes you want to settle in for a few hours with good food and good company. Service was attentive and gracious, just as I remembered. The food, of course, was the highlight. While the LA menu has some differences from the original -- a few new dishes here, a couple of swaps there -- the quality and care behind every plate stayed consistent. Nothing felt like a watered-down version of the original; if anything, it felt like its own confident expression of the Izakaya Go experience. Overall, this visit reaffirmed why I keep coming back. If you're in LA and craving an authentic izakaya night, Izakaya Go deserves a spot on your list. Highly recommend.

Overall I thought this place was pretty solid. The crispy pork belly and the wasabi soy powdered…read morefrench fries were my favorite. I also really enjoyed the chicken skin dumplings. The Shikoku Black Lager and the Sayama Tea Saison were very good. I especially liked the Tea Saison. Service was attentive and quick.

Delicious food and trendy interior! You can't go wrong here…read more The waiter was super kind. I believe they are known for their hayashi. My friend got it and loved it. I had their menchi and was super good. Their bathroom is down stairs and the interior leading to it is so beautiful! I can see people throwing parties here. Kind of a speakeasy vibe.

Yesterday evening, June 12th, my mom and I went to Suehiro DTLA Cafe for dinner…read more I had visited this restaurant a very long time ago when it was located in Little Tokyo. Recently, it came back to mind, so I looked it up and found out that the Little Tokyo location had permanently closed. After doing a little more research, I discovered that they had relocated to DTLA. I had been craving a Hamburg steak lately, which was one of the main reasons I decided to visit. My mom ordered the Sukiyaki, and I ordered the Hamburg steak. We shared both dishes, and unfortunately, the Sukiyaki was unbelievably salty. It tasted as if someone had poured an entire bottle of soy sauce into it. Even when eaten together with the rice that came with it, it was still overwhelmingly salty. The beef was also very tough, which made the dish even more disappointing. As for the Hamburg steak, the portion size was extremely small. On the positive side, it came with a generous serving of rice, a salad, and miso soup. The Hamburg steak itself tasted good, but it was severely overcooked and heavily charred, which was a huge disappointment. Until recently, I wasn't particularly focused on my health, but both of my parents have been dealing with health issues, and seeing that has made me much more health-conscious. I've been trying to avoid burnt foods and charred meats whenever possible. I've also cut out ham, sausages, sugary juices, and sodas. Because of that, I was especially disappointed to see my Hamburg steak burned so badly that parts of it were almost black. The restroom required walking down a very long flight of stairs. While it was spacious and clean, it had a somewhat eerie atmosphere, probably because it was located in the basement. There were only stairs and no obvious alternative access, which made me wonder how customers with disabilities would be able to reach the restroom. The service was very friendly and welcoming. However, between the disappointing food, the inconvenient parking situation (street parking only--fortunately, thanks to my usual incredible parking luck, I managed to find the one available parking space), and the difficulty of accessing the restroom, I don't think I'll be returning. Overall, I was especially disappointed by the food, and for that reason, I probably won't be visiting again. But, I gave the tip 20%. Cuz, the service was friendly.

Amazing homemade tofu, Tempura is lightly breaded and fresh and just flavorful!…read more Sukiyaki was also good. Attentive service.

My son asks to go here every time we go to Little Tokyo. He calls it the steak place because he…read moreloves the teriyaki steak. I like how the entrees come as a set meal with salad, miso soup, tofu, and small vegetable dishes. I've tried the nigiri sets, sushi rice bowls, and beef/rice bowls. Sushi is standard, nothing super wow but good enough. The servers are all nice and service is good. One of the servers was so sweet to my son last time. She was patient when he worked up the courage to ask for some items and brought extra cucumbers for him to snack on. We sit on the patio since our kids get a little rowdy and messy.

Izakaya OSEN in Silver Lake brings that intimate, late night Tokyo vibe with a menu that actually…read moredelivers. The space is cozy, dim, and stylish perfect for a slow, flavorful night of yakitori, small plates, and sake. The sushi is clean and high quality, the skewers come out smoky with that perfect char, and the wagyu dishes are the kind that make you pause mid conversation. Their sauces and marinades lean bold, and the plating always feels intentional without being pretentious. Service is warm, pacing is smooth, and the whole experience feels like a neighborhood gem that knows exactly what it's doing. A refined but relaxed izakaya with standout flavors, great energy, and a menu worth exploring bite by bite.

If you're ordering skewers, the scallop, sea bass, and prime beef kushiyaki are absolute standouts…read more The scallop is incredibly tender, while the sea bass is the must-order. Even if don't like seabass, you must try this one! it's buttery, perfectly charred and melts in your mouth. The prime beef is equally impressive: tender, packed with rich umami flavor, and cooked to perfection. For a larger dish, you can't go wrong with either the sea bass or blue crab hot pot. It's so rich and comforting, the fish is always perfectly cooked, and it's more than enough food for two people. Be sure to order a side of seaweed and make your own hand rolls at the table. The kabocha salad is also unexpectedly delicious and pairs well with the other indulgent items in this order. They recently moved next door and they may be overbooking themselves so expect to wait quite a while- even if you have reservations.

Came for Christmas Eve dinner. Typically need a RSVP here and was lucky to get one. Was seated…read morepromptly. Ordered salmon sashimi, adagashi tofu, chicken, wagyu short rib, some don, soup with plums, and panna cotta. Everything was delicious, as usual. Probably ordered one too many dishes though! Definitely an awesome time, and will be back for sure!

Kinjiro did not disappoint. Every dish was thoughtfully prepared with fresh, high-quality…read moreingredients and bold yet balanced flavors. The menu offers a great variety of authentic Japanese comfort food, and everything we ordered was cooked perfectly. The cozy, lively atmosphere and attentive service made the experience even better. It's definitely worth the visit and a spot I'll keep coming back to.

My precious friend Amelia G. treated me to dinner at Tsubaki for my 40th birthday last month. I…read moreloved this place went I went before kids and pandemic, apparently almost a decade ago. It was as good as I remembered, and probably even better. I can't imagine letting another eight and a half years pass without going back. The only negative is that parking is either difficult or $15, which feels bad in a pretty quiet residential area. Better to take a car in any case, so you can enjoy the extensive selection of sakes. We shared a full-sized bottle, I forget which but I think it was a junmai daiginjo, and it was lovely. Tsubaki is such a nice, welcoming little izakaya. Service is great, the atmosphere warm and easy. You just want to sit back and drink at a leisurely pace. The food is excellent, with a robust menu of creative Japanese food. We shared everything, starting with a stellar kanpachi crudo with ume ponzu, shiso, sweet onion and habanero pickles, and furikake. My favorite dish of the night was the tsukune katsu. I love tsukune, the tare-glazed chicken meatballs you'll find in any yakitori place. This was my first time having them in katsu form, panko-fried and served over cabbage with Kewpie mayo and tonkatsu sauce. The chawanmushi was delicious, silky steamed egg custard topped with Dungeness crab, truffle salt, and mitsuba. Likewise the kinoko tempura, an array of maitake, shiitake, and enoki mushrooms fried light and crispy, with yuzu shichimi and tentsuyu for dipping. We got a skewer of bonchiri from the yakitori menu, delightfully chewy bites of charcoal-grilled jidori chicken tail. Finally, a plate of yakisoba, pan-fried noodles with house-cured Peads & Barnetts char siu, pickled green garlic, and cracklin. We got the hojicha parfait, and it was more or less my ideal dessert. Roasted green tea soft serve with sesame black sugar burnt miso and candied walnuts with cornflake dust. Cold, light, sweet. I could eat a whole one by myself pretty much any time. After nine years in business, Tsubaki feels like an Echo Park institution, and the kitchen is as strong as ever. This was a wonderful dinner, one I hope to repeat soon, with more sake, more yakitori, and more hojicha parfait.

Wow, this is the best izakaya in LA. Though the prices are quite high the food is very high…read morequality! Interior is nice and feels intimate, almost reminds me of restaurants in New York. It's quite small inside and they happen to have a few tables outside. I have mixed feelings about the service though but it is what it is, just feel like we weren't attended properly and service was slower. The menu has tons of options, there is something for everyone. Unfortunately the rice balls I wanted to try were sold out for the night- which how do you run out of something popular at a 7 PM dinner? Anyway, we had the fried tempura, garlic fried rice, short ribs, and chicken oysters. Everything was delicious and I would get these dishes again. But my standouts were the short ribs, they were tender and the marinade was light and fresh. The fried tempura was another standout for me because the sauce paired so well with the lightly friend asparagus. And I'm going to to say the chicken oysters- I think they were grilled to perfection with a tiny bit of wasabi. It's so hard to pick, everything tasted amazing and you can tell everything is thoughtfully prepared and well crafted with a beautiful presentation. I really enjoyed the food here and will be back to try more items.

Great spot in K-Town. Open late and good vibes. We loved the Korean "tapas" aka small plates. Staff…read morewas friendly and attentive and food came out fast. My group came here at 11:00 pm and it was pretty empty just two other groups. Parking lot is on site as well not sure how busy that gets during the day. Ps try the soft tofu with soy sauce! Also the mozarella kushikatsu

A colleague of mine invited me over here the other day so we can grab some food. It seems to be a…read morenewer location and we picked up some skewers. I ordered the assorted yakitori, which came with 5 items. I also tried some of their scallops too. Normally, I don't like asparagus, and I also don't like it when it's wrapped with bacon, but when it's wrapped with pork belly, it takes this dish to the next level. I absolutely loved how the flavors paired together, especially with the light texture of the pork belly, since it is so much thinner than a slice of bacon. The grape tomato with pork belly was my next favorite, because the juiciness of the tomato paired with the pork belly brought out a unique balance I really enjoyed. I like the Japanese sausage a lot as well. I think they swapped out the mushrooms for a meat skewer, which was pretty hearty and had a lot of texture to it. I'm not sure what meat it was though as it wasn't listed on the section in the menu. The scallops were really good too. Nice and buttery. My least favorite, but still good, were the potatoes with sugar. The service is super attentive here. They brought our table some snacks and some cabbage as well. The ambiance is nice. It's got all the workings of an Izakaya. It's a cool place to come to.

* Service (10/10): *…read moreAbsolutely incredible service. The staff is attentive, friendly, and routinely checks in throughout the meal. * Easily some of the best service I've experienced in a long time. * Food (10/10): * The quality and freshness of the fish are outstanding, especially for the price point. * The plating and presentation are thoughtful and adorable, with great attention to detail. * Excellent selection of alcoholic beverages that pair perfectly with the sushi. * The happy hour offerings add even more value. * What We Ordered: * Our table of three ordered the Gochiso Set and Temaki Set. We're not particularly big eaters, and it was more than enough food--we left completely satisfied and full. * Parking: * Being in Little Tokyo, street parking can be difficult to find and some private lots can be pricey. * I recommend Aiso Parking Lot, I paid just $2 for two hours, and it's only about a 5-minute walk to the village. * Overall: * Amazing value, fresh fish, beautiful presentation, and exceptional service. Sushi Asobu is an easy recommendation, and I'll definitely be back.

Absolutely amazing sushi spot in Downtown LA! The service was beyond excellent -- the girls working…read morehere are so attentive, kind, and welcoming. Everything was incredibly clean, and they constantly cleaned the table right away, even every napkin was removed immediately. You can really tell they care about every detail and about making guests feel comfortable. The staff helped us choose everything based on our taste, gave great recommendations, and made the whole experience feel special. Fresh sushi, great atmosphere, beautiful presentation, and outstanding customer service. Highly recommend Sushi Asobu if you're looking for the best sushi in Los Angeles with amazing service, clean environment, and high-quality food. Definitely coming back again!

Definitely would not recommend coming here, especially if you are in a bigger party. We had 9…read morepeople here for a birthday celebration - food and drinks were really slow and came out staggered. Almost 1.5 hours before all the dishes finally came out. And service was also not great - the server brought out a drink that we didn't order by mistake, told us we could have it on the house, but ended up charging us for it anyway. Had already left when we noticed it. Also told us cake fee was $10, but ended up charging us $20. Food-wise, very hit or miss. The unadon, hamburger steak, and curry udon were all really good, but the yakitori skewers tended to be disappointing. The Tsukune was dry, the Negima was quite bland. The Miso Black Cod was also quite overdone, became quite rubbery when served and also was cold. Overall, I would not come back again, or recommend it. Given the price point, I expected that the food and service left much to be desired.

Taberu is no longer Taberu…read more With new management, a new kitchen, and a completely new menu, it honestly feels like a totally different restaurant--and I think they should consider changing the name because it's pretty misleading if you're expecting the old experience. The menu now leans much more toward fine dining, and the prices definitely reflect that. As someone who's more of a casual diner and really enjoyed the previous menu, this new direction just wasn't for me. The staff were very kind and took the time to explain all the changes, which I appreciated. However, we ordered about six dishes and were surprised at how small the portions were. On top of that, most of the items were unfortunately pretty bland. Sadly, I won't be returning, and I really miss the old menu.

I've visited Kouraku a handful of times over the years, and it remains a reliable spot for Japanese…read morecomfort food. They're open late, making it a great option for satisfying those evening cravings. The menu is incredibly extensive, featuring just about every Japanese comfort dish you can think of. From omurice and ramen to curry katsu and much more. With so many choices, sometimes it can be a little overwhelming to decide what to order. This time, I kept it simple and went with the shrimp omelet over pork fried rice topped with gravy. It was comforting, satisfying, and exactly what I was in the mood for. Our friends ordered ramen and an oyakodon, and everyone seemed happy with their meals. Kouraku also serves alcohol, making it an easy spot for a casual dinner with friends. The service was friendly, and the food definitely hit the spot. They accept credit cards, and I even spotted a robot helping deliver some of the dishes.

I came after some event and tried a few food items from the gravy omelette to some of my friend's…read morepork tonkatsu curry (not pictured). The curry was actually pretty amazing. It had a deep and robust flavor. I don't think I've had that flavor of curry anywhere else but it was deeply heartwarming and satisfying. I really did enjoy this dish a lot. However, the pork cutlet isn't wasn't the best cutlet I've had. I would put it in the middle range of tonkatsus out there. While good, it didn't have the crisp flakiness you'd find in a specialty restaurant that specializes in just tonkatsu. However, it is still good. Next up was the omelette with gravy with fried rice that had both shrimp and pork. I feel the egg of the omelette was well made. It had that texture and consistency you would really want from an omelette of that nature. The pork and shrimp fried rice tasted a little light in the seasoning and flavor, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The gravy was also lighter than a heavy gravy as well. When the food came out, I thought the meal would be deeply heavy due to the quantity and the gravy, but it still felt a bit light and manageable, which was kind of outside of my expectations, so that was pretty interesting. I do like the chicken soup this comes with. It has a nice flavorful broth where you could tell it was made well too. The service here is pretty good and attentive. The ambiance is nice but pretty busy. Also, if you come on the weekend, expect to wait a bit because a lot of people do want to eat here and the line can become a bit backed up.