Made the hour drive. Great atmosphere, food and service. Went with the Supreme, which was a great mix of being able to try some A5 and other premium selections. read more

Yo start off the minute you go in, you feel like you're in Japan. Second of all, no waiting to be seated , you come you eat and next . Third service is efficient, very advance with tablets on your table so you can continue ordering what you need without waiting on your waiter . And lastly the food, the food was delicious . Every item we tried was really good. II WILL DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE , It's a must try read more

Hibiki BBQ - This is the inside of the HIBIKI BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Delicious food with a really dope atmosphere. The staff was very friendly and the service was fast. Will 100% be going back read more

Hibiki BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Beef tongue is superb Quality and services it's fast food come right away once ordered. Recommend AYCe premium All dipping sauce so fresh read more

I've been here before but for some reason, the service was terrible this time around. They missed multiple meat orders and sides. The first time it happened, we waited a long time since we didn't want to double order. When we finally ordered again, we were still missing some of the meat. And this is all ordered through an iPad so I'm not sure how they're missing it. We also ordered salad with the first round and it didn't come until 25 minutes into our meal. For a party of 2, we were there for an hour (time limit is 70min) and only had 4-5 meat plates total and their portions were small. Overall, disappointed by this experience which is sad because the meat is not bad, but the whole dinner was spent waiting on meat and sides to arrive and reordering items that you've been waiting for. read more

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Food was great! Service was good. My first time there. The waiter ended helping me order but he ordered some items I didn't care for. I ended up not eating the meat and got charged for it. No complaints but they do enforce the left over meat policy. I had a piece in each plate and couldn't finish it. lol. read more

Hibiki BBQ rocks! My husband and I took four (4) of my son's friends to this place for his birthday, and we had the BEST Wagyu beef ever. Overall, the food entrées were sizable. After 20-25 minutes, I -- personally -- could not eat anymore. The service was great, and the ambiance did not disappoint... the interior look of "eating in a Japanese train station" was kitschy, but the staged decor provided very stark, bright lighting and unique Japanese transportation signage. Everything combined provided a truly memorable experience. read more

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So glad I finally got to check out hibiki bbq. This place is all over social media because of the interior, it's supposed to feel like you're back in a Japanese train station. It really does! They have the ichiran logo and also the glico man, tons of small details. We got the supreme ayce. With getting the supreme set you can choose two of the seasoning salts. We went with wasabi and truffle. These seasoning salts really take the flavor profile to the next level. The marbling on the waygu is so good! Meat quality is super high here. read more

Hibiki BBQ - Supreme - Barbeque Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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I kept seeing Hibiki BBQ all over my feed, so I finally decided to check it out for myself... and it definitely didn't disappoint. The Japanese train station-inspired interior is unlike anything I've seen before, and the AYCE menu had everything from quality Wagyu to plenty of sides to choose from. The atmosphere alone makes it worth the visit. Keep in mind that AYCE for kids is based on height. I went with the Supreme Tier that included the A5 Wagyu and the Abalone. The food was all so good, my kids kept eating! Bessies the food our server was really nice, she was doing everything herself outside and even cooked some of our meat. Will definitely come back again. read more

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Came here on a Sunday and only waited about 10 minutes, which wasn't bad at all. It was our first time, so the staff explained how everything worked and went over the menu. Ordering was easy, and the food came out pretty quickly. The decor is definitely a highlight. The place is cute, clean, and has great lighting if you like taking photos. I'd give it a 3.5/5 overall. The biggest issue was that there were only two staff members working, and they were constantly running around. They looked overwhelmed, which probably led to a few things being forgotten. Hopefully management can provide more support during busy times. As for the food, it was just okay. The sauces were a little bland and didn't really stand out. I might come back for the atmosphere, but the food alone wouldn't be the reason. read more

Hibiki BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Gabriel, California

$49.99 Dinner AYCE (turned out to be $80 per person for a group of 10 with very light drinking). Meats were unexpectedly soft and better than expected. Salmon sashimi (large platter), hand rolls, meat slices, fried calamari, fried tofu were decent. Plenty of parking, just go underground. (We didn't need to go higher than their basic menu (premium) to enjoy the place). Meats are super thin so you'll have to be patient if you're focused on grilled vs fried or side items. The pumpkin and corn were sadly tasteless. Ice cream of 3 flavors given at the end. They allow you to bring a birthday cake. Seating in the back can fit a group of 10. But beware, it can get pretty hot. For an ayce, nothing was terrible. Meat slices were better than mediocre. Side dishes are decent, not overly sweet and decent texture. My biggest concern is sanitation. Touching meat plate with meat juices under and around it concerns me. Then figuring out where to place it's within an already crowed table is also concerning. Thank goodness I had a lot of sanitizer gel with me. Pro tip: Make sure you each have a tong. It's difficult to reach meats with the vent in the middle of the grill. read more

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Cool ambience- the interior has this super cool shinkansen theme and they play anime on their tvs. The price is pretty good for what you get, which is why I think a visit might be worth it for some people. Sadly this place, though, is just not for me. This place advertises their AYCE Wagyu meat, but make no mistake- it's not A5 Wagyu by any means. The meat had a decent flavor; I really liked their garlic soy sauce, but the salmon sashimi was very frozen. I know for most people, the meat is why you come to an AYCE bbq but I didn't like most of the sides here, and the variety of sides is very important to me. Their corn cheese was literally just corn and cheese- no sweet cream to really tie in the flavors / ingredients. Their pickled cucumbers kind of had this funky taste to it that I had never tasted in a side of cucumbers before. And the Wagyu fried rice was just ok- didn't have that nice smoky wok flavor. To top it all off though when I had to use the bathroom, there was a roach skittering across the floor. I had to stay in the bathroom for a while on account of all the meats doing things to my digestive system, and I was very worried that the roach was going to approach me. He got curious so I had to shoo him away with my foot, and it deterred him for a bit; but i felt the roach staring at me from the corner of the bathroom. In summary: I dunno, it's not terrible, but I also think you could find better. read more

Parking: There's plenty of parking in this plaza. Pricing: (check their website or ask about their membership perks!) Premium (Cheapest): Lunch - $45.99; Dinner - $49.99 [member: $35.99;$39.99] Supreme (Mid): Lunch - $75.99; Dinner - $79.99 [member: $65.99; $69.99] The Ultimate Supreme (Highest) - $119.99 ALL DAY [member: $109.99] We got the Supreme package: Top A5 Wagyu Shabu Shabu Top A5 Wagyu Suit Thick Cut beef Tongue Premium Wagyu Short Ribs Premium Wagyu Flap Meat Wagyu Cheese Curry Rice Takoyaki Salmon Sashimi read more

Five star food and service. Everything was amazing! Loved the sides, different meats, and different salts available. Atmosphere is really cool too! 5/5 spot! read more

Hibiki BBQ - Best place ever. Amazing quality meat and sides! - Barbeque Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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Japan themed restaurant! It gave off such a cool atmosphere with the decor Food was pretty good and definitely enjoyed the meats. We came during an odd time so less staff or they were switching so it wasn't too crowded or noisy They were nice and enjoyed our meal bc we were looking for a place to eat Will be back! read more

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Came here on a weekday for their late night happy hour which was only $29.99 per person. Since the price was pretty affordable I didn't really have a high expectation. You basically just order everything in the tablet they give you so there wasn't really any service provided. I thought there wasn't much good meat options and the meats were on the thicker side. I also didn't like how there were some skins left on some of the spicy radish and some were all peeled and the ramen and grilled sausages were really salty. The cheese curry rice was good but I felt like the portion was too big for AYCE. After eating that, you really don't have the room to try other dishes if your party is small. Their fried tofu and chicken were pretty good though. They were both fried perfectly and the chicken was very juicy. The vent is pretty low so it's kind of hard to see the person across from you so maybe this isn't the best place to catch up with a friend but it does do a good job from preventing you to smell like bbq. The decor here is very nice. I love the vibrant and bright colors. read more

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Came here for an office outing and was immediately impressed with the decor and environment! It really does feel like you've left your own world and traveled to Japan. Fortunately there was little to no wait and we were seated in no time. They sat us in a spacier area of the restaurant and gave us a quick rundown of how ordering works. The staff was friendly and ordering runs through an iPad so you aren't waiting on someone to place an order for you like at other AYCE BBQ places. The menu itself has a large variety and we were able to order everything from meat to sushi to curry rice and more! The food was also quality and I quite enjoyed every bite. I also ordered takoyaki for the table and I've never seen so much takoyaki in one order, which was awesome. The staff was attentive to our needs and overall it was a great experience. Hoping to return soon to try more! read more

Overall a good experience at Hibiki BBQ. The parking lot has decent spots with more in the back and the restaurant is clean and decorated nicely. Server was very nice and helped us navigate through the menu with great recommendations. Went with the middle tier AYCE menu and everything came out very swiftly. The quality of meat is amazing and good flavors. I loved the option to choose different flavor salts to pair with the meats. As I tried everything, my favorite is the Wagyu short ribs. read more

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Love the atmosphere here. Portion sizes are great and I enjoy their selection. Perf for date night or family bbq. read more

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Hidden spot love the food. The service is always so good and so happy to help. The iPad is a great addition. read more

Hibiki BBQ - Food - Barbeque Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Good spot! Reasonable price! (Please stay that way! Haha!) They were out of an AYCE item or two because we went later in the evening, but the server was super nice and made up for it in good attitude and vibes. Food was tasty and had a good time eating her with some family members. read more

Hibiki BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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The atmosphere of this restaurant is so cool! The decor is Japanese transit themed! It definitely made eating here worth an experience. Our server was super nice. You order through iPads. We ended up getting the premium dinner, which is price currently at $49.99 but if you're a member, it's $39.99 By the way, it's AYCE (all you can eat). You can order up to eight items per round. Note: I am a rice paper girly, they do not have rice paper FYI But overall, the experience, the food, the vibe was great! Will definitely come here again! read more

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Personally, I was expecting a much larger restaurant than the one that we experienced. Don't get me wrong, the decor is very cute. It does make it look like and seem like and feel like he just entered a train station in Japan. All the signage and the posters and things like that, it's all very cute and it makes it feel very authentic. One thing that I did not really enjoy was the fact that there are so many limitations on so many different types of meat. For example, with some of the more expensive cuts of meat, you can only order one order per person at your table. That limitation gets old pretty quick. Making sure that you get everything that you ordered is kind of difficult as well. We had a fairly large group. I believe we're about 14 people. We made request left and right, but tried to keep it short. A lot of times I request were not met or the server did not return for a very long time. I don't think that the restaurant was that busy that night. Yes they did have other customers and other tables but it wasn't so busy that our requests should not have been met. More than anything I feel like the server kept reminding us of our time limit. That part was not fun. Parking in this little plaza's lot is very difficult. If you were patient a spot will open up. If you are not facing the right direction in your vehicle and ready to park when that car leaves, however, you might be out of luck. There are some other interesting businesses in the same plaza and part of the reason parking can be so difficult. Here is because those restaurants also tend to be pretty popular. I believe his parking in the back and underground, but I did not park there so I don't exactly know how to access those areas. And the other thing, your entire group must be present in order to be seated. I do not know if they take reservations. Our group did not make one. This is a great place to celebrate with friends, but it also can be tough on a weekend. We came in the middle of the week. It worked out. I don't think we would have that same luck on the weekend, I really don't. read more

Hibiki BBQ - Yummmmmm - Barbeque Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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Came to Hibiki BBQ in San Gabriel and honestly the experience was a lot of fun from start to finish. The interior is designed like a Japanese train station which made the atmosphere feel immersive and unique compared to other AYCE BBQ spots. My friend and I went with the Supreme menu so we could try some of their premium and limited items. The standout for me was definitely the A5 Wagyu shabu shabu prepared tableside by our server. The marbling on the beef was beautiful and it cooked in seconds. They served it over rice with egg and it completely melted in your mouth. Another thing I liked was the variety of specialty salts they offer for dipping sauces. The garlic salt was easily my favorite and paired really well with the meats. For appetizers we tried the calamari, veggies, sushi, and hand rolls. The salmon was fresh and thick cut, and the crispy nori on the hand rolls added a nice texture. Surprisingly, the spicy tonkotsu ramen was also really solid. The broth had good flavor, noodles were firm, and the smaller portion size made it easy to enjoy alongside all the BBQ. Overall the meats were nicely marbled, service was attentive, and the whole experience felt worth it. Definitely a great spot if you're craving quality Japanese BBQ in the SGV area. read more

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Ambiance: one of my favorite store decor, bright lights and signs reminiscent of osaka and other parts of Japan Service: it was a Wednesday night so we got a lot of attention from the servers! Everyone here has such a great attitude. I had a stroller and they were accommodating and careful in working around the stroller Food: haven't had great quality bbq in a while with amazing appetizers and incredibly marbled beef. I love especially that the LA galbi is a thicker cut, and incredibly tender easy to eat off the bone. While the japanese bbq is on the pricier side (about $50/person with option to join membership), it is so worth it because they really do give you great quality. read more

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Came here on a Tuesday night with my husband and we were seated immediately. First of all, the interior is SO fun. The entire restaurant is designed like a subway/train station in Asia, complete with platform signs, station numbers, overhead transit-style lighting, and little details everywhere that make it feel immersive without being gimmicky. We spent the first few minutes just looking around at all the decor before even ordering. We went with the Premium AYCE tier and were seriously impressed by the quality of the meats. Everything tasted fresh, well-marbled, and way above what I usually expect from AYCE BBQ. Nothing felt "filler" quality. The sauces were great too and paired really well with the different cuts. My husband and I apparently underestimated how filling everything would be because we tapped out in about 50 minutes... Our server was incredibly kind though and kept checking in, asking if we wanted more meat or at least some ice cream before we left because he wanted to make sure we got our money's worth. That level of hospitality really stood out to us. Definitely one of the more memorable BBQ spots in SGV - great food, cool atmosphere, and genuinely attentive service. We'll absolutely be back with friends next time. read more

Hibiki BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Gabriel, California

I came here for a late night celebratory dinner for a group of 7. We called in to make reservations and had no issues getting seated. The restaurant is so cool inside, resembling a subway station in Japan. Also, we ended up going at 9pm which is $29 AYCE special. This AYCE menu is more limited in terms of meats, but we thoroughly enjoyed the options. You place your order on an iPad and the food comes out quickly. My favorite cuts included the wagyu with miso and thin sliced wagyu. The wagyu rib cut took long to cook but was good too. As for the other non meat options, we got miso soup, kimchi, edamame, seaweed salad, takoyaki, fried tofu, fried chicken wings, and Wagyu fried rice. Miso soup was on the watery side, but everything else was very tasty and quality too. The workers were all friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend this spot for a Japanese bbq! read more

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WOW!!! I've never had a chance to eat AYCE BBQ like this before and i'm so glad I did! We did the supreme AYCE and it was soooooo delicious and worth the price. It started with the A5 Waygu and wow, I've never had anything so delicious before! Their sauces are amazing as well & the different salts they provide too were amazing! I also love the different sides they offer, we tried the kimchi's seaweed salad, fried chicken, fried tofu, it was all so good! The inside is also so cute! We felt like we were in Japan. Service was good as well! We got there right at opening, so we were the only ones there. Highly recommend hibiki! They deserve all the support! read more

Hibiki BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Wow!!!! unbelievable quality of meat at this all-you-can-eat Japanese BBQ spot!!! And the decor... This really feels like being transported straight to Japan -- total train station and restaurant vibes. We definitely recommend the Supreme Combo (starting at $65.99 for members). The top A5 wagyu is incredibly mouthwatering--honestly hard to resist. Other than that, we also loved the beef tongue and premium wagyu short rib Also obsessed with this Japanese-style grill Also sashimi is included What a royal experience that is!!! They have a midnight menu for just $29.99!!!! IG : socalhkfoodies read more

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Food: love that the meats are sliced thinly. Definitely more manageable for myself. Quality and taste were great! Service: no wait to be seated, staff were attentive and changed grill when needed. Super appreciate the service here! Ambiance: music was a bit loud for my liking. Had to scream across the table to talk. Haha but not a super big deal. Love love the theme of the restaurant. Very unique and fun to look at and take pictures with. Mainly the reason for my visit tonight after seeing it on IG. Would definitely recommend stopping in to try them out! :) read more

Hibiki BBQ - Fun Japan transportation theme! - Barbeque Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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Hibiki BBQ feels like stepping into a cozy Japan train station with warm lighting, clean space, and such a fun, lively vibe that makes it perfect for a cute night out or late-night eats. We came on a weekday and it was super chill, no need for reservations. The wagyu set was the highlight; each bite was buttery, juicy, and packed with umami. They bring out flavored salts like truffle, yuzu, wasabi and more, which makes every bite feel a little different, but honestly the quality of the meat speaks for itself. Our favorite combo was dipping freshly grilled wagyu with rice into raw egg yolk~so creamy and indulgent. They ofter different AYCE tiers (with wagyu options), and for the premium cuts, they grill it for you so everything comes out perfect. I also love that they just dropped a late-night menu for $29.99 ‼from 9 PM-1 AM... such a good excuse for a midnight BBQ run~ read more

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This place is all vibes and minimal flavor. The lowest tier of menu you can order from is titled "premium" which is a little bit of a misnomer since there's nothing below that. You get 90 minutes to the table and you are timed via the iPad menu they give you. Last call is at the 70 minute mark where you will be locked out of the iPad basically. They'll still hook you up with ice cream and whatever, but get your meat orders in before that. After 90 minutes, they will begin to hurry you up and get you out of there for the next seating. The meat quality leaves a LOT to be desired. Most of it is pretty mid in terms of quality and flavor. Most of the cuts are also very thinly sliced (which is intentional I'm sure, the grill is the yakiniku type with the thin grid and lowish burner). Speaking of thinly sliced, man I have never seen Pork Jowl sliced so thin before. I feel like that sort of defeats the texture of Jowl but okay. There's a couple thicker cuts which actually were among the better selections. I guess it gave it more juice and flavor since there was something to actually chew. This was also the first place where I've had to cook my own arabiki sausages, and they give you a huge plate of them. I just wanted a few as an appetizer while grilling other meats man lol. I had to build a small meat fort so I could put them on the grill without them rolling off (the grills are convex shaped) My favorite item here ended up being the chicken wings you can order off the appetizer section. Fried chicken wings flats basically. Tasty, but not exactly what should be the star of the show here. I see a lot of positive reviews and I cannot for the life of me understand how people like the food here so much. Having been to a LOT of kbbq type restaurants, the meat here is just so... whatever... And then the price? After tax and tip it was like $60ish a person. For this quality? I have a lot of other kbbq type restaurants I'd rather go to where the food is much better and potentially cheaper than that. With that being said, the vibes were great. The photos do not lie about that. I love the decor. The service is excellent, they are responsive and quick. Food arrives quickly, so no complaints there. And technically, I have had worse in the quality department, but that's not saying much- the competition is too high and many other places are just a better value in terms of quality and price, even within the SGV. There are two higher tier menus, one adds the so called truly premium cuts, but you only get one order per person, and then finally there's the highest tier which lets you order them unlimited. Brother, for the quality of the lowest 'premium' menu, I am not willing to risk my money on the a5 wagyu they advertise. I don't really recommend this place unless you got a deal or are trying to get some instagram shots or something. edit: it has been pointed out that this is technically yakiniku and not kbbq, which is a valid observation. My comparisons to kbbq is more along the lines of familiarity as it's still a relatively close parallel, since kbbq can also run with non-marinaded meat. I may have painted the thin cuts negatively but my point is that the thicker cut meat (I forgot which one this is) was ultimately the tastiest meat we got. Unfortunately, I still stand by my opinion that I was not satisfied with the quality/flavor of the meats for the price point, when considering the broader category of this meal. read more

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Ngl the vibe already walking in, was like a step into another realm. So vibrant and I love the Japanese aesthetic! I went with a group of friends TWICE past 9 am for their late night menu and let me tell you, chefs kiss. The tenderloin is my absolute favorite, but truthfully speaking all their meats to me were super yummy. The takoyaki though was my weakness, when it be busy, they come out fresh and crunchy and gosh the staff were so nice and quick with bring out food. I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to try a different bbq instead of Korean bbq as the experience was epic! read more

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Was looking for a late dinner spot around 10pm on a weekday and most places were already closed. We were craving BBQ and have been hearing a lot about this place, so we decided to check it out. When we got there it was still pretty packed which is always a good sign. The decor is really nice and gives off a Japan vibe which I liked. We went with the regular premium since it was our first time. You order everything on an iPad and they have a ton of options. Everything we tried was pretty solid. The salmon sashimi was thick, the fried tofu was surprisingly good, and all the meats were juicy and flavorful. My favorite was definitely the beef tongue, I ordered like 4 rounds just for myself. Also don't skip the grilled pineapple. They use fresh pineapple and not that canned stuff which makes a big difference. Service was great too. Our waitress was really nice and attentive, and everything came out pretty quickly. This might be one of my new go to spots, especially since they're open until 1am. Definitely worth checking out. read more

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Hibiki is a japanese bbq spot with a fun, Japan-train station inspired interior decor, perfect for a late night bbq or to bring kids! On a weekday at opening its not too busy so no reservations necessary. We got the wagyu set plates and each bite was soo juicy and umami. They offered tasting salts from Asia, we tried the truffle, yuzu, and wasabi. It was so fun making different flavor combinations with the sides, salts, and sauces, although the meat shines on its own. Our table favorite was the raw yolk (safe to eat) with tableside medium wagyu and rice ball. There's different AYCE options as well as a deal for "membership" which gives discounts on each visit (including the people at your table). For side dishes the fried tofu is a must, and the takoyaki/chicken wings were so tempting as well!! read more

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This is my most comprehensive review out of recent ones, so read if you'd like all the little details. My husband and I came on a Saturday night and despite three open tables and no one ahead of us according to the tablet, we were asked to wait for one of the smaller tables to open up. It only took 10 minutes, but it's good to know that only the 4-6 smaller tables are prioritized for small parties of 2-4. It was smooth sailing moving forward, and with great excitement, we went ahead with a membership of $28, which deducts $10 off of each person, up to three people with the member. All orders were placed on our iPad and food was delivered efficiently. For the most part, the portions were just right, allowing us to try each item without feeling like there was excess. My favorites were the Bone-in Beef Short Rib, Wagyu Chuck Rib, and Beef Tongue, but all the meats were of decent quality. The sushi and sashimi were also surprisingly good! My complaints are reserved for the bonchon/appetizers, the fact that drinks are not included, and the seating. We tried several appetizers- if you enjoy bonchon, expect to be disappointed. Not only are the appetizers mediocre, but all soft drinks are $3 extra. The most annoying part was that the seats are connected, so I could feel every movement from the child behind me. Since the seats aren't connected to the ground (strangely?), it also shifted when they adjusted. Overall, we will be taking friends and family to try Hibiki, but they have room for improvement. read more

Hibiki BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Gabriel, California

This is our first time here and it felt like we were in Japan again! The quality of the meats were good. Service was great and super quick! We did not wait long for each order to come out. read more

The restaurant has a really cool Japanese train station theme that makes the atmosphere feel unique and fun. The quality of the meat was excellent, especially the wagyu. The marbling was insane, and it was incredibly tender and flavorful. I really like how they give seasoning salt to dip your meat into and sauces. There were plenty of side dishes and appetizers to choose from, and everything tasted fresh. The service was also outstanding. Our server was friendly, attentive, and I never felt rushed throughout eating it (although there is a 90 minute time limit). It is on the pricier side, but I definitely think it's worth it for a special occasion or for when you just want a high quality experience. read more

Hibiki BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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Tasty! But I'm not really a fan of the vent so close to the grill. I kept hitting the raw meat on it the miso brisket is my favorite of the meats. The thicker cuts didn't seem to taste as good. I'm not too much of a fan of their sauces. Even though we put our order in the tablet ourselves, we were missing items and I think we might have had tripled orders because I didn't remember ordering so much of certain meats. I usually try a plate before ordering multiple of the same meat read more

TLDR: They know what they're worth and they're not shy about it. In the world of Japanese BBQ, I'd say they're average, but they definitely price themselves aggressively. Having said that, I feel that their more expensive menu options have potential, but it is priced more expensively than the best AYCE Japanese BBQs that I've ever had. Grill: I generally dislike Japanese bbq grills because of the larger holes compared to Korean bbq grills. Not only does the Japanese bbq grill design make it harder to flatten out the meat, but it also fails to evenly heat up the whole grill. For our case, we probably had 35-45% grill effectiveness where actual cooking can happen, 30% kept the food warm, and the remaining just did nothing to the food. I also feel that the exhaust needs to stay low to collect all the smoke, but you'll have to lean down to see what you're cooking, as the exhaust is directly above the hottest part of the grill, so you gotta do most of your flipping and cutting in between that relatively tight space. You could raise the exhaust pipe to give yourself more space, but you increase the risk of just smoking up the whole place, which isn't ideal. Grilled Meats: We got the base menu, since there was nothing to celebrate. For $40, I feel that the meat selection is respectable. However, because of the grill's limitations, I felt that ordering the thicker cuts was detrimental to you. This point is backed up by the Wagyu ribeye having terrible marbling, and it simply didn't cook well on the grill. Due to the poor marbling, the taste was also borderline dreadful. The collar and "rib finger" meat types cooked better and were decent, but this is on the heavier end of the options spectrum, so I'd limit my consumption. The thinner cuts are where we may start to improve. The wagyu beef belly was the best option until the 3rd or 4th serving. After that, it was 50-50 meat to fat ratio. The wagyu brisket makes it to the podium in terms of taste, and the wagyu short plate rounds out the top 3. The top blade cut tasted like the better version of the ribeye. The short rib was fine at best. Cooked foods: I'm just gonna say it. They have the best set of "sides" or cooked foods in any Japanese BBQ or even any Asian BBQ that I've ever had. We ordered the Agedashi Tofu, Chicken Karaage, Salmon roll, Unagi roll, Salmon Sashimi, Spinach with Sesame dressing, and Steamed egg. If I was served any of this in a specialty Japanese restaurant, I would not question it. The funny part is that I ended up eating more of the cooked foods rather than the meat during our last round. They also have fried rice and ramen. I'm assuming these will still be restaurant quality. Ambiance: They really leaned in on the Japan vibe. It's a mix of the bright lights + neon signboard (without the neon) + train systems setup. There is no question about what food they serve, looking from the outside. Service: I'd love to say that it was good, but it's not. 9:30 pm on a Monday night, party of 2. I see a bunch of tables for 4 that are unoccupied, and we basically had to wait until a table for 2 opened up. I'll let this slide because it may have been ordered by management, but the staff did not do a good job of telling us this. We were just told to sign up and were ignored until a table for 2 was available. Next, I know working sucks, but I don't like it if 75% of our interactions scream poor body language. You don't have to smile. You can keep that RBF when our eyes don't meet, but let's make a bit more effort to fix the body language when they do. Finally, I think some of the staff need to roll with the punches. When someone says, "Wow, your most expensive stuff is pricier than *Insert direct competitor here*", saying that this place's meat is high quality is like saying the patties of McDonald's are better quality than Burger King. Even if you're right, I, as a consumer, find it unlikely to believe (because I've been to said competitor), so the staff member just ends up looking like a jackass. Just say that you like what you have, and hope we do as well. You know the funny part? I would've understood, because your cooked foods are better, which would've explained/justified the price gap anyway. read more

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