I have written two past reviews for this place, each one glowing brigther than the sun's heat in…read moreAugust. Thus this place does not need more of my praise. It is eastablished and celebrated by eaters far more articulate and with wider reach than I. But I recently went, and enjoyed myself quite a bit. Not only because the food was incredible but because the staff made me feel like a special patron. My main server was Julian. He was young, attentive and continued the chain of grand service. But there are two other female servers that make the experience pop with above the line service, I wish I knew their name. The first passed me and my companion Conrad and asked how is your mother? All I could say was she was still alive. I took my mom to mother's day there two years ago and she remembered. That kind of service cannot be reproduce because it was held in heart and intention. I was a welcomed guest. I may not go often but when I do I am remembered. That kind attentiivesness is more than appreciated, it is remembered too! The second server when I leave the place meets my eyes, has a grand wide smile, and said something in Japanese that makes me feel seen in Kyoto. I am engaged in a jovial way by the staff here that is why it is a sincere pleasure to buy the kitchen staff a picther so we can Kanpai!. There sweet way with me is something I cannot undervalue because in doing so I would ignore the kind of hospitatlty that moves mountains closer to the sun. And the food is amazing, like so good, it cannot be ignored espeically when the menu went through changes. The reason why that face immediately hit me in the face was because I used to go for these corn tempura things that were like this amazing crunch in corn. But still what we had was wonderul. Like I would hurt back or strain my inner thigh trying to complain about the food in this place. This time around Conrad and I had their Shabu Shabu. I have had Shabu Shabu before (not here) a few times, not many but this was the first time that Conrad had it. And that face in itself is special, I think. So moving on from that, eating Shabu Shabu was engaging cause you basically create a broth that you are using to cook veggies and meat so images of witches and camping come to the mind, easily. I also took a video of Conrad grinding some sesame seeds, like he was an apothecary or doctor of old times. And I do not care who you are, you are going to enjoy working a bit, especially in a fun way, for your meal. Like who would not like to peel a few cloves of garlic for their herbed chicken? The broth came with pork shoulder and pork belly. We also had some meat and onions on stick--- I think we had pork belly and chicken. We also had a rice ball. We also had thier Gobo Chips. This is something that survived the menu transition that hit every crispy bite. It hit every crispy bite. By this point I know that the food will be fantastic, and the type of food that warms the heart and soul- comfort food. However, this, comfort food is not mine to claim by familiarity because I have not known it since childhood. But I have known it enough to know it as comfortable. I guess, I can claim it as familiar because it became such in the span of years, not decades. Like when can someone claim a carne asado taco to be familiar comfort food when they did not grow up eating it? That is the question that I am left to ponder. This place is a spot I know to be good and trust to deliver on service and quality.

3.5/5 Went here for…read morethe first time and ordered the Signature Party Course (Minimum 4 people) for $78 per person. Came with the below. Honestly it was only ok, not worth the price. Noting stood out, no amazing flavors, and some was fishy. Gobo Chips - good Uni & US Wagyu Sashimi - only ok Five Kinds of Sashimi - very thick cut. Decent but nothing special Octopus & Radish Salad - was ok Sweet & Savory Chicken Wings - nice and crispy Thick-Cut Beef Tongue - pretty good Fried Oysters - good Ribeye Ponzu Steak - fatty Pressed Saba Mackerel, Pressed Eel Sushi, Pressed Salmon Sushi - can't even pick it up without falling apart. Some fishes were fishy. Pumpkin Zenzai - fine

This restaurant is such a hidden gem! At first, I didn't even realize it was a restaurant from the…read moreunassuming storefront. It's a small restaurant, and it seemed like reservations are highly recommended, if not required. Luckily, they were able to squeeze us in right before another reservation. The restaurant has an authentic yakitori vibe where the tables are packed pretty tightly and you're dining elbow-to-elbow with other guests. That said, I loved the variety on the menu. They offer a huge selection of grilled, steamed, fried, and cold dishes, so there's something for everyone. The skewers were amazing, and the grilled onigiri was one of my favorites. Everything we tried was really enjoyable and I loved being able to order a little bit of everything! One thing to keep in mind: the rice pot takes about 45 minutes to cook because they start with raw rice. I wish our server had mentioned this when we ordered, because we probably would have skipped it knowing how long it would take. Overall, I'm really glad we stumbled upon this place. Definitely feels like a hidden gem, and I'd love to come back and try more of the menu!

We went here at a Thursday evening for dinner and we were sitting at the bar…read moreMy friend said he has been this restaurant before so he highly recommended it It reminded me so much of the vibe of Japan We ordered so many dishes last night and all the grilled chicken are all good I personally love the grilled ginkgo nuts because it is so delicious and very rarely to see restaurants serving it with shells The service was really good and it is a great place to hang out with friends and families Have a drink paring with the food definitely it the best way to enjoy the food there Somehow, I noticed the little hallway entering the back kitchen and also inside of the lady's room smells bad I am not sure it is the plumbing issue or something but the smell is irritating and unpleasant Other than that, everything is very good Note: the restaurant is located at the plaza with 85 degrees bakery so the parking is plenty and easy to find a space

Ichiban! Food is excellent. For weekends only! This is the…read moreplace to have lunch . They just started this bento lunch Special. We tried the steak and chicken bento. Both were Excellent . There is a side menu for yakitori if you want extras. This bentos come with with a green salad, pickled veggie and miso soup. At the end is a free dessert of vanilla, Macha , or lichee ice cream. Yum that Lichee ice cream is so refreshing with real lichee in it. A must have. Service could be better but there was only one server. The atmosphere was nice and quiet . I would definitely go back there for lunch. Dinner is another different menu. Also looks good.

I'm genuinely confused by the 4.4/5 rating because my experience was nowhere near that level…read more The one bright star is for the lone server, who did an impressive job managing the entire floor by herself and staying helpful throughout the meal. Unfortunately, the food told a very different story. We ordered a wide variety of yakitori since the glowing reviews repeatedly highlighted it as the restaurant's specialty. Instead, what arrived was surprisingly inconsistent. Nearly every skewer had a heavily charred exterior that crossed the line from smoky to bitter. Good yakitori should showcase careful grilling that enhances the ingredients, not mask them with burnt flavors. The proteins themselves didn't taste particularly fresh, and the seasoning was all over the place. Some skewers were so lightly seasoned they tasted unfinished, while others were aggressively salty. Consistency is one of the fundamentals of good yakitori and it was noticeably lacking here. Having visited plenty of izakayas and eaten more than my fair share of yakitori, I'm not claiming Michelin-level expectations. I simply know the difference between properly grilled, well-balanced skewers and ones that miss the mark. Based on this visit, the food was below average and failed to live up to the hype. With the volume of positive reviews, I expected a memorable yakitori experience. Instead, I left wondering if I had visited the same restaurant everyone else was raving about.

First, the ambience is very trendy and resembles a Tokyo alleyway. You order your food via screens…read moreon each table. Service is very fast and food is typical Japanese cuisine. The sushi rolls, cucumber salad were great. The regular dinner salad was ok. Ramen and other dishes were good. They have privacy curtains in each booth which adds a nice touch. The overall experience is good but i would have like the wow factor to extend towards the cuisine.

I've been to Tokyo's Yokocho alley and loved it! This place in Torrance did an amazing job…read morereplicating the vibe and decor. I love all the lanterns. We came for lunch and it wasn't crowded. We were seated right away. Our server was friendly and attentive. She walked us through the ordering process which was done on a tablet. Our food was tasty and we definitely ordered more than enough. I really liked the combo meals; such a great deal with so much food. I had the Ginger Pork combo. It came with a bowl of rice, miso soup, salad, cucumbers, and some dried fish (so good) The Tonkotsu Ramen was yummy as well. The Ramen was fresh and not chewy. My favorite was the Salmon bowl. Something so simple but so flavorful and fresh. I will definitely come back when I'm in Torrance again.

Packed restaurant but we were seated immediately at the bar. First time going so our server was…read morehappy to help us select. The coke float was HUGE, enough for two maybe three. Sake was smoooth. Even though it was very busy, the food came out quickly. We ordered almost everything and it was delicious. The grill imparts a great char, especially on the shrimp. Flavors are well balanced and portions are decent sized. Servings are larger than I anticipated as they're larger than other yakitori places. Prices are on point so you can order quite a few things and share. It can get a bit loud with all the people but isn't that what a good yakitori is like? Nice to see a vibrant pippin' establishment.

Every star is purely for the service. As far as service is concerned, it's great. Came at…read moredinnertime on a Friday night and they were slammed, but the staff was lovely and attentive. The one mix up in our order was quickly set right. Ambience is honestly A+. Very cute setup and everything down to the teacups is adorable. Great vibes for hanging around. Unfortunately, the food just wasn't it. Tare was surprisingly bland, which does not pair well with the fact that it was used so sparingly. Saying tare is bland anywhere, but especially for a yakitori place just feels crazy to me. The chicken skin was nice, but that adjective would have been "amazing" at any other yakitori place. The wings and beef were cooked well for tenderness, but again, the tare was bland and the beef, while good, was sauced with a dead ringer for Mr. Yoshida's. Again, Mr. Yoshida's isn't bad. It's yummy, BUT it's not a flavor I'm bothering to go out for. The sauce B set actually had nice flavors, but for $4, it should not have been plated with a micropipette. None of the sauce components are pricy, and I've seen people sneeze out something more substantial. Just don't get the sweet potato salad. Whatever you're imagining, and there a quite a few ways you could interpret "sweet potato salad," know that's not it. You know when you pop a song lyric into google translate, set it to Aramaic, then translate it back? That. That's the interpretation of sweet potato salad you will get. Just poorly constructed flavor-wise. I don't know whose idea that was but please take it away. I didn't want to be wasteful, but I regret eating it. I've never before regretted eating anything with bacon. At some point, I had to admit the only thing I still felt like ordering was the check and taco bell. Currently writing this while waiting to be seated at another yakitori place in Gardena. Lucky for me, but not Torikizoku, they are suffering in part from being located in an area swimming with great yakitori. It's just not up to par for the area at all.

The food is decent, but the experience needs work. The room was hot and uncomfortable, almost like…read moreeating inside a humid gym. I understand yakitori is cooked over a grill and the smell is part of the experience, but sweating through dinner in a small shop is not charming. Turn up the AC or improve the ventilation. Service also felt cold. There was no warmth, no hospitality, no sense that anyone was glad people were there. The grill master mostly stared through the room, which made the whole place feel more awkward than welcoming. As for the food, some skewers were good, but others were noticeably over salted. For something as simple and focused as yakitori, the execution has to be tighter than that. There are plenty of yakitori spots around. If the food were exceptional, maybe the uncomfortable room and flat service would be easier to forgive. But right now, the flavors aren't strong enough to make the experience worth repeating.

This izakaya is located in an unassuming strip mall but its food is anything but. I had been…read morefiending for some yakitori since our last visit to Tokyo and this spot did not disappoint. If I had been able to eat crunchier / harder stuff (I had dental work done prior), I would have been more adventurous with the menu. They had so many delicious looking options! That being said, the skewers were AMAZING. Their chicken skewers, the scallop, and the veggies were cooked to perfection. I felt like I had just walked back into a legit izakaya in Tokyo. The vibes were amazing, the staff was so friendly. I will absolutely be back. 10000000/10

Wow! My first visit this past weekend; this place is a little hidden gem!!…read moreFirst, Mary Kate was amazing at the front. She had great suggestions and was so very nice!!! Our server, Yui K, was also fantastic!! She recommended a lovely sake (Shinryu Nishiki) and desserts for my friend and me and was so efficient and sweet! (Mary Kate had already given us a number of suggestions for the appetizers and skewers.) Zoku Q: yummy!! Spicy Karaage: Oh my goodness! Eyes rolling back delicious! Giant Ebi Mayo: shrimp (huge!) cooked perfectly and also so delicious! Elote Corn Ribs: excellent flavor, but there are only four very small pieces so not worth the price (to us). Skewers were all good: Momo Teri, Mune Ume, Wagyu Beef, Unagi, Tsukune. We would definitely order the wagyu beef, Tsukune and Momo Teri again. (The others were good but not as good as these three.) For dessert we ordered the Panna Cotta and the Custard Pudding. Completely different textures but would order either again! I will enjoy returning!

The staff who greet you at the entrance, as well as the servers, are all wonderfully attentive! The…read moreatmosphere is great, and every staff member creates a very welcoming vibe whenever a customer walks in! Since this was my second visit, I ordered things I hadn't tried the last time. As always, every dish looked so appealing -- the plating is absolutely stunning. The overall balance, colors, and presentation... everything made me want to take photos. Compared to other yakitori restaurants, the selection might be a bit limited, and die-hard yakitori fans may find it a little lacking, but it is definitely worth visiting at least once! My personal favorite here is the Chicken with Honey Mustard! The Karaage sauce is also incredible!! And finally, the desserts -- always something to look forward to! Every single one tastes like it came straight from a fine pastry shop, and I'm always blown away. I'm already looking forward to my next visit! Next time, I'd love to come for lunch and try the Yuzu Shio Ramen.

The place is deceptively small, it has a lot of rooms and seats in the back. We got easily seated…read moreas a party of 7 in a private back room. Service was quick and attentive. I love the variety of options including chirashi bowls, cooked bowls, soba noodles, trays, etc. super fresh fish and great prices. Everything paired well together with some crisp, cool sake.

Stopped by here with the family for lunch on the way back from a weekend trip. Place seems like it…read moregets quite busy but and would recommend booking reservations in advance. Parking was super easy. Huge strip mall with tons of parking. Service was awesome. Everyone was very polite and attentive. We were there for lunch and prices seemed very reasonable. I'm assuming this is why the place is so busy. The food was amazing. Everyone ordered different bowls. All look good but mine was absolutely bonkers. Ordered a bara bowl and it was incredible. Possibly my favorite sushi dish ever. I would of ordered a second but was told it was the last when ordering. I wish I lived closer to Torrance...

The staff here operates with that smooth, friendly efficiency that makes you feel like they've been…read moreexpecting you all day. Water refills appear out of thin air, dishes land on the table right when your stomach starts whispering, and everyone has that calm, welcoming vibe that makes the whole experience feel easy. This place is cozy, warm, and tucked away in a strip mall. it's the kind of spot where you settle in and instantly forget where you are. Soft lighting, relaxed chatter, and that comforting izakaya energy make it feel like a neighborhood hideout. You come here to unwind, snack, sip, and smile. Depending on what part of the day you arrive. Let's talk about the important things. This is where Akatsuki really flexes. Every dish hits that "oh yeah, "this is why we came out tonight" level. * Tempura, light, crispy, and somehow still fluffy. The kind of tempura that makes you judge every other tempura you've ever had. * Sunomono Octopus, bright, refreshing, and perfectly chewy. A palate cleanser that doubles as a confidence booster. * Hard Shell Clams, briny, buttery, and served sizzling. You'll be tempted to pick up the bowl and drink the broth like soup. * Salmon Bowl, so fresh, vibrant, and generously portioned. It's the bowl that hugs your soul. * Onigiri, simple, comforting, and exactly what you want it to be. A rice triangle with main-character energy. * Karaage Fried Chicken, finder licking good, crispy, juicy, and borderline dangerous. You'll consider ordering a second plate before finishing the first. * Spicy Crispy Tofu, Shockingly addictive. Even tofu skeptics will start questioning their life choices. * Yellowtail Sashimi, so delicious, clean, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth smooth. The kind of sashimi that makes you close your eyes for a few seconds....hopefully you don't fall a sleep it's that comforting. At one point, the karaage was so good I briefly considered writing it a thank‑you card. And the clams...Wow! They had me contemplating whether I should take home the shells and make a necklace as a souvenir. "Always remember, good energy brings good energy!" Miguel C.