Never been to this Manpuku location before. I visited the one on Sawtelle Blvd. a few times, but…read morethat was like 4 years ago. I remember really liking the food, so I'm not sure why it took me until yesterday to finally check this place out. It was absolutely amazing. They nailed every aspect of the dining experience. Let's start with the service. It was phenomenal. The restaurant staff members were pleasant and efficient. All the dishes came out very fast. While I cooked most of the meats on the grill, there were some items that were carefully prepared table side by staff. I enjoyed the ambiance of this place. There was music softly playing in the background. The room temperature was cool - an absolute necessity when cooking food right over open flames in front of you. I ordered the Manpuku Premium set. I loved the food, like a lot. Here's a run down of almost everything I had: Manpuku Salad: It was fantastic. I'm used to eating a Japanese salad with the generic carrot ginger dressing. You know what I'm talking about. This one had a nice sesame oil flavor to it. Not sweet, more savory. A refreshing change from the norm. U.S. Kobe Filet: This was probably my least favorite cut of meat of the day as it wasn't as marbled and flavorful as the rest of them. However, it was soft as butter - exactly what you would expect from a premium piece of tenderloin steak. Seared Beef Nigiri: It came with 4 pieces, but we ordered an extra two pieces. The nigiri was delightful. Imagine eating the perfect piece of toro nigiri except it was made of highly marbled Wagyu beef. U.S. Kobe Sukiyaki: This was easily the best thing I had here, and that's saying a lot since I had a lot of great food. While I was allowed to cook the rest of the cuts of meat on my own, this one was specially prepared by a restaurant worker since the meat had to be cooked and prepared in a certain way to maximize the flavor experience. The meat, when dipped in the raw egg yolk was pure bliss. Fried Rice: It came out sizzling hot in a stone bowl. The fried rice was okay, but absolutely necessary for the meal. A lot of the meats were very fatty. The fried rice did a bang up job soaking up the oiliness of the meats when consumed together. U.S. Kobe Boneless Short-rib, US Kobe Chuck Flap, and Miso Skirt Steak: These were all home runs. They were tender, fatty, and incredibly tasty. My favorite of this trio was the short rib since it was the most marbled of the bunch. Garlic Edamame: I've had my share of edamame in my life, prepared in a variety of different ways. I used to like how a restaurant called Backhouse in the Santa Monica area used to serve their garlic edamame. It was my favorite edamame around. Sadly, that establishment no longer exists. This restaurant's edamame reminded me of the Backhouse edamame. It was perfectly warm and flavored. Simply outstanding. For dessert, they let you select from a list of options. I had macha ice cream, as that is my favorite flavor of ice cream at a Japanese restaurant. It was very creamy and not overly sweet. Best part was the ice cream bowl was chilled. Kept the ice cream cold. It was the perfect way to end a fantastic dining experience.

This place is such a gem!! Everyone keeps leaving comments about how expensive it is, but I…read moreactually think that the manpuku traditional menu is fairly priced for the amount of food they give you. It's $69 per person with a 2 person minimum. The service was fast and everyone was really friendly. The vibes were perfect for a date night or a random Tuesday night treat! Can't wait to be back

Located inside the Mitsuwa food court. The tempura was delicious. It has got to be one of the best…read moretempura I've tasted. They use quality ingredients. I ordered the veggie tempura bowl and it came with onions, mushroom, egg plant, shishito pepper, seaweed, pumpkin, and a soft boiled egg. Although the price is a bit steep for tempura it's worth it. The egg is my favorite love piercing it and mix it with my rice. So delicious!

3.4 stars This…read moreCarlos Jr is located in the food court in Mitsuwa Del Amo. I heard a lot of good things about it Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr. so I decided to try the food court express version. They had 2 bento box options here and I got the Bento Box A ($19.99). It came with teriyaki salmon, burdock salad, fresh salad, shrimp tempura, pumpkin, shishito, and mushroom tempura. The side was a choice of rice or soba or upgrade to California roll for $1 or Salmon roll for $2. I went with the California roll. Here are my thoughts: Tempura: for all the hype around this, I thought it was ok. 3.5/5 stars Salmon teriyaki: it was a typical salmon teriyaki. It got cold quickly, but I think that is my fault since I kept taking pictures of the food. 3.4/5 stars Meatballs: first time trying Japanese meatballs and I thought it had a nice balance of sweet and savory. 4/5 stars Fresh salad: it was fresh. 4/5 stars California roll: it was ok and nothing to write home about. 3/5 stars Miso soul: it's definitely miso alright! 3/5 stars Service was minimal since it's food court food. The food was a pretty average experience, but the prices are restaurant prices. I guess it is worth a try if you really love tempura.

I visited my favorite restaurant again after quite some time, and it reminded me why I love it so…read moremuch. The owner's kindness shines through in both the food and the hospitality, creating an experience that feels like coming home to my hometown. The warm atmosphere, welcoming service, and exceptional cleanliness make this place truly special. My favorite dish is the Sashimi Gozen. The sashimi is always incredibly fresh and every bit as good as, if not better than, any other restaurant I've visited. The tempura was also outstanding--each piece was perfectly prepared, with a wonderful texture that enhanced the natural flavors of the ingredients. This restaurant genuinely feels like a piece of home to me. I hope it continues to be loved by many people for years to come. Highly recommended!

I'm very fussy about sushi. So much so that when I crave it, I rarely visit a sushi restaurant that…read moreI've never been to before. With that said, yesterday, I visited Kappo Irifune for the very first time. I think it was great. However, it didn't exactly inspire me to re-examine my life choices and start trying out new Japanese restaurant spots. Before I talk about anything else, I have to begin with the service. It was an A+ and here were the reasons why: -My wife and I showed up to the restaurant several minutes before opening. Usually, restaurants are a stickler for their hours. Our server, however, let us in early without a fuss. -Our server closed the back door to the restaurant since she was concerned that the cool air coming in may be uncomfortable for us. -The food came out quickly, but not so quickly that all our food came out at the same time. The way they spaced out the serving of the dishes was perfect. -We ordered the Chef's choice of the day sashimi set that comes with 10 slices of sashimi. They gave us 12 slices at no extra cost. -They gave us free matcha ice cream at the end of our meal. For the most part, I really enjoyed the food here. I ordered the following items: Miso soup with Asari clams, various nigiri sushi pieces (blue fin tuna, blue fin tuna toro, seared toro, salmon, salmon belly, egg, and yellowfin belly), the sashimi set (blue fin tuna, toro, horse mackerel, red snapper, bonito, and (I think) yellow fin)),and four piece shrimp tempura. I thought the salmon nigiri, blue fin tuna nigiri, red snapper sashimi, and salmon were home runs. The shrimp tempura was outstanding, and the best I've had since I was last at Inaba restaurant that specializes in tempura. As much as I liked the items noted above, I must point out a couple of dishes that fell well short of expectations. The toro nigiri, which I'm assuming was chu-toro, was not fatty at all. It tasted like ordinary tuna. Also, my wife's mackerel sashimi had two small pieces of bones in it, hurting the roof of her mouth. I also have to mention that there are a lot of promotional material beneath the clear plastic place mats on the table. They are dated from 2024 and 2025. Not sure if those promotions are still in effect, but they may want to update their materials. There are plenty of sushi restaurant options in the South Bay and beyond. Some good. Some not so good. This is one of those restaurants worth checking out.

Loved this authentic Japanese spot and it's lowkey a hidden gem because the front of the restaurant…read moreis tucked away in an alley with other stores surrounding it. Walking in there's plenty of seating and gives Izakaya vibes. One thing I love about this place is their portions and price. I got their special chicken cutlet combo which came with California rolls, udon, rice salad, katsu and miso soup all for $25, thats so good. Even if it was $30 I feel like thats solid for what you get. All of it was delicious and I loved the katsu most of all. Would definitely come back and bring my family.

I came here for lunch and there was no wait. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. It was nice…read morethat I can bring my dog for patio seating. I ordered the special fish combo with salmon, cold soba, soup, salad, and cali rolls. The food came out pretty quick. I was surprised how good the salmon was and everything tasted clean/healthy. This combo is enough food to share between 2 people. I would come back again to try other items on the menu. It is a bit on the pricey side but worth the try!

Went again for some more yakitori on a weekday night. Called in for an rsvp…read more Food was as tasty as last time around - not as many specials this time around and no skirt steak unfortunately. However, we made up for it by ordering a few more other skewers. Experience was good as 14 days ago - will be back!

I'm glad I was able to check out this Yakitori spot! Definitely call ahead to make reservations…read morebecause they get full every night. It doesn't take long to notice that many regulars come here; that's how you know it's good! I tried the tofu, shiitake mushroom and eggplant. The tofu had a nice consistency between soft and crispy and was coated in a savory soy sauce. The shiitake mushroom was juicy and salty (but not too salty). I enjoyed that it didn't have that overly-mushroom flavor like shiitake can sometimes have. They give a lot of eggplant for the eggplant dish - around 10 pieces?). It's simply salted and covered in bonito, which adds a nice texture and savory component on top! It's nice to add a little soy sauce on top too. Our servers were attentive and nice, with care for allergies! The food takes a little bit to come out but it does come out very fresh too.

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

Service and food was excellent! Only negative thing is the price as it can be pretty steep and on…read morethe higher end. But you pay for what you get! The meat is soo melt in your mouth and very delicious! The experience was so worth it and very satisfying. They also gave mochi tofu and cold potato soup on the house for the guests to try. Don't really get Japanese bbq often so this was a cool and exciting experience!

We ordered the USDA set, and the quality of the meat was excellent. It came with six different…read moresmall-portioned appetizers, along with a fresh salad and flavorful garlic rice--everything was absolutely delicious. They also offer traditional Korean oxtail soup, which was perfectly cooked and seasoned. It was one of my favorite dishes of the night! The restaurant was clean, and the service was fantastic. Highly recommended!

Very reasonable price (10pcs + hand roll omakase for $42 is not bad at all)…read more Quality is good, you get actual sushi red vinegar rice. Workers there seem happy and eager to help. Highly recommend!

Brand new authentic izakaya in torrance , this used to be kantaro , now re imagined back to the…read moreoriginal 1960's eames , case study house vibe ,mid century modern style huge 15 foot windows , high ceilings , free parking , reasonable prices, open tues-sat till 10:30 pm in torance! Open till 10:30 pm ! highly reccomended!