I went to Gardena today and I came to the Japanese supermarket here after going to a festival nearby. I used to come to this vicinity with my grandfather,Hank before he died. It brought back some memories that were nostalgic, but moreover, the excitement I felt when I came to this area was blissful. The place is called steamed buns inside, but renamed to nikuman-ya. The interior is majestic with plenty of shopping things for japanese culture. The store provides a lot of snacks and groceries found in Japanese markets like marukai (Japanese superstore similar to Ralph's/vons), but there is a sushi section in the back and a few vendors such as this steam bun place. The price for the red bean and cream steam bun was $8 for 2 of them. They were quite small in size and I did not like that. There was a slightly larger steam bun called the seafood steam bun and you get 1 of those for $8. So in total, $16 for three steam buns. Although the steam buns were tasty, no way were they worth what they costed and to be fair, 626 night market in Arcadia along with smorgasburg outside vendors charge a better value even though overpriced more so than this place. I shared the buns with my aunt who visited me today. We both agreed that the steam buns were overpriced but we don't typically eat this sort of food for many years. The steam buns texture was soft and easy to bite into. I enjoyed the flavor and texture of the warm softness bite into it. But it did not fill my stomache up. I was hungry after consuming all three with a little bit of help. Even without the help, I would still eat all three up and be hungry still. The service was fast and friendly however; the Japanese staff were definitely good people. The places to sit around are plentiful on a Sunday. I would not buy those specific buns. They had other interesting steam bun bao like "baoger " but again the pricing if off with it. It was $12 before taxes and it does not come with sides. It physically looked like a small burger the size of a hamburger at McDonald's and I believe the meat lettuce tomatoes and onions inside it were not wagyu or some sort of expensive meat. A gimmick but it taste good so I can't dock it for that. The surrounding area of course were great. read more

Nikuman-Ya - Steam buns size - small and tasty but not filling - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

See all

This vendor is inside Tokyo Central. There are a few tables if you want to eat there. I ordered the steamed pork bun and seafood bun for $13. The pork bun was pretty good. It was flavorful and juicy. The seafood bun only had two fried shrimps inside and tasted just okay. They're not something I would care to get again. I think you can get better steamed buns for cheaper elsewhere. read more

Nikuman-Ya - Seafood bun - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

See all

Still don't know of a better place than Nikuman-Ya to get my nikuman fix from. Surely one can go get some dim sum baos elsewhere but it's just not the same. Service and product quality has remained the same no matter when I go and what I order. To me, that's rather noteworthy because it's difficult to maintain customer experience and satisfactions like that! read more

Nikuman-Ya - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

See all

Staff working here 10/20/25 @ 3:11pm has horrible customer service. Customer service is nonexistent. No one was tending the front register. I stood there for a while until I had to ring the bell which I normally wouldn't do. The cook turned around looked at me, put his head down and walked away to the back room. Didn't say anything or acknowledged me. I stood there waiting still and finally the woman walks out from the woodwork. Did not smile or say hello. Just looked annoyed that I showed up. The lifeless workers here must really hate their job. She takes my order nonchalantly and I paid. I shopped around the market and I finally went to pick up my order that was sitting on the counter with no one there in sight. Bad service overall. No one talks and no one cares. read more

Located inside of Tokyo Central, I wanted to check out Nikuman-Ya because they have a few vegan options. Originally I had planned on ordering the Vegan Bao but the Vegan Black Cheese Baoger had me intrigued. At first it sounds like the average vegan burger (Beyond patty, vegan cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sauce). What makes this "baoger" unique is the use of bao for buns. It's such a simple swap but it works and I dig it! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/nikuman-ya-gardena-2?userid=53dkR4-xyhjsCVHfrwiGaQ The only challenge in eating this is that the paper used to wrap the burger sticks to the bao bun which makes it difficult to peel off. Service was good. They answered my questions when I asked what vegan patty do they use. They also were nice enough to cut my burger in half so that I can share it with my sister. There are minimal tables and chairs for dining in at Tokyo Central but not all were occupied. Though it was easy to secure a table, we did have to clean them off ourselves before sitting because they were all dirty. read more

Nikuman-Ya - Vegan Black Cheese Baoger - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

This is a favorite food stall at Tokyo Central. Normally, we get delivery but today was a long workday and we decided to eat at the food court. We always order: Hojicha Latte. So good! Taiwan Ramen. Spicy! We normally get spice level 2 and that has a good kick. Cheesy pork bao. It pairs so well with tapatio! On this trip we also tried: Sweet potato and red bean bao. It was ok. I wish there was less bao. I would eat this again if my spouse bought it but not sure I would crave it. Soft serve. It has a good flavor and is very creamy. We may try plain vanilla next time. I was hoping it would remind me of Hokkaido soft serve. We'll see! Enjoy! read more

See all

I don't review often but this was the place for buns. I'm a fatty and will now be traveling to HI to hunt them down. You will be missed

I still love that seafood bao, but I got to try a few more things as well. Add a Chicken Teriyaki Baowich to my faves. Crispy fried chicken, a fluffy steamed bun instead of bread, now available on their delivery menu as well. The Stir Fried Yakisoba Noodle is good, but everything else is exceptional. Chicken Wings are a newer offering. Small and perfectly crispy, be sure to enjoy the teriyaki and the garlic chili soy equally. Still the South Bay's best bao, and best of all, they're in the same food court as Beard Papa and newcomer Michelin-started Ramen Tao. If you're in the area, this is a great place to stop. read more

Tried out the pork buns at their food stand during the 626 Night Market at OC Fairgrounds and fell in love! THE FOOD ELABORATION. - Pork Bao | Fluffy, slightly sweet, steamed bun with flavorful shredded pork and shiitake mushrooms inside. Recommend trying this out. - Melty Bao with Pork | Steamed bun with shredded pork and shiitake mushroom inside. It's then cut in half with cheese slapped on each open side and melted on the grill. Absolutely, mind blowing delicious. All steamed buns should be made like this. Highly recommend... and buy one for me. Please and thank you. THE VIBE EVOCATION. Fair vibes. They have a bright red sign you can't miss. There's a grill next to their stand so you can watch as they melt cheese onto the steamed bun. The staff were friendly and helpful as they navigated me through the menu. THE PARKING AFFAIR. As I mentioned, we tried Nikuman-Ya at the 626 Night Market on the OC Fairgrounds, so parking pertains to that location. Arrive early to get a spot close to the entrance. How early is early? About 15-20 min before the 4PM opening. Parking is $12. THE RETURN QUANDARY. Yes. It's worth the drive, the wait, and the money. read more

See all

From order to my belly in less than 10 minutes. I usually take my food to go but I wasn't in a rush today so I sat in the dining area, everything was clean and there was more than enough seating. The food is always really tasty and their cafe latte is always cold and sweet. Plus the ice cubes are frozen coffee so your drink doesn't get watered down. read more

Nikuman-Ya - Melty Cheese Pork Bao and Cafe Latte - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

1st time ordering from Nikuman-ya today and it didn't disappoint. We've been to the bakery next to Nikuman-ya many times for rolls and desserts but had never ordered from Nikuman-ya. What a shame because the food was delicious and taste, definitely worth a stop in my opinion. I ordered the double baoburger. The bun was soft and burger was juicy and tasty, cheese, tomatoes, onions and lettuce all included. The best part in my opinion was the bun didn't fall apart like regular buns, this bao bun was the best! I also ordered yakisoba noodles but wasn't able to eat it because I was full from the burger. However the yakisoba smelled great! read more

They have about 3 vegan items, but I only got 2 of the 3 items. I got the Vegan Bao Buns which was stuffed with caramelized onions and vegan beef 4/5, size was great and stuffing was great, but too sweet for my tastes. Also got their vegan Bao burger which was amazing 5/5. Soft and chewy Bao bun and tasty impossible patty. The other vegan item that they had that I didn't get were the vegan dumplings. Overall pretty good read more

Extremely disappointing. It's almost as if the employees do not want you to eat there. As soon as I walked up to the counter, the woman employee gave an irritated look towards me. No customer service whatsoever and the cook looked upset that he had to make my food. It's almost like they punished us for eating there. They drenched our sandwiches in mayo and the chicken was flavorless. Please save your money and do not eat here. You will feel uncomfortable and disappointed in your food. 0/5 read more

Nikuman-Ya - Chicken Teriyaki Baowitch - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

$5 pork bao 5/5 Just went to try the pork bao and was not disappointed. It's located inside of the Japanese market read more

Nikuman-Ya - Located inside of Tokyo central market - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

Was in the South Bay visiting family so tried Nikuman-ya. The steamed baos were really tasty as was the yakisoba - which I had a bite of - my fork had a mind of its own. Baos tried: - steamed pork - the bao is pretty ginormous so I ate part for lunch and the other half for dinner. The pork stuffing was juicy and had really good flavor. This was a winner! - cheesy pork - of the 3 boas this was my least favorite. It was good, but I think the cheese was a bit much for me. - vegan - I had zero expectations going in but figured why not try it. It was actually really good and I'd get it again. I couldn't quite figure out what was inside - maybe tofu and some veggies - none the less it was tasty. read more

See all

We came and got the vegan bao-ger, sweet potato bao and the mushroom bao. Everything was really good but the star was the burger. The bun really makes a difference and I love that they have a vegan option. It was soft and flavorful and had just the right toppings. The sweet potato bao was really good too. I like the mushroom ones but they scare me because sometimes mushrooms can have dirt but I didn't have that issue here when I ate my bao. The place you order is in a food court inside a grocery store and they made my food really quick while I went and found some vegan ramen to buy. The workers were nice and the grocery store was clean. read more

I am such a fan of this spot! Highly recommend trying their nikuman! The steamed baos are always really big and fluffy! When you eat them piping hot with mustard it tastes sooo good! The portion size is really large and I get really full after eating one of them. Makes for a great snack and it's so convenient that it's located inside Tokyo Central and nearby other great boba shops and spots! read more

I love this location inside the Tokyo Central food court, however, the bao I had was not very flavorful. It almost tasted like one of those Costco frozen baos, but not as good. Too much bun and not enough meat in my opinion. Having said that, I was satisfied enough and the staff were really nice, so if you've never had a bao before, you might enjoy this one. Everyone else might be disappointed. read more

I got the pork bun as a little snack while I ran some errands in Gardena! The ground pork inside the bun was really juicy and well seasoned. It was delicious but a little tad too sweet for my liking. I don't usually prefer savory sweet meats but if you like it then this may be a good snack for you! For me it was a 7/10. The dough was really fluffy but also had that sweetness. One pork bun was enough to satiate my little snacking fix :) read more

Nikuman-Ya - Pork bun - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

I am a big fan of their handmade steamed pork bao. I had to get one when I discovered there was a store at the food court at Tokyo Central market. The Bao was big as my fist and filled with pork meatball. One Bao was enough to fill me up after my disappointing experience at Hawaiian Kings restaurant. I'll have to try their other menu items on my next visi read more

See all

It could've been the worker who was working that day but the matcha latte I ordered was a 1 star considering the flavor and price. They barely put matcha in; cannot taste the matcha at all and charging $5-6 basically for a milk. I ordered hojicha latte the other day and that was good. Please teach the employees the exact amount or change the advertisement picture because it looked nothing like the advertisement picture read more

Nikuman-Ya - why are they being so cheap with matcha... you only taste the milk - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

Black vegan cheese baoger *\(^o^)/* I really recommend this it's a 10/10!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Nikuman-Ya - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

See all

Great spot! Love the 'grab and go' feel....but we sit down most of the time Love the Pork Buns/Bao....super tasty....loads of flavor....awesome textures with the Pork and Bun Sweet Potato and Red Bean Buns/Bao also fantastic Simple but multi layered flavors nicely executed into 'fit in your hand' food vehicles! read more

Nikuman-Ya - Pork Bun - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

See all

Been here a few times now and overall love this place. Highly recommend the namesake nikuman which is essentially a Japanese version of char siu bao or manapua, but the filling is a super tasty and savory pork and vegetable mix. I only wish the nikuman were smaller and sold in a multipack because one of these nikuman is seriously enough to feed me, my family, and everyone else in the store. Ok, it's not that big, but it is a bit too big in my opinion so having a smaller option would be really nice. You can also order refrigerated nikuman that you can take home and heat up in the microwave. Makes a perfect on-the-go breakfast for all your busy bees out there. I've also tried the teriyaki chicken bao and I must say that was disappointing. The bao is very soft and the chicken very crispy which are all nice, but the chicken itself has so little flavor. Not even the teriyaki sauce and mayo on were enough to compensate for the relatively bland flavor. For the price, I'd definitely recommend sticking with the standard nikuman... ...unless you have a sweet tooth, in that case I have a recommendation straight out of left field for you. The soft serve ice cream here is phenomenal. I love soft serve ice cream, actually I love all ice cream in general but that's beside the point. This soft serve ice cream is so good, nice and rich chocolatey flavor without being too overly sweet or overbearing. Also the consistency is excellent, how do they do it? Would highly recommend giving the soft serve a try! read more

I love matcha and I love soft serve ice cream. Any place that comes these two together in one tasty treat is a winner to me! Located inside Tokyo Central, it's a great option to grab a sweet treat after eating lunch there or any of the other adjacent businesses. read more

This place has amazing cheesy pork bao~ Probably the best street bun I've ever had! I've had the cheesy bao at the OC night market a couple of times and always hits the spot! This place is located inside Tokyo central with a few other food stands. BAE and I shared the cheesy pork bao ($6.34). Although $6 for a pork bun sounds expensive, size it's huge~ can easily be shared with two people! The cheesy layer on the outside is crispy and not too salty, stuffed with ground pork and onions. There is a soy dipping sauce that comes on the side which is super flavorful~ Amazing quality pork buns! Would love to try the regular or sweet buns another time :) read more

Nikuman-Ya - Cheesy Pork Bao ($6.34) - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

Excellent pork baos in creamy cheese grilled to perfection . Garlic dipping sauce a must! Clean, fast service inside of Tokyo central market . read more

Nikuman-Ya - Pork Bao - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

Was browsing around Tokyo Central and stopped here for something to eat. I was intrigued by their teriyaki bao sandwich. My boyfriend and I both got one and thought they were going to be small but we were wrong. We were surprised at how big the sandwich was. The sandwich was really good, it had lots of flavor and the chicken was juicy with some crunch on the outside. The only thing is that the sandwich is messy to eat and the sauce makes the bottom bun soggy. read more

Nikuman-Ya - Teriyaki bao sandwich - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

The Teriyaki Boawich is the best chicken sandwich I ever had. Bar none. The steamed bun in conjunction with the perfectly cooked fried chicken breast, crispy slaw and teriyaki buffalo sauce is amazing. I've legit gone 3 times in two weeks. read more

I'll be honest I only came here because I don't eat the food at Sweet Rice...and I walked into the market looked at the small food court...and VEGAN popped up on their menu...they have Vegan Dumplings only on Sat/Sun... Fresh Buns made there and the Vegan ones are all i ordered since I got there after 7PM and I just needed something.... The buns were unexpectedly flavorful and good....I am not exactly sure what he uses in the filling and I ate them in my car...so sorry no picture either! I'll go back since it's so close to my work...and hopefully try some of their other Vegan offerings.... read more

Nikuman-Ya - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

Not sure if I just got lucky, but it seems like they have increased the portion a bit on their House Special An-Kake Pan Fried Noodle! I still believe this place and near by Umemura Restaurant serve the best Japanese-styled crispy pan fried noodles in Gardena! When you shop at the Tokyo Central Main and if you happen to be hangry, please give a try at this place! By the way, their specialty is of course, the tasty buns! read more

See all

You can find Nikuman-ya upon entry into Tokyo Central's food court. This has been in Tokyo Central (or previously Marukai) for years. I only stop by here once in a while if Tokyo Central's grab and go does not have something I or a family member likes. What I usually get for my fam member is a steamed pork bao which is a pretty good size and currently runs $4 each. For me, I go with the vegan 2 pieces for $5.75. The two piece is smaller than the other buns. I like them and they taste just fine. Maybe next time I may try the red bean + sweet potato 2 pieces for 6.25. I know kinda on the pricey side. Each bun is handmade with care. Usually it's been about a ten minute wait for orders so, carve out that time if you need to. Customer service is polite and not really memorable each time. Nikuman-ya is A-OK. read more

You gonna not believe it's for$5 each. It's too big and the stuff is tasty but I ever eat sth better so I gave them 4 star . The shop located inside center Tokyo market. Service is nice. read more

Nikuman-Ya - Steamed Pork Bao - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

See all

I got the red bean and sweet potatoe Bao. The red bean didn't taste like red bean but rather like black sesame instead. Regardless it was tasteful and will come back here I tried the vegan Bao and hubby got the melted cheese Bao. He really enjoyed his and my vegan was very good. It was just the right carb/ veggie ratio. I always had bao that were tasteless and or too salty. This was just right. Recommend this place!!! read more

Nikuman-Ya - That's the Melty Cheese Pork Bao that hubby got. He said it was good! - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

We got the dumplings and pan fried noodle. The dumplings are pan fried and the dough was very thick. The dough to filling ratio was not even; tooo much dough. Taste was ok though. It came with a dipping sauce (which was necessary in my opinion). Pan fried noodle tasted better than it looked. The noodle was crispy. However I do think the noodle portions were small compared to the sauce ratio. The price is actually a little steep too because the 2 dishes came to a little under $20. read more

See all

Would highly recommend their cheese pork bao. The size that they make it is reasonable and for the price, I think it's well worth it.

My go-to place when I'm craving pork buns (and this review is solely for the pork buns although I'd definitely try other things!)! It's a small stall located in the Tokyo Central market in an Asian shopping plaza. You order at the counter and there are some food court table you can sit at, or you can get the buns to-go. I ALWAYS get the melty cheese pork buns ($4.50) because I love cheese, but I've tried the regular ones ($3.75) and they are good as well. The melty cheese bun is basically a pork bun sliced in half, coated with cheese, and fried cheese side down. The buns are HUGE, and the meat inside is perfectly juicy. It can be little bland but that's okay, because it comes with two dipping sauces (soy sauce based and spicy mayo based), which I like to dip the buns in. Prices are good for such a huge bun (One bun can probably fill me)! Extra charge for using a credit card. I even spied a woman hand-making these buns in the back of the counter so I definitely know they're fresh :) read more

Nikuman-Ya - CHEESY PORK BUN ($4.50) - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

This place is known for steamed buns, which I did not try. I was after the dumplings and this a review for that item only. I love dumplings and gyoza and with the ratings pretty high for this place, I wanted to try it. Location: This is located inside the Tokyo Central & Main store (formerly Murakai) and is one of the first stalls you come across when entering the market. Parking is easily obtained with the huge lot outside in which it shares with other shops and 2 large restaurants Food: I ordered the 8 Pork Tanaka and vegetable dumplings that are buns that have been pan fried. This, I expected although, I was a tad disappointed that I couldn't order th gyozas too. They only have gyozas on the weekends. Damn... The wrappings on the outside for the dumplings were just chewy enough to keep all the filling inside without coming apart. The filling, however, was mushier than I expected and the texture with each bite was too soft. Even the small cup of soy sauce with ginger slices in it didn't help it much. Not too salty (which I'm thankful for ). For my first experience here, this was okay. Not the best dumplings, but just alright. If they add some crunch to the filling, that would induce me to give it another star. I guess if you don't want to go the frozen route, this would be an option. Service: I came in during a quiet time, so no one was in line before me and I ordered right away. I waited 8 minutes ( I was told this after I paid) for my food, so no complaints with the service. Ambience is casual. I imagine people come here during their lunch break to get a snack as well. Summary: Would I come back? Maybe, if I'm in the area and try their gyoza, but I wouldn't make a special trip for it. I've had better dumplings elewhere, but maybe try the steamed buns next time. Although, if the filling is anything to go by, maybe not. read more

Nikuman-Ya - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

See all

Gross! We had bbq bun and shumai. The service was good but the food was overpriced. The bun was ok but the filling seemed so gross I bought two of them and they are huge we ended up throwing the second one to the trash. I've tasted way better at other places I will not be going here I rather drive out. read more

A quick grab place in a supermarket Soba was not bad but not great Steamed pork bun- yummy Seafood bum-yummy read more