Great and friendly people. The Cheese Pork Bai was delicious. Crispy grilled cheese, pork was flavorful, and the bao was soft and fluffy.

I got the classic pork bao and the bun was so soft. My brother got the cheesy pork bao and it came with a slab of melted cheese on top. My boyfriend got the chicken baowich and it was so massive and the best value! I was pleasantly surprised and although I did not like the coffee I liked the concept of the ice cubes also being made out of coffee. read more

Without a doubt the best steamed buns I've ever had in my life. The dumplings were also delicious. Located inside the Toyko Central food court. Hang a right when you enter the store. And enjoy. (This restaurant did just make Eater's list of the best steamed buns in LA, by the way) read more

This is one of the few stands I chose to buy from at 626. Their seafood bun looked pretty good from the picture on the stand. And so I got the seafood bun and it looked nothing like the picture. It tasted even worst. The smell of herb and veggies were super strong and I can barely taste any seafood. There was no crab meat or very little to the point where maybe I can't taste it and one shrimp and one scallop. Very disappointed! And very glad I wasn't suckered into buying their sauce, which costed 75 cents extra. The cashier mentioned that it would taste better with the sauce but honestly I don't think anything would have saved the bun from being bad. Thank you, next! read more

Nikuman-Ya - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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I heard of this place thru a friend and she highly recommended it having tasting it at 626 market. Since i take my dog to therapy all the way in Torrance, i gave it a try. It was delish! Ive been going back every other week since thats her appt schedule and did it for a month straight. Service aint all that, its inside a Tokyo Central market but it does have juicy pork fillings sealed with mozzarella cheese. I go back once in awhile now to get my fix but i do think they can make it a bit healthier by being a bit less greasy. Would recommend if you have never tried. read more

Things to Order: Steamed Pork Buns ,Cheesy Pork Buns, Spicy Cayenne Chicken Baowitch, Teriyaki Chicken Baowitch, seafood dumplings. Delicious Food! Great Portions! Reasonable Pricing! A personal favorite spot to pickup good eats. read more

Just a few yards away from Beard Papa, the subject of my previous review. My girlfriend had a craving for steamed buns, so we came back here the following day after picking up cream puffs. It took a while for me to find the actual name of this place because the sign is deceiving. The biggest words on the sign are "Steamed Buns", so that was my initial guess of the name. But after some thought, I don't think the actual name is all that memorable. I just refer to the place as the "Steamed Bun place" or the "Steamed bun place inside the old Marukai". The cheese buns are good. Very cheesy. Anything that cheesy will probably make you full and stay that way for a while. They cut it up into two pieces, which I think is a good idea. One giant piece like that would be a bit overwhelming, so two pieces can make it better to share. Fried rice is a bit expensive for what you get. $8.25. But I will admit that it's delicious. Especially the shrimp fried rice. We got the fried rice, noodles, gyoza, cheese bun, and another bun. For two people, that's plenty of food. You're a big eater if you finish that. Believe me. I myself am a big eater, and I couldn't finish all that. There's a TV in the table area showing some Japanese drama or suspense movie. There's a minimum card transaction of $20. Anything lower will include a transaction fee, which I don't remember since I try to avoid those at all costs. A general rule of thumb for all the shops is to just bring cash. They never turn it down. And unlike the card, you won't be punished for using cash. You might need to drive a bit towards a Chase branch, or you can walk to the CVS nearby to uses the ATM there. As for other banks, I only saw 1 or 2 others nearby, but I don't remember which ones they were. I've been fairly forgetful upon writing this review, so I apologize. But what I do remember is that this place is pretty good as long as you have cash and aren't in an extreme hurry. The wait time is normal, but not lightning fast. read more

Nikuman were a regular part of my life in the land of the "Rising Bun." It is practically impossible for me to pass them up when I stumble upon nikuman in the U.S. The large Steamed Pork Buns sold at convenience and small stores throughout Japan are best eaten warm and fresh. So, you can guess what happened when I found tiny Nikuman-ya in the Marukai Pacific Market with a stack of Bamboo Steamer Baskets hiding fresh Nikuman. Nikuman-ya Steamed Pork Buns are made fresh daily and packed with ground Pork and diced Onions. They're also large palm-size monsters that will crush your hunger. These may not be the juiciest nikuman, but I enjoyed the soft thick bun and meat combination. The buns are four stars, but the overall rating for Nikuman-ya is lowered to 3 stars because they are seriously overpriced. You can't buy individual buns. The minimum order is 3 nikuman for $10.50 ($11.45 with tax). That's almost $4 a nikuman. They're good, but not THAT good. Since I can't resist nikuman and the Nikuman-ya buns are decent, this small booth comes in at an a-ok 3 stars. read more

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This Nikuman-Ya replaced the old Tonko Pork Deli. They haven't changed the sign because the sign above the grand opening banner is still Tonko. There was a chef making fresh steamed buns and it smelled so yum. This place makes handmade buns fresh everyday. They had pre-opening sale special when I went there. - 3 pieces for $10.50 instead of $12.00. - 5 pieces for $17.50 instead of $20.00 The buns were kinda pricey but I was surprised @ the size of the buns. I watched how the guy made the buns and they didn't look too big. I ordered 3 buns and they were HUGE and filling. It was good but not great. The fillings were meat with bamboo shoots. 3 stars!! NIkuman-ya is kinda yummylicious!! read more

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I am not gonna lie, Nikuman-ya has got some great bao. This place concentrates on making the best meat bun (bao) possible, and it really shows. Leonard W. and I always see this place but never got anything. One day, we decided to splurge and got 5 buns to share. I say splurge because for 5 buns, it costs us around $18! It is considered very expensive for buns, since you can get these buns at many Chinese places for much much cheaper, but the quality does shine through and sorta justify the high price. The breading on the buns are amazing. Light, but chewy at the same time. Watching the chef making it, I can see why he puts in all the effort for the dough, constantly kneading it. The meat filling inside is great as well. Very juicy, but not fatty at all. There's also little chunks of bamboo shoots, which is a nice touch. You can tell that all the ingredients used for the filling is of a higher quality! Doesn't look like much, but I ate two and I was pretty full. I ate it fast too since it was very good. Even though it was good, I can't get over how it is over $3 for a bun so Nikuman-ya is definitely one of those "try once" place for me, until I decide to splurge again for some meat buns. read more

Located inside marukai, nikuman-ya is part of the cool updated food court. First establishment once you make a right from the entrance. So make sure you have no time constraints when eating here. The food takes a min of 15 mins...or longer. We ordered 3 of the pork steamed buns, house special pan fried noodles, wings, and crab/shrimp dumplings. Pork buns: yes very good and yes huge and yes pricey! The noodles: ehhh nothing to rave about. Wings: star of the show next to the steamed buns. Crispy and so good. We got the last option of the sauces (can't remember the name) but it was YUMMY. So good. The pork and shrimp dumplings were huge and just ok. This place is a little pricey. Also, the gyoza is only offered on the weekends. I also noticed that there is a char sui option but you have to order it two days in advance. Hmmm possibly will try that if I remember to place my order two days in advance. $20 min to use your credit card. read more

Nikuman-Ya - Inside marukai - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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Here is my summary of this place. Pork buns - DELICIOUS (5 stars) Siu Mai - TASTY (3.5 stars) Gyoza - TASTY (3.5 stars) Price - VERY EXPENSIVE (1 star) I was super excited to try this place out. By looking at the yelp reviews and pictures, I was craving those pork buns so bad! But prices were surprising considering this place has only 1 $ sign. Definitely worth to try it but not worth paying for it again! read more

Nikuman-Ya - Siu mai - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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STEAMED PORK BUN. That's it. The dough is soft. The filling has pork and bamboo, not sure if there's anything else. Simple and delicious! Happy Cup Ramen truck sells this. A while back, they had a stand outside of Marukai and sold only the pork bun. It used to be around only during the weekend, but now everyday!! Hooray!! They have a pre-opening sale right now: 3 for $10.50 and 5 for $17.50. Originally, it's 3 for $12 and 5 for $20, so $4 for a bun. They raised the price every since they moved into the market... read more

Nikuman-Ya - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

Only ate here once because I'm rarely in the area and have other favorites. Short version, the food is really good here. Too bad it's tucked in this location and not a full serve operation (I'm not a fan of quick serve usually). Food isn't cheap per se, but it is relatively inexpensive if you consider value (amount of food and quality). Need to try this place again next time. read more

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I won't bore you and try to act like a food critic here on Yelp. I will say this. THE BEST.... Cheesy Pork Bun...OMFG...I can eat these ALL day. Yakisoba...kicks ass. Steamed buns...amazing. and its all made right there. This place is great and quick and cheap...run don't walk to it. read more

I love them so much!!!! The best pork bun in LA. Super traditional, juicy and they even have vegetarian options!! Wow I bought 10 of them and kept them in the freezer. Perfect snacks whenever I want it:) read more

My husband and I tried 3 different nikumans; regular pork bun, melted cheese pork bun, and seafood bun. Out of the 3, the seafood bun was the best. It had a little spicy kick to it. The regular pork bun is good, but nothing special. I would recommend the seafood or the melted cheese. Had a lot more flavor and it's different. I would definitely come back and try other dishes and shumais. read more

This has recently been a frequented spot for lunch or dinner. The cayenne chicken sandwich is so spicy, but completely addictive. One of those types of spicy that make you want to keep eating. If your mouth isn't numb, finish off your meal with a cheesy bao. The most delicious bao I've ever had in my life. The cheese drips out and is a bit fried outside of the bao. Amazing! They also have a spicy ramen that is awesome. Take the spicy warnings seriously, these aren't "spicy" but SPICY. read more

Note that when I actually ate the nikuman (pork buns) from here, they had cooled off substantially. Found my nikuman store of choice! It's inside Tokyo Central in their food court area. The more you buy, the more you save (3.75 for one, 7.35 for two, etc.). They'll get fresh ones straight from the steamer for you. $20 minimum for credit card (otherwise a small nominal fee) and easy parking in a strip mall setting. I was a little worried that they would be the "usual" size of a pork bun (one that you could easily cup your hand around) but I was wrong. These things are the size of your entire hand! They're relatively juicy with a decent bun to filling ratio. Compared to 551 Horai in the Kansai area, these are no match. But I'm also not going to fly 6000 miles to buy pork buns...more than once a year, anyway. ;) So this place will do if you're craving nikuman/butaman. Will need to try them when they're hot. read more

Their melty cheese pork buns are so good! I drive an hour in traffic from UCLA just to satisfy my craving. It also comes with 2 sauces thats perfect for dipping the buns in for that extra flavor. Matcha latte aint that bad either! Ps... I like soft buns and I cannot lie. read more

Not really my favorite nikuman but since there aren't many nikuman around in los angeles i'll still go. The bread( outside) part is pretty heavy and not fluffy but if you like that heavy bread you'll prb like them a lot read more

I ordered the Vegetable An-Kake over Rice dish and, honestly, it was not good. My wife tried it as well to get a 2nd opinion- she agreed with my assessment (for the record, the dish was super gelatinous like goo and very bland). However this review is about the business and not the food. I am giving Nikuman-Ya this positive review because in the rare case when your customer just doesn't care for the food they ordered, it presents an opportunity for discussion, feedback, and hopefully a thoughtful response. Shortly after tasting the dish, I wrapped it back up and went back to say, "I'm sorry I just didn't care for this dish- can I replace it with something else? I know I like your vegan baos how about I get 2 orders of those and pay you the difference minus the amount of the An-Kake dish?" After a brief discussion that sounded like the only complaints the restaurant receives on its food are with its vegetarian dishes (that sounds like solid, actionable feedback to me), it was quickly agreed that, yes, I could replace my original order with tried and true vegan baos (which my wife says are delicious). A few minutes later, I walked away with steaming hot, vegan baos and, to top it off, the restaurant refused to have me pay the difference. A more than satisfactory end to what could have been a stickier (or gooier) situation. I root for small businesses like Nikuman-Ya and want to see them succeed. It's my opinion, that with the rare interactions like the one I had with them today, that if the feedback is taken with grace, empathy, and appreciation, that that will always lead to the best outcome. As a former business owner myself, I would much rather have the opportunity for this kind of problem resolution vs. having an unhappy client who can anonymously post a flaming review on a site like Yelp to complain in public about a dish that is clearly not the restaurant's specialty. As customers, we should all have both the courage and courtesy to raise these issues with the businesses we frequent to give them feedback and, hopefully, an opportunity to raise their game. My wife initially suggested I simply throw away the dish I ordered. What and miss out on all this opportunity for improvement and a happier/more positive resolution?! Thank you Nikuman-Ya! read more

First time here at this meat bun shop. I've had meat buns before, but fresh made meat buns really do make a difference. We ordered 2 and they came in a matter of minutes (surprisingly). I walked off trying to look at the cakes next to their shop and they were like, don't forget your meat buns lol would definitely come back for more buns; 10/10 would come again! read more

Nikuman-Ya - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

Finally got my dreamy steam pork buns!!!! Very soft dough and yummy filling which I believe includes pork + onions+ bamboo shoot.... Since I am not a big fun of soup buns( Din tai feng) and the Chrsiao buns are too sweet for me , the nikuman is just a good fit for my tummy ！ remind me of my grandma's kitchen ! And the size is huge ! Staffs are very friendly and helpful! Also tried the crab shumai, it is ok for me. Will come back for the steam buns next time for sure read more

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My stars: (5=epic "best of") (4=really tasty and want to go again and again) (3=good and will go back once in a while) (2=fair, might return for a visit if there was some glimmer of hope) (1=avoid at all costs) Go or No? Go Tease: Small eatery in the Tokyo Central Market Why I went: My wife and I wanted some good snacks/light lunch When: 3/17/18 Food: We got the pork and crab shumai, a pork bao and their (Sat & Sun only) pan fried gyoza. The shumai and bao were exceptional! The gyoza was very good. However, not as strong at the other 2 items. It's fairly fast, but not "fast food" fast. Service: Very good. The staff was friendly and efficient. Hints/Final thoughts: We eagerly await going back to get more shumai, bao and ty some different items! read more

I ordered the crab fried rice and th crab & pork shu Mai. The Shu Mai was all pork with one little piece of crab on top, no crab inside. Disappointing but still good. The fried rice was delicious. It had a spicy mess to I loved. read more

Nikuman-Ya - Crab fried rice - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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Pro: 1. Located inside Tokyo Main Central supermarket at the "food court" area. 2. Plenty of parking. 3. Simple menu. 4. I always come here for the pork bun. Very juicy, nice flavor, simple ingredients consist mostly of pork (it does not have the quail egg or mushroom like the Chinese version which I don't really care for to begin with), the bun itself is fluffy. I usually wet a paper towel, bundle it up, then microwave for 1.5-2 min or so if I eat it a day or two after the purchase. Still taste delish and fluffy. 5. Service is courteous and polite. Cons: None. I wish they open a new store in OC. read more

Very delicious food. We had the Taiwanese Ramen, pork steam buns and topped with cream puffs from Beard Papa. All of which was VERY taste and conveniently close together. Highly recommend if you're around and want fast comfort food. read more

I like this place! Their cheese pork bao with their home made soy sauce is delicious! So are their red bean and sweet potato buns

So far I was impressed with their wings, pieces are larger than other stores and the buffalo teriyaki is so tasty. Pork bao is good but, but the melty cheese pork bao is awesome. Stir fried yaki soba and thai ice tea not bad. The store shines more with their bao. It's better to call ahead to order than to buy directly. read more

Delicious hot bao... the steam pork bao is bigger than the usual bao size, and very tasty. I also love the red bean bao and the vegan bao. Curious to try the spicy baowich next time. read more

This place is located inside of Tokoyo Central in Gardena. The workers there are very friendly, not to mention that the food is delicious! I would highly recommend the seafood bao with the two sauces that are included (one being spicy and the other with an umami taste). Each order of baos does come with two baos and is definitely filling. I would say this makes for a great meal for lunch, not to mention they are on Postmates! read more

The cheese pork bun was a little too much for me. I like pork buns and also like cheese but this mix was weird so I for sure worn get that again. The pork and shrimp shumai was aiiiiite, have had better shumai at dim sum restaurants but his place was continent because it's located in a super market so that's why I decided to eat there. read more

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My friends all love this place, and I can see why. It's a great and affordable way to grab a quick snack or a light meal. Their pork buns are the definition of PERFECTLY JUICY, but today I decided to switch things up and grab a seafood bun instead. It was absolutely delicious! I counted at least two juicy shrimp in there, along with stewed veggies and bits of tofu. The flavor is very good, and has a bit of a peppery kick. My friend got the cheese bao, which was also just incredible. Definitely plan on coming back soon! :) read more

Ordered for delivery a steamed pork bun, cheesy pork buns, vegetable gyoza (weekends only) and shrimp fried rice (listed best to worst). Everything arrived piping hot. The steamed pork bun was delicious and huge! The bao is tender and not too sweet, the ground pork filling is very juicy and flavorful. The same bun gets cut in half, topped with cheese and pan fried for the cheesy pork buns. I thought that the cheese overwhelmed the pork and it was too greasy overall. The sauces are good, though. Would probably not order again. The gyoza (7 in order) had great flavor and a delicious vinegar-based sauce. But they stuck together and also fell apart, which made eating difficult. They were also super oily. On the fence about trying these again. Fried rice was disappointing. Literally just white rice, a few shrimp and big chunks of egg white stirred together with no discernible seasoning. Despite the middling review, the bao was so good we want to return and try other menu items. read more

So delicious, the pork buns and the red bean buns were super yummy. They were ready quickly and I loved them.

honestly I only come here for their chicken baowich but that alone makes me want to drive to this place. Don't get the spicy one unless you're pretty good at handling spice, the teriyaki baowich is perfectly delicious without too much spice. read more

I don't even like pork but that nikuman is dank asf. The Raman's dumplings remind me of soup dumplings but pan fried. So juicy.... I think people get confused that these buns aren't Your traditional Chinese style buns. It's clearly Japanese. I also can't get over the Mabo. Sooooo bomb. read more

Tried the cheese nikuman with pork, gyoza, and crab fried rice. The pork was very juicy and finely chopped so it stays soft and wonderful almost like eating those shao lung bao. May have to wait a little bit in case if you order a large amount of items from the menu, but it's always worth. read more

Just tried their vegan bun. It has mushrooms, onion, green onions, Shitaki and enoki mushrooms with tofu. Eat it while it's hot, it was really good I'll give it a 5 stars. The reason for the 3 stars was that the guy who served us did not smile. read more

Nikuman-Ya - Vegan buns - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California