Amazing food and service. Chris was really nice and the food came out fast. Will come back!read more

This place has some items that are amazing and other ones that you can just do without…read more I came here for Dine La for lunch and here's what I felt about their menu. First off, the takoyaki octopus balls were full of flavor. I feel that this place does them really well. You don't feel overwhelmed by any seafood tastes and instead, you get well balanced flavor throughout every bite with the combination of the ball itself, the sauces and the flakes on top. Next is the omurice. The egg is cooked to perfection and tastes absolutely amazing. The curry, however, which was recommended by the waiter over the Demi glaze, tasted exactly like the Vermont curry cube you get in the grocery store, so I'm not sure why he recommended that over the Demi glaze. The fried rice within the omurice was alright too. Originally, I wanted to get the tonkatsu omurice but got it on the side as the choice wasn't available for the lunch menu. I would suggest doing without the tonkatsu because it was dry and there's a million and one places that can do tonkatsu better than this place. Honestly, I wish I had the opportunity to cut the omurice myself and choose how much curry I put on it, but the staff did that instead, which I guess made for a good video, but took away from my innate desires to cut the egg on my own haha. Next, the ramen tasted pretty basic like what you could get at any ramen shop. For the chicken wings, I've never had chicken wings in this flavor. They were really really good and I would definitely recommend the wings. For the desserts, I enjoyed both the matcha and the snow globe. I'm not sure what I enjoyed more, however. The snow globe is a gelatin and it doesn't really have too much flavor until you get to the parts with the flower. Plus the little clear balls have a nice flavor and texture. For the matcha, it has an interesting texture and then an interestingly light, yet deep matcha flavor. Oh the drinks. The Thai tea tastes exactly like how it does everywhere else. The amazing lemonade is a lemonade with a few slight modifications, like with cucumber and maybe some other things as well. For the service, it's pretty good here. Everyone is pretty attentive. There are three things at the table, such as cayenne pepper and two other bowls you can add to your dishes to add flavor. I forgot the name of the one I liked but it looked kind of like pork floss or loose tea, and that one had a lot of flavor. I think what's most appealing about this place is the ambiance because you can like sit in a honeycomb, there's fancy designs everywhere and you feel like you're in a different place. I think it's a good restaurant but it's kind of weird how some things here are amazing and some are just okay.

Server Ivan is the best! Great sushi and a great place overall! Love it and will definitely come…read moreback.

Sunday afternoon. The place was lively with conversations and music playing in the background. Had…read moreI been a savvier Yelper, I'd have joined the waitlist on the app before arriving. In any case, we spent about thirty minutes perusing the aisles of Sprouts and chatting outside before our table was ready. As an appetizer, we ordered the Ika Geso, fried squid legs which had a crispy texture dipped in the fresh flavors of aioli and lemon juice. For the main course, we went with family style and ordered the following rolls: Refresh, Truffle Seared Salmon, Ultimate Yellowtail, and Black Spider. My minor complaint would be the irregularly shaped portions of the Black Spider with some fried crab sticking out being slightly awkward to eat. Other than that, everything tasted fresh and unique, especially the Refresh and Truffle Seared Salmon. For three people, I'd say it's a decent amount of food without stuffing yourselves and having leftovers.

This is my go-to for sushi in the area-…read more $16.99 is the popular 2 entree meal - which you can pick from an assortment of dishes- curry, California roll, tempura roll, 5 piece sashimi, tempura, etc. There are also daily deals as well. There's complimentary miso soup, garden salad, edamame, and dessert (usually). Previously they used to give a 10% discount but they have since taken it away due to oil prices. Weekends are usually busy- so I would suggest dining earlier to avoid large crowds. Overall, staff is friendly and attentive.

Second time dining here! I came for lunch on my first visit, and this time decided to try their…read moredinner set. The offerings felt pretty similar, though I'm not entirely sure if the pricing differs between lunch and dinner. The food arrived hot, fresh, and satisfying, just like I remembered. Service was decent overall, but we did have to flag someone down a couple of times for water and a missing item. Nothing major--just something to keep in mind. The restaurant tends to stay pretty busy, so a little patience goes a long way. Luckily, there are TVs to keep you entertained while you wait. The ambiance has a modern Chinese aesthetic with tasteful décor that gives the space a cozy, welcoming vibe. There's also plenty of parking, and it's conveniently located near other shops if you feel like strolling around after your meal. The dinner sets are reasonably priced for the average appetite. If you're a big eater, you may want to add a couple of extra dishes, but overall it's a solid value. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't been yet!

Ducks is a really cool izakaya-like hole in the wall with an impossible-to-decide-from menu because…read moreit's full of japanese bangers. Once you walk in you get their double AC atmosphere with friend servers that make you feel like a regular at a local spot. Their beer selection is tastefully selected with beers you may not usually see at typically restaurants. Perfect for a chill, fun hangout spot for the night.

We picked Ducks based on its name and Yelp reviews after our favorite noodle shop down the street…read morewas closed for a few days. Why "ducks"? Many of my favorite Asian dishes involve duck! Well ... Ducks was just OK. First of all, there was no duck on the menu. The overall ambiance was sad, and service was fair. The duck decor was kitschy. For lunch, we ordered: Curry Spaghetti (3/5) -- Spaghetti served in a savory curry with tender beef and topped with hard boiled egg half. We asked for it spicy, and never found the heat. Katsu Don (3/5) -- A breaded and fried pork cutlet served with a fried egg and sweet soy sauce over rice. Overall tasty. ($18.50) I doubt we'll return.

Amazing Japan 7-11 quality experience; rice is hot and fish is cold, very authentic. Love it :)read more

The Nozawa Group is one of my favorite restaurant groups. Consistency across all their restaurants…read moreis key for me. While I've been to Kazu Nori before, this is my first time at this location. Parking: Street Parking is available surrounding perimeter, but they also have parking in the building itself, the entrance is on El Molino Service: Amazing and fast, we came during lunch, we were sat immediately and were in and out within 35 minutes. I imagine this is a solo lunch person's dream. Food: I always get the 5 handrolls, I think it's the best deal. I always sub out the crab for the scallop as a preference but it's my favorite roll at Kazu Nori and should not be missed!

I remember when they first opened, I was thinking to myself, "Hell yeah, finally it's closer to us…read moreand now I don't have to go all the way to like Torrance or something." Well that was ages ago and it wasn't until now that I was able to visit and try out their delicious katsu, which hands down, is super good! I went during National Library Card Month. During the month of September, the city of Monterey Park is running a special where if you have a MPK library card, you can get deals and freebies from businesses and you can get an iced or green tea from Kagura if you show them your library card. I got a cold canned green tea, added to a cup of ice, refreshing and great with the delicious katsu that I got. I did a walk in for a slightly later lunch after dropping by Asayoru Maid Cafe across the street for a drink during their morning Asa shift. I went on a Thursday and was seated immediately. Staff is very friendly and checked up on me several times. It's a smaller restaurant, but it's simple and elegant in it's own way. No extra frills or bells and whistles. There were a couple other tables dining there and pick up orders too, so I can imagine it'd be busy during the weekends and lunch/dinner rushes. They have a paper wait list outside for those times. Limited parking in front of the plaza, but there's a parking structure next door. For my lunch, I got their demi glace loin katsu. It comes with miso soup, a side of rice, huge helping of cabbage salad with dressing, hot mustard, and some small sides of a sweet carrot salad, cucumber pickles, and 2 pieces of potatoes. Each side added a nice balance to flavor. I mention this in some reviews and to my friends that usually you get full because you get tired of the same flavor and texture all of the time, so I really enjoyed the small bites of crunchy texture from sweet, sour, and savory. The katsu is really where Kagura shines, as it's what they're known for. Super moist pork katsu meat inside, deliciously tender delicate layers of meat. The crisp of the breading outside isn't too greasy, but has the perfect level of indulgent oiliness that balances out. All perfect with a fluffy bed of rice and the demi glace brown sauce added a deliciously savory, slightly sort of fruity ketchup-y flavor (added this to my rice too!). Definitely want to come back to try more of their menu!

The karaage is really good. For $11 it's kind of a small portion but it's super tender. Probably…read moreone of the best karaage in the SGV. The ika geso was also $11 and even tinier portion. It was okay. I wouldn't need to order this one again. Minus one star for the portion but overall I would come back because I live across the street.

Mikiya All You Can Eat was such a great experience! The food was fresh, high-quality, and there…read morewere plenty of choices to enjoy. The meat was tender and flavorful, and everything came out quickly. The staff was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. Definitely come hungry because you'll want to try a little bit of everything! Great place for family, friends, or a fun dinner out. Good food, good service, and definitely worth the visit!

Got the Gold Set and really liked it. The A5 wagyu was super tender and probably my favorite…read more I was actually surprised how good the sides were too. The spicy clams were really good and we kept ordering more. Seafood platter was fresh too. Came mainly for the A5, but the sides were just as good. 90 minutes goes by fast so order early. Would come back.

Very busy hard to get a table Sat at the sushi bar…read moreeverything was delicious Fish was fresh good sake too

Found this place via Yelp... located in a nondescript shopping center (additional parking in the…read moreback as well!) Walked in without a reservation for lunch around 12:30, and was able to get a table quickly. The inside of the restaurant makes the most out of the small space, sushi counter and smaller tables. Stand out orders were Butter Fish Sushi, Arcadia Roll, Scallop Carpaccio, Crispy Rice with Spicy Tune & of course the Kubota Sake! I

~ Yummy Soba ~…read more Obviously they're known for their skillet beef and katsu BUT don't skip on their yummy soba noodle and tempura's. There's lots of seating with great service! Located in the plaza with Habit, Wingstop, 5below, etc

This Japanese spot was definitely pretty hidden, and I really wanted to love it because the service…read morewas honestly amazing. Everyone was so kind, attentive, and welcoming, and you can tell they truly care about their guests. Unfortunately, the food just didn't hit for me. The dishes looked nice, but flavor wise everything felt pretty one dimensional and lacked the depth and balance I usually expect from Japanese food. One thing we especially didn't enjoy was that the ramen came with raw mushrooms. Personally, we really would've preferred the mushrooms to be cooked before being added to the ramen since the texture and flavor felt a little off for us. Overall, the hospitality and service were definitely the highlight of the experience. I hope they make some recipe adjustments because the staff deserves food that matches how great they are. The restaurant was cute too with lots of seating.

Love this place. Been wanting to go for years and it still lived up to the hype…read more California rolls: 9/10. Fantastic. Love that this goes light on the mayo and that it has some mentaiko which I don't commonly see. They actually put in a decent amount of avocado too. The value is great. These are larger than the usual rolls. Tastes even better with a bit of wasabi and soy sauce. Maki: 8.5/10. Various Maki options. All good and fresh and good value. There are two ways to buy fish here - rolls that are made fresh and in the fridge, or the fish market where you can buy fish by the lb. I didn't buy the fish straight from the market, but I would definitely do that in the future. The market also sells a lot of other things that you'd normally find in Japan or Hawaii. It's next to Carl's Jr. Parking lot is easy to miss but that's okay because there are two ways to enter and lots of street parking. Free parking either way. No tables to sit at but that's okay.

I need to come here more often. Workers are really nice. When you order the fish, you can request…read morefor it to be sliced up. Grab a number and they will call you when its ready. These sliced fish comes with wasabi. They have cute bowls, sake pouring thing, and cups and lots of random items. They also sell nigiri, california rolls, etc. When you check out, you can ask for ice so your fish stays cold. Parking isnt bad either but we went when it wasnt busy.