Visited Tensho on July 21 to celebrate a birthday, and it was an amazing experience from start to finish. A special shoutout to Keisuke, who provided exceptional service and made our meal even more enjoyable. We ordered the USDA Prime and Wagyu sets, and everything we tried was delicious. The quality of the meat was excellent, and the service throughout the meal was attentive and welcoming. We also ended up trying almost the entire dessert menu, and every dessert was a hit. If you're looking for something refreshing, I highly recommend the strawberry sorbet. The chocolate cake is rich, creamy, and just the right amount of sweet. The apple and banana pies are warm, crispy, and satisfyingly sweet, while the crème brûlée has a great balance of creamy custard and a perfectly crisp caramelized top. None of the desserts were overly sweet. They were well-balanced with great flavors and textures. Overall, we had a fantastic dining experience, and I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Tensho - Strawberry sorbet - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My family and I have been coming here recently after not coming for a few years when the ownership changed from Kagaya to now Tensho. I can still say that the shabu shabu course here is exactly as good as it used to be back when it was Kagaya. There is an option for a full course dinner or just a standard shabu shabu set which is what we opted for. We were each given a plate of USDA prime beef and a large plate filled with veggies, noodles, tofu, and mushrooms to share. The meal comes with ponzu and sesame sauce that pairs perfectly with the meal. I don't think I've had another sesame sauce that compares to the one made here with the flavor and the richness of it. Service is quite attentive and the staff are very friendly and diligent about anything you need. The meal is pretty self paced once you get your food as it's up to you to cook it. Seating is comfortable and the interior of the restaurant has a very homey and traditional Japanese feel to it. Without a doubt, this place is still one of my favorite places in LA for shabu shabu! read more

Tensho - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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My favorite spots this is if you are looking for authentic and high quality! Prices may seem high but it's worth it for the quality and the amount of food you get! Service is always top notch here. Bar seating and table seating available. Would recommend reservations during dinner weekends. I'd recommend the combo, seafood and either meat! Make sure to save room for the porridge or noodles at the end read more

I was introduced to Tensho by a good friend as his family frequently dines at this restaurant and I understand why. I must say it has now become my favorite shabu shabu restaurant in LA. The first time I dined at this establishment I had their A5 wagyu course and second time I had their USDA prime beef course. Both times the quality of the beef was amazing and the vegetables were very fresh. The appetizers are slightly different each time and absolutely delicious. The rice soup with pickles is a nice little treat to wrap up the main meal. I loved how attentive the staff were. They noticed that the ponzu sauce I was using was becoming diluted from the broth and they brought me a fresh ponzu sauce mid meal. It's a small and cozy restaurant. I highly recommend to make reservations as all the tables and counter seats were occupied. Parking is sparse as it is in the same lot as Sushi Gen and the cost was $10 (as of November 2025). There is another parking lot right across the street for additional parking. read more

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Unique and yummy food! We got so many courses during our meal and spent $380+, and everything was worth it. The service was super timely, and we enjoyed our 2-hour dinner there with all the food coming in at a paced manner. The restaurant was small, but the experience was great. It felt like the experience I expected. read more

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I've been coming to Tensho Shabu Shabu since I was around 19, and it's one of those places that never loses its magic no matter how many times you go back. From the very beginning, everything--from the food to the service to the overall experience--has always been top tier. What really sets this place apart is the level of care and craftsmanship you can feel in every detail. The quality of the ingredients is outstanding, and the way everything is prepared and presented shows a true respect for the art of shabu shabu. It's not just a meal--it's an experience. The service here is on another level. Keisuke, in particular, always goes above and beyond. He remembers exactly how my family and I like to eat and makes sure we have everything we need without even having to ask. That kind of attentiveness is rare and makes every visit feel personal and special. Tensho truly deserves all the love it gets. If you're looking for a high-end shabu shabu experience with incredible food and unmatched service, this is the spot. Thank you, Keisuke! read more

Tensho - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Amazing service, us white peoples just eat what they bring you....Enjoy... sea bass course was my wife's favorite. Mixing the beef (cook just one minute) with the veggies and adding the spicy sauce was my favorite... skip the sushi places nearby, take a loan from the bank and come here read more

Tensho - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Tensho used to be Kagaya, and I'd say it's pretty similar -- in the best way! It's definitely on the pricier side for shabu, but the experience makes it worth it. You get three starter dishes before the shabu, and at the end, they make a porridge or udon that you can either enjoy there or take to go. There's even dessert included! It's a small restaurant, but that just adds to the cozy feel. The food and service are always great. ENJOY! read more

Easily the best Shabu in LA. The staff is so spectacular and the food is literal art from appetizer to dessert : ) I always order too much and get the porridge for to-go. It makes for the best breakfast next day : ) read more

Tensho - Wagyu Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Tensho is a hidden gem tucked inside Japantown, with easy parking and a warm, authentic vibe. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by the friendly Chef Imai K., who made us feel genuinely welcome--like we were dining in Japan. Everything here is run by Japanese staff, and the food reflects that authenticity. The wagyu was, of course, incredible--rich, tender, and full of flavor--but honestly, the portion was a bit much for me (not a bad problem to have!). What surprised me most, though, was the dessert: their apple pie with vanilla ice cream is next level. A must-try even if you're full. Pro tip: pace yourself. At the end of the meal, they'll make you both porridge (okai) and udon with the leftover broth, so leave room. It's comfort food at its finest. A true Japanese shabu experience--one I'll definitely be back for. read more

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My parents and I came here on Christmas night (6:45 PM reservation) to celebrate Christmas and an early birthday dinner for my mom. I had mentioned the birthday in my reservation and they were kind enough to bring out our dessert with a candle and the staff and customers all sang happy birthday. It was super sweet and thoughtful! We ordered the USDA prime beef and seafood shabu shabu option for $108/person and we opted for the rice soup after we finished our shabu. The meal came with three starters, our meat and seafood, the rice soup, and dessert. This was a very traditional shabu shabu experience and it was our first time here since they changed restaurants. It was previously Kagaya (also a Japanese shabu shabu), not sure if it's just different management. When the meat came out, I genuinely didn't think I would be full because there were only 5 slices. The seafood and veggies do eventually fill you up + the udon / rice soup you get after you're done with your meat. There were only two servers working the whole night and it seats about 4 parties at the tables and maybe 10 people at the bar. Only thing we were kind of bummed about was that we weren't seated at the bar, so remember to mention that when you make a reservation if it's something you want. read more

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This is an old school Japanese shabu restaurant in J town. Interior is minimalist and clean. Menu had a good selection but limited to shabu meals. We tried the wagyu shabu and seafood meal and USDA prime beef set. Service was hit and miss as there was only one server for the whole restaurant and she was running around to assist a larger group and the entire restaurant. The wagyu was amazing tender and fatty. Vegetable selection and udon as expected. There is choice of dessert with the set meal. Overall expensive restaurant and food and service not really memorable. Not a repeat for me. read more

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This place is so damn good. And when you break down all that you get the price isn't so bad. I just wish it wasn't so far from us as we live in Malibu! read more

I took my mother and sister to Tensho after exploring the Little Tokyo market plaza - this restaurant is absolutely amazing. The vibe is super calm and the service is impeccable - the food and wine list are both excellent. We had one extra oyster leftover, and they took the time to grill it and the presentation was amazing. Make sure you add the crab to your beef options! read more

The appetizers this time were not as special as in the past. The tastes were a little bland. The shabu was still as great as usual and the service was top notch as always. The atmosphere is the same as before which we still appreciate. We're hoping that this was just a one off experience and will be back. read more

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My friends took me here to celebrate my birthday, and we went with the $100 set menu. so much food! Every dish was delicious, and we definitely left stuffed. The portions were generous, and the flavors were on point. The highlight for me was the dessert. the banana cream pie was absolutely amazing! Perfectly creamy, not too sweet, and the best way to end the meal. Overall, a great spot for a special occasion, and I'd definitely come back! read more

Tensho - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Amazing Shabu Shabu spot in Honda Plaza downtown. Meat is 10/10, veggies and udon noodles are also amazing. Ask for the $45 special! Or if you're feeling rich, get the A5. Seafood and shabu combo is next level. Great oysters. Best ponzu I've had in a long time. Goma is rich and tangy and not too sweet. They will pack a nice soup to go for you as well! Our new favorite spot after Mizu closed. Service is excellent and very traditional Japanese. Everything is fresh and exactly how you want it. read more

Tensho - Meat selection. - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Quality of the ingredients was very good but the price was astronomical for what you get.

This is definitely one of my favorite restaurant. Been there for a few times, and the service has always been so polite and attentive. The food is also great, the only problem would be the stove heats slowly so I was craving for food. Appetizer 10/10, and every time they are different. Shabu shabu has always been fantastic, 10/10 too. Love the wagyu and seafood. Last time we upgraded to snow crab! The restaurant is small but cozy. read more

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This place was a great experience with how each dish was presented and how well the sushi was prepared for each course. I think the service was very nice and friendly with the waiter constantly checking on us if we liked the food. The ambiance was like an izakaya and felt very traditional. The food was overall very solid and melt in your mouth for the price point that you're paying. Would reccomend to take a group of friends to enjoy something so good together and reflect on the dishes. Dessert was amazing and worth coming here just for that. read more

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We had such an amazing experience at Tensho. The service was amazing and the A5 wagyu was absolutely delish. I would describe it as a premium/upscale shabu experience in a comfortable setting. There were two of us, so we got one portion of just the A5 Wagyu and one potion of half seafood/half A5 wagyu. The seafood was pretty good, but if we ever go back we'll probably just get 2 portions of the A5 wagyu at it was just unbelievably good. The meal comes with 3 appetizers, your selected meat dish/veggies, rice or udon cooked in your shabu broth, and a dessert. It was the perfect amount of food. They also have a great selection of sakes and wines. Overall it was just an amazing Japanese shabu shabu experience, and the servers are super attentive, friendly, helpful, and happy to answer any questions. I can't wait to go back! read more

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Great atmosphere and service and great food! The waiters were very attentive and quickly refilled my tea whenever it ran low. They constantly checked on us during our visit which is a 5/5 in terms of service in my books! At first glance, each order doesn't seem like a lot but after they cooking everything in addition to the dessert, we sure were stuffed! Definitely enjoy coming here! read more

Magnificent!! Truly a memorable experience celebrating our anniversary. The quality of their Deluxe A5 Wagyu is unsurpassed; it's beautifully marbled, a melt-in-your-mouth kind of beef. I've eaten it many times in Japan and can't get enough. We also ordered the USDA Prime Beef as a comparison. This was delectable as well and certainly well priced. The dashi broth and the goma (sesame) and ponzu (Japanese vinegar) だれ (dare) complemented the beef perfectly. The quality and presentation of the dishes in their set course is what I'm accustomed to. I felt as if we were dining in Japan!! It included many delicious appetizers and was very filling. The sake flight choices were awesome and I definitely recommend ordering it. Ayumi, was a pleasure and her attentiveness was impeccable. I really can't wait to return. Thank you Tensho! read more

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Had a really good meal here! We missed the traditional shabu that we had from Japan and this hit the spot! The service was impeccable and everyone was very friendly. I will say though that this place was very very hot when we came especially when everyone's pots were on. But the food and service was so good that we didn't even care about it being hot. read more

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I highly recommend SHABU-SHABU TENSHO RESTAURANT. Good food. Good service and family friendly read more

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Shabu shabu!! My favorite food of all time haha. Tensho is located in the Honda plaza and for $6 cash u can park ur car in the lot. Came here on a Friday night and there was a bit of a wait but not too bad. You can of course make a reservation though. We were seated at the bar top and served immediately. We got the set menu with beef and seafood and although we thought it wouldn't be enough food for two people, it was totally enough. The shabu was authentic and really great! For me though, it definitely was on the pricier side but if you come for fantastic quality meats and seafood then you get your money's worth. I'm happy I got to try it finally! read more

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Reviewing ONLY happy hour specials: $6 malt draft beer and $2.50 oysters (as of July 2024). I first stumbled into this restaurant while waiting for a table at the ever-busy Sushi Gen next door. Before 7pm, they have awesome deals for oysters and beer. I loved the oysters! They're small, but super sweet - I didn't ask what type of oysters they are, but judging from the smoothness, size, and taste, I'd say they're west coastal (similar to Kumamoto or Hama Hama). We tried both the raw and baked. I would recommend the raw for an overall better fresh taste and their toppings are delicious. The baked, I didn't care much for the sweet soy, but baking the oyster made the meat taste sweeter which was also delicious. Definitely can't go wrong with the HH menu whether you're just stopping in like me or kicking off a shabu shabu meal. Been here for HH twice now and service is superb. No complaints and can't wait to be back! read more

Tensho - $2.50 happy hour (before 7pm) oysters - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

TL:DR It's high quality, authentic Japanese shabu shabu but you pay for the food/experience. We came here on a Saturday night because it was packed most other places in Little Tokyo even at 5pm. We were a little skeptical going to a spot which wasn't packed (although it was busy by the time we left) but it had good reviews (thanks Yelp!) and so we thought we'd give it a try. The "share" menu is a little confusing since you have to order your protein anyway but we each ordered the beef/seafood combo and just asked for all crab instead of the other seafood. You get a series of appetizers, which included sashimi, seabass, and a seafood soup. Loved the melt in your mouth tuna and the delicate but flavorful seafood/mushroom soup. The seabass was gummy in texture and was probably the worst thing they had which still wasn't too bad. And then onto the main course. Now this isn't your Americanized shabu shabu where you choose a broth like Tom Yum or miso. It's a traditional shabu broth which is just a kombu (kelp) dashi broth. So it's all about the ingredients and the dipping sauces. They give you a ponzu sauce and a sesame sauce which was savory but had a little sweetness and a little spice. Pretty addictive. The beef was tender (make sure you don't overcook it!) and the king crab just needed a quick dip in the broth to warm up but was delicious. The veggies add a nice contrast and freshness but we ate most of it. This is a healthy portion of food so come hungry. After we finished, you could choose udon or zosui. Udon seemed too heavy after all that so we picked the zosui which is just rice and egg cooked briefly in the broth you had so it mixes all that yummy flavor. It was a nice ending to the main course. AND THEN came dessert. I got the banana pie with ice cream which was bananas in cream sandwiched between two thin layers of wafers and ice cream on top. Pretty good but would've preferred the bananas to be softer. The pace of serving is timed well but you can easily spend 2 hours here so make sure you're not in a rush. The service is great and the staff was really nice. We ate at the counter which was also a nice experience. Really loved this spot BUT it doesn't quite reach 5 stars because it was pretty pricey. While I get why it's so expensive, growing up, shabu shabu was a casual meal for us and so mentally it's hard to get around a $100+/person shabu meal. I think if you want an authentic shabu shabu experience, this is the spot but I'm guessing most people would go to an AYCE spot and just indulge there. read more

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Still the best shabu shabu in town. Service is impeccable and so is the food. I do not mind driving almost 2 hours to dine here because it's a very special place. Ayumi-san has a glowing energy about her that makes our meal that much more pleasant every time. I love Tensho! read more

I was a big, big fan of Kagaya back in the day (my review was ROTD!) and was sad to find out it sold and changed names, thinking that the quality and service must've changed. But fret not! Everything is the same as it was. I've been twice since the name change and the only issue was once, the rice porridge was way too salty but the next time, it was perfectly seasoned. The wagyu melts in your mouth but the USDA Prime Rib is delicious enough. The food is still amazing in taste, freshness, and quality, and they still have the best banana pie. Still a 5-star experience! Parking in the strip mall it's located in was free on my last two visits. read more

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The staff and chef are impeccable. Get the Omakase menu. The wagyu omakase was so delicious. The grilled oysters were so fresh,succulent and sweet. We have have been back twice. We tried last week but they were closed. This place is a best kept secret. I love it here. read more

While visiting LA went there with my sons for a New Year's Eve dinner. We had the A5 Wagyu shabu shabu course. The meat didn't disappoint, and neither did the other courses. Special mention to the seabass appetizer course and the dessert course. Among the three of us, we had the matcha mousse and the apple cake. Restaurant is intimate and the staff very friendly and efficient. Look forward to eating there again when in LA. read more

The wagyu and king crab were super fresh and tender, best we had so far. The appetizers are awesome too, Im curious how they made everything so tender. We had 3 desserts luckily, on top of the famous banana pie, the matcha pudding was very good too. The cream brûlée didn't surprise me tho. Looks like small portion, but was more than enough for me and my husband. Which we went with one combo with extra people, not 2 orders. Service was great too, she would kneel down to explain everything before we order, and gave my baby free meal with extra dessert. Also we walked in without reservation, and had our seat no problem. Great experience. read more

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Such a great spot for date night or over all gathering. Service is 100 percent friendly and efficient. Shabu Shabu meat quality is literally melt in your mouth! Prime rib eye is a great choice if you're not into super soft melt to touch wagyu. read more

Still top notch. I strongly recommend to up the budget a little bit when you visit Tensho (ex- Kagaya.) The Wagyu and live crab are just at the different level. They run out of the live crab pretty often. It's better to call to reserve them if needed. Appetizer - tie. Wagyu and seafood set - still exceptional. Porridge and noodle - tie. Deserts - amazing - this is the section really surprised me and I see many level of upgrades. I am glad the best shabushabu is back! read more

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It's pricy but so good. The wagyu beef is melting in my our mouth. It's a such a nice experience. read more

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Simple and flavorful. The appetizers before the mains were perfect bites without being overpowering. First time going to hotpot and i dont need to try anywhere else read more

Not as good as before they changed ownerships. The side dish or appetizers where better and more creative in the past when it used to be Kagaya. We had 2 beef and seafood platters, 1/2 dozen raw oysters and 2 alcoholic drinks and the bill was $314 after tax and tips. Was it worth it? Not really. We had better meals with that price tag. read more

I was lucky enough to find myself staying in a hotel on the edge of little Tokyo and Tensho showed up when I was looking for food in the area. I loooove Shabu Shabu, so it instantly got my attention. I'm so used to the all you can eat style places, I forgot how good serious Shabu can be. They do it in an omakase style with multiple courses, and each one was more phenomenal than the last. I got the prime beef and it was so tender and delicious I can't even imagine how good the Wagyu must be. The staff was friendly and took their time answering my questions and did I mention how yummy it is? I will def be back next time I'm in the area! Update- I just got back to my hotel and opened up the bag with my leftovers. This is how they're wrapped- I feel like I'm back in Japan. read more

Tensho - The way they wrapped up the leftovers. - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I've been a regular for more than 10 years at Kagaya. I was so happy to see that Tensho, despite the rebranding and ownership change, remains similar and better service and quality. And no... no comparison to any other shabu house in LA. Absolutely amazing service and quality. Highly recommend! read more

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