Came here for an early dinner around opening time but it seems you may need a reservation for normal dinner time. There's free parking lot in front but spaces are super tight be warned. Very quiet and peaceful inside and service is very attentive. What we ordered: - They were out of the premium ribeye so we got Set B: very small portions (only a few bites in total). I was a big fan of the second and third cuts in this set, the first one was just alright. Make sure to slightly undercook the meat as it's very thin. For the price I think the portion/quality is a bit small. I would love to try premium set A, and my friend recommends that over set B if they have it. - cold noodle with chashu pork: generous portions for this. The chicken broth is on the saltier side and an interesting taste. I thought the chashu was just alright, a bit dry but the noodles were cooked very well and bouncy. read more

Tokyo Kalbi - cold noodle with chashu pork - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Really good quality meat! A little on the pricy side, but every thing we ordered hit the mark! Ribeye was super soft and tender, the premium tongue and pork belly might have actually been amongst my favorites though. Cheap beer and super flavorful tan tan creamy spicy cream ramen too! Definitely worth checking out, but the parking situation can be kind of challenging so get there early! read more

We had such a wonderful time here the food was amazing. Everything we ordered was delicious. The eggplant Miss, so the salads, the tofu, all wonderful and look like art. read more

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The food was delicious and very good I love the food at the restaurant and everyone enjoy it

The food is pretty good and the service is nice, but the value just isn't there. You're paying $50 a person for what amounts to 10 or 12 razor thin slices of beef that you have to cook yourself. It taste good but unless you order an extra bowl of rice you're going to leave the restaurant hungry. That's not good value. I don't know what that is. read more

We haven't been back to Tokyo Kalbi in about 4 years and it's still super delicious. What a great hidden gem win the Culver city area. There are not a lot of good quality Japanese BBQ (Yakiniku) in West LA so we were glad that Tokyo kalbi is still serving high quality meats and dishes. The service was excellent! Both our servers were very attentive and friendly. It's a casual dining experience and if you are craving ramen they have their ramen restaurant connected to Tokyo kalbi. We'll have to try that next time. Thanks for a great dining experience! read more

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So our experience here is shaped by the expensive menu. Overall, we enjoyed the food and the experience, but frankly, this is not a good place for value of money. We spent $74 for dinner for two, without any drinks.. and we left hungry. When you order a protein or seafood item, you are given five items, the meat especially is smaller in size and not thick. To be fair, they should be giving you 7 to 10 pieces for the price. The atmosphere is decent, but definitely could use some music in there. It was pretty quiet. Service was acceptable, but again for the price we expected a little bit better with faster follow through on requests. read more

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I just have to update my review years later to let y'all know, Tokyo Kalbi was, is, and will always be the BEST Japanese BBQ on the westside! We come twice a month and are always blown away at the quality and service. There have been a few times we came in for late reservations after evening church services, and they always accomodated us with a smile. You can't go wrong with Tokyo Kalbi! Our go to every time is the kalbi, beef tongue, daikon nori salad, garlic shishito peppers, namul, seasoned green onions, kimchi and a few other different goodies. You can't go wrong! read more

It's a great place if you like racism and sexism. Apparently, you're invisible if you're a Black Woman. I went there with my White Boyfriend and the waitress only asked him what he wanted to drink and when it was my turn she walked away. When it came time to order I was invisible. She only asked him what he wanted. When I complained about being ignore and started to walk out, she turned to him and told him it's okay for him to stay and eat. read more

Just Ok overpriced small portions was not great mediocre at best service was so so and probably won't go back

Great quality of meat. We tried meat combinations, vegetables and butter mushrooms. Everything was delicious but very small portion. Service was good! read more

Tokyo Kalbi - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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A Japanese BBQ experience in Sawtelle. I recommend trying the Tokyo Kalbi Mix A combination, which offers a sampling of short rib, rib eye, and skirt steak. I also got a selection of a la carte items like scallops, Kobe beef, and shrimp. While portions are somewhat modest, you can order a variety of dishes to make up for it. The interactive cooking experience, paired with some hot sake, makes it a fantastic dining destination. read more

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This review is so long overdue its insane. My family and i have been coming to Tokyo Kalbi since they first opened in 2009. Its been so long that i took my then new boyfriend (now hubby) there and introduced him to this amazing spot and he loves it. Its been almost 15 years but the quality and service has never changed. Koichi and Young have been there forever and they are my favorite servers of all time. The owner is also extremely pleasant. The meats here are so consistent- when you can you should try the Gold Short Rib. They dont advertise it but trust me...youll thank me later. The menu is not huge but its all down to quality. The spot is not overly fancy and its very simple but its always clean. Best part? Charcoal grill and you dont walk out smelling like bbq. Highly recommend read more

Went here on a Saturday night with no reservation (around $8) and was seated within 5-10 minutes! There's only indoor seating options but they seemed pretty spaced out. The owner/manager man was Japanese and very attentive. He was not our server but educated us on how to eat certain things, changed our grill, and made sure our finished plates were gone. Our server was nice as well and she spoke Japanese. This place is definitely on the pricier side since it's NOT AYCE and everything is a la carte. However, the quality of the meat is wonderful! The meat was very tender and fresh. So was the scallop. The daikon nori nori salad was surprisingly delicious (shaved daikon with sauce). The Bibim bop was an interesting addition to the menu but it helped fill us up! We would definitely come here again on a date night or something. It is quite pricey if you're the type of person to eat a lot. We ordered all items shown and another Set B but we're still hungry after it all. we did have four people though. read more

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A Yakiniku restaurant where you can enjoy delicious Japanese BBQ!!! This is a very good restaurant with great service from the staff. I take my small children to this restaurant, and every time I go, the whole family is very satisfied. A place with very good draft beer. read more

Tokyo Kalbi - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Horrible. I wish I could give ZERO. Food ZERO. Service ZERO. We were greeted by lifeless staff. We could barely hear their voice. They brought our beef combo plate and there was no introduction of witch meat was what. Just placed and walked off. The grill had weak fire, hence no sizzling on the grill grate. Asked to fix, but no luck. Food was not good at all. Very expensive and not good. Lol. I will never, ever going back. read more

We love the food! It's the best! You won't regret! We have been dining here since it first opened. If you love beef tongue, you must have their beef tongue steak! read more

Overpriced for what you get..the meat slices are thin. Honestly, I've had tastier meat at an ayce kbbq for not even the price of the combo A. Will be sticking to ktown kbbq read more

Tokyo Kalbi - Large daikon salad - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The Louis Vuitton pattern they use on the wallpaper had me sold when I walked in here. Kinda off to the side in a small strip mall, this restaurant is definitely a hidden gem. They serve a fusion of Japanese bbq along with Korean dishes. What can I say, the meat is some of the most buttery marbled beef I've had in a while. They have some of the freshest cuts on the West Side, that's for sure. We also ordered bibimbap along with some other various appetizers and everything was top notch. The only "beef" I had with the place was the side dishes weren't unlimited. I usually like having side dishes with my meat, and was surprised when the server told me they weren't ayce. I mean if you're dropping $60+ on a Japanese/Korean bbq meal you'd expect at least that fam! read more

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Overall, 3.5 stars. To start, this place is quite pricey. The premium meats are very good, but also small portions. The service is great, and the restaurant is clean. It's a good option on the west side, and the place gets filled up. We had premium meat Combo A, with ribeye, short rib, and skirt steak. The first two were very good, but the skirt was average. We ordered another ribeye which had seven thin pieces :( The dips are good; vinegar, salt dip, and spicy sauce. The veggies order for grilling was mediocre. The kimchi veggies were ok, but it normally comes free as banchan. The banchan was good, with bean sprouts, cabbage, and seaweed. Another order was $3.50 which is fine. The bibimbap was very good (as usual) but it cost $5 for a side of warm kimchi to add in. Even though everything was good, the overall taste and value for money just wasn't there. My friend works near Koreatown, and it's tough to compete with all the options there. If you don't want to drive out there, this restaurant is a pretty good option. read more

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Can anything beat Korean bbq? Well yes. Japanese interpretation of K bbq. Staff are amazing. Food spectacular.

Great place for a special occasion. Everyone complaining about small portions need to stop thinking just about themselves and consider the whole financial ecosystem of where they decide to dine. If you think the menu is expensive, just go somewhere else. Higher end restaurants don't need bums making a fuss about the fact that they themselves can't afford to dine there. America is a free country meaning you are free to go to McDonald's. That or learn how to budget and plan to come here on occasion like me. Anyways, if you come here be sure to try the daikon nori nori salad, the beef tartare (unless you're squeamish of course), definitely get the types of meat YOU like, and last but not least, try the coffee creme brulee (I HATE sweets but this I absolutely LOVED). I guess what I am trying to say is that you guys leaving bad Yelp reviews for restaurants are such self-interested, "my way or the highway", cancer to American society. I do not care that your budgeting doesn't allow you to dine here, but stop trying to damage their business just because YOU decided to eat here. read more

This place is so yummy. The food is so good. The staff and owner are so nice. My dad knows the owner and we came here a few times for family dinner. The restaurant is really nice too. Highly recommend this place. read more

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My go to place for japanese bbq. Meat quality is great and delicious! I usually get the tongue and kalbi. Yyeess the tongue. Pretend you got tricked and try it. It's so good here! So good i'll even leave a photo. And you can't go wrong with kalbi. Honestly not to much to say except...GO!! ps... they have the best radish salad with seaweed. Get the large. I promise you'll want more. read more

Tokyo Kalbi - tongue - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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One of the better meals I have had in a while. - Kobe Kalbi tartar, don't eat raw meat often but this was sooo good. Like butter melting in your mouth. - Bone in short rib, really loved the flavors. - Harami cut, another high quality thin slice. You really can't go wrong here, every cut of meat is just super good quality... it reflects in the bill hahaha BTW, be sure to make reservations! read more

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"4+" Ratings. Sunday Evening To Avoid Traffic. Order Gyoza (Pork) , Premium Gyu Tan (Very Good) , Premium Kalbi (My Fav's) , Premium Kobe Beef Finger Meat. Very Good Quality & Taste , And Reasonably Priced Compared To Others. Recommended To Try. read more

Tokyo Kalbi - Gyoza + Premium Gyu Tan + Premium Kalbi - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Unassuming, hole in a strip mall, the quality of the food astounds. An absolute 5/5. For the best premium Japanese BBQ in LA make your way to Tokyo Kalbi off gateway. read more

Tokyo Kalbi - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Japanese restaurants are not known for their desserts but pineapple sherbet here is excellent. Also daikon salad is great. Good combination with meats. read more

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What can I say... the service and quality of the food here is amazing. If you're looking for some quality Japanese bbq, Tokyo Kalbi is a place to try. We love everything here from the rice, to the noodles, to all of the meats that they serve. Do note that this is NOT an AYCE restaurant. Expect to spend a good amount of money here if you're looking to consume a lot of food. Some of our favorites are really simple, but really make your meal interesting. Definitely get the raw garlic and sliced green onion. The ribeye is really tasty and so is the beef tongue. We also like the green tea soba. I like that they use real wood coals as it adds to the whole experience. Can't wait till I visit again. read more

This used to be my favorite Japanese bbq spot. But it doesn't taste quite the same anymore. The flavor kind of changed. It's still relatively good, but may reduce coming here as the price is not great. read more

Tokyo Kalbi - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

If I could give this place more stars I would. Do yourself a favor and graduate yourself from gyu-Kaku and Manpuku and come eat here. The meat is on another level tasty. The daikon nori nori salad is unreal. I don't go anywhere else anymore. The service here is great too. Very friendly and attentive staff. You won't be disappointed. read more

Tokyo Kalbi - Premium Kalbi on top. The regular kalbi on the bottom. - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I would rate this place 3.5 stars. The premium cuts taste better than the regular cuts. The premium cuts were definitely worth it. The ishiyaki Bimbimbap is not worth it. We order the one with the beef meat and our bimbimbap came with no meat. We told the waiter and she said we can exchange it or minus several dollars off. We decided to just keep the bimbimbap than the other Caucasian waiter came over to tell us that there were meat and her excuse is that when we mix the meat you can't see it. WTH??!? What kind of service is it when one waiter tells you she going to give you a discount and the other waiter (only Caucasian) tell you that it was our imagination and we can't give you discount. It's different if you just tell us we gave meat and we can give you a discount this time. What pisses me off is when this server examining to us she was choking on her own saliva because she knew we were right. I just paid for bimbimbap but honestly it's a waste of money because they don't put any meat on it. BEWARE OF THE CAUCASIAN WAITRESS SHE GAVE HORRIBLE SERVICE. Otherwise, the other waiters were really friendly and nice. Overall the meat is good, but I had better around LA. I would never order the large daikon salad again, gyoza was over price, prefer premium cuts over regular cuts. Would I recommend this place to other people. Probably not I had better Japanese BBQ places with same or cheaper price. read more

Solid Japanese Bbq on the Westside. Tokyo Kalbi is located in small plaza on Gateway and Barrington. Let's start of by saying that the quality of the meat where good to excellent. It's not as good as Manpuku in my opinion, but it was still great. FOOD: Daikon Nori Nori Salad: Excellent and refreshing salad to share. We ordered a large and it was good enough for four. Tokyo Kalbi Mix A. This comes with Premium Short Ribs, Rib Eye, and Outside Skirt . The premium short ribs had nice marbling which was excellent. The rib eye was good and the outside skirt was th beat out of the three. Yukke ( marinated rib eye/w raw egg yolk) : My favorite dish. The rib eye had a good mix of fat. Very fresh, creamy for the yolk , and flavorful. I recommend it. Rosu ( Rib Eye) : Wasn't as good as Manpuku. Not as fatty. Harami (Outside Skirt) very nice and tender. Black Pork Sausage: Good flavor. My kids enjoyed it. All in all I thought it was a bit pricey for the amount of food you receive. The service was fantastic and friendly, but the parking situation sucks. read more

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This place is amazingly consistent with their meat and the service is always attentive and top notch. We mostly come here for the premium super tender ribeye as well as the sushi peppers. 100% recommend. Much prefer them to Manpuku or Gyu-Kaku with their meat that feels like plastic. I wish they had garlic rice, however. read more

Honestly, their meat portion is pretty petite. But meat quality is YUM as it melts in your mouth... And loving their japanese rice too! Ordered: 1) Tokyo Kalbi Mix A 2) Premium Gyu Tan (tongue) 3) Sliced kobe (?) (Not pictured & in the special edition meat) read more

Tokyo Kalbi - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Meat quality was good but nothing spectacular or extraordinary. Great that they used real charcoal. Portions were tiny (think $80-100 just on meat pp to be relatively full). read more

Ordered the Kobe prime rib and was notified 35 min afterwards it was not available. Ordered the premium galbi and that was not available. When the bill arrived everything was on the bill and had to dispute the charges with the owner and he was not that thrilled telling us we were wrong read more

Tokyo Kalbi - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My cousins come to Tokyo Kalbi pretty much once a week, and I was finally invited to join them one time, yay! They told me to expect top of the line quality JBBQ, and that's what they delivered. The restaurant is pretty small, so expect a wait on the weekends since you aren't allowed to make reservations. They start you off with some complimentary appetizers, comes with three in a plate (spinach, bean sprouts and pickled radish), all super delicious and addicting. People probably abused this in the past and got unlimited refills, which is why if you want more, it's $1 per item, not worth. We started off with some Yukke (marinated raw beef rib eye w/egg yolk) and Egg Drop Soup to share. Yukke was delicious, I probably could finish one by myself, but it's quite pricey. Skip the Egg Drop Soup. For the 5 of us, we ordered the (2x) Beef Tongue, (2x) Pork Collar, (2x) Premium Kalbi and the (1x) Tongue Steak (limited quantities available, supposedly part of a secret menu). The quality is amazing, everything is so tender and juicy. Get a bowl of rice to share, it'll save your wallet a bit :) TIPS: The seasoned green onion is a MUST-GET, it's $2.50 a plate, but so worth it The service is good, they were very attentive the entire time with filling waters, taking away plates, changing grills, etc. Unless you're going all out, don't anticipate being stuffed, expected bill is ~$50 a head. Quality is good enough to make me go back if I'm in the area, definitely recommend! read more

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Dont get me wrong: the food here is good. I really enjoyed my time here. But it is a really long wait, and you can get a much better value if you drive closer to downtown. Staff is very nice, food is delicious, but I'm just not sure it's worth the price. If you are waiting in line, oops sushi nextdoor usually has a spot at the bar, and has good happy hour deals. read more

First off, this is not Korean BBQ for those who don't seem to know that Japanese yakiniku is not the same thing. Endless side dishes are not the way yakiniku restaurants operate. Kimchi and bibimpap are usually Japanese-style which is geared to Japanese taste but are a staple at yakiniku restaurants. That out of the way, this place is the real deal. It easily can compete with the better, and equally, if not more expensive places in Japan. The meat is fresh and the quality is very high. The portions are what you'd expect if you went to a decent yakiniku place in Japan. You can't base your experience at this restaurant to your meal at Gyu-kaku (no offense to Gyu-kaku, they're actually not bad in Japan, definitely better than in America, but not a higher-end restaurant) or AYCE restaurants. If you can, go for the premium cuts of meat. You can taste the difference, although the standard cuts are better than most yakiniku restaurants here. The two of us splurge whenever we eat here, incurring a bill of at least $300 a pop. Obviously at that cost, we can't eat here weekly, or even monthly, but we never feel we paid too much for what we received. If you've had good yakiniku in Japan and we're looking for the same in LA, look no further. read more