Came here to celebrate Father's Day in a group of 5. There was one waitress running the whole restaurant on a Saturday night so it was a little slow but she was a really great server! It is pricey but you get what you pay for in terms of quality. We got the american wagyu set. 6 pieces of each of the 7 meats and 4 pieces of sausage. We also got high quality beef tongue. My fav was the high quality beef tongue. Huge contrast to the normal beef tongue. Also liked the short rib. I got shiso rice w dried and fresh shiso which I adore and it was super good. Their standard kimchi was also pretty good. I would order the assorted kimchi if I went again. We also got the vegetable namul which was good but I could prob do without. It's nice for a group. They have a lot of drinks and my fav oolong-hi and fresh lemon, grapefruit, and kiwi. I would say a set alone would be good for 3-4 people. You may have to order more if you're big eaters. The group of 5 I came with doesn't eat so much and we were super full w the set and a few additional things. read more

Went back again tonight for my bday dinner with my bf Honestly everything is good here but our top favorites are: high quality salted cube cut tongue, high quality short rib, high quality outside skirt (LOL clearly you see what our favorite cuts are!) and liver sashimi! Owner knew it was my bday so he provided ice cream with cute bday decoration & our waiter Shingo took great care of us all throughout the night! We'll likely be back with friends next month! Can't wait!! read more

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We went in as a family of four, without reservations at approximately 6pm on a Saturday night. We walked in and were greeted by a nice hostess. The male server was unpleasant and made it painfully obvious that he did not want to serve gaijin. The same hostess then swapped and became our server, which we greatly appreciated. The food was great but the service from the male server was lacking. read more

Wow am I glad I found out about this place! I love beef, steak, the red meat- all of it! Especially when it's served raw with an egg? EVEN BETTER. Give me it all. I came out with my cousins one day and made a reservation thinking it was gonna be packed but it was actually us and one other party, which I appreciate because I am not a fan of crowded restaurants. Our server was very nice and helped us with what the best things to order are and making sure we had refills of our drinks. We ordered a boat of meats that we got to cook on the grill to our liking! I liked that we got our grill changed often too. Everything was soooo tasty and the sauces / seasoning on the side was very complementary to our dishes. If you're looking to try some quality cuts of meat for a fair price, definitely try this place out ! They do it right ! read more

TORACHAN JAPANESE BBQ - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

We were greeted by an eager server, which was good, but also a cloud of smoke, which was bad, especially since only 1 table was occupied. Hunger won over other instincts so we sat down. Right away, we noticed they no longer use wire mesh grill plates like in the old photos. Reasons wire mesh or vertically slatted grill plates are non-negotiable for Japanese BBQ is that they allow: 1. Radiant heat to hit the meat 2. Fat to drain instead of pool 3. Airflow for steam to escape Torachan used what looks like a Korean slotted bulpan, ideal for pork belly and marinated meats. For yakiniku, the wagyu tasted flat, like it was cooked in a pan. None of that signature smokey flavor. Fiery flareups were also so bad we needed a grill change after just one round. Explains the smoke. The solid plates are more durable and easier to clean, but those cost cuts didn't seem reflected in the menu prices. You could go to any proper yakiniku and pay this much or less for better. I'm not sure what competitive advantage Torachan Japanese BBQ has over similar businesses. Unless you count empty tables on a Saturday night. And that's not exactly an advantage in the long run. read more

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Second time visiting this place and it always hits. The meat are really good pieces and all so flavorful. I love yakiniku because you can char it the way you want to. The kalbi was half off because of their special! The season veggies were flavorful, tender, and really added to the variety of the meat we had. Check out their Instagram for deals. We were one of two parties in the restaurant so service was quick. And it was very peaceful dining here. The fire did get a little high during the pork fat grilling but it's just added flavor! read more

TORACHAN JAPANESE BBQ - Kalbi, coulette, pork cheek, seasonal vegetables - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

We came to Torachan Japanese BBQ craving some good Wagyu and decided to go with one of their shareable bundles. The quality of the meat was definitely there, no doubt about that. That being said, for $270, I did wish the set came with more sides -- or at least some rice included -- since we ended up paying extra just to get a bowl. We also tried the oxtail soup, which was a nice addition. Overall, it was a solid experience and a nice place to try, but I'm not sure I'd return. At this price point, you can find competitively better Wagyu options, even at some all-you-can-eat spots. On the plus side, the service was quick and attentive, though we were the only party seated at the time. read more

TORACHAN JAPANESE BBQ - Wagyu - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

My fiancé and I have been looking for a new place to have hamburger steak since our previous place closed. I got an ad for the lunch special here on instagram and saw that they have it, so we had to try it out! We went last weekend and it was so good! Just like we had in Japan! The deal comes with salad, soup and rice and for under $20 it's a great deal, especially for how good the food is! We are already planning to go back this weekend because it was just that good! Definitely recommend it! read more

Great harami and tongue! The sauce of the original yukke was good! Kimchi has a bold flavor of garlic and ginger. Not sour at all. The service was quick, nothing to complain about but they keep taking your menu because they don't have much so you kinda have to order all at once or keep asking for it. There were couples and families. Quite welcoming environment but they keep their door open so they won't notice when you come in. No ventilation on top of the grill so your hair and clothes gonna smell like smoke. Though all that being said, none of them was major issue for me so just taking one star away. read more

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We've been coming here ever since it was Tamaen, which was our favorite jbbq restaurant. Not sure why the name changed because the menu looks almost identical to how it was before! The meat quality is always amazing and the server (we usually always get the same server whenever we come! Maybe she's a manager or owner??) is always so sweet and kind. We were so obsessed with their tartare but on this latest visit it seems they changed the sauce. It used to be a bit more savory and salty but it's become very sweet - it still wasn't bad but we much preferred the original recipe because we don't prefer sweet tartare. When it was the original recipe, it was our absolute top favorite tartare anywhere. Please change it back!! We tried their Torachan original tartare as well which had much bigger slices of meat and that was incredible. We had two orders. Again, slightly sweeter than we normally would prefer but the meat was so tender and amazing. We are never disappointed by this location. It's not cheap but it's worth the price! read more

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We loved this place. The wagyu is from Miyazawa, Japan and if you recently took vacation in Japan, or don't have the means to definitely go here to satisfy your craving or take on a new experience. The meat quality here is just as good! Amazing marbling, quality and taste. The service is great and reminds me just of Japan. We ordered the A5 Wagyu set and were able to substitute the tongue since the majority of our party did not eat tongue. I'm not sure which cut it was, but it came with these beef shaped cubes and those were our favorite. The A5 Wagyu ribeye sukiyaki set was our next favorite -- the egg as a dipping sauce really immersed us in the Japanese dining experience. My sisters also tried the bibimbap and enjoyed it. We ordered some pork jowl cuts as well, clean and not too fatty. The only thing I would pass on if I came back is the sushi set. I loved that they had this on their menu for variety but the quality was meh. The meat was a lot chewier than other meat nigiris I've had but for the price point, I guess it's what you'd expect. Would definitely recommend this place for date night, special celebration or even regular dinner or lunch if you can afford it! Japanese bbq is never a bad idea. read more

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Torachan Japanese BBQ was a super nice dinner with a few of my friends. Located in Gardena this store is small but the food is mighty. There are different sets of Waygu beef to pick from. Also, you could order some soups and appetizers. The soups were super delicious. The meat was cooked well and just felt nicely done. Service was friendly and also helped cook the meat. read more

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I love torachan Customer service is great All meats and Reimen also great too I highly recommend this place read more

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I came here with my friend that's working in town, this was the closest to the area we were in. I'm not sure how new this place is but it's such a cute restaurant, that has an authentic vibe. Our server was very attentive, she made sure that we were very taken care of. The food was amazing, we got the Wagyu option, it is pricey but between two people it was enough! Super filling, melts in your mouth, delicious! We did substitute the tongue for more short rib. read more

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Saw this place pop up on social media so I decided to give it a try. I had reservations here so we got seated right away, but the restaurant wasn't too overbooked, so I think we would have been okay if we didn't have reservations. The restaurant is located in a plaza, so there's ample free parking. The staff was really friendly and explained the menu to us. We ended up ordering 3 different cuts of meat and their oxtail soup. Everything was really good, I especially loved their oxtail soup since it was my first time ever trying this dish and it really made a lasting impression on me. The meats were also really good, super tender but beware that you might burn it since you have to cook it yourself. We thought that we didn't receive a plate of meat since we ordered 3 meats, but only received 2 dishes. When we explained that to the waiter, he came back with the plate of meat and said it was on the house for having not explained the items on the plate to us. We really appreciated the hospitality and consideration of the staff. Overall, I had a great experience here. They also had a fun membership for kids. It's a bit on the pricier side but you can really taste the quality of the meats, so I'd definitely come here again for a special occasion or if I was in the area. read more

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The meat here is absolutely top-notch! The A9 wagyu was so tender and juicy. Every bite was amazing, and the flavors were perfectly balanced. the staff made sure we had everything we need. It's a great place to enjoy a meal with friends or family. Highly recommend visiting! read more

My husband and I had a date night here last night and it was so good! I initially made a reservation at a different Japanese BBQ place in Lomita, but when I saw how far it was (from Manhattan Beach) I searched for a closer spot and found Torachan. Now, it's a little confusing because this restaurant also operates under the name Ogawatei (signage also says Ogawatei) but tbh they can call themselves whatever they want- the food is excellent. I think this might be the first time my husband and I have ever done Japanese BBQ surprisingly (we are Korean BBQ lovers) but something about Japanese BBQ is so clean-tasting- not heavily marinated, just high-quality, tasty meat. We ordered 3 different meats- a tongue, skirt steak, and a Japanese wagyu- and all were soo good. Each serving is a 4oz portion, and 3 servings were more than enough for the 2 of us. We also ordered a garlic rice that was served in a hot stone bowl, and assorted kimchi- the kimchi was so good we ordered another. I highly recommend this restaurant. They weren't extremely busy, but it also could have been because we had an early reservation- this restaurant could either be an easy date-night spot, dinner w/ friends, or even a night out with family. There was only 1 waitress serving all the tables and she deserves recognition. This restaurant reminds me of restaurants in Tokyo- clean, efficient, and delicious! read more

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We came here for my bf's birthday, and I will say, we had an amazing time here and will definitely be back! Food, atmosphere, service and the people were 10/10. First of all, the food. Everything was super high quality. You definitely get what you pay for here. (These may not be the exact names since I forgot to take pictures of the menu) We got: -the kimchi platter -assorted side dishes -original beef tar tar (comes with sashimi-like slices with egg yolk on top) -premium beef tongue -regular beef tongue -beef shoulder -something that started with a ch -pork cheek -garlic rice (comes with soup, kinda reminds me of an ochazuke style) Our favorite was the premium beef tongue. I feel like it was totally worth paying the extra $10 for the premium beef tongue. My biggest tip would be to ask for a bowl of lemon, because lemon juice on the premium beef tongue is a game changer. My second favorite dish would probably be the original beef tar tar, then the shoulder which was super tender. Service was phenomenal. Super helpful with recommendations, I couldn't decide which drink to get, and the server helped me choose the Yuzu Chu-Hi, which I liked the best. My bf got a freshly squeezed lemon sour, and on tap, they had malt beer. Service was pretty quick too! They also gave us free ice cream for my bf's birthday! And the table behind us was so sweet in wishing my bf a happy birthday, and brought a very enthusiastic atmosphere! Super friendly people here! read more

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Came here in the past when it was Tamaen. Wasn't excited about the food so never went back. Heard it was a different place, related to Ogawatei in Osaka. Made a reservation for Friday early dinner and was not busy. Got the A5 Japanese Wagyu. All the meats were good and tasted similar. Liked the Oxtail sopu as well. The banchan and salad weren't great and were the biggest let done. The meal is definitely on the expensive side but better than other Japanese BBQ places in the area. read more

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Great food very generous and service is family friendly!It was very peaceful with nice dim lighting and friendly waiters.would for sure go again.Finally,the food was super good and filling.They also had a free kids club membership giving a kids dessert, drink and a prize read more

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Ambiance: this new Japanese bbq restaurant has replaced the previous Tamaen Service: very friendly and attentively refilled water, but so lack of knowledge with their menu and food, and basically had to check with the kitchen for almost all questions Food & Drink: standard Japanese bbq items, with daily and monthly speciality High Quality Salted Tongue - ***** premium quality, tender and juicy meat, highly recommend A5 Chuck Short Rib Wagyu - **** Sukiyaki style, very tasty with egg yoke, fatty and melting in your mouth, recommend Seafood Pancake Ogawatei Special - *** average taste Shiitake Ogawatei Special - * not so good as ingredients for bbq, it got burnt easily outside and still undercooked inside Green Salad - ** lettuce and cucumbers with soy sauce Matcha Ice Crema - *** light taste Sprite - *** canned drink Price: small portions and pricey, expect $50+ per person for a light meal read more

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We decided to come here for Valentine's Day which ended up being the best idea. Started off with a pint of Asahi to go with our meats and a glass of plum sake which I really recommend if you like sweet drinks as much as I do! Protein wise I preferred the High Quality Salted Tongue over the High Quality Salted Cube Cut Tongue, just because the thinner slices were perfect texture but if you prefer a fattier texture then get the cube cut for sure (both were delicious) . The Beef Tartar was amazing as well, you just know those hens ate good because I haven't seen such a rich tasty egg yolk in so long. Pro tip get the Fried Garlic & Wrapping Lettuce (from the appetizer section) to eat with your Japanese BBQ! No complaints at all about these two, they were the most perfect pieces of lettuce given plus the garlic being soft inside and crispy outside was the cherry on top. The A5 Wagyu Short Rib really set the bar high starting off. Marbling was impressive and super tender. Next we had the American Wagyu - High Quality Outside Skirt also tender plus not too fatty! The Temaki Sushi was yummy too, a great change of pace dish for us. We had the American Wagyu - Coulotte and the leaner side tasted great but the fatty part was too chewy for us. For our soup we got their popular Oxtail soup(with udon), and I'm not kidding when I said I would come back just for this soup alone as hangover cure because it was just that good(didn't even get a picture b/c it was gone too quick). For our last protein we had their American Wagyu - High Quality Top Blade. That cut was even better than the short rib we started with. From the marbling to the texture, it is definitely on top. For our dessert we had their tiramisu which is now a core memory for me. No exaggeration, you cannot leave without trying this. The bottom was a sweet creamy warm custard (I'm assuming), with a chill soft light and fluffy layer on top. As a sweets lover and tiramisu enthusiast it was unexpectedly one of my now top favorites! We were given roses for Valentine's Day and hot tea to wash down our meal which was very sweet and thoughtful. Speaking of that, our servers were amazing and attentive. Even though it was super busy, there were enough servers attending to all the customers efficiently. They have an efficient yelp reservation and waitlist system which I recommend if you don't want to wait. The interior is kept clean and the ambiance was very casual for a nice dinner date! Overall me and my girlfriend would come back because food & service was 10/10!!! read more

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Came here at 6:00 PM on Sunday because other places were busy. Huge mistake. Only three tables were occupied, and now I see why. Bad service(grace), mediocre meat, and the sauce was a letdown. We left after 45 minutes without finishing our meal. Manpuku Yakiniku is far superior--better food and attentive service. read more

One of the best Japanese BBQs in the Gardena/Torrance area, even their lunch set menu on the weekend has good quality meat. The miso soup that is included on the menu is very tasty I was surprised it's not the normal miso soup I had always eaten! Service was one of the best, our server was really friendly, polite, and welcoming. read more

TORACHAN JAPANESE BBQ - Assorted tongue (lunch set) - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

Amazing meat and service!!! I was excited to try this new Japanese BBQ place. I typically prefer Japanese BBQ as the portions are smaller so I can easily enjoy a large variety of meats. Came by on a Saturday night with a reservation. The restaurant was pretty full later so it seems like reservations are needed on weekends but the servers said weekdays are still slow (as of early 2025) The beef tongue was the SOFTEST TASTIEST tongue I've had!! We also had a variety of wagyu meats and some were melt-in-your-mouth while some were super meaty and tasty, all were amazing in their own way. For drinks, they had Premium Malts on draft which is still rare around here so I loved that. There were only two servers for the whole restaurant which is A LOT of work, I'm super grateful for the quick and professional service they had. Looking forward to coming back soon!!! read more

TORACHAN JAPANESE BBQ - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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My favorite Japanese BBQ spot! It's my go-to whenever I need to impress people (friends/clients) with a nice dinner or just want to treat myself. I've pretty much tried everything on the menu, but highly recommend: tongue (high quality), skirt, short rib, intestine, cold noodle, shiso rice, and oxtail soup. On a special occasion I'll get some wagyu too. If you're up for something different, the raw meat choices are great too. Thank you Torachan for always satisfying my hungry belly!!!! PS: Parking can be tough at times in this plaza so plan accordingly!! read more

5stars! We ordered the set and the A5 sukiyaki supplement. It was a good portion for our family of four. I loved the first taste so much, my recommendation is to start with the un- marinated cuts. The rest of the meats are fantastic as well! This place is especially led friendly. There is a kids club that is super cool, free drink, dessert and toy. I loved the whole experience of it... the chopsticks are also very high quality. read more

Quick and easy seating, great atmosphere and service. The quality of meat was phenomenal and tasty. A great family dining place for special occasions. read more

TORACHAN JAPANESE BBQ - A5 Short Ribs - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

Oxtail soup meat was soooo tender and the broth was so light and flavorful Wagyu Sushi Pork sausage read more

Dear Me, We loved the prime ribeye, it was 6 thick slices of goodness with wasabi on the side. Definitely ordering that again. We also can order the pork cheek and seafood pancake again. Regular rice is fine. Pass on the beef cheek and coulotte. We can try a new cut next time, but don't forget the prime ribeye again. read more

Never got a chance to experience the food because no one ever came to attend to us. Waited thirty minutes and not even water was served. I saw the lady that sat us down, take in four other groups, sit them down, and take their orders with utensils. I honestly don't know what their utensils are like because we didn't get any. I get today was a busy day because there was a promotion, but it was unacceptable nonetheless. The sake lady was nice and apologized on their behalf. I can only assume that she was not your employee because she offered great service. Not to make it racial, but I was definitely the darkest person there. I was wearing a beanie. Today is 8/29/25. Check your cameras. I was there around 6pm. read more

Food was fresh cuts and simply delicious. We ordered Ribeye wagyu, top blade wagyu, beef cheek and pork sausage for the boys. They have rice with Shiso leaf, so good. Service was prompt, helpful and attentive. Ambiance was nice and spacious, with enough space at the table for bbq-ing. read more

Apologies in advance for not remembering exactly what I ordered in the pictures. While the service was a bit on the slower side, the food more than made up for it with its excellent quality! As a huge fan of Japanese BBQ, I was thrilled with the flavorful, perfectly cooked meats. We also happened to visit on a lucky day, with all the meat at an amazing 50% off, making the experience even better! read more

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I've never eaten meat as delicious as this. I'm still thinking about how tender and buttery it was. If you're not willing to spend at least $100, stay home. Come here prepared to invest in the best wagyu steaks you've ever grilled. Their house made kimchi is delicious and perfect. read more

Customer service was slow. The food was good, but the food was constantly late, we didn't get a drink and was on the check, we ordered specific food and given something different so had to order more food. When we asked for a sauce, we were asked to pay for it. Overall, not going back to that place. read more

Was in the area for something else and spontaneously stopped in here for lunch. It's located in a busy shopping plaza with a small parking lot that gets pretty packed. We were here at about noon on a Sunday and it was pretty bare. I would imagine they probably have more traffic during dinner hours. Since we were the only ones there, the service was personalized and very attentive. It's a cute little restaurant that was simply but tastefully adorned. Clean tables and nice layout. Definitely a great lunch spot because they had some great lunch deals. I'll get A5 wagyu whenever I can get the chance and it was a fantastic deal here with their specials. The A5 wagyu yakiniku set included 3.5 to 4 oz premium A5 wagyu, mini salad, kimchee, miso soup, and rice for $39.99, a pretty good deal in my book. Definitely left feeling full and satisfied with the quality and quantity of the food. Will certainly be back! read more

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Love the lunch set menu here, each dish you order comes with side dishes such as Miso soup, kimchi, rice, and salad. What a great deal! read more

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We got back from a trip to Japan and love Japanese bbq, so been looking for some Yakiniku locally. We loved it! The meats were super tender, lovely marbling--lots of American wagyu options and seasoned just right, the service was amazing and we had a wonderful and delicious lunch! Highly recommended! read more

I ordered several Japanese meats for BBQ. The meats were pretty high quality and soft. They served the base of the cow's tongue, which is known for its delicious part in general. The portion was small, but Yukhoe Bibimbap was pretty delicious. The top of the rice had the same ingredients as their assorted pickled vegetables. There was no raw egg on top of the dish, so I ordered a raw egg. The egg soup and seaweed soup were way too salty!!! If you eat the soup, you will have high blood pressure in a second. Their service was great. The Japanese food server had solid knowledge of meat. I was very surprised that there was no exhaust fan from the sealing, but the air was pretty clean, and I didn't have the smell of BBQ that much. I don't know what kind of exhaust fan system they had, but my clothes didn't smell after I came out of the restaurant. They have a special service for kids to earn some points to get free desserts etc. read more

Wow! I was blown away by the quality of this place! We tried a few things here such as the pork cheek, premium tongue, regular beef tongue, tartar, and shoulder. You should not skip on the premium tongue! It is probably the best I've ever had. Even if you're not a huge fan, I feel like this place would change your mind. Im definitely planning to take my parents here since they're tough critics but I think this would satisfy them! Service was fantastic and they were so fast and really nice. Thanks for making our friend's birthday special! read more