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    TORACHAN JAPANESE BBQ

    4.5 (74 reviews)
    PriceyJapanese, Barbeque
    Closed 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
    Updated a few days ago

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    Jamie L.

    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 !

    Menu 4 of 4
    Lee L.

    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.

    Kalbi, coulette, pork cheek, seasonal vegetables
    Matt O.

    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!

    Wagyu
    Milko M.

    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.

    The premium malt beer
    Ichika G.

    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.

    Senga P.

    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!

    Sake
    Jailen T.

    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.

    Menu
    Francine L.

    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.

    Hope L.

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

    Side dishes
    Jocelyn E.

    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.

    Oxtail Soup
    Amanda T.

    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.

    tongue and skirt steak
    katrina t.

    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!

    Up top is a meat that starts with a ch-, bottom is beef shoulder
    Roselyn D.

    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!

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    TORACHAN JAPANESE BBQ Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - TORACHAN JAPANESE BBQ

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    Moon BBQ

    Moon BBQ

    3.8
    (1k reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$$

    I arrived at this place through a quick google search. I was in the mood for Korean BBQ and in…read moreGardena so the visit was produced by convenience and chance. And, although, I found this place to be good, in the sea of Korean BBQ places this place remains just good, maybe standard, and does not stand head and shoulders above the rest. But I do not mean that as an insult, and if one has perspective this can be praise. For instance, take a ninja. He might not be the ninja that is destined to wheel the throwing stars of destiny, but he still had a stedy career within a vast ninja army. Moreover, being able to steadily continue amongst many might not earn you gold stars on your forehead, but at least it keeps one going on their path till they are ready put their sword and nunchucks down. In other words, there is nothing wrong with being good on average because not all people can climb a mountain in a mythic way, some people climb the mountain through their own speed and step, and never give up, they just stay on their path of good. My partner in bite and I stuck to only three meats--- the chicken, the brisket and the pork belly. And all of these bites were solid but the pork belly was a standout bite. To say that the pork belly was yummy! would be an understatement, for the pork belly was yummy!!!I. I took the brsket, their cabbage salad, a brown sauce that was sweet, and chicken and rice and mixed it in the cabbage salad bowl. All the flavors working together was what made the food spectacular, it had become an ensemble that carried the meal. Truly, the sum of the parts made the whole a flavor blast. In contrast, my dining buddy took a spoon put rice on top, then the brisket on top, then dunk the spoon into a small dish with the brown sweet sauce then deposited the full spoon into his mouth. He assembled each spoonful. I note this to remind all of us that there is no wrong way to eat because I mixed, he assembled, someone else might construct while another might create using the spoon as a brush and the sauce to stroke across a plate. This place did have some practices that were all of its own. My favorite was the water kettle that was brought and poured into the fire to quell its flames. It felt ceremonial, like the kings of the past saw these kettles used when their fire flames needed to be extinguished when they were done with the meal. I also never had a korean noodle soup as part of a korean bbq experience. It kind of tasted like chicken noodle soup more than a korean soup. Some of the small side dishes include radish, and rice paper. Imagine small tortillas. One can use them to make small "tacos" with meat, and vegetables. I just used a lazy explanation to describe the Korean papers and their purpose. It kind of broke the spell of the Korean dining experience. But I went with the words that the server used to explain the papers as well. And there is no clearer way to explain the use of the small circular rice paper wraps than to say one will assemble small Korean tacos with them. There was also potato salad, Kimchee, and other flavor builders. For me it is always fun to construct and enhance my plates with the use of all available to me. And when eating Korean bbq the possibilities are maybe endless. The service was engaging and attentive. Our grill got changed maybe like four times, and there was the kettle that was used to lessen the fire. I did clip a video of the fire ablaze. The fire was high- for a korean bbq grill- and it was tall probably taller than I have ever seen at a Korean place. So this place this offer me that. My partner in grill, noted that the place does not offer us to take meats home. And that they might charge for uneaten food. He worried that we were going be charged at the end for not eating all our meat but we did not leave a lot behind. We just left enough for it to be known as the standard amount that one leaves behind when one engages on AYCE Korean BBQ experience.

    This Korean bbq spot is small, has limited seating, and doesn't have much ventilation. Those are…read moreabout the only 3 bad things I can say about it. Now for the good things which there is a lot: The meat is great. I've noticed that the more popular Korean bbq spots like Gen or 92 in Torrance don't have good meat. This place 100% does. It tastes fresh. As for sides, you get kimchi, white rice, and a couple other things but there's also cilantro & onion mixed together which I thought was different. You get a salad and the assortment of sauce they provide was delicious. Their beer selection is mid but they offer soju too. I'm not very picky with beer. I enjoyed cass with my dinner. The brisket was great and if you like beef bulgogi, you would select their sirloin which is the same. The workers are incredibly friendly. They will change your grill, help put your food on the grill for you, clear out your table, etc etc. They all are very attentive. The tables are circular which is odd and then there's one big table in the back which is kind of in its own little room. I came on a Wednesday night and it was slightly busy so I can only imagine what a weekend night is like here. The music is fun & the food truly is 5 stars. I love Moon bbq. I will be back!

    Photos
    Moon BBQ
    Delicious Food!
    Delicious Food!
    Beef Belly

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    Beef Belly
    Yellow Cow Korean BBQ Restaurant

    Yellow Cow Korean BBQ Restaurant

    4.2
    (856 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$$

    There's so many KBBQ spots in Los Angeles but there's just something about this place that keeps me…read morecoming back to celebrate any special occasions. The atmosphere is great! There's always laughter and good vibes all around. The banchan is honestly as great as the food itsel, especially considering the seasonal/rotational nature of the offerings. The staff are very friendly with some always recognizing me and my partner when we come in during their shift. If you want an authentic KBBQ experience where they pay extra attention to the menu, balancing classic comforts and quality cuts, Yellow Cow is the perfect candidate for both small and large crowds.

    Arrived as a party of 3 with medium appetite and ordered 3 meats a la carte: brisket, boneless…read moreprime rib and beef belly. Korean lady server was super nice and gave us steamed egg on the house. Ban chan arrived first and each one fantastic. Kimchi and pickled perilla leaf was my favorite. There is another male server that just gave us very bad vibes. Similar experience to another review - he almost angrily told us to move all side dishes to one side so there is room for the meat even though that is how it was served. He walks around the restaurant like a dark cloud exuding negative energy. Aside from that server, we enjoyed our meal. If it wasnt for him I would give 5 stars. All other staff we interacted with were very accommodating. Yellow Cow has amazing meat quality for the value and I would consider coming again if some action was taken for the not so great staff member.

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    Yellow Cow Korean BBQ Restaurant
    Yellow Cow Korean BBQ Restaurant
    Yellow Cow Korean BBQ Restaurant

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    Kko Kko Yang-Gopchang

    Kko Kko Yang-Gopchang

    4.7
    (397 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    My date and I were craving some long overdue Korean BBQ and we were in the perfect area to grab…read moresome. We gave this place a try because we were excited to see they have Rice Wine here (since most of the mainstream KBBQ places didn't have this), and we were satisfied beyond our expectations. Parking: A very small dim lot next to the restaurant. Right below the small sign that sits above it. Ambience: We came on a Saturday night (7:00pm) expecting busy wait times but we called in and there was no wait! We were immediately seated. It's a very small restaurant, the booths are big enough to fit a family but bigger parties may need to call in to see if space is available. The vibes are especially different from most bigger and popular places but this qualifies as a hidden gem for sure. Service: Quick and nice! Second time coming to a place where they cook it for you at some points and serve you. They check on you often enough and were quick to see you get all that you ordered. Food: Absolutely nothing I've never had before, we knew we wanted brisket and pork belly, we skipped out on the combos + intestine sections bc of this. Luckily our two meat combo qualified us to also receive a soybean paste soup, steamed egg, and corn cheese for free! We additionally added rice paper to our order for a small charge. The menu is vast and I would like to come back here to try their different meats. I have never had a more flavorful brisket in my KBBQ experience before and the pork belly was thick enough and had that chewiness texture that made it so enjoyable. Employee was nice enough to inform us that the soup + steamed egg are carefully cooked with real flavorful ingredients, so expect high-quality. We didn't go into this place expecting AYCE since we believe places that offer à la carte specializes in quality, so please come with the same idea if you choose to go here! Regardless, our small bodies were filled by how much food we received! Overall, I gave this place a chance despite its smaller reviews, smaller atmosphere, and a generally smaller presence this had in comparison to its competitors. I would suggest you do the same too!

    A very hole in the wall, mom and pop kbbq restaurant. They have really unique entrées and meat…read moreoptions for bbq, not often found at your everyday kbbq. The parking lot is small but it's only for their establishment. Banchan - 4/5, salad, kimchi jeon, onions, soy bean sprouts, mac salad, cucumber kimchi, spicy fried chicken Premium beef brisket - 5/5, ACTUALLY very high quality and had a good amount of fattiness Intestines combo (only large intestines) - 5/5, includes a deonjang soup, steamed egg, and corn cheese. You can choose up to 3 intestines for the combo, but I only wanted daechang. I loved how they prepared it and it was also cooked with onions, garlic, potato, and rice cakes!!! Cons: - Mosquitos in the restaurant - I'm surprised you need to order kimchi and it wasn't part of the banchan

    Photos
    Kko Kko Yang-Gopchang 4/2025
    Kko Kko Yang-Gopchang 4/2025
    Small intestines
    Small intestines
    Steamed Egg

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    Steamed Egg

    TORACHAN JAPANESE BBQ - japanese - Updated June 2026

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