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Torimatsu

4.2 (269 reviews)
PriceyJapanese
Closed 5:30 pm - 10:00 PM
Updated 2 months ago

Torimatsu Photos

TORIMATSU ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Classy
Moderate noise

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Recommended Reviews - Torimatsu

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Reviews With Photos - Torimatsu

Rebecca C.

Japanese izakaya place that focuses on chicken skewers. Over the food is really good, well grilled and well marinated, and service was pretty fast. All the skewer came within 10 mins after ordering. My favorite was probably the chicken meatball and buttered potatoes. But every was pretty good! The restaurant is pretty small with both tables and bar seatings, my husband and I were able to walk in without reservation on a Thursday night, but reservations are recommended as this place can get busy!

Arthur E.

Cozy Japanese yakitori restaurant focused on chicken. Made reservations for a Friday dinner - would def recommend making reservations as it gets very busy. Place is located in a strip mall with ample parking. Was sat immediately - ordered several different yakitori pieces, as well as some rice balls. Would also recommend ordering some chicken broth as well. Both the chicken and veggies are well prepared. You can also order chicken sashimi here! I've had it a while back before and enjoyed it - but stuck with the normal yakitori today. Service is quick - and there's a decent sake selection as well. Would def come back!

Yaki onigiri
Tanya W.

A very authentic and intimate yakitori restaurant! The chef is grilling everything in the kitchen which is in the main dining room. The skewers are very generous in portions and every thing was cooked perfectly. I was surprised at how quickly all of my food arrived. All the chicken and vegetables were plump, juicy, and tender. Nothing was over cooked. The service is very prompt and friendly. I arrived 10 minutes before opening on a weekday night and I was seated immediately at opening. It quickly got busy as the hour went on. Yaki onigiri - 5/5, my favorite item on any yakitori menu. So happy to see it on theirs and I love the crunchy exterior with grilled soy sauce flavor! Stuffed Lotus - 5/5, I love lotus root and I thought it was so unique and delicious that they stuffed ground chicken in it! Chicken tail - 5/5, Chicken giblets - 5/5, I love chicken gizzards and I'm very sorry that I missed trying the hearts here! Negima - 5/5, a classic yakitori skewer! The green onions pair really well with the chicken. Fried chicken cartilage - 5/5, if you love crunchy foods this is double the crunch! Oshinko - 4/5, generous portion of pickled vegetables. While I didn't like them all, the acidity and crunch were essential to help me finish my food as I got more full towards the end. Chicken wing - 4/5, it is exactly that but butterflyed. I would go with something else next time, but it was good! Quail egg - 4/5, standard. I wish they got grilled more. Okra - 4/5, I love grilled okra and wish they let it get more charred. But it was still very delicious! Ginkgo nut - 4/5, unique skewer to try! It's a little bitter. Eggplant - 4/5, excellent roasted flavor but I wish they cooked it marinated. We had to dip it in soy sauce. I really liked the grated ginger it was served with. Mushroom - 3/5, this was fine. Personally, not the best skewer option on the menu.

Peter H.

TL;DR - good place for a yakitori experience, their Torimatsu course was good, and next time I'll try their chicken sashimi lol I heard this place was known for their raw chicken AFTER I left lol so maybe I'll try it next time. For this visit, I ordered the Torimatsu course which comes with 10 Yakitori skewers, salad, soup, and ice cream. Also got a few other things a la carte like their roasted egg plant and soboro-rice. Unfortunately a few of their menu options that we wanted to try were unavailable that night, like their karaage and one of their salads on their Torimatsu course. The skewers were good but didn't have that smoky aroma you'd typically expect from a yakitori restaurant. The food was otherwise tasty and we left satisfied. The service was quick (they plopped all of our skewers on two plates all at once!) and kind (our waitress gave my kid ice cream with a candle on it because it was her birthday). Overall, decent place and I'd come back!

Susan S.

I've heard about Torimatsu for yearrrrrs. Who hasn't heard about the legendary Japanese chicken skewer place that serves raw chicken in LA? For one reason or another, I never made it out here , and FINALLY, we were able to check it out last week. We ordered the set menu, and in my opinion, the set menu items were not the best. There wasn't a single vegetable item, and there was an item like liver, which is not for everyone. I found it hard to enjoy that. One of the items, chicken in yubu, came out not cooked well, it wasn't even hot. I don't think I would've even noticed except my husband got the same skewer that was well charred and piping hot, so I could really tell the difference. The seasoning was on the mild side, so it's good if you don't want anything too salty, but it is almost bland without additional seasoning. We also added fried cartilage and the raw chicken in ponzu dish, and it was ok. I personally passed on the raw chicken, but my husband enjoyed it. Lastly, we ordered non-alcoholic beer, and the bottle was lukewarm. When we asked the waitress about it, she just gave us a glass with ice so that we could add it to the beer. The decor is old school charm, and I love the feel of traditional neighborhood yakitori-ya. Overall, I was kinda disappointed after hearing about Torimatsu for so long. I don't think I'll be back but I'm glad we finally got to try it.

Atsuage (Fried Tofu)
Daniel L.

Finally found a place in the US that offers raw chicken. Authentic Japanese restaurant from Japan that specializes in chicken dishes and skewers. Restaurant provides a very cozy environment perfect for a chill hangout or even a date. Expect a wait if you are trying your luck for walk-in seating as reservations are considered first. The staff, also, recommended to come after 7:30pm for the best chance at seating within a meaningful time. My group was seated within an hour after arriving after 7:30pm. Opted for their 10 course (Torimatsu) meal along with raw chicken (Sasami ponzu). Everything was absolutely made to perfection. The stars of the show were certainly the raw chicken, chicken wing skewer, chicken breast skewer, and chicken/green onion skewer. The raw chicken was very clean, flavorful, and tender. The skewers were just absolutely divine with the juices bursting at every bite. Will be returning for some more skewers and try their Yaki-Onigiri along with their Karaage. Definitely recommend!

Yakitori and grill
Diane C.

It was my first time visiting today. The vibes of this restaurant felt like a more upscale yakitori without the yelling and like hole in the wall shin sen gumi gives. They season their food a lot lighter then the shin sen gumi fountain valley location I go often. My family particularly enjoyed the duck and the chicken skin. I also enjoyed the chicken thigh with green onions! I would also recommend the grilled onigiri I got the Bonito flake one! It was crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. I was sat in front of the glass but would be nice to reserve the seats on the side so you can get your skewers grill to plate (: The service was good they were pretty attentive and pleasant. The food also came out super fast but granted it was a Monday night and two other parties were there.

Dillon K.

The only izakaya that I regularly visit while im in town. The skewers are so good and plenty of other options. Their meat ball and chicken onion skewers are so addicting. I also recommend the butter potato. The cook behind the grill carries the restaraunt fs. Pricey but worth every dollar. Restaraunt is a bit small so you definitely want to make a reservation a few days in advance. They've served Ohtani before

Menu July 2024
Roy L.

Torimatsu has some of the best yakitori in all of LA, and has blown up since being featured on LA Eater as an essential South Bay restaurant. I appreciate the authentic feel of the restaurant. As you go inside, the amount of seating is very limited, so don't even bother coming with a big group. It's just not possible. As you walk in, you'll be greeted by an elderly Japanese man that is manning the binchotan grill and working hard. It's very reminiscent of eating in Japan. I think the best value is probably going for the Torimatsu course meal that includes 10 yakitori pieces, a salad, soup and ice cream. We ordered a la carte because we came with a seasoned professional and he ordered all the high value skewers. Be patient because it takes a while for the food to arrive, but they are absolutely fantastic. Come early, and come with a small group.

Bryan C.

A superb dining experience! We all had the 10 skewer torimatsu course which included skewers such as chicken gizzards, liver and other delicacies. The chicken meat ball was one of my personal favorites of the bunch, and was snappy and delicious. Service was quick and friendly, and the ambiance is lively and abounding with character. I do wish they provided some carbohydrates with the meal given the pre-fixed meal (needed to pay), plus there was some confusion with my order, but otherwise it was a great experience.

La La L.

yakitori omakase they also have rare chicken breast and various exotic cuts. highly recommend! make a reservation or call early, this place books out fast!

Judy V.

Very good spot for Yakatori. Make a reservation ahead of time because this place does not have a lot of seating for walk ins, Seems like everyone who came had reservations. My boyfriend has dabbled in making Yakatori so he wanted to try a spot where he was not behind the grill. So glad I found this place, everything was really good! Was extremely full after we left. Would definitely make the drive to come back here again!

Rice and chicken

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7 days ago

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6 days ago

Yummy skewers and great service! We walked in right when they opened and didn't have to wait.

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7 months ago

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23 days ago

Delicious food and amazing service. Would definitely recommend this place but be sure to call for reservations as it fills up quickly.

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3 months ago

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Torimatsu Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Torimatsu

For the torimatsu or shinbashi course, do you get to choose which skewers or is it set?

It's the chef's choice for the skewers but you get to choose either scallion or lettuce for the salad portion. Everything he selected was excellent!

This place is listed today as having outdoor seating. Is it still available? If it is, is it covered or heated? How many people can sit there?…

There is no outside seating. It's a small restaurant with maybe 7-8 tables and then bar seating.

Do they offer an omakase option?

There are two types of Omakase courses.

Is there any seafood options?

Not really. They are all chicken related dishes.

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This restaurant came up on my FB feed, and the food looked really good, so we thought, "Why not…read moregive it a try?" I usually read through the Yelp comments and look at the photos before trying a new place, but this time I only checked the rating -- which was great -- and decided to go based on that and the FB post. Looking back, I probably should have read the reviews first. We didn't realize the bento boxes are only available during lunchtime, and we were also surprised to find out they don't have yakitori. Those were two things we were hoping to try. We came with a party and ordered several items, including the Akatsuki Special Hot Pot, which was recommended to us, along with other dishes. The tempura and karaage were definitely the highlights -- both were really good. The rest of the food was okay for our group, but unfortunately it didn't really satisfy our craving or stand out the way we were hoping. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and the staff was friendly. I think the biggest thing was that our expectations were set by what we saw on FB, and the items that caught our attention weren't available when we visited. I would recommend checking their current menu before going so you know what to expect. Maybe we'll come back another time to try their lunch menu and explore more of what they offer.

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Kara age fried chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside…read more It came out very hot, which made it even better. It was well seasoned so it didn't need much sauce. Steak curry & rice was really good. It tasted like the curry I had in Japan and was the best Japanese curry I've had recently. They recommended ordering the steak well done, and l went with that. The sauce portion was generous so there was plenty to go with the rice. There are no extra toppings just rice, curry, and steak but I would come back to have it again.

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Torimatsu - japanese - Updated July 2026

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