I was looking to have a simple Japanese meal -- yakitori/izakaya -- and decided to go to Gardena. I decided to check this place out after reading about it on Yelp. The place seemed very popular w/ the Japanese community. Most people there except me/friend & a couple next to us were speaking in Japanese. The ambiance is v. different from Shinsengumi as well. The chef is quiet and so is the staff. Very muted. This place reminds me a bit of Nanbankan in W. LA in terms of ambiance but cannot match the level of service. I got the impression that the restaurant wasn't as well operated. First, I was shocked to find that they did not offer draft beer. Torimatsu's yakitori has a clean taste, sure, but which yakitori place does not sell nama-biru (draft beer)? Maybe it's just me, but I consider that to be basic at a yakitori house. Second, the service was poor. The waitress seemed "out of it" and also did not clear out our trash (napkins & oshibori) when she came by with our tea. Oddly, she did take some trash off of our table but not all... and they were in the same pile!... It made me think that something else was on her mind. Go for the food, if you live in South Bay and if you're into chicken yakitori (not much else on the menu). I will definitely return to this place again when I'm craving chicken since I know what to expect. But, if you've had good yakitori before then you won't be too impresed with this place. read more

The food here is pretty amazing and the prices kind of reflect that. If you are traveling to this area this restaurant it is located next to the Curry House in a strip mall of other shops/restaurants. This restaurant is located off of the Western exit off of the 405 North or South. You will need to make reservations well ahead of time to prevent you and your party from waiting. I was in and out for a business meeting had tea and some finger food all of which was very good. This area of Torrance/Gardena is known for having a large Asian population and they are always busy so that is a good sign. If you want to impress your date of co-workers with some amazing Japanese food this is the little secret spot to take them. read more

This place is super quiet compared to Shensengumi which makes it feel less authentic. Yet on the other hand, it was filled with a lot of Japanese people which made it feel more authentic. LOL At first I felt like there was less flavor since it was more subtly flavored with smoke. The food didn't taste too charcoaled like it sometimes can at Kappo Honda or Shensengumi, but I noticed the smoke hits you after you've eaten the food. Stay away from the shisomaki (dry chopped up chicken meat wrapped in shiso leaf). Not crazy about tofu one too (with strong ginger flavor) because it also featured chopped up white meat that tasted a bit dry. Do get the yakionigiri and mushrooms and yams/potatoes! I also enjoyed the house chicken seaweed broth (flavorful) and orange that looked like a grapefruit for dessert. Refreshing after consuming so much charcoaly-goodness! As for comparing other yakitori/izakaya type places...my favorite is still Kappo Honda where my brother and I used to eat as often as we could (enoki butter!!!!!). I think I might pick Shensengumi over Torimatsu but maybe that's because they have many things wrapped in bacon in their offerings!!! read more

I will leave it brief the best yakitori in LA/OC area...period. High quality charcoal and a chef who has been doing this for years. this place is pretty much the only yakitori restaurant in the area that comes close to yakitori in japan. a little pricey, but it is really worth it. you will not feel guilty after spending money here, you have to spend a little more sometimes for better quality! :D read more

The Torimatsu is unlike any yakitori place I know. Also serves items unique to the restaurant and has variety of vegetables I've not seen served at other places. Most of all it's the sauce. The fantastic aftertaste lingers till the next day. Don't brush your teeth for a few days and it can seem to last that long but you'll lose friends so do it privately. The grilled chicken is great on its own as well, good charcoal flavor that'll totally bring you down to earth (expensive nice charcoal they use). It's not a place to party but a place to appreciate the food and enjoy the company. If you go alone, as I often do, the ambiance is your company and the sake and the yakitoris that are presented to you (Alcoholic? Let me change that to 'soda and food'. There, I don't know what a sake is.). read more

Torimatsu, hands down, is better than Shinsengumi. The service was impeccable (the servers were not only attentive but friendly as well) first of all. Second, the yakitori itself is the best that I've had so far (this is what I missed when I was away in Chicago! Sorry, Slurping Turtle...). They're not burnt, so you get to experience the juicy flavor of the grilled chicken or vegetables in their entirety. I'm not a big eater--even more so during dinner time--but I ordered 8 pieces of yakitori from Torimatsu! What I ordered: 1) chicken cartilage: in terms of meat, this was my favorite! The cartilage was tender, soft, and chewy--everything it should be. I had fun taking a bite out of every piece. The chef at Torimatsu did an excellent job of not overcooking the cartilage as well. 2) stuffed lotus root: Savory, crunchy, addicting. I'm a huge fan of lotus root to begin with, so I naturally loved the stuffed lotus root. The pores of the lotus root are stuffed with seasoned (oil and salt) chicken meat, and you get a bit of every imaginable adjective related to food (a bit exaggerated): crunchy, salty, sweet, soft, hot. 3) okra: Crunchy and added a balance to the meal because of its less savory nature but nothing to rave about. 4) mushrooms (not shiitake): JUICY and SAVORY. Need I say more? 5) chicken liver: I enjoy my foie gras, so I decided to give this a try. Nothing amazing. The liver pieces are extremely soft, slippery, filling. 6) shiso-maki (perilla-wrapped chicken meat): If you're looking for ostentatious flavors, this isn't your yakitori to order. The richness hiding in the perilla leaves and clean, meaty taste from the chicken struck the right note for me. It's not the most memorable item, but what I will remember is the fact that my skewer was dripping with juice (+1) from both the perilla an chicken! 7) deep-fried tofu: I normally love deep-fried tofu (anything tofu-related, really), but this disappointed me a bit. There's nothing too special about the tofu other than its crispiness. 8) quail egg: I've never had quail egg in yakitori style, but it actually has a more refined taste than boiled quail eggs. However, I still prefer my poached quail eggs over yakitori style. The char-grilled taste with the saltiness is a great combination, but this item isn't one to spazz your tastebuds. I did, however, appreciate the grill master's adeptness with keeping the moist, soft layer of the albumen. MUST TRY: - chicken cartilage - stuffed lotus root - mushrooms SKIP: - deep-fried tofu - okra - quail egg The only complaint I have is that when I made reservations for the counter, I did not expect my seat to be literally in front of the fire/grill, so I was sweating beads on my forehead towards the latter half of the meal. Yes, the AC was NOT on. Haha. So, if possible, avoid sitting directly in front of the grill! Service: A Food: A Atmosphere: A Cleanliness: A Extra bonus: LOVE THAT TORIMATSU DOES NOT DOUSE THE YAKITORI IN SAUCE!!! read more

I have to review Torimatsu again because I'm so impressed with the quality of food and service. Consistency is a big thing for me and I'd have to say this is one of the few I deem "always on point". This is no fluffy, fusion, touristy yaki tori establishment. This is one man's vision of how to enjoy yaki tori and I appreciate that. I've eaten yaki tori - everywhere. Gotanda in Japan, Shanghai, Grand Hyatt in Seoul, blah blah blah...but this place is still the best in my book. So what should you try? 1. Kitsune. Chicken breast wrapped in fried tofu casing - a tad of ginger inside makes this dish a morsel of heaven. Almost like a piece of Singaporean Hainese Chicken Rice in a barbecued bite size. 2. Renkon. Chew well...lotus roots are fibrous but super tasty and good texture. Ground chicken packed inside the lotus root pinholes. Super delicious and juicy. 3. Nankotsu. Soft bone with chicken. MMMmmm. Somehow the soft bone adds a super nice texture and the combo of meat, bone and connective tissue packs a bunch of flavor - and crunch. These are not your standard sticks of yaki tori but you should give these a shot. The imo butter is also super nice. Imo is potato (idaho type served) and butter is nice real butter. Even if your guest isn't adventurous - some good salad, potato and less adventursome chicken breast can satisfy. Good chicken soup as well so take your picky eater there and have a good meal for yourself. Just no vegans...did I say that? ;P Oh...and Krispy Kreme is just down the street before you get back on the 91 freeway! read more

Our good friend took me and our other good friend here to try the yakitori because she said it's popular. I didn't stay for the whole dinner because I didn't feel well so I went to car to take a nap while they finished dinner. We each ordered the chef's sampler which consisted of 6 or 7 (can't remember) yakitori sticks and he gives you. Since I was napping in the car, they took mine to go and I ate it when we got home that evening. The sticks were really good. I enjoyed the meatball one and lotus root one the most. Only junkie thing is that the chef shorted us a stick. Whatever the number of sticks we were suppose to get, we each got 1 short but she didn't want to complain. I'd go back to this place, hopefully i will be able to have the full experience next time. read more

This is my go to spot for Chicken Yakitori. Everything on the menu is good. It just depends how adventurous you are. Service is consistently good and the prices are very reasonable. read more

This is legit Japanese Yakitori! My wife and I love this place and we say Yummy at first bite every time we go there! Taste of quality is always same good! read more

Torimatsu - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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If you want Yakitori then this is the best in Gardena. I personally think its better then Shinsengumi b/c its small and you can relax. If you like this place I also recommend Sakura house near Marina del ray. I like Torimatsu b/c its closer to my house but if I had the choice Sakura House is better. read more

The best Yakitori in LA county! Yakitori is one of my favorite food. I tried different places in LA, but nobody could beat Torimatsu. Even in Tokyo Japan, it is little hard to find similar quality Yakitori that Torimatsu offers. The chef behind the counter is "master". He really knows how to cook yakitori. He has amazing skill, and I am always impressed by his skill and quality of food. His yakitori makes me happy, and believe me, will make you happy, too. I like sit by the counter and watch "master" cooking. Everything on menu is good. You get NO disappointment here! If you want to try good Yakitori, go to this place! read more

had high expectations for this place, maybe too high. sumika up north does the binchotan yakitori much better. Tebasaki -- lightly salted Tsukune -- 3 ground chicken balls -- good flavor Negi-Niku -- most classic Sasami -- chicken breast with nice wasabi dipping sauce Kitsune -- fried tofu wrapped chicken Shitake -- good Asuspara -- good Yaki-Onigiri -- spot on Hotate -- not good Saba Nitsuke -- ok thus still look to Torihei, Izakaya Bincho, Shin Sen Gumi, etc read more

This is one of my favorite restaurant. Owner Mr.Ishikawa manage this restaurant over 30 years by himself. Every time I try Every time very impressive. Usually 7 to 9 this time this restaurant pack. Meat is I'm Unbelievably juicy. He is Master of Yakitori. Serving is very smooth. You should definitely try this restaurant. You're not going to be regret. read more

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I love their tsukune. They have two courses but usually it's too much. I prefer a la cart. Try their Tsukune!!! The waitress is kinda mean... is she the owner's wife? read more

I find Torimatsu to be about 65% reliable- after a half dozen trips, 3 have been Terrific, and 3 just so-so- Sadly, unless I instruct them otherwise, they always assume an Anglo only wants white meat chicken- my last trip I ordered two "Omikase" 10 skewer course's. They brought NO organ meats, no skin, no veggies, etc- very disappointing, & a bit patronizing, actually- -- my visit two months ago was GREAT ! Teba skin crispy, and meat tender, Liver slightly rare, quail eggs w custardy yolks, nasu slightly charred outside but soft inside, Just terrific- read more

The art of chicken! That is what this place is! Every piece of chicken is cooked with attention and precision - I love this place! My favorite is the Kitsune, you can't get this at other places, a tofu skin wrapped minced chicken with ginger and other spices. The Sasami (chicken breast) comes with a spicy wasabe scallion sauce. Their buttered scallops - yum! The Kawa (chicken skin) is cooked to perfection. It's hard to get chicken skin yakitori to the point where the entire skewer is crunchy but not over cooked but Torimatsu does just that. Order some ice cold beer with that and you're set. read more

After KokeKokko, this is the best Yakitori that I have had in LA. I know...what a lousy thing to say...and complimentary. However, prices are considerably higher. Atmosphere is sort of boring...so bring your own fun. They close early as well. The chef - very much unlike his competition - does not seem to drink or be visibly inebriated while cooking. And he also seems very professional and serious about his work, yet friendly to customers...but a little standoffish. I didn't see any of the hygiene stuff that another reviewer recently mentioned. Actually, seems very unusual considering the set up of this place. I would take that complaint with a major grain of salt. I found their medium rare sasami (breast) to be excellent - I had 2 of them. As well as the very different tasting tsukune (chicken meatball). Special heart was also great. Sake selection is quite good. If they darkened this spot up, got the chef a few drinks...and pumped up some jazz or kitajima saburo, I might just move my bed in here. In any event, a great date place, and an exceptional restaurant despite my bitching. If your friend never had yakitori before - take them here. If you want to laugh, cry and scream and feel some great energy - head over to shinsengumi instead. read more

Best Yakitori restaurant in Town. Chef/owner is so professional and very kind to every single customer. Chicken bbq is always high-end quality anytime I visit here. I hope this place will last long long time. read more

Only Chicken and SERIOUS Chicken... I need to finish this review fast to get some sushi... =p If ONE chef on charcoal is your cup of tea, then this place is the heart and soul of chicken (literally and figuratively)... Menu is just in suggestive form as everything is good off the menu, even the lotus roots is well love (wait, this is not chicken), so does the grilled ikura is quite popular with the table. Chicken skin is great, the breast is divine (hard to describe; juicy, tender, and cooked just right), the balls are out of this world (that's what she said), and the Chicken Sashimi is better than seared albacore (gasp!). With a small but decent selection of beer and sake... and the yaki onigiri for the hungry souls... with the "complex" chicken soup to finish off the meal... this is one fine chicken place!!! read more

My family lives in Japan, so I've pretty much had the best yakitori there is. Torimatsu is the best yakitori you will have in California. I guarantee it. read more

Best place for Yakitori. The owner is great and preparing always right ones. Hard to get reservation, waiters are a bit moody and sometime a bitch. read more

Their food is great. But their attitude towards customer is poor. I am their longtime regular. I was able to place an togo order for them before the pandemic. My work is in LA but my home is in OC, so I mainly togo a lot. Even during the pandemic, when they were not able to operate normally, I would purposely stop by Gardena on the way home from work and togo in the hopes that they would do business for a long time. But they are no longer togo. The arrogant and cheeky woman who answered the phone said they were too busy so can not togo. She said it only applies to Fridays and Saturdays. So this time, I called during the week, but this time too, she said too busy so can not service togo. They're playing with customers. No matter how good the food is, I don't want to go anymore to those who look down on their customers. I hope they will pay the price for betraying a customer that a difficult time is coming to an end. read more

One of my top two choices for yakitori in the LA area. The tsukune, nankotsu, and bonbonchi are great! My friend took me there for dinner three years ago. Ever since, I have been visiting this establishment, whenever I am working in the area. Good for lunch and dinner, just make sure you have a reservation or arrive early to beat the rush. read more

This place is a contender for 5 stars -- I'll have to leave that evaluation for my next visit. I've been here once, last year. I've finally gotten around to writing about the place, and I can still remember walking out of the place more than satisfied. Upon arriving, the hostess/server asked if we made reservations. We had not. That wasn't a problem, and we sat at the bar. I ordered us both the 10-course meal, which was $24 -- a little on the steep side. But as the night progressed, every penny earned its worth. This is a very Japanese place; Japanese staff, Japanese patrons, and all I can hear is Japanese. Well, except for my own conversation held in English. Sitting at the bar allowed me to quietly observe the chef working his magic. And maybe it was the hype from other reviews I read prior to coming, but I did feel like I was watching a master at work. Since it was so long ago, I can't give you a play-by-play of each course, but I was very full by the end of the night. I might go for just the 7-course next time... actually, that's probably not going to happen. I'm probably going to think "4 bucks to have 3 extra skewers and try different flavors? a more probable stomach ache will be worth it!" I'm looking forward to coming back and deciding if it'll be the 5-star yakitori place. read more

From 11/14/2009 Get the Tsukune meatballs, chicken tail and the dry curry rice. All awesome. read more

I love how the chef looks like he just woke up, outfitted in a dirty t-shirt and shorts. Who can blame him? It's food on a stick! Dinner starts with a complimentary gizzard appetizer. Really tender, if you like gizzards. Yakitori was priced between $2.80-$4.50, not too bad. Chicken was fresh, juicy and seasoned lightly. Favorite part of the meal was the robust chicken broth they serve at the end. It has healing powers, I tell you. Dinner is complete with a slice of fresh watermelon. Meatballs - dark meat, shredded and charred on one side Quail eggs - not as runny as I like but good Chicken wings - not as crispy as I like but juicy Liver - Favorite Heart - 2nd favorite, chunky style Dark meat with green onions - good, juicy It's not Kokekoko but I enjoyed it just as equally. Torimatsu has it's own style and I prefer it when restaurants don't pressure you to order a minimum. read more

This yakitori restaurant is quite small and intimate, so reservations are strongly recommended on weekends. There is table seating as well as a dozen or so seats at the bar. I went for my mother's birthday, and she gave it a resounding thumbs up (which is meaningful, since she is Japanese). The atmosphere is reminiscent of yakitori bars in Japan, with excellent table service, a charcoal grill, and a largely Japanese clientele. You can either order la carte, or a meal that includes a number of different dishes. I especially enjoyed the meatballs, wings, and liver. You can eat a generous amount of food along with a beer for around $30. I definitely plan on coming back when I get the chance. read more

I've been to dozens of yakitori restaurants over the years and I have to say that this is the best one yet. As with the namesake yakitori (skewered chicken) all they do is make various chicken dishes. No beef, pork or other types of meats. The restaurant prepares their chicken pieces from a fresh whole bird. With their level of quality preparation, they can even serve a chicken sashimi. Yes I said chicken sashimi, as in raw chicken. Yes we've all been told by our parents to make sure that all fowl are fully cooked before eating. But in this case, since the owner is so sure of the quality of preparation, they can serve raw chicken and be confident that there are no salmonella contamination. As for the yakitori, the chef is a true master of cooking over the special bincho charcol imported from Japan. The taro (or sauce) used in the yakitori is heavenly. From their Shisho-Maki to Kawa, they make all their skewered chicken just absolutely delicious. Decor: 4 Stars (quaint classic Japanese tavern) Service: 5 Stars (self explanatory) Atmosphere: 5 Stars (the interaction of people, staff, surroundings) Food Quality: 5 Stars (great flavors) Quantity of Food: 4 Stars (I could have some more) Price: 5 Stars (The cost of food in relation to what you get) For a Grand Total of 5 Stars. read more

Very nicely cooked and use either Sauce or Salt very appropriately depends on the item. Owner Chef is very nice person! read more

This is a very good yakitori place. I've always been partial to Kokkekkokko, but now that Tomo has retired, I may have to lean towards Torimatsu. The food here speaks for itself, it's no frills and not fancy, just prepared and executed well. Make sure to call for a reservation because it's always crowded. read more

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This place is heaven! Nothing more to say. Make sure to make a reservation because everyone knows how good this place is.

I came to this place with my Japanese friends, so i didn't much in ordering. I just ate what came to my plate. It's like the Shin Sen Gumi's that you'll find in other parts of Los Angeles. That is, it serves yakitoris... freshly bbq'd delicacies on sticks. The ambiance was very unassuming, and clean. Service was quick... and that's about it. I didn't have a particular like or dislike of this place. Oh, one thing I did noticed was the fact that everyone here spoke Japanese. Our waitress hardly spoke any English. read more

I like how they use Bichu, Japanese Virgin Hardwood Charcoal. You can really test a unique smokiness to their food that you don't get from other BBQ places. The food is a bit pricy, but I think the food is good enough to justify spending nearly 30 on a set meal. Each skewer is prepared with care by a master yakitori chef. He works tirelessly in plain view where you can see him fan the flames to get the temperature just right, keeping careful watch over each stick as it cooks and keeping me meats moist so they don't dry out. The atmosphere is a bit too loud for me. To me it has the feel of one of the subway eateries you find in tokyo. It just has a feeling of loud rambunctious japanese businessmen who just got off work and dead set at drinking their stress away. read more

Definitely one of the better yakitori places in the area. Quality was good and service was decent considering how busy it was. The down side was that the food took awhile to come out. When you get the combo set the chef brings it out 1 or 2 at a time but some of the breaks were too long. Fortunately, I was eating slowly with a customer so it didn't bother me but in a rush, i wouldn't go there. Good to take friends, coworkers, date, and maybe customer who you want to talk to for a long time. Definitely recommend a reservation read more

The food is just okay. I dont think their deal for 10pcs skewer is good idea. Also they charge $5.49 for cup of tea. Really????I won't coming back. read more

To put this in perspective, we like Torimatsu enough to drive up regularly from San Diego just to have dinner here. There are other yakitori type places a lot closer to us but none are quite as authentic as this one. I would recommend reservations unless you come early. Otherwise it fills up fast. As other posters have mentioned, the food itself is a little light on the seasonings. However, there are several Japanese seasonings on the table/counter to add whatever flavor kick you are looking for, from Togarashi to a yuzu type lemony thing whose actual name I forget. The favorite dish for us is the chicken wings. But really it is hard to go wrong with anything. read more

Very good yakitoriya. For anyone wondering what 'Dry Curry' is, it's curry fried rice. Tasty, but slightly on the oily side. read more

I couldn't think of a point why it is not 5-star for this authentic yakitori place. (maybe they don't have a full list of Jap. beer?) We've tried most of their a-la-carte items they are all very good. We love the stuffed with green bell peppers, meat balls and tails. (yes chicken tails yaki like the ones in Taiwan night markets!) And right, they bring out the chicken broth with the bill, so good. read more

This place brought me back to Japan. It was my first time today and I was just impressed. I would recommend sitting at bar counter, you ll get great experience. read more