New spot in rendondo beach area and great for any special occasion. It is on the pricier side for a casual meal and portions are small as it's one skewer each so you will need to order a good amount. Flavor is lacking the smokiness you expect from a yakitori spot and lacking in options. Most yakitori spots will have multiple cuts of chicken but here only had breast or thigh with different flavors. Spicy karaage and the giant ebi mayo were a highlight and best out of the meal. Service was fast and friendly. Indoors has bar seating and a few tables to sit at. Would come back again if for a special occasion! read more

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We were so excited to finally have our very first Japanese izakaya restaurant in Redondo Beach! There are plenty of sushi spots, but this is the first izakaya that's actually really good! Woot woot! We finally got to try it this weekend for date night. The restaurant is well-lit and spacious, with a vibe that totally reminded us of our time in Tokyo a few years back. The food was pretty solid. We started with the tofu salad, and the fried tofu was super soft and not oily at all. The dressing was so delicious that I had to ask for extra to dip it in. Then we moved on to the skewers. We ordered the only beef option--wagyu--which was tasty. I'd love to see more beef skewers on the menu, but I get that this place focuses more on chicken. We tried two chicken skewers: Ume (plum) and spicy. The Ume was a bit bland on its own, but I enjoyed it more with the extra spicy sauce. We're not huge fans of chicken skewers, but these were pretty good overall, even if the Ume could use a little more flavor. The shrimp skewer was fantastic! I could really taste the charcoal, which added a nice touch. The special--salmon--was super yummy! It should definitely be a staple on the menu! (See picture below.) The spicy karaage chicken was interesting. The black sauce isn't exactly a first-date dish! I liked it, but it wasn't my favorite, and I probably wouldn't order it again since the chicken was thick and not super flavorful. To end the night, we got the mango pudding, and it was yummy! A bit pricey for the small portion, but the dessert was delicious and not overly sweet. Overall, we will definitely be back again! read more

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Great Japanese food and service. Fun ambiance and parking is convenient. Scallop appetizer was yummy! Skewers are delicious as well. We will definitely be back! read more

A yakitori spot in the Riviera. They just opened for almost a month now and it's a great addition to all the restaurants in the area. These are the skewers we ordered: Spicy Momo- chicken. Got a nice kick. Definitely get. Teba: chicken wings. Simple. Could use a little dash more of salt Tsukune: chicken meatball with some green onion. Delish! Wagyu: just okay from all the other skewers. It was tender. Ebi: grilled shrimp is always good Hotate: scallop: delicious. Naturally sweet and well cooked. Got the onigiri and it isn't a necessity to try but it went well with the sticks since it was roasted. And the texture off a crisp rice was cool. Ended with dessert which they rotate. Had the hojicha panna cotta and that was the best! It had salted caramel and it went so well with the roasted tea flavor. I loved it! And I loved how it was different. It was shared that this is one of the workers recipe, please share haha! Service was great. Need to come back and try more items or just come by for dessert. read more

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Japan's Torikizoku picks Los Angeles for its first U.S. yakitori shop, and what a gem it is! I'm so glad we stopped by to give it a try. The yakitori menu is primarily chicken, and every single skewer we ordered was fantastic--perfectly cooked, juicy, and full of flavor. We also ordered drinks and desserts, and nothing disappointed! For drinks, we tried the UJI Green Tea Umeshu. For someone like me who prefers lighter drinks, it was absolutely ideal: subtle, refreshing, and unlike anything I've ever had. It was a unique highlight of the meal! The service was outstanding, and the ambiance had that relaxed, authentic vibe that really brought me back to nights spent at a yakitori bar in Tokyo. My favorite spot was at the bar--an experience I'd definitely recommend. While we didn't get a chance to try any appetizers this time, I'm already looking forward to them on our next visit. But let me tell you, the desserts were incredible, I believe they are crafted in house! We ordered the Matcha Brulee and the Mango Parfait, and both were delicious with unforgettable flavors. read more

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Great food, great service, and cool ambiance. Service and ambiance: When you are seated they pour water in a small bowl to expand a white cylinder cloth (it's not marshmallow :p). The inside is a clean modern japanese ambiance, interesting decor. Food: Tofu salad - crispy tofu with salad and a japanese dressing. My favorite part was the tofu. It was a good appetizer for the table. Chicken skewers - tender chicken with sauce as ordered. Wagyu beef - super tender and tasty. This would be my favorite skewer. There were a few chewy bites but the tender areas were the best. Hotate - scallop skewers. These were good with 2 pieces of scallop on each skewer. Unagi - eel skewer was delicious as expected. Shrimp - a long piece of shrimp on a skewer. Next time I would try a chicken meatball skewer since it was recommended. Parking: meter parking in front and in the lot is $1.75 per hour. read more

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Delicious food. The grill flavors come through in every dish and leave a rich smoky taste that stays with you in the best way. I ordered the momo spicy, the Tsukune, the hotate, and the baby Bella mushroom, and everything was excellent. They offer a solid variety of options with plenty of chicken choices if you want to stick with something familiar. The staff are very friendly and helped me pick a few dishes to try. The food took a little longer than expected, about thirty minutes for four items, but it was absolutely worth the wait. The restaurant is clean, organized, and has both counter seating and plenty of tables for groups. I will definitely be back. read more

zoku - momo spicy, tsukune, hotate, and baby Bella mushroom - Izakaya Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

Was curious to try this place after seeing YakitoriGuy visit -- my initial impression was that this place felt genuine, warm, professional, and authentic. I came by myself on a Wednesday evening and was seated right away at the seating in front/near the yakitori grill. I ordered almost every kushiyaki skewer except the beef and shrimp. My intentions were primarily a focus on the chicken: the chicken thigh was prepped without skin, but was delicious, soft, tender, and juicy. Of the three types offered, the spicy mayo was my favorite and complimented the fattiness of the chicken thigh very well. The chicken breast was also very delicious. Sometimes I avoid chicken breast because it can come out dry -- the chicken breast here was not dry at all and very moist and juicy. I really enjoyed the wasabi version and since breast is much leaner, you will definitely feel the burn with this one (in a good way). I tried all the vegetable skewers as well as the unagi and scallops, which were all great and tasty. If I were to order any of these again, I would recommend the potatoes as I thought this was unique that I typically did not see at other yakitori places. Also ordered a premium Suntory malt to compliment the whole dish which paired exceptionally well with the whole meal. I did inquire if they allow bottle service/corkage fee which they mentioned was $30/bottle in case you want to bring in your own sake for example. The attentiveness to detail was what caught my eye. After finishing any dish, within no more than 15-30 seconds someone would clear the plates and they would ask every so often how I was doing. Very mindful and professional staff. The one thing I will note is that despite ordering almost every kushiyaki on their menu, I was satisfied but not full. If your intentions are to be really full after this meal, this might not be the case. But if you are looking for authentic, delicious yakitori experience that you can experience the quality and dedication of their craft, this checks all those boxes. read more

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Yakitori was obviously delicious. My favorites were Mune with Ume (Plum Sauce) and Tebasaki. Color Potatoes were so good as well. What I cannot forget is "Tofu Salad". They should call it their signature dish. The dressing must be their original. I've never tasted any dressing like that. Tofu was cut into small pieces and baked. It also came with some finely sliced Beets. It looked beautiful and tasted one of the best. read more

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Our 2nd time coming here and it's still awesome! Very polite staff and great service. Food is top notch and the restaurant is clean and has a modern feel. read more

Went on Halloween Friday 10/31 in the late afternoon with my wife and experience was fantastic! Didn't do a full meal but just a few skewers etc. Got the miso Caesar salad that was honestly amazing. Also got a handful of chicken skewers (wasabi, teriyaki, honey mustard) and they were all delish. They had happy hour wings that were dry/not good but everything else was top-notch given the 5/5 stars. I forgot our servers name but she really made the experience great. Loved the place, we'll be back soon read more

Great dinner!! Delicious food. Service was great. Such a unique spot in the riveria village

Went to soft opening 7/24/24 been waiting for Zoku to open and now I'm glad it did. I got the Edamame $5.00 to start, came out warm tasty and not over steamed. Small hot Sake $12 My entree Wagyu Premium Beef $7.80 Ebi shrimp $5.80 both are tasty. This style of Japanese cuisine offers quality in flavor and not too much in portions. Service is friendly and attentive as in Japanese tradition, they welcome you as you come in and treat you like your at their home to dine. My total bill $33.51 and walked out satisfied paying $40. A great addition to the Village to add another Japanese style of dining other than Flying Fin. I will come back to enjoy more of their menu. read more

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Zoku has an incredible lunch special on Sundays -- yuzu shio paitan ramen. It is a perfect dish. From their standard menu, all the yakitori is tasty, but our favorites are the tsukune and the mune ume. The service is always great. The ambiance made me feel like I was back in Japan. read more

While the South Bay now has a ton of great Japanese restaurants, but getting an Izakiya by the beach is a huge breakthrough. Was really looking forward to checking this place out, and it delivered...for the most part. We mostly loved everything we ate. However, you pay a bit more for some items that would be cheaper at other Izakayas. Some plates (like the shrimp) were a nice combination of size, flavor and presentation. Over items, like the wagyu skewer and the scallop skewer, fell very short and were pricey for what we got. Won't be ordering those again. However, we will go back--there are plenty of hits on the menu, and I want to see this place succeed in the long term. read more

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Really delicious food, beautiful ambiance, and incredibly nice staff. We had a great experience!

Our favorite restaurant in the South Bay! Zoku has the nicest staff, the best delicious food, good pricing for such good quality, and you finish the meal feeling good and light, ready to enjoy some tea and their special deserts. 5 stars to the chef/owner. 5 stars to the kitchen staff. 5 stars to management. 5 stars to the waiters and hostesse. 5 stars to each one and every one. please do yourself a favor and check it out asap! read more

zoku - Izakaya Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

Delicious and unique! Kids loved the skewers and parents enjoyed sampling lots of different flavors.

Came here with my family because I had been craving yakitori. Unlike their sister location on Hawthorne, this location takes reservations. The ambience is very nice and the servers were all very attentive. It's more of a higher end yakitori experience. I would say the food is good and more high quality. The shishitos with curry salt and karaage were delicious. All of the yakitori was good but I wish they didn't wait for all of them to be cooked before serving because some of the yakitori was just warm by the time it got to us. Definitely order the teba (wings), tsukune (meatball), and yaki onigiri (rice ball). read more

Wow, everything was great. It is rare a place can be 5/5 for food, service and atmosphere. Ordered the spicy chicken karage which was unique and delicious followed by an array of skewers. Teriyaki, spicy momo, meatball, steak, mushroom and potato. They were all very flavorful. They are small but at only $4 a piece you can mix match! The deserts were equally unique and delicious. The white peach cobbler was similar to a very soft canned peach with a custard and cream bottom over a crunchy gingerbread tasting crumb. The early grey cheesecake was more tradition but the pecans and pear really added a lot of texture! The staff was very attentive and as soon as we were finished eating the check was offered. It was such a nice dinning experience! read more

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Limited menu options which was nice and made it feel more special. Ordered 5 of the chicken skewers each which was too much of the same thing even with them all being different. I would recommend ordering more of a variety so that was my mistake. Zoku salad- basically Asian caesar salad. Delicious!!!! Would order again!! Loved the crispy wonton crunchies and sliced carrots in it read more

Overall experience, staff was patient and friendly, but the food isn't on the same level as the ambiance nor price. Pros: - I don't drink beer, but heard the Sapporo on tap was good, but not sure if it's worth the price in my opinion. - Spicy momo niku and teriyaki momo with the garlic mayo was probably the best out of everything we ate. - Plenty of parking even though they're run by meters. - Hojicha pannacotta was a nice surprise, the mellow earthy hojicha came through paired with the salty caramel sauce, it was a great combo. Cons: - Flavors are definitely more Americanized or lack depth when it comes to their breast options. Personally, I love wasabi yakitori meat, but the breast was so underwhelming. - Zoku Q definitely used cucumbers from Trader Joe's cause they were kyuri. - Fuji Mont Blanc has potential, but the charcoal cake was infused with some sort of liquor which completely overpowered everything. It tasted like hand sanitizer which was very off putting. - Chicken soup, pass. We were hoping because they go through a lot of chickens, the soup must be good because they might use the bones to make the soup. The color itself was a clear indication that it wasn't going to be clean tasting. There was a slight bitterness and over seasoned. - Lastly the yaki onigiri. Normally I would not order this, but it was for a friend's bday. I felt like they just lightly scorched it with a blow torch cause it didn't taste grilled nor the texture was crunchy. read more

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Overall experience is pretty good! My wife and I have been there three times and taken friends and family the last two times! That speaks for itself, most items are enjoyable and the service is great! I highly recommend trying Yumi's peach desert, we love it and can't wait to have it again. read more

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What an exceptional meal at Zoku! The service is quick; the food is delicious and the plating impeccable. I love that it's brightly lit and happy :) read more

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Was at this establishment for the first time with my friend. We ordered chicken balls, meat, Brussels sprouts and rice. Everything was very tasty. The staff was very nice and pleasant. The only thing is, we sat outside since we came with our dog and it took a long time for them to come up to us to take our order or see what else we might need. Definitely will definitely come with my husband, added it to my list of date night places) read more

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Great experience Great service Great hospitality 100% will return I'll have to try the other half of the menu read more

Great food, service and ambiance! Everything we had was cooked perfectly and we can't wait to come back!

Everything was delicious and pretty unique! My favorites were the "tofu" cream cheese with honey and toast, the A5 Wagyu skewer (special), the giant shrimp, and the Hojicha Panna Cotta. We also loved the karaage, Zoku chicken thigh skewer, shishito peppers, happy hour chicken wings, and Zoku salad. I can't wait to go back to try the Shime dishes and more of the salads and desserts! read more

zoku - Izakaya Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

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We have been here several times and it has always been a great experience all around! Service was friendly, helpful and attentive. The food was excellent. They brought out a kids serving set for my daughter, which was a really convenient and nice amenity. We had a wonderful time, and will be back again! read more

The kushiyaki were very good. I would recommend the very basic of mono (chicken thighs with yakitori sauce), tsukune (chicken meatball with Japanese Tare) and any of the seafood kushiyaki options. we had the Hofstra (Hokkaido scallops) and evil (Giant shrimp) finished with dessert as well. the chicken thighs were very well cooked. they maintained their moistness even towards the very center of the chicken thigh. I suspect brining was done well. the scallops and ebi were well cooked as well. scallops weren't tough At all. everything was grilled on top of charcoal to give a good chargrilled taste as well. service was impeccable. the waitress took her time to explain everything in the menu top to bottom despite the busy full booked restaurant. This is a good place for a quick beer drink and date out for some quick kushiyaki date. The lightning is perfect not too dark and not too bright. read more

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What an amazing find on yelp! I was looking for a new place to eat in the Southbay and Japanese food is always my go to. This place did not disappoint. My husband and I shared the tofu salad, grilled rice ball, and bunch of kushiyaki sticks!!! Everything we had was delicious! Note to self make reservations before you come. We were told the wait would be about an hour and a half but luckily we only had to wait about 30 minutes. Once seated the service was spot on... I will definitely be coming back. read more

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The food is top notch. Superior than most Japanese restaurants in the area. Great service and nice ambiance. Hope to go back very soon!

Such a cute place! Yakitori was DELICIOUS!!! Incredible flavors & so fresh!! Wagyu beef melted in my mouth. The staff is absolutely incredible!! 雄大さんありがとう！Can not wait to go back! My new favorite spot! Arigatō read more

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best meal I've had in quite a while. where do I even begin? the drinks. we ordered every cocktail on the menu aswell and a couple matcha beers 10/10 the food. we ordered one of every skewer plus a few side dishes and veggies. the hojicha panna cotta wow 10/10 the service. everyone was so on their job and happy to help you order more food or take away plates. food came quickly, drinks stayed filled even though it was a busy dinner service. extras. place is very clean, including the bathrooms, fun counter seating where you can see them grilling each skewer, good music playing. definitely my favorite restaurant in Redondo thank you zomu read more

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Service was excellent--nice young folks trying to help. The food was....strange and heavy. Like abnormally heavy for a Japanese place or a robata place. Spicy kaarage pieces were massive and covered and coated in sauce. Too much sauce and the pieces of kaarage couldn't be managed. Make them smaller and less sauce--switch the sauce, maybe. Shrimp tempura MASSIVE and covered in...sauce. Too much sauce. Too heavy. Skewers took forever to come out and were underwhelming and very unmemorable. Will not return. Decent meal but, I needed to share this experience because the hopes were high and it just didn't deliver. Too much sauce, too heavy and underwhelming skewers. read more

Food, service, atmosphere, vibe are all top notch! One of the best restaurants in the South Bay.

This was my first time at this restaurant and I was impressed by everything. A beautiful setting excellent service and delicious unusual food. We knew immediately this was going to be a restaurant that will be on our rotation. I can't wait to go back. read more

The wagyu was delicious and grilled perfectly. The matcha brûlée also slapped. Loved the moon cake texture of it. Ambiance was pretty great too, with light wood finish and nice lightning read more

zoku - Matcha brûlée - Izakaya Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

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Solid food and great service. Place is clean and family friendly. Will definitely be back!

I sent back a chicken breast skewer that was semi cooked. They took it back and brought another one but this time the inside was still pink. I was shocked. Menu was limited even the ambience was nice. I will never go back again. read more