Best Japanese restaurant in Little Tokyo?

[pthayer]

I have read many reviews of the great sushi restaurants in LA, but don't see ones in Little Tokyo mentioned often. I will be in town for a conference, staying at downtown hotel, and wonder -- which do you think is the best Japanese restaurant in Little Tokyo? Thanks.

[SauceSupreme]

Don't forget to check out the huge Japanese beer selection at Far Bar, down an alleyway near Daikokuya.

[AlkieGourmand]

Sushi Gen is dependably good, but it has several shortcomings. The most annoying thing to me is that they serve two nigiri at a time when you order omakase. WHY? Also, the price is unpredictable and sometimes outrageous.

[Petey McNichols]

Agreed. Price can be unpredictable. I haven't gotten two piece nigiri with my omakase but maybe I wasn't paying attention.

[Clyde]

i've had weird tasting salmon at sushi gen a few times. won't ever order it there again (which sux b/c it's one of my favorites). other than that, i've never had any issues with their fish- totally yum. we sit at the bar and it's a more relaxed environment for us. a note on Toranoko - while i've never eaten there, i've been to the bar numerous times. their infused vodka is awesome!!! (yelp reviews weren't that great so we went somewhere else- i should totally not depend on that but oh well).

[Johnny L]

Toranoko's problem is that it has a very extensive menu that has many different foods but does nothing outstanding yet nothing bad at the same time (unless you count the bland oden which many say its authentic). I would think of it like Honda-Ya but they do everything better but use better ingredients/charge more as well.

[Tripeler]

Hey, oden IS bland. At least the authentic stuff is. Which is why a lot of people dab it with Chinese mustard, which can make it flaming in sufficient quantity.

[Porthos]

I don't find oden bland, at least not the ones I've had. For me, they're light and comforting but each type definitely has it's own distinct flavor and texture...even the various types of fish cake taste different. If Toranoko's oden is authentically bland, one should try the more flavorful versions at Torihei.

[J.L.]

In defense of Aburiya Toranoko: Toranoko's buta kakuni is pretty darned good, as is their skewered chicken items.

[Johnny L]

Unfortunately the one time I tried the kakuni it was tough. But the quality of the food is good just that I feel it is missing something.

[Petey McNichols]

Second that. When I had the buta kakuni at Toranoko it was solid.

[ns1]

I've gotten 2 piece omakase when doing omakase for 2. Yes, that was 4 pieces of nigiri per round.

WTF

(210pp that trip, and my last omakase experience at gen)

[matikin9]

I like Hama for great basic sushi in Little Tokyo - it's very intimate as the majority of the restaurant IS a sushi bar and you order directly from the sushi chef. For izakaya food, I go to Honda-Ya (yummy grilled chicken wing and beef tongue skewers). I like Daikokuya for their shredded pork bowl (though I do prefer their ramen over the thinner noodled Hakata style at Shinsengumi). Shabu Shabu House is cheaper for shabu shabu than Kagaya, but the wait will likely be 1hr+ if you don't get there early.

[ns1]

to be clear, shabu shabu house is straight shabu shabu while kagaya is a 4 course meal. Line for that place is ridiculous - I do buy their pre-bottled shabu sauce so I can make shabu at home though.

[Porthos]

Also to be clear, Shabu Shabu house uses lesser quality beef and the goma sauce is watered down. I'd rather pay the $20-$25 difference and go to Kagaya every single time. As ns1 pointed out, if you count the other courses, Kagaya is a better QPR.

[J.L.]

And let's not forget about that heavenly creme brulee with that hauntingly good smoky hot-iron rod seared top which they serve for dessert at KaGaYa... :-)

[ns1]

hell yeah, never seen a creme brulee like THAT

[soniabegonia]

i thought i was having a deja vu and I was right. And I wrote a longish piece about that very creme brulee almost exactly a year ago: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/767335
And I guess I'll correct myself on the $43pp I said upthread for regular beef. A year ago it was $47. I'm sure I was there at least one more time after that because I distinctly remember being there in the summer. In any case... $47 is still a fair price for what you get there.

[TonyC]

By far it's Mako, with Toranoko's sushi bar a close second.

I don't "get" Kagaya, Sushi Gen makes me feel like I'm in a fish tank waiting to be gutted. For ramen, there's now Shin Sen Gumi, which I prefer over Daikokuya, and Kokkekoko is great if you love BBQ/grilled chicken.

[ns1]

yeah sushi gen has good fish due to turnover, but i feel like a number when i'm there.

[Petey McNichols]

I wasn't a big fan of Shin Sen Gumi, something about the broth. Somehow I still prefer Orochon although not a foodie favorite. I haven't tried Toranoko's sushi bar yet, will have to add it to the list as well as Kokkekoko, thanks!

[Porthos]

Kokkekoko is good but you only get the really good stuff if you're a "VIP" as desginated by your ability to get a bar seat and further designed by a black plate.

[yinyangdi]

I went to SSG expecting to be WOWed; I wasn't :(
If only the food matched the excellent service.

I wholly recommend Toranoko's sushi bar = DEE-licious! I always order fish from the specials page first and fill-in from the regular menu offerings, if needed. Oh, and the drink menu is really good, too. To name a couple of personal favorites: (beer) Echigo & Yebisu; (sake) Onikoroshi.
http://www.toranokola.com/menu/

[TonyC]

yinyang,

have you had the "omakase" at Toranoko's sushi bar? I'm really curious.

[yinyangdi]

tony
Yes, I have ordered omakase several times at Toranoko's sushi bar. It can get pricey, but I think well worth the $$$. Here lately I've had a hankering for simple nigiri so I've been ordering on my own.

-----
Aburiya Toranoko
243 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles, CA 90012

[J.L.]

Same experience here. Solid omakase.

[yinyangdi]

Oh, I forgot to mention that the omakase was different each time I ordered it. I don't enjoy taking notes while eating so can't tell you exactly what I had and when but can say with reasonable certainty that I have never had the same meal twice at the sushi bar. ;)

[TonyC]

Thanks for everyone's input re: Toranoko's omakase. So it's def $$$? ($100/pp++), or can I keep it ~$75/pp?

I love Mako + Toshi's in Lil Tokyo, but looking for a bit more variety.

[yinyangdi]

well, depends on how hungry you are and what kind of parameters you set, if any, and what's in season and so on …

I guess it wouldn't hurt to give the chef a budget if they don't have an omakase set course $, $$, $$$ or $$$$? For me, when I order omakase I just eat until I'm full and hand over my money with a contented smile. ;) Granted, I don’t indulge in sushi all that often these days, so I do it up right when the mood strikes.

[ns1]

kagaya if you have the money to spend (100pp after tax/tip). Truly epic shabu shabu. Actually more like a kaiseiki meal with shabu elements.

[soniabegonia]

Maybe you shell out the big bucks for one of the more expensive options or order a lot of booze but the last time i was there the regular beef was still $43. I rarely order drinks so costs me ~$60. Of course, you can quickly get in to $100+ territory if you go for the seafood or wagyu.
Oh, and I agree that Kayaga is the best option. I love everything about it - but I wouldn't quite go with "epic." Urasawa is epic. But then again, I would rather go to Kagaya 8 times than Urasawa once.

[ns1]

43 for basic beef, 56 for seafood, 50 for seafood mix a, 83 for mix b, and then it gets progressively more expensive from there.

Tack on 1-2 drinks + tip and it's easily 100pp.

Me and the GF didn't really save money sharing a main entree either, so next time we'd just order 2x basic 43 shabu's instead of the seafood mixes.

[Petey McNichols]

Try Sushi Gen (Sushi) this was my regular spot for a while, Mako Sushi (Sushi) also a great sushi spot but sometimes can be a little hit or miss, Kagaya (Shabu Shabu), Orochon (Ramen)

Non Japanese- Lazy Ox (Small Plates)there is also Toranoko (Izakaya) next door, Senor Fish (Mexican), Spice Table (SE Asian), Wurstkuche (Brats/Beers)

Bar - One Eyed Gypsy (Technically not in Little Tokyo but pretty close.)

Hope this helps! Happy hunting, Little Tokyo has a great mix and some really nice mom and pop spots that no one really talks about. The ones I listed are pretty well known and can be relatively busy depending on the time you go. Good Luck!