Overall impression: Everything we tried was excellent -- no complaints at all…read more Food highlights: We ordered the octopus sunomono, crispy gyoza, seared marinated mackerel, hard shell clam, fried chicken, and mentai cream hotpot. · The fried chicken is among the best we've had in LA. · The gyoza and mentai cream hotpot are absolute must-tries. Service: Attentive and genuinely doing their best -- very solid. Ambiance / decor: A bit dated, but practical and comfortable.

If you are looking for an authentic Japanese Izakaya with good quality food, this restaurant is a…read moregood option. They have plenty of comfortable seating and the food options are varied enough to satisfy most people in your family. We were seated quickly on Mother's Day night but I did have a reservation. The Akatsuki Special Hot Pot with Chicken Soy Sauce was very nice. It is a bit pricey but we did share it among 3 people. It has a good combo of pork belly, meatballs, mochi and veggies. We would have chosen the Spicy Miso Butter soup base but one of my daughters doesn't like spicy food. I highly recommend getting the Udon Set with it. We only got one since my daughters are not large eaters. My husband ordered the Grilled Yellowtail Collar and he said it was very good. The size was so large - it was a really good value. But the star dish of the evening was the Crispy Winged Gyoza. We ordered that at the end and only got 6 pieces. It is perfectly crispy, with a really tasty filling and the dipping sauce is to die for. Next time we will order the 16 piece set. Sadly we were so excited to eat everything I forgot to take pictures of our food. But we'll be back for sure!

The hearts are super tender! Order:…read moreHearts Liver Special shiro (special pork intestines, really good if you like intestines!) Shishamo (on the special menu) Ika yaki (think of like a deconstructed takoyaki without the carbs) Chicken meatball Chicken thigh Gizzard was also very good Duck Cartilage Chicken oyster Beef tongue (only alright compared to other spots) Pork belly with shiso Tail Everything was super tender! Would come again! Heart, gizzard and special shiro we ordered more of! Food was so good that I didn't take any pictures haha

the line sucks . i am not sure i'd wait more than 20 minutes for this but im honestly just…read moreimpatient, so if you are here on a weekend or something you will need to get in line or be ready way before. if you go at lunch on some random tuesday it'll probably be ok, and i've done that. the food is excellent. the interior of the place isn't anything noteable but not dirty or anything but don't expect a fancy restaurant. that said, once you are seated and ordering its great yakitori

The best yakitori spots in the southbay, prices are a little bit on the higher side compared to the…read moresurrounding yakitori but oh so worth the it. The inside is very sleek modern dinning vibe. They have bar and tables seats. The menu is very vast and have all the yakitori staples. I've eaten most items on their menu and each one is incredible and juicy. The smokiness is tastefully done and isnt over powering. The atmosphere is very upscale for a yakitori restaurant so a nice place for dates or a birthday. This is one of the restaurants I always recommend if someone is asking about good places to eat in the southbay!

You + me & yakitori!…read more If you're looking for a cozy February night out, Hasu Japanese Izakaya and Grill has the perfect Izakaya vibes. It has great food, friendly service and a warm atmosphere. For Valentine's Day, they had a complimentary drink for all the ladies. I enjoyed the refreshing drink that they offered. It was fruity and sweet and went well with the yakitori we ordered. Among the skewers we ordered were Chicken Thigh, Chicken Heart, Chicken Meatballs, Pork Belly, Pork Belly with Okura, Kobe Style Beef, Oyster Mushroom with Truffle Oil, Zucchini, Potato and Duck and Green Onion. We also ordered a Yaki Onichazuke as well Shochu Yuzu with Soda and Cream Soda. From the skewers, my favorite were the Chicken Thigh, Chicken Meatballs, Oyster Mushroom with Truffle and Pork Belly with Okura. The skewers were perfectly grilled and were full of smoky and savory flavor. The meat was tender and juicy. I also enjoyed the Cream Soda. I loved the sweet, fizzy and creaminess. It had the right hint of vanilla. Last but not least was the Yaki Onichazuke. This consisted of a grilled rice ball in homemade chicken soup, green onions and dried seaweed. The chicken broth was heartwarming and flavorful. It enhanced the crispy yaki onigori. It was the perfect bowl of warmth and umami. Hasu Japanese Izakaya & Grill offers comfort food elevated! I really enjoyed the little skewers that were perfect for sharing and over drinks and conversation.

Back again. I remembered they have a great BENTO BOX, so that's what I ordered again and…read morerecommended the same for my friend. We had a great time here on a Saturday afternoon. The food was as great as I remember and although the restaurant had plenty of people, we didn't feel rushed. Everything was delicious from the sashimi, tempura, fish, nishime and chicken karaage. The bento box also comes with potato salad, udon and gohan. When I'm in Gardena, this is my choice for Bento Box... You literally get a little of everything!

Kotohira was a little crowded when we got there at 5pm, Saturday for dinner but luckily we got…read moreseated right away. We haven't eaten there for a while, mostly ordered take out, so it was nice to sit inside and enjoy a good meal. We ordered the tenzaru set with soba noodles, somen salad and my father in law ordered the mini Tendon set with soba. Service was pleasant and the food delicious. Parking can be a challenge but if you get there early, you shouldn't have a problem.

Premier find for excellent Japanese cuisine. My girlfriend and I came here for an early Saturday…read moredinner after a day on the water in Long Beach. When we arrived luckily there was no wait and were sat immediately. Luckily it was only a couple moments before a party of maybe 12 arrived behind us for dinner. Our host and server were helpful and efficient. We quickly scanned through their menu and decided on their combos (pork cutlet and tempura) Our trays of paradise quickly arrived and looked beautiful! ( see attached for reference ) i loved the balanced presentation and blend of flavors. Each tray had some miso, a 4 bite California roll, some rice, soba noodles, broth, wasabi and ginger. Mine came with some dipping sauce for the tempura. Considering the amount of food I was very satisfied. The tempura was gorgeously crafted with semi thin crisped batter, and a decent amount portioned. I was mostly amazed by my girlfriends pork plate. Their crisp cutlet had beautifully made with an easy crunchy exterior and soft tender pork savory to taste. All elements complimented each other perfectly. Their soba was also good quality and a nice touch to an already balanced dinner. While I was exactly stuffed after dinner, i was still impressed with their entree presentation, quality of food, calming ambiance and great service.

Small, traditional feel, Japanese restaurant in Gardena. I wide selection of food to choose from…read moreincluding lots of sets which I love. It's like a mix and match of chicken, tempura, soba or udon, with rice, salad and miso. I love those types of options and this place does that well. We went on a Sunday for lunch. Busy! You just stand in line. No reception or list. I think that's awkward. Need something to manage the wait. It's odd. Service is friendly. The food can take awhile to come out. It's also not the type of place where they will check-in on you or refill your water. You have to yell out. Big parking lot with lots of stores to shop around too.

This place is so cute and the service was amazing! Our server was very attentive and kind and was…read morevery fun to talk to. The food here was exceptional. We ordered another round of the beef tongue cause it was just. that. good. The chicken thighs with the green onions were also good. I probably wouldn't order the meatballs again, not because they were bad but the other things were just soo much better.

A solid four stars! Maybe more ... just be aware that despite the name there no robots to be found…read morein the restaurant. Not that I was fooled, but I did wonder a bit. It's a nice yakitori place. A tad pricey. Great food, but not as raucous as Shin Sen Gumi - more of a nice place for a date vs a very casual have some chicken heart and a pitcher of beer place. The karage chicken was different than a lot of place as it was give a more unique flavor than chicken tenders with a lemon. Service was politely, friendly and not intrusive. Parking was convenient and easy. Finding the place was a bit tricky as the sign is a bit subdued. It's at the point of the interior buildings.

I literally picked this place as it was in the middle of who I was meeting. We've all never been…read morethere. Saw some pics via yelp and figured there was a lot to choose from. Parking: you can either park on the street, if there is parking; or park in the lot where h can enter from the back of the restaurant. Get there before 5 to grab a seat because the place fills up QUICK. Inside is small and narrow. If you're not a big eater, share a dish. Their portions are HUGE!! Biggest plates I've seen for a Japanese restaurant. The servers there work hard and try to be quick as possible. I would definitely come back here.

There is so much to choose from on their menu. I had the sashimi and croquette combo which was so…read moregood. Service was good too. I'm assuming they were busy prior to us arriving as the floor was still dirty with chopsticks and napkin still on the floor and there was rice on the chair.

It takes a lot for me to be blown away when it comes to food and this place was it for me. Our…read morefriends introduced us to this place and it was spectacular! The ambiance is great, not so loud and the vibes are perfect for night out with the girls or even date night. We came in a group and just ordered family style but I started off with the Beef BBQ Yakiniku salad and it was so delicious I didn't share this particular plate it was so flavorful. Their Gobo Chips are a must along with their Doteni Braised Beef Tongue and that was my favorite so simple and that bite was perfection. Their chicken and green onion skewers those were finger licking good the chicken was so tender. We finished off with the Shabu shabu hot pot and that broth was so flavorful and all the cabbage, spinach and noodles were great! Everything we had was delicious and can't wait to go back and try some other items. Their customer service was great, we were a group of 6 and everything came out quick and we were able to enjoy our tasty food and drinks.

Made a reservation several days in advance because this place is usually hard to walk into, but…read morewhen we arrived the restaurant was not really busy and even walk-ins could have been seated easily. What was most disappointing was how rushed the service felt. About an hour into the meal, staff repeatedly tried to clear plates that we were still eating from, and we had to tell them more than once that we were not finished. After asking whether we wanted more drinks and hearing that we were fine, they brought the bill almost immediately, which made it feel like they were trying to push us out. Meanwhile, other tables that arrived before us were still comfortably dining and talking. We had also ordered more than enough food--honestly more than several other tables around us--so there was no reason for our table to be rushed out. Most restaurants typically allow at least a two-hour dining window, yet we ended up leaving in just about one hour because the pressure to leave was so obvious. Ironically, the food was actually excellent, but the staff's behavior completely overshadowed the meal and made it hard to even remember how good the food was. Since this was noted as a special occasion, the experience felt especially disappointing. Rather than feeling welcomed, we felt pressured to leave. Would not recommend this place for a birthday or any special occasion.

Otafuku is well known for its variety of soba and yakitori dishes, though the entire menu looked…read moretempting. I ordered the hot seiro soba with Japanese mountain potato. Note that all of the soba toppings are priced separately, which can make the dish a bit expensive. That said, we added shrimp and scallop tempura, and it was absolutely delicious. For yakitori, we tried the chicken wings and the chicken meatball. The meatball was amusingly served as one giant chicken-sicle! The wings had great flavor, though the skin was a bit too fatty. My husband also ordered a pork cutlet bowl, and we shared a sashimi plate with scallop, cod, salmon, and two types of tuna. Everything was incredibly fresh and delicious. We also shared the jidori egg and seaweed salad. Out of everything we ordered, my favorites were definitely the sashimi, the shrimp and scallop tempura, and the jidori egg. They do take reservations, but when we visited on a Sunday night, we were lucky enough to be seated right away. Dining here really felt like being back in Japan, and we'll definitely return.

Easy eats soba noodles in a low key space…read more Went for a Friday evening dinner - would recommend RSVP'ing but was able to walk in. There is a parking lot in the back but would recommend street parking as it gets pretty cramped in the lot. Vibe feels like an old school mom n pop Japanese restaurant - relaxed and welcoming. Was sat immediately - ended up ordering the hot Seiro soba, some shrimp and veggie tempura, and a beer. Everything was light, but filling and tasty. Noodles disappeared pretty quickly - definitely enjoyed it, as well as the broth. Tempura was also very well cooked. The shrimp tempura wasn't sad shrimp, they were sizable. Two meals were about $65 ish all together - not bad. Would come back!

The only izakaya that I regularly visit while im in town. The skewers are so good and plenty of…read moreother 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

Right next to one of my favorite omakase spots is this amazing authentic yakitori place and it's…read moresuch a gem! It feels like a clean, modern take on those classic market‑style yakitori stalls. If you sit at the bar, you can watch the single grill master working right in front of you, turning out perfectly cooked skewers one after another. Chicken seems to be the star here, with tons of different cuts and variations to try. And whatever you do, don't skip the yaki‑onigiri! Just make sure to order it early since it takes a bit longer to prepare. Overall, a fantastic spot with great vibes, great food, and an authentic yakitori experience you don't see often. A must‑try! FYI - apparently Ohtani rented out the whole restaurant a week before my arrival!