The food is great and the service is excellent. Would love to come back with friends :) read more

Chubby TAN - Beef tongue with short rib combo - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

Food and services ( Esther very helpful, she explained for us menu very detailed and clearly) are excellent, highly recommend and will come back. read more

Food was great and Caleb made it even better. The tongue was so tender. Definitely would return read more

Chubby TAN - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

Our server Taylor was great, super friendly, detailing explaining the menu to us. Given us great recommendations. The meat was really good, except for some tendon that makes it really hard to chew. Only complain is the soup and curry was way too salty. read more

If you're a fan of the beef tongue combo at the Japanese market food court in Costa Mesa, you might want to give Chubby Tan a try. It's a bit more affordable now that the market combo has climbed to around $35+ The beef tongue itself was thick, tender, and clearly good quality. However, I was hoping for that smoky charcoal-grilled flavor, and unfortunately it just wasn't there. Mine also wasn't served the way I expected--it was only partially cooked and it's cold quickly instead of arriving hot with a nice rare center. The meat quality was excellent, but it lacked the flame-grilled aroma that makes beef tongue so memorable. The curry was flavorful, but it overpowered the taste of the tongue rather than complementing it. The soup was also a bit too salty for my taste. One thing I found frustrating was the QR code ordering system. Even something as simple as requesting a salad refill has to be done through the QR code. Then I found out side dish refills aren't included unless you're a member, (which kinda over priced 2.99 for tinny bowl ) Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience with good service and quality ingredients. That said, for a bill of over $50 per person, I expected a bit more. I'm glad I tried it, but it's probably not somewhere I'd return to regularly. read more

Chubby TAN - Combo A . Thick Tan - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

Excellent wagyu and So-So service! Fresh ingredients, beautiful presentation, and every bite was amazing. read more

Chubby TAN - Combo # - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

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I was super excited to try out this place because I love beef tongue! Since they recently just opened, I think there could be room for improvements in terms of the quality of the food. Our group all got the Combo E for the short rib however we noticed we all had different platings and quality. For the short ribs, mines was cooked more medium versus the rest of my group had more medium rare- with obvious bigger pieces. Sure, it might be weighed meat so it wouldnt matter, but visually it looked portioned differently. The beef tongue on the other hand.... was VERY difficult to bite down onto. I had to use my hands to rip the meat off- while my partners piece was very tender when we traded a piece. Upon closer look, it did look like the beef was cut with the grain instead of against. I also stumbled across social media feeds, and saw that the bar seating had the grilling aspect to it. We were seating by the window so I had no idea this was an option. Kinda disappointing paying the same price for a lesser experience. Additionally they feature the curry and soup having many pieces of wagyu- but we all recalled having one or two bites. The cherry on top was when we found out that only one membership would be allowed a discount per visit. Despite 2/3 people in our group having memberships, the manager only allowed one discount- even if we offered to do split checks. We didn't really get an explanation why? But I just thought it was kinda wack to pay for a membership that doesnt even work. Nonetheless, the meats were seasoned well and the sauce was good so I did enjoy the set overall. I believe that the quality control could be better with time so I will be sure to come back and try again. read more

Chubby TAN - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

As someone who normally avoids beef tongue, I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed Chubby Tan's gyutan. The ultra-thick gyutan completely changed my perception of beef tongue--it was tender, juicy, and flavorful without being overly chewy or having the gamey taste I usually associate with it. We ordered the Combo D Ultra Thick Gyutan & Japan A5 Finger Meats Wagyu Set and the Combo C Ultra Thick Gyutan & Classic Gyutan Set, both of which were excellent. The premium cuts were well-marbled and delicious over the charcoal grill, which added a subtle smokiness that elevated every bite. One of my favorite additions was the pasteurized egg topping. Mixing it with the grilled meats created a rich, velvety texture and added an extra layer of umami that made the beef even more indulgent. Beyond the food, the charcoal grilling experience and cozy ambiance made the meal feel special. There's something satisfying about grilling high-quality meats yourself while enjoying the warm, inviting atmosphere. Servers also help you cut and grill the meat! If you're hesitant about beef tongue like I was, Chubby Tan might just convert you too. I'll definitely be coming back for that ultra-thick gyutan. read more

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If you have the membership, then I think this would be really worth it if you bring friends. I got combo D which came with the ultra thick gyutan and the A5 finger meats. The finger meats were really but I think the short ribs were my favorite. We had a membership so we ordered extra sides (free with the membership). Without the membership, I don't think this is worth it. It's just a one time experience. The salad was my favorite side. read more

Chubby TAN - Combo D - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

Made reservations for Chubby Tan soft opening for Wednesday 5/20/26 845pm on yelp. Arrived around 830pm, plaza still busy but was able to find parking. Check in with the host, few minutes later was seated at the bar table. The host explained everything about the menu throughly, since I'm a Chubby plus member also got discount on the sets, A5 meats, and unlimited sides. I decided to order Combo D ultra thick gyutan and Japan A5 finger meats Wagyu set with a lemon soda, and also an extra order of A5 short rib later on. The ultra thick gyutan- It was so good, Tender and amazing flavor. Theres instructions on how to eat the beef tongue, first to try it as is, then lemon, yam, miso and with curry. My absolutely favorite was with the miso and least favorite was with the yam. 5/5 Japan A5 finger meats Wagyu- this was absolutely my favorite and a must order. The a5 finger meats were tender, fatty, and I love that it's glazed with a yakiniku sauce. So good with the house salad and white rice. 5/5 A5 short rib- It was close to closing time, so they didn't have enough short rib for me, so Matthew hooked it with up another plate of a5 finger meats on top of whatever short rib was left. The short rib came out with wasabi. It was tender, flavorful and bomb. 5/5 House salad- fresh, tasty dressing, goes well with the meats. 5/5 Gyutan curry- bomb curry 5/5 Beef tongue soup- it was cool, could of done without it 4/5 Lemon Soda- kind of cool you get to squeeze more lemon into it. I might of squeezed too much and made a bit bitter. 4/5 Yuzu sorbet- end of the night, Matthew told me its kind of melted, so he hooked it up with an extra scoop. It was good, great way to clean the palate and end the night . Refreshing, not too sweet or sour, can taste the yuzu. I would order it again.4/5 Overall I had a great experience, the beef tongue was good, the finger meats were my favorite. Shout out to waiter/waitress Caleb, Tracy and Matthew, you 3 were awesome, always checking up on me, great customer service. Thank you Matthew for hooking it up with the extra plate of A5 finger meats. Definitely will be returning! If you are a fan of beef tongue, highly recommend trying the Ultra Thick Gyutan. read more

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Got to check out Chubby Tan during their soft opening in LA. They're serving up some thick and delicious wagyu beef tongue. Since it's still soft opening, reservations are required. They're part of the Chubby Group, so you already know they're serious about what they're doing. Came on a weeknight around 8:45pm and it was still busy. The menu is pretty focused right now, which I like because it feels like they're really dialing in their core items. We ordered two sets, one with the thick tongue and regular tongue, and another with the thick tongue and A5 short ribs. They cook the meat to about medium rare, then bring out a hot plate so you can finish it to your liking. The beef tongue is definitely the star. Thick, juicy, and when you sear it a bit more on the hot plate it gets that crispy edge which makes it even better. Each set comes with sides like curry, salad, beef tongue soup, and rice. We upgraded one of the rice bowls to the ikura and egg rice which was really good and worth it. If you're part of their Chubby Plus membership, you get discounts and unlimited sides which is a nice perk. Service was great. April took care of us and she was super nice and welcoming. Overall I really enjoyed the meal. The meats go so well with rice, I could easily eat multiple bowls. Definitely looking forward to coming back. read more

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Overall: I normally don't write poor reviews, but for the price I am paying, it's disappointing. The lack of attention from servers, the little amount of food for the price all contributed to this rating. Service: 0 stars. Service was extremely poor for the price I am paying for the meal. Even though we had a reservation, we waited 15-20 min before we were seated. After seating, our server did not even come over to us. I noticed he would come over to explain the menu to others but he completely ignored our table. We had trouble waiving down a waiter for a water refill and ended up not bothering. Didn't feel like we were taken care of at all. In addition, food came out super disjointed. My partner got his food first and I had to wait 5-10 minutes for my food. My partner wanted to wait for me to get my food but due to the nature of the food, it was best to eat right away so it wouldn't get cold. I understand this is still a soft opening, however, I find it ridiculous the lack of service I got at this restaurant for the price I paid. Food: We ordered Combo D & E. The Gyutan was very chewy and stringy - they advertised this as super tender and I didn't find this the case at all. I had trouble eating it because it was very chewy. The A5 Short Rib and A5 Finger meats were good, but not amazing. I've had A5 Wagyu before and this just tasted like good cuts of meat but definitely not A5 Wagyu quality. Salads have very little dressing, just a splash on top. Soup was nice and warming. Curry was just curry - nothing really special. Ikura & Egg Bowl - It was good, nothing wow though. Overall the food was just OK. I don't know if I got my hopes up because they said it was super tender and good, but Price: for the price I am paying - about $40-50 per set, this is not worth. The set comes with rice, soup, and curry. I was still somewhat hungry after the meal and very unsatisfied. You can get unlimited sides if you have the membership, but I don't find the membership worth it if you don't go to any Chubby Cattle restaurant often. The Atmosphere: Restaurant is very small - with small tables for 2 people or bar seating. This wouldn't be a good place to bring a large group. The styling was nice though. Parking: In Jamboree plaza which can be very crowded during weekend and evenings. Parking can be difficult during peak times. read more

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The ultra thick gyutan was outstanding! The outside was wonderfully seasoned, grilled to perfection. Next time, I would only order this because it is such a star of the meats! However, all the other meats were very good, it was just out stood by the thick gyutan. I had the classic gyutan, A5 short rib, and wagyu karubi. The wagyu karubi had a delicious flavor in the sauce. There was sauces that compliment the meat that comes with each combo. I suggest to first take a small bite of the meat with lemon, then take a second bite dipping it in the yam sauce, and while chewing add the wagyu sauce in your mouth. This gives you three different unique tastes per meat piece. Don't forget if you want an extra kick, add some chili powder that is on the table. I really enjoyed that there is also a hot skillet in front of you to reheat or cook your meat more. I am a slow eater, so I very much appreciated that I could regrill my meat and not feel hurried to eat it right away. I was able to have the thick gyutan as my last bite, still hot and flavorful! If you get a combo, it includes a salad, bowl of rice, curry and wagyu soup. I got a double order of the soup because it was tasty (make sure to stir) and the salad. The salad was very fresh and the citrus salad dressing was refreshing. The curry was simple - they should add more bigger vegetables in it. If you are a chubby plus member, you can get complimentary extra sides. End your meal with yuzu sorbet. So refreshing. Ambience reminds me of Japan, but more spacious and the kind service was there. I liked how it was bar style and we can watch the food be prepared and grilled. The servers were so sweet, smiled while serving and telling us about their menu. Is this good for a date? Yes! My picky date wants to come back, lol. Not good for big groups, better for pairs. read more

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Soft opening but we were lucky to get a reservation for today! They do encourage signing up for their Plus membership which gives you unlimited soup, salad, curry and birthday meal. It is a cheaper annual fee for the first year and we were able to get a nice discount for our meal. They're known for their beef tongue but both mine and my husband's were too salty. The fingermeat he ordered however was absolutely delicious! Tasted even better with wasabi (extra charge) and yuzu soda. They are quick to respond to refill orders for the sides and service was friendly. Caleb was very nice and explained the membership in detail with no pressure. The meat itself looks small but it was very filling especially with the unlimited sides we got with our membership. We were too full but next time we want to try their desserts and hopefully the meat will be seasoned better to taste. read more

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Loved the gyutan! The beef tongue was tender, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. They use mono cut. Great service and a cozy atmosphere. Definitely worth a visit if you're looking for something unique and delicious. read more

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Having been to the original in Japan (whether this is a licensed spin-off or a copycat, as I no longer see the branding of Gyutan no Lemon), I had pretty high expectations, but ultimately it's fine, though nothing particularly impressive here. The classic beef tongue was a bit sad to receive. I would not recommend any combo that offers this; either focus on the thicker portion or get a combo with one of the other meats. The thick-cut beef tongue was good, but it was a tad bit cold (almost like someone let it rest too long). Otherwise, no complaints. You get unlimited sides with a membership, and for the most part they're okay, with the exception of the soggy rice. The biggest letdown was the ikura egg bowl, in which both the ikura and egg were awful. The ikura tasted off, and the egg just made the rice even mushier. This could be just a soft-opening thing, but I would never get this again until reviews say otherwise. Otherwise, I'm happy to have a thick-cut gyutan place in the area, but I hope the experience is better next time! read more

Chubby TAN - Combo c - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

I really want to give Chubby Tan 5 stars, but there were a few things that I couldn't get over. That said, everything else was pretty good for a new Chubby experience. Interior/Location The location is great, the parking (as expected for the shopping center) can be tough, and the inside of the restaurant is themed well. Having the bar surround the prep area is an interesting choice, but I'm not sure if it did much for the overall experience (as in, the place was already nice). Service Hard to comment on this since I went for a tasting during (or maybe it's right before?) their soft opening, but everyone was very cordial. There was some of the new restaurant chaos going on, but a big shout out to all the staff doing their best to be professional. Caleb was our server and did a good job explaining the different courses and helped us decide on how to order. Food The quality of the food was pretty darn good. If you like Beef Tongue (Gyutan), you're going to love this place. I had the luxury of sharing both the special beef tongue and the regular beef tongue with my +1 and they both were awesome. The soup was also REALLY tasty and something that I wish other Chubby locations carried. Last but not least, the add-on for roe and an raw egg over your rice was surprisingly tasty. Gripes/Comments For the price point, I was really disappointed that most of the food came out cold. There is a hot plate with aluminum foil on it placed in-front of you that you can use to heat up your meat (and/or cook it more), but for the portion that comes out, it's tough to understand why it would come out cold. That said, I can get over that. My biggest gripe has to be that the rice and the curry came out cold, over multiple side dish re-orders. The flavor of both was good, but there's just something really disheartening when you're served cold rice and curry alongside cold meat. Overall, it the flavors are pretty good but there's for sure some growing pains/learnings for a brand new restaurant. Fingers crossed the team can hit their stride soon! read more

Chubby TAN - Combo A - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

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Came here for the soft opening and we ordered two combo sets. One set had two kinds of beef tongue - thick cut and thin cut. I paid extra to upgrade my rice to ikuradon and it was perfect. We got another set which was the thick cut gyutan and a5 finger meat combo. It was really good too and a great option for folks who are not super into tongue. We also got a side of a5 short rib to share. Food took a while to arrive but that's to be expected at soft opening while they work out the kinks. Service was great. Restaurant is pretty small so I would imagine the wait could be crazy when it fully opens! read more

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I am willing to give Chubby Tan another shot, but my first visit on opening day left a lot to be desired. I want to be fair since opening days are notoriously rough, but there are some things here that go beyond first day jitters. Chubby Tan is supposed to be a direct homage to Lemon Tongue in Japan, but the execution feels like it misses the mark in a few key areas. For starters, the price point is noticeably higher than what you would pay in Japan, which would be fine if the quality matched up. Unfortunately it does not quite get there yet. The beef tongue was overcooked, which I later realized is because it is precooked and then left sitting in a steamer, so by the time it hits your plate it has lost that tenderness that makes the dish special. That is a process issue that needs to be addressed. There were also some other things that caught me off guard. There were egg whites on the rice which felt out of place, and when we got refills of the curry and soup there was no wagyu in them, only the initial serving had it. Small details but they add up. The seating was also surprisingly cramped, somehow even smaller than what I experienced at the original location in Japan. I genuinely do not know how that is possible but here we are. On the membership side, I have both the NFT and Chubby Plus and ran into a confusing situation. The NFT gets you 10% off while Chubby Plus gives you a flat 8 dollar discount. Since nothing on the menu exceeds 80 dollars, the Chubby Plus discount is almost always going to be the better deal, which makes the NFT perk feel pretty pointless. I do not think they fully thought through the membership structure and it needs a rework. Like I said, I am willing to come back and see if things improve. But right now there is a noticeable gap between what this place is supposed to be and what it currently is. read more

I seen this establishment advertised on Instagram for quite some time, and since we weren't sure what to eat, we decided to give it a try when we happened to see Chubby Tan right in front of us. We asked the server for their most popular item, and he recommended Combo D (a5 finger meat and beef tongue). The service was good, and the staff were attentive throughout our visit. However, they were very persistent about getting us to download their app and sign up for a membership. We were asked multiple times, and even after declining, the server continued to push it by saying things like, "You don't want to save money?" While I understand they are promoting their rewards program, the repeated pressure became uncomfortable and took away from the dining experience. The staff was probably instructed by management to push customers to download it. I also didn't like that they required a phone number to place an order. We ended up requesting to order without providing our number. As for the food, the beef was overly sweet for my taste, and the beef tongue was just okay, not really a wow factor. It tasted cold and we needed to grill it again? The curry tasted like packaged curry from the market. Overall, the experience was decent, but the aggressive promotion of the app and membership, combined with the average food, made it difficult to fully enjoy the visit. read more

Chubby TAN - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

First time here and the experience was great! I think they have opened not long ago. Order two different combos that pair the beef tongue with different types of other beef. The beef tongue itself is very tender, like how there's a little grill pan in front of you that you can grill it more to your preference if you're seated at the bar. The set comes with lots of side dishes as well. We are a chubby group member, price after membership discount is pretty decent, will come again! read more

Chubby TAN - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

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I was looking forward to dine at Chubby TAN as it serves thick cut gyutan beef tongue. I was somewhat disappointed. The gyutan was only okay. Both the gyutan and the soup were not hot. Given its price point, both items need to be better prepared. I suspect many items on the combo set were pre-made. Each seats there is a small heat pan for customers to grill (or to warm up their entrees). The reason given a three stars was the service. Each staff were helpful and patience. read more

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Came here on a Wednesday night but the wait was almost an hour. This place is very small with not enough seating. The food and services were great. We ordered the thick tongue set and an additional order of Waygu beef. Liked both. The beef broth was really good and ended up getting an additional order. read more

Chubby TAN - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

Very disappointed. The food was ok, customer service was not professional. Customer service is not professional. We were served by a asian male server at first and were told that another server would come to explain everything to us. We waited around 15 minutes and nobody came. We finally decided to place an order of combo C. When we tried the rice, it was uncooked. So we asked the server to replace it, the second Rice was much better, but still not very well-cooked. The thick cut was very chewy. It is very hard to eat. Curry tasted like the curry block that you can get from a Japanese market. Somehow our salad sauce was different even though we ordered the same menu. read more

Chubby TAN - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

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Caleb was an amazing server. He explained everything very well. Food was good. Thank you! read more

Chubby TAN - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

The wait was about 1.5 hours, which seems pretty typical for Chubby locations. The layout is unique and pretty cool. I'm a big fan of beef tongue, so when I heard about this place, it was a definite yes for me. The combo plates run about $40+ definitely on the pricier side, but worth it. Our waitress, Ester, was super friendly, and so was the rest of the staff. They took the time to explain the best way to enjoy the food, which made the experience even more enjoyable. read more

Bar seating + BBQ grill = perfect combo Keeping the beef tongue warm and cooking a little more whenever we want. The beef tongue was so tender! It was even cheaper with my friend's membership, plus unlimited side refills. We also met a chef can speak our hometown language. The waiter was nice and friendly read more

Chubby TAN - Come A - Thick cut beef tongue - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

There's a saying that higher expectations often lead to greater disappointment, and unfortunately that was our experience. The service was acceptable, but the food quality did not justify the price. We ordered Combos D and E with high expectations, especially for the Japanese A5 Wagyu. Since we were seated by the wall and did not have our own grill, cooking the beef tongue felt like a gamble--it was either undercooked or overcooked. More disappointingly, 3 out of the 5 pieces of Japanese A5 Wagyu contained excessive tendon, making the meat extremely difficult to chew and enjoy. Also as you can see, the appearance of the meat were disappointing from the moment it arrived at the table. It's a $48 combo but the presentation and quality were far below expectations and certainly not worth the price. read more

Chubby TAN - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

This is a new restaurant in Rowland Heights, and we decided to give it a try at around 6:00 PM. We were seated within about 10 minutes, which was reasonable for dinner time. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and attentive throughout our visit. The restaurant has a modern, upscale atmosphere that feels professional and well-designed. As expected, the prices are on the higher side. The food was well-prepared and tasted good. I ordered a combo meal, but the portion was not quite enough for me, so I ended up ordering additional items. One thing I did not like was the membership pricing system. Non-members pay significantly higher prices, which made the meal feel much more expensive than expected. I understand businesses want to reward loyal customers, but the price difference felt too large and left me with the impression that I was being penalized for not having a membership. Overall, it was a good dining experience. However, considering the price point, I was expecting a bit more in terms of value and portion size. While I enjoyed the food and service, the experience did not fully meet my expectations for what I paid. read more

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Caleb was our server and he was super informative about the menu. Our dinner was really good and the beef tongue quality was premium. Thick, rare and juicy. The beef tongue soup was really light but savory. The salad was refreshing. The curry and rice was really good. Rice texture was great. Also loved the curry and rice topped with tororo sauce. Definitely coming back! Everything was really fresh and tasty. The restaurant feels like you're in Japan. read more

Amazing food, simple choices from 6-7 combo and great services. Don't I wish for bigger place since this pace seems to cater quick lunch set menu and their sitting are minimal. Let's talk about food, we had combo A, D and E with side order of Ikura rice and 12 pieces extra tongue. I can't find anything wrong with their dishes even my family love them all. Perk being a member is you can get discounted combo and free side dishes, which is extra rice, extra soup and curry. Keep it up guys special commentary for Esther who help us when the yelp reservations screw up (we live over an hour away) so she fixed it and she help explain all perfectly. And Caleb out serves also guide us in the ordering process and explain which cut and give recommendations to fit our preferences. Keep it up guys and tell the boss, to open bigger and more of this Guy Tan spots. Maybe in San Fernando Valley area since they opened one at Topanga Mall already. I knew 1st floor of their spot is available read more

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YUM! Dinner set A is where it's at. If you love beef tongue, you'll definitely love chubby tan. Never in my life did I think I can stuff a mouthful of beef tongue in one bite until today. Quality of meat is truly A+ here. Also loved the grated yam - such a nice touch and very reminiscent of Japan. The rice is chewy and fluffy and the salad was delicious and fresh. The miso soup was very beefy and the curry also had chunks of wagyu beef too. The yuzu sorbet was a delicious way to end the meal - we liked it a lot more than the matcha. Service is super fast and friendly. The ambiance is a very fun, open kitchen concept. There is one gender neutral restroom. I will definitely be back if I want to treat myself or my boyfriend to another delicious beef tongue experience read more

We waited about 1.5 hours, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Just a heads-up: the last seating is at 9:00 PM, so if you're still on the waitlist after that, they won't be able to seat you. We ordered Combo A and Combo C, along with the ikura bowl. Everything was absolutely amazing! I also tried the lemon soda, which was very refreshing but quite sour. Our server, Matthew, was excellent--attentive, friendly, and always making sure we had everything we needed. Despite the long wait, the food and service made it worth it. We'll definitely be back, though next time we'll plan to arrive closer to opening rather than near closing time. read more

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Stopped by Chubby Tan during their soft opening. I am pretty satisfied with the service and quality of food at the resturant. The overall setting of the resturant is pretty chill where I like the grill pan that you can reheat the meat or cook it a bit more to fit your own tasting preference. The meal set portion is pretty large. Overall; I would recommend to give Chubby Tan a try if you are in the area. read more

Chubby TAN - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

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Reservations only to dine in and must be made thru yelp, while the Chubby App has no reservation link available like they suggest on the banner and website. You dont find out until you show up. The restaurant is half empty. No chubby membership benefits other than slightly lower price. Until they accept walk-ins and stop being pretentious with all the available seats at the bar, the review remains a hell no-go. Especially at $40+ price points. read more

Chubby TAN - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

I visited alone during the soft opening last week. After I sat down, I noticed the server greeted the customers around me and explained the menu to them. I wasn't sure if he just didn't notice me coming in or if they were understaffed with only one server, but I was the only one who didn't get greeted and introduced to menu selections. It didn't really bother me though, so I just scanned the QR code to order. They put a lot of effort into creating a Japanese restaurant atmosphere, and the staff energetically shouts a Japanese welcome every time a customer enters. While their enthusiasm is encouraging, the host's volume at the door was a bit too loud--to the point of being startling and a little awkward. I got Combo B and added an extra side of Ikura Roe Rice. When the food arrived, I noticed that the white rice shown in the combo picture was missing. I asked the server, and his explanation was that because I had already added the Ikura Roe Rice, that side order replaced the white rice included in the combo. I was so confused. Shouldn't it be an additional order adding on? To them, this wouldn't be an issue for members because white rice and other sides come with free refills, but for non-members, it means having to spend another $3 just to buy a bowl of white rice. I think this is completely unreasonable because the other items included in each beef tongue combo are meant to be eaten with white rice, while the Ikura Roe Rice should really be enjoyed on its own. On top of that, one of my thick-cut beef tongues that day was so gristly that I couldn't chew it at all. After I brought it up to the server, I really appreciated the restaurant's response--they were willing to grill a new batch and gave me three extra thick-cut beef tongues to make it up. I found them to be very generous in this regard, which definitely deserves praise. The taste of the beef tongue is not that bad but not enough impressions of wow. However I do like the idea of having the mini grill in front of customers to heat up the beef tongue just in case it gets cold. The total for this meal, including a roughly 15% tip, came out to $78. I'm not entirely sure if it was worth the price, and I'm on the fence about whether I'll return. While it's a shame, this will most likely just be a one-time visit for me. read more

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My bf and I came around 8pm on a weekday so the wait wasn't too bad. The ambiance was nice, cozy, and honestly one of the better parts of the experience. I got combo E with the thick gyutan and A5 short rib while my bf got combo C with the thick gyutan and classic gyutan. We also ordered a lemon soda to share but it was nothing special. You're basically paying to squeeze the lemon yourself while staring at a cup that's 90% ice. Unfortunately, my thick gyutan was where things started going downhill. Compared to my bf's order, mine was clearly overcooked. The meat was already cold by the time it reached our table. Since we weren't seated at the bar we couldn't even throw it back on the grill to warm it up. The table also felt cramped for 2 people and didn't leave much room once the food started coming out. If you're coming here, do yourself a favor and ask for bar seating. The thick gyutan was tender in some bites but overall lacked flavor. The bigger issue was the inconsistency. 2 out of my 3 pieces were EXTREMELY chewy, to the point where I literally couldn't bite through them no matter how much I chewed. I even had my bf try one because I thought maybe I was being dramatic and he spent a solid minute pulling at it with his hands just to tear off a bite. Meanwhile, the thick gyutan in his combo was perfectly tender. Maybe I got the bad end of the cut but for the price that level of inconsistency was unacceptable. The A5 short rib in Combo E was fine. Not bad, not amazing, just... there. The classic gyutan was easily our favorite item of the night but even then I'm not sure it's worth coming back for. The portions were also surprisingly small considering the high prices. The sides were hit or miss. The soup was flavorful, the salad had a refreshing dressing, and the miso sauce was surprisingly good. The curry was also pretty good but a little salty for my taste. As for the yam sauce, it was straight up slimy goo that tasted like nothing. Since we have the membership, most of the sides came with free refills, which was nice. What wasn't nice was getting charged almost $1 for a squeeze of wasabi. At these prices, I wasn't expecting to have to budget separately for condiments. The only thing that really saved the experience was Caleb. He was attentive, informative, and easily the highlight of the night. If I could give separate ratings, Caleb would be getting five stars!! Overall, this place felt like more hype than substance. I love their other Chubby's concepts but this one was definitely a disappointment. Between the inconsistent quality, small portions, cramped seating, and high prices, I'm not sure what all the hype is about. read more

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I went during the soft opening. Caleb was very good and explained the menu to us thoroughly before letting us decide on what we wanted to order. It's mostly bar seating with Japanese pop playing in the background. It's nice because you get to see the cooks and chef as they're cooking the tongue, but every time I saw an order come out, I also wished it was mine. The portion size isn't too large, but also didn't feel too small either. I left more satisfied than I thought I would. And sides are refillable with Chubby Plus membership if you're still hungry after finishing what you start with. Definitely suggest trying it at least once to see what you think of it. read more

Chubby TAN - Lemon soda - Japanese Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

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One of the best beef tongue in Rowland heights! Loved their combo E and combo C, where they offer half of the beloved beef tongue and other waygu beef options! Chubby group has the best waygu in the states! Loved their service too! read more

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I am a big fan of beef tongue and was so excited about this new restaurant with good reviews from Yelp so I have to give it a try. Their service is good but the beef tongue does not meet my expectations. I will drive to Costa Mesa for my beef tongue dishes. read more