Absolutely amazing. Authentic Japanese food made with love. Everything made the experience great. Excellent service, cozy atmosphere. Everyone eating the food felt happy and relaxed. Ordered the Daichan special with option of chicken or beef teriyaki and I chose chicken. Special comes with shrimp and vegetable tempura and a croquet. Food was cooked very well but my favorite was easily the tempura. Such light breading and cooked to perfection. Next time I will order a whole side of this alone. 10/10 will come back again. Perfect for a light lunch or a bigger dinner! read more

Daichan - Sauces and Rice - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

See all

This was my second time going to Daichan, but unfortunately it will be my last. Never in my life have I been to a restaurant where the staff actually waved me back over to complain about the amount I left as a tip. 1 Star!!! Two of the female employees approached me about my tip and hovered over me, pressuring me to change the amount. It was a small restaurant, so this created a very uncomfortable scene and made me feel extremely pressured and embarrassed. A tip is optional and should never be something a customer is confronted or pressured about. After this experience, I have absolutely no desire to return. Honestly, they were lucky I left a tip at all. Very disappointing experience, especially considering this was only my second visit. I will not be coming back. read more

Cute little spot, with terrible parking situation. The food was good, sure. I mean, fresh sushi tastes pretty much the same in most places (if they're fresh) but I just really wished there were more fish for what you're paying for. They were not cheap, and you get such little amounts of fish for the price. The ladies who work there are nice, and attentive enough. This is not a huge restaurant so be prepared to wait during their busy times. read more

Daichan - Chirashi bowl - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

See all

Parking: street & meter (good luck! Street parking was so busy on today -- Wednesday) Price: $$ My fiance and I met with some friends here who recommended this spot, and we found that Daichan is a smaller, intimate space, and lots of people eating! The customer service was great, the food was yummy and fresh (I urdered the Unagi bowl), and I think I'd like to come back to try some of their other foods next time! read more

Daichan - Unagi bowl - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

See all

A true gem in studio city! This place is run by the kindest japanese ladies, so you already know it's going to be an authentic experience. The interior is very small and cozy so there is usually a line for dinner, but trust me-- it is worth the wait. We ordered the chicken karaage, tempura udon, miso soup, fish soup, gyoza, and the yellowtail maki. The chicken karaage was delicious. Juicy inside and crispy exterior. Everything else we ate was also just as delicious. Even the sushi was fresh and of great quality. My boyfriend and I were definitely impressed by the food but what really stood out to us was the service. We were too full to finish our tempura udon so we packed a couple pieces of the leftover tempura but left it on the table when we left. The waitress chased us halfway down the crosswalk just to make sure we took our leftovers with us. We will definitely be back to try their other dishes! read more

Daichan - gyoza, yellowtail maki - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

See all

Food was incredible, treated very warmly by the staff, and got plenty of help for our first time choices. GREAT sake options. I love their humble, yet highly decorated aesthetic. Seems like a lot of families enjoy this place! The kalbi beef was AMAZING. read more

Daichan - kalbi beef plate - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

See all

Expect bad parking and somewhat long waits, but its WORTH! Street parking is available but may take some time. Interior is SO cute and has many japanese knick knacks and a cozy feel. All food here is amazing. Never been disappointed by any dish. Everything is clean, quality and well done. I especially love their tempura and unagi rice bowl. I'll have to come back to try some of their more unique dishes like garlic baby squid or stuffed pumpkin. read more

Daichan - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

Ambiance: small dining area not more than 10 tables. We arrived around 7:30 an hour before closing. We had to wait nearly an hour to be seated. We didn't get to order until 8:40, it was insane! Some patrons were finished eating but continued socializing. I think the restaurant should start enforcing a dining time limit since it's only open for 3.5 hours for dinner time. The service was great though, they have about four staff working front of house and they're very efficient. They're also super attentive. Food: the food is reasonably priced. 10-pc of California roll is $11 and the 6-pc crunchy tuna was $16. The Soba with shrimp and veggie tempura is $18. Everything was delicious and well made. Despite the long wait time we'd return just for the food. Parking: there's a small lot in the front, in the evening there's a valet guy. It's $4 to service ur car or free to self park. read more

See all

Want a Japanese hole in the wall with authentic Japanese "soul food" and zaru soba noodles that I'd drive across town for (and do)? Daichan is your place. I've been eating here for over 26 years and it just gets BETTER, even though everything is familiar and tried and true. Yuka, the owner, is the human manifestation of a hummingbird, flitting about the restaurant making sure everyone is well taken care of. The seaweed fried tofu is delish, and as I'd mentioned, the cold soba noodles are the best I've had! read more

Had a reservation for 6 on a Monday night and it was packed! Glad we had resos especially for a smaller sized place. Delicious Japanese food with a condensed menu. We got the mix Poki, came with salmon, yellowtail & tuna. Portion is small, but also gave us the opportunity to try a few rolls. Greens were fresh but bowl lacked something.. maybe a sauce? The crispy tuna roll was delicious, and California roll was hearty- Mayo forward which I can appreciate. Service was a bit slow but probably due to us sitting down as the last table to fill the restaurant. Came here for a birthday, but no fun comps or anything for a 300$ table bill. I know it's not a given, but would have been nice of the ladies to drop a little something, something. read more

Daichan - Mix Poki 17$ - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

The food is delicious to atmosphere reminds me of eating in someone's home. The staff are kind and they really help make the environment friendly. There's four pages of food to choose from. All the dishes feel like Japanese homecooking comfort food. The line is always pretty long because it's quite a small storefront. You sign in on the paper in the front and wait for your name to be called. There's a few few seats inside to wait on a bench outside as well. The prices are pretty reasonable. There's valet parking in the shared plaza a lot. But there's also street parking available in the residential neighborhood. Next time we're in the neighborhood we would definitely come back. read more

See all

Hadn't back in a while. It's less homey and much more pricey. But still friendly, still hard to park. The food is still good, simple and authentic, but I miss the matriarchic waitresses I once knew. But all in all, 'twas our best time there since we chatted with Ryan Gosling pre-pandemic. Authenticity wins again. Long Live Daichan! 4.65 stars!!! read more

Came in for the pork katsu curry and left a fan. The cutlet is perfectly crispy, the curry is rich and cozy, and together they just work. Grabbed a canned iced tea to go with it and honestly couldn't have asked for a better meal. The staff was super friendly. Felt welcome from the moment I walked in. Did have to wait about 20 mins for a table as it's first come first serve but well worth the wait. The decor is so cozy and will def be back to try more on the extensive menu. If you haven't been yet, go.​​​​​​​ read more

5 stars isn't enough for Daichan. The food was incredible and the service was phenomenal -- everyone was so sweet and welcoming. We loved the sake sampler since it was a great way to try multiple bottles. My wife's Daimyo Chirashi was packed with an amazing variety of fresh fish and flavor, while my kalbi beef was perfectly cooked with the perfect sweet heat. The garlic squid was easily our favorite dish, and the mochi with dorayaki was the perfect dessert combo to finish the meal. 100/10 experience -- can't wait to come back! read more

See all

Went on a Tuesday night. Waited about 20 mins to be seated (you put your name on a clipboard inside and then wait outside because it is small). Ordered sake sampler, chicken katsu curry and daichan combination plate (tempura and chicken teriyaki). Sake sampler was fun - comes with little written descriptions of each one. Both were delicious. Great service. They also have mochi ice cream and some other desserts but we did not partake. I would like to try their sushi next time. Service was excellent. It is two doors down from Kazu Nori. Parking a challenge. We walked there from the adjacent neighborhood. read more

The ambiance of this restaurant and the staff's hospitality here is amazing. We got seated after closing time due to the wait but their service was still so great even after hours. The food was very fresh and light. My favorite was definitely the sashimi appetizer!! Would love to come visit again. read more

See all

We were at Daichan last night - first time in a long time! - and if I could give them 10 stars I would. Short story: food was excellent, service was impeccable, the place is very casual and comfortable and the price was reasonable. (Actually, better than reasonable.) Long story: they open at 5.30, and when we got there around 5.40 there was only one table available. Good sign right there. Our server was friendly and welcoming without being intrusive or overbearing. And boy - the staff here works really hard, but always with a smile. My wife had the garlic squid appetizer and mixed poki bowl. I had the fried tofu appetizer and the Daimyo chirashi (basically sushi served over rice instead of wrapped in seaweed.) We split three large bottles of beer. Although the place is small and throughout our meal there were people at the door waiting to get in, we never felt rushed or like they were trying to make tables turn over quickly. The tab was a little over $100 (we added a very nice tip). There are a number of reasons we hadn't been back to Daichan in such a long time, but for absolutely certain we'll be back very soon, and often! Thanks to the entire Daichan staff for giving us a really great Friday night! read more

Went with friends for lunch and I enjoyed the experience. We shared so that we could try different foods. I went to Japan last year and the authenticity of the restaurant totally reminded me of my trip. Loved the decorations on the wall and the friendliness of the staff. The food was super good. Wish I could have eaten more because it tasted so good but it was time to stop. I really enjoyed the curry and the kalbi beef a lot. Service was quick which I loved because I needed to get back to the place that pays my bills Don't live close by but if I was ever in the area again, I'd definitely go back to try more items on the menu. read more

See all

I came back for lunch for the first time in nearly 25 years, and it felt like stepping back in time. Since moving away, I hadn't visited this area at all. The interior is unchanged, the service is warm and welcoming, and the homemade Japanese comfort food is just as delicious as I remembered. You'd be hard-pressed to find another place in the Valley that serves hijiki (seaweed) rice so casually and authentically. read more

Daichan - Steamed Fish - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

Delicious Japanese izakaya food in a super cute setting with fantastic, extraordinarily friendly service. I can't wait to come back. We ordered the agadashi tofu, tempura udon noodles, and Daichan beef teriyaki special bento box. Everything was well prepared. The tempura was perfectly crispy, the beef was tender and flavorful, the udon was clean and filling. Pricing was also super reasonable. Definitely worth a visit! read more

See all

Daichan was a solid spot. The service was friendly and attentive, the food was good, and the prices were reasonable for the quality. Definitely worth checking out. Loved the hole in the wall feel! read more

See all

Came about a half hour before closing and put my name on the list, and they actually sat us AFTER closing time and were nice the whole time! The entire restaurant was full as well. Their decor is very eclectic, with Japanese cultural items covering every open spot, so it's very fun to just look around and see something new everywhere you look. I had the tuna katsu, which was very interesting, because it came in split bowls, one with the katsu itself, and one with rice/salad/sides/watermelon. I liked it quite a bit. Also, the waiter never let my water go below half, without me ever even asking. Overall, a very pleasant experience. read more

Daichan - Tuna katsu - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

First time trying this place 10/10!!! We both loved the Chicken Katsu Curry plates & the Deep Fried Oysters (sorry forgot to take a pic). The service was amazing and all the women who worked here are so friendly and accommodating definitely coming back next time! Make sure you get here at a good time because it gets packed quickly! We went right at 5:30pm when they reopened after their break and it was perfect. After we sat down, the restaurant was packed. So make reservations if you can't be there early! Beautiful ambiance surrounded by Japanese culture around the restaurant read more

Daichan - Chicken Katsu Curry - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

Very good! Had the California roll and the eel roll. People are very nice. Cute place. I'll be back. read more

Daichan - Yum - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

We have been coming here for 30 years. It's been our secret gem and our son's favorite place since he could talk. Feels like a home away from Okinawa for us and a little slice of Japan in Studio City. We can not get enough of their baby garlic squid, eel bowl, Daichan sashimi sets, agedashi tofu and Katsu dishes. This is the ONLY place outside out of Japan my son will devour natto with a quail egg. An un pretentious institution that should last forever in LA. read more

Horrible experience. Ordered most expensive Sushi bowl hoping to get a meaningful amount of sushi. No. A minimal amount or Razor thin sushi on a huge mound of rice and lettuce. LETTUCE!! Not in a bowl, ON A PLATE!. When they brought the plate over to the table, I thought "thats not our food. It was. We had to order 2 more dinners to satisfy our appetite. Total rip off. Never going back read more

The ambiance and food here is very homey, just like it says on the menu, "Japanese Soul Food". This is where it's at. The Fish soup, the garlic squid, and the Yakisoba noodle with chicken (Ankake Style) reminds me of something my mom would make at home and we're Filipino. It's comforting because it makes me think of my mom and the random things she would throw together to put something on the table to feed us at times. Other things that we got: Stuffed lotus root, Spicy tuna, Chicken gyoza, and Unagi (eel) rice bowl. Everything was delicious, no complaints here. I'd order everything all over again and again. The wait is hard if your blood sugar is running low, so expect to get hangry but know that the wait is worth it. I've always had this place bookmarked on Yelp. I didn't know it was right next to Kazu Nori and Avi Cue both delicious places to try as well. I would always see this place is just as packed with people waiting to eat here, now I know why. If you didn't know, now you know. Try Daichan and support little businesses. read more

See all

The highlight here is the ambiance. This small but cozy restaurant transports you to someone's home in the Japanese countryside for the short time that you spend here. Unfortunately, the food doesn't match in the comfort department, which is what we were hoping for. We started with miso soup, which was great and tasted homemade, especially on a rare rainy day. We had the chicken teriyaki combo, which came with rice and ponzu for dipping. We also shared the chirashi dish, one of the more expensive items on their menu. The combo dish came out first and it was pedestrian at best. No char on the chicken and the sauce was bland. The tempura was better but a little on the heavy batter side. The chirashi dish was disappointing. An upside down bowl of sushi rice on a plate with an assortment of thin pieces of raw fish of the chef's choice. A few were decent, a few were not. Visually unappealing as well, however the sushi rice was well flavored and perhaps the best part of the dish. Service was friendly and efficient. There were many other items on the menu to order so perhaps we were just unlucky but I don't think I would try it again. Unfortunate because the atmosphere is beyond, which can be unusual for restaurants in LA. read more

Daichan - chicken teriyaki and tempura combo - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

Daichan is incredible! It's super cute on the inside and feels very authentic. We got the udon with tempura, tuna tataki, and the katsudon - both were amazing, so fresh and the real deal. We'll definitely be back a million times more to try everything on the menu. read more

See all

We got the curry katsu chicken plate and it was one of the best i've had! Chicken was very crispy and the curry was a sweet, umami curry with mild spice. It came with cantaloupe, edamame, and soft carrots as a complimentary side dish. Ambiance was very traditional to Japanese decor with warm lighting, props, and paintings all over. The food took a minute to come out but waiter was very attentive. read more

See all

Came here to celebrate a birthday on a Monday night. It was a full house. Glad we came early - around 5:30pm when they open for dinner. Sweet friendly servers (family run business) shared that the restaurant has been around for 30+ years. They must be doing something right to hang in for that long - and to have a packed house on a Monday night! The dining space is not too big but comfortable with lots of authentic Japanese decor. Like going to grandma's house if you're Japanese. Food was delicious. I ordered the sukiyaki. Very flavorful but no broth like most other restaurants. Nevertheless, it was quite tasty. Others in my party ordered tempura & soba, curry, and udon. I would recommend the tempura & soba or curry. The udon had lots of veggies mixed in which made it more homemade (ie toss in any leftover veggies - lol!) Great place for locals who don't want to cook but want to enjoy some authentic, home style Japanese cuisine. read more

I've been eating here with my parents since I was 5 and we lived near Universal. My husband and I moved to Studio City seven years ago and frequent this spot. The food is and has always been top-notch. The restaurant is family owned and the ambiance is really special. I've alternated my ordering through the years, as my 5-year-old taste buds could only really handle chicken teriyaki and tempura udon. As an adult, I have enjoyed cold soba, unagi rice bowls, chicken katsu curry, tofu katsu bowl, stuffed lotus root, and inari. My husband swears by the chicken katsu curry and spicy tuna rolls. Great atmosphere, warm service, and love-filled homestyle cooking, what's not to like! read more

Came here for dinner and it did not disappoint. Small restaurant so there might be a wait but it's worth it. Friendly staff and the food came out in a timely manner. To start I ordered the fish soup with veggies & glass noodles. Along with the Chicken Katsu curry & tempura. Everything was delicious. If you've traveled to Japan & want Japanese comfort food that's similar, look no further. There were so many other menu items that I look forward to trying next time. 10/10 read more

For three people we ordered the following: - chicken karaage - chirashi bowl - Saba broiled - tempura udon The Karaage was absolutely fantastic. Perfectly balanced in every way. Might be the best I have ever had. Not because it had some wild stand out feature but it just shocked me that it was light yet crispy and the sauce was so interesting. Not too strong but flavorful. Wow. The chirashi bowl was great--they were very very generous with the ikura. The other pieces were thick and had great variety. The Saba was delicious as well. The tempura udon was good but you really gotta jump on that tempura asap so it doesn't get soggy. The udon noodles and broth were excellent and nourishing. Service was timely and we didn't wait at all since we were the second party when they opened at 12:00 on a Saturday. The two ladies who served us were so cute in their mannerisms and their announcing each dish as they brought it, very precious. The decor and furnishings are so cool and interesting, it creates a great atmosphere and also serves as great conversation pieces to look up or get curious about the different art or decor. After tax and tip we ended up at $34/person which is incredible value. read more

See all

Food 4/5: the tempura was very crunchy but I felt like the actual shrimp meat wasn't a lot. Udon was very chewy and I liked it but I felt like it was not extraordinary. Service 1/5 we made reservation beforehand and still had to wait 30 mins to be seated. So I wasn't sure why we needed to make a reservation. Ambiance 3/5: small but loved the wall art. read more

See all

Food was good, service kind and respectful meaning they didn't rush us! It was very busy during the week... always a good sign. Seems family owned in how they treat the customers and themselves--- really nice. Ambiance was ok, simple. If you're looking for really posh this isn't the place. I felt at home and comfortable. read more

The food is excellent. But the service is incredibly rushed. It's hard to catch your breath while you're trying to order because the pressure to do everything fast is unpleasant. read more

Delicious food, nice quiet atmosphere, and really excellent service. 10/10 Will definitely be coming back here.

This is literally the best kalbi beef I've ever had in my life. I want to bring everyone I know with good taste here!

This place has lovely decor, and it's cute and intimate (if loud at tables near the door) - but the menu screams 2002 (when it was founded) and the food is godawful. Tuna katsu was garbage - thick katsu, with tasteless meat inside that might have ben tuna, though I couldn't prove it. Came with a salty curry sauce that inexplicably came with wild rice with chunks of carrot, two edamame pods, and a slice of watermelon (!) Black cod was the worst I've ever had in my life - not at all delicate, quite "fishy" in taste, and miso dressing that didn't taste like miso. Hotpot tasted of salt and bonito. Fish cakes were overcooked, other items were undercooked, broth was uninteresting. Natto had appropriately slimy texture (yay!) but zero taste, and the waiter asked if I'd ever had it before. Tempted to give it 1 star because it's outrageously overrated here, but the price was reasonable, and it did have attractive decor. But ugh. read more