Such beautifully decorated restaurant. There are tiny little accessories everywhere, it makes me a bit anxious Everytime I go as it it very easy to crash against something. Most of the Sushi rolls I had here were delicious, resonally priced at ~$9/roll. I did not enjoy and thought the portion of fish was tiny on the Poke Bowl ~$14. The seaweed was overpowering the flavor of all the others ingredients. The best, no doubt about it, is the Pork Cutlet, it is perfectly cooked. So crunchy and tender. Marinated just right with sushi white rice and a small side of lettuce. ~$9 The line is normally pretty crazy, just 7 tables inside. Make sure you sign in before 9pm -that's their closing time. I will keep coming back! Cheers read more

The best of the best! This place is as authentic as it gets! Owners are the sweeetest people you will ever meet. The vibe is very cozy and charming. The fish is fresh. Such a great experience!!! read more

I've been spoiled by a restaurant in New York that I won't mention by name (*cough* momofuku *cough*) when it came to noodles. Their noodles were so freaking amazing I have dreams about them from time to time. Having said that, I think their house udon noodles were good. If I could give 3.5 stars I would. The chicken was a bit off so I stayed away from it. Udon noodles and broth were good after I added some spice to it. Albacore roll was actually really good. Overall a very positive experience. read more

Daichan - House udon and an albacore roll in the back - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

I love this place so much. I had come here a couple of years ago with friends and then I forgot about it. Until we were back in Studio City and the restaurant we had originally planned on had a line and long wait time (cough cough Jinya Ramen Bar cough cough) which led to some annoyed Yelp searching and me remembering about Diachan and how awesome it is. It's cozy and full of Japanese art and knick knacks. The staff are all friendly and cheerful and make you feel welcome. The menu has a lot of options so there's something for everyone and the portions are hearty. It was chilly on the day we went so I had the Nabayaki udon which was delicious, very well seasoned and hearty with lots of noodles and meat. They have a great selection of teas and they just keep on refilling the pot! Love that. I wish I hadn't been so full because I would have tried something off their dessert menu (steamed cheesecake what) but maybe next time. It truly is a comfort food place and we left feeling warm and full. Now that it's back on my radar, I'll be back for sure! I think the only "negative" thing I can say is that I wish they stayed open later! They are only open till 9pm. There's a lot to park in but I think it's only valet at night. We got lucky and found some parking on the street though. read more

A friend of mine took me here for lunch a while ago and its become one of my go-to restaurants if I'm in the area. The interior itself is quite unique! I find myself ordering the same thing over and over again, but overall, the menu has an extensive variety of Japanese food. The service awesome; very polite and very welcoming. I recommend getting here early as there is usually a long wait. I can't wait for my next visit back! read more

Every time I visit Sugarfish next door, I always see loads of people waiting for a table at Daichan. I finally decided to give them a try last night after work. First things first, parking can be a bit tricky. They offer $5 valet and residential parking is not allowed after 8PM. Your best bet is finding a metered street spot, which is free after 8PM. We made a reservation but there were plenty of tables so we had our choice of where to sit. Daichan can best be described as a small Japanese restaurant with a diner feel, friendly staff and unlimited knick-knacks covering the walls and shelves. Their menu isn't fancy and the dishes are simple but there is no lack of flavor. They have an impressive menu of sake at reasonable prices. We decided to start with two different sake carafes - hot and unfiltered cold sake. For appetizers we ordered miso soup (served without a spoon and urged to be sipped) and seaweed salad. Their seaweed salad is not the fluorescent green stuff you get at other sushi restaurants. The dark green kelp is served atop fresh greens with a lovely tangy sweet dressing resembling ponzu. We were hooked already. I of course stalked their Yelp page before visiting where I was mesmerized by their many different Chirashi bowl variations. Feeling adventurous, I opted for the Daimyou Chirashi with tuna, salmon, snapper, yellowtail, squid, scallop, albacore, mackerel (aji), unagi (eel), & ikura (salmon roe) on sesame sushi rice served w/ egg, green onion and dry seaweed. Instead of typical sushi rice, I paid the extra $2 for their Hijiki Seaweed Rice with seaweed, carrot, pine nuts, sesame seed and sweet egg. Worth. Every. Penny. My boyfriend got two rolls (eel and salmon) which each came with 10 pieces for a total of $16. I almost wanted to tell them they should raise their prices because the food was so delicious and I felt like I was getting a bargain. Sugarfish's rice is by far superior, but the warm inviting experience we had at Daichan will keep us coming back for more soul food inspired Japanese fare. Menu: http://losangeles.menupages.com/restaurants/daichan/menu read more

Daichan - Daimyou Chirashi Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

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7 years and counting, Daichan! And I still love you more and more each day. The food, the staff, the atmosphere. You are honest, true, and wonderful. Soul food is accurate. Because you pour your hearts and souls into everything. You are the best!!!! read more

First time here. Found it by accident. We were originally going to go to Sattdown Jamaican across the street but they were going to close soon. So we walked over, and saw that it was packed. We wrote our name down and waited maybe 30 min. Although the place is small, they have enough Japanese inspired decoration to make you feel like you're in Japan. I asked my Japanese friend if this restaurant felt like an authentic restaurant in japan, which he quickly replied "no". However, the food and the Japanese ladies seemed very authentic. But what do i know, I've never been to Japan. Once called, we were seated and quickly served. The waitresses are very friendly and will answer any questions you may have regarding the quite large menu. They seemed to have it all. We started with some beers, some tempura and miso eggplant apps. For entrees, we had the fried chicken plate, the eel plate, and the egg & chicken plate. The presentation of the food is quite humble, but the portions and flavors make up for it. Everything tasted home-made, in the best way. We all enjoyed our meals, the service, and would definitely revisit soon. read more

I ordered the unagi bowl and it was delicious! Also really great customer service. Pick up was well organized and fast. Can't wait to come back :) read more

Mouth watering delicious! The waiter/host was very knowledgeable with the items on the menu. He was so helpful with us newbies and so patient. Thank you! If you are a newbie like us, pleaseeeee try the udon and some fried chicken over rice with eggs and veggies (can't remember the name). We will definitely be back! read more

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A group of friends and I went to this Place. It's a hole in the wall, very traditional looking. We all ordered the sushi (so small!) which was the pretty yummy for the smallest roll I've ever had (8 bucks). This was all fine until it was time to split the bill. When we asked if they could do it, they said no and had us individually sit there and add up each total. Mind you, I had asked for separate checks and the waiter said this was fine. When we decided to leave a 15% tip, they came after us in the parking lot(also a nightmare since it's shared valet with Sugarfish!). They wanted a 20% tip. So know if you go and don't leave a generous tip, which they don't really work for, they will chase you to your car and demand you tell them read more

Daichan shares a parking lot with Sugarfish, so you can imagine it might be a parking nightmare. We came around 6:30 pm on a Saturday night and we're turned away by the valet. We found street parking in the residential area, but it begins restrictions after 8pm. How frustrating already... There is nothing special about the food and flavor profiles at Daichan considering there was a 30-45 minute wait. For dinner, we ordered some appetizers (about $5 each plate) and some rice bowls and udon noodle soups ($10-15 each dish). On the positive side, nothing was overly salty; on the down side, everything tasted bland unless there was ponzu or tempura sauce paired with the dish. Even the 'original poke bowl' was like a weak version of a Korean 'hwe do bap'. The dessert was the worst! Be warned--steamed cheesecake does not come out warm. And the cream puff was soggy. Lastly, the service was weird. Someone would refill our glasses of water, but the pitcher would run out and the waiter wouldn't return to refill the rest of our waters! And the food didn't all come out at the same time. The one who ordered the poke bowl had to wait almost 10 minutes after everyone else received their dish. Sorry, not impressed at all. Not sure if I just went on an off night. read more

This restaurant is definitely a looker. There is so much going on inside that it gives off a gift shop feel, but I appreciate the detail that went into it. I didn't know what to expect when I came here, but to my surprise there were a lot of people waiting to eat here. It was nice that there was outdoor seating for people to wait. I ordered a udon and it was alright. I wasn't a big fan of it because the broth wasn't super flavorful so I dumped a bunch of the chili flakes, which made it a lot better. I also ordered the croquette and it was amazing. It reminded me of the one's that I got in Japan. My friends got a roll and one of the bowls (I forgot the name of, sorry haha), but they seemed to enjoy it. I think I just got an off dish, but I really love the authenticity of the place. The workers were so sweet. However, parking is kind of tough and it was $5 for valet, probably because sugar fish is in the same plaza. I would choose this over sugar fish tho!! read more

Fantastic authentic Japanese food. Don't waste your time with Sugar Fish which is a few doors down. This place is delish! I ordered the fried seaweed tofu and Udon. Bother we're amazing. The servers are wonderful and very attentive. If you love great food, fun/funky decor & supporting small local businesses this place is for you. read more

I have been eating Daichan for over a year now and can say this is the REAL Japanese food. It doesn't get more authentic than this, I eat here literally 3 times a week and can't get tired. Owner Gary is awesome and always caters to your request, if he can make it he will. Honestly from fish to chicken cutlet curry everything is good. I haven't really had anything I didn't like. One month ago I decided to lose weight, Gary and his wife have been working with me and pretty much making each meal custom and I lost over 15 pounds now. If it's your first time definitely recommend trying their curry, it's fire! read more

Amazing Japanese restaurant, they have sushi/Sashimi but they also serve a slew of other authentic Japanese dishes. The service was amazing and everything we ordered was fresh and tasty. I will be coming here over and over again. read more

High expectations were letting me down. On the basis of great reviews, I decided to try the restaurant on a weekday for lunch. We ordered Tonkatsu plate from Lunch menu and 2pcs sashimi bowl. Our dishes took a long time to serve what I expected even though there wasn't very busy that time. Tonkatsu meat kept apart from tempura batter and steamed vegetables were flavorless. Sashimi bowl was good but not outstanding compared to the price. Valet parking service was $5. read more

Daichan - 2pc sashimi bowl - $14.50 - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

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Just a wonderful neighborhood spot. Always reliable, always tasty. I crave the chicken katsu curry.

Poki before Poki was cool. Billing themselves as Japanese Soul Food, Daichan has been around since the mid-90's and those added decades of experience make a world of difference. Fresh fish, fresh seaweed and ask for the Hijiki seaweed rice. They have a huge menu and my girlfriend swears by the a lot of the noodle dishes and appetizers but the 15 years I've been going there, I've only had the poki. I love sushi but Daichan is my go to restaurant. read more

This place is so warm and inviting and the food is extremely good, authentic and (from what I can gather) natural. It feels like you're eating at an old Japanese couple's cozy apartment, and the menu has a lot of unique items including delicious seafood and soups. It's not super cheap but definitely worth it for the quality. read more

It is truly magical when order a simple dish you've had a thousand times at a thousand different restaurants that always tastes practically the same only to have your tastebuds completely blown out of the ball park by one amazing little restaurant. I don't think I can eat a salmon roll at any other restaurant. Hands down the freshest and best tasting salmon I've had in my life, as someone who is a big sushi lover. My partner got the chicken curry and that was also incredibly good. Service was absolutely fantastic as well, our waitress was too kind. Prices are pretty good, especially for the superb quality. We finished everything off with a tempura ice cream, cheesecake, and a red bean pancake which all were fabulous as well. Can't recommend this place enough. read more

Went for dinner for the first time - and I loved it. It made me feel like I was back in Japan. Everything we tried was so good and fresh and service was polite and typically Japanese. I have to make it back soon and to try everything in their menu. read more

They get 1 Star for the FOOD only. I didn't really liked their food at all!!!! Their costumer service is GOOD and the place looks very nice! other than that.... I'll just pass. read more

This place is such a gem! We been coming here for last 5 years and this place never disappointed us. The food, the service - it is all good.

Think of Daichan as your super-cozy Izakaya-like restaurant. Really fresh, delicious and authentic dishes! The food here is very good, the service is excellent, and the decor and ambience is really charming. The menu features very common and simple Japanese dishes, and a huge sake menu is available. I enjoyed the large selection of appetizers and starters, and the menu features several "Don" rice bowl entrees. I ordered Agadashi Tofu (fried with seaweed and a light dashi sauce), Chicken Karage (sort of like chicken nuggets with a hint of ginger) with a delecate sweet soy dipping sauce, also I ordered the Unagi-don (Eel), and all of it was fantastic! Highly Recommended!! read more

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customer service is exceptional super friendly staff and food tasted great, i got the hotpot and tea!!

Great customer service and great food. The Katsu Curry is amazing and I will definitely come back!

Excellent food and atmosphere. This place reminded me of a local izakaya in Japan - the decor and staff are genuine and the food quality matches. There's usually a wait so come off hours or prepare for a wait. read more

Had been waiting a long time to try this place. Finally got the chance and brought a couple of friends from out of town with us. I have to say I was not that impressed. Everything was good but not special. At least not for us. Oh well. read more

Your house udon soup paired with the simple but exceptional tuna cut roll is currently my favorite meal, period :-) As always the service and food is consistently friendly and delicious with an inviting and comfortable ambiance. Thank you! read more

This is my most favorite Japanese restaurant in the world! I love everything they have! Unlike other Japanese restaurants in the area, this place is the real deal: authentic; ran and prepared by Japanese natives! Tempura is to die for! I'm a tempura fiend, so when I say I love their tempura, I love their tempura! There are times when I'll be craving their tempura multiple times a week. One thing I don't really enjoy with Daichan is that they're not open as long as I want them to be :'( Their awkward work hours aren't great for someone who works during the weekdays. I only find myself having time to go on the weekends, and even then, sometimes my hours don't work. read more

Excellent service.....very authentic Japanese style food....all server speaks Japanese.....reservation is recommend or else is a long wait.... 17 more years since open....fresh sushi and fast cook ! I only waited like 10mins to be served with everything we ordered.... read more

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This place never disappoint. Great costumer service and the food is delicious. Tried to go to another restaurant but couldn't get in, that's what I get for trying some place else. If you are close by definitely check Daichan out! read more

This is the best Japanese I have ever had. It feels like you're visiting a friend's house for dinner. The service is efficient, the hosts are friendly and genuinely happy to see you, the ingredients are fresh and top-quality, and the food is out of this world good. After having eaten at Diachan every other place is a letdown in comparison. I literally love everything about this place. They are almost next door to another "Famous" sushi joint and you would have to be crazy to eat there instead of at Daichan. There is no comparison. You owe it to yourself to check this place out. read more

After spending the entire day at Universal Studios, we forgot one very important thing... DINNER... Craving for Japanese, a Yelp vicinity search turned up Daichan as being the top option in the area. Problem was, it was creeping up on 8:20 PM & Daichan closes shop at 9PM. Though we were just a short drive away from Universal, parking on Ventura Blvd SUCKS... Daichan shares a puny lot with Sugarfish (among other shops), with all parking up/down Eureka Dr. stating No Parking/Tow-Away Zone between the hours of 8PM-6AM. Wonderful... I did see a valet booth just outside the lot, though sign on their podium stated "Sugarfish", so I didn't want to risk it... I ended up driving up & down Ventura for a good 10/15 minutes, until I finally saw a spot open up within the strip-mall. Issue was, I was now at a green light on the corner of Ventura & Eureka drive, awaiting my left turn & yielding for oncomoming traffic. My heart was pounding, praying that none of the cars shooting down Ventura were going to veer into the lot... Just when I thought all was clear, an oncoming car swerved into the turn lane towards Eureka (though now at a Stop-sign). I GUNNED IT onto Eureka, while the car intentionally threatened to T-Bone me, honking its horn even though "I" had the right of way... PRICK... Pulled into the only available spot in the lot, waited a few minutes for my adrenaline to stabilize (assuming Mr. Road Rage wasn't going to try anything funny), then walked into Daichan (line out the door) to put my name on the wait-list. 15 minutes to closing, though lucked out that the sign-in sheet was still available. One of the employees made a quick round with all those waiting to cross reference with the list, then closed it out (mine being the LAST party). Whew! Now that the exhausting experience of searching for a place to park & playing Frogger with my car was over, I was finally able to sit back & enjoy the ambiance & decor, consisting of an eclectic mix of Asian artwork, paintings, pictures, fans, figurines, etc... As a result, it didn't give off a typical restaurant vibe... Felt like I was in someone's home, or even back at my Parent's house in Monterey. Not quite as cluttered, though very, very close... There was literally so much going on with the walls, it kept me occupied (time flying) as I waited for my name to be called... Restaurant itself is very cozy, though still able to squeeze a decent amount of folks inside, with overflow seating at a handful of tables just outside the door. We were escorted towards the right-rear of the restaurant, with artwork as well as kabuki masks plastered within arm-reach from our table. Without ever taking a bite or looking at the menu, I was totally digging this place already... Onto the menu... First time visit, rarely in the area, so my selection? I requested the server pick (2) of their more popular items; 1 being the Nabeyaki Udon & the other being the Daimyou Chirashi (Sushi Bowl). Wife opted for the teriyaki chicken bowl & (3) sides of shrimp tempura... Order was placed with a very pleasant, younger server, with food dropped off by an older EXTREMELY Friendly & adorable female server. She poked a little fun when she found out 75% of the items being dropped off were just for me. Definitely livened up the table with laughter... As far as presentation, both the Udon & the Sushi Bowl were very well staged. Sashimi draped across the rice was fresh & colorful. The udon was served in a Nabe, with a single shrimp tempura floating atop the broth & noodles. I was overwhelmed with visual & aromatic stimulation so basically flipped a coin & sampled the Udon broth first (which did not disappoint). Just a dab of shichimi togarashi was all that was needed to give it that slight, missing kick... Sashimi was very fresh, rice cooked perfectly & the mix of nori strips & ikura couldn't have paired any better... Both dishes were an absolute hit & I cherished each bite, dreading (though inevitible), finishing either... The wife (though enjoying her chicken teriyaki), wasn't entirely blown away (basically diced pieces of chicken white/dark, mixed with teriyaki sauce served atop steamed rice). Nothing spectacular, though still decent nonetheless... Though we didn't order dessert, icing on the cake was definitely the service... Business appeared family run, with parents/children running the show. When I requested to take a picture of a paper umbrella with origami cranes of assorted sizes dangling like a wind-chime, one of the owners proudly stated that their son (also a server) had crafted this beautiful work of art... (kind of tugs at your heart-strings, don't it?) Odd walking out of a restaurant following a first time visit, only to feel like you've known the owners for years... THIS is what they've done well... They are dubbed as Japanese Comfort Food which couldn't be summed up any better... Excellent food, Excellent Service, Beautiful Decor... Truly feels like home. read more

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For looks alone, I really like this place. It's kinda kooky, all over the place and decorated with interesting choices. It kind of reminds me of a few places I've been to in NY and in SF, so this was a good thing. However, the food just wasn't really a home run :( Since it was the middle of the afternoon and neither one of us had eaten lunch, we figured we'd just order some snacks as not to kill all hope for eating dinner later. We went with the cucumber and seaweed salad to start with and it was... warm? This seemed odd. You think cucumber and seaweed and expect to bite into something chilly, but not the case here. The flavor was good, but it just felt like biting into an apple, expecting an apple and having it be an onion. Weird. Or kinda like taking a girl out, getting her home and then realizing she's a guy. See, not so much. We then moved onto the pork ball, meatball things and they were super sweet. They were plopping in liquid with tofu and after a bite or two, I was over it. Just didn't resonate with my senses. We then tried the fried stuffed lotus root and yum! It was like a donut. Definitely on the sweet side and tempura battered and it was yummy, I think I liked this the best. Finally we ended the experience with a scallop and what we thought was a spicy tuna roll and these were so dry and bland and boring that they really almost weren't worth eating. Major bummer. I love scallops and order them wherever I go, but this one, newp,. Save your money and your appetite. Other than that, the can of green iced tea was decent and the lady working here was really sweet. I think I would try it again and maybe order the udon or something. It's so close to home that it seems a waste not to give them another go. We shall see. For now though, meh, I've unfortunately experienced better. read more

You know you read too many reviews when you order take out from a restaurant you've never been to and from a menu you've never seen. "Hi, I'd like to order a poki bowl?" Now, I didn't really know what a poki bowl was - I had only read about it on the reviews - but I knew it was some combination of rice and fish that most yelpers seemed to rave about. But what EXACTLY was a poki bowl? I had no clue. I expected a bowl of Japanese rice and fish - What I received was Japanese awesomeness in food form. Yes, it was a bowl of rice and fish, but it was marinated chunks of tuna (I think it was tuna sashimi in some kind of soy/ginger sauce) on a bed of fresh lettuce and pickles, all atop a bowl of steamed white rice. It was a perfect light lunch and totally satisfied my urge for simple Asian food - and at $13 for the bowl, I wish I had ordered another one for dinner. Parking in their lot is a bitch - there's probably only enough room for half a dozen cars in their lot - but it's so worth it. read more

The food always looks fresh and delicious, thoughtfully prepared. My boyfriend and I have never been disappointed by the cozy ambiance, great food, and great service! read more

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This place become my favorite Japanese restaurant. If you're craving for authentic Japanese dishes, Daichan is highly recommended. Give a must try on Nitsuke black cod and Unagi bowl!!! read more

Daichan - Japanese Near Me - Studio City, California

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After arriving almost an hour late due to my very first LA directional mishap my original lunch plans with Shauna D were off. The spot had closed. But, Daichan was right next door so we stepped in and took our chances. And it was actually a pretty good turnout. I had the albacore poki bowl and shared the fried tofu wrapped seaweed and gyoza appetizers with Shauna. All of the food was really fresh and flavorful and the service was great so it made for a very pleasant meal. I also really enjoyed the walls that are completely covered in pictures. There is something entirely entertaining to me to dine under all these random watchful eyes. And they have little candy corner where they sell Pocky and lots of fascinating (to me) sweets. I don't know that I'd ever make a special trip out this way just for Daichan, but it was a great option when we needed one. read more