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    Happa Restaurant

    4.1 (215 reviews)
    Closed 5:30 pm - 11:00 PM

    Happa Restaurant Photos

    HAPPA RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Happa Restaurant

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    Reviews With Photos

    Happy Hour Menu
    Sean F.

    Finally made it to their Thursday evening happy hour from 4-7pm with a small group, and let me tell you - what a steal! Just $10 for karaage chicken, edamame, AND a cold draft beer? The food was unexpectedly good- so fresh and flavorful! We couldn't stop there, so we ordered the gyoza and chashu fried rice too. Both were good. Parking is a little difficult. Go to hotel parking and wait till gate opens. Otherwise park across street at Little Tokyo Central.

    Kalbi Beef Short Ribs
    Jin L.

    Celebrated my birthday here and made reservations a week ahead. The table assigned to was on the older dated side of the restaurant. There was a large party reserved on the newer remodeled side. Besides placing "Baby in the corner!".. the food and service made up for it! We started off with the Happy Hour Special for $10, Beer, Edamame & Karaage, followed by breaded scallops, deep fried squid legs, chicken cartilage & agedashi tofu. All good! Perfectly seasoned and the breading was nice and crispy. For our mains we chose Kalbi & Rib-Eye on sizzling platter. To finish off we chose the Curry special Monjayaki. It was a fun experience making it on the hot plate! I'm pretty sure the server got a kick out of our mess! It turned out ugly but delicious!

    Rib Eye Steak with ponzu. And Shishito Peppers
    Stephanie A.

    Still 5 stars. I came and actually had beer this time. The food is just as delicious as it was when I was pregnant. Pretty much every dish was so flavorful and well made. I would just skip the yellowtail sashimi as it was not the best. Everything else was amazing.. The favorites are: Ribeye on the sizzle platter with ponzu, Chicken Nanban, Agedashi Tofu, and shishito peppers. Pair it with an ice cold Orion or drink of your choice and you are set! Service was quick, friendly and attentive.

    Salmon onigiri
    Lizzy R.

    Happa is a Japanese izakaya with lots of tasty options for food. It's located inside/next to the New Gardena Hotel. The ambiance is kinda bare & sparse and more cafeteria style. We had the agedeshi tofu, shisito peppers, pickled veggies, fried potato wedges, miso black cod, salmon, onigiri, and udon. Food was all really tasty.

    Ren N.

    I went here with my dad for the first time the other night (3/17 around 9pm) and wow it hit the spot. I want to shout out the food and staff- both were amazing! To share, my dad and I got 2 salads, the garlic shrimp, and the bacon corn. I got the udon and I believe my dad got the Kalbi beef short ribs. I love shrimp, so it was a no brainer and was delish. The salad and corn both were simple and as described but somehow I feel it enhanced the overall meal. My dad ate all his kalbi and was happy to-he said it was great. For the udon, I had been craving some noodles all day so I was more than happy to have it as an option. While it wasn't my favorite dish of the night, it hit the spot and filled me up. It's very plain (comes with just green onions unless you request the toppings) and the broth is on the sweeter side (idk if that's how most udon broth is but I'm just going off my taste buds). We also ordered take out for my sibling (broiled miso salmon dinner, small cold tofu add pickles, and kimchi) and I didn't taste any but they said it was good! This is already quite long so I'll keep the rest short. The staff were EXTREMELY friendly. I felt welcomed the second we stepped in and I genuinely have no other words to describe how nice our waitress was. I didn't catch her name but kudos to her! The actual restaurant itself is quite plain-Jane. At least in the room we were seated in, it's not super decorated, but I did notice another room connected that seemed to have a different vibe so maybe it was better decorated in there. OVERALL- highly recommend. The whole menu looked soooo appetizing to me and I hope I'm able to go back soon to try more!

    Cheese dakgalbi
    Noba N.

    This place is a true gem that I often forget about. I first found out about them when my husband went for some business networking event and I had their food for the first time when I stayed at New Gardena Hotel. That hotel serves breakfast from happa and makes the stay so much worth it! Anything you have there is amazing. Their salad was delicious. Negi gyoza was solid. Their charsiu fried rice is on the heavy and flavorful side. It reminded me of Hawaiian or Peruvian fried rice. So if you are expecting the light flavored like you get in a ramen shop this one is def more oily. We were bummed that the saba didn't come all lit up like the photo. Maybe we need to sit in the patio for that? And at the end we ordered the cheese dakgalbi and boy was it big. We were expecting a little smaller but it was super good Hope you guys chose this for your next outing. Make sure you go with 3 or more and share everything Ambiance wise their place is super dark. Their lighting has dim light that occasionally brightens up and they have a tv displaying a fire place. I personally found the lighting a little jarring lol but I think it's to emanate the fire so I guess? I think summer time the patio would be super nice! The waitress had such a cute personality. Great experience always!

    Monjayaki
    Jen C.

    The one and only place you can find monjayaki in SoCal!!!! I cannot emphasize enough how happy I am to discover that this place had monjayaki. Their curries are great too, but what's unique about their menu is their monjayaki. They give you all the tools you need to cook it, and there's a QR code leading you to the instructions. The ingredients are finely chopped, and the mochi... oh, it just melts in your mouth. Service was great. The workers were quick and attentive. There's plenty of seating and parking. Definitely coming back again!!!

    Deluxe Curry
    Alexander Y.

    Came here for a client lunch since the client is located in Gardena. Since I was in charge of planning the lunch, I had to pick a Japanese place. It's the right area for it after all! There were a lot of good options on the menu, but I decided to go with the Deluxe Curry because I liked the combo of hamburger steak, egg, and spam with the curry. I liked it a lot! Really well put together combination of food. Plenty of food for sure. Service was fine, no complaints from me.

    Salmon Shio
    Yushi H.

    I've been wanting to try Happa for a while after hearing about it from friends, so I was thrilled to finally have the chance to try it when in the area! Came here on a weekday for dinner in the evening, and it was surprisingly empty. We were seated right away and provided with menus. Then our waitress came to take our order. She was very kind and helpful. We ordered: - Salmon Shio: Broiled salmon with salt - Karamen: Spicy ramen noodle with ground pork, garlic, and egg - Kaki Fry: Panko breaded deep fried oyster - Aji Fry: Panko breaded deep fried horse mackerel Everything was SO tasty and delicious! It's hard for me to even pick a favorite dish because all were great. We thoroughly enjoyed this meal and appreciated the excellent service throughout our entire visit. I would definitely return and try more of their dishes here. Had such a wonderful experience and enjoyed the nice, relaxing atmosphere of this place. Cannot wait to come back soon!

    Johnny T.

    I came back. The ribeye on charcoal - wow. I've been to upscale Japanese BBQ places like Manpuku or Yamaya but somehow the ribeye was on par, or better in some instances. It was very juicy, well seasoned, and well-priced. Maybe I'm tripping, or perhaps the charcoal grill added to the experience but it really was that good. The pork cheek (on their special menu, not the main one) is a must-try. It cooks fast on the grill (beware of aggressive flames!) and is delicious. The beef tongue was great too, not much to say; if you like tongue you'll like it. The ONLY dish I wasn't enthused by was the buta kimchi (pork belly). The kimchi was more sour than I wanted it to be - however, this tasted almost like the buta kimchi at one of my other fave spots, Kagura, so maybe that's how the dish is supposed to taste? Whatever it is, I wasn't feeling it so much but we did finish it all! Ordered the takoyaki as an appetizer - very nice. Creamy and flavorful, way better than expected. Also got the mackerel and it was blow torched in front of us which was pretty fun, I haven't seen that done in a while. I think I like the chicken nanban more than the karaage; the sauce is pleasant and enhanced the flavor of the juicy chicken. Finally, I ordered the Maple Brûlée and a Matcha dessert (not sure what it's called). I'm not one to order dessert but DAMN, I was feeling good. Really solid work here. This is it, this is my spot. All that's left is for me to try their curry during lunchtime.

    Marrion G.

    came here on a late friday night after seeing that they were open past 11pm as well as seeing the pictures of the food and menu prices. luckily, the food was ACTUALLY so good!! we got the ribeye with ponzu sauce on a sizzling platter, fried gyoza, and the chicken katsu curry plate. everything was SO good, fairly priced, and definitely made with quality. the service was also really good with all the staff being very attentive, quick, and so polite. the restaurant brought in lots of big groups, given it's located by the hotel it makes sense. so the ambiance on a friday night was very up beat. i've lived in long beach for years and come to gardena for other spots, but had randomly came across this place since it stays open late. super glad we did because the food was so fire, definitely will be coming back for the ribeye!!

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    Page 1 of 6

    Happa Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Happa Restaurant

    Do they still have Dak galbi? We have been searching for it and saw some pictures/videos here with the food but they are 7 year old pictures so it might be an old menu item.

    This place is listed today as having outdoor seating. Is it still available? If it is, is it covered or heated? How many people can sit there?…

    How early should we get there for concert events? Do they serve drinks in the concert venue portion of the restaurant?

    Yes they serve drinks and food in the bar/concert venue area. I suggest getting there at least 30 to 45 minutes early to get a table. You can order food and drinks before and during the performance.

    Where can we park? And is it free?

    Underground parking is available. It's below the hotel. Yes, it's free.

    View All 6 Questions

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    Izakaya Akatsuki

    4.5(470 reviews)
    1.7 miHarbor Gateway
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Large group friendly

    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!

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    Izakaya Akatsuki - Parts of our selection of sake

    Parts of our selection of sake

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    Shin-Sen-Gumi Yakitori - Gardena - Front

    Shin-Sen-Gumi Yakitori - Gardena

    4.3(1.7k reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$
    Casual dining
    30 years in business

    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

    My husband & I live in Huntington Beach and for the past 19 years, we've always ate at the Shin Sen…read moreGumi location on Brookhurst in Fountain Valley. It's literally 15 mins away from our house and we thought their food was super authentic and yummy. We knew about the original location in Gardena - but never thought about going since we were content with the location in Fountain Valley. 3 weeks ago, I was in the area of Gardena with my sister in law and decided to stop by this location for dinner on a whim with no expectations. I was very surprised to find out this Gardena location does't have the excessive lines & wait time and the servers and cooks are a lot nicer and accommodating than the Fountain Valley location. In fact, I think the food quality is slightly better qnd once again, less wait time to be served. There is a server by the name of Oswaldo at this location that's exceptional kind and helpful and is worth driving down to Gardena just to be served by him. Oswaldo is always smiling and genuinely eager to accommodate you. The servers at the Fountain Valley location are strict & militant, like soup nazis. Their rules are somewhat rigid and you couldn't even open the door to the restaurant to use the restroom without an approval from one of the workers. You were pretty much told what to do and where to sit for your meal. This Gardena location is slightly larger in space and not as tight and stuffy. And the best part, they serve Yakitori for lunch during the weekdays and weekends. Their hours seem to be more flexible. Hands down; Gardena's location is all round the best in my opinion. Maybe it because it's the original location. Trust me, I've been to the West L.A. location too and it was my least favorite location of the 3.

    Photos
    Shin-Sen-Gumi Yakitori - Gardena - Crispy outside, juicy inside--true craftsmanship in every skewer. That glossy glaze and perfect char are the ultimate match for a cold beer!

    Crispy outside, juicy inside--true craftsmanship in every skewer. That glossy glaze and perfect char are the ultimate match for a cold beer!

    Shin-Sen-Gumi Yakitori - Gardena - Perfect Charcoal Yakitori! ・Smoky & Irresistible aroma

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    Shin-Sen-Gumi Yakitori - Gardena - True craftsmanship in every skewer!  Hand-grilled over charcoal to reach juicy perfection.

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    True craftsmanship in every skewer! Hand-grilled over charcoal to reach juicy perfection.

    Hasu Japanese Izakaya & Grill - Okura & Pork Belly, Asparagus & Pork Belly, Zucchini, Japanese Yam [Yamaimo], & Chicken Thigh  08-12-2025

    Hasu Japanese Izakaya & Grill

    4.4(189 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    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.

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    Fukagawa - Pork Fillet Cutlet Plate

    Fukagawa

    4.2(566 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    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.

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    Fukagawa - Inside view

    Inside view

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    Izakaya Hachi - Torrance - Saba Mackerel Pressed Sushi --

    Izakaya Hachi - Torrance

    4.2(728 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$$

    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.

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    Izakaya Hachi - Torrance - Seating

    Seating

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    Otafuku Restaurant - Zaru Soba - Hot - @rayz

    Otafuku Restaurant

    4.2(769 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$$

    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!

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    Otafuku Restaurant - Additional dining area.

    Additional dining area.

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