Came here on a Wednesday around 5:35pm thinking we could just walk in... nope The place was already mostly full with a lot of reserved tables. There are limited booth seating (about 4 booths), one larger table, and roughly a dozen counter seats. We were a party of 4 with another group of 3 expected at the counter, so we were told next availability would be 7pm. But the owner (also the sushi/master chef) stepped in and offered to squeeze in an extra chair for us at the bar. We happily said yes, and that pretty much set the tone for the night. The ambiance is a cute, homey Japanese-style spot. It's calm and quiet enough to actually have a conversation, which I really appreciated. The owner was also cracking jokes throughout the night and kept everyone entertained, which made the experience feel even more personal. Food highlights: * Eihire (seared stingray fin) - 9/10. Great drinking snack, just wish there was more. * Grilled Angus beef tongue - 9/10. Tender with a really good jalapeño sauce. * Hokkaido uni tray with roasted nori - 10/10. Favorite dish of the night, easily. * Chicken liver, gizzard, and hearts in sweet soy - 10/10. Super rich and flavorful. * Whole grilled seabass - 9.5/10. Perfectly cooked, but could've used more ponzu. * Sous vide + grilled duck breast - 8/10. Solid, especially with salt and hot mustard. The mashed potatoes and roasted veggies on the side were . * Deep fried eel with ponzu - 7/10. Decent, but didn't stand out compared to the other dishes. * Sashimi (amberjack, hamachi, toro, sweet shrimp) - overall great. The sweet shrimp and fried head were 10/10, but the hamachi didn't quite match the rest. Also wish they gave more ginger upfront. * Roasted 5 kinds of vegetables - 7/10. Tasty but a bit pricey for the portion. * Sea snail - the only dish we wouldn't reorder. Not bad, just not our preferred style. Service was excellent. Our server gave great recommendations, kept our water filled, and checked in often without being overbearing. This is a 5-star spot largely because of the owner. Super down to earth, funny, and clearly passionate about both the food and the experience. Parking is free in a shared lot with other businesses. It's a decent size, so should be manageable. Definitely recommend making a reservation (they only take phone reservations)... but even if you don't, there's a good chance they'll still find a way to take care of you. I'd definitely come back to try more dishes. read more

Izakaya Tonchinkan - Sous vide duck breast and then grilled - Izakaya Near Me - Arcadia, California

Visited Izakaya Tonchinkan on a Saturday night, around 8:45 pm after a long day spent at the nearby Santa Anita Horse Track. Restaurant is located in a small strip mall, with a fair amount of parking. There isn't a flashy restaurant sign in front of the building, and once you step in, it truly feels like you are in a small, homey Izikaya in Japan. The restaurant only has a few booths, a few tables and bar seating inside, so reservations are highly recommended on a busy Saturday night. My boyfriend and I got lucky that they were able to accommodate us within 10 minutes, because there was seating available at the bar. There is a physical Drink menu (sake, beer, etc.) and the food menu can be viewed by scanning a QR code with your phone. The waitress made suggestions about which dishes she personally liked & we ordered whatever she suggested, along with some of the things we thought looked good. *7/10 Toro w/ seaweed *8/10 Moriwase (chef's selection of sashimi) 2 each of 5 different sashimi. There was one cut I did not particularly care for. *7/10 chicken wings *10/10 Beef tongue-- Tender, but firm. Delicious, a must try! *10/10 Ankimo-- creamy and paired well with the ponzu and fresh seaweed *10/10 Fried Seabass-- they served the entire fish, which is rare. *10/10 Sous-vide Duck breast-- must try! *10/10 Nikomi stew--simple, but delicious! *10/10 Matcha Oolong Panna Cotta-- subtly sweet with a smooth texture. It was so good, that we ordered two! The only reason that I only gave it a four out of five stars is because the service was slow. All of our dishes, came out in time, but no drink refills were given and the server never came back to collect our check for payment. So we had to walk it up to them ourselves. For a small space, with three servers, it shouldn't be hard to attend to all the customers. The menu can be pricey, but food is delicious! Along with exceptional service, eating here is worth it. read more

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It's like walking into a Tokyo Izakaya ----------------------------------- This place is all about quality over quantity. The atmosphere was cozy, and there seemed to be Japanese guests (always a plus). The food was really enjoyable. We enjoyed our experience here and would definitely come back next time! read more

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Small but cozy spot that instantly reminded me of the actual izakaya ive been to in tokyo. Vibe is authentic, service was great and the servers were friendly and attentive. They also had a great selection of dishes I havent seen at other izakayas in my area. Oysters: 7.5/10 plump and fresh. Not as sweet as id hoped but still enjoyable. Fries with truffle salt: 7/10 could've used a bit more truffle flavour and crispness but still good. Gizzard, liver and heart: 8/10 really flavourful. Nice balance of sweet and salty though some bites leaned more salty. Ankimo: 10/10 thick rich slabs of ankimo cooked perfectly. Extremely flavourful and the ponzu paired very nicely. Ikura and salmon rice: 9/10 super umami and very generous with the insurance and salmon. Would definitely order again. This could probably serve 3-4 people depending on how many other dishes you get. Horse mackerel sashimi: 10/10 perfectly thick slices, super fresh with great texture Beef tongue: 8/10 could've been a bit more tender but I love beef tongue. Came with pickled jalapeños that were great on their own, though not the best pairing with the beef tongue in my opinion. Amaebi sashimi: 9/10 fresh and super sweet. Only complaint here is that they were tiny. read more

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This is such a great izakaya spot. I used to love Hinotori and was honestly sad when it closed, but once Tonchinkan opened I got excited again and it definitely delivered. The food is super fresh, everything we've tried has been delicious, and the price point is very reasonable for the quality you're getting. It's the kind of place where you order a bunch of small plates, hang out, and end up having a really fun time. The vibe is lively without being too loud and the owners are super chill, which makes the whole experience feel welcoming and relaxed. It does get busy and fills up fast even on weeknights, so make a reservation if you can. Already looking forward to coming back. read more

Izakaya Tonchinkan - Izakaya Near Me - Arcadia, California

This place took me back to japan for a second. Super cozy, warm, just the way the space feels... it's kind of amazing. Every dish was top-tier, simple, and done really well and the sake collection is kind of insane. I wanna go back. read more

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Had a great experience tonight at this hole in the wall Izakaya spot it's tucked inside a small plaza right by Baldwin and Duarte Rd but once you stepped inside, it's like you're transformed into Japan instantly! The livelihood of the place, the owner's laughter while striking lots of conversations with his customer, gives you that smile in the face that you came to the right spot :) Since it is a Izakaya, all portions are meant to be smaller so you can try more variety and share with ppl you come with while sipping on some nice sake to go along with it~ they have quite an amazing selection of choices of alcohol so you're bound to find one that you'll enjoy :) Food is amazing and they even have fresh sashimi as well tried their chef choice 3 item appetizer today, beef tongue, duck breast, tempura corn (must try!), miso stewed beef, and marinated firefly squid. All are amazing and yes *nod* pairs well with some sake Reservation highly recommended so give them a call before stopping by! read more

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I was surprised there's such a hole in the wall in Arcadia. Our friend took us here on a Saturday night. Would recommend making a reservation in advance. If not, there would be quite a wait. This restaurant is a small place but it serves authentic and high quality Japanese food. Makes me reminiscing about our times in Japan. We ordered a few dishes. I can't remember their names. There were sea bass, beef tongue, two types of sushi, fried gizzard, egg rolls, chicken karage, and etc. Everything was delicious. The highlight of the night was the grilled sea bass. It was fresh and just perfect. The dipping sauce complimented the fish as well. Atmosphere was friendly, warm, and welcoming. Overall, this was an experience. Would recommend! read more

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This is, without a doubt, one of the liveliest izakayas in Los Angeles -- boasting an impressively long menu and one of the most extensive selections of premium sake in the city. The atmosphere is intimate, and Itamae Chef Tatsu-san is as enthusiastic and entertaining as they come, blending humor with genuine hospitality. On our last visit, he shared that the producer for Lisa from Blackpink had dined here, and that the son of the guitarist from the rock duo B'z is a frequent guest -- a testament to the restaurant's popularity, particularly within the Japanese community. The food is authentic, straightforward, and rooted in the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine -- nothing overly ornate, but deeply satisfying and heartwarming. Many dishes are designed for sharing, with several donabe options to end the meal. The sashimi is expertly prepared: we enjoyed abalone freshly sliced while still alive, along with amaebi and shiroebi that were refreshingly sweet -- ideal sake companions, especially on a warm summer evening. Some of my personal favorites include okizuke (marinated firefly squid), ankimo (monkfish liver with ponzu), and 甲州煮 (chicken liver, heart, and gizzard simmered in sweet soy sauce). Each makes for an excellent otsumami, perfectly suited for pairing with drinks. From time to time, the restaurant also hosts special events, such as Dassai Sake Night and Nankai Shochu Night, further cementing its reputation as not only a dining destination but also a cultural hub for Japanese food and drink in Los Angeles. The only downside is that it's so far from where I live that I couldn't visit more often, but I suppose that's entirely my fault. read more

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A true hidden gem, situated at the corner of a plaza, this place is very easy to miss. The sign is a small wooden plaque located in front of the restaurant. If you don't know where to look it is easy to miss. The food itself is incredibly fresh and unique. I tried items that I never had at other japanese restaurants, which made the experience more unique. Go ahead and give this place a try. read more

Been wanting to take hubby here for a while. The food is still as good I recalled it to be. The server was kind to let us get seated w/o a reservation. We were famished after a long day. Items we ordered: 1. Ankimo - so creamy & just the way I like it. 2. Beef tongue - delish. 3. Chef's assorted choice of sashimi - the fish were all light & fresh 4. Sautéed clams with asparagus- looked simple but a bowl punched with flavor 5. Firefly squid - refreshing during a hot day 6. Fired tofu - must get. This is like a nice spin of agedashi tofu but 100x more delish! 7. Kara age - tender & crunchy 8. Collar - extremely tender 9. Toro & scallion roll 10. Duck breast It's a hidden gem in the area! read more

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Everything we ordered was really good, and the service was friendly. The restaurant is small but cozy, and the chef was very warm and welcoming. You do need a reservation, and they're closed on Sundays. Overall, a very nice dining experience. read more

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For an experience that will take you back to Japan. I nominate Izakaya Tonchinkan. From the sheer size of the restaurant and limited seats, it's an emulation. Head chef Tatsu was friendly and funny, which made the food and drinks that much better. My favorite items of the night had to be the grilled chicken cartilage and stewed beef tongue. I gotta say, if it wasn't for my friends, I would've never known about these dishes here. While they do serve fresh fish, I wouldn't categorize it as a sushi spot. You can find that across the street at Kisen. Not the biggest location and shares a parking lot with other shops. Servers were so nice as well. read more

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Came by for dinner the other night and it was a tasty experience. Dropped by right when they first opened and managed to get a counter seat with a full view of the kitchen. Parking is available on the street or inside the private lot. Started off with the blue fin tuna toro with green onion and it reminded me of Tokyo! I've been on the lookout for some tasty tuna toro here in the US! Unlike Korean, Chinese, or Hispanic influenced Americanized sushi rolls, these are the real deal, just like in Japan! Moved on to the corn tempura and it was also excellent! It had a side of green salt. The corn was light lightly breaded and fried. The miso soup was fragrant although a touch watery compared with the versions I've had in Japan recently. It was decent for US standards. I had an entire grilled fish for dinner and it was the weakest dish of the evening as it was over-grilled making the fish on the drier side and it was also oversalted...bummer. Finished off the meal with the green tea panna cotta which was tasty, especially with the layer of foam cream on top! Service throughout the evening was hospitable and they take credit cards. ~$80/head after tax and gratuity for dinner. read more

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I've celebrated a birthday and anniversary at Tonchikan and always thought of it as a special spot. So when it was our anniversary again this year, I was given a choice of anywhere I would like to go, and I chose Tonchikan, but I have to say... I was really disappointed today. We ordered the following items: Chef's Sampler Ankimo Negitoro Oysterx 2 Beef Tongue Kanpachi-Kama Karaage Ika Geso Karaage Chicken Liver, Gizzard, and Hearts Each dish was beautifully presented. My favorite would definitely the Ankimo, oysters, and Grilled Beef Tongue. I did like the chef special sampler, but, when I asked what the items were for today, she couldn't tell me and just said some protein and a warming cold dish. So I went ahead and ordered the Kanpachi-Kama (Amberjack collar). So when the sampler came out, I noticed that it had the amberjack collar on there. If I went to their sister Restaurant Kisen, they would've told me that that's already on the sampler and and would've told me if I wanted to order something else, but they didn't. Which I was really disappointed about because I didn't even touch the collar in the picture. Their Ika Geso Karaage was slightly over fried, their Karaage was a little too salty, and the Chicken Liver, Gizzard, and Hearts Simmered W/ Sweet Soy was a little too sweet. The Negitoro Roll was good but I think I prefer them at Kisen. All in all, the food was decent, but it wasn't as good as before, and I was disappointed with a service. The fact that they didn't tell us that we had a repeat order with the collar and that they didn't acknowledge that it was our anniversary, even though I put it in our reservation, I just made my anniversary dinner experience kind of sad. read more

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My favorite izakaya in town! Lively ambience and friendly service. Small and cozy so reservation is highly recommended. Grilled beef tongue and whole sea bass is must have. Also love their salmon & ikura donabe rice. It is supposedly for 2 to 3 people, but i think it is big enough to share with 4-5 ppl. Today i tried the house made tofu which is a cold dish. Very refreshing with soy bean aroma. The dishes are well plated and with excellent details. Never too salty. Just right. Parking is in a private lot. This restaurant is next to the ups store. May be hard to find for first timer as its sign is not in an obvious place. read more

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Another good time here. Food is good as always. Try some dishes today which are perfect for shochu. Service is attentive. Sitting at the counter drinking with friends and fellow customers is fun. read more

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This is the best Izakaya in the SGV. Many of their items like the dried ray fins and fermented firefly squid are not found any where else in the area. The beef tongue can be a little chewy, but not bad overall. read more

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Local Favorite! This is where my 626 group of friends go for group dinners. It is predictable, reliable and tasty. They have a small parking lot. Make sure you get reservations! - Donabe (rice pots) 5/5: The salmon ikura is what we almost always order but we have also tried the other variations. Rice quality is excellent and perfectly cooked. It also ensures you don't leave hungry given portions are on the smaller side - Appetizer Combo 4/5: Easy pick when you can't decide. This changes daily. - Assorted Sashimi (Moriawase) 4/5: Very fresh and served with seaweed and shiso. - Grilled Duck Breast 4/5: Enjoyed this! Well executed. - Housemade cold Tofu 3/5 : Smooth and tasty - Caramelized Cauliflower w/"Mentai" Mayo 3/5 - Corn Tempura (4/5) - Chicken Liver, Gizzard, and Hearts Simmered w/Sweet Soy (3-5/5 depending on how much you like offal) read more

This place is usually packed so I made a reservation for an early dinner on a Saturday evening. Upon entering, I noticed the restaurant was already pretty full. It was also pretty loud and we had to lean in to hear each other talk over the noises. Service: Our server was really patient and attentive at the start but then towards the end, we had trouble flagging her down so we asked another server to bring our check for us. Food: We ordered the following: * Negitoro bluefin toro chopped with scallion * grilled beef tongue - this was actually my favorite out of everything we ordered * grilled jidori breast cartilage * this uni and sweet shrimp dish * salmon and ikura donabe rice - this was delicious as well. The ikura added some saltiness to the rice that made it tasty. * japanese kale with fried tofu salad - a little too salty for my liking A pretty solid place that I would definitely return to again in the future! read more

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My gf's parents came from another country to visit and I chose this place to take them to. I made a reservation beforehand since the restaurant is small. We ordered shima aji sashimi, kinmedai sashimi, teppan sausages, grilled beef tongue, fried tofu, and a chicken and burdock donabe rice. The grilled beef tongue and shima aji sashimi arrived first. I loved the thick cuts of beef tongue but a few pieces were a bit too chewy. The taste was amazing though. The shima aji tasted extremely fresh and were nice thick cuts. I usually order them as sushi but thick slabs of shima aji were just delicious. They sold out of kinmedai so I was really sad. The fried tofu and teppan sausages arrived next. I wasn't too big of a fan of the toppings on the fried tofu since there was pepper flakes. It covered most of the taste of the other toppings and the bean taste of tofu. My gf's parents also couldn't handle spicy foods so my gf and I had to finish it ourselves. The teppan sausages were super flavorful and hot. The skin was crispy and the meat was soft on the inside. They were seared very nicely without being burnt. The last to arrive was the chicken and burdock donabe rice. This was the one dish I was unsure of, but ended up being my favorite. The rice was soft and flavorful after being in the same clay pit as the chicken and burdock. The chicken was soft and moist. The burdock taste was not overbearing and gave a nice texture difference. Overall, food was delicious. I'm a regular at their other restaurants like sushi kisen and this one is just as good. I definitely recommend this spot for people who want izakaya style dishes. Service was great as we did also order some sake and the waiter took time to explain all the off menu bottles that they had available. read more

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This sign-less, unassuming place, located right next to the UPS store was such a gem to find in Arcadia. We mainly came in to try the food for dinner and not so much drink, so let me first say that we didn't have a chance to try the many selections of sake. We didn't have reservations, waited about 15-20 mins for a table, and they were able to accommodate. We ordered 4 items and a panna cotta dessert. All were very good! The sashimi was fresh, the salmon rice pot was nice and hearty. read more

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Good food and cozy atmosphere. Came to celebrate a friend's birthday. She made a reservation at 5pm on a Saturday. We were seated at the bar. Our server was really attentive and patient. The food was overall good. We ordered a variety in order to try, and there were definitely some passes. We ordered: - Salmon & Ikura donabe - our server helped us choose because it was hard to decide. It was good! The ikura added a salty burst - Cold tofu - My friend said the last time they came it was sold out because it was extremely popular, but I thought it was just ok. - Smelt fish w/eggs - it was ok - Karaage - it was really good and crispy, we recommend! - Assorted sashimi chef's choice - ended up being 3 pcs (one pc for each of us) of 5 different sashimi, for around $50. It was 1. amberjack(I believe), 2. barracuda, 3. toro, 4. tuna, and 5. mackerel. They were all delicious. We liked the barracuda the best! I was a bit disappointed in the toro because my piece did have a chewiness to it - it felt like there was a chewy film dividing my piece? - green tea pannacotta - I thought this was good! not too sweet. After all the food, we struggled to split one read more

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This place is so awesome. Thank you chef Tatsu for making our first visit very memorable. We will be back soon for your excellent food (we loved it all), except this time, we will take an Uber so that we can enjoy the full ambiance and drink lots of Japanese water. Okini ! read more

Arrived in town and my son and his fiancé took us immediately to their favorite Izakaya in Japan, oops Arcadia. For real, the restaurant, atmosphere, servers, fish and grill staff, sake selection, made it feel like we were in Japan. This is as authentic of an informal Izakaya as you can get without forking out for a transpacific flight. The four of us were lucky to have a 7:30pm reservation which got us into a wooden booth. Mika was our attentive server for the night and gave us various recommendations as to fresh sashimi, grilled items, and sake. She and the rest of the server staff cleared dishes quickly as we finished item by item which were appropriately spaced out - meaning not arriving all at once. The pace was fitting for an Izakaya. We ordered so many items from sashimi recommendations of o toro and mackerel, grilled items of beef tongue, truffle oiled vegetables, dried ika (can go without the sauce), and fried items of corn and chicken Karrage. Also liked the Black Sesame ice cream. Those were the items we really liked while we had some items which were just ok - grilled duck breast, Butter soy scallops, salmon & Ikura rice - did not stand out for us. Definitely make a reservation rather than waiting in line for a table. Large free parking lot in this Arcadia strip mall. read more

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Watch out for the photos, like fast food restaurant ads there is very little relation between what they show you on the (annoying) iPad versus what shows up. In our case it was the snow crab which looked like a decent sized dish to share among 3 diners. When it showed up it was literally this tiny morsel I could've eaten in a single bite. When we asked why it differed so much they said it was because it was a male crab in the iPad photo and we were served a female crab. Wtf?! I replied that if they displayed the female crab in the photo instead then regardless of which one was served no one would be disappointed, some would be pleasantly surprised instead of disappointment. They looked at me like I'd sprouted a second head and just kept stating over and over that the difference was because of the crab's gender. The tiny crab morsel was $65 by the way. Absurd. read more

For all the Japanese restaurants in the area, Izakaya Tonchinkan stands out for the unique dishes it offers. I came here for my birthday since I had it bookmarked for a while and looked interesting, and I wanted a place that had enough options for my newly-vegetarian-again dad. The server recommended the chef's sampler and it turned out to be my favorite of everything. I would guess that they use the parts that aren't being used in other dishes and put it all in one. It is four different small dishes that vary by day. Ours included a cubed beef dish with yuzu sauce, two kinds of fish and tofu skin. All were nice and delicate, and well worth the $15 dish price (comparatively). I ordered a yellowtail with sansho peppercorn rice dish, and I think I may have been better off ordering two separate dishes instead. While the peppercorn flavor was nice, I would not order a rice dish of this size and price again. I also was expecting the fish to be raw but the texture was fine. I normally would've chosen the ikura salmon donburi but I wanted to try something different. The NY steak was good. I tend to like Japanese flavoring for steak since it is usually flavorful yet delicate. The zucchini(?) blossom dish had ham or some kind of meat it in which caught me off guard since I thought it would be vegetarian. The tofu dish was basically a mapo tofu but cold. I enjoyed it since I love mapo tofu. My dad also had the grilled veggies and a ume/mountain yam roll which was quite small but nevertheless interesting. He noted that it was cut and sized nicely. Overall it is an interesting menu to experience. I would try some of their other dishes but only for a special occasion since the price point is on the higher end. read more

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Cute little Japanese Izakaya place we found recently. There is parking out front. The menu is pretty extensive so we got to try a variety of things. The outside doesn't have much signage to direct you so it's a little hidden at the end of the strip mall. The fish was really fresh and everything we tried was delicious. We had sweet shrimp, beef tongue, chawan mushi, and a few other items. They offer an uni tray here which we will try next visit. We sat at the bar and the food all came out pretty quickly. Hope you get to try the food here. Happy Yelping! read more

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I was on a hunt for umeshu. A google search does not bring much up, so I decided to take my chances and check out this highly rated Izakaya. Umeshu jackpot!!! I loved the green tea and ujicha umeshu options. For the table we ordered the chef choice appetizer, grilled beef tongue, and grilled sea bass. Thoroughly enjoyed everything and highly recommend the appetizer: 4 diff items of well balanced beef, steamed fish, and sushi. Service was so kind, funny, and welcoming. Open plan from kitchen to dining area, so it's easy to interact with the cooks and waiters. Loved my experience here! read more

Izakaya Tonchinkan - Umeshu options - Izakaya Near Me - Arcadia, California

The food here is amazing. Everything is fresh and made perfectly. The wait staff is very attentive and friendly. I had the halibut sashimi and the sardines with yuzu. Both were delicious. Reservations are required. read more

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I have been here so many times and have been reluctant to review it because I want it to remain my secret. But after having frequent conversations at reserved seating near the three chefs, I caved. Just be nice and acknowledge them no matter where you sit. Itadakimasu! I am always stuffed when I leave here because you are spoiled for choice, whether it be raw sashimi (don't ask for sushi or a bowl of rice here), grilled mackerel or ayu (sweet fish), stewed chicken hearts, gizzard and liver (my personal fave), chutoro, cut rolls of toro with takuan, the surprises you get from chef's choice of appetizers and the delicate flavor of yuba (the tofu skin gleaned off the top of soybean milk). Yes, I have described everything that I ordered tonight and it is consistently magnificent. I don't normally like chicken liver but the way they prepare it here is so creamy; it's like pate without all the fillers that cover up for the gaminess of offal. We ordered the chutoro but then they also gave us akami as well as a white fish (maybe snapper or halibut?). So delicious and fresh. The mackerel was a chef's suggestion and needed no seasoning, only the spritz of lemon. The potato wedges were just a palate cleanser between dishes. Hubby and I both ordered yuzu sours, which is the carbonated version. A "chu-hi" is just with water, not carbonated. We make our reservations fairly early so that there is plenty of lot parking. Gochisosamadeshita! read more

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One of the best best Izakaya in Los Angeles for sure! Wish we knew this place sooner :) read more

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Have you wished teleportation was real just so that you could teleport yourself to Japan for a night of drinks and dinner? Look no further. Stepping through the doors of Izakaya Tonchinkan is like stepping through a portal into Japan! The food is delicious, the service is warm and professional, and the ambiance has that Japanese coziness that I look for in an izakaya. Tonchinkan is the place to be if you want to save on airfare to Tokyo! read more

Definitely recommend calling in for reservations since this restaurant has few tables! There's a lot to choose from on the menu, so here's what I recommend: - Grilled beef tongue: perfectly cooked! Our favorite dish of the night - Grilled chicken cartilage: loved the texture of this - Corn tempura: this was done is an unexpected way and paired really well with wasabi salt! - Yellowtail and sansho donabe: we were so full and originally didn't want to order a rice pot but we're so glad that we did! The sansho pepper added a tingling, not too spicy edge to this dish - Shiso and ume roll: a simple roll that was very fresh The dishes that fell short were unfortunate the ankimo (monkfish liver), which was quite overcooked the night we went, beef stew that was too salty, and the moriawase sashimi. They recommended 5 px of sashimi per person, which came out to be $88 for 4 ppl. The sashimi was overpriced for what it was. read more

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First and foremost, call for reservations in advance. They do fill up during their 5pm hour. Jackie was our server and helped us with many things. Overall, this izakaya is decent and doesn't require a drive to Izakaya Onsen in Silverlake. I love the cozy atmosphere and ambiance. We ordered a few dishes and spent $300 on 3 people easily. Grilled Squid- this was my 2nd favorite dish out of the evening Grilled Beef Tongue - this was nice, tender, and cooked, well, but I found it a little bland Grilled Scallops - overcooked, but flavorful Grilled Duck Breast - this was tender and flavorful Grilled veggies - cute in display and decent Grilled Sea Bass - this was my other favorite dish Potato wedges - were pretty good Deep fried grab liver with ohba leaf - this was my favorite item during the evening since it was new to me. It was flash deep fried and perfect! Overall the food was pretty good and it was very cute. Jackie was a superstar! I will return but with a reservation. Next time I will definitely try the sushi and raw items, since our friend didn't "do" raw things. read more

Izakaya Tonchinkan - Izakaya Near Me - Arcadia, California

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The place feels very cozy. Food was good. We got snow crab ($40), dashimaki ($10), duck ($20), tongue (28), and karaage ($9). I think they are on a slightly pricier side as far as an izakaya goes, I think, but you do get what you pay for. Everything was pretty delicious. Service was friendly and swift. Parking was plenty in the lot. Since it is a rather small place, and we started noticing people waiting at the entrance, we couldn't take as long we've liked to enjoy our time there. A shame. I guess we'll just have to return soon. read more

Izakaya Tonchinkan - Tongue - Izakaya Near Me - Arcadia, California

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This used to be one of my favorite restaurants/izakaya, but I recently went and was extremely disappointed/sad in major menu changes. The menu no longer includes favorites like the stingray fin, donabe, or even the extensive sashimi list. Much of the menu is extremely limited now, and pricing seems to have increased significantly without notable improvement to the quality or quantity across each dish. I do hope one day they bring back their old menu -- but until then I'm unlikely to return.. read more

This is not the place for a quiet dinner - multiple tables were extremely loud to a point that the decibel level was like being at a concert. And with the piercing laughing from the women and the obnoxious bellows of drunken men, this is absolutely not a place I would bring a date. Management did nothing about it so I can assume this is just common acceptable behavior for the patrons here. Food was mediocre at best - most dishes were salty and we had to return an item for being overcooked. Sadly, we wanted to like this place but unfortunately we will not return read more

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I've never felt in Japan like I did in this place. The ambiance, the food, the chef and the entire experience is truly authentic and super fun! Service is great, friendly and quick, the chef is funny and seems to have a lot of knowledge of regular customers and it adds so much magic to this little hidden gate to Japan in Arcadia. Some items in the menu here were my first time seeing or trying and they were 10/10. I really don't want to talk too long about this place because it will never match going and trying for yourself. Everything I had was truly amazing. I really can't think of any Izakaya that matches this place. Highly recommend read more

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Came here to dined in twice and both times were great. The place is pretty small so it's highly recommended to make a reservation. My favorite dishes here are the beef tongue, the toro roll, and the monkfish liver. The beef tongue is so tender and juicy. It goes really great with the jalapeños that it comes with. I did enjoy this more the first time than the second time. I felt like during my second visit, it wasn't as flavorful but it was still really tender. The toro roll was really fresh and consistent as I did order this both times I was here. I also really enjoyed their crispy cabbage. It's quite a simple dish as it's just cabbage with sesame dressing but the combo just goes so well together. The service was ok. Workers were friendly but the dishes came out too spaced out from each other. I also got take out here twice because I wanted to try their omakase. Everything was really good and fresh. I really liked the toro and the uni. The toro was fatty and melts in your mouth. The uni was really creamy as well. I wish you can order this when you dine in but I believe they don't have this option since they do get busy. I believe you can also only pick up at a certain time which is 1 to 1.5 hour after they open since they don't make this at a later time due to having to focus on the customers who are dining in. read more

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