If you've been to Kagura and think you know what to expect--pause. This location hits differently…read more It leans more traditional, a little quieter, and very much about execution. And the tonkatsu? Legit one of the best I've had--perfectly fried with that golden, crisp exterior that somehow stays light, not greasy, and gives way to juicy, tender pork. The kind where you don't even need sauce... but you'll still use it anyway. What really seals it for me here is the gozen sets. If you're indecisive (or just hungry), this is your place. So many combinations, and everything comes out like a full spread. My current go-to is the steak gozen--basically the "why choose?" option. You get miso soup, salad, tonkatsu, tempura, soba... it just keeps coming. It's generous without feeling overdone, and somehow everything still tastes dialed in. I used to be loyal to the sukiyaki gozen (RIP, still not over it), but the steak set has filled that void nicely. Bottom line: delicious, satisfying, and surprisingly good value for how much you get. If you're in the South Bay and craving a proper Japanese set meal--not a rushed version--this is the move.

Loved eating here. The dinner set is more than enough to enjoy per person. The ambience is updated,…read moreand you can be seated in a large communal area vs in smaller quieter semi-private areas. The katsu is soft tender tasty and overall amazing.

We had an incredible experience, excellent atmosphere and exceptional service from our server…read moreFrank, always attentive and making sure that nothing was missing, giving us suggestions in food and appetizers, we tried the spicy edamame and the japonica rice lager, super recommended, he also recommended the spicy tantan ramen, and the holy mackerel roll, all delicious! The ambience here is simply stunning. Visit this location and hopefully you are lucky enough to be attended by Frank! We definitely coming back!

If someone doesn't like Japonica, then they must have defective taste buds!…read more Japonica of El Segundo is absolutely one of the top sushi restaurants in all of the South Bay of Los Angeles. They make my Friday night fish dinner a step in the food-heaven direction. The staff is out of this world, with a lovely manager, attentive servers, and talented chefs. The spicy edamame is a perfect starter if you'd like your plain edamame to have a flavor kick. The portion is big, making it plenty enough for a group of four to enjoy together. Unless you're a glutton like I am and don't feel like sharing, haha. The bluefin carpaccio practically melts in your mouth. The cut of the bluefin is absolutely just what your stomach is craving. Soft, flavorful, and satisfying to say the least. The white lightning is a saucy garlic surprise. The ever so slight sear on the albacore makes this roll have a dance party on your tongue. The garlic butter that the roll sits in has such a great taste that I just want to drink it down. Japonica El Segundo is placed in a small "strip mall" type of location, with on site parking being limited. There are several disabled designated parking spots right in front of the restaurant. Also, there is plenty of parking up & down Main Street, allowing for closeness within walking distance. There are no stairs/steps needed to enter the restaurant and the televisions do have closed-captions. The noise level is mid, making it easy to have comfortable conversations with your party without having to shout. I would absolutely recommend taking a stroll down Main Street after your meal, giving yourself some time to digest, stretch, and maybe get a scoop of ice cream from one of the local spots.

I love me some yummy handrolls. Finally a quality handroll place nearby. Bar seating only. You get…read moreserved one roll at a time. I recommend either going by yourself or with 1 other person, because this place can get easily packed. Random star of the show are the chopsticks. Quality disposable chopsticks that DO NOT give you splinters.

Hand roll sushi bars are becoming a popular trend, so we tried The Bar on recommendation. Don't…read moreexpect tables but seating at the bar for about 14. It was Friday night and had about a 20 min wait. No problem since this place is located at a shopping center. We ordered single, trio and 6 hand roll sets. Each roll was served individually as if on a tasting adventure. The rolls were basic. Some were tasty based on the sauce or fish. If you're looking to take a date out for a meal, this is a good spot.

Randomly stumbled upon this place as parking was near by, and it ended up being such a gem! I loved…read morethe ambiance! There was so much natural lighting in the main dining area. The staff were very kind as well. Price may be expensive to some, but it's definitely worth it in my opinion. My friend and I were full just from this set alone. The sushi was extremely fresh! You can really taste the fish without it being overbearingly fishy. It was clean and cut well. Bonus, look at the beautiful presentation! :) Will definitely be back.

Went recently with friends. Staff seemed nice enough but so many staff members interacted with us…read morewhich in a way was nice because we got to see the team work well together. We felt bad for the trainee who seemed shy and slightly overwhelmed when i asked some questions (before seeing her trainee name tag). Still the service was nice. The food was mouth watering. So much so i didn't get any pictures. We got some bento boxes and a few additional rolls. We were stuffed. The fish tasted fresh and the portions were fair. For this area especially ir felt very reasonably priced Parking is available locally. The immediate parking available is metered but our friends walk from a few blocks over in the residential space. Sometimes residential is easier

Working late sometimes requires a decent place that still opens and operate for folks who often…read morework late shifts or just staying later to beat the traffic going home. Sounds dreadful, but sometimes, that opens opportunity for exploring around the local eats. One of them is this local ramen shop, Blossom Ramen, that happens to be tucked inside the nice small El Segundo villages/shops in this quiet neighborhood. At night time, there are plenty of parking. This Ramen Shop closes pretty late (~11pm) while other local shops are already closed. Thus, parking is pretty open. I can't say the same during the morning or dayshift. At night time, you can see through the open window layout of the Ramen Shop and actually see if it is packed or not. Roughly 6 tables seating up to 2, as well as 7/8 tables seating up to 4. The register and reception area is right up front immediately when you walk through the glass door. The Menu is displayed up on the LCD screen as well as the laminated doubled-side sheets. Plenty of various types of Ramen to choose from. Order is taken and paid up front. Once ordered, along with your drinks, the waiter will bring the order to you directly so you can enjoy it. The interior decor of the Ramen Shop speaks volume to the "Blossom" that is in the name. The designer must really and truly like Cherry Blossom to decorate the interior as such. Wallpaper in cute anime/cartoonish form is seen throughout. I ordered the "Red Ramen" and when it came out, it was probably the most delicious and flavorful Ramen I've had. It wasn't a Tonkatsu nor Miso based soup, but more of a curry flavor based. The noodles was very delicate and very aldente! I had also ordered a pint of Sapporo to go with it and it tasted so amazing when parred together. I'm recommending this shop for late night eats or just whenever you feel like it or feel like eating Ramen. I'll have to try the other soup base the next time I'm around here.

Food: 4/5 Ramen was good, great flavor, ordered their spicy version with a side of spice dry…read morechilies. Could be a bit spicier for my liking but overall really enjoyed the dish. Service: 5/5 Extremely quick, nice staff. Ambiance: 5/5 Plenty of seating and very open. Enjoyed the decor, parking is good.

I loved coming here! We started with a beer and a hot sake complimented by an order of shishito…read morepeppers, crispy tuna rice, and edamame. We had a great time. It is an intimate dinner venue with a friendly atmosphere and great food. Great value and great ambiance. Btw-ask for Pat! She rocks as a waitress. Btw-we met the Owner! He is so authentic! Support business owners!

Stopped by saloon Osaka for some sushi rice to go with the fresh bluefin tuna i brought to work…read more Cheerful and friendly cashier verified that I just wanted sushi rice, not white rice and had the kitchen prepare it for me. In and out in just a couple of minutes. I'll be back

I went for lunch but wasn't super hungry. Ordered the beef sliders. So amazing and filling! I will…read moredef do again!!

This place is by far South Bay's best sushi spot! I…read moredefinitely won't go anywhere else. The whole stop is super friendly they have high quality sushi sake and more. Everybody here is on a first name basis and most of the staff knows all of the repeat customers by name. Get the Omakase sushi and you won't be disappointed.

Back again. I remembered they have a great BENTO BOX, so that's what I ordered again and…read morerecommended the same for my friend. We had a great time here on a Saturday afternoon. The food was as great as I remember and although the restaurant had plenty of people, we didn't feel rushed. Everything was delicious from the sashimi, tempura, fish, nishime and chicken karaage. The bento box also comes with potato salad, udon and gohan. When I'm in Gardena, this is my choice for Bento Box... You literally get a little of everything!

Kotohira was a little crowded when we got there at 5pm, Saturday for dinner but luckily we got…read moreseated right away. We haven't eaten there for a while, mostly ordered take out, so it was nice to sit inside and enjoy a good meal. We ordered the tenzaru set with soba noodles, somen salad and my father in law ordered the mini Tendon set with soba. Service was pleasant and the food delicious. Parking can be a challenge but if you get there early, you shouldn't have a problem.

The service is very friendly and helpful…read more The food is cooked fresh to order and is prepared fast. Parking is easy. They do often have a BOGO "Free Bowl" promotional 2 for the price of 1 coupon distributed in neighboring South Bay Beach Cities residential circulars (embedded into coupon formatted small magazine pages)

My wife was really looking forward to trying this place. We go to Eat Fantastic for their breakfast…read moreburritos and it had been a while since we had been. To our surprise, we found this "new" place, The Second Wind. The menu looked enticing and the lunch specials really looked like a great deal. So we decided we needed to come back for lunch and soon. A week later, we returned. Parking is very easy in the free lot for the complex. The interior design is energenic, vivrant with amazing looking Asian inspired pop art. Very cool interior. You can be seated and served or order to go. They have a combination lunch special, two items for $15.99. But, many of those items have an up charge if you add a protien. Either way, in these times, $16 for two items is reasonable. Our server greeted us quickly and let us choose the table of our liking. There are a handful of booths and open tables. My wife ordered the Beef Bulgogi and the Eggplant. I ordered the Chicken Dumplings and the Garlic Noodle (adding chicken for $2 more). The portions are generous. Light eaters might be able to just order one two dish combo and share. The Beef Bulgogi was good but the veggies looked a bit dehydrated. The Eggplant was just okay. The Chicken Dumplings were very tasty but served cool. I ordered them steamed and expected them to be warm at least. The Garlic Noodles with chicken was the biggest disappointment. To me, and my wife, over cooked with crunchy pieces. The chicken was also over cooked, dry and tough. When our server asked how things were, I mentioned it. He didn't seem surprised. I asked if the noodles were always dry and he said yes. He offered to bring more sauce, which he did. I added it but it didn't make the chicken any better. In the end, I left 90% of it. They only have cans of sodas so no refills but they are attached to a tea house that serves a great selection of teas, bobo, etc. There was some good things but more not, overall, we were disappointed. Honestly, I was a bit surprised they didn't offer to replace my dish or offer a small discount. They could see the pile of food I left. Anyway... Hopefully your experience and food preparation will be better than ours and...enjoy!!!

1. Plain Udon - 5/5 2. California Roll - 5/5…read more3. Side order of sushi rice - 2/5 Best udon noodles and soup I've ever had. The udon noodles texture and the fish cakes were absolutely perfect. The California roll was very affordable and delicious. The sushi rice had too much vinegar. Other than that, I would definitely order again, but not the side order of sushi rice.

Best takeout sushi in the area. We order at least 2-3 times a month for delivery, and it never…read moredisappoints. We like to switch up a few items each time, but we've tried and loved the spicy tuna crispy rice, yellowtail scallion cut roll, 8-piece sushi special, spicy garlic albacore tataki, albacore lover roll, spicy scallop hand roll, blue crab hand roll, and spicy soft shell crab, yellowtail jalapeno sashimi. Excellent sushi.