This is my second time coming here and I've been dreaming of coming back since the first. I came during fiesta hermosa and the Spicy Tuna roll is some of the best around. The Citrus Sakura is a perfect fresh light roll with the creaminess from the california roll with the light taste of salmon and the citrus. It is delicious all around from the drinks, we got the Yuzu Lemon drop and the Lychee. Both were great we preferred the Lychee but not that far over the Yuzu. The service was great we were seated quickly and attended too well. We chugged water and every time our cups were empty our server was prompt on it. The overall vibe is very chill with a casual vibe but still nice atmosphere for dining. The plates look worthy of my next instagram post, yet i can still come after a day at the beach and feel like I fit the vibe. read more

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I stopped in and grabbed a few things for lunch like the miso soup, crispy rice and the yellowtail Serrano nigiri. I was happy with the size of the crispy rice and nigiri! I'm glad I didn't order more because it was filling enough or myself. I loooooved the Serrano yellowtail. Service was friendly. No notes. The ambiance seemed like most nice sushi spots. Not SUPER elegant, but definitely not busted. Overall, it was alright for the price. read more

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The front is cute, but the hallway and restroom are run-down. The ramen was good but didn't live up to the menu's flashy descriptions of their broth. The kicker: the 18% tip option on their machine actually charges 21%, which is misleading! I noticed this when I went back to split a bill a day. read more

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We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Japonica. We started with their house beer, the rice lager, excellent! Then ordered a couple of their carpaccios, paired nicely with the drizzled sauce. Their truffle salmon literally melted in our mouth. We will definitely be back for more! read more

Japonica - Rice lager, Truffle Salmon, Bluefin Carpaccio - 6 piece, Hamachi Carpaccio - 6 piece, Crispy Rice - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hermosa Beach, California

This place is a solid 5-stars, I love to click 10 stars but Yelp only has 5. The smoke soy sauce levels up the sushi! It's not overpowering and hand crafted with care and attention to detail. This place looks small but more than meets the eye with the carefully crafted sushi. We started with the fried Gyoza and it was hot, fresh and cooked perfectly. Salmon carpaccio, shrimp crunch roll and the citrus Sakura roll were all delicious. One of our favorite restaurants to visit when we're in town. read more

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Not sure how I've never left a review for one of my top favorites in Hermosa and Redondo but hey, my memory isn't what it used to be either so I'll just post pics of the items I had today. Truffle salmon: so tender and the salmon itself is melt in your mouth. Really everything is A-5 wagyu: amazing flavor and topped with a dab of yuzu as a nice contrast to the amazing meat butter Aburi toro sushi: I think it was my favorite today. Not sure how to describe the flavor and texture other than it's one that invokes the "dance" Krabby fatty: super warm, tasty, maybe it's torched at the ends for a great flavor and comes wrapped in soy paper which I love, Soft shell crab: very very lightly battered which is perfect for those looking for low carb options Speaking of which, there are 2 or 3 rolls that are rice free and the will also do easy or no rice whenever possible (though I've been trying to be keto, I couldn't resist having the sushi rice here) It's super chill here (I came in my workout clothes) and they play great music (for me) reggae and though it's usually pretty busy, the service never lacks as Kyle is smoothly darting around handling the entire place single-handedly including takeout. I love coming here because it's consistently delicious (dance delicious) and the service is awesome. I will add that even though I won't necessarily judge a place on ambience, this place is super cute and the Hermosa location has a spectacular patio area that is also dog friendly read more

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Found my new go to sushi spot when im in hermosa! My yelp community came through and recommended this place and it did not disappoint! We came just in time to take advantage of their happy hour! Staff were great and got us seated fast. It was a cold day so we sat inside. I had a lemon drop to drink and it tasted just like the ones in Japan! Loved their smoked soy sauce. I'll admit i was skeptical at first but when we tried it i was like oh... yea this is good. Their restroom was clean and tidy. Over all we'll be back!!! read more

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This establishment is clean, friendly and gave me great recommendations. The food tasted good and was prepared very well I recommend this small sushi restaurants read more

Long time enjoyer of Japonica, but let me just say the new manager, Becca, is awesome! My friend has a pretty severe gluten allergy, and Becca spent a lot of time with us helping my friend pick out the right rolls so she could still enjoy them. You also can just tell she has a genuine passion for the food and establishment itself, and was just overall a great person to be around and made the experience even better. read more

Small, sweet, super nice staff. Food is great. They have a really good lunch special. Wide variety of options.

Came here for happy hour and ordered the spicy tuna, bumblebee tuna, chicken gyoza and shishito peppers -- so delicious! The service was great and our food came out fast. Plenty of outdoor and indoor seating options read more

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I adore the Hermosa Beach Pier area! Japonica is conveniently located across the parking structure on 13th street. (with a super affordable hourly rate) There are a couple of standout items I don't typically come across in sushi restaurants so they're definitely worth highlighting. 1) Signature House Smoked Soy Sauce - Unique & delicious! Made to complement both standard and craft rolls 2) Truffle Salmon Sushi - Pricing is steep, BUT..! I understand why for this specific nigiri. The fish is buttery soft and they use just enough truffle to not overpower the quality of the salmon. Absolutely worth trying. Overall I believe this sushi restaurant appeals to the crowd of LA sushi enthusiasts vs. to true sushi lovers. I can appreciate the creativity of their craft rolls. Especially the ones I tried over the course of my visits: Jessica Albacore, Bluefin Bombshell, Bluefin Samurai, Citrus Sakura, and The Hasselhoff. However, I've found the kitchen is stingy with the fish. I feel as if I'm getting slivers/pieces instead of actual cuts of fish. Keep in mind craft rolls have about 8 pieces each, but the cost of these are close to $20. In short - Tiny portions, LA prices. Service was okay. Not quite outstanding. I had to tell my waiter I'd like to keep my menu close by in case I wanted to add to my order. After 2 orders of the truffle salmon, my menu was swiped away from my table which I found puzzling. Potentially ordering more, is a good thing right? Maybe there's a dining time limit I'm not aware of. As someone who has spent 7 years in Japan, I do acknowledge I have high standards and may be nit-picky with where I enjoy my sushi. From my pov, I'd expect for the rolls to be a more cohesive dish vs. ingredients just smooshed together. This place is good, but unfortunately doesn't cut my top 5 sushi spots in the South Bay. read more

The thing about South Bay dining is you can always guarantee yourself some good East Asian cuisine--and I mean a whole lot of countries under that. Japonica, as the name suggests, is a sushi/ramen/izakaya restaurant, and we went there to try their sushi (mostly) and enjoy an evening out. The ambience of the Hermosa Beach location is lively, and the staff was super nice--really attentive and quick service. I'm no expert in Japanese food, but I enjoyed everything we ate. However, it definitely felt more like fusion cuisine than actual Japanese food. I think I enjoyed the sushi at Dash Dashi more. We ordered the gyoza (which was steaming hot and tasty), original tantan ramen, Kyoto Kryptonite, crispy rice (super delicious but very similar to Kyoto Kryptonite), and White Lightening (loved the garlic soy sauce). My favorite dishes were the Crispy Rice and White Lightening--both offered a very different flavor of sushi roll than what I've had before. read more

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Ordered take out and was pretty disappointed. Food wasn't bad not special in anyway. Service was pretty bad. Kept getting told they were really backed up and our food took about 45 minutes to be ready. They didnt offer to call when it was ready so I had to keep ordering. It was also just a Thursday night. Unfortunately wouldn't come back. read more

Walked down and got Takeout. I got the Dragon Roll, Tantan beef ramen, and the Cilantro Tantan ramen with extra pork and added spice. The best was the Cilantro Tantan. Adding the spice definitely made it so much better. As far as Ramen goes it was good and I enjoyed it. It was like a 7/10. I think I could definitely find better ramen but I am not upset with my choice to go there. Eating there would also be a whole different experience. The vibes in the restaurant were good and the food definitely would of tasted more fresh. read more

Sushi was a little fishy but not horrible. Service was good and always nice to dine outdoors. The shishito peppers were a bit greasy.

Japonica in Hermosa Beach was such a cute, small spot. The setting felt intimate and honestly made the service feel more personal, which was perfect for a relaxed lunch. I am not usually big on sushi, but I really enjoyed everything I ordered. The crispy rice plate was great and the albacore was especially delicious. I was not crazy about the miso soup since it tasted a little fishy, but everything else was amazing. I definitely see myself coming back. read more

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I love this restaurant!! Never disappointed when I come here. The fish is always so fresh and tastes delicious. My go-to is usually the citrus sakura which is so refreshing. I also recently tried the bumblebee roll and that was also really good. Their crispy rice is delicious and a pretty good sized portion. Last time we went we were served by Demi and Emily and they were wonderful! read more

5, 5, 5. Hermosa Beach Japonica- SECRET GEM Walking distance from our hotel in Hermosa. We came here twice on a 4 day trip bc we loved it sooooo much! Ordered hamachi carpaccio & salmon carpaccio. Delicious. Came with a teenager who didn't want pepper flakes on edamame, no problem, did all the garlic goodness no pepper flakes! Our servers, both nights, were wonderful. Remembered us from first night and asked about our trip to Catalina island (bc we asked her about where we would leave from). Also I seriously tried to figure out how to smuggle their (too big for check on) smoked soy sauce. Don't think about, just go. read more

Japonica - Beef Tantan - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hermosa Beach, California

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5 stars again and again!! Emily and Ethan are our favorite servers, hospitable and friendly! Food is great & service is even better.

Very good quality meal that'll come with a fat check if you're like me and get carried away with their extensive menu. It's got a nice decor good for dates and small get-togethers. I would recommend their aburi salmon and wagyu that they sear in front of you. Service is good. read more

That Jessica Albacore Roll is fire! Do yourself a favor and add that one to your order. The Special Sushi Combo is a great deal for two!

I've been eating here for years; started by ordering food for delivery to dining in multiple times now. The service has been consistently good. Ambiance is also nice--perfect for a girls get together or date night. The food is delicious. My go-tos are the Citrus Sakura roll and the Truffle Salmon (pricey but I can eat a million of these). The sake flight was also really fun and really yummy. Parking is hard to come by in this area of town so be prepared for that, or use a rideshare service. Highly recommend and will of course be back. read more

Food was amazing and service is always top notch! We had the bumblebee roll and so delicious! Emily and Olivia were excellent servers and can't wait to come back read more

Japonica - So much delicious in this picture - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hermosa Beach, California

I'd say pay attention to the description of the rolls but even if you do it'll be wrong. I ordered multiple rolls and none of them had imitation or real crab in the description yet all of them were California rolls with a little bit of real fish on top. Not only is that not is it false advertising the prices you are paying for the tiny amount of fish on top should be criminal. read more

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Olivia was the kindest server ever! Our sushi Rolls were also suuuper delicious--we'll be back again for sure! read more

Japonica - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hermosa Beach, California

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I had the crispy rice and an eel roll. It was pretty good, no complaints. I would eat here again to try some other spots, but the way it was recommended a few times I was expecting to be more impressed with menu options. The service was just okay. We sat outside and there was a heater to keep warm, but it was also an awkward position as our table was on a tilt against the sidewalk. read more

Some of the best most unique sushi in the South Bay. The smoked soy sauce is so so delicious and literally addictive. Demi is so attentive and helped make sure my dining experience was great. I love to go during happy out when the sun is shining, it is such good vibes. read more

Actually pretty good. A few of my friends are like "other places are better" but I'm a sushi snob and the Jessica roll does it for me. Last time I was here, I was in a hurry and they made it fast for me. Really like this place and have been multiple times. Jessica roll. Trust me. read more

For those who aren't big fans of sushi, Japonica will change your mind. Their dishes are unique and intentional. I was a huge fan of their Japanese eclectic pop interior. Service was superb - couldn't really ask for anything better. read more

Food was ok, though I couldn't taste any softshell crab in the Spider Roll. Having lived in Maryland for 32 years I should have known better than to order the Spider Roll, but our waiter assured me I'd like it. My wife ordered the Veggie Tantan that was advertised as mild. Japonica's concept of mild is clearly different than ours. It had a bite. It's not mild, but I wouldn't call it a flamethrower. The kicker though is that they calculate their suggested 15%, 20%, and 25% tips AFTER adding the 9.75% tax. As you can see from the attached receipt, the bill totaled $56.96 and 20% of that is $11.39, yet they said 20% was $12.50. That's true if you want to increase the total by adding the $5.54 in taxes which pushes the overall total to $62.50. So yes, in that case 20% of $62.50 would be $12.50. But what Japonica, and many other restaurants won't tell you is that you are actually tipping roughly 22% of the total bill in CA if you tip using their suggested $12.50 (based on their 20% being calculated by including the tax (like here $12.50/$56.96 = 21.94%). Not a big deal in the scheme of things, but incredibly deceptive to their customers. My better 7/8s picked up the tab tonight and thought she was leaving a 20% tip by using Japonica's chart and tipping $12.50. Now she knows better. Next time you may want to check to see whether your restaurant includes the taxes to determine their suggested tip %s read more

Japonica - Copy of full receipt - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hermosa Beach, California

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Tasty and superfresh Sushi, fast and friendly service, definitely worth eating here. We'll be back for sure

Service has gotten bad. Came for a late lunch. No one was in there except one lady. Said I could have anymore table so I was going to sit down. But the other lady working was like can you take a smaller table. It was like 'Why?' No one else is in the restaurant. So I told them forget it. It was dead and so why be picky on tables. Won't go back. There are other places better for food, service, and professionalism. read more

Japonica - Spicy Tuna Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hermosa Beach, California

This place is great the food was amazing and they had a wide variety of no rice options which was fantastic. The service was excellent and we didn't wait long for anything everything came out quick and timely. Refills came quickly didn't have to ask for anything. I highly recommend this location we plan on trying the other locations since they are closer. read more

Another great experience with Olivia and Nick. I'm always so impressed how they give great service with such a small staff. We loved the rainbow roll this time. Sat inside to eat quicker. I love how they play indie rock from the 2010s. Very nostalgic! read more

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Was seated promptly in the outside patio. Ordered edamame, 3 sushi rolls, sake and beer. Sushi was good and fresh, the edamame could have been warmer. Overall a decent spot and would come back again. read more

It's ok sushi. Great ambiance by the beach. The Bonita soy sauce is different but I still prefer the regular Soy sauce. read more

Excellent quality and service using the highest quality fish which are handpicked daily by experienced Japanese chef. They have an outstanding smoked soy sauce too which compliments well with their famous gyoza dumplings cooked perfectly today. The pork broth is sublime and fresh with rich umami flavor which pairs well with the chewy noodles and fresh cilantro too. The Hamachi platter was delicious and taste fresh. Kyle my Hawaiian service staff is Amazing today. He is working both the front patio and tables inside too. Excellent team work. Nice clean restroom available inside for customers. The mochi green tea dessert was very good. Beautiful location and Amazing weather in Hermosa Beach. A most excellent day. Thank you everyone. read more

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I go to alot of sushi restaurants, mostly farther north in WLA; so I'm very picky for this category. The sushi was not great and had a kind of slimy texture I don't encounter often(maybe not fresh). Prices are what you'd expect so there's no value bump. Food 3 Service 2 Ambience/location 4 Value 2 Overall rating: 3 Repeat visit: NO Service also brought it down because I waited several minutes for a server at a patio table and finally had to tell her I was outside waiting(and there was only a few people outside, not hard to miss. I have to conclude this place is overrated and just average but I do compare it to the top tier WLA places not southbay. read more

Japonica - Rainbow roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Hermosa Beach, California

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Food:4 Service: 5 Ambience :4 Small menu but it works. I believe this Hermosa location is capturing more of a hit and run crowd rather than developing a real sit down experience. It's quick and not fussy. Not a lot to study on the menu. But what they had was good. The fish is good quality. Some of it was a bit watery... so that can be worked on! I had blue fin, hamachi and salmon. All sufficient. Good sized portions. Great lunch spot. But parking maybe tricky. Luckily there's a lot across the street. It's Hermosa pier so there's lots to do before and after the meal. Lunch for 2 with 1 glass of wine with %20 tip: $135. Bon appetit read more