Came here on a Saturday night. Food was great. But our server (a young white guy) was a bit rude. He kept telling us how much we should order, insisting that we ordered too much (by the way we finished all the dishes we ordered). At one point, even "lectured" on me how to drink a Suntory beer.. Throughout the dinner, he was talking and laughing loudly with a white couple sitting next to us. Very unpleasant experience. Wouldn't come back for that. read more

Kinjiro - Izakaya Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came for Christmas Eve dinner. Typically need a RSVP here and was lucky to get one. Was seated promptly. Ordered salmon sashimi, adagashi tofu, chicken, wagyu short rib, some don, soup with plums, and panna cotta. Everything was delicious, as usual. Probably ordered one too many dishes though! Definitely an awesome time, and will be back for sure! read more

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Plates are delicious. All small 2 people shareable dishes! Make reservations or you'll be waiting a while! Thank me later. read more

Kinjiro is one of those places that makes you slow down and savor every bite. The truffle udon was easily the star of the night! The noodles had just the right chew, coated in that rich, earthy truffle flavor that felt both indulgent and comforting, but not too heavy. The beef tongue was surprisingly good too. It was crispy on the outside, chewy and good on the inside. It paired really well with wine and the sauce that goes with it is not to be missed. The portions lean on the smaller side and can be quite pricey. Service was warm and attentive without being overbearing, and the vibe is intimate yet lively. If you're into elevated izakaya dining, Kinjiro hits the sweet spot. I'd come back just for that truffle udon alone. read more

Kinjiro - Izakaya Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Took my husband here to celebrate his birthday. Staff greeted us right as we walked in and sat us down. We wanted to order the whole menu because everything sounded amazing. After we told the staff what we wanted to order, he suggested we take a few items out because we over ordered for two people. We were super thankful for his opinion and helping us because he was completely right. After we finished everything, we got pretty full. He did tell us that if we wanted more, we could order additional items afterwards. Everything that came out, was beautifully plated and definitely needs a minute of appreciation and picture taking. Our waiter also, made his recommendations on which order our items would come out. Staff made sure to come and clean our empty plates. This spot is definitely a place for a date night and not ideal to bring kids. This is definitely a spot for you to be able to enjoy the meal and enjoy each other's company. There were only two staff running around and helping people. So be patient with them. Ordered: *Raw Hamahama Oysters *American wagyu beef Tataki *Uni ikura scallop & blue crab (2) *Spanish octopus *Beef tongue *Bone marrow *Seared uni *Duck *Shochu on the rocks Kinjiro is a bit pricey but I would say its 100% worth it. A great place to celebrate special occasions or if you want to just eat good food. I highly recommend this spot! 2 thumbs up from this Yelper. A spot that I would definitely come back, without questioning. Tips: *Make reservations via email on the website. *They have a shared parking lot but you have to pay. *Restroom available For customers. *Small indoor seating only. read more

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Stumbled upon this gem while visiting Pasadena for a quick day trip. Place of intimately small. We didn't have reservations but Michael accommodated us but kindly informed us we have to vacate the table in 1.5hrs. We ordered 5 items: Uni, tempura sardines, salmon with broth, truffle mushroom udon noodles and the miso cod. It was perfect for the 2 of us. Everything was delectable most notable the miso cod, salmon and the udon noodles was the BEST THING! Thank you for accommodating us, but highly recommend reservations. Reminded us of the great service from Japan. Oh and gratuity is already included in the check. read more

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Great food and service! There's parking in the same plaza. I always want to order everything on the menu when I'm there. Must-haves are the uni, creamy udon, and beef tongue. They always taste so good! read more

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Would highly recommend coming here with a small group of friends. Delicious unique blends of flavor and you can taste the freshness + quality. Exceptional service, switching plates almost every round, friendly and notices small details throughout the meal. read more

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I've passed by Kinjiro and this plaza so many times, yet never made a reservation until recently and I honestly don't know why. Kinjiro is definitely one of the best restaurants in Little Tokyo! We 100% enjoyed everything that we ordered. Kinjiro is izakaya style, so there's small plates for all palates. They also change up their menu but keep favorites. They're known for their beef tongue, and I definitely recommend it if you enjoy it. It's cut thick unlike other places, yet so tender and juicy. Black miso cod was also perfect and buttery. Their sashimi salad had generous portions of sashimi and a yummy dressing. Don't pass on dessert! Definitely get a reservation so they can accommodate your party! read more

What a great little spot. I made reservations in advance to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday here. The restaurant is very simple inside quite intimate because there are not a lot of tables and there was not a lot of people during the time we went. Everything we ordered was excellent, the seafood tasted very fresh. The beef tongue was perfectly cooked. I would recommend this spot as a cute little date night spot. Just make sure to take your reservation. read more

I've been meaning to try Kinjiro for quite a while now but they are reservation only and require you to email in advance so it's always just been a bit of a hassle to plan out in advance. I finally tried this place recently and had a wonderful meal! This place is located in a plaza with a parking lot that requires payment so keep in mind you will have to pay, but it is easier to access compared to other parts of DTLA and little Tokyo. The restaurant itself doesn't have too much seating but it is very cozy inside. Staff are all very polite and they introduce each course one at a time so be prepared to sit here for a while. We ordered the uni scallop crab appetizer, miso sea bass, Wagyu short rib, uni risotto, and truffle cream udon. Everything was incredible but the highlights were definitely the miso sea bass and the udon. The risotto was delicious but a bit too creamy and heavy for my taste and the Wagyu wasn't as special but still both of these were really good. I wish I had enough time and belly space to get their dessert but I'll just have to wait to try it next time! read more

Kinjiro - 10.2024 Uni risotto - Izakaya Near Me - Los Angeles, California

It's a very small and private restaurant,not a bad thing at all. Genuinely, I hope it stays that way, because that's what keeps a good place feeling exclusive! While they do accept walk-ins, I recommend making a reservation in advance. What impressed me most was the food, but the service was just as memorable. Every time a dish was served, the staff would neatly clear the table and explain each item. It felt like a I had a full course dining experience. The food was exceptionally clean and delicious. The seafood was fresh, and the beef tataki had no meaty smell at all. The tofu, which was made fresh daily, was light and they kept the natural flavor so well. The spinach mushroom salad and uni risotto was the bomb! Also, I highly recommend trying the creamy malt beer here. read more

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The food here is decent. We ordered the seared kanpachi with ponzu; uni, blue crab, dashi-marinated ikura, scallop; cured Japanese red snapper, dehydrated yuzu; saba kobujime sashimi; cold tofu with dashi; wasabi potato salad; kibinago tempura, yuzu kosho and ikura salts; tatsuta-age; Spanish octopus with peppercorn aioli; black cod with saikyo miso; thick-cut beef tongue with yuzu negi; matcha and red bean mousse with yuzu marmalade; black sesame mousse with kinako. The highlights were the cured sashimi, the cold tofu, and the beef tongue. They pace out the courses, which I both liked and disliked. I got to enjoy each course, but also prefer having multiple items to eat at a time. All in all, I'd like to be back. read more

This was really just a great "experience". We didn't know what to expect, but the service was exceptional and the food was really great. You really have to be there to understand how small the restaurant is and how intimate it feels. The waiter was just really on top of everything and all of the dishes we got were really great tasting. We got the uni risotto, the agedashi tofu, the miso sea bass, the bone marrow, the black sesame mousse and the seared kampachi. The risotto was creamy with a strong uni flavor that we liked. The agedashi tofu had a great broth and was super creamy tofu. The bone marrow had that wonderful "meat butter" taste when you ate it with the bread. I could have passed on the kampachi, but it was still good. read more

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I was a little bit hesitant about trying this spot as it seemed pretty pricey, but I decided to take my boyfriend here for his birthday. Reservations can be made up to a month in advance by email and they are very responsive. Agedashi tofu (4/5): unique take on a traditional dish with the mushroom ankake, it was very flavorful. The only suggestion I have is to make the fried crust thinner as it was hard to cut through. Thick Beef Tongue (5/5): wow, so tender and delicious! A must order. Miso Black Cod (5/5): so tasty and buttery, similar to Nobu's. Inaniwa Beef Tongue Udon (5/5): loved the thinner noodles and it was simple but flavorful. Green Tea Panna Cotta (5/5): received this as the birthday dessert and it was so good! Not too sweet. Overall we had an amazing experience from start to finish! The quality of the food warrants the pricing. Customer service was excellent as well. Sundays and Mondays the plaza doesn't charge for parking which is a plus. $25 corkage fee for any wine or sake. read more

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Great unique food coupled with good, knowledgeable service. Family style plates so bring your people! read more

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If you're looking for an evening spot where you can take time savoring every flavor that gets put in front of you then look no further than Kinjiro. Each dish comes out like it was made specifically for Instagram and packs so much flavor that it could have its own episode on the Food Network. It's a super small spot and what sets it apart is how they take their time sending each dish out. No rushing between courses. Now, because it's small, you'll need to make a reservation. It's worth it. The must try items: 1. Uni rissoto 2. Mackerel 3. Beef Tongue 4. Black cod read more

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Food, service, ambience excellent, and reflected in the price, but I think the quality is worth the price, as even McDonalds is ridiculously expensive these days. Making a reservation - as far as I know, no phone or online system, so it's a hassle to go back and forth by email. I hope they change this. Still all in all, a great place for an intimate celebratory meal. I always want to go here for my birthday, and my husband deals with making the reservation. read more

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One of my top 2 favorite Japanese restaurants in LA. So many dishes that are all amazing - both in taste and presentation. Some of my favorites are the uni, ikura, scallop & blue crab (all together), king salmon, wasabi potato salad, chicken tatsuta-age, chicken thigh, beef tongue and truffle udon. I really haven't had any mediocre dishes here. Great sake selection too. read more

時光匆匆， 不經意間， 年輪的腳步刻畫了歲月的痕跡，生命這麼的短暫，不該花任何時間遺憾，讓你不快的人或事， 多花一分鐘都是浪費我們美好的時光～ 好友帶我來她之前來過的金次郎，她之前生日來過， 所以知道菜色有水準， 這家應該也算是名店， 就在鼎鼎有名的Sushi Gen 旁邊， 這個小小的 plaza , 裡面的店面真的是臥虎藏龍的感覺， 金太郎的東西應該算是Fusion ， 每道都很有特色， 光看菜單， 就開始自動分泌口水，我想吃的就一拖拉庫了， 最喜歡他們的超厚牛舌， uni 燉飯，章魚腳， 炸小小魚也很好吃， 甜點也是一級棒，其實每道都棒， 沒有一道低於90 分， 沒來過， 喜歡料理有點創意的吃貨， 這家別錯過， 菜單上料理很多， 真的很多都非常吸引我，聽說這家只能寫email 訂位？可能板上的吃貨們有人知道，我很喜歡，我們點那麼多菜， 道道都表現亮眼，是一家我一定會再去造訪的地方！ read more

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Amazing izakaya with high quality food. Great atmosphere, very intimate setting with a few tables. Reservations recommended. Paid parking in Honda plaza Stand out dishes: - truffles & mushroom creamy udon noodles - cold green tea soba noodles - uni risotto - beef tongue - wagyu beef tataki Basically can't go wrong with any dish. Service was great, they changed out our dish and utensils with every new dish they served, very attentive! Would come back again and again. Yum! read more

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Maybe my favorite izakaya in Los Angeles! It is a very intimate small restaurant where you need to get reservations. Went for my birthday and it was definitely a memorable experience. We got the salmon and scallop salad that huge chunks of both that were absolutely delicious. The karaage chicken was huge but nothing spectacular. The beef tongue was the star of the meal and would 10/10 recommend it to anyone going. If you have room, and maybe if you don't, the green tea panna cotta is so freaking good. I don't even like sweets and it was just one of the best desserts I have ever had. read more

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second visit on friday 2/7/25, 7:30 PM: came for my best friend's birthday and it was much busier than the last time i came for a 5:30 pm seating. the staff were friendly and recognized that i had come before, so that was a nice touch. was super excited to have tried some new items for me: chicken t tsuta-age (3 pieces) with three delicious dipping sauces, black cod with saikyo miso, and king salmon ochazuke. we also ordered the grilled beef tongue again, was just as meaty, tender, and juicy as i remembered. green tea panna cotta was absolutely bussin as well, def want to try out more dessert items in the future. i love that it doesn't get super loud in here and always remains at a moderate level of noise + music - you never have to shout in here which is great. also the tables are a great distance to be seated across from your dining companions, it's not too far but not too close. read more

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What a long overdue review! This place is literally one of my favorite restaurants. One of the last gems in little tokyo. From the service to the food 15/10. Food & Service Straight fire if you haven't been here you honestly haven't lived. If it's your first time... Oysters Beef tounge Octopus Uni risotto Mushroom and truffle undon Green tea Panna cotta And that's on period read more

One of my favorite higher end Izakaya in socal. It is a small intimate restaurant in little tokyo that serves amazing food. Food (5/5): Beef tongue is probably one of the best you can find. Nice thick tongue that's cooked to perfection. Duck breast was also cooked to perfection. My favorite is actually the green tea soba. Definitely a must have. Feel free to order away, as the portions are on the smaller side. Yes your bill will add up, but you get what you pay for. Ambiance (5/5): I always enjoy a nice warm environment where we can communicate with our party without having to yell. Service (5/5): Not much can be said. Server very attentive and gave excellent options. Food comes out one by one similar to omakase style. A bit old fashion in which we have to email info@kinjiro-la.com up to 2 weeks in advanced to make reservations, but no problem. As long as they focus on what's most important, it'll always be a 5 star in my books. read more

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The finest Izakaya in Los Angeles! Highlights: Uni risotto, beed tongue I had an exceptional dining experience at this high-quality Izakaya. While the place is quite small with only about seven tables, and reservations need to be made through email, which can be a bit cumbersome, it was absolutely worth it. The dedication put into each and every menu is palpable, and we couldn't stop exclaiming "amazingly delicious" throughout our meal. Particularly, the Uni Risotto and beef tongue stood out as absolute delights that melted in our mouths! Undoubtedly the finest Izakaya in DTLA. I'm already planning my next visit! Must try- Uni risotto Uni, ikura, scallop & blue crab Beef tongue Truffle & mushroom creamy udon read more

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It's very hard to go wrong with Japanese food, and with so many expensive Japanese options in LA, my partner and I decided to try Kinjiro (midpoint between affordable expensive and ridiculous expensive) to see what LA Japanese food had to offer. Walking in, my partner and I were so glad to have made a reservation because a party came in before us and were turned away because they were booked out for the night. The space is also very small and had only 6-7 tables. Because the space is small, it made you feel like you were at an exclusive dinner party. The limited capacity also made the service more attentive because they have less tables to worry about and can really cater to your needs. Our server guided us through the menu and made sure we picked out a number of dishes that would make us full and also advised us to choose a variety of dishes to experience the full breadth of the menu. My favorites would have to be the uni, ikura, scallop and blue crab chaser and the agedashi fried tofu, followed by the creamy mushroom udon and the spanish octopus. The uni, ikura, scallop and blue crab shooter is everything you would want in raw seafood: fresh, sweet, and refreshing with a tangy savory soy marinade to top everything off. The agedashi tofu is the perfect comfort meal with the crispy skin and the super soft tofu center (paired with the broth is amazing!). On the other hand, the king salmon and bone marrow dengaku are forgettable. The king salmon was not as fresh as some others I've had and the bone marrow dengaku was missing something that I couldn't put my finger on. Overall, the food, ambiance, and service were on point. I do think I can get the same meal (but not the same service/experience) for a cheaper price in ny, but for what Kinjiro offers, I think it's a fair price if you have the money for it. read more

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This quaint little izakaya spot offers so much variety in delicious Japanese tapas. Quality of the food here is top notch and very well done. The intimate ambiance of this restaurant makes it a perfect date night spot . My favorite dishes here were: - ⁣ - ⁣ - ⁣ -- ⁣ - ⁣ - I highly recommend this spot for anyone in the DTLA area! Side note: Reservations can only be made 2 weeks in advance via email with the owner Jun. read more

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My favorite spot since the pandemic. Then I came back. Got to see the inside. Loved it. Every course is umami, love and omg. They bring it out 1 at a time, which is what I love. When I mentioned I like the courses slow and steady, they loved. The ambiance is classy. The service is incredible. The wine pairing o.g. read more

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I'm giving a 5 stars for the great service. I came early and got lucky to snag an available table without reservation but it seems you'll want a reservation to be safe because they had to turn people away later on in the night. There's only probably around 5 or so tables to give context on the intimacy of this place. Everyone was super polite and accommodating to allow us to get seated even though not everyone was here yet. Food was really good overall. The price is definitely on the expensive end although you could argue the quality ingredient aspect. + aged snapper sashimi: I was skeptical but seeing that it was limited quantity sold me on trying... and I'm a fan! The pairings like ponzu sauce and onion garnishes really make this standout too. + king salmon sashimi: really tasty although I would probably opt to try other items next time I'm back. + beef tataki: has a slight chew but still tender overall. I liked the plum sauce touch. + uni risotto: the real star of the night... so cool they present it inside the sea urchin shell. Very creamy and full of flavor. I'd recommend giving it a try! read more

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Amazing food! My personal favorite was the thick cut beef tongue. Service was wonderful as well! The server squeezed us in with no reservation (thank you so much!) Ambiance was great too :) read more

A bit pricy but can u really place a price tag on quality? Delicious. Make the effort and head on out to check out Kinjiro

Food are awesome, service are great, would love to come back another time visiting LA read more

Kinjiro - Izakaya Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This was one of our favorite meals during our trip to LA. The uni risotto, thick cut beef tongue, truffle udon, and wasabi potato salad were the absolute stand-outs. Service was great, we loved their sake selection, and the pacing was on point. Definitely try them out. read more

Kinjiro - Uni risotto - Izakaya Near Me - Los Angeles, California

AMAZING!!! Truffle udon- heavenly Bone marrow Beef tongue- so tender and juicy Agedashi tofu- love it!! read more

Kinjiro - Truffle udon - Izakaya Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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TL;DR: Delicious and delicate Japanese food! Best service too! Grabbed a reservation for a Monday evening to try to avoid a huge crowd. You have to get reservations via email 2 weeks in advance! They are very responsive via email. Read their fine print on their website to make the reservation correctly! Service was FANTASTIC! Our server was so friendly and kind and informative. The timing of the courses was also wonderful. FOOD: ~American Wagyu Beef Tataki (4/5): cold preparation. Soft and flavorful with a nice refreshing radish and green onion salad ~Bone marrow dengaku (5/5): Omg so delicious! cooked and seasoned perfectly! Slid the marrow out of the bone without a problem and the sauce/seasoning was to die for ~Thick cut beef tongue (4/5): So soft and tender ~Uni Risotto (4/5): VERY rich. One of those dishes that you keep going back for and gets better as you keep eating it ~Black cod with saikyo miso (4/5): cod was cooked perfectly and the flavor was so delicate but perfect Overall, one of the best dining experiences we had in LA! read more

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Came here for my birthday and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. We ordered the seared uni, sashimi salad, beef tongue, and the truffle & mushroom udon. The stand out dishes were the beef tongue and the udon. The beef tongue was SO tender and grilled to the perfect medium rare. If you're only going to order one thing here, this is the one I'd recommend The udon, on the other hand, was really flavorful and full of the truffle & mushroom taste. It was very creamy as well, and the udon was cooked to the perfectly chewy texture. The uni was great as well, it's seared with their house made uni sauce. It was very satisfying to eat so much uni at a time haha. For the sashimi salad, the fish were all super fresh and thick cut. It was a refreshing dish and complimented the rest of what I order for sure. There are so many more things on the menu that I'd love to try, and I'd definitely come back! read more

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We had an amazing meal at Kinjiro! We made an e-mail reservation a few weeks ahead of time and it was easy. For 3 people, we ordered the Uni, Ikura, Scallop & Blue Crab shooters, Sashimi Salad (Hokkaido Scallops, King Salmon) w/ Blue Crab, Grilled Spanish Octopus, Grilled Thick-cut Beef Tongue, Bone Marrow Dengaku, Uni Risotto, and Truffles & Organic Mushrooms Creamy Udon Noodles. We were definitely stuffed at the end of it. Everything was so delicious and cooked nicely. The beef tongue is so tender and the bone marrow is juicy and fatty. Loved the creaminess of the risotto and udon. read more

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KINJIRO de tabeyou!! Let's eat at KINJIRO! I can't even choose what would be my top three items because everything was so good! We ordered the "Kanpachi" Amberjack Sashimi, the Seared Uni, Uni, Ikura, Scallop & Blue Crab, Agedashi Fried Tofu, Grilled Spanish Octopus with Japanese Peppercorn Aioli, the fried Chicken Tatsuta-age, Duck Breast, Beef Tongue, Uni Risotto, Bone Marrow Dengaku, and lastly the Squid Ink Udon Noodles. It seems like a lot, but it was perfect for four people. I recommend ordering both uni dishes. The risotto was so good, I just wanted to lick the spoon and plate dry. The seared uni with the seaweed was full of umami flavor. Order any dishes uni in them, you can't go wrong. Uni, Ikura, Scallop & Blue Crab was good to share between two people even though it says single serving. It was like eating a savory but refreshing parfait. The Agedashi Fried Tofu with the organic mushroom was very comforting. Highly recommend for a cold night. The fried Chicken Tatsuta-age was fried perfectly. It was fluffy, but crispy. The chicken was juicy and tender. The texture reminded me of a soft shelled crab tempura-like. I loved the Grilled Spanish Octopus with Japanese Peppercorn Aioli! It came with the peppercorn aioli sauce and "matcha wasabi," which I felt was very unique. Tip: dip the octopus in both the aioli and matcha wasabi together rather than individually. At first I tried just the octopus with the aioli, but dipping it in the aioli and then the matcha wasabi took it a whole other level! The octopus meat was tender, meaty, and fulfilling. The grilled Duck Breast with Kanzuri was thinly sliced and had a nice crunch from the crispy skin. The duck had a good balance of protein and fat. The grilled beef tongue was rich like wagyu and juicy. The bone marrow was fatty but good. It had the flavors of teriyaki- savory, sweet and salty. We jokingly asked for sherry to do a bone marrow luge, but he brought us sake! First time doing a bone marrow luge with sake and it was delicious! I've had squid ink pasta before at other restaurants and they were always mediocre. Well, the squid pasta at Kinjiro was a total game changer! The best I ever had! Each food item was brought out one at a time. The pace between each item was perfect because it allowed us to really process it, digest, and savor them. Service is good! He was knowledgeable and attentive. Oh, and for desserts, we tried the Black Sesame Mousse and Roasted Green Tea Panna Cotta. I enjoyed the green tea panna cotta more. It is sweeter than the sesame dessert. It was like eating green tea flan! Make reservations and go to Kinjiro! Valentine's Day is just around the corner! Good place for dates (insert winking face emoji). read more

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Kinjiro is a must-visit restaurant every time we come to LA. Their truffle and mushroom udon is so good, I dream about it from time to time. Their agedashi tofu with mushroom sauce is also really yummy and something we always get. Everything we've had is good but those are the standouts and what we come for. This was our first visit since COVID. We found the tables to be spaced out more and the experience felt more chill, which made it even more enjoyable. Securing the reservation was a breeze so long you plan ahead - email them at Noon two weeks in advance (this was true at time of writing of this review - check their site for the latest), and you should be good to go. We saw a few parties trying to walk-in and failed; given the restaurant's popularity and the reduced # of tables, it's likely generally not possible. read more

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