I've lived 10 minutes away from this place for years and I'm so mad I didn't visit it sooner. Dined here yesterday with a friend and we ordered the traditional omakase since it was my first time there. It was a good way to try a little bit of everything and the portions were just right. I left feeling full enough to be satisfied but not like I ate too much. I also really appreciated how the waiters brought out the food a few at a time so we could eat at our own pace. Our server was very kind and accommodating to us and the guests around us, which made for a very comfortable atmosphere. I genuinely don't have any pictures for this review because it looked so good that I couldn't wait to eat. Overall 10/10, will dine here again! read more

The Bottom Line: 5 stars: A nice Yakiniku (Japanese Barbeque) spot for high quality food and great attentive service. Location 4 stars: In the busy Sawtelle area. Surrounded by many competitors and many great Asian restaurants and Japanese novelty shops. Parking can be a challenge. There are limited metered parking spots on the streets and many paid parking garages nearby which I would recommend. Parking on residential streets is at your risk only as they have complex rules about when the parking is allowed and when it requires a resident permit. You may get a ticket worth several trips to paid parking garages :D Venue 4 stars: Medium-sized facility with indoor seating. Japanese style smokeless grilles at the table. You cook your own food. They take reservation on Open Table which I highly recommend. Service 5 stars: Staff were friendly, attentive, and super helpful. Food and Drinks 5 stars: Japanese-inspired food with some Korean influence as well. Excellent, high quality meat and vegetables and good selection of beer on tap and bottle, sake, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. They offer AYCE (All You Can Eat), packages and à la carte. We went with à la carte. We had the Spicy Beef Soup, the Garlic Fried Rice which comes in a hot pot and is mixed at your table, the Kimchi Cold Tofu, the Yakiniku-style Cabbage Salad, the Ikura Tamagoyaki (Japanese Omelet appetizer with Salmon Eggs on top), the Angus Trip Tip, the Prime Skirt, the Prime Hanger Steak and the Chicken Thigh. All were excellent and highly recommended. read more

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Manpuku is one of our go to spots for yaki niku. Service is always great and the food is delicious. The food quality is on the higher side but not overly rich. Overall a solid spot for special occasions or even for a simple date night. Atmosphere: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Food: 5/5 Value: 4/5 Total: 4.25/5 Price: $$ Rating Criteria: Based on comparisons to other establishments in the area 1/5: Terrible, would not recommend 2/5: Might be worth it depending on price and other factors. 3/5: Solid option. Average in this category for the area. 4/5: Above average and excels in this area. 5/5: Excellent, needs no improvement Pricing Criteria: Based on what we spent $: $0 - $50 per person $$: $50 - $100 per person $$$: $100 - $200 per person $$$$: $200 - $500 per person $$$$$: $500+ per person Please be mindful that reviews are based on personal experience which may differ from person to person based upon a multitude of factors (individual/specific workers, time of day, personal preferences, etc). Pricing may also differ and is reflected here based on what we paid for our meal. We typically enjoy multiple courses with our meals including appetizers, salads, entrees, desserts, and sometimes drinks or tasting menus when available. Please do your own research if concerned about potential pricing. read more

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Came here for valentines with my boyfriend and we made a reservation in advance. There's some parking available in their lot but it can be crowded, so we opted for street parking. We ordered the garlic noodles, fried rice (which was my mom's recommendation), and two cuts of meat. We left satisfied but not overly stuffed. The waiter was nice and though it did get a little smoky at times, it was a nice vibe. The fried garlic noodles had a great texture and the fried rice had an umami taste. The meat was tender and you cook it yourself. They have an omakase option if you're looking to be more structured. read more

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We've had consistent excellent BBQ experiences here celebrating our anniversary and just because :). The meat are tender and vegetables taste fresh. I love and highly recommend the umami fried rice (savory and aromatic, the server brings it to your table, cracks an egg on top then mixes the ingredients together...you'll love the mushrooms too!), Manpuku salad (the salad dressing is amazing), Prime hanger steak, Prime outside skirt steak, Yuzu pork cheek, and the assorted kimchi (includes napa, radish and cucumber). Prime ribeye, garlic fried rice and garlic fried noodles were also good. A side of garlic will cost you $5, which is pricey and you only get a small amount. Attentive and friendly service. Cozy ambience with booth and table seating. Place gets busy and the parking lot gets full. read more

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Visited there with my friends for dinner They welcomed us with smile and friendly We ordered their signature menu Tokyo beef tongue and Sukiyaki and premium course All foods and drinks such as Japanese sake and awesome and all service staff and attentive Manager, She's so nice and lovely Definitely come back soon!! read more

My partner and I came without a reservation and they seated us pretty quickly. The restaurant is very small but has a nice vibe. Our server and everyone else was super nice ! The only reason I'm giving this place a 3 star was because of the food. My partner and I got the $69/per person tasting menu. They had some really nice cuts however when I tried the chicken, and the other meats they tasted like they had no flavor. I was just expecting more. I was expecting for the meat to taste like the seasoning it had on but it just didn't, it was very plain. Even the peppers, for the price I was not expecting them to taste so simple and regular like everywhere else. I will say my favorite dish from here was the spicy beef soup, the broth actually tasted very flavorful, and you could taste the spice in it, also the edamame it was very good. Lastly I fell in love with the lychee ice cream ! It was a good way to end the night at least. read more

We made a last-minute dinner reservation for our group of 12 and were seated at two tables of six. Despite being split up, we had no trouble conversing. We appreciated our waiter letting us know about the prix fixe menu, which worked out well since each table could share two portions. It was the perfect choice since we were eager to start eating right away. Our meal started with a shredded cabbage salad, followed by several plates of meat--some marinated and very tender. The shrimp and garlic fried rice were definite highlights. With a couple hungry guys at our table, we probably could have added some extra a la carte dishes. Service was attentive and efficient throughout the meal. Unfortunately, they were out of lychee ice cream, which we had all been looking forward to, but the matcha ice cream was a satisfying substitute. Parking in the plaza and along Sawtelle can be a bit hectic, so be prepared for a bit of a search. read more

Manpuku - Green Tea ice cream - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Overall: a solid, albeit pricey-for-what-you-get experience Food: 4/5 we got the prix fixe menu with the Wagyu upgrade. + the salad was surprisingly memorable. Seaweed and sesame oil paired for a savory, balanced treat + meats were tender, as expected + garlic fried rice was super fragrant, had an unexpected textural addition for diced daikon + scallops and seafood tasted fresh - our filet mignon didn't look or taste super fresh - the uni in the uni caviar also tasted too pungent compared to fresh sushi - shishito peppers could've used more char and thus flavor Service: 5/5 Very attentive and kind Ambiance: 3/5 I liked the overall ambiance though the tables and several plates were sticky, presumably from congealed grease. Otherwise, good spacing for the tables, and nice decor, if a little outdated. read more

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We were able to grab a table quickly enough during a busy time. The service was OK and the food was decent. Not exactly the kind that I'm going to crave anytime in the future. I've definitely had better Asian barbecues than this. They were also very highly priced for what you get. read more

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The food and table service were good, but our experience with the young female hostess was unnecessarily hostile and put a damper on the beginning of our evening. We had a 7:00 p.m. reservation and arrived at the property around 6:50, but had to wait for parking before entering. While we were waiting in the parking lot, the restaurant called twice from an unknown number. I did not answer because I assumed the calls were spam and did not want to take an unknown call while sitting with my date. After we entered, we waited several minutes before the hostess approached us. She stated that the reservation grace period was 15 minutes and accused us of arriving late. She then proceeded to reprimand me aggressively and condescendingly for several minutes in front of my date and other guests. Only after waiting and listening to this extended lecture did I look at the time. It was 7:17 p.m. That means we had entered the restaurant before 7:15, within the very grace period she claimed we had violated. Even setting that aside, there appeared to be several empty tables, and we were ultimately seated immediately. This could and should have been a complete nonissue. Instead, the interaction came across as an unnecessary power trip. I remained calm and did not argue because I did not want to create a scene in front of my date. The rest of the staff was friendly and professional, and the meal itself was enjoyable, which made the hostess's behavior stand out even more. Management should review how guests are treated at the host stand. There was no justification for publicly berating a customer, especially when the available timeline indicates that we entered within the stated grace period. read more

This place is gooood. Came on Tuesday night around 7pm. Plenty of tables still available but you can also make a reservation online on their website. There is a parking lot but it gets hella packed so be ready to also look for street parking. We ordered: garlic fried rice prime rib cap prime short rib miso large intestine miso pork belly kobe tongue Everything was gooood. My favorite was definitely the prime short rib. It was tender and flavorful. Tongue is an acquired taste but if you like it, its good here! The large intestine was very fatty if your into that. Services was amazing, had like 4 workers always helping us whether it was grill change, water refill, or ordering more meats. Ambiance was nice with the warm lighting. They also provide wet wipes! read more

** Customer Beware** SCAMS on the suggested tips! The math ain't mathin' - make sure to double check! Overall for a tasting menu, you are better off at a classy AYCE such as Chubby Cattle. While the meats were tasty, there were many areas that fell short. The only thing that fell long was the unexplainable tip amounts! - - - - - - I've always wanted to try Manpuku, and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to (finally) experience it. My friend and I had their American Wagyu tasting (~ $100) which came with kimchi, shishito pepper, salad, shrimp, and scallop as the main appetizers. This was quickly followed with their kobe filet, short rib, ribeeye, and outside skirt (6 pcs each), spicy beef soup, garlic fried rice, and ice cream. The shishito peppers were yummy and lightly flavored, and the garlic fried rice were also a pleasant surprise since they weren't too aggressive with the roasted peanuts. The spicy beef soup was also tasty, with a variety of tofu, green onion, and bean sprouts - a variety of textures for the adventurous. However, one thing that stood out was that the soup was served lukewarm, almost as if it had been sitting around for a while. All of the proteins were delicious, and the grills were changed regularly. The staff were present, but despite the cost it felt very money-grabby. Rice cost extra, and there was no rice paper or refills on any of the sides. We ended with a sweet lychee ice cream, but their suggested tips were astronomical, almost feeling like a scam. Our subtotal was $87 for a total of $97.45. Doing the math... how is 18% $32? The math really ain't mathin'. read more

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Had an encounter that showed the true prejudice of the restaurant. Our family arrived after calling in. They said we'd be seated within 10 minutes. When we arrived they would not seat us and said we'd have to wait 2 hours. The restaurant was literally half empty (photo attached) We also saw another family be seated without reservation. I'd really ask this establishment to please examine these practices. Prejudice has no place in this neighborhood. Honestly was one of the strangest experiences I've had in my 10 years of living in Sawtelle. read more

Manpuku - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Food 5/5: meat is very tender and juicy. Almost melts in your mouth. Portion isn't large but very worth your money. If you sit outside it's charcoal so it's way better. Service 5/5: explains all the menu items well and even gives recommendations that aren't too expensive. Ambiance 5/5: good for hangouts with friends and dates. I will definitely be coming back again! read more

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Stopped here late last Thursday night. We went with the prix fixe that includes: PRIME BEEF TASTING 69 / per person (2 persons minimum) -Assorted Kimchi, Bean Sprouts Namul, Cabbage Salad -Tokyo Style Prime Short Rib Prime Ribeye, Prime Hanger Steak, Prime Outside Skirt, Angus Tri Tip, Shrimp -Spicy Beef Soup, Garlic Fried Rice -Ice Cream I really did enjoy everything we had! Although it is good, it's hard for me to justify the prices. Also, even though it's always difficult to park on Sawtelle, this place does let you park in their lot and I've never had an is read more

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Very delicious, great fresh meat . Amazing service! Definitely coming back to eat here! read more

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Yummy quality meat. Very limited parking. Great service. Love Manpuku! I made a reservatiion for my party of 8 on a Friday night, we sat outside. I thought it would be cold but surprisingly it was very warm because of the grills. Our waiter had the greatest service and was friendly and attentive. The meat was delicious as usual. Their own lot is always busy so I recommend parking somewhere else and just walking here. I also recommend making a reservation rather than walk-ins because they are usually booked for popular nights. Highly recommend the toro sashimi, it is so good and melts in your mouth. Their kobe cuts are so thick and juicy. For their prime cuts, I recommend the rib eye and outside skirt. Delicious!! The marinated tokyo style is good as well. read more

Manpuku - uni & kobe beef sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

WHEN: Sat @1pm I walked here so didn't deal with parking, but it's a busy and popular area so parking will be difficult. Came here was seated immediately outdoors and ordered: PRIME BEEF TASTING - $69 per person (2 persons minimum) Everything was good, I can't go into detail, but I was really satisfied with everything that came out. APPETIZER + Assorted Kimchi + Bean Sprouts Namul SALAD + Cabbage Salad (lots of it) BBQ + Tokyo Style Prime Short Rib Prime Ribeye + Prime Hanger Steak + Prime Outside Skirt + Angus Tri Tip + Shrimp SOUP + Spicy Beef Soup - really good, but they actually had another option which my friend got for variety. Both options were good. RICE + Garlic Fried Rice - Oh man so good, the kind that is still cooking in the clay pot! DESSERT + Mochi Ice-Cream, which was either strawberry or chocolate. Just one, cut in half. Yes it's pricy but it was nice, and the quality is all there. And if you dont finish it you can take it home! read more

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This is one of my favorite spots in LA for BBQ! The meat is perfectly marinated and cooks to perfection. My top picks are the Kobe short rib and the Kobe skirt--both are amazing! read more

Manpuku - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Service was great but I went home not feeling well. My friend and I did not feel well immediately after eating here. I'll spare you the details. read more

Craved yakiniku so decided to try Manpuku for the first time. Great selection of prime and American wagyu meats but small portions. Tried the prime ribeye cap, prime ribeye, wagyu filet, and wagyu chuck. I think best bang for the buck was the Wagyu chuck. Very good balance of tender and fattiness at a reasonable price. Also had the Wagyu sushi and uni with Wagyu. They were overpriced while average in taste. Biggest surprise was the umami rice which was very good. Overall a good experience although slightly overpriced considering the small portions. read more

What an experience! We happened to do a brief getaway out of San Diego. Since we're staying in Marina Del Rey, I searched for some Korean BBQ spots to have dinner at on a Monday evening. And within the general area, those spots were closed on Mondays. I kept options open and found Manpuku Japanese BBQ not too far from our hotel. I quickly made our reservations via a phone call. We were debating on the pre fixed menus- but, decided on the Yakiniku a la carte options instead. Before I continue- our reservation was set for 6:30pm. Hubby & I arrived at 6:10pm. This was our first Japanese BBQ experience. We had another in our party that was trekking thru LA traffic to meet us & it was a bit chilly outside. Although (limited) alcohol is served, it is intimate seating inside. There is no bar area or outdoor benches to wait. We inquired with the host and asked if we got immediately seated- does our time start? Like, at KBBQ restaurants. He said no, and sat us at our table. He assured us we could take our time til our friend arrived. And LA traffic being what it is- our friend came by 6:50. By then, we had some non alcoholic beverages, edamame & fresh sweet corn nibbles delivered. Just slowly getting our table's orders rolling in. We noshed on 3 sizzling garlic fried rice bowls ($10/ each). Along with the assorted mushrooms (shiitake, chanterelles, maitake, & brown beech to name a few). Our protein orders ranged from Kobe Chuck Flap, Angus Tri tip, Prime short rib, pork belly (one order w/ the lettuce wraps- kimchi inside), & another order of pork belly w/o the lettuce wraps. I also ordered the Manpuku salad (mixed greens, cucumber slivers, & sesame oil). Staff always checked on us, allowed us to enjoy another's company w/o rushing us in any way. And I had to get a scoop of green tea ice cream, just because. With some of the mixed reviews mentioning how over priced and over rated Manpuku is. I don't understand the gripe. Prices are current on the menu. The quality of meat is superb. I definitely would come back when in town. And for 3 of us that were hangry as heck- our bill was $180 w/o tip. And we were truly satisfied with the whole experience! read more

Okay food quality! Not great, not bad. We got the Prix Fix Prime Beef Tasting. $69 per person. I had a table of 4 not so big eaters, so getting two sets was plenty for us. The soups and veggie appetizers that came with the set were common Korean dishes so manpuku seems very Korean inspired. The main reason I went from 4 to 3 stars is because the shrimp was a notably lower level than the other bbq meat. If they were all at the same okay level, then it would've been 4 stars. The restaurant on a Saturday afternoon was quiet and peaceful. Nice waitresses too. read more

we got the prime beef tasting combo ($69 per person). the highlights: the meats were good and the salad was delicious the misses: the garlic rice and the pickled vegetables were just ok. i'd recommend just ordering ala carte for the meats. much more worth it! the service was good tho! parking is a bit hard to find read more

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My usual order includes the beef tongue, Tokyo short ribs, cabbage salad, beef soup, and pork jowl--everything tastes amazing! The service is consistently good as well. read more

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Stumbled across Manpuku while wandering around Sawtelle and decided that Japanese BBQ sounded nice for dinner. We ended up going with the Prime Beef Tasting menu at $69/person. It came with kimchi, cabbage salad, 5 meats + 1 shrimp, spicy beef soup, garlic fried rice and ice cream. The yakiniku experience is supposed to be different from say, Korean BBQ, but included some similar elements such as the kimchi and beef soup which reminded me of yukdaejang. The meat quality was pretty good and tender. However, for its price, none of the meats were particularly memorable to where I could pick out any favorites. Also, you have to cook your own meat and mind your grill here. I've been to other establishments where if you order from a set menu, they will cook your meat for you. Not a huge gripe, but that's just something I've noticed. Service was good and our waiter was attentive. However, I don't see myself returning as it's quite far from me and I feel like I could find a better experience elsewhere for its price. read more

Manpuku Tokyo BBQ is just great. It is also so very crowded. I mean all the time. Make a reservation. If you don't you will not be happy. The place is just super cute, inside and out. It is very clean. The service is amazing. They are all so friendly and can help you with the menu. We tried the Nigo Shio beef tongue, have never had it, and loved it (about 18$). If you like fried rice you have to get theirs. It is just the best and goes with everything. It is a large portion for sharing and ever so tasty. The garlic rice is our favorite. The Kobe Ribeye (about $33) is not large, but so great. It is tender and juicy and perfect. That is a must for any beef eater. The Prime Boneless Short Rib (about 20$) is just the best short rib you will find in Japanese BBQ. You will also love their mushrooms, you get a variety and a large portion and it blends so well with the meat and the rest. A vegetarian or vegan can get a great meal here. Lots of vegetable dishes and noodles to be had. Just check to see what is in the noodle dish. You will love this place and all of this area on Sawtelle Blvd. It is fun, crowded and safe. Have the best time. read more

This is one of the most hospitable places I've ever dined in. Food was on point but service was exceptional.

Out of both LA locations this one is our favorite . If you can request Luis, he's the best server! Food is fantastic, it's all about the A5 Wagyu meat. read more

Manpuku is my favorite Japanese BBQ spot! Their meat selection is excellent -- high quality, tender, and full of flavor. You can grill it yourself at the table, or have them grill it for you, either way it always turns out just perfect. I highly recommend their homemade cabbage salad with ginger-sesame dressing -- unbelievably fresh and flavorful, I could honestly eat it every day. Great quality, friendly service, and always a satisfying meal." read more

Manpuku is DELICIOUS! I came here with a friend and we basically tried everything. My faves were the cabbage salad (omg the dressing!), wagyu sashimi with uni, scallion rice, and the wagyu ribeye and skirt steak. Everything was so tender and flavorful. It's definitely on the pricier side, but well worth it for a special occasion or celebration. The staff is super nice too - our server had great recommendations and kept the food and drinks flowing. read more

Manpuku - Wagyu uni sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I have been to Manpuka multiple times already and every time I enjoyed The food and the service a lot. I just wish they continued to have the charcoal grill outside. I think they currently only have indoor dining, which is with the gas grill. The meats are marinated so the flavor is still there, but I enjoyed it a lot more when they were serving with charcoal grill. The meat quality is very good and the portion is huge. We usually do their set menu and we come out super full every time. I think the price you pay, you definitely get decent amount of food. The service is always great, and I think this is a great date night spot. read more

Manpuku - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I really like this place esp the lunch menu always see Lee there thank you guys Best option is number 2 and 8 read more

One of the best Yakiniku I have ever been. I got the American Wagyu Tasting Menu and shared with my friends. The portions were so good and was worth the price. We sat outside and it was nice because they had outdoor heaters. The meat was high quality and my favorite part was the salad. That salad was so flavorful and was one of the best salads I've had before. read more

Manpuku - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Pretty good food and portion. Service is nice. Price is well priced (pre fixe). Its not that loud.

Really fun dining experience! Love the pace of the meal and the ability to cook your meats a few at a time. I made reservations ahead of time and it was even easy to adjust our res day of. I do recommend making reservations cause this place is always popping It was our first time and we got the regular omakase set which was PLENTY of food for two people. We had also added on the beef tongue bc I heard that was popular, we could've gone without it. My favorite was the short rib and the shrimp. Now that we've had a taste I think we'd prob do al a carte next time. Also shoutout to our server Luis (or Lewis?) who was AMAZING. He was so polite, kind, and knowledgeable and honestly added to the experience. read more

Manpuku - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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We hadn't been to Manpuku since precovid, and came with our son last week. The food was really good, better than we remembered. We got the beef tartar which was delicious. You get it topped with an egg yolk, and when you mix it in it's rich and unctious. We also got some of the beef tongue and short ribs, garlic fried rice and garlic noodles. The garlic noodles were a little too salty, but everything was very good read more

Always deliver order is less priority and always whenever I come for pick up staffs always ignore and careless. Nobody wants to come in front to help. I feel discriminated especially against south asian read more

Manpuku - Always deliver order is less priority and always whenever I come for pick up staffs always ignores. - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Incredible. I think we honestly love jbbq over kbbq flavorwise. Gyu-kaku down the street a few miles is tasty, but manpuku deserves its name and crowd- it has incredibly hard to secure tables that we've tried multiple times to walk up to no avail, but we finally planned ahead and checked this local spot out. If we had unlimited funds, we'd be back every night. The premium menu is 100% worth it and we also tried some a la cartes (uni tartar comes to mind, as does asparagus) and wow. Blown away by the tastiness. Also shishito peppers haven't usually caught my tongue before, but I kind of low key fell in love with them here and now we've been cooking them at home because of how much I loved the Manpuku ones. Can I rave any more than I already am? Probably not. The service is friendly too, unless you're one of the 9 pm or later tables and then they're hella subtly rushing you which is alright except they should be upfront about not having ice cream if it's included as the only dessert and the finisher for the premium set menu and not wait until you ask. At which point they say it's deducted in the total charge and you calculate it to find out they took off an entire $1 for missing ice cream off a $300+ bill. Not so great transparency in that instance so I'd recommend that sort of matter is handled differently in the future, but the food is raveworthy so 5* anyways! read more

Manpuku - Scallops - Japanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California