My Second Visit Popped in for lunch with a friend Greeted nicely by staff , no wait for a table , the restaurant is soo cute inside and made our little lunch date a really nice opportunity to catch up Got the Chashu as an appetizer , delicious And the 3 hand roll set lunch Served with radish and miso soup The freshness and well prepared rolls did not disappoint read more

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I had really high hopes when seeing Oh Banzai pop up in the area. But for me, it missed the mark. As several other reviewers have mentioned, the rice amount was not enough, and the seaweed was tough to eat. Not to mention the price is on the higher end (IMO). Because with the lacking amount of rice, if you're REALLY hungry, you can definitely run up the bill with the amount you have to order. I understand it's still soft opening, but service needs improvement, a little slow and mixed up orders. Also, I ordered Tuna + Kizami Wasabi, and the wasabi was pretty unbearable for me. Not sure if that was the point? On the flip-side, the quality of the fish was pretty good, but don't think it justifies the current flaws. I hope they take everyone's feedback into account and make improvements. Until then, I don't anticipate returning. read more

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Came here for lunch because my dad read a review. The layout was cute and clean. The plants in the back super cute and watching drinks ferment their speciality called Koso. Seating fast and quickly I had a 5 piece with sides and my dad had a three piece. The portion sides were nice and they gave us extra plates to share. ( best for the house salad) very fresh and refreshing. The hand rolls were great and exactly how people liked them. It came on a board and the double ended chopsticks so no cross contamination super smart. read more

I've had numerous underwhelming experiences here but today might have been the last straw. We get there for lunch and there's one table left. So I was relieved that we would be seated. Right? Nope! Long story short, the waiter gives the last table to the next party after us even though we both didn't have reservations and we got there first. So they give the table to a party of 3 instead of a party of 2 mother and child who got there first. First come, first served is the standard regardless of restaurant size. So obviously off to a rocky start. But it should be good now right? Sadly no. As I sit down I feel that my ENTIRE seat is extremely wet, like the waiter wiped the seat and seat back with a wet towel and just left it wet. I had to ask for extra napkins because the one napkin I had wasn't enough to dry it. And then, I see that my chopsticks have food on them. Seriously what is happening? Anyways those are fixed and then we order. We very clearly state each handroll and point to the item while reading it and still they messed up the order. I honestly just wanted to get out of there at that point. I understand that it's busy because of dinela but committing so many mistakes like this makes regulars like me cross them out of the rotation. In summary: food is decent, prices are high, service is severely lacking. So yeah definitely not worth it. We might not have a handroll place to go to now but there are many great sushi restaurants in Torrance that though pricey, are at least worth it in quality and service. But if you must dine, my tip is it's easier to eat the chopped fish like negitoro or the aburi ones. All the others are awkwardly hard to bite into. Also note that the regular portion of rice at lunch is actually a double portion. At dinner, you must specify double portion otherwise you get the teensiest bit of rice. read more

As their profile says, cozy Japanese. Felt like being transported back to Japan. Had the set menu handroll selection during Dine LA week. Out of the gate with an uni shooter, wow, it was spectacular waking up the senses. Each of the selections were comprised of uncommon pairings which worked amazingly. Like combining uni with wagyu. See you again soon! read more

Came here based on reviews and recommendations from friends. We made reservations through their website. When we arrived, the place was empty and we were seated right away. We started with a large cup of draft Kirin beer. We both ordered sunomono with shrimp and scallops. We shared an oder of charcoal sui, we also ordered 5 different hand rolls. Our favorite rolls were the shrimp tempura, wagyu, salmon and tuna. The open faced hand rolls are trickier to eat and share than the typical hand rolls. The uni was good, not great. I didn't care for the spicy tuna. My wife asked me if I would return and I said no since there are places I like better in the area. read more

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I came here on a Friday afternoon after work and it wasn't busy at all. I had no reservations and got seated right away. This restaurant is located in a plaza, so there's ample free parking. Food: This places offers unique hand rolls and other small dishes. I liked the combination of the fish with the toppings, although I wasn't the biggest fan of the nori. I thought it was a bit soft/soggy and I like nori that is crispy. The fish was fresh and the toppings were a nice touch. 1) Yellowtail + Jalapeno Ponzu (3/5) - I didn't really taste the spiciness of the jalapeno but I did think it was a light and refreshing hand roll. 2) Salmon + Onion Crunchy Chili Oil (4/5) - I loved the onion crunchy chili oil topping, it really made the hand roll stand out and was my favorite hand roll out of all 3 that I ordered. 3) Negi-Toro + Uni + Ikura (3/5) - This hand roll was part of their premium menu and it was good, but not my favorite. Nothing really stood out to me with this item. 4) Oden (4/5) - The broth was good and the items in the dish were also good. I never had this dish before but thought it was a nice and light starter to the meal. Service: The service here was really good. The staff were nice and quick with the service. Ambience: The restaurant is clean and cozy. We sat at the bar but there were other tables available. I'm glad I checked this place out, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the nori although my bf said the nori was his favorite part of the hand roll. I'd still recommend checking this place out if you are in the area. read more

Oh Banzai - Yellowtail + Jalapeno Ponzu, Salmon + Onion Crunchy Chili Oil, Negi-Toro + Uni + Ikura - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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My husband and I have been to this place twice, and they've always been consistent with the quality of the food. Everything is fresh and absolutely delicious!. Cant wait to go back! read more

Oh Banzai - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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Came by for dinner with my wife and we thoroughly enjoyed the wide array of hand rolls. Everything across the tuna/salmon/yellowtail, unagi, snow crab, and scallop was very fresh with accents from a variety of seasonings and toppings. The standout bite for me was actually the wagyu with garlic salt sauce - a juicy mouthful whose flavors popped on the palate. Funny enough, the hot tamago and grilled pork cartilage were shockingly well-executed and a significantly higher value than the hand rolls. For a sweet finish, the pastries and matcha affogato were both quite tasty. Service was great with attentive staff throughout our meal. Overall, as tasty as those rolls were...the price point was awfully steep for the amount of food. Given how much we spent, I'd prefer to put the money towards a new experience elsewhere (more than enough for an upscale restaurant) before considering a return visit. read more

The hand rolls are very fresh, the decor is super cute and the service was fast and attentive. I'm so happy to have a place that is in Gardena. I usually go to Hiro nori for hand rolls and have a long wait plus a drive. The quality of these hand rolls are just as good and I feel good supporting a local business. I liked everything so well that I placed a to go order to being home for my partner! read more

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A small, cozy Japanese place that offers fresh sushi. For lunch you can order a lunch of either 3 or 5 hand rolls. My friend and I opted for the 5 rolls as we didn't think we would be filled with three. We were very full and we would probably order one 3 roll and one 5 roll the next time and each have 4 rolls. I ordered a drink that was a special of the day and it was tea with pineapple lychee chunks. It was delicious and very appealing to the eye with the purple tea on top and yellow pineapple flavored lychee jelly on the bottom. For my hand rolls, I chose all seafood with tuna, salmon, scallop, shrimp and crab with different toppings. The lunch comes with miso soup and a dish of fried onions. We arrived at 11:30 and by 11:45, the tables had filled up with a few counter spaces left for seating. The sushi was fresh and delicious. The waitresses were all very sweet and didn't rush you. A wonderful place for sushi fans. read more

Oh Banzai - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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Came here hear for the handrolls, was craving sushi. The place offers a couple selections on how many rolls you would like to eat. I ordered the 5 roll combo, which comes with a salad and miso soup. The good thing about the 5 piece combo is that you can choose any of the handrolls besides the premiums such as wagyu. I wish they brought out the rolls individually especially if you are sitting at bar. This would keep the seaweed rolls more crisp. read more

I checked out a new hand roll spot with some unique drinks and flavors. It's a cozy little Japanese hand roll bar with a friendly vibe, though it's on the smaller side. They offer a solid lunch menu with a hand roll plate special, but we went for dinner and tried a variety of fish options. They also have a broad selection of hot and cold dishes. I had the tuna + kizami wasabi, yellowtail + grated daikon ponzu, salmon + onion crunchy chili oil, and scallop + jalapeno ponzu. The rolls were packed with flavor! That said, the fish-to-rice ratio could've been a bit more balanced. I prefer a little more rice. The portions felt small, so we ordered extra. My favorites were the yellowtail + grated daikon ponzu and the scallop + jalapeno ponzu! read more

Oh Banzai - Koso Drinks & Hand Rolls - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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Well priced, decent hand rolls. Alot of the seasoning and flavors are the same across the board, so it's all about preference. In terms of rice and seaweed, the ratio and texture of both are pretty good. I literally just picked protein and asked them to do a variety of flavors and it was fine haha. 7/10 rounded up read more

Oh Banzai - K - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

One of the only sushi spots open late at night and the food did not disappoint. Is this the best sushi in the south bay? Probably not but it is still top tier and definitely worth a try if you are in the mood for some late night sushi. read more

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Wagyu carpaccio is sooo good. Their caviar hand rolls are bomb too. They frost their beer glasses which is nice read more

The best handroll you can find, fresh, delicious . Everything is good here. Highly recommended.

loveee how simple it is to make reservations online! and there's no wait when you show up - they literally have a reserved sign on ur table a bit pricey, but it's a bigger portion size than typical handrolls and there's a smaller proportion of rice (yay!). it's small and intimate inside, and very clean :) the bar seats are very tight and kinda uncomfortable, but they were kind enough to move us to a table! the staff are all nice and the food came out quick! spicy tuna roll - 9/10 scallop with ponzu - 6/10 not my fav :( edamame - 9/10 nice and warmmm read more

Oh Banzai - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

Went for lunch to try it out and WOW! What a great experience. Even though they had every seat filled and a large party, the service and food was excellent. We couldn't resist adding on a 6th hand roll from one of their specials list and wanted to keep going but we were just too full. Even the koso fermented fruit drinks were fun and yummy. We are coming back and bringing some friends to enjoy it too. As we live in Orange County, making the commitment to drive in shows how much we loved the restaurant! read more

Oh Banzai - A pic of the lunch special plus one extra hand roll each - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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Best dining experience I've had in a long time. My wife took us here for dinner to celebrate my sons birthday. I honestly didn't expect that much but was pleasantly surprised and impressed. The food, service and atmosphere is top notch. It's cozy yet modern. Reminds me of an izakaya style bar in Osaka. We had a few of the rolls (wagyu, avocado, yellowtail) salad, age-dashi tofu (the best I've ever had) wagyu A5 and drinks... also the sweet potato dessert with ice-cream... everything was amazing and delicious. We will be back for sure. とても美味しい !!!! read more

Very good experience! I asked the server to pick the top 5 handrolls and they were beyond my expectation. Perfect amount of seasoning and sauces on each roll. read more

Oh Banzai - 5 Handrolls - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

Make a reservation online or come earlier! It gets busy for dinner since it's fairly small restaurant. I also recommend coming here for lunch instead since they have specials/deals. There's a good variety of fish, vegan options and flavors to choose from for your hand rolls. All the ingredients were very fresh! Service was good but you'll need to flag down your waiter/reds you need anything. read more

Oh Banzai - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

First tried this spot for their grand opening to-go sets and finally tried for dinner as sit down. The restaurant is bright and clean and workers were super friendly. We came with a toddler and they even brought out baby utensils and a plate that was so adorable! We tried their dashimaki tamago and the edamame and it was delicious--the tamago is more on the sweeter side. We ordered a wide variety of rolls and even had to order a second round, it was all so good. They were even able to cater to toddler taste and was able to give us plain avocado rolls. Servers were amazing and were very helpful. Will be back! read more

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I am sorry to say this, because I really wanted to like this place, but it simply was not very good. Oh Banzai has a very kind staff, but they seem to lack efficiency and it feels like they're still in training. During our short stay there for dinner, we were overlooked multiple times as we waited for someone to take our order, then we received our drinks after we almost finished our meal, and then had to wait even longer to try to pay for our bill. I have been a server for years, so I typically understand when restaurants are understaffed or if we have to wait longer because it's rush hour--I get it. But it wasn't very busy when we went, and they were avoiding eye contact with me so they could go back and forth and finish what they were doing with one customer at a time. But what matters more is the food, right? Right! Well, first of all, the hand rolls are tiny. And the seaweed they use is supposed to be from Japan, but they are thin and immediately get soggy. Soggy seaweed is NOT it for handrolls. But again, the handrolls are small ,so even after ordering 5+ handrolls, you're still hungry. But considering the price and the taste (sorry, but it was so mid), it's not worth ordering more when the bill is already over $100 for 2 people. I couldn't help comparing this place to Kazunori, which I love, and was hoping it would be at least similar in terms of quality, but it was not. Considering all the high reviews on Yelp, I expected this place to be decent at least. But after what I experienced and tasted, I do not think I will be back unless they decide to make a change with how they do just about everything... read more

Very yummy hand rolls . Lunch combo is very reasonable price. It filled me up! The place was packed when I went there. Service was fast and friendly read more

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The good: We came on a weekday upon dinner opening hour at 5:30 PM and got seated right away for a table for 4 but there was a time deadline since the table was reserved at 6:45 PM. Their soft opening had a promotion where you get free oden items. Those were great because they ended up being the bulk of what my toddlers ate. The kiwi koso drink (fermented fruit drink) was delicious. You can get it with sparkling or flat water. I had it with sparkling and it reminded me of kombucha or fruit wine. The seared tuna was delicious. The food was made very quickly. I liked the presentation of the hand rolls on the taco-like plate. The shrimp tempura hand roll was sweet and delicious. I got it for my kids but ended up enjoying it myself (because my kids wouldn't eat it). They do take reservations online. The bad: They ran out of pineapple koso. Some dishes had too much kizami wasabi on it (and I love wasabi). The proportion was off. They told me that 3-5 hand rolls per person was the average of what people would order to get full so we ordered 8 hand rolls for 2 adults as well as a $12 appetizer and the tamago appetizer but we definitely weren't full. My husband wanted to get burgers afterward. I sensed that the workers were wanting us to rush a bit so we were out quite quickly (also because we had toddlers that made the dining experience more difficult). There's no outdoor dining. The interior is small so it's not great for large groups. The seaweed was tougher than I expected. I had written my order down on my phone but they forgot my drink until I reminded them afterward. I think they must have missed it on my notes because it was the headline. The interesting: They had kids high chairs, plates, utensils and cups (from Daiso) but their menu didn't offer many kid friendly options. It cost over $100 for 2 people. They have bar seating as well. I asked what were good kid options and they recommended rice with seaweed so I got that and it was simply two square pieces of seaweed with two rice balls on top (rice hand roll essentially). My daughter ate it so I was glad about ordering it. The cheaper hand rolls were around $5-6. read more

Brand new roll bar in torrance! This place Used to be can zo! New opening all handrolls! They have snow crab , toro, ume, nagano, shrimp and many more ! read more

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Without a doubt, my favorite hand roll restaurant! Service was amazing, and the atmosphere of the restaurant makes it perfect for something intimate with a partner or with friends. read more

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Charming spot with cute deco and great service. We got a few rounds of hand rolls and enjoyed most of them.

Delicious! Flavorful! Pricey. Food: -Kagoshima A5 Wagyu Carpaccio - this was my favorite. I'd want to buy this plate only for myself, next time. Wouldn't be a shareable for me. -Scallop + Onion Crunchy Chilli Oil - my favorite hand roll. The Chilli oil made all the difference, and I loved the crunch. -Yellowtail Jalapeno Ponzu - the jalapeno ponzu was pretty good and added to this handroll. -Bluefin Negi-Toro - I love bluefin tuna but this one was not as tasty as I thought it would be. I would not get this again. -Uni - Uni was from Santa Barbara - probably the best uni I've ever had in my life. So fresh! -No liquor license when we went back in March 19, 2025 - not sure if they have it now. But in March, you could bring your own liquor. I saw a table of Japanese men sharing a bottle of wine. Small atmosphere but wonderful hospitality! We went during dinner, Weds night. We didn't have any reservations and as we were leaving, it started getting packed. Surrounded by Japanese chefs, waiters and customers. Though tasty, we did leave still wanting more and ended up at In and Out. read more

Super expensive and ordering was confusing. They charge you per slice of sushi not by the roll. I ordered 3 different types of sushi thinking each would come with 4 pieces but no, it was really just the one piece LOL. I told the server it was my first time there and he failed to explain how it worked. read more

Pretty yummy. I like the concept. It's nice that the spicy mayo is on just enough, not turning the sushi into a gooey mess. Def more of a lunch place than dinner. Food comes out quick so it's a nice in and out if the the server brings the checks right away. I got the iced tea but for $4 it was teeny tiny. I asked for refill and she said no free refills. I noticed after the fact that on the menu it said complimentary refills. Train your servers better. コンセプトは良くて美味しかった。スパイシーマヨも少しついているくらいでドロドロじゃないのでお魚が負けない。でもアイスティを頼んだら日本サイズでむっちゃ小さい。refill頼んだら断られた。　後からメニューにrefill 可と書いてあった事に気づいた。ウエイトレスちゃんと教育してください。 抹茶モンブランは味なし、甘さ控えめすぎで全然美味しくなかった。結局高いランチで空腹のまま...もう少し改善されるといいけれど... read more

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Since my last review, I've visited this restaurant a few more times for lunch, and I believe the issue with the seaweed being too hard to bite through has been resolved. Everything was much easier to eat, and the seaweed remained tender and smooth--allowing me to enjoy my meal slowly and comfortably. I also really enjoyed the restaurant's original healthy enzyme drink--it was incredibly delicious and has become one of my favorites. We visited again on Mother's Day, and while the food was wonderful, I do wish the server had been a bit more friendly. The restaurant is also very clean and pleasantly quiet, which made the experience even more enjoyable. That said, I truly liked the food and definitely plan to return. read more

Oh Banzai - Toro was good - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

was really good.. but kind of expensive for what it was. The 5 roll combo for lunch doesn't feel like it's enough for a complete meal, 10 rolls maybe. Specialty rolls are good too but definitely can rack up $$$ if not careful. Location wise, not a very big place and limited plaza parking. Overall, worth checking out but don't know how often I might be returning. For 2 people, bill came out to around $100 (+tip). read more

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Cute new handroll spot in Gardena. They are still in their soft opening phase but menu has a great selection of hand rolls ranging from $5 to $24 each. Plenty of appetizers to choose from as well. No alcohol yet but just wait for the official grand opening and they should. There is plenty of parking in their lot. Service is fast, it can get packed but they flip the tables quickly! Presentation is stunning. read more

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We came here on a whim on a Saturday and it was a very pleasant surprise. We were seated immediately, and food was served very quickly, which was nice because we had our baby with us. The menu is very easy to understand and is just a combination of the same ingredients with different toppings. The food was outstanding and we would certainly come back. read more

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I loved how easy it was to make reservations online for dinnertime! It's quite a small and cozy little spot, and there are a good amount of parking spots in the lot. I think they're trying to go for more of a trendy vibe to the place, but because you see straight into the parking lot and the street from the windows inside, it gives a very casual feel. If they had closed up the blinds, I think it would feel more trendy and a little more elevated. Servers were very attentive, friendly, and quick. I ordered an Apple Koso drink and it was delicious!! I would've ordered another one, but it was a bit expensive. Got a few hand rolls, but was unfortunately a bit disappointed. The only one that I really liked was the Wagyu roll. The fish in the rolls weren't as flavorful and rich as I would have liked for the price I paid. I would come back again but only for the Koso drink and the Wagyu roll. read more

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I want to like it but the main star of the show is underwhelming and uninspired. Sake selection is great, they have several non typical sake from Japan including my favorite, Shichida. The side dish quality and variety is on point. Everything was tasty and presented beautifully. My problem is really with the "hand rolls". Don't get me wrong, the staff is as authentic as it gets and quite nice. The fish is fresh. The seasonings are too simple and homogenized. The rolls are really just nigiri inside of an oversized piece of nori. It doesn't really feel like I'm experiencing a hand roll or a piece of nigiri. I love the taste of nori but nothing really feels intentional. That brings me to the uninspired part. The hand roll menu is basically an unnecessarily redundant list of fish/protein options with the same 4 or 5 preparations. I can understand wanting to give the customer the option of preparations, but it just doesn't feel like you can slap the same 5 seasonings on all your rolls and call it a day. No options for yuzu kosho, shiso, konbu, Ume, etc nothing particularly interesting. Nothing feels intentionally crafted to go together outside of being given options to choose from. As a nitpick the rice wasn't particularly warm and the nori is too long and not very crispy. Maybe that expectation is too high for the price so I didn't deduct much because of that. If I'm going to receive simple nigiri with very simple toppings, there is no reason I would pick this place over Waka Sakura which would be cheaper and have more options. The unfortunate part is that everything else here is actually quite good. I can't exactly recommend a sushi restaurant for the side dishes and sake though. Systemically, ordering here could be a lot easier with paper or table side tablets. If I want to order 10 individual and different rolls, it's kind of hard to remember each individual fish and preparation for multiple people. It's very inconvenient to have to memorize so much while waiting for the waitress. The place would also do quite well with a house sampler. Even though most of the options are identical, there is simply a lot to mix and match. Just food for thought. read more

Oh Banzai - Quail eggs, bamboo shoots, pickles - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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Oh Banzai is a cozy spot with great attention to detail. The space is small but doesn't feel cramped. They also have colorful jars of fruit syrups lining the shelves that add a fun splash of color. I started with the oden, which came in a light, flavorful fish broth. I personally think purse-shaped fish cake are so fun - theirs came with mochi inside--chewy and soft. The spicy mustard on the side adds a little kick that breaks up the mildness of the dish. Eat a spoonful, and clear your sinuses. Their main offering is handrolls. These are the ones I tried: * Scallop + Jalapeño Ponzu - The scallops were very fresh and sweet. The ponzu came in gelatin form which was interesting. * Yellowtail + Grated Daikon Ponzu - The ponzu came in gelatin form again. The daikon was pretty watery. * Salmon + Onion Crunchy Chili - I tasted a lot of onion crunch, but not a lot of chili. * Negi Toro - Hard to get Negi Toro wrong. No complaints. All the fish were very fresh, and the mix and match toppings added a nice element of customization. The Apple Koso drink was sweeter than expected and didn't have a lot of apple flavour. I would've preferred more tartness or fruitiness. Still a yummy drink overall, and I would be interested in trying the other flavours. With a lot of competition in LA in the hand roll space, I think this spot does a good job carving a niche for itself with the Oden and Koso drinks. read more

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We popped into Oh Banzai on Saturday for lunch with the baby. The restaurant was very clean and a little dimly lit. They were very accommodating to us since we walked over with the baby in the stroller. They came by and took our order very quickly and the food came out within 5 minutes after that. I had the lunch plate with Negi Toro, Onion crunch spicy oil salmon, Eel shichimi, Eel cucumber, and Teriyaki snow crab. The food was fresh and tasted great. We will definitely be back! read more

Oh Banzai - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California