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    Pikunico

    4.1 (406 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order Pikunico Takeout or Delivery

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    PIKUNICO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Casual
    Trendy

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    Recommended Reviews - Pikunico

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    Dave H.

    Da Bomb! Best Japanese fried chicken! If you been to Japan and had the karaage from the small take out places or even the popular Japanese convenience stores this place delivers. So Japanese and so delicious! Perfectly fried to perfection - thighs, wings and tenders. You can make it spicy too with a number of their dipping sauces and fresh slaw and side salads. So Jappy! So Good! Even beer and sake to have your little fried chicken picnic with. Super nice owner and staff. I'd eat here weekly if i was nearby! Cool interior seating and plenty of outdoor seating at ROW DTLA to take your fried Chicken karaage picnic to nosh on!. note serving size leans toward the Japanese sized serving as the quality is high here (organic and fresh) and fried fresh. Perfect not oily or greasy. It's about quality here not quantity. Perfect to fill your belly without guilt feeling like you've eaten too much fried greasy food. Fresh Yuzu lemonades too to freshen up the palette! Prices are very reasonable too. Plenty of parking at ROW parking structure.

    Maneki Wanko sake
    Ken L.

    Not very good chicken, seems most people eat here be cause they couldn't get into the other restaurants due to wait times. The tenders are a bit overcooked, and service is quite slow due to them having 1 cook for the entire meal service.

    Chicken Sandwich
    Janet K.

    Personally, this place was SO HARD to find that I had to check Google Maps and phone-in to ask where in the world is this place?! The worker answered the phone with the greeting, I asked where they are located, and strangely the worker saying "Hello?! Hello?!" and hung up. I would have appreciated if you said you don't understand! I later found out the person didn't speak English well and only understood how to take orders/ speak the menu... because he was the person who was also taking orders and I noticed he was ignoring all the phone calls while I was in line and could tell the limited English when I placed an order with him. This place is definitely understaffed because this man was handling the huge line, but expected to answer phone, and also give the food to customer. I came during lunch hour. The line was very long and the wait for the food long but I was pleased with my food. I ordered the chicken sandwich. The sandwich was nicely made and neatly packed with alfalfa sprouts and pickles. It was delicious. The downside was the experience and the price for this sandwich is pricey! I would only come back if I were in the area.

    Golden chicken sandwich
    Hannah C.

    Pikunico had one of the most unique chicken sandwiches I have ever had! This was an adorable store, with lots of natural lighting and plenty of tables and booths. You order at the cash register and pay before finding a seat. There was a short line on a weekend afternoon, but it moved quickly. The food took awhile to arrive, but this was understandable, as there were only a couple employees. I tried the roasted beets salad, with yuzukosho marinated beets, broccoli, and tamari walnuts. It was a perfectly standard salad, nothing too remarkable. The golden chicken sandwich, on the other hand, was truly memorable and unique. Just the shape of the chicken sandwich was really interesting: it almost had the cylinder shape of a burrito. The sandwich features a perfectly fried chicken on a turmeric bun, with pickled daikon, watercress, alfalfa sprouts, lemon aioli, jalapeño and miso jam. I really enjoyed the freshness of the daikon and sprouts with the juiciness of the chicken. The sandwich was gone way too quickly - every bite was filled with flavor! I can't wait to visit again and try the fried chicken on its own.

    The Golden Chicken Sandwich
    Anthony D.

    My gf and I unexpectedly visited Pikunico for the first time and were impressed! We weren't familiar with the menu because we planned to go to Pane Bianco, but they close earlier than we expected. We ordered the Golden Chicken Sandwich. It was packed with ingredients and bursting with flavor. We both enjoyed the strong pickled/vinegar flavor and agreed that neither of us have had a sandwich that tasted like quite like this. It has a lot going on, but comes together to make it a unique and tasty sandwich. The chicken karaage inside of it was well seasoned, but not particularly special. If not for the $1 up charge, I would've ordered the sandwich spicy. Overall I liked Pikunico, but it does feel a bit expensive.

    Interior
    Abigail D.

    Such a yummy spot located in the beautiful Row DTLA! I was craving a solid chicken sandwich and Pikunico exceeded my expectations with their spicy golden sandwich! Great amount of heat and the fresh sprouts and pickled veggies inside gave this sandwich so much flavor. The fries were also scrumptious. Excellent customer service. I would most definitely come back to try more off of the menu. Highly recommend!

    There Logo
    Sidney Z.

    In downtown LA there is this very hidden, isolated, secluded restaurant that you probably couldn't find with a NASA Interplanetary Navigation System. Yes, that's how "Phantom" Pikunico Japanese restaurant is. Tucked away on South Alameda Street this small cafe / bistro is making unbelievable -Sandwiches, Salads and Rice Bowls. Their entire menu is a "Hit Parade" of unusual yet delicious Asian fare. I had their: * Golden Chicken Sandwich Fried chicken on golden turmeric bun, pickled daikon, watercress, alfalfa sprouts, lemon aioli, jalapeño and miso jam...... that was the most remarkably eccentric sandwich I've ever tasted; and I mean that in the very best of ways! This sandwich had more things going on ingredient wise, so I would definitely call it a - Flavor Bomb". Pikunico was so clean and sterile I was duly impressed. These nice young people working here added to your experience in this small but yet very fantastic hidden gem.

    Nasiha A.

    Hidden gem located at the Row DTLA I stopped by here after shopping for some stuff. There is a lot of seating, and the staff was kind and friendly. The decor is so cute, lots of sunlight from the big windows. We got the golden chicken sandwich but made it spicy. The sandwich came out quick, it was nice and hot. The chicken was so crispy and inside was so juicy, it was perfect! it was actually spicy too! Nothing crazy spicy tho. I would def recommend coming here if you are in the area!

    Rashina Y.

    Stopped in for a quick dinner and had an overall solid experience. The chicken sandwich was served on fresh bread, with a nicely crispy piece of chicken and well-balanced layers of flavor from the sprouts and pickled vegetables. While the flavors worked well together, I did wish the chicken was more consistent from bite to bite. We also tried the spicy wings, which were enjoyable and had a pleasant crunch, though I wouldn't have minded them cooked just a bit longer. The heat level was there, but they could have benefited from a bit more depth of flavor. Overall, this is a decent spot offering reasonably priced food and a satisfying meal.

    Miso De Leche Cookie GF
    Antonio C.

    3.5/5: The food was great as the chicken sandwich was flavorful and filling and the salad was nice and fresh. With beer options I have not seen before and nice sweets for after your meal. The interior design is nice but it could be cleaner as many tables were dirty and no one was coming by anytime to wipe them down.

    Golden Chicken Sandwich (spicy)
    Poinci Z.

    Super flavorful and crispy chicken sandwich! I typically always choose the spicy option if it's available, and while I enjoyed the spicy version of the Golden Chicken Sandwich I think it would have been plenty flavorful getting it the regular way. The pickled radish and micro greens help cut the fried chicken. Friendly, quick staff and the tables are small but enough for a quick bite like this. Would come again :)

    Golden Chicken Sandwich
    Ashley S.

    The chicken was crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and I really liked the addition of alfalfa sprouts and these sour pickles. It gave the sandwich a nice twist!! The location is also very convenient since there's a big parking structure behind it with 2 hours free parking, and the spot itself was clean and quiet. I think it's definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.

    Chicken Bowl with seasoned egg, picked veggies and ginger rice . $16.50. added a ponzu sauce on the side for .50cents.
    Cobra Commander C.

    chicken was good ... worth the price... questionable.... but now a days there are so many of these places popping up and selling overpriced hype .

    Menu 9.25

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    2 months ago

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    10 days ago

    Delish food and in a large are with lots of shops if I'm in the area I would go again. Customer service was spectacular.

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    Page 1 of 11

    Ask the Community - Pikunico

    Does the brown rice batter for the fried chicken contain any eggs? (wheat and egg allergy)

    we use eggs to marinade the chicken before frying so yes, includes eggs:( sorry.

    Is everything gluten free-other than the sandwich?(Celiac here)

    Yes as you said, just sandwich bread to be careful. we use brown rice based batter for fried chicken, the fryer is safe since we do my use any wheat products in them. All our… 

    Do they have any vegan options?

    I don't remember seeing a vegan option. Although they have veggie sides. FYI, I loves the sides.

    Will you be open on New Years Day?

    Is this location byob?

    Hi Gwen, Thanks for asking. Unfortunately, we are still waiting for our liquor license so alcohol cannot be consumed within our premises right now. We will soon be receiving… 

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    After having lunch with my peers today, I was met with rude Customer Service from the…read moremanager/supervisor of the restaurant. It started off with me observing the way the ankimo hand roll was being made right in front of me. I saw that they added some type of sauce and once it was placed in front of me, I politely asked if this roll contained any soy sauce, which I am allergic to since I have celiac disease. It was confirmed that this role had soy sauce, so I refused the roll, and at first the manager/supervisor was able to rearrange my order to regular 6 hand rolls. The ankimo that wasn't touched by me I asked her if I should give to my peers instead of throwing the handroll in the trash. She said yes. After my 5th roll they asked if we want to order anything else. I said I am still missing one roll. And she said you had 5 and the ankimo. I said I didn't eat the ankimo. And she said your friends did .... So she charged me the extra one that was going to the trash because I didn't want to waste food ... Throughout our conversation, it was not confirmed that the handroll I gave to my friend was supposed to be a part of the six hand rolls upgrade that the manager had offered me. It would've been best if she gave me some clarification so that I was not kept waiting for an extra handroll that I was able to eat due to my medical condition. I thought they would have been understanding, but unfortunately, I was wrong

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    Inside Dining Area
    Inside Dining Area
    Toro carpaccio
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    Entrance Seating

    Pikunico - japanese - Updated July 2026

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