Best meal I have ever had (so far). Each course (13 total) just kept getting better and better. The…read moretextured and flavors are epic! Top notch. If you are fortunate enough to secure a reservation, even if on a weekday, be sure to go and enjoy!! Highly recommend! Excellent customer service! Everyone is so friendly. Parking can be difficult. Valet parking is $12

Japanese Kaiseki which has been on my list for months and finally the universe answered with an…read moreinvite! The venue is small and does not have a bar or indoor waiting area so plan to arrive right on time. The guest waited outdoors until our exact time of seating (and they are right on time). N/Naka is a very intimate 28 course seasonal modern kaiseki that serves a combination of both fresh sashimi and warm courses to satiate your palate (heavier on the warm dishes). Seasonal ingredients from Japan and California are used to curate the finest delicacies. Therefore you're likely to try various specials with the changing seasons. I loved the Zensai which presented 7 small palate warming appetizer bites. Comes in a cute bento box like format. The creamy potato puree and tempura bites were my favorites. For the main course, I absolutely loved the Uni and Dungeness crab....so exceptional. Served in an actual Uni shell and filled with warm Dungeness crab meat and broth, egg white soufflé, and topped with a whole Uni. This should be their top dish. Another phenomenal course was the Rockfish. The fish complimented very well with the snap peas and kelp which brought out the flavor of the rockfish. Perfect!!! Shiizakana is their signature dish which made its debut on chef's table and served year round. An abalone truffle pasta. This was good but for me personally wasn't a highlight. Overall a good experience. At dinners end, chef Niki Nakayama came out personally to share our experiences. We got to meet the artist that curated this amazing dinner. Thank you Chef! Loved the experience. Get on that wait list ASAP!

I just visited the Getty's museum and took a bit too long so I figured to take my daughter to a…read morelocal place to eat and wait out the crazy traffic. I am glad I did, this place is great. I didn't have a reservation and the hostess squeezed me in on what seems to be a busy Thursday night. The staffs are very nice and the food comes out quick. I got the steak and it was very tasty. My daughter must be hungry so she ate most of the food so I order a ramen to get full. The ramen is surprisingly good for a izakaya place. If you like Izakaya, try this place. The place is pretty small so it'll feel very cozy and you can definitely hear the couple next to you having a fight. There is parking lot right next door but the attendant may not be there so you don't have to pay if he is not around. I sure didn't.

A friend brought me here and prefaced by saying it was the best japanese food he's had outside of…read moreJapan. Although it didn't necessarily live up to the hype, it was definitely an authentic spot tucked in a busy area of LA. Parking, was particularly hard to find. Definitely recommend making a reservation in advance. Immediately greeted by a friendly staff who showed us our table. Ambience was reminiscent of a local spot you'd find in Tokyo. A comforting, warm, bright place that serves as a familiar dinner spot that makes me wanna go back to Japan. For first timer, the menu was slightly hard to navigate. Lol, but I guess that speaks to the authenticity of the Japanese menu. Assorted pork belly wrapped yakitori/skewers, 7.8/10: these were hyped up by both my friend and the server, but overall it was slightly underwhelming. The skewers were all seasoned nicely, although they were a bit hard to eat since they were so big. Starting with the pork belly wrapped cabbage skewer, I don't believe the cabbage added any sustenance to the dish. I did like the bacon wrapped tomato skewer since the pop of acidity and freshness from the tomato paired well with the fat from the pork. Chicken Karaage, 9.1/10: definitely the best dish here. Chicken was fried perfectly, and was warm when it came out. The batter was not too thick or heavy. Season well with enough space.The lemon is a must for acidity and brightness. And of course they kewpie mayo is a nice touch. Tonkotsu Ramen, 7.5/10: the pork broth was rich and deep. The noodles were nice and chewy and firm clinging onto that broth. However, the portion was a bit small for the price. I was caught off guard by that. Granted, this place doesn't boast about the ramen. Overall, this wasn't anything mind blowing. Stuffed chicken wing, 8/10: stuffed generously with ground chicken ginger scallions and seasonings. The outside skin was flavorful crispy and savory. The temperature of the wings were pretty good too. Solid.

A true one man show! Had an incredible omakase experience here. The chef is a total powerhouse! He…read morehandles everything from slicing the fish to clearing the plates entirely on his own. Despite being alone, the service didn't suffer. The food was excellent: incredibly fresh fish and very clean, precise cuts. My favorites were the ebi, tuna handroll, and Uni with octopus. The dessert was a refreshing yuzu lemon shaved ice ball. Highly recommend supporting this talented chef!

For my birthmonth my boyfriend was looking for exclusive and hard to get reservations to surprise…read moreme and he managed to get reservations for Kusano. I know he had to stay up until midnight on the day the spots were released so it's highly competitive for these 8-seats. Kusano is known for being an intimate experience where Chef Yusu Kusano is a one man show handling all aspects of the business. Since this saves him on overhead, he is able to keep his price point at $160 for an 18 course omakase meal. Their unique dining experience earns them a spot on the Michelin guide. I appreciate how attentive Chef was despite having so much to get done. As the first to arrive, we were able to watch Chef doing some prep work to expedite the experience during the meal. Also he seems to plan in dishes that require less work for him so the guests can be served while he checks on our beverages and other comforts. I also appreciate how we were served in the order in which we arrived, so the early bird gets the first sushi. As for our meal, my boyfriend and I agreed that this is a no frills, nigiri heavy meal. There wasn't too much engagement or story telling from Chef either. The sushi rice could have been better seasoned, which affected most courses since it's a nigiri heavy meal. On the bright side, chef has amazing knife skills and he makes small cuts on certain pieces of fish to make it more tender. On the other hand there are moments where he makes efficient decisions like ripping up the scallop by hand instead of cutting it. On the day of our visit, we were served oyster, hirami, shima aji, hotoke, seabream, ankimo, sardine, amaebi, umedai, miso soup, akami & toro, Hokkaido uni & squid, chutoro handroll, anago, tamago yaki and a yuzu granita. I had a birthday version and this sign behind us generated a cute happy birthday message, so that was a nice touch. This experience is GREAT VALUE, but for me just not too exciting. Just my personal preference that I prefer more interaction and innovation. Great to experience once but I'm not sure I would come back, considering I don't live in the area. I have no doubt they'll still be plenty busy without my patronage due to the pricing.

I've lived 10 minutes away from this place for years and I'm so mad I didn't visit it sooner. Dined…read morehere 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!

The Bottom Line: 5 stars: A nice Yakiniku (Japanese Barbeque) spot for high quality food and great…read moreattentive 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.

My Friend invited me here! One of her Favorite restaurants & Bar…read more I didnt know it was so close to the Nate Holden Theater! Now I have a restaurant i can go to prenthe pre theater! The outside is inconspicuous with outside covered with ivy. We had a 730pm reservation on a Wednesday. Theres a Valet so we didnt even look for street parking. It's an Intimate setting inside & a covered patio. The staff were Nice & helpful. We ordered many items to share. And we had PLENTY! Edamame, cucumber salad,Grilled pork belly & Mushroom skewers, negi Toro, Mackerel, Ochazuke, Black Cod, Japanese waygu roll, tori negi..whew! There were 3 of us! Lol! Everything was Fr we sh Well flavored & Delicious! And the Drinks were also Fabulous! I'll be back

My husband and I came here for dinner last night. We got the Milk Bread Toast, Sweet Soy Chili…read moreWings, Toro Nigiri, Blue Crab Handroll, Wagyu Strip Hand Roll, Soto Roll, Tori Negi Kushiyaki, Shiitake Mushroom Kishiyaki, Agedashi Mochi and Lamb Chops. Overall, the food was good! The only miss was really the agedashi mochi. I liked the mochi texture but we felt like the flavor overall was just not great here. Our favorites were the chili wings, soto roll and lamb chops. The wings were soo juicy and flavorful. The chili on the soto roll was a great addition and the lamb chops were soft/tender. Personally, I wouldn't order the tori nigiri again because it was very small/didn't feel worth the cost.

This place has become a new favorite for me in just the past couple of weeks!…read more It is a nice, cozy place for a delicious dinner and actually quite perfect or even more suitable for a late night snack run. Most of the menus are small plates. This store is located in the same small parking lot as Wanderlust if that helps you immediately know where it is exactly. But even on a weekdays it can quickly get full. I was literally there last night around 8 pm on a Tuesday and had to park two blocks away in the neighborhood. But it's a popular location, what can I say. I've already tried quite a few things there and everything seemed quite promising. Given that a lot of the food comes in small dishes and quantity, you can easily try out a lot of things on throughout the menu. I think a group of 4 can get you a solid selection for your money. Definitely try: Wagyu Gyoza, it's limited but so worth it. The steam gyoza is amazing. The beef teriyaki bun. Spicy edamame. Fried karaage. And the omurice. All great options. Hospitality is amazing too, last but arguably the most important factor.

Overall I liked it. The multiple sauces was a bit redundant, but I love the house chili sauce!…read moreMaybe just give me more of that :P We had a bunch of dishes, although I think gyoza is the go-to. Yakisoba was pretty delicious as well. Some food was a bit too salty, I guess it's a little inconsistent? Nevertheless, I'd come back again on an occasion to try the other tapas :) Service and ambiance was also perfectly fine, but my rating only reflects my opinion on the dishes.

A huge thank you to Super All-Star Yelp Elite Gary I. for suggesting dinner at Asakura during…read moredineLA, Winter 2026. Reservations are essential, as dinner is served at timed seatings. It's an intimate and comfortable setting, with only around 14 seats available. Executive Chef Keigo Yoshida and General Manager Masaki Ishiba were running a two-man show the night we dined as Asakura and did an astounding job. They balanced perfectly executed dishes with warm hospitality, keeping all the guests happy in the meantime. The Omakase menu offers dishes created to the absolute highest standard; the Chawan Mushi with Black Truffle is the best version I have ever had of this dish. Outstanding! Please see photos for the menu but keep in mind the menu will change with the seasons. I cannot wait to return to Asakura. And....free parking in the lot.

Asakura takes over the old Yamakasè space with a cleaner, more organized look decorated with…read moreauspicious, Japanese symbols discreetly displayed. Very limited seating with 3 tables and 6 high chairs at the Chef's counter so reservations are de rigueur. Executive Chef Yoshida and General Manager Ishiba set the pace in friendly, warm service. There is a short course Kaisèki-Omakasè (oh mah kah seh) seating at 5pm and a full course at 7pm. The Kaisèki-Omakasè start on time so make sure to arrive on time or be left behind. As is typical of high-end Japanese restaurants, the seasons are recognized in terms of ingredients as well as touches of seasonal motif on ceramic accoutrements. So wonderful that DineLA on occasion brings to attention a restaurant so finely tuned in exquisite, understated, elegant cuisine. Our limited menu was full of revelatory morsels that really hit the mark. 1) Basket of Appetizers: A) Gindara/Sable fish marinated, sweet Kasu Zukè lightly grilled that was flakey, buttery, fatty. Bit of finely grated Daikon radish to add "spiciness". B) Tamago Yaki: Moist, eggy, egg omelet, whisper of sweetness. C) Compressed chicken thigh "torchon". Like a baked sausage with some parts plush and other parts more meaty and firm. Good Jidori chicken flavour. Fatty, chewy, thin skin acts as the casing. D) Panko bread crumb encrusted Kazu no Ko Kombu/cod roe on kelp leaf cube fried in oil. Exercise in popping, crunchy texture with faint sea vegetable scent. E) Poached dried apricot, touch of creamy Tōfu purée topped with a sweet black bean symbolizing good health. F) Dashi/broth braised ice berg lettuce, scattering of Shirasu/salted micro baby fish fry & Katsuo Bushi/shaved, dried Bonito flakes adds more sea Umami. G) Goma Dōfu: Not made from soy bean but made from Kuzu. Texture is smooth, gooey, plush, touch sticky in sweet Shōyu/soy sauce, Mirin/sweet Sakè, Dashi. Touch of freshly ground Wasabi root adds an aromatically pungent counterpoint. 2) Chawan Mushi/egg custard soup: Complex construction. Silky, Dashi infused ultra soft, savory custard hides velvety sea scallops along with crunchy toasted rice. An Kakè (ah kah keh) Sauce Velouté that is also silky, velvet is poured on top. We opted for Truffe Noir de Périgord/French black truffle hand shaved over the Chawan Mushi for nutty, earthy, nubby textural effect. This may be Asakura's chef-d'oeuvre, signature dish. 3) Osetra Caviar comes out of a smoke box for a magical, dramatic effect performed by Chef Yoshida. The capelli d'angelo/angel hair wheat pasta is al dente in a soupçon of rich meaty Dashi. The Osetra is creamy, sweet, cherry wood smoked with a touch of sea saltiness. Another must get. 4) A5 Wagyū from Kyōto is a tenderloin cut with less fat and more plush beefiness in a Sauce demi-glace made with earthy, black garlic and beef bouillon on a bed of sweet parsnips purée. Coming down to earth, steamed rice, Miso soup, salt brined pickles round out and conclude the main meal. 1-4a) When I asked for a good bottle of Sakè (sah keh) to pair with the Omakasè, General Manager Ishiba suggested Hakurakusèi Tokubetsu Junmai class, Shinshu/new Sakè. Neutral bouquet, subtle taste of apples, subliminal bitterness, minerality. Finish was ephemeral as well to clear the palate without a strong, lingering echo. The Japanese term Jōhin comes to mind connoting well mannered, high class. 5) Coffee scented Blancmange which is a light pudding. Simple, refreshing dessert to end this well modulated, complex meal. The Omotènashi/Japanese style hospitality and sensibilities is very evident. Food here is right on target as to what Asakura aims to accomplish. Finely honed cuisine rooted in tradition yet napped by more modern concepts informed by diverse, international influences. Definitely a 5 star experience catering to discerning palates that appreciate nuanced, well thought out cuisine often clothed in sybaritic ingredients. Perhaps an Étoile is on the way. .

Sushi chef doesn't talk at all. Doesn't explain much and…read morejust gives you your food. I tried to engage in conversation and nothing. Sushi is alright. A lot of hard core stuff. Ive gone to many many other ones much better.

Masakazu's sushi chef cares for the taste and presentation. He carefully selects fish and how he…read moreprepares is beyond the imagination. He doesn't want to depend on marketing but he believes the taste itself should speak and I agree because sushi melted in my mouth. I usually avoid blue fish but they were excellent. Also there are some shellfish that I had never tried, so it was wonderful experience. And Oh my god. Tro and Sea Urchin...soooooo yummy. He is quiet because he focuses on making sushi but he is friendly and super flexible. I saw a could brought a birthday cake and he don't charge for it. The sake was great too. His lineup was rare and I had never tried those. He said you can't find those sake in other restaurants. My favorite was "Gorin." The restaurant is simple, clean, calm vibe with quiet jazz music. It didn't have any decorations or menu on the wall. I would say try omakase and let him give you the best sushi. The price is cheaper side and I asked chef why he doesn't charge like other restaurants because the quality is same as Michelin stars restaurant and he said he doesn't want to overcharge his customers. Overall, he is a true chef who cares for his sushi and I had an excellent dinner.