Wow! My first visit this past weekend; this place is a little hidden gem!! First, Mary Kate was amazing at the front. She had great suggestions and was so very nice!!! Our server, Yui K, was also fantastic!! She recommended a lovely sake (Shinryu Nishiki) and desserts for my friend and me and was so efficient and sweet! (Mary Kate had already given us a number of suggestions for the appetizers and skewers.) Zoku Q: yummy!! Spicy Karaage: Oh my goodness! Eyes rolling back delicious! Giant Ebi Mayo: shrimp (huge!) cooked perfectly and also so delicious! Elote Corn Ribs: excellent flavor, but there are only four very small pieces so not worth the price (to us). Skewers were all good: Momo Teri, Mune Ume, Wagyu Beef, Unagi, Tsukune. We would definitely order the wagyu beef, Tsukune and Momo Teri again. (The others were good but not as good as these three.) For dessert we ordered the Panna Cotta and the Custard Pudding. Completely different textures but would order either again! I will enjoy returning! read more

The staff who greet you at the entrance, as well as the servers, are all wonderfully attentive! The atmosphere is great, and every staff member creates a very welcoming vibe whenever a customer walks in! Since this was my second visit, I ordered things I hadn't tried the last time. As always, every dish looked so appealing -- the plating is absolutely stunning. The overall balance, colors, and presentation... everything made me want to take photos. Compared to other yakitori restaurants, the selection might be a bit limited, and die-hard yakitori fans may find it a little lacking, but it is definitely worth visiting at least once! My personal favorite here is the Chicken with Honey Mustard! The Karaage sauce is also incredible!! And finally, the desserts -- always something to look forward to! Every single one tastes like it came straight from a fine pastry shop, and I'm always blown away. I'm already looking forward to my next visit! Next time, I'd love to come for lunch and try the Yuzu Shio Ramen. read more

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This place was amazing!! The staff was very welcoming and attentive. I loved the ambiance and the design of the restaurant. It felt very intimate and they were playing nice chill reggae music. We order 8 skewers from the lunch menu and it came with 2 salads & 2 bowls of rice! It was a good portion for two but I would recommending ordering a few extra orders on the side if you're extra hungry. All of the skewers were perfectly cooked and the flavors were great. I loved the unagi and wagyu! read more

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I am thoroughly impressed by zoku. It's an authentic izakaya/yakitori spot that does skewers well. They also have a very nice selection of appetizers if you want more of a tapas vibe. When I come here with my family, we tend to do a bit of both. FAVORITE ITEMS: - Chicken Meatball: you must get this skewer. So juicy and delicious. I dream of this - I feel like they put small amounts of vegetables into the meatball so you almost have a nice crunch as well - Chicken wasabi: really yummy. I love how the wasabi contrasts the tender chicken. So delicious! - Zoku salad: an elevated version of Caesar's salad it feels like, I think this is a perfect way to start your meal - Matcha Creme Brulee: wow!! super unique. It's like a brulee on top of a matcha cake. Light, not too heavy. Perfect way to end the meal. PARKING: decent, there is a parking lot nearby SERVICE: pretty good. Skewers obviously take a bit longer but the waiters/waitresses here are quite attentive. PRICE: on the pricier side, can add up, but it's probably the most authentic spot I personally know about in SoCal thus far. Overall, I have and will be returning here. My family loves coming here, and we drive all the way from Irvine just to get our fix! read more

Absolutely enjoyed this place and already planning my 2nd visit! Came here for a work dinner and I wasn't sure what to expect - I can be a bit picky with my yakitori restaurant - but every dish we had ordered was so tasty! The restaurant is small and cozy, for a Wednesday, it wasn't too busy but the vibe was great from the other diners too. Service was friendly and attentive, everyone checked on us in a timely manner. My favorite dishes were the tofu cream cheese (I know, it sounds weird but so good), tsukune kushiyaki, teba kushiyaki and yaki onigiri. There's plenty of metered parking available in the lot right across (4hr parking) but it might get a bit full & busy on the weekends. If you're in the area, definitely have a beach day and visit Zoku for dinner! read more

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Zoku is a yakitori bar located in Riviera Village & Torikizoku and Hasu are sister restaurants of Zoku. Apparently there are over 600+ Zoku branches in Japan. Unlike Torikizoku, this location accepts reservation via OpenTable. [Parking]: Parking is hit-and-miss in Riviera Village, but there should be plenty of metered parking spots on a good day. [Reservation]: Our party just walked in without a reservation and waited about 15 minutes before getting seats. [Menu]: Very similar menu to Torikizoku, but Zoku offers more high-end and expensive items like A5 Wagyu Beef ($30 per skewer) and Wagyu Beef ($9.80 per skewer). Other Yelp highlighted items include Chicken Meatball, Chicken Thighs, and Yaki Onigiri. *** Yaki Onigiri (grilled rice ball with shoyu and katsuobushi - $5.50): The rice ball had a slight charcoal aftertaste. Momo (chicken thigh with yakitori sauce - $3.90): Just like the rice ball it also had a strong charcoal aftertaste. Tsukune (chicken meatball with Japanese tare - $4.80): I thought it was okay. Zoku Karrage (Japanese fried chicken with original "chick-fil-a" mayo - $9.50): Our party didn't really dip too much of mayo sauce. Wagyu Beef (with apple steak sauce $9.80): Our party didn't want to drop $30 on A5 Wagyu Beef so this was the next best option. Expensive but beef was certainly tender. *** Overall skewer quality is better than Torikizoku, but at the same time Zoku is a bit more expensive than Torikizoku. Please note that our party ended up eating dumplings afterward because we were only 75% full and didn't want spend more money. A solid yakitori spot for anyone who's willing to spend a good $$$. read more

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OH MY GOSH. Tried it last night and knew I had to review it immediately. Yes, it's $$$, but I'd say it's worth every penny. My friends and I got the the restaurant 1 hour before closing, and the waitresses were really kind and did not rush us at all. What had drawn me into this place was that I am a sucker for yakitori. There were so many appetizers, and they even had a seasonal menu. As of 11/27, the seasonal menu included OYSTER MUSHROOMS BALSAMIC SMOKED DUCK A5 SUKIYAKI ASSORTED SASHIMI My friends and I tried it all. It was really pretty and delicious. I cannot pick a favorite out of them all. SKEWERS - I tried -Momo spicy was indeed spicy, great kick, and juicy -tsukune - meatball on a stick, I was fine with it, didn't blow my mind -waygu beef - loved it! My favorite is topped with onions Inside the restaurant can be a little small, so it can only hold so many people. I want to come back already! Everyone there left the restaurant with a smile. read more

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I was impressed from the moment I stepped inside. From the warm greeting to the nice service. We got there a little early but was able to get sat right away. Ate at the bar and had tasty skewers that made me order more after the first round. I would definitely come back. There aren't many yakatori spots so I was happy to find this one. read more

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Great Japanese food and service. Fun ambiance and parking is convenient. Scallop appetizer was yummy! Skewers are delicious as well. We will definitely be back! read more

Inside zoku is really quaint, they have seats at the counter where you can see the skewers being grilled or sit at tables for 4 which can be combined for larger groups. We ordered a mix of yakitori and sides and everything came out fairly quick. The zoku cucumber salad was reallly tasty, I ordered a second. The salmon carpaccio, would probably skip next time. Not sure if it's the cut we got but it was a bit more chewy than typical carpaccio I've ordered at other places. Of the Kushiyaki, my favorites were: Mune Miso Honey Mustard, Momo Spicy, and Wagyu Beef. For dessert, we got the Matcha Brûlée, had custard in the middle with matcha powder sprinkled around the dish, was a perfect bitter/sweet balance. read more

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Amazing little spot for Japanese food. They have a cool matcha beer that you should try if you like matcha! It's a fun spot with lots of little dishes to try. Definitely a place where you want to share a bunch of dishes with friends. Plenty of parking spaces and amazing staff that were friendly and attentive. Highlights include the corn in the rib, mushrooms, spicy karaage, and matcha beer. read more

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Loved the sleek, modern, and minimalist environment. We were greeted with warm hand towels, that expanded with hot water poured over them at our table. For appetizers, we ordered the salmon carpaccio, cucumber salad and pickles - all were great. For dinner we ordered the waygu, chicken meatball, chicken, mushroom, and potato yakitori (skewers) all were equally great. Also really enjoyed the tofu salad! I enjoyed the food overall, but the space was the best part - it's refreshing to see a new and beautifully designed space in the area. read more

zoku - Salmon carpaccio - Izakaya Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

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A couple friends recommended zoku when we were hanging in the South Bay and I'm so glad they did! They said their neighbors have all been talking about how good it is and I feel like I got that real life yelp experience - word of mouth! :) Parking all over in the lots around here plus tons of great places around to go for drinks after dinner. My friends and I actually had the Organic Matcha Beers here ($12) which were super cool, poured at the table. For starters, the Cream Cheese "Tofu" $14 was so delicious. It looks like tofu but it's creamy soft cheese surrounded by a light maple syrup that you can put on the sliced baguette pieces that come with it. If something makes your mouth water while thinking or describing it, you know that ish is good, and that is what is happening right now! Meatwise, the Wagyu Beef skewer (we just did the $10 ones, not the even fancier wagyu $40 or $30 pieces) was really tender and tasty. Same goes for the Mune Miso Honey Mustard Chicken skewer ($4.50) with plumpness to the nines. Staff was stellar, restaurant was cute, and most importantly food was so~~~~ yum! I'll be back soon! read more

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We were looking for a protein-forward meal and made our way to Zoku. This place is right by Riviera Village, a bustling part of town. We easily found metered parking on a weekend evening. One skewer per order, and they have a bunch on the menu. We like the wagyu beef, the scallop, the chicken wasabi and especially the chicken meatball. My date enjoyed the chicken karaage, but it was a tad bit too spicy for our liking. Still a great size for multiple to share and quite tasty. The charcoal was a nice touch. The interior is a bit small, with a handful of tables and a nice, long bar. It's cozy and inviting. Service is polite and efficient. Food came out quickly and everyone was very courteous. Apparently, there's happy hour! I can't wait to come back and give that a try. read more

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TL;DR - AWESOME. Make a reservation online in case it gets busy. Friendly staff. Recommend A5 wagyu beef skewer, unagi and ebi skewers, baby bella mushrooms, and whole white peach tart. We had such a great time at Zoku. I am a big fan of yakitori and was excited to try this place. As soon as you enter, you're met with a really clean and modern interior. If I had to approximate, there's probably enough seating for 30-50 people. We went on a Wednesday evening and it was pretty full so I HIGHLY RECOMMEND making reservation (you can do it online). The staff is very friendly, positive, and helpful. I didn't get their names, but they were a step above! The food was amazing from start to finish. It came out quickly too. The highlights were the A5 wagyu skewer, unagi skewer, ebi skewer, baby bella mushrooms, and the whole white peach tart. The A5 wagyu skewer was so good I had to stop talking. I wish I got more. It was so tender, fatty, and delicious! Smoky and savory too. The unagi and ebi skewers were very flavorful and smoky too. You could really appreciate the binchotan charcoal that they use. The baby bella mushrooms were OUTSTANDING. I reluctantly had to split half with my wife lol but I'm happy she liked it. She doesn't eat escargot but I told her this was basically 90% of the experience if I had to ease her into trying it one day. The garlic butter and presentation of the mushrooms is what reminded me so much of escargots. The whole white peach tart was the perfect way to end the night. As the name states, it is a whole white peach and it sits on a bed of broken up biscoff cookies (my favorite kind of cookie). As a dessert, it wasn't too sweet, which is a HUGE compliment in culture. I wouldn't be surprised if this restaurant was noticed by the Michelin Guide. I had such an awesome time and hope this restaurant is here to stay forever. read more

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Exceptional in every way. Best yakitori spot - what a treasure in the South Bay! Musts: momo, zoku Q, wagyu read more

This restaurant has a very cute clean Japanese ambiance which we loved. The staff were super kind and attentive, they made the whole experience very memorable. Everything was perfect except for the taste. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either sadly ;; the food was overall very salty unfortunately. But that didn't ruin the experience for us because of the amazing staff. For cocktails, the yuzu shochu was very delicious, and I'd order the Zoku salad again (Japanese style Caesar salad). Overall, it's a great restaurant with a beautiful vibe if you want a night out! read more

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It was my first time at Zoku and I really enjoyed my experience. The staff was friendly and the food was so tasty. I got here at 5:00pm on a Sunday and it was pretty busy around 7pm. I would recommend RSVPing on weekends. The ambiance was bright and welcoming. I also enjoyed seeing what goes on behind the scenes. Everything was great, but my ultimate favorite dishes were the scallops and wagyu! Thank you Zoku! read more

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Zoku is a "yakitori-ya," a Japanese restaurant specializing in grilled skewers of meats and vegetables, and a very good addition to Redondo Beach's Riviera Village. Food: Zoku specializes in yakitori which is very good, but its appetizers and small dishes are also very good. Appetizers & Small Dishes: Both the "Zoku" and spicy karaage (fried chicken) dishes are well made, not greasy, and tasty. The "Cream Cheese Tofu" is also really, really good ... I know it sounds like a weird combination, but it totally works; its basically a cream cheese spread that has the lighter texture of tofu and is drizzled with maple syrup and served with bread slices. The "Zoku" salad is a simple salad, but decently sized and simple but nicely made. Yakitori (Skewers): For chicken and beef, the "Momo" skewers (chicken thigh) are delicious; the "Mune" skewers (chicken breast) are a little dry for my taste; the "Tsukune" skewers (chicken meatballs) are good; and the Wagyu beef skewers are delicious. For seafood, the unagi skewers (sea eel) and ebi skewers (shrimp) are great. Staff: The yakitori chefs are all very focused and dedicated, and the servers are all very friendly and helpful. Bottom Line: A very good Japanese restaurant that is a nice change from your ubiquitous sushi places. The selection of skewers is not as wide as at some yakitori-ya or izakaya restaurants (for example, no chicken hearts, gizzards, or cartilage), but what Zoku does is all very good. read more

10/10 service. They make you feel so welcome. It feels like they are grateful for each person that comes in, and they get busy! Everything we had was outstanding. I went with my dad one night and the very next night I went with my husband because it was so delicious! We got the chicken wasabi, chicken teriyaki, chicken honey mustard, and waygu. The miso Caesar salad was also delicious. read more

Absolutely loved dining here. Terrific atmosphere and delicious food creativity presented. Service was prompt and super friendly. Lucky to have this little gem in the neighborhood. read more

zoku - Baby scallop roll with gelé ponzu - Izakaya Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

I came at lunch looking to try their yakatori but they do not serve yakatori during lunch. Which started off disappointing, they only serve it during dinner and no where on yelp or their website made it known. Stuck around and just try their lunch offering which is mainly ramen appetizers and rice bowls. Opted it for the deluxe yuzu ramen I was waiting to be disappointed once more. Surprise the ramen had a nice rich velvety chicken broth instead if a classic tonkasu and ingredients are replaced by chicken . Karaage was nice hot and moist crunchy. Cucumber salad was good and crunchy. Pana cotta is good as well if you're looking to finish off with a small dessert. I was able to try the fresh brewed matcha green tea beer which they poor a high grade matcha into the beer. Japanese St Patrick day everyday. Space is small but it has the Japanese simplicity with a yakatori bar. read more

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This is a delayed post. Ate there two nights ago but forgot to share the wonderful experience and food. The staff was winderfully great. We thought that the serving portions were too small BUT it turned out to be the best as it is not about the serving size but how our senses were awakened. Did I mention that the prices are amazingly affordable? The place was full yet one can still hear the music, the waiting staff and servers plus the conversation with your own company. We didn't smell like the food, meaning, the smoke of food being cooked never even touched us. read more

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We grabbed dinner here to catch up with a friend on a Saturday night. We didn't have a reservation, so we put our name down for a party of three and were notified that our table was ready within 15 minutes. There is either street parking or lot parking, all of which is paid (but free after 9 pm). The interior is charming and reminiscent of a restaurant in Japan. We ordered one of each of the meat-based skewers and marveled at how juicy and tender everything was, even the chicken breast. We also ordered the hojicha panna cotta, which came in the cutest cup. The flavors of hojicha and caramel were both strong, but also harmonized perfectly. The service was warm and attentive. Our water was replenished constantly, and the server offered a sample of sake while explaining the details of the drink before I committed to anything. I am usually not a sake fan, but the Hanaharu Noujun recommended by the server pleasantly surprised me. I also got the matcha beer. I like matcha and beer separately, but not so much together as in this drink. All in all, I really enjoyed our experience at Zoku. I'm not sure if I'd go out of my way to go back, since I don't usually crave yakitori, but the friendly service and unique dishes were certainly memorable. read more

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Zoku is part of the Hasu and Torikizoku group. Have already been to the other 2 restaurants so decided to try here. The skewers here are a little bit different because of the different sauces. Chicken: 1. Momo: Good 2. Momo spicy: Nicely spicy 3. Momo teriyaki: didn't like the flavor 4. Mune wasabi: dry chicken 5. Mune ume: dry, usually like ume but didn't like the combo 6. tsukune: it's okay Beef: 1. Wagyu beef: good but not great. parts of the meat were tough Seafood 1. Unagi: ok but not memorable. wasn't expecting it to be sweet 2. Ebi: Good. 3. Hotate: Good. Vegetable 1. Baby bell mushroom: okay; probably wouldn't get again 2. Zucchini: Grilled well 3. Colorful potatoes: nicely tender Starters 1. Buffalo cauliflower. Didn't like sauce. Happy hour: 1. Japanese fish and chips: Nice mayo dipping sauce and good fry on fish. 2. Zoku wings: it's only 3 small pieces but I'd get it again. Like the spicy lime seasoning. 3. Cucumber with crispy rice balls: is okay Dessert 1. Hojicha panna cotta and strawberry basque cheesecake -nothing special. probably wouldn't get again. Looks like they had some parfaits in the past that looked more interested Overall I would say this is the best of the 3 restaurants. Parking is all metered. Service was good and food came quickly. read more

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Modern yakitori bar next to the beach. Made an RSVP and were seated at the bar - was able to see the chefs grill throughout the evening. Had a few different things to eat - cauliflower was good, onigiri was excellent, and the various chicken (and beef) yakitori tasted good. Only issue was the yakitori was served sort of lukewarm - it looked cooked, but seemed like it sat for a bit before being served or was purposely cooled down. Wasn't a big fan of that as it made it seem that it wasn't fresh off the grill. Dessert was great (had both the hojicha panna cotta and cheesecake). Service was good - no issues. Would give it another try (2nd time here) as the first time was great - hoping the food will be nice and hot next time around! read more

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First off, the service here is great! Every time I come I forget to make a reservation, but the staff squeeze me in if possible. Second, I'm not very fond of yakitori but I think it's delicious here. This restaurant made me appreciate chicken. Last time I came, they had a duck special which was a little pricey but definitely worth it. That being said, I wish they had more variety in the standard menu. I would love to have other pieces of chicken or for some of their seasonal specials to be regular items! read more

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This was a good place to eat at. The yakitori is very good but a bit pricey. The chicken yakitori, scallop, beef wagyu and unagi were very good. The staff was super nice and attentive. The atmosphere was good and very inviting. Reservations are recommended as it does get very busy, especially on weekends. I'd had some of the happy hour items it was good so I'd love to come back here to get more items from the happy hour menu. read more

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First time here, friend made reservations for 7:30pm, and we were able to get seated right away. Small location but it made the ambiance great. Ordered some drinks and food and they were all great! The only downside, which I think is pretty big, is that they ran out of chicken thighs. And when their popular items are the chicken thighs, it was quite disappointing not to be able to try them all. They said they had one left, my friends and I still ordered the last one, because we really wanted to try it, however I wished that we all could've had our own skewers to try. Maybe come for lunch? Everything we ordered though tasted amazing, but I would've wished our first time experience allowed us to taste their different chicken thighs flavors. Staff were friendly and accommodating. Plenty of parking outside, however there's meters for all of them from what I saw, come prepared! read more

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Zoku is a very good yakitori place if you're in the mood for something a little more upscale. The main selection is limited, but they do have interesting options on rotation. I ordered the soft shell crab to start, which was a little pricey, but good. I also ordered prawns, wagyu beef and chicken meatballs. Everything was good, but a little fancier compared to the other yakitori places around town. The ambiance felt authentic and clean. I also love that this place is within walking distance from my apartment. It would be a great place to bring family and friends when they're visiting. read more

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Really great place to go & share skewers. I've been here 3 times now & every time I go someone is celebrating a birthday!! I like sitting at the counter & watching food being prepared. Service is amazing & there is plenty of parking around there. It's right by a large parking lot although I just want over from my house. I'll be going back again soon I'm sure. read more

I love yakitori and based on the reviews I was so excited to try this place...but it was overall a big disappointment... First off, it's nice they offer reservations around on OpenTable but once I checked in, the hostess who sat us down said we only had one and a half hours to eat due to other reservations....i was fine with that but it seemed kind of rude to say that off the bat, especially when the restaurant was half empty....not to mention the service here is extremely slow.... Then, a young looking waitress with pig tails came by and asked us if we wanted to start with drinks and appetizers. Those came out pretty quickly but I had to flag her down to take the rest of the food order and we ordered onigiri and a bunch of skewers.... Then skewers came out and the first chicken wasabi one was VERY raw inside....i showed the waitress and she took it away and apologized but it made us so wary of eating the other chicken skewers.... And what's weird is that some of the other chicken skewers were overcooked and super dry & not very tasty.... Then, I noticed the waitress immediately bring out onigiri to the table right next to us that had literally just sat down but ours NEVER came out and when I asked the waitress she said she would check on it but never came back to tell us what happened.... Which I think is that she mistakenly gave our onigiri to the table next to us.... It took another 20 min for it to come out.... And it tasted off...the outside wasn't very crunchy and inside was pretty flavorless.... And then to make things worse, I overheard the waitress tell the specials to the table next to us but didn't bother telling us about it at all.... Overall, the food was not very good and service is awful...my hubs really liked the chicken wings and I thought the green tea brûlée was the best thing here but it looked gross and really should've been in a ramekin... I don't think I will be ever going back here....theres sooooo many other really good yakitori places in the South Bay.... What a disappointment. read more

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High quality food executed well consistently in a quaint but busy restaurant. I've waited until we've made several visits before writing a review. I believe this is hands down one of the best restaurants in the Riviera. We've tried at least 40% of the menu and haven't been unhappy with anything we've ordered so far. Favorites include: tsukune, wagyu, spicy chicken momo, mushrooms, hotate, chicken soup, karaage, zoku salad, brussel sprouts, and raw scallop for food also a huge fan of the green tea umeshu cocktail! Interior is nice and clean and no issues with service from the wait staff. Skewers can take while to come out depending on how other tables order, if your order gets caught behind a big party, be prepared to wait a while for the food to come out. Additionally, I don't love that (for the most part) you'll need to make reservations in advance/plan around dining here. It's really hard to casually walk in for dinner as the wait times can be insane, even on random week nights. read more

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Great ambience, friendly staff, and delicious food, zoku is a great example of an upscale yakotori restaurant without the interesting meat parts. Prices felt standard, though you can definitely get cheaper skewers at other places. I really wish they had the interesting meat parts like intestine, heart, and liver. We ordered: * zoku Salad - 9/10: their take on a Caesar salad, I love Caesar salads so this was an easy win for me * Yaki Onigiri - 5/10: disappointingly cold somehow, just tasted like overcooked rice * Momo/Mune Wasabi/Mune Ume/Mune Honey Mustard - 8/10: all solid skewers, I would recommend substituting the chicken breast with chicken thigh since it's jucier * Wagyu Premium - 7/10: juicy and flavorful, though I'm not sure if it's worth the price * Colorful Potatoes - 8/10: went well with the chicken * Chicken Liver Pate - 6/10: weird shell thing on the outside of the liver, wish it was just in skewer form If you're introducing someone to yakitori restaurants for the first time, this is a great place as an initial start. Once they get the hang of delicious skewers, I would recommend trying offal meats elsewhere. read more

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Good food. Good area. Good parking. Great service. A bit pricey, but worth it. Our favorites are chicken wings, shrimps, and salad. read more

Great food, great service and lovely ambiance! While the skewers are pricey I do think it's worth it for a nice date night or fancy family dinner spot. It is located in a busy area (next to Trader Joe's in the riviera village) so parking is tough and the actual restaurant is small so make sure to plan ahead :) read more

Really good! I'm so happy there is another Izakaya place in South Bay, and so close to our place to boot. Everything we ordered was very good. I felt like their chicken dishes were cooked really well, although nothing was amazing or super unique, they were all very well prepared and delivered. Even their salad was yummy. Service was also very friendly and attentive. Everyone had a smile on their face even though it was pretty busy on a Sat night. Very clean and modern decor, we will definitely be back. read more

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5 stars for vibe, friendliness, cleanliness and food. Fun to eat. Kids enjoyed it. Nothing bad to say. The garnishes are all edible and unique. It's rare I find a place that's so innovative with their garnishes. read more

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New spot in rendondo beach area and great for any special occasion. It is on the pricier side for a casual meal and portions are small as it's one skewer each so you will need to order a good amount. Flavor is lacking the smokiness you expect from a yakitori spot and lacking in options. Most yakitori spots will have multiple cuts of chicken but here only had breast or thigh with different flavors. Spicy karaage and the giant ebi mayo were a highlight and best out of the meal. Service was fast and friendly. Indoors has bar seating and a few tables to sit at. Would come back again if for a special occasion! read more

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We were so excited to finally have our very first Japanese izakaya restaurant in Redondo Beach! There are plenty of sushi spots, but this is the first izakaya that's actually really good! Woot woot! We finally got to try it this weekend for date night. The restaurant is well-lit and spacious, with a vibe that totally reminded us of our time in Tokyo a few years back. The food was pretty solid. We started with the tofu salad, and the fried tofu was super soft and not oily at all. The dressing was so delicious that I had to ask for extra to dip it in. Then we moved on to the skewers. We ordered the only beef option--wagyu--which was tasty. I'd love to see more beef skewers on the menu, but I get that this place focuses more on chicken. We tried two chicken skewers: Ume (plum) and spicy. The Ume was a bit bland on its own, but I enjoyed it more with the extra spicy sauce. We're not huge fans of chicken skewers, but these were pretty good overall, even if the Ume could use a little more flavor. The shrimp skewer was fantastic! I could really taste the charcoal, which added a nice touch. The special--salmon--was super yummy! It should definitely be a staple on the menu! (See picture below.) The spicy karaage chicken was interesting. The black sauce isn't exactly a first-date dish! I liked it, but it wasn't my favorite, and I probably wouldn't order it again since the chicken was thick and not super flavorful. To end the night, we got the mango pudding, and it was yummy! A bit pricey for the small portion, but the dessert was delicious and not overly sweet. Overall, we will definitely be back again! read more

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