Truly excellent yakiniku in the heart of Gardena. Legit A5 wagyu, American wagyu, dinner sets they even have oxtail soup, egg soup, great service, perfect seasoning. It costs a grip but it really is worth it. Authentic Japanese Yakiniku. You need to come here.
We had a great experience. The restaurant was not very busy so we were able to get a table right away (which is unusual since so many restaurants in that plaza are packed). The servers were attentive and accommodated really well for my toddler (she got her own table settings). The only thing is they should maybe have a hostess/someone watching the door since a few people walked by and popped their heads in, didn't see a hostess and kept walking. They may have had questions so that may be helpful for them in the future. We enjoyed the food and experience overall
Jeremy O.
Great food and even better service. Quality of meat was top notch and the service was even better!
Geri C.
It's a good thing we got here from OC early for our 530 pm Sunday dinner reservation for the parking lot was packed and challenging to find a space. The restaurant interior was bright, clean, and comfortable. This was our second Tamaen experience, having tried their Lomita location a couple of months ago. Instead of ordering both a Celebrity set and a Tomahawk set as we did, we decided to try their oxtail soup (with ramen for extra $2 charge) and bibimbap besides the Celebrity set. The beautifully marbled premium aged wagyu beef was tender and marvelous as expected. I didn't like having the soup and rice served along side the Celebrity set crowding the table; they detracted from the focus of grilling and savoring the high quality meat. My oxtail soup and the noodles were quite bland and ordinary. My dining companion, who enjoyed her perfectly cooked and flavorful bibimbap rice, reminded me that the light clear broth and starch served to cleanse the palate, complement, and balance out the heavy protein intake. Service was attentive.
LnS2004
It’s a good thing we got here from OC early for our 530 pm Sunday dinner reservation for the parking lot was packed and challenging to find a space. The restaurant interior was bright, clean, and comfortable. This was our second Tamaen experience, having tried their Lomita location a couple of months ago. Instead of ordering both a Celebrity set and a Tomahawk set as we did, we decided to try their oxtail soup (with ramen for extra $2 charge) and bibimbap besides the Celebrity set. The beautifully marbled premium aged wagyu beef was tender and marvelous as expected. I didn’t like having the soup and rice served along side the Celebrity set crowding the table; they detracted from the focus of grilling and savoring the high quality meat. My oxtail soup and the noodles were quite ordinary. My dining companion, who enjoyed her perfectly cooked and flavorful bibimbap rice, reminded me that the light clear broth and starch served to cleanse the palate and complement the heavy protein intake. Service was attentive.
Wendy
The meat is top notch, and the service is impeccable. The staff is friendly and helpful. We had a really enjoyable evening. I liked the combination of japanese wagyu beef, fresh/grated wasabi, and shiso rice. The flavors were delightful together. Note though that shiso might be an acquired taste, and anyone unaccustomed to shiso/ume might not like it. I also really liked the strawberry ice cream with a generous amount of strawberry pieces mixed in. Don't complain about the price - you have to pay for good quality. Just enjoy - YOLO!
Katie S.
High quality meat as many others have noted, but the restaurant is severely short staffed. We sat down for 20 min and no one even offered us water. We had to wait about 50min total for the meat to show up. This is after we asked the waitress where our food is. I also overheard another table asking the waitress about their food and mentioned that they've waited for 40 min. It was pretty wild. The two waitresses were super nice but seemed overwhelmed, which is quite strange because the restaurant isn't packed. There were only a total of five parties, and we are all cooking ourselves. We will not come back.
JDiology!
Quality!
TuckerB
Tamaen has quickly become my new favorite place to go for high quality meat. Everything I have tried here has been phenomenal and the variety of cuts and options always leads to a delicious adventure. I honestly cannot recommend this place highly enough, it is a must try!
This place is like the Rolls-Royce of Asian style BBQ like yakiniku or KBBQ. Very cozy and quaint location reminiscent of actual Japanese yakiniku restaurants so call ahead and make those reservations. There were only 2 wait staff when we went so there was a little lag in service however they were amazing and very accommodating.Since it was our first time coming here I opted for the American Wagyu set. Not the most expensive set but not the least. Also tried the sea urchin beef sushi and the seafood pancake (pajeon)People used to KBBQ may find this different since the grill is grated and more of an open flame so the meat cooks quickly. This is important since it's a very good quality of meat and the amount of fat makes a difference.That being said, we were on a food journey. The quality and feel of the meat changed with every cut. From the super fatty A5 Japanese Wagyu Ribeye to the Salted Tongue everything was amazing but had their own characteristics which made then unique. I'd also recommend the shiso rice with this meat it's a game changer.Tamaen isn't like those AYCE KBBQ spots so you won't necessarily get overly full, but the quality of meat is worth every penny. Can't wait to go again.Parking: The parking lot is behind, so I almost missed it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Salted Tongue
Kat U.
The quality of the meat was superb and our server was so gracious. It was my first time to try Japanese BBQ and it did not disappoint. Excellent food, service and ambience.Highly recommend.
Ms M.
A tower of high quality meat??? I never knew a restaurant even offered this or I would've come sooner. Thanks for the great service. Tasty food & cold beer.Yes, it's expensive but it's nice to treat yourself sometimes.
Rachel T.
Walked in without a reservation early Saturday night and got seated right away. I had seen the wagyu set on the wooden steps all over Instagram, so I had to check it it out! All in all, I had an enjoyable experience. The restaurant has a modern Japanese bbq aesthetic and the servers were friendly. I thought the quality of the meat was pretty good, but I was drawn to the presentation more than the flavor/food.
Khoa D.
There's definitely an abundance of great quality wagyu beef and pork selections here. When I went Sunday night, there wasn't any wait. The female servers are wonderful, beautiful, knowledgeable, professional yet personable, and extremely attentive. Here, the smoke goes up into a vent so there's a very light faint layer of smoke which is not bad at all. The atmosphere is like a traditional, modern Japanese restaurant. It's clean and makes you feel a bit upscale for a small establishment. With that said it is a little higher end here rather than an everyday casual dining in my opinion. It was my first time here, and it will not be the last. I'll be back!
Food was great, server is nice?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Truly excellent yakiniku in the heart of Gardena. Legit A5 wagyu, American wagyu, dinner sets they even have oxtail soup, egg soup, great service, perfect seasoning. It costs a grip but it really is worth it. Authentic Japanese Yakiniku. You need to come here.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salted Tongue, Steak, Clear Soup
We had a great experience. The restaurant was not very busy so we were able to get a table right away (which is unusual since so many restaurants in that plaza are packed). The servers were attentive and accommodated really well for my toddler (she got her own table settings). The only thing is they should maybe have a hostess/someone watching the door since a few people walked by and popped their heads in, didn't see a hostess and kept walking. They may have had questions so that may be helpful for them in the future. We enjoyed the food and experience overall
Great food and even better service. Quality of meat was top notch and the service was even better!
It's a good thing we got here from OC early for our 530 pm Sunday dinner reservation for the parking lot was packed and challenging to find a space. The restaurant interior was bright, clean, and comfortable. This was our second Tamaen experience, having tried their Lomita location a couple of months ago. Instead of ordering both a Celebrity set and a Tomahawk set as we did, we decided to try their oxtail soup (with ramen for extra $2 charge) and bibimbap besides the Celebrity set. The beautifully marbled premium aged wagyu beef was tender and marvelous as expected. I didn't like having the soup and rice served along side the Celebrity set crowding the table; they detracted from the focus of grilling and savoring the high quality meat. My oxtail soup and the noodles were quite bland and ordinary. My dining companion, who enjoyed her perfectly cooked and flavorful bibimbap rice, reminded me that the light clear broth and starch served to cleanse the palate, complement, and balance out the heavy protein intake. Service was attentive.
It’s a good thing we got here from OC early for our 530 pm Sunday dinner reservation for the parking lot was packed and challenging to find a space. The restaurant interior was bright, clean, and comfortable. This was our second Tamaen experience, having tried their Lomita location a couple of months ago. Instead of ordering both a Celebrity set and a Tomahawk set as we did, we decided to try their oxtail soup (with ramen for extra $2 charge) and bibimbap besides the Celebrity set. The beautifully marbled premium aged wagyu beef was tender and marvelous as expected. I didn’t like having the soup and rice served along side the Celebrity set crowding the table; they detracted from the focus of grilling and savoring the high quality meat. My oxtail soup and the noodles were quite ordinary. My dining companion, who enjoyed her perfectly cooked and flavorful bibimbap rice, reminded me that the light clear broth and starch served to cleanse the palate and complement the heavy protein intake. Service was attentive.
The meat is top notch, and the service is impeccable. The staff is friendly and helpful. We had a really enjoyable evening. I liked the combination of japanese wagyu beef, fresh/grated wasabi, and shiso rice. The flavors were delightful together. Note though that shiso might be an acquired taste, and anyone unaccustomed to shiso/ume might not like it. I also really liked the strawberry ice cream with a generous amount of strawberry pieces mixed in. Don't complain about the price - you have to pay for good quality. Just enjoy - YOLO!
High quality meat as many others have noted, but the restaurant is severely short staffed. We sat down for 20 min and no one even offered us water. We had to wait about 50min total for the meat to show up. This is after we asked the waitress where our food is. I also overheard another table asking the waitress about their food and mentioned that they've waited for 40 min. It was pretty wild. The two waitresses were super nice but seemed overwhelmed, which is quite strange because the restaurant isn't packed. There were only a total of five parties, and we are all cooking ourselves. We will not come back.
Quality!
Tamaen has quickly become my new favorite place to go for high quality meat. Everything I have tried here has been phenomenal and the variety of cuts and options always leads to a delicious adventure. I honestly cannot recommend this place highly enough, it is a must try!
Restaurantji Recommends
This place is like the Rolls-Royce of Asian style BBQ like yakiniku or KBBQ. Very cozy and quaint location reminiscent of actual Japanese yakiniku restaurants so call ahead and make those reservations. There were only 2 wait staff when we went so there was a little lag in service however they were amazing and very accommodating.Since it was our first time coming here I opted for the American Wagyu set. Not the most expensive set but not the least. Also tried the sea urchin beef sushi and the seafood pancake (pajeon)People used to KBBQ may find this different since the grill is grated and more of an open flame so the meat cooks quickly. This is important since it's a very good quality of meat and the amount of fat makes a difference.That being said, we were on a food journey. The quality and feel of the meat changed with every cut. From the super fatty A5 Japanese Wagyu Ribeye to the Salted Tongue everything was amazing but had their own characteristics which made then unique. I'd also recommend the shiso rice with this meat it's a game changer.Tamaen isn't like those AYCE KBBQ spots so you won't necessarily get overly full, but the quality of meat is worth every penny. Can't wait to go again.Parking: The parking lot is behind, so I almost missed it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Salted Tongue
The quality of the meat was superb and our server was so gracious. It was my first time to try Japanese BBQ and it did not disappoint. Excellent food, service and ambience.Highly recommend.
A tower of high quality meat??? I never knew a restaurant even offered this or I would've come sooner. Thanks for the great service. Tasty food & cold beer.Yes, it's expensive but it's nice to treat yourself sometimes.
Walked in without a reservation early Saturday night and got seated right away. I had seen the wagyu set on the wooden steps all over Instagram, so I had to check it it out! All in all, I had an enjoyable experience. The restaurant has a modern Japanese bbq aesthetic and the servers were friendly. I thought the quality of the meat was pretty good, but I was drawn to the presentation more than the flavor/food.
There's definitely an abundance of great quality wagyu beef and pork selections here. When I went Sunday night, there wasn't any wait. The female servers are wonderful, beautiful, knowledgeable, professional yet personable, and extremely attentive. Here, the smoke goes up into a vent so there's a very light faint layer of smoke which is not bad at all. The atmosphere is like a traditional, modern Japanese restaurant. It's clean and makes you feel a bit upscale for a small establishment. With that said it is a little higher end here rather than an everyday casual dining in my opinion. It was my first time here, and it will not be the last. I'll be back!