50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Playa Del Rey

“I absolutely love this place. I’m visiting from out of state and was wanting to try some sushi over here on the West Coast. I couldn’t have picked a better place! My friend ordered the Philly and spider rolls and I ordered the crunchy dragon roll and pumpkin carrot soup. We also ordered the fusion bun with imitation crab and plum sake. Everything was delicious and Atko, our hostess, was so very lovely. 10/10 highly recommend.“

“I had such a great experience here! Danny, the manager, welcomed me right away and even set me up with a perfect corner table—which made the whole meal feel extra relaxed. Alissa, our server, was amazing—super friendly, professional, and on top of everything without ever rushing us. The ramen itself was incredible, full of flavor and beautifully balanced. Between the food, the atmosphere, and the team, this spot definitely deserves 5 stars. I’ll be back for sure!“

“The food has a great taste and I can tell the recipe of the broth is thoughtfully designed and flavored. The service was fine but the restaurant felt too crowded and loud. While I understand it’s a ramen spot, their décor and presentation are more refined than most, so the hectic atmosphere detracted slightly from the overall experience.“

“This place is a true gem and I love shopping there for all my sushi and Japanese food and sake amazing selection and excellent service! If you enjoy fresh sushi fish that are reasonably priced then you most definitely must check out this gem!!! Also they teach lessons that sell out quickly so you must sign up for their monthly news email that gives you so much information about all that they do!“

“My mother and I celebrated her birthday at Nnaka Restaurant and it was a fantastic dining experience. The set menu included 13 courses, with some special dishes. Every dish was beautifully prepared and delicious.“

“One of my favorite places, everything they do is well executed, and the staff are equally kind and personable. My last experience in particular where I ate at the bar was oddly especially warm and welcoming, where I got to chat with a really cool staff member named Reed, who apparently not only makes the drinks, but bakes delicious cookies they currently serve with one of their cocktails (The Hot Toddy, if you're curious).

It's also some of the best tongue meet (on the Skewers section) that I've ever had; if you're a fan, I highly recommend getting one of those at minimum!“

“A friendly waitresses,waiters .“

“What a gem! Small, quiet, refined - here it’s all about quality, not quantity. Food is prepared really well and presented nicely. Staff is nice and helpful without being in your face all the time. The drinks menu could be a bit more inclusive. Otherwise this is an awesome place for a quiet diner for two (they only have bar seating so a party with more than 2 people would have a hard time communicating).

Also, I wouldn’t call this place especially child friendly but we took our 2 year old with us for dinner and he enjoyed most of the food (the cooked items) and the staff and patrons were rather pleased to have him there 😊“

“We live around the corner and for the first noticed this spot so decided to try it.

Everything was excellent from phone etiquette to ambience to service and most importantly food.

Everything was incredible and they were very accommodating to my dietary restrictions without any hesitance. The prices are also so good especially considering how overpriced mediocre food is priced in the neighborhood.

Highly recommend this, definitely our new neighborhood spot. Special thank you to Brendan + the Chef.“

“An adorable, cozy sushi restaurant with INCREDIBLE fresh fish. We got the special and regular omakase, and the special is absolutely worth the extra $20 because it comes with an amazing toro collar and tiramisu, along with more sushi, soup, and a carpaccio. Some memorable bites were the monkfish liver, fresh oyster, toro collar, daikon marinated red snapper, golden eye snapper nigiri, and the AMAZING housemade tiramisu.“

“This was my second time at Shunji and since it was so consistent, I thought I should give it a shout out. You may miss it if you aren’t paying attention, nestled behind a non-discrete door on Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica, Shunji Japanese Cuisine is a Michelin-starred gem that redefines the art of sushi dining. Chef Shunji Nakao is a legend and this intimate restaurant offers an omakase experience that is as unforgettable as it is refined.

The heart of Shunji’s allure lies in its sushi, which showcases decades of expertise as one of Los Angeles’ sushi pioneers. Each piece of nigiri is a testament to his meticulous attention to detail, with fish sourced primarily from Japan to ensure unparalleled freshness. Shunji’s (somewhat new Santa Monica location) is a departure from its former chili bowl-shaped home on Pico Boulevard, embraces a minimalist aesthetic that keeps the focus on the food and quaint experience. The space is divided into two small rooms, each with a blonde wood counter that seats just seven, creating an atmosphere of exclusivity and intimacy. Soft jazz hums in the background, and a wall of orchids adds a touch of elegance, celebrating the restaurant’s decade-long legacy. The service is impeccable, with staff (one Shunji’s wife) moving gracefully to anticipate every need, from refilling sake glasses to presenting dishes on stunning ceramic plates.

Shunji is more than a restaurant; it’s a destination The sushi is exceptional, the ambiance serene, and the overall experience a masterclass in hospitality.“

“The seared salmon and tuna were absolutely unforgettable, just as I remembered. What makes this omakase experience so special is that you can keep enjoying dish after dish until you feel completely satisfied. Truly grateful to Uzumaki for such a delightful meal!“

“深みのある濃厚鶏白湯ラーメン🍜 つけ麺やカレーも美味しいです 😋😋😋😋“

“Delicious Udon and other Japanese specialties“

“My granddaughter and I were in a rush to an appointment but were so hungry. We stopped in, mentioned we were in a slow hurry and they delivered the Sushi in a flash Fresh great customer service and easy to express our likes. We will be back! Thank you so much.“

“I came here for dinner and ordered the Tonkatsu set.
The pork cutlet was thick, crispy, and the meat quality was really good. Everything tasted solid overall.
The only minor downside is that parking in this area can be a bit tough.“

“Took a friend here for a birthday dinner and ordered the scallop uni and 4 nigiri/4 hand roll combo and every bite was perfection. My favorite bites were the salmon nigiri, salmon truffle and blue crab hand rolls. I definitely will be back bc I’m already craving it again and I want to try the wagyu nigiri. Only slight downside is that you’re limited to 90 min but it’s a small space and I get that they need to turn seats quickly.“

“This place was amazing!! I got the lunch special of the black miso cod and it was $19.50 and the portion was so large and truly one of the best I ever had. The sashimi was also very good and very fresh! I truly loved all the food I tried. I had also tried the blue fin tuna, yellowtail, and kanpachi and all three were very good and very fresh. The prices of the restaurant are fair for the quality.“

“My son and I tried the popcorn, chicken and burger. We love the chicken. It was juicy not dry. The burger was like your standard burger. I will have to add my son. Did not add their secret sauce so that may have made a difference. Seems like a family ran restaurant. They are very attentive and friendly.“

“Thursday after working OT, my coworker and myself were planning to have dinner before heading back home, while driving down the street on Olympic I saw this ramen shop and I noticed few fellas outside waiting to be seated , and I realized that maybe the place was good. Once we were there we have to write the name. Anyway after waiting for about 15-20 minutes it was our turn. The restaurant is not huge, but is clean. We have to scan the QR and Start from there. My coworker got spicy miso and I ordered the veggie ramen, short time after, we got our food and mine looked amazing, came with cherry tomatoes, fried eggplant, lotus, mizuna, and broccoli. Broth was perfect and very delicious. I believe shiitake would make a good match to the veggies, ear mushroom and nori and some corn, just my personal opinion. However every place is different and have their own ingredients, and I was very surprised when I saw mizuna in the ramen, never had ramen with mizuna. Highly recommend this shop for ramen lovers or anyone interested in trying it. It's worth the shot.“

“Excelent food ! Great place !“

“The food here is absolutely incredible! Everything we ordered was so flavorful and it felt like they had taken great care to make every dish. Fantastic service and very friendly staff. I would 1,000% recommend this place if you're in the neighborhood“

“One of the best Omakase (chef's choice) sashimi platters I've enjoyed in awhile. The restaurant has a fresh selection, including our favorites of sweet shrimp, albacore, Hamachi yellowtail and scallops. I loved the presentation with the whole deep fried head and artistic design with the tail and other special aesthetic details that made this a work of art, not just lunch. I hope to come back sometime soon!

Our server kept our cups full of green tea and was attentive but not intrusive. They even gave us a complimentary matcha green tea cheesecake at the end, with cold grapes. Definitely sit indoors when it gets breezy, but the door is open to allow for fresh air and people watching.“

“Good taste noodle, great customer service! interesting old Torrance neighborhood.“

“We decided to try out SOBAR as it was close by to our stay while in LA
It was a great chance as the food was great. Everything was excellent to include our communication with other patrons
The food was awesome and we plan to go there again before we leave LA“

“Awesome food , they’ve got great teriyaki bowls too!“

“We came here for my boyfriend's bday and order Omakase at the bar. We enjoy the 9 course meal, it was filling and very good. We even did a rating on the school item we tried. The only issue we had is that when the chef will say what the item was, because it was so loud it was extremely hard to hear what he was saying. Other than that we enjoy our experience, I told them it was for my boyfriend's bday we were there and they made us a delicious mushroom meal. We enjoy our first experience there!“

“A friend who frequents this establishment brought me for lunch today with another friend. Being a vegetarian I was impressed by the selections I would love to try. I ended up ordering the salmon, scallop, spinach cream pasta with capers. It was delicious! My friends ordered the pork katsu and hamburger combo and it looked awesome. The portions are so generous and it comes with soup and salad for the combo and mine came with a small salad and homemade bread. And the family run restaurant is very service oriented, friendly and a very clean and comfortable place. Highly recommended“

“First time.coming down to this one. Usually hit up the one in Little Japantown.

The soup here tastes just as good!
Only gripe... Not nearly as many of the tempura options or musibis like Sawtelle. But they do have the main dishes here and it was fast on a Friday night to order.

This place is bus your own dishes after.“

“Chinchikurin was my first ever Hiroshima style okonomiyaki. I've had the Osaka version in Japan many years ago, but haven't had okonomiyaki of any kind in the US since. So this experience was definitely fun. The food was very tasty and well built. I ordered the Loaded Kaisen, which was the seafood okonomiyaki as part of the 11-layer savory pancake. It was very filling. After the cooks make the okonomiyaki at the main teppan grill, you eat it at your own personal grill at your table, which keeps your order nice and warm. Be sure to put a lot of the mayo and otafuku sauce atop it to make the flavor even bolder and more exciting. If you've never had okonomiyaki before, Chinchikurin is a great place to start. There are very few of these kinds of restaurants in LA, so Chinchikurin is a very unique Japanese cuisine in Little Tokyo worth scoping out. I did a YouTube video of my eating adventures here, which can be found on my channel called Rockstar Eater“

“Ramen were super good and excellent customer service.“

“I been a customer since day 1 and I can say with confidence the food is so delicious you can taste the love the chef puts into making the food! I 100 percent recommend this place to everyone , also they are very friendly and make you feel comfortable to eat there😁“

“Stumbled across Oh! Banzai on an IG ad….stopped by for lunch because I was in the area. What a gem! Had the eel sunomono (light and delicious!), and a few hand rolls. Really lovely place, great service, food is fresh and feels like a higher level dining experience than the price suggests. Definitely coming back“

“Favorite place to eat quickly. It is affordable and reasonable price w loading amount food. The food here has big serving size w amazing taste. The service was rlly good(we got a free drink lol). The restaurant overall is soo cute, styled w cute cat miniatures. I’ll definitely recommend trying out here!!“

“I love this family owned place! Great food and a great place to go on my lunch break“

“蕎麦、日本食　最高 !“

“I really enjoyed the food here. The cutlet was juicy and crispy. The rice was really good and the service was awesome. I look forward to coming back. Keep in mind this location is within a market so dining is cafeteria style but there's plenty of seating“

“I saw this place while driving and saw a line waiting for their food, so I decided to give it a try.. Ì asked those in line, what was good there.. The answer was either the teriyaki bowl or plates, and the teriyaki burgers.. I got the teriyaki chicken bowl.. it looked and smelled great driving home.. After eating it, I didn’t understand the line of people waiting.. It was okay, but in my opinion, no big deal.. I’ll be honest, I did eat it ALL, and the serving size was BIG, so by no means was it bad.. To be fair though, I’m gonna have to try again, and see what I missed the first time..“

“Great sushi restaurant with lots of premium rolls and classic rolls. They have a good selection of lunch specials. I came with my family and they accommodated customizing many of the rolls there to our taste. I haven’t been for happy hour, but they have a full bar and happy hour specials as well.“

“A hidden gem! Very fresh and tasty“

“** Important to note: this spot is cash only! **

A superb hole-in-the-wall sushi spot in Sawtelle that deserves a spot in your sushi rotation! I had walked past this spot a handful of times, but never gone in. Oh my goodness, the salmon nigiri might be the best I’ve ever had. Such buttery salmon, we had to order more before we left it was so good. The wait staff were friendly, the food was prepared quickly, and the interior was decorated nicely!“

“Japanese homestyle bento bliss with a legacy! Hard to believe this cozy gem has been serving locals for 25 years.

At the heart of the menu is their Sanuki Udon...a silky, springy noodle born in Japan’s historic Sanuki Province (now Kagawa Prefecture) on Shikoku Island. This isn’t just comfort food—it’s a taste of centuries-old tradition.

Bonus points: the menu is loaded with photos so you know exactly what deliciousness you’re ordering.

Generous portions, wallet-friendly pricing. I went for the Sukiyakidon which was hearty, flavorful, and satisfying.

Old-school interior that feels like stepping into a Japanese home kitchen.

Can be busy depending on the time thanks to all the great eateries in the plaza“

“Ramen were super good and excellent customer service.“

“grest good service and atmosphere. loved it! will definitely be back soon.“

“This is an effortlessly chic sushi restaurant.

Healthy mix of couples, friends and solo eaters.

It’s easy to sink into the dark wooded, close quarters venue with soft jazz as background noise behind the bustling of the staff.

Infatuation will tell you to order the crispy rice with spicy tuna and sushi moriawise, which a lot of folks were getting.

If you have the $200/person (after tax and tip), it’s a special omakase. The ocean trout with kelp is non-pareil, sweet and umami flavors. Worth a visit.“

“I tried Azuma for the first time a few weeks ago was very pleasantly surprised how good and authentic it was. Its a small restaurant with a line starting at 5 when they open. I went with a big group and we tried the chicken teriyaki, vegetable tempura, and curry which we all enjoyed. The portions are big enough to share! I would definitely come back and recommend!“

“First discovered musabi’s in Hawaii and was excited to find this spot in Santa Monica. The shop is small with no seating, but the food is the real draw. Great selection, fresh and flavorful, and perfect for a quick snack. Love the Santa Monica vibe, a fun place to grab a bite before heading to the beach“

“Really loved this spot! Easily top 5 in LA - great food, ambiance, friendly but not imposing staff. Highlights: sashimi, chicken karaage, kabocha squash. Lowlights: mushroom rice, tuna handroll (just not as unique). We also enjoyed the duck meatballs and beef tongue. Impressed with the cocktails and n/a selection as well. Can’t wait to try the duck ramen!“

“Very satisfied great friendly service“

“Sakura Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar is an absolute find. The food is consistently fresh, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. I especially loved the Chirashi Bowl generous portions of high-quality fish over perfectly seasoned rice. The California Roll was delicious and well balanced, and the Carpaccio was a standout dish with its clean, delicate taste. Service was genuinely good, too. The staff were attentive and friendly without ever feeling rushed. Whether you’re in the mood for classic rolls or something a bit more refined, Sakura delivers on quality and consistency. A great spot for anyone craving excellent sushi in the area!“