Japanese Restaurants near Toluca Lake

“Delicious food, and the restaurant is always packed. You’ll have a better chance to get seats at the bar. Great sushi, hot pots are incredible, but rolls are on the mediocre side. Service is a bit slow but we didn’t wait too long. Will definitely come back.“

“Love this place so much. Their sushi is always so fresh and love the flavor profiles they choose. My favorite rolls/sashimi there is the citrus forward specialty rolls. The lime roll is my absolute fav there. I recommend making a reso for dinner bc it's usually busy but for lunch you can usually get right in. Parking is a bit of a hassle because of the trader Joe's so close so residential parking is the move.“

“One reason I really like this place is the fast service but you have to wait to get seated without reservation. Even if you joined the waitlist, you still have to wait when you get there so it’s kind of frustrating. But on the plus, once you’re seated, the service is quite fast from there on. Good freshly made handrolls and other items. The decor…Just my own opinion , i’m sure many loves it. The minimalist decor, I find it cold,dull and boring staring at a big gray concrete wall and kind of telling you that you need to go as soon as you’re done eating 😆 Which they literally are doing from what I’ve read. They don’t want you to enjoy any kind of artwork in front of you 😆“

“Not a big fan of sitting on the side of street where people walk by and you intake that fumes coming from all these traffic. Got to sit inside by the bar, the food here is okay, but a bit pricey for what it's worth. Been to many affordable to very expensive sushi places in the U.S. and in Asia, this place is more IG/social media friendly picturesque place than an actual sushi/sashimi place. Not much nigiri/sashimi choices. Not a big fan of places that sell pre-made canned alcohol with an extreme markup.“

“I went to the Tonchin location in New York late last year, so I came into the Los Angeles location excited and with high expectations. The food was good overall. My wife did not quite understand the hype around it, but I personally thought it was solid, even though it did not stand out as much as the New York location.

Where the difference between the two locations stood out the most was in customer service. We had to wait nearly twenty minutes just to receive the check, and throughout the meal the server rarely came by to check on us. Because of this, the overall experience at the Los Angeles location fell short of what I experienced in New York.

I do recommend the regular tonkotsu ramen and the buns“

“Reason for visiting:
Date/time of visit: Thursday Afternoon lunch, ~12:30 PM
Parking: I parked in the paid parking garage at the Culver steps; paid $2 after dobe with lunch so assume good for ~2 hours. My coworker found street parking 1-2 blocks away if you want to try to find street parking but $2 is reasonable
Party size: 4
Environment/ambience: smallish place with few tables and some outdoor seating. No TVs inside; not too loud inside. Pets allowed but prob outdoor only. Clean restrooms. Lots of things to see and visit around too; downtown Culver City has things within walking distance and outdoor grass areas to hang out around
Service: was great; came around often. Friendly too.
Food: had the W Chashu Ramen with egg; they do not serve alcohol here.
Cost: ~$140 with tip; $2 parking.
Would I go back (yes/no): 80/20; parking can be a hassle but food was great“

“สนุกสนานอาหารอร่อย บรรยากาศดีมีระดับ“

“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!“

“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!“