Kinjiro

Un restaurant hyper charmant, sans prétention mais avec beaucoup de goût, un service très proche de la perfection, je suis tombée amoureuse dès la première bouchée… Sashimi de maquereau sauce ponzu & piment, tout simplement canon. Très très hâte d’y retourner!

Love it!
Atmosphere-​small and cozy. Music was good accompaniment to the good food. Food-​Beef tongue… got to get this. It is out of the world good, so good that I can’t even find the right words to describe it properly. Red wine glass good amount, can’t complain. Oysters excellent. Bone marrow was sinfully decadent… I loved the sweet taste of it. One thing that I was bothered by was that the bone marrow dish did not come with bread. Why the need to skimp on a couple of bread??? I must admit however that everything we ordered that night was delish.
Service-​was excellent. Very attentive staff.
Pricing-​alright/​on point. Pricey but you pay for what you get.
Will definitely come back in a heartbeat.

Must try thick cut beef tongue !!! Amazing ! Very nice quite dinning place. Will come back again !

My first Black elite review had to go somewhere special. Kinjiro has been on my radar for months, but I never planned ahead and made a reservation in time. Luckily, we got a table because someone cancelled last minute. Everything we tried was delicious and well-​presented. My favorite was the grilled beef tongue — it was thick but melt-​in-​your-​mouth tender. We were wondering if they sous vide it first to get it so soft. The squid ink udon was also very rich and creamy and the pesto calamari added a nice contrast. I also really liked the spinach salad served with warm mushrooms sauteed in garlic. It was different and I’m definitely going to try making that myself. The homemade agedashi tofu is very unique — it wasn’t crispy (maybe we didnt eat it fast enough) but the tofu inside is soft and silky and the mushroom sauce is very flavorful. The first dish, the uni, scallop, crab in ponzu jelly was good but surprisingly not my favorite, probably because I don’t love wasabi and there was quite a bit at the bottom. I really liked the uni and scallop part though, it was very fresh. It was one of my friend’s favorite dishes though, a good palate cleanser. For dessert, we tried the hojicha panna cotta which was great, you can taste the roasted tea flavor. The black sesame mousse, while good, did not have as strong of a black sesame flavor so it was more subtle.
Service here is great. They cleared my plates almost too often. I also appreciated that they gave us ice for our bottle of sake so it stayed cold. The owner Jun is incredibly friendly and made great suggestions.
I have to say, I’ve had a lot of great Japanese food in LA but other than in the south bay, I havent found a good izakaya until now. Kinjiro is a little pricier and more refined than a typical izakaya but it’s by far the best izakaya food I’ve had in LA (and among the top in general!) I’m already thinking about my next visit…

Everything was yummy and great for sharing. I enjoyed the mushroom and spinach salad, beef tongue, agedashi tofu in a mushroom sauce, pork belly kakuni, and raw oysters in ponzu. Every dish was mouth watering, with great presentation and amazing flavor combinations. The food is well prepared and anything you decide to order, will definitely satisfy your tastebuds.
I tried some sakes out to taste, but ended up ordering plum wine to go with the meal.
Also making a reservation is a must at this restaurant. Although walking by there may be empty tables seen, all of them are actually reserved… so make a reservation and enjoy some wonderful Japanese food!

Hands down five star rating!
Every dish was made to perfection, service was also top notch! They give you individual utensils for every dish that served.
My favorite was… hard to say. I can only say that every dish surprised me with a unique texture and taste. This is as good as I can expect for Japanese cuisine in Los Angeles.
Highly recommended!
The restaurant is relatively small, I would make a reservation ahead of time. If your group is more than 6 people, they would only allow «chef’s tasting menu» and it would range from $ 50-​$ 120 per person depending on your selection. The max # of people per group they allow is 10.

This is not a cookie cutter type Japanese restaurant. Tugged away in the Honda Plaza a couple of doors down from the popular Sushi Gen. It serves very inventive Japanese dishes and every dish we ordered (we ordered a lot) was super delicious. The uni scallop blue crab with ponzu jelly is refreshing with bursts of different flavors. The wagyu kalbi seemed simple but it melted in our mouths. The beef tendon, sinew, tongue and tripe miso stew was absolutely amazing — my favorite dish of the evening. The homemade tofu with organic mushroom sauce presented a variety of flavors and textures. Etc. etc. etc.
This has become one of our favorite restaurants.

A new, very unique addition to my hood. Took me a couple tries to get a late night reservation, but I definitely wasn’t let down. The food was good, with a very small amount of fusion, as to not get off the traditional vibe. It might be a bit pricey for most, but I can recommend for maybe an intimate setting you would bring a first date on.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Kinjiro, you are a welcome taste and sight!

Hmmm, all I can say is good Japanese cuisine with good price. It really worth trying this hidden gem in J town. The service was good, they have limited tables, I had been calling for making a reservation in the weekend, it’s always booked. So today we decided to walkin to see if we had luck. Yay, fortunately we got a table without waiting.
Agedashi tofu: homemade, it’s the best way to eat tofu. Different kinds of mashrooms surrounded the tofu, the tofu skin was a bit crispy, and silky inside, mixed with the mashrooms sources was perfect. 5 stars for that.
Bone marrow: was ok, not very impressed, limited marrows to compare with other places. On top was the special paste with sesame, a bit salty 2 stars
Prime tongue: was amazing, it’s thick, but the texture was perfect for tasting in your mouth 6 stars, best beef tongue ever, love it
Foie gras: very generous on each piece, topped with the wasabi, you will slowly chew on this duck liver and let it melt in your mouth, 4 stars
Ochazuke salmon: it’s creative, you have to pour the tea soup into the rice. The soup base was tasted, but the salmon was a bit dry and too fishy 3.5 stars
Sesame mousse: it’s so smooth, as a dessert it’s perfect for its sweetness, you can top each spoon with soy powder or the black sugar 5 stars for that.
Overall, it’s a good experience, will definitely come back to try other foods on the menu.

Overall:
WOW seriously some of the best food I have ever eaten… that’s if you love Foie Gras, Tongue, and Bone Marrow! Now I see why this place is difficult to get a reservation, but it was definitely worth every penny.
Food:
+ Foie Gras: 3 pieces of savory heaven. If you love foie gras, I would say that this is the best I’ve tried so far.
+ Bone Marrow: Oily, fatty and sweet (because of the miso topping)
+ Uni, Scallop and Blue Crab in Ponzu Jelly: The ponzu jelly sounded weird, but it was very refreshing altogether.
+ Tongue: Wow I have never experienced any beef tongue like this before. It was thick, fatty and savory. The tongue I’ve usually tried has been at Korean BBQ places and they were always sliced very thinly. This tasted like it was waygu beef.
+ Waygu Beef: Surprisingly, this wasn’t as soft and savory as I imagined. The tongue was better.
+ Squid Ink: This was ok. It had slight hint of squid with squid pieces, but it stained my teeth black.
If you had to select my favorite items, it would be the foie gras and tongue
Service & Environment:
Service was amazing. The waiter always told us what each dish was and what the sauces or toppings were. Not only were they quick, but when the restaurant was closing — we couldn’t even tell because they weren’t like those obnoxious places that kick you out. The restaurant had been close for 30 minutes, and we had to ask for the check. The restaurant was still crowded. The restaurant is small and must pay $ 3 for parking.

Everything we had was good, some dishes was beyond good. My date and I actually came back twice in one week to try the more dishes. The second time was not as wow as the second time but I still think this place is good.
Ambiance: Cozy and open
Noise level: Average
Service: good, there is only two of them (Jun and a girl) so sometimes it is hard to get them to come back if it is busy.
Food: good for the most part
Food:
Japanese A5−12 waygu from Japan. (Miyazaki | sirlion) (³⁄₅) meh. this one was my least fav. I was expecting it to melt in my mouth but it did not.
Wild black cod with miso (⁴⁄₅) pretty good, light and flaky. Melts in your mouth. It could used a little more seasoning but other then that pretty good.
Dashi simmered beef tongue (⁵⁄₅) beef tongue is good here period.
Grilled salted beef tongue (⁵⁄₅) stand by the above comment
Uni, blue, crab, scallop with ponzu jelly (⁴⁄₅) Refreshing
Australian waygu galbi (⁵⁄₅) very tender, I enjoyed this better than the Japanese A5−12 Waygu
Manila clam in ginger broth.(4/5) boyfriend’s favorite
Adashi tofu (⁵⁄₅) mmmm the best dish, we had this both nights
Bone marrow (²⁄₅) meh. favor was way too salty…
Squid ink udon (⁵⁄₅) i made a mess with this one. I could not stop eating it. It put pasta to shame
Clam and shiso udon (⁴⁄₅) my boyfriend and his clams but this was actually really good.
We had a few other dishes that i could name but its best if you come and try this place for your self. Its one of the top notch small plate Japanese restaurants around next door to Gen Sushi and Kagaya.

My BFF took me here for my birthday. It was such an amazing dinner. The wagyu and the agedashi tofu still stays with me like last night’s dream. I haven’t been to the Aburiya Raku in LA but in comparing the Raku Las Vegas to this place, I may have to go with Kinjiro. Yes, it’s such a controversial position because I love both places but Kinjiro is understated and unexpectedly amazing in every way from the service, to the quality of the food, to the execution, taste, and service. I can’t wait to go back!

One of the best dinners I’ve had in LA and hands down the best Agadashi tofu, Uni and Beef tongue ever ate so far. Highly recommend ordering these 3 dishes. Jun the owner is very accommodating and will personally help you pick out the right dishes to your palate. Small amc quaint restaurant that probably seats only 25 people. Reservation ahead of time is necessary. We called in 2 weeks ahead and the only times available were 630pm amc 9pm on a Saturday night. Parking inside the Honda plaza is limited and is $ 3.
I hate uni. It’s fishy and pungent. Only time I liked it was in Japan. Everywhere else in the states made me hate it even more. However, when my husband ordered the uni udon and the uni/​bluecrab/​scallop with ponzu, we had to order more because I practically ate it all and left him a bite. Wow, this uni was so delectable and had no fishy or pungent taste to it. It reminded me of the uni I’ve had in Japan. If you’re like me and don’t like uni, you’ll love the uni at Kinjiro.
Their agadashi tofu is home made and comes in this huge round plate. It can easily feed 3 – 4 people. Must order! Then there’s the beef tongue. Not chewy at all. It’s cut into big pieces but the texture is like biting into butter. Amazing! The steaks are very high quality as well and very tender. Overall, you can’t go wrong with anything you order on their menu. 5++++solid stars! Can’t wait to go back!

Warning! After dining here, you will never want to go to any other izakaya. Ever.
First off, make reservations a week ahead if at all possible, this place is always full as they don’t have many seatings. Once you’ve secured your spot, prepare yourself for foodie heaven.
For the fall/​winter times definitely order their Kanpachi sashimi. It’s a leaner fish but still has a slight buttery texture. The slices are very generous, 50% thicker than normal sashimi slices.
Uni Scallop Crab Ponzu Jelly: Is your mouth watering yet? The uni imparts a beautiful richness to the dish, and the ponzu jelly adds that slight citrus taste to bring out the seafood flavors.
Prime Beef Tongue: This is the first time I’ve had beef tongue sliced so thick, usually it’s a thin slice as it can get quite chewy. That’s not the case here, sliced like steak the tongue is surprisingly tender.
Grilled Squid: The squid is air-​dried first to concentrate the flavors, then grilled until it’s just about cooked through. The result is an extremely tender squid with a nice smoky aroma.
Foie Gras: Very high grade foie, just melts away in your mouth. There’s a bit of wasabi to help cut through the fattyness but oh man this was awesome. Pair this dish with a stronger beer or a dryer sake.
Grilled Mackerel: Norwegian mackerel that they air-​dry then grill. There is no hint of fishy-​ness which you will normally find with mackerel. This dish is quite filling so I recommend ordering this when you have 4 or more people.
Agedashi Tofu: The tofu itself is silky smooth, but I wish it wasn’t covered in the mushroom sauce as I like the crispy texture. It’s not a bad dish, but I wouldn’t order it again.
For dessert, I ordered the Black Sesame Mousse, Sake Crème Brulee, and Matcha Azuki Panna Cotta. Out of the three I liked the Black Sesame Mousse the best, it’s fragrant, not too sweet and light. You can adjust the sweetness by adding more or less molasses that comes on the side.
Pacing was very good, I was never left waiting too long between dishes, and was definitely not rushed. The restaurant manages extremely well for having only 2 wait staff.
Perfect marks all around! Now if only I didn’t live 100 miles away…

We came here for my BDay dinner and «Wow» Mind blowing delicious. If you’er looking for a great Izakaya food look no further. Here at Kinjiro you will get that. Simply dishes with a tons of wonderful flavor. At Kinjiro they also have great selection of sake and Hitachino beers.
SERVICE:
The service was excellent from start to finish.
FOOD:
Japanese Kanpachi Sashimi: Was super fresh. Great way to start of with.
Uni, Scallop, Blue Crab Ponzu Jelly: Tons of flavor going. Great dish.
Seared Uni: One of my favorite dish. The Uni was fantastic, and searing of the uni took it to another level. It made it rich and creamy.
Seared Foie Gras w/​Saikyo Miso and Fresh Wasabi: The best that I had by far. Excellent.
Kinjiro Free Range Chicken Maki-​Age: Good and moist. Love the crispy skin.
Agedashi Homemade Tofu: Excellent!
Thick Cut Prime Beef Tongue: Best tongue ever. Super tender.
Japanese A5 Wagyu: Once to do A5 you ain’t going back. Damn good. Party in every bite! Highly recommend.
Uni Udon: This was the best uni udon I have had. You can actually taste the uni with each bite. In my opinion it beats out Marugame Monzo and EMC.
Bone Marrow: Excellent again.
Highly recommend making reservations. We did see people get turn away without one.
Overall it was an amazing dinner. Kinjiro just became one my favorite Izakaya restaurant. It’s up there along with Izakaya Hachi as my top two. Definitely will return and I can’t wait.

DAAAYUM… in all likelihood, this is the best Japanese restaurant in all of SoCal… or all of California probably because NorCal can’t keep up with us when it comes to Asian food. It’s a shame it took me about two years to finally decide to try this place, and now I’m hooked and coming back for more. Their menu is way more extensive than I thought, or maybe it really expanded since I checked them out when they were new. Either way, it doesn’t seem like the expanded menu dampened their quality because all the food was really good.
The décor exudes classiness and is very chill. It’s really nice in there and dimly lit. The music is pretty much Portishead/​trip hop at a lower volume. I would definitely recommend this place if you’re going on a date because 1) the vibe is ideal and 2) if they don’t appreciate the food here you can move on with your life.
The service is great. We had one female server who was obviously Japanese and one Asian American dude… both were awesome. They took everything away in a timely manner, they are knowledgeable of the menu items and explained our dishes to us.
The food really impressed me a lot because of how simple the dishes can be, yet also creative and really shows that they have a good understanding of which flavors go well with each other. The attention to detail is pretty apparent too, as is the quality of their ingredients. The menu altogether is nothing short of brilliance, in my eyes.
Wasabi Potato Salad: there’s that brilliance I was talking about. My new favorite potato salad. The wasabi wasn’t overpowering at all, but its presence was enough to flavor it all. The smoked salmon and ikura added their own saltiness that really went well with everything. Extremely impressed. Ingenious creation. ⁵⁄₅.
Bone Marrow Dengaku: they serve it to you as is, without a crostini or anything and I wouldn’t have it any other way (I also used to eat peanut butter without any of those pointless celery sticks). Anyways, if you like bone marrow with a sweet miso spread, do yourself a favor and order this.
Seared Foie Gras with Saikyo Miso: I love me some foie gras and this was excellent. The saikyo miso added some sweetness and saltiness to the fatty and gamy goodness of the foie. So simple, yet so delicious. ⁵⁄₅.
Free-​range Chicken Maki-​age: it was good, but easily the least impressive dish of the night. The chicken itself was tasty, rolled and fried well. Even the very simple salad was nice, but overall it just failed to wow either of us. 3.75÷5.
Thick-​cut Prime Beef Tongue: I love that this is thick because you tend to get a chewy and rubbery bite out of thin-​sliced beef tongue. You can’t go wrong with this dish at all, but it’s definitely one of the safer choices. Beefy, tasty, with a really great bite to it. ⁴⁄₅.
Grilled Kanpachi (Amberjack) Collar: what can I say… it was fresh, with a good amount of meat and fat to it and goes well with the accompanied ponzu sauce. One of the more tame dishes that we had, but it was good nonetheless. ⁴⁄₅.
Homemade Agedashi Tofu: it came with lots of shimeji and enoki and was pretty good. I expected it to be a bit better, but it was still pretty good. ⁴⁄₅.
Kakuni: this dish was pretty damn heavy. I felt like I hit a wall after eating this, but it was pretty good. The soft-​boiled eggs are a plus because I tend to see it hard-​boiled for this dish. The daikon was perfectly braised, as was the pork belly. The fat was super gooey in it, but I felt like the lean parts could have been more tender. The previous kakuni I had before this one seemed to nail that. The sauce was slightly thicker than the usual traditional style. ⁴⁄₅.
Crème Brulee (Sake Kasu): so I think he said this crème brûlée was made with sake and fermented rice. Wow, so innovative and unique. I loved this dessert. The sake flavor was very prominent too which makes sense because you gotta be 21+ to order it. I love crème brûlée, but I do feel like usually the custard’s texture is a little too simple and lacking. For this one, the texture is thicker and grainy. I guess that’s where the rice came in. Did I mention the chef is a genius? ⁵⁄₅.
Black Sesame Mousse: there’s this hot sesame paste mochi dessert that I like at a Chinese restaurant and this is a really similar dish in terms of flavors, but it’s almost deconstructed, if you will, into a mousse. It came with sesame and Okinawan sugar syrup, which were perfect with the black sesame mousse. It somehow topped the crème brûlée, no easy feat. Pretty fun and really tasty dessert, ⁵⁄₅.
There are so many menu items that I can’t resist so I’ll most definitely be back in the near future. I trust that everything is really delicious and I’m sure their drink menu is really good too (it’s an izakaya after all). I tried the Hitachino Espresso Stout and that was awesome. KINJIRO seems like they can do no wrong and I’m really proud to have them here in Los Angeles! Please don’t ever change.

Talk about delicious food. Kinjiro isn’t just good, it’s great. Just adjacent to Sushi Gen, Kinjiro is overlooked. The dishes here is izakaya with great quality and flavor. Their sake and Japanese beer menu is also pretty good. If you know quality beer fairly well, you’d be familiar with Hitachino which is one of my favorites.
It was my friend’s birthday and the owner, Jun, prepared a multicourse tasting menu for a few of us. Every dish prepared for us was good or great.
Wagyu carpaccio: Melt in your mouth
Kinjiro ceviche: Octopus, shrimp, scallops and mango. Fresh and good.
Mizua & Daikon salad: Good but I didn’t come for salad
Spinach Salad: Good with organic baby spinach and organic mushrooms. Tasty.
Agedashi tofu: Housemade cold tofu with chilled dashi. BEST THING EVER! Silky in the middle and tasty broth.
Chicken maki-​age: Free range chicken rolled with crispy skin. Good.
Monkfish tatusuta: Caught wild. Delicious and buttery.
Ginger clams: Steamed in a ginger butter broth
Tendon stew: Beef tendon, tripe, miso stew. Very good. Tasty and comforting.
Prime tongue: Grilled with sea salt. Good but wish it was more tender.
Bone marrow: With a bbq like sauce. LIke butter. Much love. Great
Wild black cod with saikyo miso: Butter fish. Great
Uni Udon with Hijiki: Uni udon with seaweed. Delicious. One of the better uni pastas I’ve had.
Clam pasta: Manila clams with udon pasta. Similar to the clams in broth. Good.
Squid udon: Squid ink sauce and pesto with udon pasta. Great stuff.
Service here was on point with cleaning up our table, changing plates and utensils per serving. The owner, Jun, came to present every dish to us. There’s no rush to finish here. The waitress comes once we’ve enjoyed each dish and we’re ready for the next one. The restaurant is relatively small with a number of seats and open Wednesday thru Sunday for dinner only.
Overall, the flavors are amazing and definately a great experience.

*ENVIRONMENT*
Customer seating, while not in the realm of luxurious (velvet cushions are a prerequisite to meet that standard), is still satisfactory in comfort.
Background music were extremely tasteful appropriate selections of trip-​hop and other assorted downtempo genres of tunes. It made the dining experience *beyond* relaxing. Quite frankly, I didn’t want to leave this place.
The restroom appeared to be quite clean.
*FOOD*
This was my first experience at a izakaya-​format establishment. For those that are not familiar with this format, it appears to be like tapas-​format eateries: you order several small dishes, and share them with your dining companions — and you enjoy your time there at a leisurely pace. As briefly touched on, we stayed for a good 2 hours.
Australian Wagyu Chuck Rib Kalbi (Marinated) — This was by far our favorite of the various dishes we sampled. The experience is ethereal. Wonderful flavors burst in your mouth, and the meat is skillfully cooked, despite still being pleasantly soft and moist. If you decide to come eat here, this is a *must*.
Fried Yearling Oysters — My next favorite dish, and I recommend this as well. The batter/​coating seems to contain bits of seaweed in it, an excellent touch that enhances both flavor and appearance. The accompany tartar sauce appears to have finely chopped pieces of hard-​boiled egg whites in them. Most splendid!
Free Range Duck Breast & Eggplant Sauté — Pretty good. The components of this dish complement each other quite well — particularly the thinly sliced green onions, which significantly add to the tastiness of each bite.
Kibinago Sardine Tempura — This dish consists of several whole little deep-​fried fishies, served with 2 different types of salt, and a slice of lemon. Lighter in flavor compared to many of Kinjiro’s offerings, but not bad, and definitely high quality. Be wary of the bones of the fishies during consumption.
Wasabi Potato Salad with Ikura & Smoked Salmon — This was certainly a unique experience. The wasabi content was wisely calculated by the chef — enough to provide that «kick», but so much as to inflict physical pain to the diner’s noggin. Definitely worth a try.
Raw Yearling Oysters in House Ponzu — Confession: I had never tried raw oysters until my visit to Kinjiro. I worked up the courage to try one of these, and … eh, let’s just say that I preferred the fried version of this dish by a wide margin: D. Having said that, if you are a fan of raw oysters, you will undoubtedly love these (both of which were the case with my dining companion).
New Zealand King Salmon Sashimi — To be completely honest, I did not sample this dish, as I ardently prefer my fish consumed either fried or grilled. However, my dining companion is a veteran aficionado of sushi and sashimi, and she proclaimed that dish was extremely fresh, perfectly marinated, and most pleasing to the palate — among the best salmon sashimi she had ever encountered.
Sake Kasu (Lees) Crème Brulee — This novel and creative dish was my main inspiration for making the trip to Kinjiro. It’s definitely quite different than regular crème brûlée — you can detect the hint of acidity from the alcohol content, but it doesn’t overwhelm the creaminess of the dish. The wooden spoon accompanying this dessert is a wise touch, as it does not impart any metallic taste to this delicate treat. Make sure you leave room for this one.
Black Sesame Mousse — This cup of goodness was a pleasant surprise. We knew it was going to be good, but we didn’t quite expect to actually like it even more than Kinjiro’s crème brûlée. They took two of my favorite things, combined them, and the result was phenomenal. As with the crème brûlée, a wooden spoon is provided. I recommend this dessert to all, without any reservations whatsoever.
*SERVICE*
Overall, the service here is outstanding. Jun (the apparent head honcho of Kinjiro) proved to be extremely friendly, enthusiastic, and humble. You can’t help but like the guy. He is also extremely knowledgeable, and will gladly answer any questions you have about the menu (without making you feel like an idiot).
I feel that a slight handicap should be given when rating the level of staff attentiveness here: the ratio of servers to customers is not quite ideal, and Jun and his crew do seem a tad overwhelmed at times. Therefore, I think some slack can be cut to them if it becomes necessary to resort to signaling one of them for things like extra napkins. *On the whole*, they do a good job of keeping your table taken care of.
I should note that one of the servers had accidentally spilled a bottle of Mexican coke on my pants and shoes while delivering it to my table. It was an honest mistake, and I was not upset with the server (particularly as he seemed very apologetic for that mishap).
As a result of this incident, Jun made it a point to comp my (replacement) Mexican Coke *and* my dining companion’s 2 glasses of Asahi beer. We were quite contented. :D

My friend recommended this place for my Dad’s birthday meal and I am soooo happy we came here. First of all, make sure you have a reservation. no matter how small a party. This place is tiny and there’s literally like 7 small tables and during the course of our dinner, I saw them turn away 4 to 5 small groups of walk-​ins cuz every table was reserved for people with reservations.
I wanted to try everything on the menu cuz they all sounded so appetizing! Everything was so refreshing and cooked perfectly. i might have over ordered and I would really recommend ordering as you eat since we were pretty full by the time half the order came out. I had to order the roasted green tea panna cotta since it came highly recommended by my friend and even though I was beyond full… it still tasted so refreshing, just lightly sweet and with the subtle taste of roasted green tea. The syrup that came with it balanced out the whoel dessert nicely. Service was excellent and the food came out at a steady pace. My dad is usually hard to please and he really liked everything he ate!
Thanks for the rec Connie! :)

This restaurant is where b.o.s used to be. Unfortunately, I never got a chance to try b.o.s but I heard really good things about them. Booked this place for dinner since the reviews were pretty good as well. It is located right next to Sushi Gen at the Honda Plaza. You can get validated parking of find metered/​street parking outside the plaza. The environment is pretty cozy and nice. Service was pretty friendly. The waiter had answers to every question we had about the menu.
Don’t expect huge portions here as it is Izakaya style — meaning small dishes meant to be shared.
Kinjiro Free-​range Chicken Kara-​age — Their version of Kara-​age chicken. Instead of deep frying chunks of chicken, the only crispy part here is the skin which is wrapped around the meat. The dipping sauce that came with it was amazing.
Kinjiro Agedashi Homemade Tofu, Mushroom Ankake Sauce — This dish was amazingly and surprisingly good. Not your typical fried Tofu squares with sauce. It is literally a big ball of soft tofu that is lightly fried making a nice fried outside layer. The sauce had tons of mushrooms are other goodies. Must get!
Australia Wagyu Chuck Rib Kalbi (Marinated or Salted) — We got the marinated version. Not sure what the difference between this Kalbi and other Kalbis are but it was pretty good. Very tender and soft.
Wild Black Cod with Saikyo Miso — Wow! The Black Cod was super flaky and buttery! The miso glaze on it gave it a nice sweetness too. Definitely recommend this dish.
Manila Clam & Shiso Pasta — This was the only dish that wasn’t as good as the rest. Regular pasta with clams. I think the Shiso overpowered everything. On the plus side, the clams were huge and meaty!
Santa Barbara Uni Udon with Hijiki Seaweed — Marugame Monzo set the bar for Uni Udons for me and this one wasn’t quite as good. Also the uni flavor is there, I think the sauce was way too creamy so there wasn’t really a sauce.
Foie Gras with Saikyo Miso — OMG. Best Foie Gras dish I have tried so far. The Miso gave it a nice outside sear. The sear was so good that once you bite you can feel a «pop». After the pop, the Foie Gras just melts in your tongue!!! I could eat this every day for the rest of my life.
Chilled Battered Smelt Shisamo — Fried. Chilled. Pickled. Very refreshing and light.
Overall, food was great and the service was awesome as well. Our drinks were refilled without me asking once and our plates were constantly being changed. I cannot wait to come back and try the rest of their amazing menu!

Want to go to the best Izakaya in LA? Look no further because Kinjiro is here to give you a truly unique experience and amazing food! Kinjiro is a hidden, shiny gem in Little Tokyo that provides top quality, mouth-​watering, and exquisite dishes! Located in Honda Plaza, this place might be overlooked by more popular neighbors with long lines, but it definitely holds its own with its unique and delicious offerings.
With true Izakaya style, making a reservation at Kinjiro is key. Why? If you show up as a walk-​in, you might get turned away if they are fully booked for the evening. So, it’s safer to have a reservation.
A meal here could take a couple hours or even longer depending how long you decide to stay and how much you want to order. The concept of an Izakaya is not too common here in LA. Let me break down the Izakaya style for you:
1) Food is typically meant to be shared with everyone at the table (much like the Spanish tapas style)
2) You’ll typically want to order plates that are light in flavor first and progress towards more complex flavors (Kinjiro’s menu is setup that way so you can start at the top of the menu and progress downwards)
3) Food is typically slowly ordered throughout the meal, which is great because you can gauge your appetite as you progress through the meal
4) The kitchen serves the food as it is ready instead having all the food served all at once
5) It is a very slow pace, which is meant for the people to enjoy the company of whoever you’re with and, more importantly, savor the flavors of the various dishes and drinks
FOOD — 5 Stars: Now, let’s jump into all this deliciousness that everyone should experience!
Fresh Oysters in Ponzu Sauce — Simple yet so delicious. The fresh oysters paired with the ponzu sauce made a delicate dish so very tasty.
Sashimi Plate — This was filled with fresh scallops, snapper, salmon, tuna, octopus, and uni. They actually explained where each item came from, which ranged from Japan and Hawaii to locally off the coast of Santa Barbara. The sashimi plate was a great way to start our meal. Everything was so fresh and delicious!
Kinjiro Free-​range Chicken Maki-​age — This was basically rolled up chicken that was juicy and tender on the inside and with crispy chicken skin on the outside. Just simple clean flavors.
Agedashi Tofu with Mushroom Ankake Sauce — This was so good! The tofu was slightly firm on the outside, but soft and velvety on the inside. The mushroom ankake sauce added another level of depth to an already amazing dish.
Bone Marrow — This was one of my favorite items. The bone marrow had caramelization on the very top and had a buttery texture on the inside. It literally just melted in your mouth!
Beef Tendon, Tongue, Sinew, and Tripe Miso Stew — This stew had a great balance from the tender pieces and delectable broth, which was packed with a ton of flavor from all the components.
A5−12 Wagyu Steak Sirloin from Miyazaki — WOW! This was AMAZING! This Wagyu will not let you down. It was truly top quality, juicy, and cooked to perfection. It is 4.5 ounces of deliciously appetizing Wagyu cut into eight pieces and served with fresh wasabi, ponzu sauce, and yuzu salt. The yuzu salt was my favorite because of salty, sweet combination that paired very well with each rich, flavorful bite. YUMMMMM!!!
Hojicha Green Tea Panna Cotta with Maple Syrup — This was silky and smooth with a pungent green tea flavor with every bite. I like the fact that the maple syrup was served on the side so you can control the amount of sweetness. The was truly a sweet ending to a wonderful dinner.
SERVICE — 5 Stars: The service was impeccable. It is a very small staff, but they were quick to remove any empty plates and take any additional orders. More importantly, they were able to explain the dishes if you had questions when ordering and thoroughly explained what was being served when delivered to the table. As with the slow pace, we were able to enjoy one or two dishes at a time so that we weren’t overwhelmed with everything all at once. Excellent service all around!
ATMOSPHERE — 5 Stars: This is a very small and intimate place. It is great for a couple of people on a date or if you want to have a long dinner to catch up with friends. The biggest group I saw was a group of four, but they do accommodate larger groups provided they have sufficient advance notice. The entire atmosphere is relaxed and mellow. We were truly able to enjoy and savor each dish without being rushed. What a great concept!
RECOMMENDATION: Everything was beautifully presented, delicious, flavorful, and such a great experience. I cannot stress how much I recommend Kinjiro because it’s like no other place in LA and you will love every moment! I cannot wait to go back and I am looking forward to my next visit!