Japanese restaurants in California
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A
Benkyodo
The perfect retro lunch counter cheerfully serves an old-school egg-salad sandwich or pastrami for $4. Across the aisle, glass cases display teriyaki-flavored pretzels and $1 mochi made in-house daily – come early for popular varieties of green tea and chocolate-filled strawberry, but don't be deterred by savory, nutty lima-bean paste.
reviewed
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B
Koo
Sushi traditionalists flirt with this fusion Japanese joint, with sidelong glances at the scrumptious cream and dark wood interior with mid-century lamps. Surely this place must be getting by on looks alone? But Koo has smarts too: tuna with wild mushrooms and raspberry reduction, mint-miso spare ribs with potato noodles. Then there's the Spoonful of Happiness: uni and quail egg with truffle oil… uh-oh, this could be serious.
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C
Ebisu
Lines of people wait to get into Ebisu, a Japanese restaurant that offers a choice of three dining experiences. At the energetic front sushi bar, the chefs perform their tasks with dramatic flair; in the traditional Japanese dining room, diners remove their shoes and sit on tatami mats; and, finally, there are some tables and chairs to accommodate patrons who are too American or too stiff-kneed to sit on the floor.
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D
Katana-Ya
A glorified closet of a restaurant, Katana-Ya is the place for a late-night bite after the theater, or anytime you're willing to brave a couple of sketchy Tenderloin blocks for steaming bowls of udon and ramen, with broth so savory it's almost dense. Avoid the bland sushi. After a night's drinking, the curries seem to have curative properties. Expect waits at peak times.
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E
Muracci's Curry
On foggy days, warm up from the inside out with a steaming curry-topped katsu (pork cutlet), grilled chicken rice-plate or classic Japanese comfort-food curry – neither spicy nor sharp, but gently tingling, faintly sweet and powerfully savory. Chipper counter staff take your order, then call your name when your food is ready.
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F
Koi
Some come for celeb-spotting, some come for superior service, but all come for the spicy tuna on crispy rice at this bamboo-fortified sanctum in the heart of the TMZ. Nobodies nibble Japanese specialties in the warm, Asian-accented central dining room while patio-dwellers – Owen Wilson, David Spade, Nicolette Sheridan and Avril Lavigne – float past. Reservations recommended.
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G
Nobu Malibu
Tucked in the Malibu Country Mart shopping center, Nobu coasts on its fame and famous clientele. Everyone else will still enjoy the creative Japanese fare but perhaps not the smallish portions, high prices, and the indifferent service we found here. Still, the stargazing, especially on the dimly lit patio, can't be beat. Don't dress up or you won't blend in.
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H
Edomasa
Edomasa manages a neighborhood feel and solid Japanese food with way less price-gouging than some other sushi places we could name. The staff is attentive, rolls are generously sized if not terribly creative, and the non-sushi dishes - like the ramen - are fabulous. And did you notice how late they stay open? Popular with the young folk.
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I
Haru Ulala
The Kirin flows as freely as the conversation at this Little Tokyo izakaya (tavern) where the best seats are at the bar with full view of the cooks and sushi meister in action. Choice picks from the crayon-scrawled menu are the green-tea noodles, the slow-cooked Kurobuta pork belly and the sake-marinated cod.
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J
Sushi Gen
You won't find any truffle-oil-infused wasabi nonsense at this shoot-from-the-hip sushi joint. The fish here just doesn't get any fresher, so focus on sashimi and rolls. Lunchtime will see you competing with business folk and Japanese ex-pats for the sashimi lunch special.
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K
Oomasa
Sushi purists rejoice: you won't find any truffle-oil-infused wasabi nonsense at this old-school Litte Tokyo joint. From dark-red tuna to marbled salmon, it's all superfresh, expertly cut, affordably priced and best enjoyed while snuggled into an old-timey booth.
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L
Yashima
Upstairs in the Olympic Collection, Yashima serves fresh and authentic Japanese food, but no sushi. Instead, feast on big bowls of soba and udon noodles, rice bowls and tasty plates like gomaae (vegetables in sesame dressing) and salmon-skin salad.
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M
Rice Things
OK, so the ambience is zero and it ain't the best Japanese food you'll ever eat, but the prices are simply hard to beat. Order the combo meal, which comes with a side of sushi and a drink and you'll be outta there, tummy filled nicely, for nix.
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N
Halu
Between the rare Beatles memorabilia plastering the walls and adventurous foods drifting by on skewers, dinner at this snug five-table joint feels like stowing away on the Yellow Submarine. Ramen is respectably toothsome, but the house specialty is yakitori, small bites crammed onto sticks and barbecued. Get anything wrapped in bacon – scallops, quail eggs, mochi rice cake – and if you're up for offal, have a heart.
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O
Hurry Curry
Curry rice is a Japanese staple food. It's basically a plate of rice on one side and a thick curry sauce on the other which contains beef, chicken, potato croquettes or tofu, plus veggies. Spice: mild to wild.
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P
Daikokuya
Little Tokyo - Downtown LA; Essential dish: steaming bowl of ramen at Daikokuya.
reviewed