Hironoya

It’s with a heavy heart that I write this review. Hironoya is closing… This is a sushi spot that other sushi restaurant owners drive miles to dine.
It’s a traditional Japanese sushi restaurant absent the creative rolls. My ex husband informed me about the closure, so my daughter and I drove here to meet with him before his flight to New York.
I loved the freshness of the sashimi. The toro melted in my mouth like butter. I thoroughly enjoyed the daikon dish.

Went here for the 3^rd or 4^th time today. Reminds me of those one master small restaurants in Tokyo. The ones with a chef-​artist with pride. Best ingredients plus skill.
Really not so expensive as $$$ for lunch.
No problem to find heaven for under $ 15.
The oden brings back memories. Natsukashii.

I’ve been coming to this restaurant almost weekly for the last 6 months. I have yet to be disappointed. The service is quick and polite, and despite the language differences, communication has been a breeze. The food is always fresh and delicious, and its always nice to hear a welcome greeting upon arrival. The menu offers ala carte as well as fixed dinner sets… all at a reasonable price. Parking can be challenging, despite the very large strip mall parking lot since it is shared amongst several other restaurants and can fill up quickly on a weekend evening.

The food was great don’t get me wrong… just really over priced for what it is. We got 2 nabeyaki udon, crab cakes/​croquettes, kaarage, and a pitcher of asahi the total with tip came out to 90 $.
The udon comes In a big ceramic pot (bubbling).
Crab croquettes came with two.
Kaarage came with 5 pieces.
Pretty standard Japanese izakaya, but I’ve had better… esp in Gardena.

I really wanted to like this place, but sadly I was very disappointed. I came here for lunch on Friday because the line to Boiling Point and Bowl Thai were so long. I like trying out mom and pop restaurants and this was definitely a no frills restaurant. The restaurant itself is very small with a small bar area. One of the main reasons why I had a poor dining experience was the lack of AC in the restaurant. I know that this is not really their fault, but it was literally one of the hottest day of the summer. They had fans all around, but it was SOOOOO hot in there. I didn’t feel like going anywhere else, so opted to stay. (They did apologize, but it didn’t take away from how hot it was).
Hironoya serves Japanese food, including ramen, sushi, etc. I was scared to try the sushi as since the air was out in the restaurant, I was afraid that the fish might have turned. I opted for the ramen with extra chasu pork. The service was very slow here. It took forever for our water to come out (trust me, we needed it) and our food to come out. My co-worker’s food came out way later than mine. The ramen itself was very disappointing. There was not enough soup and the ramen noodles were obviously not fresh and tasted like instant noodles. The soup was also very salty and had a weird after taste to it. The chasu pork I ordered was also very tough and dry.
Overall, I was very disappointed by the food and service here. Even if the restaurant was working at full capacity, I do not think I will come back here.

The BEST tempura ever!
I’m not a huge fan of tempura because it’s usually really oily with thick batter but this place totally changed my view on how tempura should be served.
There are two kinds of tempura served: 1. At the tempura bar and 2. In the back kitchen
The chef is specially trained from Japan and cooks items at the tempura bar in a special oil. The result is a thinly battered, light and crispy tempura! There are many items to choose from. And they serve it with salt instead of the usual dipping sauce. My first time having tempura with salt and it was amazing! There was a slight pinkish color to it so maybe it was Himalayan salt.
Our server was great too! She was so patient explaining everything to us since we’re clearly newbs to the restaurant.
We each ordered the special, 2 glasses of beer and 2 appetizers special for $ 13.99 with chicken karaage, fried squid legs, salmon sashimi, and mackerel sashimi. The sashimi was surprisingly fresh and the fried items cooked in the back kitchen were delicious!
One day I will be back to try the omakase.

I totally misperceived the nature of Hironoya restaurant back in my 2012 review, & discovered it is closer to a Tempura bar w/​the best tasting Tempura outside of Japan. Tempura at Hironoya is thinly battered & is fried in small batches to ensure a light crispness. Rice based frying oil has rich Umami w/​undertones of high quality sesame oil which imparts a smoky, nutty, sweet, toasty flavor & aroma enriching the overall Umami to every ingredient.
1) I indulged in fresh Awabi no Sashimi before my palate became too accustomed to the sumptuous Tempura. Thick slices of abalone were an interesting exercise in mouthfeel since part of the flesh is almost crunchy & chewy vs soft & suave. Chewing releases sweet, ocean minerality & meatiness. Slices of abalone were presented in its own iridescent mother-​of-​pearl shell w/​an artfully placed bright spring green Shiso/​Japanese basil leaf underneath. There were fresh garnishes like Wakame/​green soft seaweed, Wasabi, Daikon Oroshi/​grated, & raw abalone liver that furthered the oceanic theme w/​only a hint of liver. This Awabi had great IKI, Japanese expression for vivacity, liveliness. This abalone made me appreciate that it had given its magnificent IKI to me.
Tempura Royale:
1) Wakasagi: smelt/​eperlan from the lakes & rivers in Hokkaido-​, the northernmost large island. Mild ‘fishiness’ like trout which is countered by the nutty scent of the cooking oil, but is small like an anchovy. After the teeth breeches the crisp Tempura coating, the meat comes soft & moist. Bones are soft so it can be eaten to add healthful natural calcium.
2) Shako/​mantis shrimp: fibrous meat giving this Tempura item an ‘al dente’ feel. Unexpectedly chewy & rough since we expect shrimp to be more supple, soft, tender. Unusual delicacy from the Seto Naikai/​inland sea by the Okayama region.
3) Shira Uo no Shiso Maki: ice fish/​Japanese anchovy caught mostly off the coast of Kanto– & Kyu-​shu– wrapped in bright verdant Shiso leaf, battered & fried. Especially auspicious pairing since the soft, meaty, lightly marine Shira Uo is balanced by fresh green herbal aroma from the Shiso. Light crunchiness & softness of the Shira Uo makes you think of a soft yet crispy cloud floating in an azure sky.
4) Hokkaido– Hotate Gai/​scallops were especially sweet w/​Umami filled scents of the sea. Sweet fragrant frying oil emphasized the rich sweetness. This Hotate Gai may have tasted sweeter fried in this excellent style than if it were served raw.
5) Crab Meat w/​White Sauce: exquisite grande finale to conclude the Tempura portion of the meal. Crab meat is folded into an extra thickened Sauce Béchamel enlivened w/​white pepper that seems to have hints of earthy mushrooms which would then technically be called a Sauce Duxelles. The creamy, dairy rich Sauce Béchamel w/​its woodsy mushroom & onions partners well w/​sweet ocean crab meat & the ever present fragrant sweet cooking oil.
6) Miyazaki Wagyu– (wah ghee yu)/Japanese beef was seared w/​an open flame to a little less than medium but more than medium rare which the French would say «au point». Meat is moist, velvety soft w/​a touch of beefiness. The dipping sauce is Ponzu (pone zoo) which is a mixture of various different types of Japanese citrus such as Yuzu, Sudachi, & probably lemon to give a salty, sweet/​sour Sho-​yu/​soy sauce based lightly fermented Umami. Dry roasted garlic chips & fresh chives added a strong funky, sulfurous, allium scent. Also Yuzu Kosho-​/​green chile & Japanese citrus zest paste, & Momiji Oroshi/​grated Daikon radish tinged w/​red chile paste could be applied to the Miyazaki A-​4 grade Wagyu-​. To act as a counter to all the meatiness, a mixed salad dressed w/​pureed vegetables, rice vinegar, Sho-​yu was presented.
1−6a) Kamotsuru Nama Kakoi Sake (sah keh) from Hiroshima: Junmai class of premium filtered/​unpasteurized Sake. Mildly sweet, neutral yet bracing Sake has a bite to clear the palate, but soft enough to treat the delicate seafood gingerly.
7) To end this glorious meal, I opted for the Yuzu sorbet having light golden yellow w/​a tinge of green. It is delicately flavoured w/​what may be the juice & zest of the Yuzu. Perfect conclusion for its refreshing, lightly sweet, non-​filling, quenching the tongue w/​an elegant coolness.
Chef Shiono & wife are excellent hosts once they get to know that you are earnest & thoughtful about appreciation of the cuisine that is presented. Sitting at the counter, the chef becomes more aware of the style & sophistication of the eater so he can make good suggestions as the meal progresses. Hironoya, a very wonderful specialty Japanese restaurant nestled in the To-​zai Shopping Plaza next to the Udon/​Okinawa cuisine restaurant Kotohira. 5 Unilocal stars for a Tempura style rarely found stateside.

I forgot to post this review soon and I have visited Hironoya Restaurant on 05/​09/​2015. This restaurant has the traditional Authentic Japanese Food based from the traditional Japanese Restaurant from Japan. I come to this restaurant often with my family and this restaurant has the best Traditional Japanese food in Los Angeles County. It reminds me of the high end Japanese restaurants in Japan that cares for customer’s social companionship and bring the food in timely order.
The high-​end Japanese restaurant does not bring the food right away because it is set to take time to serve the food while the customers are enjoying their time with people they dine. But if you tell the waitress or waiter to bring the food in timely speed.
The food is great and the best part about this restaurant is that I can spend as much as time I want to eat, relax, and talk to my family and friends that I bring here. They will never ask you to leave because Hironoya Restaurant cares for your time to enjoy the food and socializing.
I will recommend people to come and eat the Traditional Japanese Food at Hironoya Restaurant.

Food was really delicious. I had the sashimi set and my girlfriend had the NY Steak set. We both left full and satisfied.

I came here for the first time tonight. I never knew that they had so many food items on the menu! I had a low expectation for this place, but my lady’s Gozen (lady’s course dinner) was surprisingly tasty and only cost $ 28 something! It comes with 3 types of vegetable dish, fresh sashimi of the day, Japanese traditional cooked food (really good nimono), assorted tempura, rice, miso soup, saikyo grilled salmon, and pickled vegitables (otsukemono)! I thought that it was incredibly reasonable! Some people on Unilocal seem to comment that they have bad customer service, but everyone working there was so attentive and nice. We were the last customers to leave tonight, but they never tried to kick us out. They including the master chef came out to thank us and tell us good night:). I will definitely come back here again!

This place deserves 5 stars based on the tempura alone. I travel to japan every couple years and know a thing or two about Japanese cuisine. Chef Hiro’s tempura is hands down the BEST tempura I have every tasted in my life. I’m not even a big fan of tempura or fried foods all together, but what he does with the panko and the ingredients and that frier is nothing less than art and you can see he takes great pride in his creations.

I agree with the other reviews. Truly a gem of a restaurant! The tempura was bomb! The curry was bomb! Curryhouse and Coco Ichibanya’s got nothing on their curry! Everything was so tasty and lovely.

One of the most authentic japanese food place in Gardena! They have some great happy hour specials that you should take advantage of. (2 dollar draft beer and an appetizer combo that was amazing, especially the fried squid). I’ll be returning…
UPDATE: I come here for the two appetizer and beer special that they have for happy hour. Unfortunately, the squid legs were not fried correctly the last 2 times. Still, the nabeyaki udon remains my favorite and I’ll be coming back.

Best authentic Japanese «Kappou» in South Bay. Amber Jack Sashimi.

I enjoy the Hironoya Lunch Set which for $ 14.95 consist of fresh tasting sashimi, broiled mackerel, tempura, rice, miso soup, salad, a small scoop of potato salad, and pickled vegetables. It is very filling and great value since putting such a set together on your own by shopping at Mitsuwa, Nijiya, or Marukai would set you back at least $ 25 and that doesn’t include the labor. Lunch menu runs until 2pm. Clientele is predominantly Japanese and the waitress I had doesn’t speak English very well but if you like the food tell her «oishi» and she will smile brightly!

A very well hidden gem inside Tozai plaza. Medium lit and very reasonably priced.
Service: very attentive
Food quality: Excellent
The food itself speaks for itself.
The sauce for fried mozza cheese was excellent
it reminded me of the green sauce at Pasadena Rotisserie chicken. Basically jalapeño and yuzu and something I can’t place but it was not spicy at all and very addictive. Excellent!
A reminder to all, Hironoya course has so much for 28 bucks its good enough for two people.

I went here for lunch with a coworker, who has been to this place many times. we came there 10 min before their opening time at 11:30am. coworker said «trust me, this place is good» and we waited. It turns out to be good. I had an assorted sashimi lunch special with a 16 oz draft sapporo. the cuts of sashimi were fresh and the amount of food is just right for lunch. Came back to work with a lean-​full tummy (as opposed to bloated full tummy). Gave a 4 stars because I have had sushi/​sashimi at other places that deserve a 5^th star.
bottom line: this place is good for lunch. would definitely come back again.

This place is MISUNDERSTOOD BIG TIME.
In my opinion, its not a restaurant that should be in a place like Tozai Plaza…
Its a place that would do much better in LA or Beverley Hills.
Misunderstood points:
–Not a sushi place.
–Not a place to get cheap japanese food
–This place is really not in the same league as the other restaurants in the plaza
–People who love this place are older japanese businessmen who doesnt know what Unilocal is
The goods:
–Get the omakase. You can tell the chef your budget: $ 50~$ 80
–Did you know they have wagyu beef? lol. Not the fake kobe beef, but the actual wagyu imported from Miyazaki. Only other place I know that serves wagyu beef in the southbay is The Steakhouse.
–Majority of the sashimi served for the omakase are imported from Japan. Chef gets them imported TWICE a week, EVERY week.
–Tempura is one of the chef’s strengths. Cooks them in front of you, and is on your plate within seconds. You thought Inaba had the best tempura? tsktsktsk
–wiiiiiide range of sake
–all the things i just said aren’t stated anywhere on the menu…
The bads:
–The restaurant doesn’t look/​feel like it serves high end food. Feels like it serves homey, comfort food lol
–I don’t think the chef can handle the people IF it gets packed
Happyhour (ridiculously good):
–unlimited beer and wine for $ 10 on weekdays lol. Applies if you order food thats at least $ 15.
–30% off whole sake bottles on certain days (forgot which days)
Warning:
–if a dragonroll is your favorite sushi, don’t come.
–if the tempura sauce is everything to you when eating a tempura, don’t come. They only use salt and/​or lemon here.
–if you love japanese food but don’t know what omakase is, don’t come. Hit up furaibo or the udon place next door.
People praise high end restaurants like Urasawa and will gladly pay $ 300. But did you know… Hironoya gets their fish from the same shop? ;p
Me out,
Not a hidden gem, just…
Simply the best!

Went here for a late night dinner with some customers.
I dont remember anything specific that was amazing but didn’t have a bad impression either.
They hold onto your drinks like alot of «Izakaya» places around so if you dont finish your sake bottle, they’ll hold it for you for a couple months.
If your in the area and want to go to a typical Izakaya place, this is a good choice.

disappointed. Their sashimi/​fish didn’t taste fresh, too much dressing on everything, too greasy most of them. They could cut out more oil. Also there was only one server, a bit slow service.
Gobo salad — too greasy
chirashi — didn’t taste fresh.
Appetizer sampler — fun, 8 different kinds of bite size food.
shirauo tempura — Tiny. But loved it.
fried shrimp dumplings — greasy but tasty.
chicken wasabi — spicy! .of course. It was good though