Izayoi

I cannot believe this place is closing. This is MY lunch place! and also izakaya place. I always get their sushi, konyaku, tori nankotsu (chicken cartilage, shishamo (capelin), buta kakuni (pork belly), and kara age (fried chicken). Their staff is so great and super nice.
Make sure you try this place while it still stands. Shinsengumi is taking over! (although their ramen is really good! it kicks daikokuya’s butt any day)

Whenever there is a furlough day or school holiday – I’m here for the sashimi lunch special for $ 13. Also where I get an amazing simmered pork belly dish and fresh sushi.
Sadly, I saw a notice on the window that Shinsemgumi Ramen will be taking over this space soon. I enjoy both restaurants but there are other Shinsemgumi locations… and no other Izayoi locations.

Solid! Everything we ordered here was yummy. I especially liked the whole grilled squid and the tekka don (tuna over rice). The albacore salad and monkfish liver were also good.
The service was pretty quick, very friendly. Glad I found this spot in Little Tokyo! :)
Parking is free – in the Office Depot lot (shared with Starbucks and Yogurtland).

Went here for dinner with some friends that I havent seen in awhile. A mini reunion of sorts. But we went here on recommendation of a friend’s friend. It’s more so of a 2 ½ stars. The food was pretty good but it took FOREVER for the food to come out. They only had one sushi chef… but at least the waitress had warned us it would take a bit… but sheesh, it was def a long time. I ordered the calamari sushi… pretty good. And i had a miso soup… nothing special, tasted like miso soup. Tried a bit of my friend’s seaweed salad… that was yummy.
The restaurant is located in the LIttle Tokyo area, a place I must visit more often. It’s a pretty nice place to hang out. Parking garages make it convenient… and there’s also metered parking, which I was lucky to find (free on Sundays!)

No… it’s not worth it.
Many places in Little Tokyo are closed on Monday so we decided to go for the closest restaurant from Starbucks next to Office Depot. We ordered the following:
* Oden (daikon) — a little too bland…$ 2
* Chikuwa with mentaiko filling — this is the first time I didn’t like this dish… it had a very fishy smell…~$ 6
* Miso marinated Gyu-​tan — I usually love gyu-​tan but… sorry no… too gamy
* Maguro yamakake — tiny tiny portion… so not worth $ 6
* Geso tempura — one dish we liked… very light and fluffy
* Karaage — pretty good but a little too greasy
* Chirashi — very sloppy but uni and hamachi was pretty good
The service was very good but when you look into the very open kitchen, you can see that the chefs are not very enthusiastic about their job. Very slow paced, bored… etc.
Our bill ended up being about a little over $ 70 with tip. For what we got, it was NOT worth it… especially in Little Tokyo.
* Food = not so great
* Price = way too much for what they serve
* Service = pretty good
* Ambiance = mix of contemporary and jazz… relaxing
Would we go back? Maybe but I think I would prefer Quiznos next door… which is kinda sad…

My husband and I have always been hesitant to try Izayoi because of its 3.5 star rating on Unilocal but we finally gave it a shot and were pleasantly surprised! Now there is another place we can go to within walking distance when we are too lazy to cook. =) It’s probably the best Izakaya currently in Little Tokyo, though a bit pricier.
We sat at the counter but didn’t order any sushi and were greeted by a puzzled look by who may have been the owner/​sushi chef, but he turned out to be a wonderful host.
We ordered
— grilled eggplant — delish!
— oden (daikon, fish cake, egg), Perfect for cold nights!
— fish head (tai-​kama), good but should’ve gotten the hamachi collar
— beef tongue stew — I’ve only had tongue sashimi, smoked tongue and grilled tongue before so this was pretty interesting and not bad at all.
— black sesame spinach — a bit bitter, — but i suppose i only really like baby spinach.
— croquette — crispy on the outside, creamy, soft on the inside. my favorite dish of the night. =)
— Red miso soup– a warm bowl of soup at the end of dinner is always satisfying. it was not too salty… so bonus points. (many restaurants sometime make the red miso soup too salty)
The Sushi chef was attentive and saw that the eggplant served was too small, so they comp-​ed us another one. So nice. totally not necessary!
We’ve heard good things about the Sushi as well, so we may give it a try next time.
Overall, there were no WOW dishes, but having recently been in Japan, we could still appreciate the authenticity of all of the dishes. The price seemed OK ($ 70 for the two of us, including tip), and definitely did not seem overpriced to other places that we usually go to.

This is still my favorite spot for lunch!
I find reasons to drive to DTLA from my Studio in Glendale to get my Bento on my way home to Anaheim (recent move).
Nothing beats a day when I am finished early and can order my Bento, a glass of sake (maybe even a beer) and fresh Japanese Scallop Sashimi.
Still the best service, beautifully fresh and elegantly cut fish, and the friendliest people sitting at the sushi bar.
Don’t foreget to try out their delicious hot snacks like the pork belly, beef tongue, tofu, and other tastey tid bit.
Check out my earlier reviews below for descriptions of my favorites.
Enjoy!
:)

We stopped here for a quick lunch. I liked the fact that it had people inside but there was no wait. All the sushi chefs were Japanese as well as the waitresses.
The fish was fresh and the service was quick What more can you ask for? The best part was the baked crab handroll. I don’t think it was on the menu but they attempted to make it anyway. He asked if I wanted some spicy sauce. I said sure, what the hell. It was delicious! Spicy baked crab, who knew? It was a pretty quick lunch so I didn’t get try many things but its in a good location next to yummy Yogurtland and it has parking.

When you look up «mediocre» in the dictionary, you should see a picture of Izayoi. There’s nothing «wrong» with it but there’s nothing «right» about it either. The food is overpriced (except for the Kirin draft during happy hour), the flavors are average, and the restaurant lacks ambiance.
We gave the beef tongue a try and for $ 6, we got 6 tiny pieces. The pieces were hard and chewy and not enjoyable at all. We also ordered the seaweed salad and it was basically iceberg lettuce and seaweed and some dressing. Way to be creative…
The only thing that I truly liked was the chicken gizzard and that was only because it was coated with some miso-​based sauce. Again $ 6 bought us a tiny plate of gizzard.
It’s not even the prices that bother me. It’s just the consistent mediocrity. There are a handful of other izakayas in the area. I would recommend any of them over Izayoi.

Came over here for a little Date with the girl friend. it was a fantastic little joint in the other side of Little Tokyo. To be honest, the environment of all sushi places in the area is getting rather stale and unfresh so this didn’t exactly pull my excite card out of the bag but it still had some interesting design cues.
Aside from it being a quite «normal» sushi establishment it definitely delivered on the end that it should. and that is the food. Reading reviews here I decided to go with the black cod, pork belly and some unagi (fresh eel) and unago (salt water eel) and it was definitely some interesting stuff. The Unago was very good and it’s very hard to come by in places so it was awesome being able to try it. The pork belly was definitely a fantastic addition.
The service was good enough; the waitress came over and did her job well enough. I cannot say that this place blew my mind but it definitely came through with the food so in my report I’ll have to just say it’s a SAFE bet in Little Tokyo but. dare yourselves to venture some more…

I went to lunch and I was disappointed.
Nick H told me about this place and I came for lunch. I couldn’t eat the food. Rice bowl with chicken and egg on top. The sauce wasn’t bad but it was super dry.
It’s not his fault because the menu looked pretty good. He apologized and picked up the tab. Parking is crazy at this Office Depot complex. Too crowded and too small.
I probably will not eat here anymore.
2 stars!
Izayoi is not yummylicious!

As its name suggests, Izayoi in Little Tokyo is an izakaya. So I thought it was not a sushiya in the traditional Japanese sense and was surprised to see an extensive selection of sushi/​sashimi on their menu. And I kind of expected less when I ordered some of their sushi and boy was I wrong. It blew me away!
First off, visually their sushi looked perfect. Each one of sushi was grabbed/​cut so precisely that you’ll see that the heights of maki are the exact same with each other. This skill requires Swiss clockwork precision and is a quick measure of one’s skill with yanagi bocho (sashimi knife). Anyway, their sushi looked great and I gave much respect to the chef before I started eating.
And it tasted very good. Sushi neta was fresh enough and its portion was generous and well proportioned with the sheri size. Their sushi combo delivers the most bang for the buck among sushiyas in Little Tokyo. It got more expensive items than the ones in any other places. It comes with 10 pieces of sushi and 6 makis and all of them are top notch. I liked their ika sushi. Usually ika sushi doesn’t melt in your mouth. But boy they got one of a kind. It literally melted in my mouth just like mochi. Amazing!
Izayoi offers solid sushi and has instantly become one of my favorite sushi joints in Little Tokyo. I can’t wait to go back!

Izayoi was a bit disappointing. The service mediocre and the food seemed like something I could make even better. Details are as follows:
The menu items looked fantastic. The choices and the pictures. The menu sported some of my favorite dishes. The outside of the restaurant is decorated with newspaper headlines with boastful comments.
I thought I was in Izakaya Heaven! They offered various choices for the lunch specials including Angus Beef, Beef Tripe Udon Soup, Rock Cod, Kobe Beef Sizzling Plate, Soba and more!
I told Maggie C. I «bragged» to Maggie C that I found a cool place and she agreed to come. The only thing worse than my food was seeing the disappointment of the food in Maggie’s face. As such, I picked up the tab. I have to offer my sincerest apology.
~Cold Soba with Tempura
The waitress assured me the soba was delicious. I opted for an additional charge for the added Tempura.
The noodle was clingy and the texture poor. The taste was insignificant. Drowning it in an uneventful dipping sauce did little to make it appetizing.
~The Tempura
If you like frozen tempura, then this is for you. So, only one piece was frozen. That didn’t matter. The tempura tasted like something I could purchase at Costco. It would not have mattered so much except the waitress assured me it was delicious. When I went to get the bill, a plate of tempura was being returned by another party because it was frozen.
So, no thanks. I have had better. I doubt I will be back.

I’ve never been there for dinner so this review is solely based on my lunch experiences in Izayoi.
I averagely go to Izayoi about 3 times a month with coworkers. Since we work in the D/​T financial district, it is quite a breezy for us to get there during lunch time either by DASH or driving. Go there before 12 or after 1 (to avoid lunch time rush hour) because the restaurant tends to get busy due to its size. I typically order the sashimi lunch box or the daily lunch box. The quality of food is consistent and always fresh. The service is always excellent and friendly. They would reserve table for you if you have party of 6 or more.
Overall, my experience at Izayoi has been pleasant and satisfactory!

i heart izakaya. that and prime rib dinners are my favorites.
izayoi is a little restaurant close to yogurtland in little tokyo. it’s funny cuz there is a guy standing outside asking if you are going to yogurtland. he gives like some coupon or something.
at first, when we drove by, it was closed. but later we found that it opened at 6pm. it can get crowded since they have limited space. they have good service. we asked the waitress for recommendations to what we should order.
something roe (sorry forgot the name!) — roe with okra… good flavoring
tofu, tomato, avocado w/​yuzu and bell pepper dressing — their
homemade tofu is a treat. it’s cold and fluffy… definitely different.
pork belly — how could we say no to pig fat? Mmm… =)
miso eggplant — eggplant in miso sauce is goes great with rice!
chicken karaage — standard… nothing to rave about
seafood cream croquette — four soft creamy seafood filling with a
crunchy fried batter served with tonkatsu and spicy mayo sauce.
we enjoyed trying this, but i wouldn’t order it next time cuz it’s pretty
greasy
our tea and water were filled frequently. they came to see if we needed anything.
i’ll be back to try other dishes. the selection was fairly extensive! we didn’t even get to anything sashimi that night. next time i want to order the ground yam w/​spicy tuna sashimi as another appetizer.
recommended! but it may be crowded. guess you could take the guy outside up on the coupon offer… and have some yogurtland before dinner while you wait… haha.

What do you think when you hear Nobu Matsuhisa?
Nobu’s signature miso marinated black cod!
To be honest, miso marinated anything is delicious (especially seabass!) and the black cod at Izayoi was no exception. The dish was delicate, sweet, hot, just all around mouthgasm. Found the recipe from the «Nobu Cookbook» and hoping to recreate this dish at home. *cross your fingers*
We also had the yellowtail sashimi. My favorite type of sashimi along with salmon (yes. i’m pedestrian. sue me) OMG. Generous, fresh, thick pieces. I would come here just to eat yellowtail all night long.
The mushroom medley and ginko root appetizer was amazing also. the portions are generous. The hot sake pairs well with everything.
Another wonderful neighborhood spot that’s not in my neighborhood. *sigh*.

Went to Izayoi the other night with a group of friends from school. Though the restaurant is small, they did a great job accommodating 20 of us.
The food is really quite good. The sushi was as fresh as any superly yummy sushi restaurant in the area, but what I think really sets this place apart from some of the other restaurants is the amount of other dishes besides sushi they have. Our table ordered a huge variety of things: sushi, calamari legs, pork belly, tofu, salads, grilled chicken cartilage… truly. can’t even remember everything we ordered!
As others have already said, the price is a bit higher than some of the other restaurants in the area but at least the food is darn good!
The food is varied, delicious, homey, and… well, we’ll definitely be back!

I didn’t know what to expect when I came here on a whim last week. Sushi-​Gen was full and I didn’t want to find parking so the idea of parking in a lot for FREE was enticing.
Overall the experience was delicious. The miso marinated pork belly was sooo good, it was like eating chunks of sweetly glazed bacon. We also had the homemade cold tofu which was texturally perfect and very fresh, I could see how one could think it was bland, but I thoroughly enjoyed how refreshing it was. but you have to be a tofu lover The seared duck breast was also a favorite and seasoned perfectly. We also got a few rolls, spicy tuna, eel, and a rainbow roll stick out in my mind, fish was exceptional and of high quality. None of that slimey-​ness that accompanies sub-​par fish.
The only let down of the night was the fried lotus root was not the way I usually have it, it was fried in one big piece then sliced in a very heavy panko batter, I’ve had better. The portions are small, be forewarned and service was adequate but could have been better.
Tab came out to be just under $ 30 with tip a person which isn’t too bad for the amount of food we ordered. But we didn’t order anything seasonal.
I would stop by again though, free and easy parking around dinner time is hard to beat.

Briefly: Expensive, small portions, feels more like Sushi + Fusion than Izakaya, good service, and nice décor.
I think I came here with the wrong attitude. I was expecting a menu more along the lines of Haru Ulala or Furaibo. But this place just seemed more like a Sushi spot mixed in with a Fusion menu. To call this place an Izakaya seems wrong.
What really ruined my dining experience was the two cuties sitting next to me. They had a inane conversation in Minnie Mouse voices all night (my friend says it’s a turn on for him, not so for me) And then the hostile one went off on the waitress because she was unimpressed by the Fondue. Sweetie, here’s a suggestion: don’t order fondue at a Japanese restaurant. The rest of the crowd seemed on the baller-​ish or yuppy side of the world. If you’re laying out $ 50+ for casual dining I guess that counts.
Also they got a county rating of ‘B’. Yah I ain’t coming back here. Food wasn’t bad, but for the $$$ I expect a lot more gastro happiness.

We don’t get up to LA much and when we do, we go with a big group which has its pluses. It means that when we eat out, we get to try a lot of stuff. Going to Izayoi was not any different. There were 12 of us at dinner, each of us ordering a few items and most of us tried everything. Like Lena, I don’t remember every dish we had, but there were a few which stood out, a few which didn’t and some which were just plain nasty.
The ones which stood out were the chilled lotus root appetizer, buta no kakuni (very tender and flavorful), mushrooms and baby scallops in a garlic butter sauce, black cod, minced sardines wrapped in shiso and deep fried. I also enjoyed the miso eggplant a lot, but then again, I love eggplant no matter how you cook it.
Then there were those items which you can’t really go wrong with, such as edamame, agedashi tofu and ankimo. Zaru soba was also not too bad, although it was a bit doughy and nothing like what you get at Fukada.
Garlic stem with bacon sounded great but they over cooked the garlic stem and the maple flavor of the bacon just didn’t register «Japanese» to me. Another mushroom dish was ordered, I think, simmered in soy and mirin, but that did not impress. Neither did the grilled duck slices (too chewy) nor the spicy chicken (which tasted like orange chicken) create a stir.
Some sushi rolls were ordered — I enjoyed those but again, they weren’t stellar. The grossest thing which I tasted that evening was the duck slices with egg cooked in a pot. When it finally arrived, it looked like it should’ve been part of a donburi. It was pretty nasty and sadly, it was something I had ordered.
We had a great time, but I wouldn’t return again especially since this is located in J-​town and there are just too many other places to eat at. Atmosphere was nice, but I can’t eat my surroundings. And oh, even though this calls itself an izakaya, it really isn’t in the traditional sense.