Tee Up

Honestly, do NOT plan on hanging out here if you’re not with someone who is not a member. I had no problem with the reviews regarding spending, however, since I’m white and not a member I was denied entrance. I enquired about joining and they said that would not be an option for me. When I confronted them about why, they said it was because I was white!!! I find racism of any sort offensive, reverse racism included. I will NEVER frequent this establishment again, nor would I suggest you.

So there are those Hostess Bars in La, and this seems to be one of those more exceptional ones due to popularity and promotions with various incentives added to their deals with some of the various promoters.
To make it clear though, unlike the Chinese or Korean «hostess-​like» places, those Japanese hostesses gives you a lot of the attitudes and if they «don’t feel like it», they will ditch you and leave you hanging at the table without any service whatsoever.
Or they will find the excuse of going to the restroom or getting some of their personal belongings and never end up coming back…
Then of course after you actually paid for the entire ordeal the «manager» will tell you that there’s nothing that they can do and thank you for coming and have a good night…
well…what more can I say… God Bless and Enjoy…

Everything written above is pretty accurate. It’s not for everyone, it’s expensive and it’s a little… strange. But then again, this is LA.

Alright guys, this is for all of you who are tired of strip joints and just want to have a nice place to relax with your buddies and get entertained by some really nice looking japanese girls. You should be prepared to spend anywhere from $ 200 — $ 300 per person… and no there is no happy ending here.
So what do you get for this? You are greeted by mama-​san at the front of the lobby. Groups are seated in comfy couches around a center table. Mama will get a waiter to serve you water who then takes your order. I recommend getting a bottle of your favorite liquor. That will run you about $ 80 — $ 100 but you will save over buying one glass at a time. Also, if you are a repeat customer, they will save the bottle for you until next time.
After about 10 min, a young japanese lady will come by and sit with your group. She is here to entertain and will attempt to strike up a conversation with you and your group. If it is not too busy, another girl will come by shortly also to entertain (no…not like a strip joint or massage parlor). If they can they will try to have 1 girl for each guy in the table. Normal topics are the kind of work you do, what you like to enjoy in your freetime, favorite restaurants, etc. Of course once the bottle is half empty, it becomes something more like do you have a boyfriend, how high do you wear your skirt, etc. If there is a particular girl that you like, tell mama and she will try to get the girl scheduled to your table next. That’s right, they rotate about 3 dozen girls to different table every 10 – 20 minutes.
If there is a particular girl you like and want to go out with her, you must pay a «dating fee». You let her know you want to schedule a date before you come to Tee Up THE NEXT TIME. That means you are obligating yourself to another night here. The girl will let mama know and she will put it on your bill the next time.
Just a tip for all you single guys… if you play your cards right, these girls will go out with you without you having to pay the «dating fee». There are a lot of college girls who work here to earn extra income, especially if they have difficulty with english. Get their number and set up a date one-​on-​one. Just don’t tell mama-​san cuz she will not like it. Be careful though, there are also girls here who are just serious gold-​diggers.
Some guys don’t get this type of outing. Why pay $ 200 — $ 300 when you could have a real good time at a strip joint and see way more? Although strip joints have their appeal in their pure vulgarity, this place allows you to get to know the entertainer on a more personal level. Because this is their job, they can’t say I’m tired or get all picky with the food you order like your girlfriends would. And when was the last time a girlfriend fed you, or poured your drink, or fanned you, or wiped the sweat from your face? If you ever made that request to a girl then your outing probably ended right there, with a slap. Not here baby! These girls do all that gladly and willingly. It is still a fantasy, but it’s a fantasy of the perfect group date. Guys can be guys and the girls won’t do anything about it. Yes, they will laugh at all your jokes.
Tee Up is one of the more expensive of these. Nirvana in J-​Town is a good bargain for a similar experience. There are also places in Torrance. My favorite was Utage, I even worked there over a summer as a bartender. Too bad they closed. Being a customer was way more fun.
The customers are usually japanese businessmen visiting from Tokyo and they are loaded. There are also regulars that come in once or twice a week who look at this like a regular guy looks at going to a sports bar. I’ve hear some baseball players stop by, so keep your eyes open.
Since I’m married now I no longer go here, but it sure does bring back good memories of my single days.

It’s a hostess club. Huh? You enter with a Japanese businessman buddy, who has a table reserved with his name engraved on a plaque. Suddenly, an army of servants seats you in this dimly lit oasis. Theme: think Hugh Hefner meets Omar Sharif, i.e. for you youngsters, Paris Hilton meets Sanjaya Malakar. You sit at a cozy yet posh couch. A menu is given containing a list of Japanese female names. Mama-​son (manager) takes your order. First, a hot towel arrives. Next, a giant platter of fruit and munchies sit in front of you. Then come bottles of crown royale & chopin. Finally a group of Japanese women-​all 20 something, maybe younger enter your company. For the entire night, you don’t lift a finger. These personal hostess girlies, dressed in tight club attire, pour drinks, occasionally feed you with their hands, and wipe the crumb from your lips. And they laugh at all your dumb jokes. Stranger than fiction. The rest is a blur. You come here, life is heaven… as long as it’s expensed by your Japanese business buddy.
Update: 6/​23/​07*************************
My Japanese biz buddy and the gang arrived last night for my b-​day. Yeah, I’m a loser. Anyways, this weekend is the LA Erotic convention or something. Man oh man. This lounge was packed with boobs and boos…

What would you say if I told you that in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, attached aside the famous Hotel Bonaventure, hides an ultra-​exclusive Japanese club, where influential Japanese business men bring their clients for drinks in a plush private lounge overflowing with nubile, charming Japanese hostesses who are there to pour drinks, light cigarettes, and laugh at every joke? Would you believe me if I told you here in L.A. works and plays the modern day geisha? Or would you forget everything I said and went about your business, noting nothing beyond the ordinary???
You won’t find top shelf bottle service only here. You won’t find a unique lounge experience you cannot find in the States here. And you absolutely will not find a private Japanese club that requires a Japanese member present for any party to enter. Money and status are nothing without membership. I write this so the next time you are at the Bonaventure and see the small gold plaque and door, that you keep walking, noting nothing beyond the ordinary.
I may or may not have ended up here a few times with the game producer of a AAA-​franchise and his acolytes of the night… I never knew L.A. might have anything like this place, but now I can rest assured that you can truly find anything in L.A., if you know where to look.
The last time I may have been here was during the last E3. So sad. No more opportunities to visit until two in the morning. I will just have to frequent your less civilized competition, the nearby karaōke hostess clubs which go till four in the morning…
Alas, poor Tee Up, I knew you well. I’ll leave you with some sad words borrowed from The Webber. Come on, sing with me…
Memory
All alone in the hotel
I can’t smile at the old dudes
I want beautiful drunks
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Went to Tee Up, and got drunk …
Tee up
It’s not easy to leave you
All alone with the memory
Of my nights in your club
If you’re at Tee Up
You’ll understand what happiness is …
Look
A new night has begun …
Saraba da, waga seishun.