Best Eats In LA's Little Tokyo
One of the many great things about living in Los Angeles is that you can experience exotic cultures from around the world without needing a passport. Little Tokyo is one of the fantastic sub cities within LA. Little Tokyo holds many treasures like unique gifts, clothing and art but the best thing about it is the food. Imagine authentic Japanese cuisine without the 12-hour flight and jet lag. To get the best Little Tokyo dining experience, check out these top five places to eat.
KaGaYa
418 E 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 617-1016
Noted as one of the best Japanese restaurants in the entire Los Angeles area, KaGaYa is known for its King Crab and Wagyu Beef. With prompt and friendly service and a quality of food that is undeniably superior, it's no wonder why this is one of the more popular spots in Little Tokyo. While it can be somewhat pricey, if money is no object, then then KaGaYa is your place to go for a fantastic meal. The salmon carpaccio and Bluefin Tuna Sashimi come highly recommended.
Related: Best Korean Barbecue In Los Angeles
Daikokuya
327 E 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-1680
www.dkramen.com
It's hard not to think of Japanese cuisine without Ramen noodles coming to mind. Eat at Daikokuya once and Ramen noodles will stay on your mind as it's the specialty. Customer favorites Daikoku Ramen and spicy miso ramen are better than the hype but be sure to try the Tonkotsu Kotteri Ramen when it's on the specials list. This place gets very busy and the wait time can get long so be prepared. It's also cash only.
Izakaya Fu-ga
111 S San Pedro St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 625-1722
www.izakayafu-ga.com
If you're looking for more of a bar scene or at least a wider alcoholic beverage selection with your Japanese meal, then Izakaya Fu-ga is the place to go. Not only does Izakaya Fu-ga have amazing plates like Jidori Ginger Chicken or 21 day aged rib eye, but it has a nice selection of Japanese beers and whiskeys. Be sure to try one of the specialty cocktails like the tanteo jalapeno margarita, lychee colada, sapphire yuzu drop martini or the fiji apple delight.
Shojin Downtown
333 S Alameda St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 617-0305
www.theshojin.com
Japanese cuisine is known to be on the healthier side of the exotic. Taking it one step further, Shojin Downtown offers authentic Japanese cuisine that is vegan and gluten free. There is such a thing as vegan sushi and Shojin Downtown has mastered the concept with flavorful and artistically plated meals like crunchy tiger, hidden dragon, purple treasure roll and a Yuzu Ponzu Seitanusing so delicious you won't believe it's not meat.
Fugetsu-Do
315 E 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 625-8595
www.fugetsu-do.com
Little Tokyo has many great stores for shopping and cafes for a quick snack while out and about. Fugetsu-Do should be first on your list when looking for sweets. Fugetsu-Do specializes in seasonal mochi with assorted mochi boxes of Kiku, Inaka Manju, Kuri Manju, Uguisu Manju, Sudare and Ogura. There are also many other delicious Japanese treats and candies to find here that you can give as gifts or keep for yourself.
