15928 Ventura Blvd

We have been going to Sola for years. Our favorite Japanese restaurant in the valley. Very authentic, always delicious and the staff is very friendly

Super friendly service, delicious food, and a large selection of dishes. (They don't serve sushi) The pictures online don't do them justice. It's a small place but it makes it more intimate.

An intimate, authentic, and great casual Japanese dining spot! We were in love. The food here tasted delicious and it was perfect to share the plates as a group. We enjoyed the dim-lit and cozy atmosphere of the restaurant as we shared laughs. Cold soba noodles: Delicious and firm noodles, tasted great dipped in the sauce. The coolness gave a nice temperature change in our mouths from the other hot plates we ordered Beef tongue: Was told it was best if eaten right away, and we were surprised with the taste of the meat from our first bite. The grilled meat was super tasty, tender and squishy. Ribeye steak: Coated in warm barbeque sauce and cut with fatty pieces lined up in the plate. Was so delicious I could hardly eat more than 2 slices because of how full I had gotten. Fried Callamari: Coated and fried perfectly as the breading wasn't overwhelming and the taste of the thick cut squid was flavorful and great. Pork belly: Super delicious and had a nice crunch on one end while soft and juicy on the other end of each cut All in all, this restaurant gave delicious, authentic-tasting Japanese food topped with amazing service from our server. We felt like even though it looked like there wasn't an overwhelmingly large portion of food on the plates, we would feel so full even with just eating 2 or 3 pieces of each plate. And we concluded that it's because each dish was full of SO much flavor!! Thank you to this place for giving us a nice meal and an amazing dining experience. We are hoping to come back here to go drinking at the bar area! To Note: - free underground parking! - exit from parking staircase/elevator is right across the restaurant

Amazing restaurant with even better service and food. A true hidden gem in the valley.

Very friendly service and an interesting take on Japanese fare. Smaller potions encourage sharing many items so you can try almost everything on the menu. It's pricey though so take that under account.

Awesome awesome food. Legit Japanese authentic. I mean... plus it's fire AF. Just look!!!!

When the weather gets a bit chilly, this is my go to for a nice hot pot of oden. It always hits the spot. It's so authentic & tastes like a bowl of home cooked meal. The owners are always very friendly.

My bf recommended this place since he tried it years ago and said it was very authentic and really good! So, we went out with my mom and aunt for dinner last night to check this place out! I picked them up right after work and completely forgot they opened at 6pm. We got there on the dot, no one else in the restaurant but us so it was very quiet. We sat wherever since the waitress let us and began to check out the menu. The owner (I believe) came to greet us and they also brought out waters all around. I already looked over the menu beforehand to prepare myself (and mainly to see if I'm interested at all) and we ended up ordering a ton of things! We started with some mixed dumplings which were SUPER hot and the owner laughed and asked if we had any questions. We didn't and just said it was good but piping hot and she told us she forgot to mention it was hot LOL. Funny! We also ordered some vegetable tempura which was honestly probably one of my faves. They were cooked so perfectly and had a great selection. I love the sweet potato the most and their dip was perfect. I ordered a Yaki Onigiri with Ground Miso Chicken filling since I've never had one and always wanted to try it. My bf got the regular onigiri with chicken as well. I actually preferred that one. Super soft but kept its composure and had the perfect saltiness. The grilled one was okay, still ate it but definitely liked the regular one more. I went for the curry udon as my main dish and it was soooo good!! The udon noodles were perfect! Not too soft and had the perfect chewiness. They also loaded it with a lot of curry and I wasn't able to finish all of it and had to take it home but I'll definitely be adding the delicious curry to rice and other things! I was even dipping my Yaki onigiri at one point!! My aunt got the salmon which filled her right up and my mom ordered the Karaage chicken with a side of rice and finished that as well. She loves Karaage and really enjoyed this one. They also gave the sauce on the side which I prefer so that you can dip however much you want. My bf ordered katsu curry which he loved as well. Lots of curry that night and it was great! They have such a unique menu with items you don't normally see in regular Japanese restaurants. Staff is super sweet and can't wait to come back to enjoy their food again! IG: @ammysalamii

How did I not know about this place?? Hole in the wall Izakaya style dining that has the best customer service. I loved the squid, curry ramen; and ofcourse the pickles. We ordered the SOLA salad not once but TWICE because it was so good. I also ordered the kurobata sausages twice because they were SO good. I will be back!

Came here in the recommendation of one of wife's co worker. My daughter and I came on a random Saturday night. We came in. Best part was no wait. The nice gal running the place is a pro. As busy she was she was so polite and gave my daughter and I some good recommendations. We tried the Shabu Shabu. Wow loved it! Just be sure to have more than 2 people. It is a lot. No worries. Left overs are already gone. I just wanted a personal thank you to the owner (or gal running the place.) you are a pro and run a restaurant the way it should be. We felt at home.

Just great. Ambiance, food and service - all hit the mark. I haven't posted in forever, but after spending the evening @ Sola, I just had to share - if you are looking for an authentic Japanese feeling, a place that you just want to be to stay and linger a bit, and then add a broad offering of varied and extremely tasty authentic dishes, look no further - this is it. I hope to be back soon...

I have been to this restaurant many times over the past few years. Their food is delicious!!! My favorite dishes are the katsu curry and the butter squid. There's a lot of amazing dishes here, I haven't had a single thing I haven't liked! The service is amazing as well. Very friendly and accommodating. I would 100% recommend this place to anyone looking for great food and an amazing dining experience!

Food was not good at all. The food was obviously old reheated. Pricey for what it is.

Just don't go here Just don't go here There is nothing good on this menu, no sushi but all the food they serve tastes like bad attempts at side dishes for a sushi restaurant

Dinner for five on a 6pm slot and the place was not as busy as come 7pm. The place got packed as we are about to leave the place. A favorite spot for my kids and they took us here for a treat. Friendly staff, attentive and always assuring of everything we need. The food was scrumptious. We ordered soba, beef tongue, karage, onigiri, pork belly, sausages, and of course the tempura special. The karage was on point. Having lived in Japan for 12 years, it really is difficult to compare. The food here is as authentic as it gets. The pork belly though was a bit tough for my liking. The soba was a favorite by our little guest - 15month old toddler. Screamed for more. .... lol. At any rate, it's worth coming back here. The place is within a complex and in a very well festive plaza.

You know those restaurants that only the locals know and everyone that comes in knows the owner/people working and the other customers, so it's basically just one big family? That's this place. Is it my new life goal to become part of this family? Absolutely. This was my first time having izakaya and I am so happy I found this hidden gem. And by hidden I mean it because it's very unassuming in a little shopping center. The restaurant is not that big but there's indoor, outdoor, and bar seating. They do take reservations. I took awhile to decide what to get because everything looked so good. I ended up getting the calamari, plate with fried dumplings and eggrolls, scallion pizza, soba noodles, curry katsu, and edamame (which you should check in for to get free). My favorites were the calamari, soba noodles, and scallion pizza. I was most surprised by the scallion pizza because I've never had a scallion pancake with cheese before but I really liked it. All the food was great and there's so many options it's great to try different dishes and to share. Biggest perk is there's free parking in the parking garage beneath the shopping center. The service was a little spotty because there were only two servers working and it was a busy night. But since I was eating so many different dishes having breaks in between actually worked out.

Love this gem of a restaurant. The owner is kind and the food is delicious!! If you're looking for great Japanese food, other than sushi, because you don't find any here, check out Sola. This is one of my favorite go to places, especially when I'm in the mood for a great meal late at night.

Quality Japanese comfort food, affordable and served with a sweet smile. Fairly priced, a wide range in selection and simply delicious and satisfying meals served quickly one after another. Surprisingly my favorite item on their menu is their mini scallion pizza, katsu curry, and agedashi tofu!

Subjective: After initial birthday dinner plans for my aunt fell through, we found ourselves looking around for last minute dining options for our group. Luckily, our bad luck ended there as we ended up at this gem of a restaurant! Tucked into a small plaza in Encino, it had the feel of one of those small, intimate, alley diners in Japan. We were the only table seated outside, but our server was very attentive and our variety of dishes were delivered promptly after ordering. My favorites out of our spread were the karaage and the agadashi tofu. Objective: Date of visit: 9/2/2021 Previous visits: none Takes reservations/call aheads? yes Parking: associated structure parking Perceived capacity: small Perceived atmosphere: casual Wait time to seating: none (had reservations) What I/we got: edemame, agedashi tofu, tempura, karaage, soba, nagasaki udon, hamburger curry cost: dishes dishes vary from $6-7 to $20 ish Assessment: 5 stars- authentic izakaya with a variety of solidly executed fare Plan: Would love to come back without the baby and enjoy their food with a cold beer

Stumbled across this gem on my way home from work. The place is a very authentic Japanese restaurant. Small menu but my thought is when you serve delicious food, you don't need a huge selection to choose from. Though I didn't understand everything on the menu, the waitress was more than helpful and very friendly. The food was delicious! The salmon was cooked to perfection! Definitely coming back to try more items from the menu.

This is a Japanese restaurant without any raw fish, but comfortable foods. Each dish taste is unique.

Great Japanese restaurant with outdoor seating! I was meeting my friend who lives in Woodland Hills - this was a halfway point. There is a parking lot which is awesome and sometimes rare for Ventura businesses. Pulled in and took the elevator upstairs. We didn't have a reservation but the lady sat me at a table outside with a heat lamp! They had maybe 6 tables set up outside. She gave me menus and I showed her my Yelp checkin for free Edamame. She brought out the Edamame and my friend came shortly after. We decided to order some garlic edamame, assorted picked veggies, Karage Chicken, the chicken wings, and the veggie tempura. The lady was surprised that we wanted two chickens and was surprised when we asked to keep a menu in case we wanted anything else. She commented that it was a lot of food. Kinda funny, wouldn't she want us to order more food? Anyways, the food came out slowly and everything tasted delicious! When she brought out the karage chicken, she said the chicken wings took a big longer but it was okay because we had some chicken already. As she expected, we had leftovers. I asked to order a couple of dishes for my hubby to go and emphasized it was for him. We also asked for boxes to go and she said, "see I told you it was a lot of food! You ordered with your eyes not your stomach!" Overall a great place to eat with delicious food. And yes, I always eat/order with my eyes instead of my stomach. It is on my Yelp Profile! I will definitely come back.

My friends and I came to Sola on a Saturday evening, and we really enjoyed our dinner. The Zaru Soba noodles were classic, delicious, and refreshing, and my favorite Yaki Onigiri was the Miso Chicken flavor. Loved the pickled plum that came with it. My friends really enjoyed the fried dumplings and garlic edamame. Lastly, the server was excellent--very kind and funny. Would recommend Sola!

This place is so unique and tasty! Definitely never would've noticed it if I wasn't meeting friends there for dinner. Everything we tried was really yummy, even the things I wouldn't typically go out of my way to order like tofu and eggplant. We had: edamame, sautéed eggplant, vegetable tempura, ajo tofu, kake soba, and salmon onigiri. They were out of the tenderized cucumber and our waiter kinda shook his head when we asked about the scallion pizza so we didn't try those. All in all, a delicious and relatively affordable meal for the quality! We're still eating outside whenever we can so we sat outside and it wasn't the most comfortable experience. BUT, the restrooms were wonderful so that was nice.

My husband had a hankering for onigiri after watching an anime that had them. So, I Yelped onigiri around me, and to my surprise, this is the only place I was able to find in The Valley that sells onigiri! Well, I'm glad I found Sola because the food is delicious here. We always order the miso chicken (soboro) onigiri and the chicken wings. We've also tried the pollack roe (mentaiko) onigiri, sautéed eggplant and sautéed mushrooms. Everything here is so good and reasonably priced! We have added Sola to our rotation of restaurants. Not only is the food amazing, but the service here is incredible! I was on my third trimester of pregnancy when we started going here, and they would check in on me whenever we ordered/picked up our food. It really made us feel like regulars. The only complaint I have is that they aren't open for more hours! We'd love to patronize them on Sundays or for lunch. Sola is really a gem in The Valley! I highly recommend checking them out. There's easy free parking at the meters nearby and they accept credit cards (no Apple Pay or venmo).

This place is wonderful: one of the most authentic Japanese Izakayas in LA in an unassuming strip mall in Encino. This is a wonderful place, with warm amazing service and the true comfort food of Japan. It's hard to find the real thing, and this is it. The food is delicious and exceeds expectations. Real soba is hard to find in this town, and Sola does it right. The katsu curry rice tastes like it does in Japan. The sake selection is top notch and there is sumo on the TV. I love this place. Make sure to try the tofu and eggplant: it's off the charts and the broths are all delicious. This will be our new go-to place for Japanese comfort food. Also, the rice quality is noticeable and they serve hojicha tea which makes it all perfect.

Rainy night in So. California. I talked my wife into trying this Izakaya off Ventura Blvd. What a find. We got there around 6:30 and it was empty so we had the pick of the place to sit. I placed myself so that I had a good view of the tv screen as it was showing Somo wrestling from Japan. And the wall above the counter are handprints of some wrestlers who have visited. I'm getting a good feeling about this place. The food is excellent and the service is terrific. We ordered a lot of stuff - all good - but our favorite was the fried oysters. The big disappointment was the Tamago. So many good Yelp reviews on this dish, but it wasn't anything to rave about. Certainly not Ip to the quality of the other dishes; kinda tastes like scrambled eggs. Regardless, this place is terrific. We will be going back for more and have already talked to many people about it.

One of my favorite places to dine! Cozy, intimate with friendly service. Always order the mixed fried dumplings to start and then choose any entree for a great night! Plus they have Sapporo on draft with nice chilled mugs!

Good service and authentic food. I became regular here come at least once a month. I like their Shochu selection.

Consistent quality AUTHENTIC Japanese food and most importantly an amazing friendly staff. It's sometimes rare to see customer service and often times food consistent. This spot hits all those marks! This has always been our "go-to" spot for lunch specials pre-COVID. We only hope that this amazing restaurant endures during this time.

Cool spot for late night Japanese appetizers/tapas. Most things on the menu are your shareable dishes although they have some entrees too. If you want sushi this is not your place. They have mostly grilled items, skewers and just unique Japanese dishes. The server was very friendly and helpful and provided some great recommendations. My favorite was the grilled squid and the spicy shrimp onigiri and yaki onigiri. It's basically a rice ball wrapped in seaweed with a filling. The yaki one is grilled on the outside so has some crunch and texture. The grilled grunt was very good and fresh. The Japanese omelette was ok, very soft and bland. Heard their currys are really good and they have lunch specials. This is definitely a place that you should come with at least 4 people so you can try multiple things although portions are small and dishes are affordable so you could do it with 2 as well. And before you go, make sure you go the restroom they have a fancy toilet that has opens and closes automatically and has a warm seat. They have free underground parking which is hard to come by on Ventura Blvd.

Despite living in Sherman Oaks for over 10 years and being a big fan of Japanese cuisine I somehow missed the existence of Sola until now. Came tonight for the first time and it was delicious. Super nice staff and (I presume) owner. Very rich flavors, especially the wings. Will absolutely be back.

I ate here a few months ago with a small group. We didn't have a reservation but they were able to seat us because a party with a reservation didn't show up. The place is clean and has a nice ambience. The server was nice and attentive. We ordered garlic edamame, garlic string beans, fried calamari, katsu curry, gyoza, grilled squid, karaage, chicken wings, kurobuta sausage, grilled pork belly, and menchi katsu. WOW! We loved it all. We wanted to try the Shabu Shabu but they were all out. We came with an appetite and left completely satisfied. We can't wait to come back for more. I definitely recommend making a reservation.

Love love love the food and service here!! Miki is always accomodating and welcomes us with a smile every single time. There aren't many izakaya spots out in SF family, so this place is our go-to. The quality of the food is top notch! Every thing I've ordered has always been so delicious.

10/10 Pros: - Authentic Japanese food with an owner that CARES - everything on the menu is amazing and is really best during the colder months - Sumo wrestling on one tv and American sports on another - Easy parking and free - In a quiet shopping center so usually no wait and food comes out within 15-20 minutes of ordering - The nicest owner who jokes with customers and makes you want to come back weekly for good food and good company Cons: Located in Encino

A hidden gem due to its location. A great place to unwind with family or friends with beer and sake along with simple but delicious Japanese bar food. Butter squid - 5/5 Japanese pickles - 5/5 Grilled Mackeral - 5/5 Menchi katsu - 5/5 Agedashi tofu - 4/5

This is a great spot that has the combination of late hours and delicious food. They have a variety of great options from their grilled fish to their sides which includes garlic string beans, garlic mushrooms, as well as other options. The menu has two dollar sides and your best bet is to try all of them. Next up would be to try their ramen as the smell and look of it looks delicious. Parking is on Ventura and is usually a non issue. Service is great as Mickey will make sure your needs are met.

I'm not sure why this place is 4.5 stars... I came here expecting either really good food or really good service etc but that wasn't what I got: 1. Literally only One server here, took awhile to come by to take our order and even wanted to come back just because we were taking our time ordering, not very patient or friendly 2. This place has food that qualifies as a izakaya but it's lacking variety and amount, it's too simple too little choices. It doesn't even have sushi/sashimi! 3. The place is too bright and doesn't feel like a iZakaya, sure Japanese people come here and the server speaks Japanese.. the food does taste authentic but other wise it should just be a regular Japanese restaurant 4. Too slow with cooking. I'm sure some meals take time to prep but for the food we ordered they were tapas style and small portion, what is taking so long?

Owned by actual Japanese person who knows what they are serving. This place reminds me of izakaya in Japan, they also have really good selections of sales

Fantastic food. Great service. Super chill vibe. I love the saki selection and the variety of types of food you can get. My favorite might be the butter squid :) love this place

Yummy place with good food great service and reasonable prices! This is a little Japanese bar with Japanese pub food - my first experience with such a thing. A lot of the food is heavy, as with most bar food, so bear that in mind. Hubby got Sapporo on tap which he loved and we started with the sautéed mushrooms which were amazing! They were served in a sizzling type platter and imbued with garlic. Really delicious. This may have been my favorite thing of the night. We got the grilled salmon next which came with a light salad. The skin was seared perfectly and the fish was fresh. Next we tried the salmon onigiri. This was my first time trying it and we were told Japanese school children and business workers often bring this for lunch. It's essentially sticky rice wrapped around (in this case) cooked salmon with seaweed around it. Kind of like an extra large price of sushi with cooked fish. It was ok and the blandest of the things we tried. For the mains we got the shrimp tempura curry and the champon soup. The curry was very good but would have been a tad too salty without the rice. The shrimp was fried perfectly so that they were crunchy without being too heavy. The soup had seafood, meat and veggies in a light broth. It wasn't my style but my husband enjoyed it a lot. This was a wonderful experience with a new type of food and I'm glad we got to try some delicious dishes that expanded my mind and palate!

I cannot tell you how much I love this place. It feels like being back in Japan. 1. it's super quiet, love this 2. the staff is very attentive, friendly, and social. 3. the food is on point. I'm going down the entire menu but I'll tell you what I've had more than once that's been just great. the Pickels...love them always get them the karaage, SOOOOOO good. I get this all the time. the ramen was amazing, the noodles weren't as chewy as I like em but the broth was insanely good. the Yaki Onigiri....LOVE IT we get it all the time. the beef tongue...SOOOO buttery good. The scallion pizza...amazing as well, super tiny but so so good. all in all, this is my go-to place, we go every Friday now and will continue to. Its the staff and the owner on TOP of the great food that keeps us going. The place isn't big, but it's never super packed...which is great because I'd be sad if I couldn't get my fix on Fridays.

I genuinely believe this is closest to a Japanese Izayaka you can get in the valley. Being a second generation Japanese American, I've had the honor of going to Japan multiple times and experienced the Izakaya over there. Looking at the menu they had in Sola, I saw so many familiar dishes that are common Izakaya go to I was super excited. Flavor was AUTHENTIC and the staff, I believe her name was Miyuki was super duper friendly and made sure we were taken care of. It was a cold night so she was coming over to make sure we were warm with the heaters which I appreciate. The alcohol menu was vast with number of beer, sake, and mixed drinks like chuchai which you can't find a lot in other places. You shouldn't expect your food to come out quickly because many of the dishes take time coming out. But for us, this was perfect because it gave us time to talk and enjoy the alcohol along with the dishes that trickled out, the "otsumami" were all great. So if you're coming here for dinner, expect to be here for a while, I'm not quite sure how they're like for lunch so I have to come again to see. Now for the food we ordered, we ate so much! We had edamame, baby fried octopus, the sautéed kimo squid, tanshio, chicken wing, grilled onigiri, etc. I feel because Sola is an authentic Japanese restaurant, they are a lot of dishes American are not accustomed to. But I hope that doesn't push people away because honestly, this place is great to try Japanese food that aren't just ramen or sushi. My favorite for the night was baby fried octopus and the sautéed kimo squid which went great with the sake we got. Will def be coming back when I crave Japanese food because I honestly think this place became my favorite I genuinely believe this is closest to a Japanese Izayaka you can get in the valley. Being a second generation Japanese American, I've had the honor of going to Japan multiple times and experienced the Izakaya over there. Looking at the menu they had in Sola, I saw so many familiar dishes that are common Izakaya go to, I was super excited. Flavor was AUTHENTIC and the staff, I believe her name was Miyuki was super duper friendly and made sure we were taken care of. It was a cold night so she was coming over to make sure we were warm with the heaters which I appreciate. The alcohol menu was vast with number of beer, sake, and mixed drinks like chuchai which you can't find a lot in other places. You shouldn't expect your food to come out quickly because many of the dishes take time to cook to perfection. But for us, this was perfect because it gave us time to talk and enjoy the alcohol along with the dishes that trickled out, the "otsumami" were all great. So if you're coming here for dinner, expect to be here for a while, I'm not quite sure how they're like for lunch so I have to come again to see. Now for the food we ordered, we ate so much! We had edamame, baby fried octopus, the sautéed kimo squid, tanshio, chicken wing, grilled onigiri, etc. I feel because Sola is an authentic Japanese restaurant, they are a lot of dishes Americans are not accustomed to. But I hope that doesn't push people away because honestly, this place is great to try Japanese food that aren't just ramen or sushi. My favorite for the night was baby fried octopus and the sautéed kimo squid which went great with the sake we got. Will def be coming back when I crave Japanese food because I honestly think this place became my favorite

My fiancé and I came here last night after searching for something decent that was open in the middle of the week past 10pm. There's parking in the garage under it as well as street parking on Ventura so we had no problems with parking. The place is dimly lit so it's very intimate for dinner. It probably can seat somewhere around 30-40 people at full capacity. Luckily only a few tables were taken so we were seated right away and our order was taken quickly. + Agadashi Tofu and Eggplant - 10/10 - AMAZING! I was pleasantly surprised with the eggplant too. + Pork Belly - 8/10 - pretty good. I wish it had been a little crispy but it was pretty good. + Tenderized Cucumbers - 4/10 - this was okay for me. I think it was a little under seasoned. + Pork Chashu Curry - 10/10 - this was flavorful and full of spices! The chashu was crispy and well cooked. + Chicken Kaarage - 9/10 - nice and crispy as it should be. I didn't care for the salad dressing but the chicken was delicious. Overall the service and food were pretty good. We will definitely be back here!

This place is amazing tasty Thank you so much I'll go there again the ajo tofu was so good

This place is amazing! Let me first start with the robot commodes and work my way back to the table. I love Japanese tech! How many times have you walked into the restroom and the toilet greets you with opening lids!? Seriously though, the Izakaya cuisine here is delicious and the prices are very reasonable. A lot of different plates to try as well. Can't wait to come back and try their curry dishes. Try everything, including the bathroom. It's all good!!

I'm a shabu shabu snob and I have to say Shoya Izakaya really impressed me. The meat was flavorful, marbled, and fell apart in your mouth. The vegetables were fresh and plentiful. Sauces were on point. The service was outstanding. They took great pride in the quality of their food, promptness of service, and cleanliness of the restaurant. I loved how they were showing Japanese sumo wrestling on the TV giving a bit of authenticity to the ambiance. I'll be back.

I'm a huge curry fan, I used to go to Coco Ichibanya off of Wilshire Blvd until they closed but I must say this Karaage Curry is like eating curry in Japan! And the Shoyu Spicy Ramen was soo good! The broth was amazing, and the noodles... PERFECTION! This will definitely be my new curry and ramen spot!

Have been here many times now and it has always been consistently perfect. The food is always top notch made fresh and perfectly cooked every time. You should note it is kinda pricy but worth every cent!