Gokigen Tori Yakitori Restaurant

Yakitori is one of my favorite things, and it was such a joy to find Gokigen! Everything was fresh and cooked with care and flavor. We kept ordering more things to try, and the servers were very helpful and attentive. The sashimi special came with fresh grated wasabi that complemented the different varieties of bluefin tuna. The A5 Japanese Wagyu was so tender it melted in my mouth. I would definitely return anytime I'm back in California! It gives me my yakitori fix when I can't make it to Japan!

First time at Gokigen Tori and I was blown away by the juiciest yakitori I’ve ever had. The duck especially was a favorite of ours. The chef’s special today was shrimp stuffed shiitake agedashi and it was so delicious. We also tried the special sashimi of the day and it tasted so fresh and buttery. The umeboshi cocktail and grapefruit sour cocktail pleasantly cut through the heavier yakitori and were very refreshing. The service was very prompt as we had 5pm reservations so we had no issues with waiting long for our food to come out. Can’t wait to come back!

Authentic yakitori experience on the Westside! The cook on the chicken liver is like that in Japan, more on the rare side. The daily specials include options like the sashimi appetizer, which was Bluefin flown in from Toyosu.

Definitely my top 3 yakitori in LA. Not like what most bad reviews mentioned, I didn’t experience m much a wait time between each skewer, and very good air quality inside. 100% will be back

I’m happy to recommend this place if you’re a fan of Japanese cuisine. Yakitori was a real discovery for me — the chicken oyster, hearts, cartilages, meatballs, mochi bacon, and karaage are all incredibly tasty. The chefs, who came from Japan, truly know their craft. Famous movie soundtracks play in the background, the location is convenient with street parking, and the staff is friendly and welcoming.

I am really disappointed in this place. This restaurant is promising, since the food was good, but the service was terrible. We ordered the pollock dish (image provided) and it seriously took an hour to come out, even asking 4 times if it was even coming. We ordered a second set of dishes: the pate, chicken skins, and quail eggs. Only the pate came, and we were reassured the rest of our food was on the way. Another 30 minutes later we were told they didn’t even have our order for chicken skins or quail eggs. Clearly the waiter never input our full order into the system, and there is a serious communication amongst the team or systems error. The waiters never checked in on our food until we waited an absurd amount of time. After being told they did not have our order, we were already there for over two hours (95% of the time just waiting for food), so it was just time to give up. We left, not even full. At least the toilet was cool.

I've been to Gokigentori twice since it opened, and it’s already one of my favorite spots in the area. The yakitori is excellent—juicy, flavorful, and grilled to perfection. The ramen is just as impressive, with rich, authentic broth that clearly reflects the chefs’ roots in Japan. The portions are generous—we definitely over-ordered on skewers (no regrets). The chawanmushi was a standout, delicate and comforting. Everything came out hot and fresh both times I visited, and the service was friendly and attentive. It’s great to have such a high-quality, authentic Japanese spot in Culver City. Highly recommend!

A hidden gem 1000%. Absolutely incredible Japanese yakitori. Fried chicken was the best we had ever had! Only a few tables and must call for reservations! Booked out every night!

Truly incredible food and service! Can't wait to visit again. Every course was prompt and delicious!

I've been to Gokigen a few times. Initially there were some growing pains because the restaurant was new. We still had great food. But now they have it dialed and the experience is top-notch. Happy to see other Japanese people (and entire families) frequenting the spot. My dinner date opted for Japanese curry (that came with excellent rice) and omelet, as well as the asparagus (moist) and chicken thigh. I went for the chicken neck which was made in a very unusual way, really under a mountain of scallions and herbs, it was truly otherworldly. We ended up ordering round-after-round of food and were generally delighted, and I ordered the chicken wings twice. CANNOT wait to go back there. There's bar seating, booth, or community table, as well as an outdoor area. So happy I don't have to drive an hour to have traditional Japanese food (made by a great Japanese chef) in west LA. AWESOME. Big menu of options (from sushi to ramen to yakitori). Highly recommended.

I highly recommend this place to all lovers of Japanese cuisine. The flavors are refined, the sashimi is incredibly fresh, and the tableware -- brought from Japan -- adds to the authentic experience. You must try the grilled chicken meatballs -- the chef grills them over an open flame and dips them into yakitori sauce. Absolutely delicious. The Corn Tempura is their seasonal special -- super tasty. Not pictured yet, but I also recommend the Gokigen Kushi, chicken hearts, liver, and cartilage -- hands down the best I've ever had. The Mochi Bacon really surprised me: chewy rice cake with nori on top and crispy bacon. The potato dish with a mountain of butter was perfectly salted, and the wagyu beef just melted in my mouth. We spoke with other guests during our visit, and they shared that they come here often -- it's the only place in LA that truly makes them feel like they're in Japan.

Me and my family like to try a new place at least once a month. We were actually excited to try this one. Specially with everything going on we wanted a few hours of normality. When we got there I think the chef or serve stopped us at the door and said ohh sorry we don't have enough food today sorry he didn't even let us step in all the way. It felt off and as soon as we got near the restaurant everyone was starring at us but we just thought we were being paranoid. We left, my sister in law suggested we call if we can walk in and how long is the wait time. Gave it my best English accent and the really said no wait time and I said ohh okay so no wait time I'll see you soon and he said see you soon Not only is this place racist they really did this in a really hard time. Shame on you Gokigen Tori Latinos are here to stay. Shame on you! we should be not spreading more hate! We should be more united May no one else support this business or not even go here

Excellent service and superb food. I can't rave enough about this restaurant. In a way I am glad it is not so popular yet because when it is it will be really hard to get a table. Anyone that likes yakitori type should try it.

SUPER SUPER smoky that your eyes would hurt. The food was good and once the restaurant got filled, it became very difficult to get the servers' attention to order more food. Finally we flagged down a server, the ordering device was down, then two out of the three items we wished sold out, the only item (rice ball) did not come for another half an hour; as it gets smoky to a new level, we just had to leave for health fresh air. The few items that we ordered were pretty delicious. We were curious about the grilled whole onion; it tasted yummy. The cute-looking Japanese Clay pot rice, that one I did not understand, it was just steamed rice in a clay pot ( we did not get any instruction and did not get the hourglass like other Yelper's order). If you add $5, you can enjoy the unlimited cabbage salad, which was a good option when you had to wait for the yakitori.

In my opinion, one grill with terrible ventilation isn't going to cut it in this city. The food was delicious, the service is definitely a work in progress, but the air quality inside was worse than a Korean BBQ restaurant. There seems to have only been one grill, which I can appreciate in a restaurant with fewer seats, but in a restaurant with this much seating it seemed inappropriate. I absolutely love yakitori, especially when real binchotan coals are used - as is the case here, but it's really tragic to have to eat delicious skewers while suffocating on carbon dioxide.

Great food, great service. We've come here when they first opened but they've greatly improved. Give it a chance! You won't get a creamier Suntory premium malt

Amazing food and very friendly service! Everything was seriously yummy but the bacon wrapped mochi, quail eggs, and sugar snap peas were stand outs!!! Solid selection of sake and beer too. Most tables have a good view of the grill which is fun to watch. Our kids loved the potatoes, curry, and peas and karage.

Love this place! I've had authentic meat skewers in Japan before and this place lives up my expectations. Everything was super tasty and the staff is very accommodating and friendly. The deco is clean, modern, with traditional elements. Would come here again!

We loved this new Japanese Yakitori restaurant in Culver City. They specialize in delicious and meticulously crafted yakitori skewers but they also have some rice, soup, and fresh sashimi options too. There is quite a variety to choose from. We tried many of the chicken skewers. The shitake and the special sashimi of the day were very good. Everything we tried was excellent. Sadly the wagyu was sold out. Service was great from the moment we walked in. Many of the items are served on beautiful dishes that are works of art themselves. There is counter service up front where you can enjoy omakase and watch the chefs in action. It's a bit on the pricier side as you need to order quite a bit to fill up but the quality and experience make it worthwhile. Also, there are plenty of beer and sake options to choose from to complement the meal. Looking forward to visiting again, maybe for omakase!

The food here is wonderful! Definitely recommend the mini ramen and Tokyo chicken soup dishes! Also be sure to say "Let's Go Dodgers!" (their signature cocktail). We'll be back!

Definitely my top 3 yakitori in LA. Not like what most bad reviews mentioned, I didn't experience m much a wait time between each skewer, and very good air quality inside. 100% will be back

I was really looking forward to it but honestly it was disappointing. The yakitori wasn't bad, but the portions were tiny and overpriced. It also took forever and even the beer was expensive. Definitely not coming back

Amazing food. Great service. Nice ambiance. High quality skewers. Nice Japanese wooden interior.

Comparable to Tokyo ! Love it. Make sure to get the grilled potato. I will be back soon.

I went there today at 8:15 and the lady refused to seat me at the bar as i requested. So i left. HATE this place already and will never go back. Good luck!! Culver City will treat you like how u treat them!! Sayonara!!!

amazing food. can't even describe the flavor bomb. Hiromi was amazing waitress with great recommendations. can't wait to come back

Gokigen Tori was a cool spot with some solid eats. The chicken oyster and kaarage were super juicy, and that A5 eel just melted in my mouth. The chicken curry felt like comfort food--it hit the spot.

In my experience, Gokigen Tori has a long way to go before it can compete with other yakitori spots in the area. The food was solid, but the ventilation inside was terrible--it felt like we were trapped in a smoke box. I get that they're using real binchotan charcoal, which I respect, but without proper air circulation, it just makes the dining experience uncomfortable. To make matters worse, the pricing felt off. It didn't add up for what we got, and it honestly left a bad taste in my mouth--financially, not just literally. Contrast that with Sakura House near Costco, where the food is just as good if not better, and they charge fairly and accurately every time. I love yakitori, but this place made it hard to enjoy. You shouldn't have to choose between tasty skewers and being able to breathe. Hopefully they figure things out soon, because right now it's not worth the hype or the headache.

We went with some friends right after they opened. Very good and very authentic, and a great addition to the neighborhood. They have ramen and other options thst are kid-friendly. I'd like to go back and try some of their other skewers some time. The only downside is that depending on what you order it can get very pricey.

Best chicken karaage and chawan mushi I've had since my trip to Japan! Feels like being teleported back!

We were so excited to try this new Japanese spot in Culver City and it did not disappoint. The service was great, very sweet and attentive. The food was great, best taking Tori I've had outside of Japan. Unlike some of the other reviews our food came out in a timely manner and was hot. The bacon wrapped mochi was fantastic. Super soft and creamy mochi. The chicken, which I usually think is meh was tender and juicy. Everything was great. Looking forward to coming back.

A welcome addition to West LA broadly defined. Food was delicious. I really liked that they show quite a variety of yakitori skewers and side dishes on the menu. I appreciated how they had a range of of chicken parts all the way from "safe" crowd pleasers like chicken thigh and wings all the way to more adventurous cuts. Everything was deliciously cooked. And it's really nice to have draft beer available in addition to a pretty decent selection of Japanese sake and shochu. I know people have complained about the smokiness, but I think that was due to ventilation issues they were having (it's a new restaurant finding its groove) and when we went, the air was totally clear despite a decent crowd.

Wow - easily some of the most refined and high quality yakitori I've had in the states. Succulent, perfectly seasoned. Loved the eel and the pickles are fantastic. They have kinks to with out with the service, but they just opened a month ago so I'll give a pass!

A yakitori house on the outskirts of Culver City - fantastic friendly and vibrant service (Hiromi is the best) and delicious food. I loved the Soboro Gohan, oroshi niku and the ramen was wonderful. Lovedlovedloved.

I'm a huge fan of Japanese yakitori and pride myself for going and trying new yakitori places all over Los Angeles. This place was a bit overpriced. Didn't have much of an ambience and you couldn't sit at the bar unless you paid for the $80 omasake. Considering the price and all these factors that played along with it and not having a waiter that was knowledgeable he kept having to go back and ask others what things meant on the menu , it seemed very amateur for such a high price Japanese yakitori restaurant if I were you, I would just go somewhere else!

False advertising! Business hours say they open until 10 but they refuse to serve anyone past 7 without reservation - even though the restaurant is basically empty. Will not be coming back and recommend everyone STAY AWAY

Epic Yakitori by Japanese Legendary Tokyo Chefs!!!!!! My Party spot!!!!!!! The Negima will get cult following!!!!! Banzai!!!!

Hands down the best yakitori restaurant! Food came from the grill hot! Every dish was so delicious and full of flavor. Service was excellent. Highly recommend!

Been twice. Did the Bar side Omakase first (Amazing flavor & variety). Second time we sat at table (still Amazing Flavor & Variety). This is now our go to yakitori spot on the west side.

I'm going to start this by saying the food is delicious. Every bite (there weren't that many) that we had was very flavorful. The issue is 100% with the service and management. The chef is great. We arrived at 7 for a 7pm reservation and we weren't approached by any wait staff until I called someone over 15 min in. We ordered 5 skewers (with the intent to order more). An hour passes before we finally decide to ask the waiter where our food is--we would have asked sooner but multiple other tables around us were complaining about not getting their food and/or having issues with their bill. The table behind us actually got up and left after waiting so long. After we inquired about the food, it came out 10 min later. At that point we had been there an hour and a half and had JUST only received our food. We were still starving and wanted to order more but we didn't have the time to wait. This is a local spot for us and our neighbors had warned us about this before going but we didn't realize just how bad it was until we went. This place is also really expensive for what it is. Definitely pass on the drinks (they are expensive and flavorless). In the hour that we waited my partner and I ordered 4 drinks total. Our bill was $100 for 4 drinks and 5 tiny skewers, mind you the drinks are not cocktails, it is basically watered down Sochu with a splash of lemon (definitely not worth $12). Long story short, come here if you have 5 hours to spare.

Saw a video on TikTok and decided to try it out. The service was good but the overall experience was mehhh.. it is very pricy and expensive. Prob the smallest skewer size in this area with the highest price tag. Nothing really stood out besides the side dishes. Minimal charcoal flavors and most skewers were either underseasoned or over seasoned. Charging $13 for a 12 oz beer with 1:3 foam to beer ratio is absurd. Spent $240 for 2 of us including 18% tip and left hungry. It was nice to try but I wouldn't come back here. Save your money and go elsewhere like shin sen gumi or yakitori Nishi

Just make sure they are actually opened for business. We drive a long way only to find out when we walked into the restaurant at 5:10pm, the chef said they were closed. On yelp, business hours say open 5p-11p everyday.

Please save your money and do not visit this place. The pacing of the meal was entirely off. What we received didn't match what was described on the menu. Items that should've been cooked through were under. Items that should've been under were overcooked. Customers leaving the restaurant looked disappointed and dissatisfied.