Gokigen Tori Yakitori Restaurant&Sake Bar

This is truly the best skewer restaurant in Southern California. A friendly and clean restaurant. The food was delicious and truly impressive. It wasn't much different from the skewered food I've had in Japan. The food was delicious, cooked to a perfect temperature and just the right amount of heat, and the flavor was so good it made me want to sing along. The only downside is that, as it's Japanese food, communication between staff and customers can be a bit awkward. However, this is one of the few restaurants where everything else is perfect, perfect score. Come and enjoy a wonderful time with your loved one or family as soon as possible.

The service here is amazing! We made a reserve at 6:30 showed up a little earlier got seated right away. We’ve been trying to look for a Yakitori place that specialize in Yakitori and this by far has been the best thing ever!!!! Price is a little higher yes of course but I feel it is definitely worth it! The quality, the atmosphere, the hard work the chef put in cooking in the heat. Everything came out amazing, I even tried chicken heart for the first time chicken oyster, chicken wings, pork w cheese, their clay pot chicken rice w chicken soup (almost like an upgraded chicken congee), and their drinks is amazing as well

This is my first Google review ever but I just had to rave about this place. I live in New York so my standard of food is pretty high - when I tell you this place beat all of the Yakitori places I’ve tried in NYC. Seriously straight out of Japan! From the skewers to the sake, to the most perfect matcha dessert, this was absolutely 20/10!!! Will definitely be returning when I’m back in LA.

Delicious food, great atmosphere, creative dishes and awesome beer. I highly recommend stopping by if you're a fan of yakitori, everything we tried was delicious, hot, and fresh. My favorite thing was the tempura corn and the whole grilled onion - I was pleasantly surprised! We will be back.

Such an amazing and authentic Japanese place! The atmosphere feels truly Japanese, and everything we tried was delicious. I especially loved the dessert Purin— it was unique, light, and so tasty. The fish was incredibly fresh and full of flavor, and the grilled chicken heart skewers were absolutely delicious. Definitely a spot I would recommend and come back to again!

Revisit - this time a la carte instead of the fixed Omakase menu. We miss sitting at the counter as the tables are small and tight and we cannot easily interact with the chef, but we like to control our own food destiny. This is a great choice not just if you prefer trendy, LA Japanese food, but also if you want something more authentic. You just have to know how to order it. The default is going to be well-cooked chicken with tare, a sauce that is slightly on the sweet side. We prefer it shio, or with salt and no sauce. Chef also knows we like it the way they do it in japan, which means moist and succulent and a little pink. The Sasami, upon request, was VERY pink…and pefect. They also have special hearts, succulent liver, and an egg yolk to dip the tsukune (meatballs) in. The ochazuke comes with a rich chicken stock that you pour over almost uncooked chicken breast and rice, a beautiful, satisfying way to end the meal. Besides all the offal, they have plenty of the classic cuts as well. Also plenty of other options; tempura, salads, rice dishes, sashimi, more. $30 corkage. We will return again soon. #thefoodietraveler New Restaurant Alert! Gokigen Tori. Just opened in April, this a legit Yakitori Izakaya restaurant in Culver City. Beautiful, modern restaurant, subdued lighting, not loud, not smoky. The chicken is free range, and all the other ingredients are well-sourced and of excellent quality. It is not just chicken on a stick, there are plenty of delectable options such as sashimi, tempura, noodles, clay pot rice (awesome,) and more. Originally, we were going to go for a la carte and quietly check it out from a table. However, then I read the incredibly irritating Yelp reviews that suffice to say lack a basic understanding of what to expect from an authentic Yakitoriya. Because of that, we grabbed some friends who were up for the adventure and tried their $150 Omakase. So happy we did. In the true spirit of omentenashi, they even sat us as two couples catty-corned from each other. If you choose Omakase, you get to sit at the counter and hang with the chef with a great view of their beautiful, open kitchen. There we learned about Chef and owner Kiyoshi Nagae (Kyo) his partner Ken and their ambitious idea of "I want Americans to eat real Yakitori.". There were so many courses .. Frankly, my biggest regret was how much of the core yakitori we did not get to try this visit, but that just means we need to go back. The A5 wagyu + uni was a supplement, it is not included. The chicken stock (tori tori "ramen") served at the end was the best we have had anywhere in LA since Japan. THey even let us grate our own wasabi. We could have easily spent far less if we ordered a la carte. I don't think we have to drive to Torrance anymore. 🙂 Corkage $30. #thefoodietraveler

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!

Everything we ordered was amazing and tasty. We loved how authentic the food was. We had an amazing experience and it felt like I was back in Tokyo. This will be our new regular spot.

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

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.

Legit authentic food made with love!!! Other than yakitori, Corn tempura, croquettes, and ramen was amazing. The service is phenomenal. Everyone was so attentive. I love that unlike regular American restaurants there is no specific server to the table but everyone is taking care of you. The inside looks sophisticated and the open kitchen is so clean. The restroom was also clean which tells that their kitchen must be clean.

Ambiance: it's a Japanese style skewer place, spacious inside with cool elements and fancy utensils and plates, you can tell they try to be a high end dine in place, but with such a horrible ventilation system, the smoke from the center grill stays in the room, and yourself and your clothes will smell like charcoal afterwards Service: friendly but a bit pushy to place the order and clean the table, they weren't that busy that night, really no need to rush your guests Food & Drink: skewers items on the menu are categorized for chicken, pork, beef, and vegetables MOMO TAREH - *** Iconic Grilled Chicken Thigh Dipped In Sauce, average taste NANKOTSU - ** Chicken Cartilage, burnt soft bone KAWA - * it's supposed to be a Crispy Chicken Skin, however, so soggy and overly salty SOBORO GOHAN Minced Chicken and Rice Bowl - ** it was served too fast and the rice was apparently not cooked from raw in this container, as there was zero layer of crunchy rice forms at the bottom of the clay pots, the taste was fine, but misleading information on their menu MINI TORI-TORI RAMEN - **** Chicken-Stock Ramen With Thin Noodles Simmered For 12 Hours, the only thing I likely here, small ramen in tasty broth, recommend Japanese Cabbage With Special Homemade Dressing - * the salad wasn't even fresh, rotten leaves, not optional and surprising charge on the bill, they have fine prints in the bottom of their menu. They took the concept of Japanese tradition for surcharge of table and service here, but still expect you pay regular tips as US tradition in the end, disgusting double dip SUNTORY THE PREMIUM MALT'S - ** the only draft beer they have, tasted like water Price: super stinky portions but very stiff prices, expect about $50 per person, and you likely still feel hungry after eating here. Overall, not a recommended place, don't waste your money here, it's literally noxious for the air quality, and obnoxious for both otoshi and tip

the food was good and kara-age crisped to perfection. sadly they were out of the A5 uni that night so i couldn't try it. pickled veggie appetizer was a bit subpar. however, main deductions for the shady business practice of offering us another round of their so-called "house" "salad" (some leaves and leaf stems) without telling us they'd charge for the second round. so when we asked for the second round, then saw it on our bill... not a fan. also they took fooooooorever to come take our order. if i hadn't kept trying to flag someone down i don't think anyone would have ever come. place wasn't particularly packed enough to warrant such a long wait. super nice staff otherwise though.

Five stars is not enough to show how amazing the food is here. It's impossible to pick the best from any of the dishes because the second you take a bite from the next skewer, your mind has told you, it's your new favorite. However, the three most memorable, and three that cannot be missed were the chicken liver, chicken oyster, and chicken neck. Honorable mentions go to the ochazuke, the meatballs with the egg dip, and the chicken heart. It seems unbelievable that a world class yakitori restaurant sits humbly on a corner in Culver City, but here we are, licking our greasy happy lips and wondering when we can make a trip back. (The only picture we took was of the beautiful sashimi. Everything else was too hard to resist too even wait for a 2 second photo).

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.

Great food!! We sat outside with our dog and it was lovely. Good service as well. We'd come back for sure

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.

Food 7.5/10, everything was decent good but I don't think anything was out of this world? More notable: - Chicken karage very juicy and tender - chicken ramen has a really nice light broth. Noodles al dente. - chicken gizzard cooked and seasoned well Skewers are priced per skewer. Service is a bit on the slower side but staff all friendly. They have a cute outdoor patio. Interior decorations and space looks great.

Such an amazing and authentic Japanese place! The atmosphere feels truly Japanese, and everything we tried was delicious. I especially loved the dessert Purin-- it was unique, light, and so tasty. The fish was incredibly fresh and full of flavor, and the grilled chicken heart skewers were absolutely delicious. Definitely a spot I would recommend and come back to again! Service very kind , feels like you are in Japan !

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.

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.

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.

We just had a really great experience here. The food is simple but very authentic, thoughtful, and delicious. The chefs are clearly skilled at their craft and it feels and tastes traditional and authentic. We've been excited to try this place so I read a lot of the reviews here on Yelp in anticipation, and i just wanted to address some of the naysayers. For one, yes there is some smoke. Like barely though, honestly. And also, you're being served traditional Japanese Yakitori. What do you expect? That's like going to Benihana and complaining about it being too warm during your onion volcano. And really, it wasn't bad at all. The ventilation was totally fine. Secondly, timing and service. Yes, your food might take a little more time to come to you. There are just two chefs working the small yakitori grill for the whole restaurant. But was it worth waiting an extra 10 minutes to receive something given that level of attention? Of course. We literally watched them painstakingly painting our grilled rice ball with shoyu, turning it so that every side was sufficiently browned and crispy. And really, things came out in a very timely manner considering these two (very nice) chefs were making great food for the whole restaurant. In conclusion! This place is great, order the chicken oysters and a beer, and take your time. It's worth it. Hope this place stays here for a while. We'll be back.

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

Great service and awesome food! most items are flown in from japan. the ambiance is nice - newly remodeled place.

All the yakitori we tried were great! House made dressing was amazing on the cabbage. The skewers weren't drenched in sweet soy sauce like many yakitori places. Overall feels more elevated and definitely will be back!

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!

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

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!

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.

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!

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

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

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

Food, service, ambiance were superb. Felt traditional Japanese which we loved. We'll be back!

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!!!

great little authentic Japanese spot on the west side! incredible skewers! Great service!

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.

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.

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!

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 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.

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

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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.