Izakaya Tonchinkan 呑み屋 とんちんかん

Food was great.. lots of selection and rarely seen dishes in other yakitori spots. The beef tongue was excellent 👍👍.. highly recommend. Service is great, chef's were fun and engaging. Getting a Reservation is tough, but that's understandable for a location like this. Give it a try if you have a chance.

Amazing! The seafood was all really fresh, and everything was seasoned/cooked perfectly. Since the restaurant is izakaya style, the portions are relatively small, so expect to order more than one dish per person. This place is a bit pricey, but in my opinion, worth the money. In particular, their house-made black sesame ice cream is delicious.

Absolutely love this Izakaya. This unassuming restaurant combines a relaxed atmosphere with delicious food. Tatsu-san (chef) is a hilarious character making your dinner experience that much better. Be sure to make reservations, because it is almost always booked. I usually order the beef tongue, sashimi platter, karaage and a few other dishes. Try this place out!

Here is what we will definitely order again on the next visit 1 Beef Tongue (Perfectly grilled) 2. Yellowtail on top of steam rice (Fish is fresh) 3. Grill veggie (Pumpkin is so good) This will make a perfect dinner set with fish, beef, and veggies. Don't forget to make a reservation as the seats are limited

A cozy place, loud conversations with light jazz playing the background. Small portions though they're all pretty appetizing. A neighborhood hidden gem

Very authentic, fresh, and wonderful taste. On the expensive side, but I would say it is worth the price. Sashimi is so fresh and high quality! Definitely recommend the house made ice cream!!

Quick Summary Great quality Japanese food. The beef tongue is a must! Sea bass is a dark horse must as well. All of our dishes were delicious. It's a small spot, so reservations are a must during the weekends Food- 5 stars Beef tongue- this was the star of the show. One of the best beef tongue I've ever had (probably top 5 of all beef dishes). It's so tender and full of flavor. Just fantastic Sea bass- this was very good as well. Definitely a must order Salmon don- this was very good as well. Would recommend it just to add more substance / carbs to your meal We also ordered the Anikimo salad, Kanpachi kama, monkfish liver, and tofu. All of these orders were great, but the top 3 were must-trys Service- 5 stars Excellent service throughout. Staff were nice and attentative, and great with recommendations Ambiance- 5 stars Pretty comfortable seating. Reservations are a must during the weekends (they had to turn people away because it's so packed) Bottom Line Excellent local Japanese food spot. That beef tongue will stay with me forever

My friend loves this place so she brought me here as a treat the other night. The food was so good! We ordered a lot of different things so I could try a variety and we ate tapas style. We sat at the sushi bar and had wonderful conversations with the sushi chef and other customers. It was a lot of fun. Now I know this place exists, I'll be going again before I leave the LA area.

My favorite izakaya in town! Lively ambience and friendly service. Small and cozy so reservation is highly recommended. Grilled beef tongue and whole sea bass is must have. Also love their salmon & ikura donabe rice. It is supposedly for 2 to 3 people, but i think it is big enough to share with 4-5 ppl. Today i tried the house made tofu which is a cold dish. Very refreshing with soy bean aroma. The dishes are well plated and with excellent details. Never too salty. Just right. Parking is in a private lot. This restaurant is next to the ups store. May be hard to find for first timer as its sign is not in an obvious place.

My gf's parents came from another country to visit and I chose this place to take them to. I made a reservation beforehand since the restaurant is small. We ordered shima aji sashimi, kinmedai sashimi, teppan sausages, grilled beef tongue, fried tofu, and a chicken and burdock donabe rice. The grilled beef tongue and shima aji sashimi arrived first. I loved the thick cuts of beef tongue but a few pieces were a bit too chewy. The taste was amazing though. The shima aji tasted extremely fresh and were nice thick cuts. I usually order them as sushi but thick slabs of shima aji were just delicious. They sold out of kinmedai so I was really sad. The fried tofu and teppan sausages arrived next. I wasn't too big of a fan of the toppings on the fried tofu since there was pepper flakes. It covered most of the taste of the other toppings and the bean taste of tofu. My gf's parents also couldn't handle spicy foods so my gf and I had to finish it ourselves. The teppan sausages were super flavorful and hot. The skin was crispy and the meat was soft on the inside. They were seared very nicely without being burnt. The last to arrive was the chicken and burdock donabe rice. This was the one dish I was unsure of, but ended up being my favorite. The rice was soft and flavorful after being in the same clay pit as the chicken and burdock. The chicken was soft and moist. The burdock taste was not overbearing and gave a nice texture difference. Overall, food was delicious. I'm a regular at their other restaurants like sushi kisen and this one is just as good. I definitely recommend this spot for people who want izakaya style dishes. Service was great as we did also order some sake and the waiter took time to explain all the off menu bottles that they had available.

This place is usually packed so I made a reservation for an early dinner on a Saturday evening. Upon entering, I noticed the restaurant was already pretty full. It was also pretty loud and we had to lean in to hear each other talk over the noises. Service: Our server was really patient and attentive at the start but then towards the end, we had trouble flagging her down so we asked another server to bring our check for us. Food: We ordered the following: * Negitoro bluefin toro chopped with scallion * grilled beef tongue - this was actually my favorite out of everything we ordered * grilled jidori breast cartilage * this uni and sweet shrimp dish * salmon and ikura donabe rice - this was delicious as well. The ikura added some saltiness to the rice that made it tasty. * japanese kale with fried tofu salad - a little too salty for my liking A pretty solid place that I would definitely return to again in the future!

Came by for dinner the other night and it was a tasty experience. Dropped by right when they first opened and managed to get a counter seat with a full view of the kitchen. Parking is available on the street or inside the private lot. Started off with the blue fin tuna toro with green onion and it reminded me of Tokyo! I've been on the lookout for some tasty tuna toro here in the US! Unlike Korean, Chinese, or Hispanic influenced Americanized sushi rolls, these are the real deal, just like in Japan! Moved on to the corn tempura and it was also excellent! It had a side of green salt. The corn was light lightly breaded and fried. The miso soup was fragrant although a touch watery compared with the versions I've had in Japan recently. It was decent for US standards. I had an entire grilled fish for dinner and it was the weakest dish of the evening as it was over-grilled making the fish on the drier side and it was also oversalted...bummer. Finished off the meal with the green tea panna cotta which was tasty, especially with the layer of foam cream on top! Service throughout the evening was hospitable and they take credit cards. ~$80/head after tax and gratuity for dinner.

Cute little Japanese Izakaya place we found recently. There is parking out front. The menu is pretty extensive so we got to try a variety of things. The outside doesn't have much signage to direct you so it's a little hidden at the end of the strip mall. The fish was really fresh and everything we tried was delicious. We had sweet shrimp, beef tongue, chawan mushi, and a few other items. They offer an uni tray here which we will try next visit. We sat at the bar and the food all came out pretty quickly. Hope you get to try the food here. Happy Yelping!

Good food and cozy atmosphere. Came to celebrate a friend's birthday. She made a reservation at 5pm on a Saturday. We were seated at the bar. Our server was really attentive and patient. The food was overall good. We ordered a variety in order to try, and there were definitely some passes. We ordered: - Salmon & Ikura donabe - our server helped us choose because it was hard to decide. It was good! The ikura added a salty burst - Cold tofu - My friend said the last time they came it was sold out because it was extremely popular, but I thought it was just ok. - Smelt fish w/eggs - it was ok - Karaage - it was really good and crispy, we recommend! - Assorted sashimi chef's choice - ended up being 3 pcs (one pc for each of us) of 5 different sashimi, for around $50. It was 1. amberjack(I believe), 2. barracuda, 3. toro, 4. tuna, and 5. mackerel. They were all delicious. We liked the barracuda the best! I was a bit disappointed in the toro because my piece did have a chewiness to it - it felt like there was a chewy film dividing my piece? - green tea pannacotta - I thought this was good! not too sweet. After all the food, we struggled to split one

Arrived in town and my son and his fiancé took us immediately to their favorite Izakaya in Japan, oops Arcadia. For real, the restaurant, atmosphere, servers, fish and grill staff, sake selection, made it feel like we were in Japan. This is as authentic of an informal Izakaya as you can get without forking out for a transpacific flight. The four of us were lucky to have a 7:30pm reservation which got us into a wooden booth. Mika was our attentive server for the night and gave us various recommendations as to fresh sashimi, grilled items, and sake. She and the rest of the server staff cleared dishes quickly as we finished item by item which were appropriately spaced out - meaning not arriving all at once. The pace was fitting for an Izakaya. We ordered so many items from sashimi recommendations of o toro and mackerel, grilled items of beef tongue, truffle oiled vegetables, dried ika (can go without the sauce), and fried items of corn and chicken Karrage. Also liked the Black Sesame ice cream. Those were the items we really liked while we had some items which were just ok - grilled duck breast, Butter soy scallops, salmon & Ikura rice - did not stand out for us. Definitely make a reservation rather than waiting in line for a table. Large free parking lot in this Arcadia strip mall.

For all the Japanese restaurants in the area, Izakaya Tonchinkan stands out for the unique dishes it offers. I came here for my birthday since I had it bookmarked for a while and looked interesting, and I wanted a place that had enough options for my newly-vegetarian-again dad. The server recommended the chef's sampler and it turned out to be my favorite of everything. I would guess that they use the parts that aren't being used in other dishes and put it all in one. It is four different small dishes that vary by day. Ours included a cubed beef dish with yuzu sauce, two kinds of fish and tofu skin. All were nice and delicate, and well worth the $15 dish price (comparatively). I ordered a yellowtail with sansho peppercorn rice dish, and I think I may have been better off ordering two separate dishes instead. While the peppercorn flavor was nice, I would not order a rice dish of this size and price again. I also was expecting the fish to be raw but the texture was fine. I normally would've chosen the ikura salmon donburi but I wanted to try something different. The NY steak was good. I tend to like Japanese flavoring for steak since it is usually flavorful yet delicate. The zucchini(?) blossom dish had ham or some kind of meat it in which caught me off guard since I thought it would be vegetarian. The tofu dish was basically a mapo tofu but cold. I enjoyed it since I love mapo tofu. My dad also had the grilled veggies and a ume/mountain yam roll which was quite small but nevertheless interesting. He noted that it was cut and sized nicely. Overall it is an interesting menu to experience. I would try some of their other dishes but only for a special occasion since the price point is on the higher end.

I was on a hunt for umeshu. A google search does not bring much up, so I decided to take my chances and check out this highly rated Izakaya. Umeshu jackpot!!! I loved the green tea and ujicha umeshu options. For the table we ordered the chef choice appetizer, grilled beef tongue, and grilled sea bass. Thoroughly enjoyed everything and highly recommend the appetizer: 4 diff items of well balanced beef, steamed fish, and sushi. Service was so kind, funny, and welcoming. Open plan from kitchen to dining area, so it's easy to interact with the cooks and waiters. Loved my experience here!

I LOVE THIS PLACE SO MUCH gonna call it a hole in the wall just bc i never knew about it and i've lived here my whole life LOL the food here is just amazing i can't even put it into words how much everything is a 10/10 my favorite dishes are the beef tongue, salmon rice, duck breast, and seasonal sashimi. it's all worth getting! service is 10/10 and the ambiance was 1000/10 despite being small and i do recommend making a reservation beforehand everything is comfy and clean!

This is not the place for a quiet dinner - multiple tables were extremely loud to a point that the decibel level was like being at a concert. And with the piercing laughing from the women and the obnoxious bellows of drunken men, this is absolutely not a place I would bring a date. Management did nothing about it so I can assume this is just common acceptable behavior for the patrons here. Food was mediocre at best - most dishes were salty and we had to return an item for being overcooked. Sadly, we wanted to like this place but unfortunately we will not return

This is probably one of my all time favorite spots for a fresh, delicious meal. Everything you order from the menu is so unique and the flavor all comes together so perfectly. This is my second time coming here and we ordered a few new dishes and they definitely didn't disappoint. The service is also 10/10 as they're so attentive and constantly checking in whether it's to refill your tea or ask how everything is. The vibes here are really chill and pretty intimate. The place isn't too big so def make a reservation if you plan on coming!!

I've always heard about this place from friends and family but never really got a chance to try it until now.. We went for a sampler, beef tongue and oyster. It was a lot pricier than what I was expecting but it's definitely one of the better beef tongues I've had. I'd definitely come back for the oysters though! I really loved how they were so massive and clean tasting especially for bigger oysters. I was told this place is usually packed all the time so we made a reservation hours in advance and when we arrived at our reservation time it was pretty empty. The service was great as our waitress was really informative about what was going to be on the chefs platter. I would definitely come again!

I have been here so many times and have been reluctant to review it because I want it to remain my secret. But after having frequent conversations at reserved seating near the three chefs, I caved. Just be nice and acknowledge them no matter where you sit. Itadakimasu! I am always stuffed when I leave here because you are spoiled for choice, whether it be raw sashimi (don't ask for sushi or a bowl of rice here), grilled mackerel or ayu (sweet fish), stewed chicken hearts, gizzard and liver (my personal fave), chutoro, cut rolls of toro with takuan, the surprises you get from chef's choice of appetizers and the delicate flavor of yuba (the tofu skin gleaned off the top of soybean milk). Yes, I have described everything that I ordered tonight and it is consistently magnificent. I don't normally like chicken liver but the way they prepare it here is so creamy; it's like pate without all the fillers that cover up for the gaminess of offal. We ordered the chutoro but then they also gave us akami as well as a white fish (maybe snapper or halibut?). So delicious and fresh. The mackerel was a chef's suggestion and needed no seasoning, only the spritz of lemon. The potato wedges were just a palate cleanser between dishes. Hubby and I both ordered yuzu sours, which is the carbonated version. A "chu-hi" is just with water, not carbonated. We make our reservations fairly early so that there is plenty of lot parking. Gochisosamadeshita!

First and foremost, call for reservations in advance. They do fill up during their 5pm hour. Jackie was our server and helped us with many things. Overall, this izakaya is decent and doesn't require a drive to Izakaya Onsen in Silverlake. I love the cozy atmosphere and ambiance. We ordered a few dishes and spent $300 on 3 people easily. Grilled Squid- this was my 2nd favorite dish out of the evening Grilled Beef Tongue - this was nice, tender, and cooked, well, but I found it a little bland Grilled Scallops - overcooked, but flavorful Grilled Duck Breast - this was tender and flavorful Grilled veggies - cute in display and decent Grilled Sea Bass - this was my other favorite dish Potato wedges - were pretty good Deep fried grab liver with ohba leaf - this was my favorite item during the evening since it was new to me. It was flash deep fried and perfect! Overall the food was pretty good and it was very cute. Jackie was a superstar! I will return but with a reservation. Next time I will definitely try the sushi and raw items, since our friend didn't "do" raw things.

Definitely recommend calling in for reservations since this restaurant has few tables! There's a lot to choose from on the menu, so here's what I recommend: - Grilled beef tongue: perfectly cooked! Our favorite dish of the night - Grilled chicken cartilage: loved the texture of this - Corn tempura: this was done is an unexpected way and paired really well with wasabi salt! - Yellowtail and sansho donabe: we were so full and originally didn't want to order a rice pot but we're so glad that we did! The sansho pepper added a tingling, not too spicy edge to this dish - Shiso and ume roll: a simple roll that was very fresh The dishes that fell short were unfortunate the ankimo (monkfish liver), which was quite overcooked the night we went, beef stew that was too salty, and the moriawase sashimi. They recommended 5 px of sashimi per person, which came out to be $88 for 4 ppl. The sashimi was overpriced for what it was.

Think this measures up to the hype decently well. 5 kinds of vegetables came in a hot mini cast iron, cute and interesting with the two dipping sauces, one salty and one more more of a kewpie based mayo one it looks like. The truffle/salted fries were interesting and solid. Nothing super fancy but just solid with light salt. Beef tongue was sold out! So got the karaage was piping hot AND the unique thing is it came with matcha salt on top of the normal dipping sauce. Not the absolute best karaage I've had but I've tried a good amount. Shop has nice lighting and is pretty cozy. Servers are nice and checked on us multiple times.

The place feels very cozy. Food was good. We got snow crab ($40), dashimaki ($10), duck ($20), tongue (28), and karaage ($9). I think they are on a slightly pricier side as far as an izakaya goes, I think, but you do get what you pay for. Everything was pretty delicious. Service was friendly and swift. Parking was plenty in the lot. Since it is a rather small place, and we started noticing people waiting at the entrance, we couldn't take as long we've liked to enjoy our time there. A shame. I guess we'll just have to return soon.

Came here to dined in twice and both times were great. The place is pretty small so it's highly recommended to make a reservation. My favorite dishes here are the beef tongue, the toro roll, and the monkfish liver. The beef tongue is so tender and juicy. It goes really great with the jalapeños that it comes with. I did enjoy this more the first time than the second time. I felt like during my second visit, it wasn't as flavorful but it was still really tender. The toro roll was really fresh and consistent as I did order this both times I was here. I also really enjoyed their crispy cabbage. It's quite a simple dish as it's just cabbage with sesame dressing but the combo just goes so well together. The service was ok. Workers were friendly but the dishes came out too spaced out from each other. I also got take out here twice because I wanted to try their omakase. Everything was really good and fresh. I really liked the toro and the uni. The toro was fatty and melts in your mouth. The uni was really creamy as well. I wish you can order this when you dine in but I believe they don't have this option since they do get busy. I believe you can also only pick up at a certain time which is 1 to 1.5 hour after they open since they don't make this at a later time due to having to focus on the customers who are dining in.

This place is hidden. Small place, cozy vibes, and good service. You need reservations.Their uni tray was good and their toro. A few of the sushi was fishy and I wished it was fresh. Some things are a hit or miss here. I did not take a pic of the chicken karage appetizer but it was a bit soft and soggy rather than crispy. Overall good place for dinner.

Neutral experience. It was good but not 5 stars good. - Grilled beef tongue: 5/5, thick and easy to chew. Grilled just right. Super delicious. - Chawanmushi: 4/5, good but not a lot of things aside from the egg. - Grilled 5 Veggies: 4/5, a little salty but I love the taste. Normally not a zucchini person but I loved these. - Duck breast: 4/5, not stiff at all, enjoyed the taste and texture but not anything that would "wow" you. - Grilled Octopus: 2/5, did not like this one at all. The octopus was quite stiff and but the skin made it feel very fat and greasy. - Grilled Sea Bass: 3/5, love the meat but the skin was way too salty for me. I enjoyed the izakaya style vibe, and the main chef was super friendly. One customer kept asking dumb questions that I would've dismissed but he answered them with great patience. Hats off to him haha.

Ambience was good, cozy Japanese restaurant. Good service and good food. Will return to try more unique items. The grilled whole sea bass was good, so was the NY steak. The grilled duck breast was slightly chewy, the oysters on the shell were delicious!

QUICK TAKE// A gem in LA. One of the best Izakayas I've ever been to and gets a full stamp of approval by my Japanese friends as being one of the best out here. FOOD// Where do I even start. Quite literally every dish here I've had so far has been AMAZING. We always go with our friends who are locals and live walking distance from here. They always end up ordering for us and blowing us away with foods that are incredibly authentic and diverse. I am always obsessing over the whole grilled sea bass personally! Their grilled beef tongue is also phenomenal. Salmon and Ikura donabe rice is also delicious. Honestly you're in good hands with any item in their menu. SERVICE// Top notch. That's all I have to say here. VIBES// It's quite literally always a party when I've come here. Chef Tatsu clearly has many friends that come to hang out and drink with him. It makes the ambiance inviting, energetic and homey. Vibes are immaculate .

Made a reservation for a Wednesday rainy night and had no issues at all. I would say the restaurant was 75-80% filled the entire time but with or without reservation would have been OK. I think I tried to go last year without a reservation and was told wait time would be 2 hours. I thought their estimate was ridiculous but now I know why. There were regulars sitting at the bar and enjoying their food, drinking sake, and chatting with the chef. It was a very friendly and comforting environment. My friend and I ordered a couple of their hot appetizers and one sashimi plate. I really enjoyed their baby Abalone. Very sweet and fresh. Still dreaming about it. Their seabass was very beautifully prepared but was salt encrusted and not very palatable for me. Each bite of the skin felt like biting into a clump of salt and was hard to digest. Even after attempting to eat just the meat there would be a uncomfortable punch of salty taste. My favorite would have to be the sting ray fin dish. I joked that it looked like a bunch of calloused feet shavings. It was so good. Beef jerky in texture and very sweet in taste. Yum. Their uni (not pictured) was also very delicious. Solid sushi but not alot of variety. I don't think they even had salmon. I would definitely come back. The chef was celebrating his birthday and opened up a bottle of wine and offerred his guests some. We all cheered to him until he found out I too was also a scorpio born in November. The restaurant cheered to me as well. The staff was very friendly and laid back therefore not as attentive. My water was never refilled (but most of the clientele seemed to be only drinking alcohol which was self pour so maybe they weren't used to people drinking hot water) All in all it was great.

This is a very small restaurant but it's definitely a wonderful experience. I do recommend reservations as they're often booked, but they may be able to squeeze you in between time slots if you're willing to adhere to a time limit. Honestly I'm super surprised at the taste of each dish. They're each very unique. The sweet shrimp wasn't what I was expecting but it was still refreshing. Their sashimi is very fresh overall. The grilled beef tongue is a must. I was expecting the thin ones from bbq but this is thick but extremely tender and well seasoned. The beef stew is very hearty in flavor and the portion is big. The grilled duck breast has a little bit of a crisp on the edges. It's good and not chewy at all. The menu is very large so I'm definitely coming again to explore the menu!

Food - 4.5/5 Solid small bites. Everything was delicious. Service - 3.9/5 The chef behind the bar was amazing but it took some work to get the attention of our server. We also got seated with the contingency that we finished before X time as they were expecting another group to come in. The slow service made it difficult for us to not feel rushed to eat and get out before the next group came in. Ambiance - 4/5 The space is small and intimate but the food is good so come early and try to make a reservation if possible.

We went there on 12/27. Unfortunately we couldn't make a reservation and they didn't take walk-in on that particular day due to a group reservation at 7:30. The hostess was kind enough to make a room for us to sit at the bar. The food was high quality. Servers were very nice. This place is a hidden gem I didn't know about until now!

This place is a hidden GEM!!! They have high quality, authentic japanese izakaya food and the atmosphere inside is amazing! This place is on the smaller side and often has a full house so I recommend making a reservation ahead of time!! We made a reservation for Sat night and the place was packed. The servers and chefs were all super friendly with the customers. It seemed like many of the customers were regulars and knew the staff. You can tell all the customers were having a great time dining here. We got beef tongue, jidori chicken cartilage, hokkaido scallops, salmon & ikura rice bowl, and the chefs special sashimi platter. All the food was amazing and came out quickly. For the sashimi platter, you can choose how many pieces and how many types of fish. The sashimi was super fresh and the slices were thick too! The jidori cartilage was amazing. Perfect amount of batter and I love the added crunch of the cartilage. I would recommend coming in a small group so you can split a bottle of alc.

Izakaya Tonchinkan ticks all the boxes for drinks, great food, and a low-key atmosphere. First, I always love how unassuming the location is with only a small sign. Like every other great restaurant in LA, Tonchinkan is hidden in a strip mall. Be sure to call for a reservation since the restaurant is small. If you prefer a little more quiet and privacy the booths have tall sides and can fit 4 people. The grilled beef tongue, fresh tofu, and a sashimi are our go-to orders. Since the menu and seafood offerings change frequently there's always something new to try as well. During our last visit it was Kisu tempura fried light and fluffy. The service is warm and helpful. During our last visit a guest had a medical emergency and the servers even handled that amazingly!

Best Izakaya in LA! Reasonable price and great quality of food. Of course taste even better!

The good: yellowtail sansho donabe, grilled beef tongue, corn tempura (unique!!), ume cut roll Homemade tofu, yuba, chicken cartilage were not bad. The nikomi (beef stew) was a miss. Overall it was pretty good and I'd come back to try other menu items

Do not go here if you're hungry! Authentic Japanese resto good if you're planning to drink more than eat! Small portions for a hefty price!

This place is always such a pleasure! Everything is delicious. This is a very popular neighborhood restaurant so make sure to make reservations. The place is small and cozy, feels like you are really in an izakaya in Japan. Dishes are well planned tapas style and just right. Looks so appetizing! Service is attentive and friendly. Highly recommended for friends to gather.

Such a great hole in the wall, authentic Japanese izakaya restaurant! Ambiance felt like I was back in Japan with the small plates and beer. Highly recommend the grilled beef tongue. The chefs expertly prepared everything and service was fast and friendly. Best to make reservations in advance as it can be a long wait for walk ins.

I took my boyfriend here for our anniversary and it was such a great experience. The restaurant itself is very home-y and comforting. I really appreciated how cozy and relax the restaurant was. That said, the chefs and waitresses were so sweet, helpful, and funny too. As for food, each dish we got we could really taste the quality. I highly recommend getting the chef's choice starter. It's a great way to try a little bit of everything! But the tuna sashimi and toro roll were our favorites. Highly recommend this place! I suggest calling ahead to book a reservation. Definitely will be coming back.

Uni box is super fresh; service is excellent; will definitely go back! Little reminder: make reservation before you go!

Service is excellent, everyone works very hard for your food to be perfectly prepared. All of the food is carefully prepared and deserves its excellent rating. We're picky eaters and I tend not to even rate restaurants that don't perform so when I do give a rating, it's because it is deserved. This is a slice of Japan in Arcadia.

Delicious food! Great ambiance and service. You'll need a reservation to get a table. The space is cozy and well decor. You'll probably hear your neighbors conversation but well worth it. There is no big sign to say here we are so careful you might miss the restaurant.

Great omakase experience. It came with 7 different courses. We also did the sake pairing and the servers were well educated in explaining the location and flavors of the sake. I highly suggest getting the sake pairing. It helped cleanse your palette after every serving. It's a small restaurant with 3 booths, 1 party table, and about 10 seats at the bar. Bonus points for the chef being extra friendly and playful with my daughter

Delicious foods and tasty for a Japanese night meal with all the small hot n cold dishes with all beer and sake wines!! Services were great and well explanatory for menu, chef will prepare well for kitchen, grill and sushi ... Atmosphere having a traditional Japanese late night house meal since it's opened for dinner only and recommend for reservations especially on the weekends and holidays!! Really recommend for all the Grill items on the menu!!

I'm a regular visitor to Japan and love going to Izakayas while I'm there. It's impossible to replicate that ambiance but I do think Tonchinkan has got it pretty much nailed down. It just needs to be more cramped and smoky . They have the massive food and drink selection on point and also the decor but what makes an izakaya an izakaya are the regulars, the people who are so familiar with the place that they just walk-in, move some newspapers aside, sit down, and their favorite dishes start rolling out without having to say a word. I saw something like this happen over and over during the course of the night and I could just feel that neighborhood izakaya mood that I get in those salary man shops in Tokyo. Even the energy permeating from the waiters and chefs was Tokyo-like. I loved everything about it and will return for sure. I dropped a star because they missed an order that I had to remind them of and I also got charged for another order that they never delivered. So just be mindful of your orders since there tend to be a lot at small plate shops like this.

Boyfriend took me here for my birthday and needless to say, it was an amazing dinner. We came around 6 and was fortunate that there was an opening (although I have been told to make sure to reserve in advance as it gets back). Food was very flavorful and the ambiance was super cozy. All of the staff was incredible in providing good service and meal! Thank you for the wonderful dinner!

This place is a trip. Arrived at a little strip mall. Had trouble finding it. Very minimal signage. Windows covered up. Inside was like being at a little Izakaya in Japan. Awesome. The food is very authentic Japanese, high quality fish and very delicious. The omikase was great and portions generous, the salmon collar was my 2nd favorite and the Toro was a winner. Make sure to make reservations because seating is very limited. Saw multiple people get turned away on an early Friday evening.

Love this HIDDEN Gem! I actually don't want to share because it's hard to get a table here. Trust me If you like quality sake, quality sushi and Japanese dishes, then book the reservation ahead of time. It's small so it can get loud for happy people enjoying the food and experience. Trust me No photos. Place too exclusive!

Excellent Ramen House. Order Classic Tokyo Tonkotsu & Tokyo Rich Tsukumen (In Collaboration with Keizo Shimamoto). Both Taste Delicious. Good Service.

Delicious but quite pricey! This place serve authentic japanese food. It feels like the meals are home cooked. Very delicate. Grilled beef tongue is my favorite. The place is pretty small, only few tables inside. We made reservation before dining here.

As others have mentioned this is a relatively small restaurant that requires reservations. Witnessed a few people being turned away as they didn't have reservations. As we first sat down, we were presented their drink menu. Decent wine/sake options and definitely more extensive than what is listed on their website (for those looking to bring bottles). Since it was just my wife and I dining, we weren't able to try a lot of things and left pretty full. Housemade tofu - Decent flavor but the texture wasn't as smooth as other izakayas I've been to. The matcha salt was unique but I typically enjoy it with just the ginger and soy sauce. Crispy cabbage w/sesame salt - Was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed this dish. As basic as it probably is, I really enjoyed the sesame and salt flavor. Ankimo - Personally not a huge fan but the wife seemed to enjoy this dish. Mirugai - Was just ok in my opinion ... a tad bit fishy for my liking even with wasabi and soy sauce. Grilled beef tongue - Exceptionally executed. Nice thick and tender pieces of beef tongue that were perfectly grilled. The seasoned jalapeño slices complemented the beef tongue. Will have to ask for a bit of sea salt next time. Grilled duck breast - Another perfectly grilled and seasoned dish. Wished the mashed potatoes were warmed a bit before serving. Torotaku roll - Was really craving this cut roll for some reason and it was pretty good. Chawanmushi - Didn't try but the wife seemed to enjoy it. Grilled vegetables w/truffle oil - Simple and tasty dish. Karaage - Nicely marinated and fried to a golden brown. Overall a decent izakaya that's worth going back to. Service was great and food came out quick but not rushed. Will have to go back to try other items and for dessert as they were sold out for the night.

Tonchinkan is a nondescript izakaya in a strip mall near IHOP. There is a vague sign H next to the UPS store. Space is limited to 4 tables for 4, 2 tables for 6, and maybe 10 at the bar. Extensive sake & shochu list for those who love to drink! Service was attentive, and the seafood was fresh. Will return to try the omakase and chirashi rice bowls next.

I preface this review by saying I am a very picky Japanese glutton who would rather cook at home than leave a restaurant thinking,"I could have done a better job." I remember when the nondescript storefront for Tonchinkan was a yakitoriya over a decade ago. The fine dining scene for Japanese food being much thinner on the ground in San Gabriel Valley than in other parts of Los Angeles, Tonchinkan arrival was timely. I have a small appetite: l budget ~ 100-150 (tax+tip inclusive) for two if drinking moderately and more if drinking more. I've been going to Tonchinkan for several years and liberally ordered their bento throughout the pandemic. The quality of the food has greatly improved since 2020, elevating this restaurant to a 5-star rating from the 4 star I likely would have given it in 2019. The house tofu in particular is so deliciously creamy that my friends no longer make pretensions of sharing (Highly rec getting this to-go) The salmon and ikura takikomi rice are particularly popular, but I encourage folks to try the more seasonal mixed rice dishes. They don't always have desserts, but when they do, they are always excellent, never too sweet and distinct in flavor. I think what also impresses me is that the simplest dishes are the best. The fish for sashimi are very well-sourced, and have price tags that reflect their quality. A rotating daily and seasonal menu and regular pop-ups for assorted sake+shochu vendors mean I'm always eager to come back and see what has changed. Birthdays? Tonchinkan. Graduations? Tonchinkan? Need to impress visiting friends? Tonchinkan. My main complaint used to be usually the driver, so I was rarely able to sample as much of the sake, shochu and umeshu as I want. Now I go via the A or Foothill Transit when I want to drink on my own. Where else in LA can one find a proper izakaya accessible via public transport? With respect to ambiance: This place looks like all the details "fit." The main reason to pull out a phone is to take a picture of the food is so I remember to order it again. I've rarely seen unhappy customers nor witnessed unpleasant conversations. Note: There are occasionally complaints about wait times and so forth, particularly for takeout. My honest opinion (Having frequented Tonchinkan regularly pre-post pandemic) is that they are either coming from people who don't understand much about what is still happening with food service in LA in the COVID post-pandemic climate (Sustained demand for takeout despite resumption of in-person dining, reduced availability of staff) or from people who don't really understand what kind of place this is. This is a neighborhood establishment where the emphasis is on leisurely enjoyment of the food as opposed to the efficiency of the transaction. I always ask what days are good for reservations and placing takeout orders, and make my orders keeping the demands of other customers in mind. I don't place an order online Saturday night when I know the staff has a full-house and then express surprise that the wait-time is longer than expected. My advice to folks who don't like waiting: Do what I do. Consult the staff w/r to days, seats, time-slots and so on, and plan your orders/ reservations with their advice in mind. Also, props to whoever handles their instagram account.