Tokyo Kalbi

Went here twice during my time in California from Dec '21 to Jan '22, first with my mom's Russian friend living in LA and my younger brother and then on my own. Tokyo Kalbi is special for Japanese BBQ in LA in the sense that it is one of the few Japanese BBQ joints in LA that uses charcoal instead of gas or electric grills, which really helps to enhance the flavors of the meat. The Premium Kobe beef tongue and short ribs were especially outstanding, though I would recommend ordering them beforehand, including for thickly-cut beef tongue. It's also best to reserve your table beforehand as well. If I were given the choice to come to this joint the next time I'm in California, I would gladly do so! Would highly recommend this joint if you want proper Japanese food in LA!

Good Korean barbecue. I am a regular customer here, and they have been increasing prices. When you sit down, a moist towel is waiting for you. The Kim-Chee used to be free, now it is $6. Nonetheless, it is still very tasty. The premium Kalbi is very flavorful. The binbin bap is also amazing.

If you're seeking an amazing culinary journey in Los Angeles, you must visit Tokyo Kalbi - an absolute hidden gem in the city. Located at 11664 Gateway Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064, this Japanese restaurant offers a spectacular dining experience. If you're a lover of premium quality beef, make sure to try their Kobe beef. Doesn't take long to cook to perfection. Every bite literally melts in your mouth, and you can tell that the quality of beef is taken into matter with each bite. But that's not all - Tokyo Kalbi offers an excellent selection of sake that pairs incredibly well with the food. The staff is extremely knowledgeable about their drinks and can help you select the perfect sake to complement your meal. What's more, the service at Tokyo Kalbi is exceptional - their staff members are incredibly friendly and attentive, ensuring that your every need is being taken care of. The ambiance of the restaurant is cozy and cozy yet refined, making it the perfect place to enjoy a special meal with your loved ones. Overall, Tokyo Kalbi is a must-visit restaurant in Los Angeles. With its top-notch service, unparalleled Kobe beef, and an impressive selection of sake, it's no wonder why it's become a favorite of many food enthusiasts. So, don't hesitate to make a reservation today - your taste buds will thank you!

So good. A staple for yakiniku in LA

So good but portions so small…

On our way from UCLA to Santa Monica, did a quick Google search, trying to avoid the solid but predictable Santa Monica places, and found Tokyo Kalbi. So glad we did! No reservations online but we called ahead and they had room, seating us in a comfortable booth just outside the small kitchen. Located in a typical LA strip mall, it's not much from the outside but the food is quite superior! Took a chance and so glad we did! For the grill, we had a few of the meat selections, plus the seafood and mixed veggie. Small but appropriate portions and good quality. The charcoal grill let off minimal smoke and no noisy hood above. We even ordered extra corn, which most of don't love, but it was so good with the tasty sauces. Appetizers were all hits: shishito garlic, beef tartare with egg, and a soft eggplant dish. Every single dish was delicious and crave-able. The green tea soba noodle was yet another highlight, so we ordered it twice. I've been to Japan numerous times and this soba was on par with my favorite soba shop in Kamakura. Our family is also a lover of kimchi - my husband lived in Korea for 2 years and we eat it regularly at home, and this was some of the best. We were all so happy we just kept ordering more dishes. With lots of re-ordering and 2 pitchers of beer (and dessert), our family of 4 spent about $350, so it's not cheap, but you get what you pay for. The staff was helpful and attentive and comped my husband a dessert for Father's Day. We also ordered the pineapple sorbet which was tasty (nothing exceptional) and placed in a small frozen pineapple which was a whimsical touch. Wish we lived closer so we could be regulars. I'm glad this place exists.

Great food, good service. The kimchi is flavorful, and the meat is tender. The option to cook it yourself is good. The prices have increased over the past few years, and things like bean sprouts no longer come for free.

Food is good but beware that the portions are very small compared to other places. The server said each order of meat is about 70 to 80 grams (2.5 ounces). So be prepared to need to order 4 meat orders per person if you’re hungry.

Came here for an early dinner around opening time but it seems you may need a reservation for normal dinner time. There's free parking lot in front but spaces are super tight be warned. Very quiet and peaceful inside and service is very attentive. What we ordered: - They were out of the premium ribeye so we got Set B: very small portions (only a few bites in total). I was a big fan of the second and third cuts in this set, the first one was just alright. Make sure to slightly undercook the meat as it's very thin. For the price I think the portion/quality is a bit small. I would love to try premium set A, and my friend recommends that over set B if they have it. - cold noodle with chashu pork: generous portions for this. The chicken broth is on the saltier side and an interesting taste. I thought the chashu was just alright, a bit dry but the noodles were cooked very well and bouncy.

We had such a wonderful time here the food was amazing. Everything we ordered was delicious. The eggplant Miss, so the salads, the tofu, all wonderful and look like art.

The food was delicious and very good I love the food at the restaurant and everyone enjoy it

It's a great place if you like racism and sexism. Apparently, you're invisible if you're a Black Woman. I went there with my White Boyfriend and the waitress only asked him what he wanted to drink and when it was my turn she walked away. When it came time to order I was invisible. She only asked him what he wanted. When I complained about being ignore and started to walk out, she turned to him and told him it's okay for him to stay and eat.

We haven't been back to Tokyo Kalbi in about 4 years and it's still super delicious. What a great hidden gem win the Culver city area. There are not a lot of good quality Japanese BBQ (Yakiniku) in West LA so we were glad that Tokyo kalbi is still serving high quality meats and dishes. The service was excellent! Both our servers were very attentive and friendly. It's a casual dining experience and if you are craving ramen they have their ramen restaurant connected to Tokyo kalbi. We'll have to try that next time. Thanks for a great dining experience!

Just Ok overpriced small portions was not great mediocre at best service was so so and probably won't go back

So our experience here is shaped by the expensive menu. Overall, we enjoyed the food and the experience, but frankly, this is not a good place for value of money. We spent $74 for dinner for two, without any drinks.. and we left hungry. When you order a protein or seafood item, you are given five items, the meat especially is smaller in size and not thick. To be fair, they should be giving you 7 to 10 pieces for the price. The atmosphere is decent, but definitely could use some music in there. It was pretty quiet. Service was acceptable, but again for the price we expected a little bit better with faster follow through on requests.

I just have to update my review years later to let y'all know, Tokyo Kalbi was, is, and will always be the BEST Japanese BBQ on the westside! We come twice a month and are always blown away at the quality and service. There have been a few times we came in for late reservations after evening church services, and they always accomodated us with a smile. You can't go wrong with Tokyo Kalbi! Our go to every time is the kalbi, beef tongue, daikon nori salad, garlic shishito peppers, namul, seasoned green onions, kimchi and a few other different goodies. You can't go wrong!

A Japanese BBQ experience in Sawtelle. I recommend trying the Tokyo Kalbi Mix A combination, which offers a sampling of short rib, rib eye, and skirt steak. I also got a selection of a la carte items like scallops, Kobe beef, and shrimp. While portions are somewhat modest, you can order a variety of dishes to make up for it. The interactive cooking experience, paired with some hot sake, makes it a fantastic dining destination.

Great quality of meat. We tried meat combinations, vegetables and butter mushrooms. Everything was delicious but very small portion. Service was good!

This review is so long overdue its insane. My family and i have been coming to Tokyo Kalbi since they first opened in 2009. Its been so long that i took my then new boyfriend (now hubby) there and introduced him to this amazing spot and he loves it. Its been almost 15 years but the quality and service has never changed. Koichi and Young have been there forever and they are my favorite servers of all time. The owner is also extremely pleasant. The meats here are so consistent- when you can you should try the Gold Short Rib. They dont advertise it but trust me...youll thank me later. The menu is not huge but its all down to quality. The spot is not overly fancy and its very simple but its always clean. Best part? Charcoal grill and you dont walk out smelling like bbq. Highly recommend

Went here on a Saturday night with no reservation (around $8) and was seated within 5-10 minutes! There's only indoor seating options but they seemed pretty spaced out. The owner/manager man was Japanese and very attentive. He was not our server but educated us on how to eat certain things, changed our grill, and made sure our finished plates were gone. Our server was nice as well and she spoke Japanese. This place is definitely on the pricier side since it's NOT AYCE and everything is a la carte. However, the quality of the meat is wonderful! The meat was very tender and fresh. So was the scallop. The daikon nori nori salad was surprisingly delicious (shaved daikon with sauce). The Bibim bop was an interesting addition to the menu but it helped fill us up! We would definitely come here again on a date night or something. It is quite pricey if you're the type of person to eat a lot. We ordered all items shown and another Set B but we're still hungry after it all. we did have four people though.

Unassuming, hole in a strip mall, the quality of the food astounds. An absolute 5/5. For the best premium Japanese BBQ in LA make your way to Tokyo Kalbi off gateway.

Can anything beat Korean bbq? Well yes. Japanese interpretation of K bbq. Staff are amazing. Food spectacular.

Great place for a special occasion. Everyone complaining about small portions need to stop thinking just about themselves and consider the whole financial ecosystem of where they decide to dine. If you think the menu is expensive, just go somewhere else. Higher end restaurants don't need bums making a fuss about the fact that they themselves can't afford to dine there. America is a free country meaning you are free to go to McDonald's. That or learn how to budget and plan to come here on occasion like me. Anyways, if you come here be sure to try the daikon nori nori salad, the beef tartare (unless you're squeamish of course), definitely get the types of meat YOU like, and last but not least, try the coffee creme brulee (I HATE sweets but this I absolutely LOVED). I guess what I am trying to say is that you guys leaving bad Yelp reviews for restaurants are such self-interested, "my way or the highway", cancer to American society. I do not care that your budgeting doesn't allow you to dine here, but stop trying to damage their business just because YOU decided to eat here.

Horrible. I wish I could give ZERO. Food ZERO. Service ZERO. We were greeted by lifeless staff. We could barely hear their voice. They brought our beef combo plate and there was no introduction of witch meat was what. Just placed and walked off. The grill had weak fire, hence no sizzling on the grill grate. Asked to fix, but no luck. Food was not good at all. Very expensive and not good. Lol. I will never, ever going back.

We love the food! It's the best! You won't regret! We have been dining here since it first opened. If you love beef tongue, you must have their beef tongue steak!

Overpriced for what you get..the meat slices are thin. Honestly, I've had tastier meat at an ayce kbbq for not even the price of the combo A. Will be sticking to ktown kbbq

A Yakiniku restaurant where you can enjoy delicious Japanese BBQ!!! This is a very good restaurant with great service from the staff. I take my small children to this restaurant, and every time I go, the whole family is very satisfied. A place with very good draft beer.

This place is so yummy. The food is so good. The staff and owner are so nice. My dad knows the owner and we came here a few times for family dinner. The restaurant is really nice too. Highly recommend this place.

"4+" Ratings. Sunday Evening To Avoid Traffic. Order Gyoza (Pork) , Premium Gyu Tan (Very Good) , Premium Kalbi (My Fav's) , Premium Kobe Beef Finger Meat. Very Good Quality & Taste , And Reasonably Priced Compared To Others. Recommended To Try.

The Louis Vuitton pattern they use on the wallpaper had me sold when I walked in here. Kinda off to the side in a small strip mall, this restaurant is definitely a hidden gem. They serve a fusion of Japanese bbq along with Korean dishes. What can I say, the meat is some of the most buttery marbled beef I've had in a while. They have some of the freshest cuts on the West Side, that's for sure. We also ordered bibimbap along with some other various appetizers and everything was top notch. The only "beef" I had with the place was the side dishes weren't unlimited. I usually like having side dishes with my meat, and was surprised when the server told me they weren't ayce. I mean if you're dropping $60+ on a Japanese/Korean bbq meal you'd expect at least that fam!

Japanese restaurants are not known for their desserts but pineapple sherbet here is excellent. Also daikon salad is great. Good combination with meats.

This used to be my favorite Japanese bbq spot. But it doesn't taste quite the same anymore. The flavor kind of changed. It's still relatively good, but may reduce coming here as the price is not great.

My go to place for japanese bbq. Meat quality is great and delicious! I usually get the tongue and kalbi. Yyeess the tongue. Pretend you got tricked and try it. It's so good here! So good i'll even leave a photo. And you can't go wrong with kalbi. Honestly not to much to say except...GO!! ps... they have the best radish salad with seaweed. Get the large. I promise you'll want more.

One of the better meals I have had in a while. - Kobe Kalbi tartar, don't eat raw meat often but this was sooo good. Like butter melting in your mouth. - Bone in short rib, really loved the flavors. - Harami cut, another high quality thin slice. You really can't go wrong here, every cut of meat is just super good quality... it reflects in the bill hahaha BTW, be sure to make reservations!

Read the low star reviews as they speak the truth. Expensive and you will leave hungry. Taste is mediocre, nothing to rave about at all. Not sure why people are giving this place more than 3 stars. My guess is they never had Japanese BBQ before. Service was fine, ambiance is ok. Not worth the price, nor your time.

What can I say... the service and quality of the food here is amazing. If you're looking for some quality Japanese bbq, Tokyo Kalbi is a place to try. We love everything here from the rice, to the noodles, to all of the meats that they serve. Do note that this is NOT an AYCE restaurant. Expect to spend a good amount of money here if you're looking to consume a lot of food. Some of our favorites are really simple, but really make your meal interesting. Definitely get the raw garlic and sliced green onion. The ribeye is really tasty and so is the beef tongue. We also like the green tea soba. I like that they use real wood coals as it adds to the whole experience. Can't wait till I visit again.

Meat quality was good but nothing spectacular or extraordinary. Great that they used real charcoal. Portions were tiny (think $80-100 just on meat pp to be relatively full).

If I could give this place more stars I would. Do yourself a favor and graduate yourself from gyu-Kaku and Manpuku and come eat here. The meat is on another level tasty. The daikon nori nori salad is unreal. I don't go anywhere else anymore. The service here is great too. Very friendly and attentive staff. You won't be disappointed.

I would rate this place 3.5 stars. The premium cuts taste better than the regular cuts. The premium cuts were definitely worth it. The ishiyaki Bimbimbap is not worth it. We order the one with the beef meat and our bimbimbap came with no meat. We told the waiter and she said we can exchange it or minus several dollars off. We decided to just keep the bimbimbap than the other Caucasian waiter came over to tell us that there were meat and her excuse is that when we mix the meat you can't see it. WTH??!? What kind of service is it when one waiter tells you she going to give you a discount and the other waiter (only Caucasian) tell you that it was our imagination and we can't give you discount. It's different if you just tell us we gave meat and we can give you a discount this time. What pisses me off is when this server examining to us she was choking on her own saliva because she knew we were right. I just paid for bimbimbap but honestly it's a waste of money because they don't put any meat on it. BEWARE OF THE CAUCASIAN WAITRESS SHE GAVE HORRIBLE SERVICE. Otherwise, the other waiters were really friendly and nice. Overall the meat is good, but I had better around LA. I would never order the large daikon salad again, gyoza was over price, prefer premium cuts over regular cuts. Would I recommend this place to other people. Probably not I had better Japanese BBQ places with same or cheaper price.

Solid Japanese Bbq on the Westside. Tokyo Kalbi is located in small plaza on Gateway and Barrington. Let's start of by saying that the quality of the meat where good to excellent. It's not as good as Manpuku in my opinion, but it was still great. FOOD: Daikon Nori Nori Salad: Excellent and refreshing salad to share. We ordered a large and it was good enough for four. Tokyo Kalbi Mix A. This comes with Premium Short Ribs, Rib Eye, and Outside Skirt . The premium short ribs had nice marbling which was excellent. The rib eye was good and the outside skirt was th beat out of the three. Yukke ( marinated rib eye/w raw egg yolk) : My favorite dish. The rib eye had a good mix of fat. Very fresh, creamy for the yolk , and flavorful. I recommend it. Rosu ( Rib Eye) : Wasn't as good as Manpuku. Not as fatty. Harami (Outside Skirt) very nice and tender. Black Pork Sausage: Good flavor. My kids enjoyed it. All in all I thought it was a bit pricey for the amount of food you receive. The service was fantastic and friendly, but the parking situation sucks.

First off, this is not Korean BBQ for those who don't seem to know that Japanese yakiniku is not the same thing. Endless side dishes are not the way yakiniku restaurants operate. Kimchi and bibimpap are usually Japanese-style which is geared to Japanese taste but are a staple at yakiniku restaurants. That out of the way, this place is the real deal. It easily can compete with the better, and equally, if not more expensive places in Japan. The meat is fresh and the quality is very high. The portions are what you'd expect if you went to a decent yakiniku place in Japan. You can't base your experience at this restaurant to your meal at Gyu-kaku (no offense to Gyu-kaku, they're actually not bad in Japan, definitely better than in America, but not a higher-end restaurant) or AYCE restaurants. If you can, go for the premium cuts of meat. You can taste the difference, although the standard cuts are better than most yakiniku restaurants here. The two of us splurge whenever we eat here, incurring a bill of at least $300 a pop. Obviously at that cost, we can't eat here weekly, or even monthly, but we never feel we paid too much for what we received. If you've had good yakiniku in Japan and we're looking for the same in LA, look no further.

This place is amazingly consistent with their meat and the service is always attentive and top notch. We mostly come here for the premium super tender ribeye as well as the sushi peppers. 100% recommend. Much prefer them to Manpuku or Gyu-Kaku with their meat that feels like plastic. I wish they had garlic rice, however.

I have always wanted to try this place, just to see how it is different from the Korean Kalbi restaurant. The eatery opens Friday to Sunday only. Although it looks like a small restaurant but there are enough tables to go around. It is clean and the server is very friendly. I was disappointed with the food portion served, the pieces are very small and in small quantities. The meat is not marinated and no dipping sauce is provided. The grill comes with charcoal and fuel with propane under the charcoal which might help with better air quality inside. It is definitely different from the Korean version of Kalbi.

Honestly, their meat portion is pretty petite. But meat quality is YUM as it melts in your mouth... And loving their japanese rice too! Ordered: 1) Tokyo Kalbi Mix A 2) Premium Gyu Tan (tongue) 3) Sliced kobe (?) (Not pictured & in the special edition meat)

Great good!! Highly recommed this restaurant! We love korean bbq and thisbplave has great quality meat and very good service!

Ordered the Kobe prime rib and was notified 35 min afterwards it was not available. Ordered the premium galbi and that was not available. When the bill arrived everything was on the bill and had to dispute the charges with the owner and he was not that thrilled telling us we were wrong

My cousins come to Tokyo Kalbi pretty much once a week, and I was finally invited to join them one time, yay! They told me to expect top of the line quality JBBQ, and that's what they delivered. The restaurant is pretty small, so expect a wait on the weekends since you aren't allowed to make reservations. They start you off with some complimentary appetizers, comes with three in a plate (spinach, bean sprouts and pickled radish), all super delicious and addicting. People probably abused this in the past and got unlimited refills, which is why if you want more, it's $1 per item, not worth. We started off with some Yukke (marinated raw beef rib eye w/egg yolk) and Egg Drop Soup to share. Yukke was delicious, I probably could finish one by myself, but it's quite pricey. Skip the Egg Drop Soup. For the 5 of us, we ordered the (2x) Beef Tongue, (2x) Pork Collar, (2x) Premium Kalbi and the (1x) Tongue Steak (limited quantities available, supposedly part of a secret menu). The quality is amazing, everything is so tender and juicy. Get a bowl of rice to share, it'll save your wallet a bit :) TIPS: The seasoned green onion is a MUST-GET, it's $2.50 a plate, but so worth it The service is good, they were very attentive the entire time with filling waters, taking away plates, changing grills, etc. Unless you're going all out, don't anticipate being stuffed, expected bill is ~$50 a head. Quality is good enough to make me go back if I'm in the area, definitely recommend!

Dont get me wrong: the food here is good. I really enjoyed my time here. But it is a really long wait, and you can get a much better value if you drive closer to downtown. Staff is very nice, food is delicious, but I'm just not sure it's worth the price. If you are waiting in line, oops sushi nextdoor usually has a spot at the bar, and has good happy hour deals.

Tokyo Kalbi is just what its name sounds like - japanese bbq with some definite korean influences. Usually I am not one to like fusion places, but I'll give any jbbq spot a try! Tokyo kalbi meat quality is pretty good. The combo was a good way to try out all the meats, but if you know what you like I suggest just ordering a la carte. The side dishes were korean apps, and good to hold us over until the meat arrived. Another good thing is the Yaki onigiri- is bomb and you cook it on your grill yourself... so don't leave it for too long it will burn! So no, we haven't found a westside equivalent of the OC anjin. But it is solid and the meat quality is pretty good. The lot is horrendously small and the spots are small as heck. Good luck fitting an SUV into the compact spots.

We have been coming here for years now since we live fairly close to it. It is slightly expensive but you get what you paid for and this place is definitely worth it. We like the beef tongue and the rib eyes in particular. We are not big fans of the scallop and there is nothing wrong with them, it is just hard to cook them perfectly on an open fire so I don't recommend them. The Bibim Bop and the grilled rice balls are also very good.

Pro: first and only visit there was no wait $$. Clean & nice ambience. Good AC. Daikon nori nori salad a must! Con: Premium Kobe Kalbi GOLD $40 (or $6.66 per 2"x0.5" piece) super stringy (not butter nor tender at all as other people say. Tried medium rare to well done and still very stringy. Told 3 different servers about the stringy texture and they don't seem to care.

YUM! Came in on a Saturday night w a group of friends that frequent this spot and it was my first time! We were seated right away! My friends said theres usually a long wait on a Saturday night so we got lucky. Friends ordered everything but my faves were X shaped tongue: apparently they only have a limited quantity of this cut each day and there is a maximum of 2? Per table. Something like that. It was SO tender and it basically melted in your mouth. SO GOOD. Kobe gyutan: Such great quality of meat and was pretty thick. Not pictured: Yukke: raw beef rib eye w egg yolk! One of Z BEST ones ive tried!! Premium Kobe Kalbi: yum! Soft bone cartilage: it was fried. Not my kind of food but friends said it was good.

Best KBBQ in the area. Decor is quirky, food is fire, and service is fast and friendly.

Overall, 3.5 stars. To start, this place is quite pricey. The premium meats are very good, but also small portions. The service is great, and the restaurant is clean. It's a good option on the west side, and the place gets filled up. We had premium meat Combo A, with ribeye, short rib, and skirt steak. The first two were very good, but the skirt was average. We ordered another ribeye which had seven thin pieces :( The dips are good; vinegar, salt dip, and spicy sauce. The veggies order for grilling was mediocre. The kimchi veggies were ok, but it normally comes free as banchan. The banchan was good, with bean sprouts, cabbage, and seaweed. Another order was $3.50 which is fine. The bibimbap was very good (as usual) but it cost $5 for a side of warm kimchi to add in. Even though everything was good, the overall taste and value for money just wasn't there. My friend works near Koreatown, and it's tough to compete with all the options there. If you don't want to drive out there, this restaurant is a pretty good option.

Tokyo Kalbi has THE BEST BBQ IN THE WORLD!!!!! I popped in a couple years ago and expected 3/5 food-boy I was wrong! The meat is AMAZING - people say that the meat is too thin but I think that's part of what makes it so good ( you don't get too much of a mouthful but it's not too little). If I could give 10/10 I would. must haves: premium Kalbi beef tongue chocolate lava cake sprite You should definitely come and try some!

Enjoyed our dinner. I believe it was the best yakiniku joint outside of Japan. Food and service was great. Great selection of Sake. Since there are great selection of Shochu maybe start serving lemon, oolong sour. Only negative the food portion is way too small for the price. Its even smaller than in Japan.

The food was great. I've never dined at a place like this before, but I really enjoyed it.