Izayoi

I always note places I want to try in Little Tokyo, but rarely get myself down there. But last weekend, I had a limited amount of time to find a restaurant we could grab a quick bite at. I had heard about Izayoi before and wanted to give it a whirl; more importantly, they took reservations (which we ended up being late for, but rushed in right in the nick of time).

As an izakaya (think Japanese drinking food/tapas), Izayoi has a lot of items on its menu and since we were rushed for time, we ordered a slew of things in a blur. We managed to hit just the right number of dishes for a filling dinner. What we had:

Chawan mushi (savory steamed egg that was good, but probably not the best version out there)

Japanese fried chicken (well seasoned, but I would've preferred smaller pieces)

Seafood cream croquette (very good, croquettes deserve their own national day)

Inside shot

Shrimp dumpling (substantial and tasty, Charles went gaga over this dish)

Seaweed salad (a teensy bit of seaweed, so not the kind what we were expecting at all)


We also had a couple dishes I forgot to photograph: a California roll (nothing to write home about, I ordered it to ensure we had enough food) and buta no kakuni (braised pork belly, very tender and rich in flavor). Overall, I really enjoyed our meal here and the vibe was relaxed, but the service was quick and friendly. I can't wait to come back and make my way through more of their extensive menu!

Izayoi
132 S Central Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 613-9554