Not gonna lie, I ate here completely by accident and out of necessity. I met up with a friend of mine Friday night for dinner in Little Tokyo with no reservation (not smart). Ended up randomly walking into this place and getting the only open table they have. The food was amazingly good with great service. We had a great experience here and have said we will return here in the future

I've passed by Kinjiro and this plaza so many times, yet never made a reservation until recently and I honestly don't know why. Kinjiro is definitely one of the best restaurants in Little Tokyo! We 100% enjoyed everything that we ordered. Kinjiro is izakaya style, so there's small plates for all palates. They also change up their menu but keep favorites. They're known for their beef tongue, and I definitely recommend it if you enjoy it. It's cut thick unlike other places, yet so tender and juicy. Black miso cod was also perfect and buttery. Their sashimi salad had generous portions of sashimi and a yummy dressing. Don't pass on dessert! Definitely get a reservation so they can accommodate your party!

second visit on friday 2/7/25, 7:30 PM: came for my best friend's birthday and it was much busier than the last time i came for a 5:30 pm seating. the staff were friendly and recognized that i had come before, so that was a nice touch. was super excited to have tried some new items for me: chicken t tsuta-age (3 pieces) with three delicious dipping sauces, black cod with saikyo miso, and king salmon ochazuke. we also ordered the grilled beef tongue again, was just as meaty, tender, and juicy as i remembered. green tea panna cotta was absolutely bussin as well, def want to try out more dessert items in the future. i love that it doesn't get super loud in here and always remains at a moderate level of noise + music - you never have to shout in here which is great. also the tables are a great distance to be seated across from your dining companions, it's not too far but not too close.

My favorite spot since the pandemic. Then I came back. Got to see the inside. Loved it. Every course is umami, love and omg. They bring it out 1 at a time, which is what I love. When I mentioned I like the courses slow and steady, they loved. The ambiance is classy. The service is incredible. The wine pairing o.g.

I was a little bit hesitant about trying this spot as it seemed pretty pricey, but I decided to take my boyfriend here for his birthday. Reservations can be made up to a month in advance by email and they are very responsive. Agedashi tofu (4/5): unique take on a traditional dish with the mushroom ankake, it was very flavorful. The only suggestion I have is to make the fried crust thinner as it was hard to cut through. Thick Beef Tongue (5/5): wow, so tender and delicious! A must order. Miso Black Cod (5/5): so tasty and buttery, similar to Nobu's. Inaniwa Beef Tongue Udon (5/5): loved the thinner noodles and it was simple but flavorful. Green Tea Panna Cotta (5/5): received this as the birthday dessert and it was so good! Not too sweet. Overall we had an amazing experience from start to finish! The quality of the food warrants the pricing. Customer service was excellent as well. Sundays and Mondays the plaza doesn't charge for parking which is a plus. $25 corkage fee for any wine or sake.

Food, service, ambience excellent, and reflected in the price, but I think the quality is worth the price, as even McDonalds is ridiculously expensive these days. Making a reservation - as far as I know, no phone or online system, so it's a hassle to go back and forth by email. I hope they change this. Still all in all, a great place for an intimate celebratory meal. I always want to go here for my birthday, and my husband deals with making the reservation.

This was really just a great "experience". We didn't know what to expect, but the service was exceptional and the food was really great. You really have to be there to understand how small the restaurant is and how intimate it feels. The waiter was just really on top of everything and all of the dishes we got were really great tasting. We got the uni risotto, the agedashi tofu, the miso sea bass, the bone marrow, the black sesame mousse and the seared kampachi. The risotto was creamy with a strong uni flavor that we liked. The agedashi tofu had a great broth and was super creamy tofu. The bone marrow had that wonderful "meat butter" taste when you ate it with the bread. I could have passed on the kampachi, but it was still good.

I've been meaning to try Kinjiro for quite a while now but they are reservation only and require you to email in advance so it's always just been a bit of a hassle to plan out in advance. I finally tried this place recently and had a wonderful meal! This place is located in a plaza with a parking lot that requires payment so keep in mind you will have to pay, but it is easier to access compared to other parts of DTLA and little Tokyo. The restaurant itself doesn't have too much seating but it is very cozy inside. Staff are all very polite and they introduce each course one at a time so be prepared to sit here for a while. We ordered the uni scallop crab appetizer, miso sea bass, Wagyu short rib, uni risotto, and truffle cream udon. Everything was incredible but the highlights were definitely the miso sea bass and the udon. The risotto was delicious but a bit too creamy and heavy for my taste and the Wagyu wasn't as special but still both of these were really good. I wish I had enough time and belly space to get their dessert but I'll just have to wait to try it next time!

Maybe my favorite izakaya in Los Angeles! It is a very intimate small restaurant where you need to get reservations. Went for my birthday and it was definitely a memorable experience. We got the salmon and scallop salad that huge chunks of both that were absolutely delicious. The karaage chicken was huge but nothing spectacular. The beef tongue was the star of the meal and would 10/10 recommend it to anyone going. If you have room, and maybe if you don't, the green tea panna cotta is so freaking good. I don't even like sweets and it was just one of the best desserts I have ever had.

If you're looking for an evening spot where you can take time savoring every flavor that gets put in front of you then look no further than Kinjiro. Each dish comes out like it was made specifically for Instagram and packs so much flavor that it could have its own episode on the Food Network. It's a super small spot and what sets it apart is how they take their time sending each dish out. No rushing between courses. Now, because it's small, you'll need to make a reservation. It's worth it. The must try items: 1. Uni rissoto 2. Mackerel 3. Beef Tongue 4. Black cod