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Tokyo Fast Food
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
11921 Santa Monica BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 478-3603
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 9 pm
Sun 11:30 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
69 reviews for Tokyo Fast Food
Review Highlights
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"The spicy tuna roll was great." In 5 reviews -
"...and i frequent el super taco, located right next door." In 5 reviews -
"...myself making my way over there for their Chicken Katsu." In 3 reviews
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69 reviews in English
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Review from Megan S.
Santa Monica, CA
3/21/2012
This little cafeteria-style Japanese restaurant is the bomb! I was a little put off by the name (fast food? Confused?) until I read the Yelp reviews here explaining that in Japan, "Fast Food" refers to a quick place for workers/businessmen to grab meals, vs American fast food chains. This place is indeed fast, as well as cheap and tasty! They have a huge, varied menu with lots of noodle dishes (soups as well as dry noodles), bento-box style plates, and even sushi. Everything is really reasonably priced - there are a lot of solid meals (think rice + protein + a little salad) for around $7-$9.
A few things I've tried:
-Udon: this is pretty good, although I would LOVE if they had a more hearty udon (like Nabeyaki - if they had this, I'd come multiple times a week, I swear). The chicken udon has a nice, large piece of chicken thigh on top, and a decently good broth. Nothing stand-out, but good enough for a craving.
-Ramen: The ramen has a rich broth, and the noodles have a good texture. It does come with a big blob of pickled ginger in it, so if you're not into that, make sure you ask for it on the side.
-Ginger pork: Really good, and a big portion. A little on the greasy side
-Spicy tuna roll: inconsistent. Once it was really, really good, and another time it was just ok
-Broiled mackerel :SO good, really nice flavor and big portion. Came with a tasty potato croquette which was a nice touch.
The service is fast and always friendly. I've never had problem parking in the lot in front, although if it's full, there's tons of street parking around. A great place to stop by for a quick, wholesome meal with no frills. -
Review from David S.
Northridge, Los Angeles, CA
2/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Tokyo fast food- it truly does stand by it's name. The cash only system at times might be somewhat of a headache of some sort since if I re-call the closest ATM is 2-3 blocks down the road. Once you place the order, your meal came out quick. I would about in under 10 min. even when it was crowded during the lunch hour.
I've been to this joint quite a few times now, with a full meal costing close to $7.00-8.00, well worth the trip each time. The portions are just about right leaving you full. Either do the take-out thing or dine in you won't go wrong with this place. -
Review from jon p.
Los Angeles, CA
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
I ordered the tokyo special, which was.. 3 pieces of california roll (mostly rice and cucumber, to be honest), a big paddle-full of rice, some salad, a decent portion of chicken teriyaki, some vegetable and shrimp tempura (although the shrimp are mostly breading), and either an eggroll or some green tea iced cream (yum).
$9.50 for the lot of that, but for the below-average quality and being skimpy with the good stuff (shrimp, crab meat, etc..), I can't give this place more than 2 stars. Like the rating says: "Meh, I've experienced better." -
Review from Hurf D.
Redondo Beach, CA
1/25/2012
Amazing. This place is 4.5 stars, and I'm making it 5 because that half-wit gave it 1.
Cash Only. Which is fine, because the prices here are too damn good. $6.95 gets me the Shoyu Ramen (yum!). Not sure if it's standard, but it came with two things I can't describe very well-- but were very tasty.
They were cool-rice-filled dumplings, and the rice was mixed with toasted sesame seeds and compacted. Lightly sweet. Really good.
The Ramen itself was a good portion. Not huge, but in no way small. Your money goes really far, here. -
Review from Diana L.
Los Angeles, CA
11/29/2011
When I first heard the name of this joint, I did a double take. Japanese food that's fast food? The word fast food conjures up the feeling of feeling ill, rather than satisfied. Plus, the price point was very inexpensive for Japanese food. The only way I could see for myself was to check it out.
I'm a sucker for Japanese food & can be quite the discerning eater since I have been to Japan & had their awesome food. I got to the resto which is nestled in a plain strip mall. It really does look like a fast food joint w/ little ambience. I wouldn't recommend it for a date. I would recommend it for someone who is on a time crunch & needs a quick bite or who is catching up w/ friends that you're on a solid basis with so it doesn't matter where you take them.
The place is cash only. There is free water to the left of the cashier. There's also a stamp card : After 10 stamps, you can get a free chicken bowl. I ordered the Spicy albacore roll which is 12 pieces of albacore, spicy mayo sauce, & cucumber wrapped w/ seaweed & white rice. With tax, it came out to $7 & some change.
The order came out really fast & the meal was no fuss and pretty good. There was a Japanese show on the TV. There's also a community bulletin board where people can post their fliers & business cards. Now that's good karma I can support : )
I'll be back for my next fix of Japanese food. They have fish teriyaki, curry, udon, & ramen! -
Review from Chu L.
Alhambra, CA
3/29/2012
The name fits the bill. Japanese style fast food! A nice place to go and have lunch for under $10.00. A few items are a bit more expensive. Not a place to bring your hot date on a Friday or Saturday night, but a good cheap family owned joint with decent food. Everything on the menu is good to average.
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Review from Phoenix F.
Los Angeles, CA
12/1/2011
Wretched! Ugh...I'm not Asian, but I know ramen as the likes of Ippudo and Momofuko and this is worse than Cup O Noodles.
Save your pennies until you can afford a real ramen experience, or spend those pennies on some Ralph's brand ramen -
Review from Melissa D.
Los Angeles, CA
11/15/2011
Standard fare.
Nothing to write home about.
I'm glad I checked it out though. -
Review from May-may C.
Santa Monica, CA
4/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
no kids menu but my kids like the simple Japanese food they serve
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Review from Ju Hae L.
Los Angeles, CA
10/16/2011
The name says it all, this place is FAST. If you want a "fancy" lunch or dinner with your girlfriend I wouldn't recommend coming here, but if you want something where you can go in and out in less than 30 minutes or just want to pick something up in 5 minutes I highly suggest you try this place out.
I had the spicy miso ramen, and although it wasn't the best ramen I've had, it was pretty good nevertheless. The waitress was super nice and very positive. It's nice to go into a restaurant and see people who are happy to be there.
Some other things to note:
- Parking is pretty easy to find because the side street next to it has street parking
- The TV has some japanese TV show on and although it can be entertaining I can see some people getting annoyed with it
- It looked like there were some comics and magazines by the door for customers to read
If you want to go to a place where you can just chill and eat a good portion meal for a very decent price I highly recommend this place. -
Review from Blair K.
Huntington Beach, CA
4/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This place is a pretty good place to get some decent Japanese food that is cheap and fast. When I went there I got the chicken karaage and 6 piece California roll for about $10. The chicken plate came with a generous bowl of rice, salad, bean sprouts and some tempura battered potato (I think that's what it was). The chicken was pretty tasty, however my only gripe was that the chicken karaage had a very very dark brown color which makes me a little suspicious that the oil might have been old or needs to be changed. The California roll was mediocre, nothing to special, kind of bland.
The restaurant itself is kind of small, which makes me think this place is probably best for take out or if you just want some filling, cheap Japanese food. -
Review from Venus R.
Santa Monica, CA
3/5/2012
I'm going to agree with Ned M.'s review. 5 stars aren't reserved only for upscale gourmet places. My entire experience at Tokyo Fast Food was great. The female owner was friendly, smiled a lot and helped me decipher what some of the menu items were. I ended up ordering the chicken udon bowl and it came with a spicy tuna cut roll on the side. My food came out FAST! Granted, I was the only person in there (11:00-they had just opened). This place means business. They were probably in that kitchen early in the morning prepping for the day. My tuna roll was fresh and really good. The owner asked if I wanted a fork or chopsticks for my soup. I appreciated that as it would have taken me four hours to eat if i didn't have a choice. I'm lame with chopsticks. Just can't quite seem to get the fingers coordinated. Anyway, I would definately go back and try more things from their menu. I don't care if it's in a run down strip mall with limited parking. The owner was humble, helpful and grateful. My food tasted great. My entire order was $7.85+ tax and tip. Deserving of 5 stars in my book.
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Review from Melissa W.
Los Angeles, CA
11/12/2011 7 Check-ins Here
Its cold and rainy and all around yucky today so I decided staying close to home for dinner was a good idea. This place is less than a block away from where I live...and has some pretty great ramen. I ordered the Tonkatsu ramen with extra pork and when it arrived at my table I had a giant bowl of perfect rainy day comfort food. The broth was perfect...not too salty not too bland. It was love after first sip...probably my second favorite ramen anywhere (Santoku holding the #1 title) The noodles were perfectly and the pork was flavorful. I have been here before and enjoyed a beef bowl...which was also quite tasty. I can see this becoming a habit. The down side is its cash only...the up side is there is a chase bank just down the street. Go pull $20 out of the atm come here and get tasty food and have at least half of that $20 left for another time. Food is inexpensive and delish!
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Review from bri T.
PORTER RANCH, CA
3/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Looks jenky from the outside, but its SO good!!
To me, seemed authentic japanese even though its fast food!
Highly recommended!
Parking was a bit of a hassle because the parking lot is super tiny. Might have to find street parking and pay the meters.
Pricing is very reasonable. Ranges from $5-9 for a meal. =D -
Review from Lauren S.
Los Angeles, CA
5/20/2011
Good service!! Very clean. The hubby and I split a ramen (don't know which one), which was yummy and came with two inari sushis (cone sushi). I haven't had those in years and they were so yummy!! We also split sushi (sorry Yelpers, I don't remember which roll!), and the ingredients were fresh and it was good.
Our meal was very reasonably priced and we enjoyed it! -
Review from Mike R.
Sherman Oaks, CA
11/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Excellent food for an unbeatable price. I would eat here a lot if it was closer to me!
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Review from Matthew D.
Venice, CA
8/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Holy crap, what an ordeal to get food tonight. I picked up a few things at Target in Culver City so I swung by the Burger King next door for one of their 88-cent Whoppers (8/8/11, 8am-8pm), and possibly some onion rings. Alas, they ran out of Whoppers, well, specifically Whopper buns, by 6:30pm so I was out of luck. They did give me a raincheck, which was cool but by then I had Whopper on the brain so I drove up to the other location at Sepulveda and Palms. The place was a madhouse!
Yes, I know, this is a review for Tokyo Fast Food - bear with me. After standing in line for about ten minutes I decided to cut my losses and get out of the second Burger King of the night. They had locked the doors and weren't letting anymore people in, but the customers were congregating outside and they did not look happy. I kept thinking we might see a replay of the recent London riots right there in Palms. Not to mention, I was standing in line next to two prime examples of why I think today's teenagers will be the end of our civilization. The most coherent sentence I heard from the duo came when the manager walked by, "Yo dog, that's the foo who kicked me out three times." It was right about then I fantasized about taking the kid's skateboard and smashing it into a thousand pieces, possibly on his head. I left instead.
Almost there, I promise. By this time, all I wanted was a freaking hamburger! I mean, this is LA, right? Didn't we invent the modern hamburger stand??? Christ! How hard could it be to get a burger in this town? Then I remembered a bookmark not too far away - Marty's on Pico. This, I thought, would be my saving grace, a local hamburger stand that would serve me nirvana on a bun, and possibly some onion rings. Screw the big burger chain and their 88-cent promotion! There was a bit of traffic on Pico but I was cool. I mean, I was only minutes away from my hamburger! I ended up on the wrong side of the street but I was still keeping it together, at least I found parking. I was only fifty feet away, sixty tops...and then I noticed there was no activity at Marty's. No movement inside, no customers going in or out. That can't be, I thought. So I checked Yelp - no hours were listed. I called the number and strangely, got an answering machine asking me to leave a message. What kind of burger joint takes messages after hours? Just tell me the goddamned hours!!! But I was focusing on the wrong thing - they were clearly closed. I was heartbroken. No burger, and possibly some onion rings for me tonight. I decided that was it, I was going to get anything else, just not burgers. So I perused my bookmarks and found Tokyo Fast Food. Perfect, the exact opposite of burgers. Let's do this, I thought, and I was on my way.
This place gets four stars for a combination of the food and the prices. I got the #2 combo - beef teriyaki and shrimp tempura. The teriyaki was above average and the tempura was average, but I got a ton of food for $7.23.They have an extensive menu so there's something for everyone. Tempura, unagi, teriyaki, sushi, rolls, curry, noodles, the list goes on.
It's not in the best location and it's small, but the place is clean and the Japanese staff is friendly. If I lived nearby, I would probably eat there three or four times a week. It's good, old-fashioned Japanese take-out.
Cash only.
Lesson learned tonight? Maybe someone is trying to tell me something. Namely, to stay the hell away from hamburgers, and possibly some onion rings, for a while. -
Review from Teresa H.
Los Angeles, CA
3/14/2011
Great place to satisfy my cravings!!
I usually get the ramen with 2 pieces of sushi and it is delicious!!! I haven't tried any of their sushi or rice dishes, but I love their ramen!! I was sad that they closed down for a bit and was gonna move, but I'm not sure what happened, but they're back!! I love this place! -
Review from Vanna C.
Los Angeles, CA
2/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Came here on a weekday!
Food: Had foods from sushi, ramen, to katsu!
I ordered the ramen with the pork based soup. Honestly, their ramen is just as good as daikokuya and a bit better than santouka only the ingredients they used were different. The ladies were really nice. Parking was easy they have a private lot right outside. I tried a piece of tonkotsu from my bf's order and it was good! definitely recommend this place during a lazy afternoon or evening! -
Review from Ned M.
Santa Monica, CA
10/8/2010
Tokyo Fast Food is what I would call "shoku-do" type place. Though this translates to cafeteria, it more implies it is kind of a working person's lunch place (a little glib cultural interpretation). In other words, the idea is to get a fast, relatively inexpensive, large portioned meal. Most sets are $7-8 and will not leave the vast majority of people hungry. You basically have all the fried specialties such as croquette, katsu, kara-age, in addition to ramen, sushi, teriyakis and even a few fish varieties such as saba.
The food is generally up to shoku-do standard and even better in a lot of cases. It definitely has a home-style to the flavor, though the croquette is probably a little more industrial (reminds me of the ones I get at a de-pa-to like Parco rather than one that my mom makes). Unless you are hung over or otherwise in need of ramen, I would stick to kara-age, as I personally think this is the best set they have.
Remember that 5 stars doesn't mean that it is gourmet food. This is a workers lunch place and Tokyo Fast Food fills this niche better than all the others that would fight for this clientele.
Service is fast and efficient. If you go during the day, I believe the owner is running the show. Evenings are probably slower and she gets someone else to run the show, who is not nearly as enthusiastic. Little things like making sure your party's food comes out at the same time and bringing it over to your table, set this place apart from most fast food type places.
Note that it is cash only. I suppose they save a bit of cost by doing this. You will miss out on your 1% cash rebate, but it is well worth it.
Parking is a little tight, make sure that your parking skills are up to snuff. -
Review from Jen C.
Los Angeles, CA
4/17/2011
This is a little place in a sort of worn-looking little plaza. Behind the counter where you order, the menu is put up on the walls with big pictures. The staff was Japanese and very nice. One thing to mention: cash only.
I had the broiled saba that came with rice, salad, and a potato croquet. Very tasty and coming just under $7.
This is a great place to drop in for some good Japanese food on a budget. I'll definitely be back. -
Review from Christie K.
Los Angeles, CA
10/19/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I am usually not a fast food fan at all but sometimes ya just need some quick cheap takeout that isn't a greasy burger. I love noodles so I ordered the Ramen Tonkotsu. It was yummy and huge! My boyfriend ordered the Udon with beef and we had a side of shrimp tempura. He was raving about it the whole 5 minutes he was inhaling it so it must have been delish! It was $16 for everything and it was ready fast!! I will definitely be getting my ramen here for now on! Much cheaper and easier than the other noodle places around for takeout!
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Review from Derick N.
Los Angeles, CA
1/13/2011 10 Check-ins Here
Tokyo Fast Food is one of those restaurants you would never really find if you weren't intentionally looking for it in the first place. It's a small place hidden in a rather unspectacular and old plaza. That being said, this place is like a diamond in the rough.
They have a wide selection of Japanese food here, ranging from ramen, udon, and yakisoba to rice bowls, katsus, rolls, and croquettes. It also seems like one of those family-owned Japanese food joints that may have been there for quite some time.
I've ordered the chicken bowl, beef bowl, yakisoba, hamachi roll, and tuna rolls among other things, and they all consistently taste good! The rolls come in 10-12 huge pieces, unlike the other places where they tend to give 6-8.
The best part of it all is... their food is soooo inexpensive, especially for the quality and portions you get! I love this place so much its become a go-to place for whenever I want cheap good eats in the LA area.
They also have a stamp card, and if you order 10 dishes (10 stamps) they will give you a free chicken bowl! How awesome is that! -
Review from Gail K.
11/20/2010
This is one of my regular haunts since my office is right upstairs and it is the best place to get a quick and health protein fix! I always get the sashimi without rice and a little salad (since i have been grain free for about 4 months). The sashimi is good quality and it always varies in content. The last time around it was full of tuna, albacore, mackerel, and a couple slices of octopus. When i was still eating grains I would frequently get the udon combo or the teriyaki bowl with spicy tuna rolls or the nigiri plate and was never diappointed!
It is also a great deal for party platters! We usually get either the Sushi B or the Sushi C platter for our New Patient education night and it is more than enough for myself, the other doctor, and the 6 or more patients that attend. They even include little plates, plenty of utensils and sauce tins! It is a great healthy treat and the patients love it! -
Review from Shirls K.
11/4/2008 2 photos
Cash only restaurant!
One of the better fast food/mom & pop hole-in-the-wall places. 3.5 stars!
Ramen is under $7 after tax. The soup & ramen was tasty and better than Ramenya. Also, the parking and the entrance & exit is better here.
Per my friend, the teriyaki chicken is tender and tasty. The meal comes with a side order of 6 spicy tuna roll for just under $8. The spicy tuna was pretty tasty and what a deal!
Spoke to the owners: The wife works the counter and the husband works in the kitchen. The husband has worked there for many years and took over the restaurant about 3 years ago. The wife was very friendly and helpful. =D
Would be back for the Ramen and to try there other items~! -
Review from Zachary S.
Los Angeles, CA
1/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Based on the prior reviews, I came with pretty high expectations - not to much that the food would be stellar, but that it would be above and beyond what you expect for the price point...
Indeed, the price point for some things is extremely cheap for japanese - Chicken bowls for $4! However, the items my friends and I tried, udon and ramen, were fairly subpar - in particular, the ramen is pretty MSG-laden which wipes out its taste.
Although the reviews indicate the other stuff may be better - and out of fairness I have not tried it - it seems like a place where the type of food will determine its final actual rating. -
Review from Yi Z.
4/15/2008
I had promised to take my boyfriend's little sisters out to dinner for helping us on Sunday and the girls wanted Japanese food. Uzen immediately came to mind and we headed in the direction. After seeing that the cheapest dinner combo is $16 (& you know 12 and 15 year olds who only eat California Rolls & Chicken Teriyaki can't tell the difference between good and bad Japanese food), I reluctantly asked the waitress for a table of 4. Fortunately, the restaurant was full and the wait was going to be long so we left Uzen, walked across the street, and ended up at Tokyo Fast Food.
I was so disappointed. Typically, if you go to an ethnic restaurant where the majority of patrons and employees are that ethnicity, the food is usually good. There were four other parties there besides us and three of the parties were Japanese. The girl who took the orders was a very nice Japanese girl and she spoke Japanese to the chefs in the kitchen. We took the food back home (0.5 miles away) and I was excited to get started.
1) Udon-I LOVE udon. In fact, I get it almost every time I eat Japanese food. Unfortunately, the udon here was so soggy by the time I got home that everytime I tried to lift up the noodle with the chopsticks, the noodles broke.
2) Tempura - The tempura was not crispy at all. It was cold and it was covered in too much flour.
3) California roll-These tasted just like the standard California Rolls
4) Sashimi-The Sashimi was not bad for a takeout place but I probably wouldn't get it again. The tuna was a shade of pink that I had never seen before. It tasted alright.
Overall, the food was just ok. I went in with high expectation so I was disappointed. However, if you are just looking for a warm, fast, and inexpensive meal, this place will do the trick. We ordered 5 meals (including the more expensive sashimi meal and tokyo special) and the total came out to be $35. Good thing I had cash that day because they don't accept credit cards.Listed in: Japanese Restuarants
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Review from Julie T.
Los Angeles, CA
11/24/2008
Don't let the mini-mall location and stripped down store front deter you.
Great value and fast service (I guess that's why it's "fast food"). The chicken and beef bowls are a super value and the "Special" is a great dinner with terriyaki, tempura & california roll without breaking the bank. I also recommend the tofu stir-fry, but ask them to hold the chilis if you're not into spicy food.
I ordered the party sushi platter once and it wasn't Asakuma, but definitely a huge improvement over the Costco/Supermarket prefabs for similar price. Never had a bum meal here in over 15-years.
The parking lot can be a little hairy around meal times, but there is usually plenty of parking on the street. -
Review from Austin C.
5/22/2008
Yesterday was my first time. I really wanted to give it a 4.5 stars. 5 for value and amount and 4 for quality and taste. Look, let's be honest. It's not super gangsta high class japanese food you'll find in beverly hills. However, it's a homey place, and the food is awesome for the price. Everything is less than 7 -8 bucks for a full on combo and drinks.
The tokyo special comes with everything! and it's 7.25. You know when it's good when you come with your friends and no one is talking, just grubbin.' That's what happened yesterday. Come and be filled up! -
Review from Philip T.
2/8/2009
Great place for a single, poor, college student. But cash only.
They have plenty of magazines and some anime books for you to read while eating.
I can barely read the menu b/c it is so burned out and faded.
The food? Pretty solid for what you get. Chicken salad isn't bad. Chicken terayaki is ok. Tempura was not so good.
The main competitor for this place is Sweet Home Grill which is just down the street. Heres the breakdown: SWG is more grub style (large meaty portions slabbed together), and Tokyo Fast Food is more refined (smaller but more precise). So go with what you like. -
Review from Katz U.
Los Angeles, CA
9/3/2006
===========================
Tokyo Fast Food finally re-opened on Sep 3, 2010!
===========================
Well, food is OK. But it's very good for the price. They are very authentic Japanese take-out restaurant. The price ranges from $4~7 from Beef Bowl to Tempura, and sushi dishes.
I don't recommend their noodle that much. But I recommend
1. Chicken Cutlet Curry,
2. #3 Combination (Chicken Teriyaki and Tempura),
3. Croquette Dinner (Fried Mashed Potato),
4. Fried Chicken Dinner,
5. Tokyo Delight (Chicken salad and California Roll),
6. Spicy Tuna roll
7. Tofu with Vegitable.
Also they make Japanese style party platter which has variety of sushi and fried chicken or chow mien for a couple people starting from $20 for 2~3 people. If you are tired of pizza, maybe you should try this.
Overall, their food is OK. But as a busy person who don't have time to cook, this is one of the spots that I always stop by to have a bite with reasonable price (sometime almost every day.)Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Caroline C.
Los Angeles, CA
8/18/2007
Not only can you get 12 spicy tuna roll pieces for only $5.85, but you can get $1.63 green tea ice cream and a wonderfully economical Tokyo Special, which is chicken teriyaki, shrimp tempura, three pieces of California roll, egg roll or green tea ice cream, fruit and vegetables, and rice all for $7.25! And this isn't sushi that's scary because it's cheap. It's actually pretty good stuff and you get so much food for your money.
My friend, who is a fan of Feast from the East's Chinese chicken salad (itself $6.75 for small), was in awe of the fact of how much chicken salad she got for her $3.95. She ordered the small size (large is $5.65) but that still arrived piled high on a platter. "This is better than that other chicken salad because it has bean sprouts and chopped lettuce, which I lovvvve," she said. "And I can't believe how much I get for under $4!"
The salmon in the roll I ordered was cooked but it still tasted good to me. I'm not a sushi connoisseur by any means but I love the stuff and even crave it on occasion. I powered through all 12 of my pieces and then sat back to look at the back wall covered in menus to consider additional things to eat (everything is so cheap!). But there was so much to read, even items repeated twice in a row. Tokyo Roll. Tokyo Roll.
But I guess all that clutter is part of this hole-in-the-wall's charm. If that wall hurts your eyes, you can always pick up the to-go menu by the cash register which lists the items in categories, just without descriptions.
And it's the wall and the surrounding area that lists all the different specials, like that Tokyo special, or the fact that you can order a half-order of Spicy Tuna roll for under $4. You won't find rainbow rolls, caterpillar rolls, dynamite rolls or anything of that ilk but with prices like these, who really cares?
For those curious, brown rice is also available only for the dinner dishes, not the sushi. Boo.
So I finally settled on a green tea ice cream to finish my meal. "Green tea ice cream!" the cashier yelled through a window at the guy in the kitchen and then handed me a small styrofoam cup of the green stuff which looked like it was prepacked. I dug into it with my small plastic spoon and noted how it tasted almost flowery. Didn't taste as sweet as that green tea mochi I love but it was a good way to cleanse my palate, else I surely would have kept eating more sushi.
So the verdict about Tokyo Fast Food: My friend, who is a sushi connoisseur, found the sushi here to be just as good as stuff which costs three times the price. I love it for the decent sushi, the awesomely cheap prices and the oh-my amounts of food.
BTW, the place is cash only. Who carries cash?
PS: I went back to try the salmon entree. Don't try it. It's so dry. I suspect this place is only good for sushi. -
Review from Simon E. B.
Beverly Hills, CA
2/6/2012
I've been coming here for years and I will never stop. I usually order the pork udon because I think its really good. It's cash only and it's best for take-out. Parking can be annoying. If you don't live in the area, I wouldnt drive to get to this place, but if you're around and hungry, its the best choice.
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Review from Rollence P.
Los Angeles, CA
6/6/2007
After reading some of the reviews for this place, I have to say for you readers out there, "There is more to the menu than Katsu!"
I've been coming here for years and although I do recommend their standard Teriyaki beef or chicken combos/bowls, if you're looking for something beyond the basics, then look at their complete menu (it's a flier right in front of the cash register) because they only have pictures displayed of the more popular items and not the entire menu. You will see that they offer a wide variety of dishes. I highly recommend the Chicken Karaage. Every place makes Karaage different, and I do like their take on it.Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from X X.
Los Angeles, CA
yummy, great portions, good price, fast food, self serve water
what more do you want?! Oh wait, some spaciousness in the restaurant, its cramped trying to pack in all these tables and chairs, they seem to have a good flow of customers, they should move to a bigger place!
they have so many foods i want to try, i gotta go back and try many more varieties! -
Review from Eileen T.
Aliso Viejo, CA
1/29/2009 7 photos
They served the standard Japanese fast food of Teriyaki, udon, and sushi. I was more interested in the Japanese Specialty section on the menu.
BF ordered a chicken teriyaki bowl with spicy tuna roll combo. The chicken was very tender. But we didn't like the Teriyaki sauce. It was a bit too sweet. But it was the taste that American people like I supposed. The spicy tuna roll was great. The tuna was fresh. The rolls were big. We liked this one a lot.
I got Chicken Yasai. It was good. Plenty of vegetables sauteed with tender pieces of chicken. Love the flavor, too. It came with a big bowl of white rice. I could only finish half of it.
We like Tokyo Fast Food. It's fast and pretty good. Great place to grab a quick bite for lunch. -
Review from Steve T.
Los Angeles, CA
1/8/2009
FOOD
I had a serious ramen craving tonight. For twice the price and a brutally long commute, I could've gone to Daikokuya over by Downtown LA for the best ramen in LA, but tonight I was feeling something "cheap and decent." And Tokyo Fast Food did just the trick.
I had the Tonkatsu Ramen with extra Chashu (added $0.50, not bad for 2 extra slices). For the price (just a little over $7), it was quite good. The broth wasn't nearly as fatty-satisfying as Daikokuya, but I'd say it's just a hair below Asahi (over on Sawtelle) for less $. I'll take that on most nights.
My friend had the Tokyo Special. He said it was pretty decent too. Again, for the price, pretty darn good and excellent quantity.
I'm bringing my own soup spoon next time, because they only handed me a plastic spoon, haha.
ENVIRONMENT
Parking wasn't too bad, but then again we went at 7:15pm on a Thursday. I'd expect parking to be worse at a more peak time. So watch out for that. I liked the homey/hole-in-the-wall feel.
I'm going back sometime. I like :-) -
Review from Justin D.
Los Angeles, CA
4/16/2007
It's the price!!! THE PRICE!!!! PRICE!!!!!!!!!I
If you've lived in Japan and know what to eat, this place is great.
Inexpensive and just as tasty as any other fast food place in Japan.
The curry could use some spice.
The chicken katsu is good.
The tempura whatever is always yummy.
And! If you read Japanese you can sit and browse old Manga whilst waiting for our food to arrive.
okbyeListed in: List for stalkers of Justin D
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Review from Odie P.
Los Angeles, CA
9/19/2008 25 photos
Right portion for the right price for the bestquality of the foods.
I wouldn't step in this place if my friend didn't bring me here for the first time.
Why? Because of the name, the location, the community....
But it did blow my eyes and refresh my breaths..well done TFF! -
Review from J S.
Los Angeles, CA
8/6/2008
Came here for a quick lunch with some co-workers. It's right next door to my other favorite lunch spot, El Super Taco (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). Parking's always dicey in this little corner lot, but I managed to snag a 20-minute spot for a quick-n-dirty lunch.
The place is very understated, but I like that. No frills, tasty food. I had the Beef Soba, which clocked in at about $6. It was tasty and filling and seemed to be about the right price for the quality of food. I'll probably have to come back here another time to try their other selections (sushi, teriyaki, etc).
