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Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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cool vibes in the air
food tasting so so right
sweet city scene
Ever have those strange cravings? Cravings that really are a bit hard to understand.
Like cold udon craving.
(naeng woodong in Korean)
TOT is the first place outside Korea where I've had cold udon.. and it's pretty similar, minus the fact that it had that fishy konnyaku-ish smell. Makes it more authentic, I guess? The sushi options don't look that great but the udon was good. Want to try the yakisoba next time :)
Eh. So my friend recommended this place for dinner because he enjoyed their bowls. So I tried it because I've never been there and I like trying new places. Luckily the place wasn't too busy, since my friend and I got a table and had to wait about an hour for our other friends to arrive. I'm sure the waiters wanted to kill us for just sitting around and not ordering but they were pretty nice, so I have to give them points for that.
Once my friends came, we all ordered. I ordered the spicy salmon bowl- which was supposed to come with shredded salmon, nori and eggs. The portion was large, but the taste was mediocre. It was really dry (because there were so much salmon chunks- which is usually good, but in this case not so much) and there was nothing spicy about this bowl at all! They gave me some special shoyu which I thought would have some spice factor to it, but it was sweet. I ended up pouring regular soy sauce all over it and regretted not asking for wasabi.
I think i was one of the only people at my table to not finish their bowl, but let's just say I like to enjoy my food not shovel it in my mouth for the sake of finishing what's in front of me. Perhaps next time, if I go again I will get their deep friend dishes (you can't go wrong with deep fried).
But I have to say, a little disappointing, we should have definitely gone to Komasa for sushi instead!
fresh, simple, and delicious! I came here a few times and have tried their California roll bowl ( they put a lot of avocados!!! =)) and their beef bowl. I really like the California roll bowl! Its very filling and makes you feel so healthy after eating it! =) This would be an awesome place to eat at for my lunch break!
TOT is not like your traditional bento box serving Japanese food restaurants, but it is also not like those super authentic Japanese food houses, where the average (americanized) person would not be able to recognize half the menu. I guess they are like a hybrid of both with their various noodle and rice bowls, and the always available california rolls and chicken teriyaki.
I opted for the salmon salad, which came with broiled (tasted baked) salmon, seaweed, bonito (fish flakes), and romaine lettuce. This is all served with their house dressing, which tasted like a vinegarette made with their "cholesterol free rice oil," soy sauce, rice vinegar, and bonito. The food quality was excellent and tasted very fresh. The dressing was a little on the salty side, but since it is served on the side, you can control how much actually goes into your salad (a major plus with me).
My dining companions opted for a spicy chicken combo, tempura combo, tonkatsu, and the noodle soup combos, which I cannot remember. Everyone's food looked extremely good, especially the tonkatsu, which must have been an inch thick and perfectly fried.
For the other health nuts out there, they also serve brown rice as an option. The prices are reasonable for the amount of food your receive, and I would probably come back here in the future.
Soba Salad is what I've gotten here both times I've been here. It'll be extremely difficult to stray away from getting that every time now. It's sooooo good... and honestly, I'm a bit wary of the other choices. The menu feels like a Denny's menu where there are just some choices that don't seem wise. Having curry on the menu, yet not be able to smell any hint of curry in the restaurant is a red flag in my book. From my taste tests from friends meals, the Udon was pretty tasty as well as the Tuna bowls. So my suggestion is to stick with the bowl meals.
Parking: Beware there are different rules for different lots at different times and different days. Read the signs thoroughly for specifics!
Love their spicy chicken bowl with white meat and brown rice.
**(this is a little filler review until my next trip to T.O.T. so I can update my review of the menu and take photos)***
T.O.T. has been the only place I will eat at in Little Tokyo for YEARS now. On the few times I have strayed, I went to Joy Mart, and some other weird place (I call the Crusty Crab-- but I think it's called Ebisu) across the street from T.O.T., and both places left me wishing I were at T.O.T. instead.
I love love love the Spicy Tofu bowl. (I also add extra spice). I have been going here for so long, I have seen it go through many changes, but one thing remains: good food.
It's your everyday good food. It hits the spot.
I brought my Japanese mother and father in law here, and they were very happy. They seemed to fully enjoy their lunch experience at T.O.T., even though they were secretly longing for something different like Mexican food. I am guessing. They travelled all the way to Los Angeles from Japan for... Japanese cafe "set meals"? Probably not.
It's simple fare, they have decent meals, and everything is tasty. It is also a great place to bring children.
The soba salad here is like crack, no.. it's not even like--it IS crack. I can't get enough of the soba salad. Albeit it is overpriced for soba, lettuce/cabbage, and some sesame dressing, I can't help but order it everytime I come here. I don't even bother looking at the other stuff on the menu. It's just that good.
Pretty good food! The kids (not mine) loved it and the fried shumai really stood out!
Smack in Little Tokyo, a gem of a place to dine.
TOT is aiiiggghht.
That's it. The salad or rice bowls are interesting and taste fine, but I don't understand what's so special about this place. I'm not really impressed by it. I guess its a decent place to go to if you find yourself in Little Tokyo and are looking for a laid back place to get a bite to eat.
Went back on a weekend night and tried the sushi: very good. Unfortunately, the place was packed with a dishearteningly trendy crowd. I'm so close to taking it down to three stars. I guess we'll see what transpires during my next visit.
Nice ambiance, more upscale than most of the surrounding restaurants (including Hama Sushi, which is… Read more »
Met a business associate for lunch. Very small inside that seats maybe 40 at the most. The menu featured various bowls - chicken bowl, ahi bowl ..... however, I ordered a traditional Japanese dish, pork katsu.
The pork katsu was what I envisioned. Soft and moist covered with batter cooked perfectly. My associate ordered pork ramen. She said it was okay and had better. Couldn't tell you since she didn't share.
I give it a three stars because I thought the price was outrageous. $13 for pork katsu???
Nothing too fancy, but pretty solid everyday Japanese food offered at this place. I got the tuna tuna bowl, which for lack of a better comparison was almost like a Korean "hwedupbap" to me. It is basically some sashimi mixed in a bowl of rice with a salad which you mix together and eat. Like I said, nothing spectacular but solidly done. My friend had a tonkatsu with a layer of cheese inside the batter, which I had never heard of before but how can you go wrong with a concoction like that? The price is right also (not super cheap but well worth the $). Solid addition to the Little Tokyo usuals.
Cold Soba!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not a huge rice fan, so i was excited to find that you can get their popular tuna tuna bowl with cold soba noodles! I would come back just for this combination.
The spicy salmon bowl was not bad. *Note* the spiciness is at the bottom of the little sauce pot that accompanies this dish.
My friends had the soft shell crab which they said was no bueno because there was way too much batter.
Nice selection of sake.
They had something called fruity sake. Not bad, very sweet though. You can get apple or lychee! I've never had this anywhere else.
They have a pretty big menu, but not everything looks/sounds 4 stars, but the tuna tuna bowl is definitely worth coming back for.
To me, this place is all about the rice bowls. Quality food, very filling, great prices and usually no wait. I've already been here a couple times and will continue going. My favorite is the dragon bowl.
Yes, the restaurant had a C rating for awhile. Now it's a B.
Food is still great!!! Great place to check out if you're in little tokyo. Don't let the health rating deter you! It's also cute how at the end they bringyou a little thing of fruit.
Met up with my cousin in nearby Vernon area and she suggested Little Tokyo for lunch. Don't remember being in Little Tokyo so that was a fun idea. Parking is supposed to be challenging but after turning around half a block we scored parking with a broken meter. Halleluja!! We hit jackpot, free parking in LA, what is not to like about that.
We walked a short distance to TOT and cousin was raving about their bowl salads, we were famished and quickly ordered. Quick little interior and service was fast. I love unagi so I settled for the Dragon Bowl (Fresh water eel, avocado, artificial crab meat, nori seaweed and carved egg
on sushi rice with wasabi mayonnaise) a lil mayo is not harmful... :)
Cousin sis had the avocado tuna bowl which looks absolutely delicious as well. We caught up over lunch, munch munch, yum yum, it was soooooooooo good, I thoroughly enjoyed my "bowl" Huge portion, fresh and just oozing with yumminess....the bill was $20+ for two persons sans dessert coz cousin had a better idea for dessert elsewhere....
Wished I could be back in LA more often! I heart TOT and Little Tokyo, cute shops!
T.O.T. is always my go-to place in Little Tokyo when I don't really know where to go or when I don't have a particular craving because everything is good here - well, at least everything I've tried, which were all the rice bowl selections. Large portions, very good service. Waiters refill your water without you ever having to ask and it's not difficult to get their attention at all.
Chicken/fish nanban bowl - My boyfriend's absolute favorite. Either fried chicken or fish with a delicious tartar sauce on top of rice drizzled with soy sauce.
Tuna tuna bowl - It's been a while since I've had this ... a lot of lettuce on rice with tuna sashimi and spicy tuna (I think it was?). I just remember it being really good.
Spicy salmon bowl - shredded broiled salmon on rice with a yummy spicy sauce on the side, so you can pour in as much as you would like. The sauce isn't too spicy.
It is a bit pricey, but they definitely don't skimp on the portions and it is worth it just because it is so tasty. Definitely one of my favorite places in LT.
Total waste of time. Six dullest dishes I've consumed in any one place, ever. Or, as my dining companion put it, "It was a nonstop parade of bad." And, more to the point, "I wish I had counterfeit money."
Just so bad. Hama (adjacent) is worth the wait. DO NOT go here instead.
this place is great for lunch!
we always get the same thing (spicy tofu bowl & avocado tuna bowl)
for less than $10 a person you get a miso soup, small salad (w/ awesome dressing) and your main dish. free refills on iced green tea. and they validate for the parking stucture on alameda.
UPDATE::: Parking situation (for all of lil Tokyo)... We always just park at the Japanese Village Plaza Parking structure on Central Avenue in between 1st and 2nd Street (111 S Central Ave). 2 hour Validation for all shops/restaurants in the Japanese Village Plaza (days & evenings!)
Oh yum... I absolutely love TOT and can't believe I haven't written about them before.
So, if I love them... how come no 5 stars? Well, some of their bowls I feel are a bit 'too much'.... a lil too much mayo (ok, so I'm biased considering I hate mayo). But some of their other bowls are so yummy and so comforting. My faves? The unagi bowl and the Sukiyaki bowl.. oh my goodness!! yummy sukiyaki thinly sliced beef with grilled onions topped with egg yolk. Don't worry.. I know it sounds gross, but you just mix it together and the egg just kind of blends in. Their iced green tea is so yummy, also.
The best part, the service (at least every time I've been) has been phenomenal. Super nice waiters and super prompt. Food comes out so quick!! Bonus: You can substitute brown rice (and their brown rice is super moist so brown-rice-fearers rejoice!). Prices are also super reasonable!! Two bowls, cold tofu appetizer, and two green teas for $30.
Always a solid and dependable choice!
I love me some J-town grub but here's the problem with J-town: the parking. Tack on $6-8 to your lunch tab; even if you luck out with street parking, you'd have to be in and out within an hour and the quickie meal is not always the option.
TOT has a pretty ample menu and with all the standard Japanese offerings: bentos, udon, lunch plates with miso, salad, rice- if you eat Japanese even semi-regularly, you're familiar with the selections. I went with a group of friends for lunch and by 12:15 pm, they were out of lunch specials. Really? out by NOON? hmmm........
They certainly had enough on the menu to satisfy all of us, even the toothless for a day, 'gum-your-food-tofu-eating' friend! The food was fine, the prices were 'normal' ($12 for my salmon, beef teriyaki lunch plate). The atmosphere was fine, the place is a bit small.
For Japanese food craving, though, I think Sawtelle is more convenient- or Mishima on 3rd- if you are craving this sort of fare.
Decided to hit this place up with my most trusted bitch. Parking was a breeze TWO BLOCKS DOWN, we were almost in skid row!
Anyway, we passed the snarls of the smelly kids from Popkiller and were greeted by the cutest waitress. Her fringe was perfect and the foundation well-blended. Two stars right off the back for that!
My friend and I both decided to start things off with the Spicy Miso Soup. So much for it being an appetizer since it brought AFTER our first entree, steaming hot. If it wasn't so fucking delicious, I'm sure I wouldn't have a scorched tongue.
We kept it cute and ordered a couple of rolls, still sipping our piping hot soup. They weren't kidding about how "spicy" is was going to be. I shouldn't have ordered too many sides because it really rang up the bill.
I'll be back for the spicy miso soup!
TOT is my default when I don't really know what I want in Little Tokyo.
The place has a nice selection of everything...
Want something fried? Get the Chicken Nanban or one of the fried combinations.
Want something healthy? Check out the avocado tuna bowl.
Want something alcoholic? They got a nice selection of Japanese beer and sake.
You get the point.
The waiters are attentive and you never have to try and get their attention, just sorta look at them inquiringly and they'll pop on over.
All in all its a great place for lunch or dinner and the great selection of food hasn't disappointed me yet.
Oh and their crab croquettes are to die for. Seriously.
Short Version: Tasty surprise good!
Long Version: What a nice surprise. I was walking around Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, just looking for a place to eat. And after passing a few places that had great ambiance but no patrons, I found this place that looked a little more modest but was packed. I went in and was really pleasantly surprised by how tasty the food was. Yes, there was a little bit of a wait, but totally worth it. Prices are fair, but the parking might be a little troubling. Great little place for dinner and especially good for lunch, if you're in the neighborhood. Check'em out!
Let's start off with parking. It's your typical J-town parking situation: street. There is a parking structure nearby as well. Make sure you read the meters and parking signs carefully. My friend received a ticket for not paying attention.
This is a simple Japanese restaurant that leans on its variety rice dishes as well as noodles. The first time I was here, I believe I tried the Unagi Bowl. I was pretty full with it but maybe I was a bit Unagi'd out after killing it. My friend ordered the Nanban bowl with the chicken breast. It was good for the first few bites, but the sauce and the kewpie style mayo became overwhelming. If you order this bowl, perhaps you should ask for the sauces of the side. On my last visit, I ordered the Salmon Roe bowl. All it was: cooked salmon meat, salmon roe eggs, seaweed over rice. Once again, it was pretty good but after a while it became over whelming.
I have ordered a few sushi rolls from here as appetizers but don't expect anything too crazy. In my opinion the restaurant is not known for their sushi. I have yet to try any of their udon or soba noodles so I can not comment on those.
I would come back here because the food here is simple and not fancy. The service is decent. It wouldn't be my first restaurant that I would want to stop at while in Jtown looking for food but it would probably be one of my many options to choose from.
So l just want to emphasize how good the seaweed salad here is...
I have eaten seaweed salads from many different places and I love this one the most because they mix in that one crunchy floppy white fungus that I really like into it (lol I hope I didn't make it sound gross because it's not! haha). I swear it makes the entire dish THIS much better! Seaweed salad lovers like myself must try it!
Oh nom nom nom... Love it.
I really really like the seaweed salad here, it's straight up…
Read more »
TOT would get 4 stars if it weren't for the fact that it takes a really long time to order or get your food. The service is not very good. Because of that I have unfortunately limited my visits to TOT. I have to say that I absolutely love their Tofu steak dish. Its so delicious with the fries that come on it sizzling in the sauce on the hot plate. My bandmates and I used to come here on a weekly basis after rehearsal and it was our favorite place to eat. The food is still good but we just don't have time to wait around for the service sometimes so now I have to limit my visits to when I have time to spare.
I love this spot in downtown. I can never really order anything but their tuna & avocado bowl. It is thee freshest salad bowl ever!
Its rice, lettuce, spicy tuna with fresh avocaod! Super good.
Service is good too!
Can't believe I don't even know this place after almost 7 years of living in LA. My friends (bunch of USC students) took me there a couple of weeks ago. The bowl menu is such a great deal. The favorites of my friends are the spicy chicken bowl and the Nanban chicken bowl. The Spicy chicken bowl are deep fried, crunch, chicken legs on top of rice with sweet soy sauce. The Nanban chicken bowl is breaded white meat chicken with their home made tartar sauce on top of rice. The huge bowl also include miso soup for about $10.
Quick Review:
Get-The Dragon Bowl. So delicious
Sunday afternoons I often find myself lingering around J-Town looking for something to eat. Was introduced by my girlfriend's family and was told the dragon bowl was great.
The place is really quaint with little booths lining the walls. As instructed I had the Dragon Bowl. In a very literal, and in almost an unappreciative sense it's like a dragon roll (unagi over California rolls) that exploded, in a very structured and beautiful display. Though the ingredients are the same as the roll, the portion is far greater, and with the ability to pick up different amounts of rice, eel or avocado, you can really get a taste for each ingredient. The rice has just a hint of vinegar and the avocado is fresh just like the eel. It's great!
A few weeks later decided to take bring a friend to share the recent find. As we walked up to the door there was a sign saying "sorry we're closed for the day." No explanation, and contradicting the "Store Hours" sign next to it.
My only major quip with TOT is their random closed days. You'll never know when they decide to close, though I've been told that they tend to only do this on Sundays and Mondays, so for a safe bet try a Saturday. And definitely get the Dragon Bowl.
Oh also there's a lot in that plaza, I believe on Grand that offers 90 Mins. with validation from any of the restaurants in that plaza. However watch out cause the line in the parking lot often gets long and they'll still try to get you to pay if you've been sitting in your car for 15mins waiting to get to the ticket booth. But don't let that stop you from getting a taste of TOT.
My friend and I arrived at around 8:30pm and it was practically empty! We both ordered the bowls (I got the tuna avocado bowl and she got the salmon roe bowl). We also ordered the katsu with egg appetizer. The bill ended up being $40 after tax and tip, which is pretty expensive for what we got.
The food was just alright for the price. I would not return. =/
To my friend's surprise.. it was my first time at TOT. For some reason I always thought this place would be expensive b/c their sign is pretty nice and inside looks pretty nice but I was mistaken (at least during lunch time).
Originally I just wanted something small, but their bowl items just called to me. I had a tough time choosing between the Tuna Tuna bowl, Sukiyaki, Avocado Tuna.. and etc. Hence, I need to come back. I had the Avocado Tuna and man was it tasty. The reason i wanted something small was cause I ate already not that long ago.... but i couldn't stop eating this. The result.... over stuffed gut busting experience.
Avocado Tuna Bowl = Tuna Sashimi on top of lettuce on top of Sushi Rice w/ light terriyaki sauce (?) and a Wasabi Aioli sauce. Only thing though is the Wasabi taste was barely there. They need to kick it up a notch.
Negative Item is there Ramen which from what my friend said was like eating clumpy play doe.... which my other friends concurred.
The bowls are amazing. It may appear a bit more expensive than some neighboring joints, but they give you what you pay for. Each meal is a giant portion, served with soup and salad.
Great variety of food. Love the nanban. :)
I really liked this place. Easy to find, Pretty standard Japanese fare. In this review, I dont find it so necessary to outline whats here because its the others that have reviewed TOT that have done that for me. Honestly, I just say pick something and go for it, they know what theyre doing.
To me, TOT symbolizes Little Tokyo as a whole; LOVED IT when it was DEAD, like there would be groups of japanese people in any given restaurant with maybe 3-4 art students (because of the Geffen Contemporary) and a business man or 2.
Now the whole area is run down by tourists and people looking for "japanese-y food" but dont deviate from teriyaki that can be found anywhere....NOOOO!!!
Love Little Tokyo, practically grew up here and in the area (used to come up once a week with reletives), but its the crowds nowadays that keep me away. If I have to sit next to another person rubbing their disposable wooden chopsticks together (to get out the imaginary splinters? has anyone been SERIOUSLY injured by a splinter in a set of chopsticks?) im gonna puke.
Japanese home-made food at very reasonable price!
If you are looking for Japanese everyday meal.. not sushi, tempra, or sashimi... (we don't eat it everyday!) this place is where to go.
I highly recommend T.O.T. They have sushi served in a bowl, all the ingredients of a roll layered into a bowl. California bowl: yum!!! The portion size is pretty big. Try their teriyaki fries, it's so simple yet it adds a new twist to fries. I ordered the potato croquette once, didn't like it too much. My co-worker's and I order from here all the time when the bosses are away. And we do not work in DTLA. That's how much we love it!
TOT's solid with a blend of atmosphere and food. Reasonably priced, consistent, and with a variety of beers and sojus available. It's also open fairly late for a after cocktails bite. I'd highly recommend the spicy chicken and spicy tuna. They come with a soy-based, spicy sauce -- feel free to just drench all of it over your dish. It's also good to dip some of the other fried foods with it.
A word of warning too: do NOT get any of the "sushi" stuff. This place is just a touch above good, fast, comfort food establishments, so obviously, the rolls (which is technically not sushi), are not an area of expertise. If you're dying to have a cali or spicy tuna roll, because you haven' t had it in ages and just craving for a taste. Don't. Yes, it's that bad.
really damn good place. i forgot the name of the dish i had, but it was rice, seaweed, fresh raw tuna, teriyaki sauce.
this is a super solid meal that i could literally eat everyday and be happy. seating here is difficult since it is a smaller resturant so be prepared to wait. also their lemonaid is fresh and is very good. TOT is now serving ramen. take note that this isn't your typical japanese ramen but more of the instant style ramen. the broth is good and tasty, but if you're expecting tonkatsu 12 hour simmered ramen this isn't it. broth was good and flavorful, noodles were the dried instant type which i can be in the mood for from time to time. we had a party of 6 and everybody was very satisfied with their meals. as i recall their miso soup was pretty delish for being miso soup. parties greater than 2-4 will most likely have long waits due to the limited seating capacity at this resturant during dinner or lunch.
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
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