Does anyone know why this place closed? I just saw this place featured on Travel Channel’s Food Paradise. It looked awesome and with such great national exposure I’d think this place was killing it! What happened?
Shane S.
Place rating: 4 Los Angeles, CA
One of the few places that specialize in Kushiage. I have been looking for a place like this since the last remaining Tempura bar on the west coast closed a few years ago. Glad there is still a little bit of Japan here in Gardena! The chef seemed stoic… maybe cause of the recent reviews! Tiny little venue, not much atmosphere, good food though. We tried scallops, soft shell crab, eggplant, chicken… all of them fried and served fresh out of the fryer. I would love to try this place again for the food… they do need to kick the atmosphere up a notch though. Maybe the chef can smile a little bit… or yell… or something…
Connie L.
Place rating: 2 Redondo Beach, CA
New owners, less offerings on menu, not as lively dining experience and unfortunately, food isn’t what I remembered. The Japanese eggplant w/minced chicken(nasu soboro looking dish) was very disappointing. Eggplant was undercooked, gravy was thin and bland. Shishito peppers were equally as bland. I suspect the peppers weren’t dredged in flour before frying? The whole meal was not exciting. I appreciated the service, friendly, fast and forthright about change in ownership. Kudos to that. To be fair, I felt the need to voice my opinion to the server, who did seem genuinely interested in the feedback. He indicated that the kushiage was made by the same chef and the ramen was on it’s way back to the menu. I really hope the new owners can bring back the previous quality and put their own spin on a great restaurant.
Kat M.
Place rating: 2 Los Angeles, CA
Big Sad Face… Owner changed… Dear Owner ‚ Please turn up the temperature up on your oil… soggy kushiage makes me very sad. Now I have to go to Japan to get kushiage… Sad Sad… I know you are recent new owner so I might give you another chance but I was very disappointed lastnight and went to Musha after dining here. Must do quality control on your food! Thank you
Amy H.
Place rating: 4 Gardena, CA
Quickie: + Small intimate venue + Tepas style dishes with full meals as well + Prices can add up! + Very interesting and delicious combos — Location: Located inside of the square with Nijiya market — lots of lot parking available. Service: Came on a Sunday evening with a group of 6. We called ahead of time for a table… the place is pretty small so I’d recommend doing the same to avoid a wait. We ordered a lot of different things and the waiters were pretty good about paying attention to us. Food: We tried a variety of stuff — their combinations were really interesting and all tasted yummmmmmmy. Here were my faves: + Truffled potato(MMMMM!) + Pork cheeks(EVERYONETRYTHESE) + Chicken cartilage + Enoki mushrooms bacon wrap + Beef intestine Verdict: I think the bill ended up being about $ 20ish dollars + tip for each person when we split all the dishes. We were all very full after that so you’re definitely getting your money’s worth. Definitely a must-try… I will be back to try other dishes soon(and some more pork cheek!)
D M.
Place rating: 4 Seattle, WA
3.5 stars for kushi No wait(Thurs night 11pm) Timely service Average wait staff Good food Semi-casual/trendy décor Ordered: Pickled cabbage salad(complimentary)(2.5 stars) Horon’s Sangria $ 4.80(4 stars) Japanese Spring Rolls $ 3.80(4 stars) Tonkotsu Ramen(small) $ 4.80(3.5 stars) Kushi: Pork belly wrapped gobo roots $ 1(3 stars) Enoki mushrooms bacon wrap $ 1(3.5 stars) Chicken meat ball stuffed shiitake mushroom $ 1(3 stars) Egg plant with miso flavor $ 1(4.5 stars) Pumpkin $ 1(3.5 stars) American Kobe beef $ 2(3.5 stars) Crab cream croquette $ 3(3.5 stars) Total: $ 25.50 + tip
Mike P.
Place rating: 5 Carson, CA
i took a handful of friends with me last night to this spot. You know one of those spots that you just enjoy the vibe that its giving off. quaint, chill, good eats and good music. This is one of those places. don’t get me wrong I like fancy eats too but once in awhile i also like the«lets just go out with the homies, grab a beer, and chill with some good food» type of ambiance. On top of the no cell phone rule over dinner my friend instituted it made for some good silly conversation. anyway, the majority of my friends decided to order the ramen, not knowing what they’d get since it was their and my first time here. i decided to bust out with the pencil and the paper and ordered the Horon. thanks to my brother who’s been here numerous times, who replied to my text with the quickness. he gave me some pointers. the mash potatoes which was a good side was a great choice… all you need to know was that it came with bacon and some other good stuff which made it nice, salty, and flavorful. there are soo many things to choose from that made it awesome for me and I know it was easy on alot of our wallets. I enjoy a good variety of options and amazingly it made me full sharing with everyone. My tip is if you havn’t tried it before, go wild with it… order things you you don’t know what are exactly and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how«dope» everything is. highlighted eats truffle potatoes, the mash, bacon wrapped enoki and asparagus, salmon with dash of salmon roe, torishio ramen, cream cheese with horon style balsamic seriously get your HOR-ON
Hung-Hei Y.
Place rating: 3 San Gabriel, CA
Stopped by for a late night dinner one night after flying in to LAX. Was underwhelmed by the ramen. The broth did not have a complex flavor and was not very flavorful, but I ordered the chicken broth one. Also had some of the Kushiage and again was not impressed. Had the chicken meatball, garlic, eggplant, and zucchini. The white fish order was pretty good. I have a feeling that most people would go for the Tonkatsu Ramen instead and more meaty options for the Kushiage so take my review with a grain of salt. However, I have ordered these things at other places with a much better result. Maybe I also prefer things grilled instead of fried.
Luke L.
Place rating: 4 San Gabriel, CA
Parking: This restaurant is located in the Nijiya Japanese Market plaza. Parking lot might be a bit crowded during the lunch hour, but there should be plenty of spaces available. — Lunch Price: Ramen + Any Small Ball — $ 9.5(Torishiro Ramen + Bang Bang Ji), the price including tax and tip(so you can just walk off once you are done) — Environment: Small casual dining environment — For lunch, you will have to order and pay upfront. Once you paid for your food, the cashier will give you a number and you just find a seat to sit down and wait for your food. — Food: Torishiro Ramen — This store only serves 15 torishiro ramen per day. The broth was very refreshing and tasted great. However, the chashu pork is the BEST one I’ve had in the Los Angeles area. SUPER tender and it melts in my mouth INANINSTANT! Unfortunately, there was only one slice of chashu pork(4.5÷5) Bang Bang Ji(Shredded Chicken with White Sesame Sauce) — Too much rice and not enough chicken, but chicken is pretty good itself(3.5÷5) — Rating: 4⁄5 for overall experience — COMEHEREFORCHASHUPORK!
Wan L.
Place rating: 3 Los Angeles, CA
Beware of mosquitos! There were a few flying around and when I left the restaurant, I had over 10 bites on my leg and my friend had bites all over her arm! Anywho, on to the food… This is a fried foods lovers dream come true! No need to go to the local fair, Come here instead. $ 1, $ 2 and $ 3 sticks. all deep fried! Deep fried veggies, meats, cheese, seafood, etc… Our party of 5 ordered 60+ different sticks and after awhile it all tasted and looked the same. Even our waitress had a hard time figuring out what they were, fail! The only item that stood out was the deep fried soft shelled crab, Mmm tasty! There were non-fried items on the menu as well. We ordered the uni tofu(bland), truffle potatoes(good), beef tartar(not bad), grilled intestines(Ehhh). I don’t think I’ll be back for awhile. Btw, I heard their ramen was good, maybe I’ll come back for that =)
Relish F.
Place rating: 4 Torrance, CA
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Duke C.
Place rating: 4 Torrance, CA
Forget about eating healthy. Kushiage Dining Horon is more of a specialty Japanese restaurant that focuses on kushiage, which is food that is fried on a skewer. It’s similar to yakitori, except that instead of grilling, everything is fried! Came here with 2 others on a weekday night. Two very nice Japanese servers immediately greeted us and asked if we made a reservation. Luckily we got there pretty early so we were seated right away. There’s a good reason that she asked if we made any resy and that’s because this place is small! There’s a sushi bar-ish area with a booth and a few tables. The place itself is somewhat hidden too, but just look for the Nijiya Market. Each order is one skewer and the majority of them are at $ 1 each! Excited, we definitely went crazy and marked all the things we want fried to be in our stomach: Chicken Meatball, Pork Belly & Welsh Onions, Organic Chicken & Cheese, Chicken Cartilage, Bacon Wrapped Enoki Mushroom, Chicken Meatball Stuffed Shiitake, Miso Eggplant, Shishto Peppers & Ponzu, Samon & Salmon Roe, Herb Butter Scallop, Soy Sauce Infused Quail Eggs, Curry Filled Bread, Garlic Trio, and Black Pork Sausage. My favorites were the Pork Belly & Welsh Onions, Bacon Wrapped Enoki, and the Black Pork Sausage. I can’t resist pork, especially when it is fried! The pork belly turns really soft and the fat is melt in your mouth goodness. Bacon wrapped anything is delicious, especially when fried. The sausage is my favorite in terms of texture cause the sausage itself it juicy and firm and really good with the sauces! They provide you with two types of sauces, as well as 3 types of salt for the skewers. There’s a honey mustard and a worcestershire-type sauce that’s almost like tonkatsu sauce, with Himalayan pink salt, saffron salt, and curry salt on the side. Most of the skewers have the same time of breading/batter, so it is similar, but each item does have a different type of texture. We tried out different items with different salts & sauces to find the ones that matched the food. My favorite ended up being the worcestershire sauce since it helps cut into the grease and the pink salt. We also tried a few more expensive skewers like the soft-shell crab, but I think the best value is with the $ 1 skewers! The skewers are pretty small, which is why we kept on ordering and ordering: P Besides the skewers, we also ordered off the regular menu. The menu has more izakaya-type items. The Tonkotsu Ramen is very rich and porky, which we all liked. Only one piece of chasu though… Our favorite was the Pork Jowl, we came on a hot sizzling plate. Pork jowl has this awesome chewy texture a very good dressing over it! The Japanese Spring Rolls was the only thing we didn’t care for much that night. Of course, beer goes perfect with fried food, but it’s quite pricey for a pitcher so we just went for a big bottle of Asahi for around $ 6. They also have sake and few sake cocktails. For lunch, it’s more of a ramen spot so next time will check out the lunch combos. The two lady servers were very nice, as expected for a Japanese restaurant! Overall, it was fun trying out all the skewers. We ended up spending around $ 30 per person for the food & drinks. Pricey, but we didn’t really control ourselves and just kept ordering rounds and rounds of the skewers. Now I know better: P
Karol H.
Place rating: 4 Buena Park, CA
I believe I found out about this place from a segment on TV. We went here for the yakitori around dinner time, which is mostly $ 1 per stick with combinations of meat and/or vegetables. We sat at the bar, so we chatted up the chef and owner who was very nice and explained what certain dishes were, how they were eaten, and made some yummy recommendations. I usually like to take a virgin first bite or two before I add anything to a dish(if at all). He shared his background with us as well, but after some wine I cannot recall. This place is not very large although quaint. Luckily, it was not as busy when we arrived. If you’re worried about blocking your arteries, then you probably wouldn’t want to try the skewers since they’re fried… my stomach thanked me for it though. There was a pork dish that the chef recommended, which was delish! I don’t remember the name although I do have a picture of it. I believe it was the Truffled Potato that we had. When it arrived, I was thinking«Ok, it’s mashed potato». That’s why I think before I speak because the potato was heavenly! I used sparingly a couple of the condiments that came with it since I did not want to taint perfection. This dish is also interactive in that you mash it up yourself. The potato is soft, so no need for bicep curls before mashing. Overall good food and friendly atmosphere. Watch the bill if you arrive famished since $ 1/skewer adds up!
Pauline P.
Place rating: 4 Los Angeles, CA
//LOCATION //In the Nijiya Market plaza //SERVICE //AMAZING. 5 stars for service alone! They were able to accomodate reservations at the last second and when I came rushing in with a birthday cake 1 minute before the birthday girl arrived, the sweet waitress grabbed the cake and scurried off to the kitchen. The waitress was so sweet the entire night and even lit candles the restaurant had for our birthday cake. The waiters were all really sweet as well leaving us a pitcher of water after seeing how thirsty we were. //FOOD //My personal faves were: + Soy sauce infused quail eggs + Mochi cheese + Smoked salmon and cream cheese spring roll + Truffled potato + Sizzling sauteed pork cheek + Tonkotsu ramen
Cherish H.
Place rating: 5 Haverstraw, NY
Must try’s: Truffled potatoes– perfectly done w a creamy white cheese sauce. Sizzling pork cheeks– tender melt in your mouth served on a sizzling platter Shiotori ramen– salty chickeny broth with perfectly crafted ramen noodles. Best I’ve had around. Shrimp chips– not really shrimpy but perfectly fluffy and crispy. Basically everything is good. The tapas are better than the fried apps… Mostly because the fried stuff is– well– fried. We had one of almost everything. Music is questionable but the service is off the hook. Prices are ridiculously good! The workers here hustle like any other NBA team aside from the Lakers. They work it like Missy Elliot. And they’re sweet like cherry pie. If you wanna come on a Friday night definitely make reservations… But make sure to keep it or call and cancel Bc they reserve it for the entire night. It’s a tiny little place but it adds to the lovely charm. Yummilicious Factor = A+
Robin S.
Place rating: 5 Los Angeles, CA
Everything is alright in the world when it’s deep fried and comes on a stick isn’t it? I’m so happy to have found this place, thanks Unilocal! We’ve tried: Most skewer items are $ 1.00/ea. The most stand out items were fried Mochi and cheese, Calamari, Shrimp cake, and asparagus. Noodles with crab infused dipping sauce– Dipping sauce was super flavorful and aromatic. Noodles were cooked perfectly. Thoroughly enjoyed this dish. Mashed potato– Putting cod roe and soy sauce? Best idea ever! Uni Tofu– the silkiest tofu I’ve ever tasted. The jelly was was a bit hard to get down for some people, but I loved it. Sizzling sauteed pork cheek– this was our favorite dish. Pork was tender and juicy. Veggies were lightly salted to perfection. so so good. I’m definitely going back for more!
Ayumi S.
Place rating: 2 Pasadena, CA
Thursday afternoon, the bf joined me for my 1 hour lunch break. Since Horon is literally 3 doors down from my job, I thought why not try there. That way, we won’t have to rush either. Walk in, and we see 4 business men standing in line with the waitress behind a table that says«order here». Felt like a cafeteria kind of thing. Inside was nothing fancy. and I just thought it was plain weird. The music they were playing was also not fitting for the restaurant. So, you pretty much don’t get the time to think about what you want. It’s a hurry up look at the menu and decide within 10 seconds kind of thing. It was pretty much ramen and alla that stuff. We ordered the Shoyu ramen with the soboro tamago bowl. They have a help yourself water or ocha section(which I thought was pretty generous to offer free tea), and also the toppings as well. We sat at the big table in the back, which the seats were dirty :/. Our food came out within 5 minutes. quick as fuck. and we started our inhaling. BLAH. I don’t like it. The ramen is really whatever tasting, nothing fantastic. The soboro tamago bowl pretty much had no flavor. and I was dipping it in the ramen soup base. Didn’t taste any better either :/ Of course. being the fatass that I am, I finished everything.regardless. One thing I found truly disgusting was that when I left the chopsticks in the ramen soup, a couple of minutes later I took it out, and the oil or WHATEVER it was was clumping all together to my chopstick. I lifted up a huge like sack of nastiness. I was really grossed out and just didn’t want to eat anymore. It’s kind of like if you leave clam chowder sitting for a bit. it gets that wrinkly look. Same thing. except it will stick to your utensil. I kept playing with it cause I was so grossed out. if that makes any sense? But yeah. I’m not going to come back here. I guess night time is better?
Bonnie Y.
Place rating: 3 Chino, CA
I love fried food… but for some reason it gets old/tiring after a while when i had these here this past weekend. everything is pretty average… besides the fried stuff we also had uni tofu, ramen, sweet shrimps, uni sushi… everything is good and fresh, just average. i did enjoy my stay but i wouldn’t come here for a actual meal — maybe good for pre-meal, or 2nd meal.
Ticha B.
Place rating: 4 Los Angeles, CA
Small place you’d probably miss if you didn’t know it existed in a shopping center by Nijiya Japanese market. There’s plenty of parking and the restaurant looks dark from the outside… they are open though. It’s also dark inside and there aren’t too many tables and seating for customers. Make sure you go before the dinner rush or else you’ll be waiting. I would say the food was actually pretty good. Who doesn’t love fried skewers of meat, veggies, cheese, seafood. LOVE that stuff! For someone who hasn’t tried this kind of Japanese dining, you might be a bit overwhelmed with the different fried items. Make sure you pick the good stuff and be careful cause once you’re on a roll, the sticks can add up really quickly(the $$$$ and bill does also). They serve beer, sake and some other alcoholic beverages. I liked the: Kobe beef sticks, the soft shell crab, the service(the redhead Japanese waitress was cool), loved the fried cheese sticks, Enoki mushroom with bacon. After dinner, even though the skewers were $ 1, $ 2 and $ 3, we ended up paying a hefty charge since we ordered so much. :( BTW…they need to not leave the Bob Marley CD on repeat. After a while, the reggae got a little boring… I think I heard Buffalo Soldier like 4x that night.
Leslie P.
Place rating: 3 Torrance, CA
Fried food on a stick. What could go wrong with that? I was recommended this place after my dad saw it on Travel Channel. He said, «You should try this place and report back!» His words exactly. After picking up my sister from LAX on a Friday night, we headed over here. I made a reservation for 8:15pm because I read on here that it gets very busy, mainly because it is pretty small. We arrived 5 minutes before 8, and the waitress sat us down. We ordered the following kushiage: + Shrimp(2): with shrimp shell intact, it was not chewy because this was fried well. it was a pretty meaty piece of shrimp + Kabocha(2): big chunks of veggie. i took off most of the fried batter because it tasted better without it + Mochi cheese(2): fried cheese with a piece of mochi. so good! + Chicken meatball(2): not really a meatball, but more of a meatstick. it was okay. a different texture than i’m used to + Salmon with salmon roe(1): very small slice of salmon + Squid with uni(2): a little chewy slice of squid, topped with uni. good kushiage We also ordered: + Green salad: dressed with miso mustard dressing; the dressing was delicious! the greens were just regular salad that you can buy from the grocery store + Ramen: it was served with pork, but my sister & i didn’t eat it. the noodles are thinner than usual & the soup was a little creamy, and also very oily. the good thing was that it came in two sizes. the small, which we ordered, was only $ 4 + Uni tofu: a bowl of homemade tofu, topped with uni, and i think the brine from the uni or tofu. my sister never like uni, but this time she liked it. it wasn’t as slimey as usual. the tofu was soooo smooooth. it tasted great with the smokey flavoured condiment. Overall, it’s a place to try if you’re in the area. It gets a little overwhelming after fried foods after fried foods. Eat in moderation! It would be a great place to bring kids since it’s like the Japanese version of corndogs(or corndogs is an American version of kushiage)! Three & a half stars for this establishment.
