A Thousand Cranes

IT’S CLOSED?! Noooooo…
Damn it.

Damn! I never use bad words. but DAMN!
I have been meaning to come to this place forever. Finally, I made it. Guess what? GONE FOREVER. CLOSED! Don’t believe me? Go ahead. go up to the third floor and you will only find a garden. NO TEMPURA BAR! CRAP! How do I even rate this? I guess it doesn’t matter since they no longer exist.
Since I parked, I went ahead and ate at the other restaurant.

also saddened by the news that this place closed down.
It was one of my favorites. Loved the omakases here. The nigiri was excellent, and since they had the Garden Grill (teppanyaki) next door they would offer Japanese beef nigiri.
Beside the great food, it had a relaxing atmosphere that let you «escape» and experience a mini-​vacation while in there.
— sometimes they’d serve you a fried and crispy aji backbone, great beer companion:
— one of the few places in LA where I found shirako:
— amaebi is served as more commonly served in japan:
— miyazaki beef nigiri was a highlight sometimes:

CLOSED: The Iranian investors took over what was formerly the New Otani Hotel in Little Tokyo, now Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens in 2007 or 2008. The 30-​year-​old Thousand Cranes Restaurant (on the third floor of the hotel), was then sold to a Korean restaurant operator. Since then, the food quality had gone down. Now, I’m saddened to report that this restaurant is closed for good.
Thousand Cranes was one of a few remaining restaurants in Los Angeles that serve Kaiseki dinners, a multicourse traditional Japanese meal. It is served in tatami rooms overlooking a garden that’s a replica of the one in the New Otani Hotel in Tokyo. It had been one of my company’s and my family’s favorite Japanese restaurants. If anyone knows where it will be reopened, please post it.

Situated on the second level of the New Otani Hotel in little Tokyo, a Thousand Cranes is a mini-​escape from the hustle and bustle of LA.
The ambiance is calming, refreshing and soothing; and the instrumentals playing in the background, ultra zen. The Senbazuru Kaiseki is visually appealing and perfectly appetizing. The service is impeccable.
The dining experience is only magnified by the entrancing view of the Japanese Garden.
A perfectly romantic date locale.

I know this place is popular with the Japanese since all the Japanese ladies in my office love the place so I was happy to finally try it when my boss took us here for a thank you lunch.
It’s very for lack of a better word «prim and proper» like the Japanese so I can see why they find this place appealing. Everywhere I looked everyone was in a suit looking as if they were getting ready to negogiate an important business deal.
Almost all of us opted for the $ 20 something bento box special that came with sashimi, beef or chicken teriyaki, vegetable tempura, egg custard, and miso soup.
The food wasn’t bad, but I’m just not really into the stuffy décor nor it’s stuffy patrons. Unless I’m coming here with a client I probably wouldn’t return on my own for lunch.

Sunday Brunch review–
Unless you are going to have champagne, don’t bother.
The uni was good and the toro as well. Aside from that the rest of the sushi was the same quality as Todai. My salmon sashima was slightly frozen. One of our glasses of orange juice tasted like it had been blended with green tea.
The service is superb, but the bill man this was too much.
I recommend Sunday Brunch at the St. Regis. its worth $$ to spend more.
Next stop will be Maison Akira’s Sunday Brunch. I wish I had gone there yesterday.
This isn’t a reflection of the management and service, but of a foodie’s disdain for the quality of the food and $ associated with it.

Nice garden view from the restaurant, perfect for a nice romantic dinner or a sunny afternoon. Service was excellent as the water was filled quickly, server was very friendly and prompt and very polite.
Started out with fresh oysters in lemon and ponzu sauce. The oyster was fresh and smooth going down. Had the 9 piece nigiri combination with most of the pieces being quality in taste for a combination order. Liked the Salmon the best as it was soft almost buttery and flavorful. Also ordered uni which was very good. It had a smooth and creamy texture with a little sweet taste to it.
The Chilean Sea Bass was covered in sauce with two shrimps. Never had the Sea Bass before but the taste with the sauce and texture was better than I anticipated. The shrimps were nothing special.
The vegetable and shrimp tempura was not soggy or oily compared to what I’m used to since most of my tempura experience at restaurants have been at cheaper korean joints. Honestly I think my grand aunt and grandma makes much better tempura than the korean restaurants. Grandma’s know how to cook. I will have to try the tempura bar on another occasion to get the variety of tempura items.
The only thing that tripped me up about the restaurant was the parking as the self parking area only posts rates of $ 4 with validation up to 3 hours but ended up paying only $ 1.50 for about an hour and a half worth of parking. I will come again and hope to try the Sunday brunch buffet with all the variety of items available to fill my ever aging stomach while I still can.

I came here for my birthday and boy was it a treat! First time at a tempura bar and I will admit I was a bit skeptical as I try to stay away from fried foods for the most part. I am so glad we came to this place.
We sat at the Tempura Bar and did the Chef’s Selection for our dinner. Started off with a small eggplant salad and ordered a bottle of nigori to pair the meal. Fried foods + alcohol, hey it was my birthday.
The tempura selection was amazing, lightly battered, fresh (when i say fresh, I mean FRESH. The crab was alive before he was tossed into the boiling pot!), and it was done right in front of you.
The chef we had was very funny and I loved that he interacted with us. So as a token of my appreciation, I gave him a drink ;)
Finished the meal with some ice cream and a walk of the Japanese gardens but the best part was after all the food I ate, I didn’t feel like I was 300 lbs. What more can you ask for?!

Excellent spot for business lunches. It is on the restaurant level of the Kyoto Grand Hotel (formerly New Otani) and a very traditional restaurant. It is styled in light wood with a beautiful picture window/​wall that opens onto a Japanese pond and garden. The waitresses are even dressed in kimonos!
I had the TENSHIN lunch (~$ 25) which is a series of dishes created by the chef made of seasonal ingredients. The appetizer was a dish of thick julienne of eggplant in a sesame sauce (very good), two pieces of CA roll (fine), a light mushroom broth with shimeji mushrooms and radish sprouts (excellent), and a piece of sushi (I can never discern the type of fish. I suck, I know.)
The entrée was made up of various tempura (pumpkin, shrimp, broccoli, yam), miso marinated black cod (tasty but a bit salty), 4 pieces of sashimi (tuna and again, my sushi idiocy means I don’t know what the other 2 were), rice, sunomono (pickles), two marinated shrimps.
I liked the variety of cooking techniques and tastes. Also interested in the kaiseki lunch ($ 45), which is a great bargain compared to the $ 75, $ 95, and $ 125 versions at dinner.
Self Parking at the hotel is $ 4 with lunch, with validation, I only paid $ 1, not sure how that worked out.

I’d give me 4.5 for the 4 times I’ve been to this place but my last experience which was this past Saturday night would probably warrant 5 stars.
The brunch on Sunday that I’ve been to before is good but again, maybe a 4 star at best. Their price fix menu for lunch was pretty good but again a 4 star.
However, this past Saturday night was my 2^nd time at the tempera bar and man, the chef was awesome. Started out with a small salad that was very good. Had eggplants and other yummy stuff in it. Then followed by a sashimi sampler. Very fresh. Then was the parade of tempera items that got better and better. Each item fried up individually right in front of you. And ice cream to top it off at the end.
The chef (I think his name was Shiono-​san) was very accommodating and even engaged us in conversation throughout the meal. Also liked an interactive experience. Service was outstanding as well.

OK, are you ready for the brutal truth?
Senbazuru used to be «the place» for me; used to come here on a weekly basis. That all changed after 2007. Late in 2007, its ownership changed, for the worse. The whole atmosphere sunk with it. Even though the chefs are still Japanese, and that they try hard to maintain the traditions, the new ownership has gone Korean. It’s not the same anymore. Heck, they even got rid of the cool host at front desk who would always politely escort his guests and give a 90 degree bow until the door of the elevator shut… and even after elevator was descending we’d still hear the host saying goodbye to us from the floor above. This is the atmosphere I am talking about, not some waiter from North Korea singing to us at the tempura bar (although he was nice, but it’s not what I’d expect when dining at a traditional Japanese restaurant with a caliber like Senbazuru’s).
The new management also got rid of Yama san, the true master of tempura. The tempura bar remains «omakase», but the price has gone up by $ 10 (used to be $ 60 or $ 65 per person, $ 5 extra for the big eaters). We used to be able to get rare ingredients such as ayu (fresh water sweetfish imported from Japan) from here, but no more. One time I asked for raw uni, the next thing I knew was that Yama san immediately opened a new box of uni and gave me half of it! The new chef is not as skillful (I didn’t even care to ask what his name was), and they’ve gone from generous to stingy on ingredients and meal sizes. Yama san, where are thee?
Nevertheless, it is still a decent restaurant with a view of the garden and nice ambiance. Kaiseki courses and Nabe (soup-​based hot pots) are served here. I’d check ahead of time for their seasonal ingredients though. During the winter, they serve Anko (angler fish) nabe. Ladies, care for collagen? Yum o!
A 3.5 from me.

On the upper levels of the Kyoto Grand Hotel (formerly New Otani Hotel). I’ve never dined in the restaurant proper or the sushi bar. But… They have something I’ve never seen anywhere else. TEMPURA BAR.
Now, if you’re thinking… «Tempura is always kinda gross. It’s greasy and soggy and has thick batter and is really oily and heavy» Then you haven’t had real tempura yet. This place will fix that.
This bar is run by 1 chef. About 8 seats only so make reservations. Just like a sushi bar, you can look at the glass display window and ask for whatever you want to be tempura fried. Veggies, all kinds of seafood, meat, and things you would never imagine frying. Best tempura shrimp EVER. Literally explodes with juice in your mouth when you bite into it. Other really good ones… Uni (bet you didn’t think you could deep fry that), chives, japanese yams. I still have dreams about that tempura uni.
$ 75 pre fixe a person for enough to fill most people’s stomachs. Comes with soup, apps, accompaniments.

I had a business meeting/​dinner here last night. I ordered Grilled Canadian Deep Water Cod (marinated in miso) which came with rice, sauteed vegetables, and miso soup. The meal was okay, but the presentation was pretty. The restaurant have a nice setting — Japanese style garden and you don’t feel like you are in the middle of downtown LA.
The servers were attentive and we received good service until… Jackie Chan brought his crew of 40 people and we were completely forgotten ever since. Jackie was very down to earth (just like you see him in his movies, I guess) and taking care of his crew.
They were so busy eating sukiyaki. Jackie must have been so hungry as he could not sit and wait until meat was cooked and he was standing and eating sukiyaki beef while everyone else was seated… :o
According to the restaurant staff members, the group called only 15 min ahead that the 40 guests were coming for dinner — no wonder the whole restaurant was panicked and turned upside down…

Took my parents there on Mother’s day for brunch.
Overall, not as impress as I was told, not sure if the quality drops due to Mother’s day crowd or if it is its standard.
I was told that most stuff were made to order.
But for $ 49, you get all you can eat sashimi and mochi, what more can I ask for, afterall it’s only a buffet.
For those who likes champagne, it’s a champagne brunch
Will try it again on a regular Sunday.
Overall the food is good and the Japanese garden outside is nice .
Staff and waitress are very friendly and polite.
As for parking, if you wanna walk around J town after the brunch, recommend to park across the street. It was $ 5 flat, whereas you only get 1hr free at the hotel valet parking.

My friend and I came here because he always wanted to try this place and he had a gift certificate;0. There was no one in the restaurant at about 7:15 pm, so we got a nice table in front of the little cascade. The view is wonderful and relaxing, but the restaurant itself is a little dated, with marked carpeting, and a little stagnant smell. Our waitress was a Japanese grandmotherly type, with a thick accent that made it difficult to understand her. She was nice, but not very efficient, spilling a little as she put away food, and we had to remind her to refill our green tea. Sometimes she would go away for periods of time. In short, service could be better.
We each had a different combination special, beginning with sashimi of yellowtail and tuna, which was fresh, and nicely presented, but average tasting, with a dowdy salad. There was a custard w/​onions and mushrooms, which reminded me of my father’s custard dishes. Then, the tempura came and it was disappointingly oily. The miso soup was salty and had little miso taste. My friend’s appetizers came out, then my entire plate came out, while he had to wait a while for his steak. My fish (I think it was sea bass) was nicely seared and had a nice taste. There were a few side items I couldn’t recognize, which tasted a little weird. His NY steak was small, but it was tender and flavorful. All in all, it wasn’t a bad dinner, just not that memorable, kind of American flavor Japanese food. I didn’t think the food was worth the price. But we did have a nice time.

We reserved a Tatami Room and ordered the Premium Kaiseki Dinner. It very much exceeded my expectation. The food quality was awesome. The service was excellent and very attentive. When I was complimenting the quality of the dinner, the waitress/​server told us that we’re lucky because the main chef was in to prepare the food for us.
Honestly, for $ 85, I think we got more than we paid for in terms of amount and quality.
Their sake menu is very good and all priced reasonably.
I will definitely come back to try other items in their menu.

I went to A Thousand Cranes last Saturday night for dinner. I was craving Japanese shabu shabu and did not want to wait in line at other shabu shabu restaurants in Little Tokyo. I happened to find A Thousand Cranes using Open Table and checked out the menu while I was waiting to get my haircut.
First I was amazed at the Japanese garden setting A Thousand Cranes has outside. It is simple beautiful. It’s definitely a picture worthy shot.
Second, I found the service to be very good. The wait staff and hostess were very accommodating.
Now for the food. It’s funny that I was craving to eat shabu shabu since growing up, I thought of it as a disgusting food that you cooked in a shared hot pot. But, who would have known my taste would change. The shabu shabu was very delicious. The choice of meat and vegetables were fresh and cooked nicely in the hot boiling broth.
if I was a drinker, I would have order sake to compliment the meal like the table in front of me who apparently had more than they could handle.
All in all, I found A Thousand Cranes to be a good choice and recommend it to others. The price to dine there is a little high, but it is worth it.

Went here today to celebrate New Years Japanese style. I went for the brunch which I must say was very traditional and most excellent. This is truly a japanese buffet with sashimi, sushi, soba, along with freshly shucked oyster. The salads included a chicken salad and the very good salmon skin salad and a tsunemono/​shrimp salad. They had the traditional ozoni soup (my spelling may be off) along with other traditional new year’s dishes which I have no idea how to pronounce and name. In addition, they had tempura, NY steak teriyaki, chicken teriyaki, tonkatsu and a decent dessert table with flourless chocolate cake, tiramisu, and manju.
Food was all tasty and i recommend to those of you that love japanese food. The regular brunch is $ 49 and has most of the items mentioned above less the new year’s dishes. I’d go back for a special occassion.

This reviews is for the tempura bar, which is only open for dinner. I went tonight with a friend and it was a great experience. We got there a bit early so we walked around the rooftop garden, which was really nice — a tranquil setting with views of some downtown LA buildings. We went into the restaurant and were immediately greeted and shown to the tempura bar.
There, we were greeted by the chef, who told us to let him know if we had any questions. As with many sushi bars, the deal seemed to be that the chef would prepare a set menu, but if we had any requests we could make them. Since neither of us had been to a tempura bar, we decided just to follow the program. As each item came out, the chef kept warning us that it was very hot — as if the hot oil bubbling on the surface wasn’t enough notice. Still, I did nearly burn my tongue a few times by underestimating how long it took certain pieces to cool.
The first item was my favorite– dover sole tempura, topped with onions and soy sauce. Simple but delicious. Next came a shrimp and tuna sashimi, served alongside the fried shrimp head; followed by a piece of regular shrimp tempura. After that, green chili pepper tempura which was a little spicy but not too much. Then came a seemingly endless succession of various types of quality seafood (calamari, crab, sea smelt, scallop, abalone) and fresh vegetable (cucumber, asparagus, pumpkin, and sweet potato) tempura served alternatingly.
Another favorite worth mentioning was the lotus root and mochi tempura — fried separately, with the mochi placed on top. The lotus root was crunchy and good, and the mochi was delicious — just sweet enough, with a perfectly gooey texture under the crispy batter.
The chef also offered us oysters, and probably could have gone on, but we had to tell him we were stuffed. We each got a large strawberry which was extremely sweet and juicy, the perfect end to the meal. The damage was $ 65 each for the food, and neither of us had ordered drinks — only green tea. I thought it was a pretty good deal considering the quality of the food and the overall experience. Definitely worth checking out.