Hazuki Restaurant

Omg Hazuki closed.
Does anyone know where Hazuki moved?
where does the owner/​chef cook now?

The restaurant is hid in the Little Tokyo Plaza and it took me a while to find it, but I believe it was worth walking in circles. I had an Omakase lunch which made me super full and satisfied. Okizuke, Sashimi, Fried Oysters, Broiled Tuna, White Fish with Grated Yam, Miso Soup and Rice. Not sure what they serve for dinner, but I was happy enough to come back and try them.

This review is just for the food. Everything we had was delicious! I didn’t do the ordering though. Went with two friends and their significan others. The boys took over the menu and ordered for the table. Everything that was put in front of my face, I ate. The one thing that I remember was super yummy was the PORK BELLY — wow! Better than my moms! REALLY! This other tofu dish was amazing too.
We went on a Friday night. We were the only ones there. Not sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing but the food was satisfying.
The one thing I didn’t like was having to take off my shoes to sit down on one of those short Japanese tables. I tried not to let my feet touch the floor because I know its gross down there. Tables are also available but it wasn’t my call. Next time, I’ll sit at a table to enjoy my food.

Never would I know a hidden gem inside the Little Toyko Plaza right next to the Village. The humble restaurant hid behind a steer door without the glitz and gimmick like those whatever Katana or Geisha House’s Hollywood hype. The food was ten times better than the $ 100 per head tasting menu at Katsuya.
We not only got our own private room with authentic tatami, the menu also suggested a very decent price. Despite the fact that some time was passed before our food arrived at the table, we knew everything was made to order. The chef practically cooked every dish himself. Our waitresses were friendly although English might be tough on them provided that they were real Japanese!
Fried tofu in broth was delicious. Both fish dishes, the miso salmon and broiled mackeral, were impeccable. The tempura was well battered and fried. Sashimi was fresh. Chawa-​mushi was the largest portion I had ever had. We could even taste the miso soup not making from the cheap powder. The only dish I had some reservation was the stuffed lotus root tempura.
I certainly will come back and try out the remainder of the menu.

Great spot, nice and very authentic. Sashimi is very fresh, and the specials of the day are definitely the way to go! From a place like this, you do NOT want a wide menu, because the choice is based on the quality of the ingredients, which need to be selected very accurately.

Hazuki restaurant is Little Tokyo’s hidden secret! Yes, the décor could use a little help, but the food is amazing. You may have problems communicating, but if you know what you want to order, you’ll be in heaven. Try this meal for two: edamame, hamachi sashimi, or the frozen beef, soft shell crab salad, agedashi tofu, and either the salmon or black cod. If you’re still hungry, try the shrimp and vegetable tempura. It’s made in a very light batter, that will surprise you. All this with some Onigoroshi cold sake is a feast you have to try once.

The chef here basically makes food for the local Japanese businessmen. That’s when you know a sushi place is really good and fresh. But apparently nowadays business isn’t so booming and a lot of the Japanese businessmen are moving back to Japan. Which sucks for places like this where the chef’s pride and joy is serving these customers.
In any case, the sushi is FRESH and delicious. I can’t even recall what I ate because I didn’t order anything (came with family friends) and basically we told the chef to make us anything he thought was good. But the teapot soup was good as well as sashimi.
Bottom line is, if you want expensive but high quality sushi, you can try this place out. It’s probably not somewhere I’d go a lot. =) Sushi Gen for me!

i went there for a bday party and the food was really really good and fresh!
the waiter was really nice too.
however, the food came really really really late.
it took them 2 hrs for my bf to get his order… but we had a large group…
still i didnt think it should take them THAT long…
because it’d be just like going there when the restaurant is crowded… i’d probably had to wait for the same amout of time…
so i don’t think i’d go back any time soon even if the good was good…
i hate waiting… esp for that long…

Stumbled across this place on a rainy night with a friend. Though we were lost due to some lame o security guy’s misguidance, we manage to find this place on the SECOND FLOOR.
Definitely a mom and pop owned shop. The owner’s kids were dining by the bar area while you see daddy chef bringing out his creations to them. Kinda cute.
Ordered the soft shell crab salad, yakisoba hot noodle soup and a Tatsuta Karaage (Japanese battered fried chicken).
Salad: great flavors. dressing balanced out the fried soft shell crab well. Didn’t taste the greasiness due to the tangy dressing.
Yakisoba Hot noodle soup: soup a tad too sweet and noodles were softer than what i was expecting. Not bad but just not amazing.
Chicken Karaage: Evenly seasoned and battered but disliked the overpowering sauce. It was so heavy that I didn’t even taste chicken. Though my friend loved it, it wasn’t my thing.
Overall is a good Japanese restaurant where I would resort to if i craved Japanese food. Pretty authentic. Great for casual dining.

After coming from a long and hectic morning, I was ready to do lunch with two of my favorite peeps! We decided to visit this Little Tokyo establishment. Actually, they chose it and I followed. I just wanted to be fed.
I finally settled down and was ready to order. I looked at their extensive menu… it turns out to be not so extensive (only 6 choices on the menu), but this works very well for my indecisive nature. Me and my friend ordered the garlic chicken, and our homie ordered the Tonkatsu, which was not on the menu, rather it was a special. I did try some Tonkatsu and even though it was pork, it was pretty good! tasted like chicken.
It took quite a LONG time for us to get our food and we were starving. I couldn’t resist noticing the dramatic classical music playing in the background. It added a nice effect to the otherwise quiet Japanese restaurant. After waiting more than 40 minutes, we finally got our salad as a starter, then the main course followed. I was really hungry that the saltiness didn’t bother me. The garlic chicken was pretty good, though I had to remove the skin because it was too salty for my taste buds. So salty that about an hour later, my lungs started to feel salty! not a good thing.
The rice was also pretty good, not too sticky nor too moist. One thing that I should have ordered was something sweet to drink or eat so that all of the nasty after taste could go away. However, they didn’t have much of a selection there either, just beers and soda.
In sum, the food in general is pretty good, but one should not come with an empty stomach and on during your lunch break. If you are a retired person who has all the time in the world, then you could probably pull it off. However, if you want to have an interesting Japanese, star-​spangled banner soundtrack, celebrity look-​a-​like, cognac glass experience, then do try this place.

Weekday 80’s power lunch!
At least that’s what the ambiance provided. Soothing serious music in the background, and a wide array of older patrons ready to broker deals and drink water out of cognac glasses.
Menu is fairly limited, with lunch only having about 6 to 7 items. Although they had a list of 4 to 5 daily specials. My friend and I got the garlic chicken and my other friend ordered the Tonkatsu. The Tonkatsu was a daily special and was fried very nicely. It came with miso soup, rice, plum sauce and shredded cabbage. The pork was fried nicely and wasn’t too oily.
The garlic chicken came with miso and soup and rice. The chicken portion was huge, and the outside skin was crispy and well flavored. A bit too salty in my opinion for me, but it was still very good. Miso soup was slightly sweet too.
Lunch prices range from $ 7 — $ 18, but portions are a decent size.
Service was a bit slow, with only one waitress and one cook. It took a long time for the food to come out. Don’t come if you are in a rush.
Do come if you feel like eating Japanese cuisine in a restaurant with a 1980’s vibe, and you might be lucky enough to spot pseudo Japanese movie stars wandering around. :)

My first reaction when I walked into Hazuki was that David Y was spot on regarding the décor — totally 90’s Skinemax that still looks nice, but in need of a modern makeover to stop references like this one. Despite my familiarity with Little Tokyo, I have to admit I forget about the second floor. Hazuki is tucked away from the rest of the mall and it would be an even quieter destination still if it weren’t for the rowdy drunk college kids pouring out of the BBQ restaurant opposite Hazuki. Private tatami rooms in the back are also a nice add if you are dining with a large group.
Onto the food. I love the fact that Hazuki is not another sushi restaurant and in fact has only limited selections of daily sashimi specials. They have a wonderful menu of izakaya style appetizers and entrees, which is a refreshing change. The buta kakuni (pork belly) was quite flavorful and tender. The eel with grated yam was quite good as well. The grated yam has the melted, sticky consistency of melted mozzarella cheese, but it adds a nice vegetable flavor counterpart to the delicious broiled eel. I was especially intrigued by their tweak on the flavor of the agedashi tofu. There was a spicy kick that was incorporated into the tofu that was unexpected, but pleasant.
I’d personally stay away from the seats in front of the circular windows. Now I know what goldfish go through because we had passerby peer into the circular windows and check out the restaurant. The service can be a little touch and go especially on the communication, but the server is well meaning. Be a little patient and have some good humor and you’ll have a good time.

* The real deal, folks. Think higher-​end izakaya food a step above Furaibo, with slightly spendy prices to match.
* Two words: buta kakuni. Pork belly.
* Décor is straight up ’90’s Skinemax style and needs an update. But it’s still nice inside.
* Surprisingly large portions! 4 – 5 dishes for two people is more than plenty.
* It’s tucked away on the 2^nd floor, up the stairs. The location alone reminds me of Tokyo in a small way.

A dinner at Hazuki is truly for myself the ultimate
«Japanese Food Lover» experience from beginning to end.
Apart from actually eating these dishes in Japan. Which my wife and I have experienced several times, being she is from Osaka herself.

The mood is for the more grown/​mature patron. There won’t be loud rock playing in the background. But you will enjoy the music. Along with the «Seclusion from the busy World location». Is a real gem of location.
The seating gives the customer their space as well as their privacy. Great for intimate date nights. Or enjoying the company of a dinner guest .
The prices aren’t too bad either. Compared to the quality of the food and service, I think it’s a steal.
My wife and I have been eating there for over 10 years.
And Nikaido, the owner and chief has never let us down.
The food is always amazing from the Fresh non-​bleached Sashimi Mori, which is a rarity in Los Angeles, to the Green Tea Ice Cream for dessert.
Every dish is prepared with full attetion to the best taste and temprature.
Having a menu where everthing tastes great, it’s pretty hard to choose a favorite.
However the Buta no Kakuni and the Salmon misokasuyaki, ranked pretty high on my list of favorites. I mean the pork is so soft and seasoned so amazingly, it makes me stop and pause everytime I eat it. To slowly take in the whole experience. The Calamari Salad is another one of those dishes that makes you wonder how does he make this taste so good?
The staff are always pleasant and kind. Never any sense of discomfort or attitude. Service is great. However theres 1 chief, so obviously, one must take that into consideration.
But over all the food makes up for any time period that you may wait. I can write a short book on why I love Hazuki Restaurant, but I will spare you hours of reading.
If you want to experience authentic Japanese cusine with a cool relaxed atmosphere accompanied by great service and «mind blowing food», then Hazuki is for you.

This place is located at Little Tokyo Mall. Little Tokyo Mall? Yes that mall connected to Japanese Village Plaza.
I like how secluded this place is. It is a nice lunch spot to escape from the real world for 60 minutes. I got my sashimi-​tempura lunch combo. It came with salad, miso soup, tuna sashimi, shrimp and veggie tempura, steam rice, croquette and a slice of honeydew.
Food quality was 2 stars for me.
Hazuki restaurant is not yumylicious!

Japanese Village Plaza sits next to a two story mall. All you have to do is stake a few steps past the KBBQ and ice cream store and you will be on the bottom level. Upstairs sits three additional restaurants, including this one.
The atmosphere is quiet and secluded.
The ambiance and décor is nice… super nice. From the minute I walked in I had a good vibe. The place is sweet. I felt totally removed from the downtown area and even felt like I was in Japan. Then came the food.
~Lunch Special $ 10 bucks. 2.5 Stars
Cold, raining, and wet. super wet. What do you do when you are so far from bolas and there is no good phở? Yup, Hot Udon with Yummy Tempura.
Tempura Broth was a tad shallow and was missing something. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. The noodle was a bit over cooked for my liking.
Tempura was not very good. The vegetable selection was minimal and contained two whopping onions that tasted almost like onion rings. 2.5 Stars.
On a good note, the hot tea was absolutely delicious.
Rounding up, because of the décor and secluded environment, 3 Stars.
Can’t we all Unilocal along?

Dining Date: 1÷8÷10
I’ve made reservations for six people in one of the private tatami rooms at Hazuki Restaurant in Little Tokyo. The restaurant is tucked away on the second floor of the Little Tokyo Mall. The restaurant validates but everyone had a pretty difficult time finding the restaurant.
I happen to come early to conduct some light reconnaissance, I want the waiter to translate the specials menu for me and to give me some recommendations for our meal. The waiter struggled with translating some of the items but I’m happy to now have an idea of what is on it.
We order a couple of salads to start. The first dish we have is the octopus salad with citrus dressing. The octopus is thinly sliced and lightly blanched. It’s served on a bed of crunchy slices of daikon that remind me of jicama because of how refreshing this is in my mouth. The dressing appears to be a combination of citrus, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, green onions and sesame seeds. While both salads that we ordered were tasty, I favored the octopus over the second one.
The second dish is the salmon skin salad from the regular menu. The salmon skin comes out in nice crispy strips over a bed of greens. The salmon skin has just the right amount of salt and flavor without being fishy at all.
The next dish is the sweet shrimp sashimi. The shrimp is sweet but I’ve never had them this big. After we eat the bodies they take the heads back and make miso soup with half the heads and fry the other half. I think I actually prefer the smaller sweet shrimp because it’s easier to eat the heads all in one bite. The larger size here makes them almost too crunchy because they have to fry longer due to the size. There are four shrimp per order so we have two orders to accommodate my party of six.
The next two dishes are real crowd pleasers. We order a few bowls of steamed white rice to accompany these dishes. The tender fried pork cutlet consists of a breaded, deep-​fried pork cutlet sliced into bite-​sized pieces. It’s served with sosu or tonkatsu sauce which is a type of thick Japanese Worcestershire sauce that is sweeter and thicker than soy sauce. It’s similar to oyster sauce without the oyster aroma. There is also a dallop of spicy yellow karashi (Japanese mustard) and a slice of lemon that accompanies the dish.
The buta kakuni is made up of chunks of pork belly simmered in dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and sake. The meat is extremely moist and tender and the fat has become a gelatin. I’m reminded of the way foie gras melts on your tongue as soon as your teeth rupture the perfectly seared film holding it together. By cooking the pork for a long time over a low temperature the collagen breaks-​down allowing it to be consumed with ease. The dish is served with scallions and karashi. This is the most satisfying version I’ve had and you absolutely have to have a smear of karashi with every bite. The mustard kick combines with the sweetness that has gently been coaxed out of the meat. Even the broth is delicious spooned over the steamed rice, not oily like you might think it would be. Every bite disappears in my mouth effortlessly.
The next dish is eel with grated Japanese mountain yam. I believe it is broiled and the sauce tastes the same as for unagi. This is a very unique dish with an ingredient that I am quite unfamiliar with. The grated yam seems to have melted together and we cut the dish apart with a spoon. I actually think it looks a bit like someone laid a fluffy layer of marshmallow over the eel and torched it. I expect it to be a bit sticky in my mouth but it’s very light. I do a little research which tells me that mountain yam contains nutrients which have medicinal qualities so it is used in its dried form in eastern medicine.
The last dish that comes out is the beef tataki. The beef is seared on the outside, left very rare inside, thinly sliced and served with a citrusy soy sauce. This version is served with traditional tataki accompaniments — grated daikon (white radish), ginger and chopped green onions.
Overall, I’m really pleased with Hazuki. I felt like I could really taste and appreciate the delicate flavors of the ingredients. If you are ever in the mood for a quaint Japanese izakaya in Little Tokyo, this is a hidden gem. I think the chef works solo in the kitchen so prepare to be patient and plan to savor each course at a relaxed pace. The servers speak fluent Japanese and not so fluent English so it helps if you have a sense of adventure. But in the end, I found the whole experience including the food to be charming and delightful.
We end up trying seven dishes tonight but it feels like more because the shrimp is served in several presentations. The tab comes out to about $ 30 per person including tax and tip (not including drinks).
For complete review and pics, go to

4 stars
I went back to this restaurant recently with the same guys I went here with the first time a month ago. We ordered the Hirame (halibut) Sashimi in Ponzo Sauce, Buta Kakuni (pork belly), the Calamari Salad, Potato Korokke (croquette), the Shrimp Tempura, and the Tatsuta Karaage (fried chicken).
Everything was still very good like the first time except the shrimp tempura oil tasted a little old and recycled. The fried chicken was also pretty good but very heavy and greasy. The serving size of the fried chicken is pretty large so that’s good for the value eaters out there.
I still rank this as my top Izakaya in LA for dishes they serve.

3.75
Pleasant surprise. The food is pretty decent. And the prices aren’t too bad. The frozen sear beef tataki was pretty good. it was in ponzu, with minced garlic, ginger, and scallions. Very flavorful. The shark fin Chawanmushi was good. for $ 6.90 it’s a great deal. The Udon (thin noodles) was not bad. The Chazuke was good. (can’t really mess up on that one.) the grilled squid w soy sauce was a tad salty though. And so was the salmon rice ball. The anago tempura was good. (dip in salt and tempura sauce.) the meal costs about 62 $ and the portions were a good size.

This is truely a Gem of a restaurant in Little Tokyo.
It’s authentic Japanese food served Izakaya and/​or Kappo style. They have a regular menu that includes the usual combo dishes with Udon and other side dishes.
However, if you really want to treat yourself to an authentic experience you have to order from the traditional Japanese menu. Or Oshinagaki. They change it weekly or monthly depending on what they can get from the fish market. But the Sashimi Moriawase is fresh. Of course the Oishinagaki is written in Japanese so you may need some help from the waitress/​servers. They’re more than willing to help you out if you have any questions. If you don’t want to bother getting an explanation just ask what’s recommeneded off the menu and they’ll point you in the right direction.
Yes I agree it takes some time to get the dishes. But it’s not your typical Japanese restaurant either. Not so highly recommended for lunch but more for dinner. You want to sit down and enjoy your dish with a nice cold beer, sake or shochu.