Gonpachi

Parking: Valet
Open Kitchen - Watch The Chef Family Friendly, Upscale, Bar Scene, Romantic Moderately noisy All Ages Outdoor Seating, Group Dining, Private Parties Banquets

The original Gonpachi is located in Tokyo’s Nishi Azabu neighborhood, and this one, on Restaurant Row on La Cienega, is similarly gorgeous – a breathtaking, bi-level space, modern and serene with koi ponds, elaborate landscaping and aged wood brought from Japan. It’s reported to have cost $18 million dollars, and it shows. The food, however, is good but may not wow quite like the ambiance. (Conversely, nearby Matsuhisa is all about the food and a tad short on atmosphere.) The menu is like that of an izakaya, a Japanese pub, featuring varied small plates of sushi, grilled skewers, tempura and soba. Their thing is handmade soba, which comes both hot and cold, and it is tasty – they’ve even constructed a small window overlooking the chefs so you can watch them make it. The service is attentive and warm, and they’ve tried to replicate the feeling of the original, down to the calls of “irasshai!” But those details may lose something coming from the non-Japanese wait staff.

TIPS: The small plate concept can leave some feeling like it’s too expensive for not enough food. Don’t go here expecting to leave full, unless you’re willing to shell out serious money. And if that’s the case, there are beautiful themed private rooms upstairs that require a minimum of $350.

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