Itacho
Los Angeles, CA 90036-2534
Phone: (323) 938-9009
- Price:
- $$
- Cross Street:
- N Pointsettia Place
- Hours:
- Mon-Fri 11:30am 2:30pm, 5:30pm-11pm, Sat 5:30pm-11pm
Editorial Review for Itacho – by Melanie Abrams
The Scene
Despite the uninspiring industrial space and cheesy tie-dye wall hangings, this crowded restaurant is a favorite with both local hipsters and Hollywood elite. There's often a line, but the food is shuttled to and from the table at such breakneck speed, the wait is never long.
The Food
There's nary a clinker on the short menu of traditional Japanese fare, from the firm eggplant served piping hot and doused with sweet miso sauce to spicy, soy-glazed, wheel-shaped lotus roots, similar in taste and texture to bamboo shoots but with an added kick. Sashimi is fresh but unremarkable, and cooked dishes like broiled eel with teriyaki sauce, are flavorful, but slightly overdone. Instead, order Japanese fried chicken, which is crisp and tender, and served with tangy lemon mayonnaise. The dessert menu is limited, and even the server-suggested red bean ice cream tastes more like plain vanilla.
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Insider Tips
Look GoodSkip dessert altogether and head across the street to Insomnia for a sweet treat. Better yet, if it's early enough, stroll down to SugarPlum.
The ExtrasWith the prices reasonable and the portions small, order an assortment of dishes and plan to share.
ParkingGood luck finding a free spot on the weekends. Spring for the valet.
Know Before You GoThe restaurant is only open for dinner, so make sure to call after 5:30pm if you want to speak to a human.
User Reviews for Itacho
12/10/2008 Posted by buster2727
This is some of the best sushi I've ever had. It's such a nice place, but not snooty AT ALL. The service is great! Just discovered this place and for a delicious meal at a great price and no "LA vibe" there's no better place!
Pros: service, food quality
08/08/2008 Posted by jumasi
Itacho has been our "go-to" Japanese restaurant for a couple of years. We make a special trip from the South Bay for Itacho cravings. Some of the cravings: the yellow tail on crispy rice is a nice fusion of textures and flavors, the black cod is like butter, the soba is the best we've ever had. Their expanded sushi menu is another reason to make the drive over. The sushi is consistently fresh. So, when I found out that there's now an upstairs area open for small parties, I knew where my next birthday party would be. There were about 20 of us but the space could have accommodated another 20 people comfortably. The room was cozy yet spacious and the food and service was as good as it was downstairs in the main restaurant. The staff was so patient and helpful from the planning stage to the very end of the party. Thanks to everyone there and the great food my party was a success. Many of my guests are now planning their parties there after attending mine.
Pros: Fresh, creative food
Cons: I wish it was closer to me
