Dinner at Kinjiro - Review with pics

Wow, good intel. How about raku?

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I thought of that. I know it’s a @Chowseeker1999 fave and it’s on the list. But I have another task for you guys. If you don’t mind.

Consider only Jun and another wait person take care the front of the house and no need for staff training, is chef leaving?

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Pretty astute. I only know the restaurant from this board. But I did consider that the email might be a bit of a smoke screen. I just hope it’s what you suspect and not that they’re closing for good.

One of my favorite spots… someone please post if they hear any news re: reopening.

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Update:

Looks like Kinjiro is partially open again. Speaking with the manager, he said that they did indeed lose one of their 2 chefs, as some FTCers were guessing about (he said the main chef is still there). So they’ve been training a new chef on the menu.

They are currently only taking limited reservations (no walk-ins).

Dewazakura - Izumi Judan - Ginjo Sake (Yamagata, Japan):

Thanks to @beefnoguy’s recommendation, we were happy to see the Izumi Judan on Kinjiro’s Sake Menu. K K, you weren’t joking: This is bone dry, clean Sake. Pretty nice for a Ginjo, and it went well with some of the dishes. :slight_smile:

Homemade Cold Tofu with Chilled Dashi:

This was OK. Clean flavors, but the texture is what kind of detracted for us: It was more like a thickened Custard, but sort of chunky, yet smooth also. The Chilled Dashi was delicious.

Mizuna & Daikon Salad:

I enjoyed the textures for this Salad: Crunchy, vegetal and slightly nutty. The Mizuna veggie was fine, but the Dressing overpowered the Salad just slightly. Otherwise this was good.

Kibinago Sardine Tempura:

These were delicious! :slight_smile: Light, delicate batter, the Kibinago Sardines were nice and briny and bright. The Mentaiko Dipping Salt sounded better than the actual taste (which tasted just like Salt). The Yuzu Dipping Salt was better, with a nice citrusy flavor coming through. :slight_smile:

Grilled Black Cod with Saikyo Miso (Gindara no Saikyo Yaki):

Finally a dish that really stood out for us at Kinjiro: This was outstanding! Melt in your mouth, gorgeous Black Cod, cooked just to perfection. It’s buttery, flaky, supple. The Saikyo Miso flavor adds this real crave-worthy depth of flavor - aromatic, a subtle sweetness (just barely) to the perfectly seasoned Black Cod. Must order! :blush:

Grilled Free Range Chicken Thigh with Yuzu Kosho Spice:

Taking a bite of the Grilled Chicken Thigh by itself, we thought that the Yuzu Kosho Spice would be incorporated somehow. Instead it was just simple Grilled Chicken Thigh. :expressionless:

But then we noticed this small mound of Yuzu Kosho on the side of the plate. Taking a small dab of that, spreading it on a piece of the Grilled Chicken, and it transformed the Chicken into something far greater. This was quite tasty at this point. :slight_smile:

Some of the Grilled Chicken pieces had flabby, soft Chicken Skin (it wasn’t cooked to a crispness like the other 50% of the Chicken). But otherwise, we’d order this again.

Niman Ranch Braised Pork Belly Kakuni (Half Boiled Free Range Egg & Daikon):

After having the Pork Belly Kakuni at Tsubaki recently (with the mixed results of @J_L’s not soft / firm outcome, and our visit’s very soft, but underwhelming flavors outcome), we decided to start revisiting the Braised Pork Belly (Buta no Kakuni) dishes at some of the local Izakayas (and if nothing else, to help @PorkyBelly find the best version of Pork Belly ;)).

Kinjiro’s version on our visit was not good. :frowning: Chunky, firm Pork Belly, this wasn’t cooked long enough at all. I’d imagine this might’ve been what @J_L got at Tsubaki in terms of texture. Even with a fork and knife, it was a chore to cut through. :sob:

The flavors were fine (mainly salty soy sauce), with some sweetness, but we’d skip this next time.

The Free Range Egg was excellent, though:

Uni (Sea Urchin) Risotto:

Finally! After numerous visits, it looks like we were able to make it when they had the Uni Risotto on their Daily / Seasonal Menu. Hearing @PorkyBelly and others rave about this, we were excited! :slight_smile:

It was very good, but the Uni flavors were sort of muddied (not literal mud, but not as bright as fantastic, top quality, fresh Uni can be). We’re chalking it up to as many have said: Live Uni Strikes Again (randomness). The color of the Uni Risotto didn’t look as vibrant as @PorkyBelly’s pics (I even brought it under an open table with a clear white light and it looked darker).

However, it was still very good. The Risotto was spot-on, toothsome and there was a great creamy, luscious quality about it. The Uni flavors weren’t “bad,” still a solid Uni flavor, but it didn’t sing. But I can imagine when the Live Uni in the Shell is spot-on (perfectly bright, sweet, wonderful good ocean-y quality), that this would be a Best Bite of the Year dish. :slight_smile:

We’ll be back to try this again, and hopefully the Live Uni they get is back to what @PorkyBelly had. :slight_smile:

Manila Clam & Shiso Udon:

Our final dish was the Manila Clam & Shiso Udon. This was a solid Seafood dish. The Manila Clams were perfectly cooked and delicious, and the Shiso Leaf added a delicate herbal note. However, the use of out-of-season Tomatoes was curious (why?), as they lacked the amazing sweetness you’d get from beautiful local farmers market Tomatoes.

In addition, everyone agreed that the Udon (not made in-house) felt out of place: All of us thought that a good Spaghetti or Linguini would be more appropriate and match better.

Service was very good, with our drinks being refilled regularly without asking. They checked in on our table (and others) regularly.

Kinjiro is definitely Downtown L.A. (and the surrounding areas’) best Izakaya. It continues to deliver solid dishes, but it has some misses as well. On this 5th visit, it reinforces what I’ve felt for a while: Best Izakaya for the area, with some outstanding dishes, but also some disappointing dishes.

Don’t miss out on the excellent Kibinago Sardine Tempura, and the amazing Grilled Black Cod with Saikyo Miso. The Live Uni Risotto is most likely the best dish when the Live Uni they get in is spot-on. But be sure to avoid certain dishes that are just so-so or downright bad (their Kakuni on this visit was really disappointing).

Kinjiro
424 E 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(Honda Plaza, Little Tokyo)
Tel: (213) 229-8200

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We need a thread on where to find the best, most luscious buta no kakuni and buta arani preparations in L.A. (aside from obasan’s kitchen)…

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Glad you enjoyed Izumi Judan. You picked a good place to try it. Some equate IJ to a martini. What dishes did this work best with from what you ordered?

So far Kinjiro and Mori Sushi have some of the best sake selections out there for the area, with Kinjiro sporting super reasonable markups (some not that much more than retail or the equivalent of buying retail and paying corkage) so huge kudos to Jun san for promoting sake and making even the higher end bottles more accessible. And their by the glass selections aren’t bad either.

Cowboy Yamahai is another must try, perfect for izakaya, yakitori, and grilled proteins/meats. It’s a Genshu (undiluted) so the alcohol content is higher, and it’s a Yamahai with higher acidity levels, great for cutting grease.

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[quote=“Chowseeker1999, post:100, topic:2389”]
They are currently only taking limited reservations (no walk-ins).
[/quote]Apparently, I’m not part of the limited edition. Did you call or email? Anyway, I’m cool with waiting; don’t want hit or miss on our first visit.

[quote=“Chowseeker1999, post:100, topic:2389”]
This was outstanding! Melt in your mouth, gorgeous Black Cod, cooked just to perfection.
[/quote]It looks it!

Regarding the Braised Pork Belly - I’m wondering if Niman Ranch is the culprit. Me being a sustainable, free-range kind of gal, I buy a lot of NR pork. Sadly, I find it can be tough and difficult to cook right. Hmmm… wonder what’s up with that? I give them props for trying to get with the sustainable program though!

We may not make it to Kinjiro right now, but definitely not giving up!

Good reporting!

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Nice report @Chowseeker1999, i’m glad you got to finally try the uni risotto. I agree with you on the pork belly, i had it once and it was fine. And yes, that saikyo miso is great, it was even better on the kanpachi kama but unfortunately they stopped serving kanpachi.

Have you tried the Australian wagyu skirt steak over rice? Pretty simple dish but the pickles, tender steak, wasabi, and rice go so well together.

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Hi @beefnoguy,

Thanks for the recommendation on the Yamahai. Will keep it in mind. :slight_smile:

I think I liked the Kibinago Sardine Tempura and the Black Cod (Gindara Saikyo Miso) the best with the Izumi Judan Sake. :slight_smile:

Hi @TheCookie,

Thanks. Don’t be discouraged! I emailed.

But before you go here, definitely go to the Sushi places (and don’t forget Raku also). :wink:

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Hi @PorkyBelly,

We’ll definitely go back (when I start hearing reports from everyone that Live Uni is starting to be more successful locally from any of our trusted restaurants), and by then I hope their Live Uni Risotto is even better than what we had (which was solid). :slight_smile: Yours looked amazing.

I haven’t tried the Australian Wagyu but I’m making a note of it. Thanks!

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A few years back, Izakaya Bincho in Redondo Beach used to have the best buta no kakuni, in my opinion. Too bad they’re no longer around, but they did some fantastic food, with the buta no kakuni being a real standout.

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[quote=“Chowseeker1999, post:106, topic:2389”]
I emailed.
[/quote]What am I, chopped liver?

Funny you mention Raku; that became the new bday plan. I’ve already started sushi classes :relaxed: and have been to a couple of “foot wetting” places (reports to follow). This made me re-think the sushi as a birthday dinner thing. I’ve been having fun exploring on my own without having to disrupt a companion’s meal with my questions or picture taking. So I thought Aburiya Raku would be perfect. My husband can enjoy grilled meats; plus I don’t have to take pics, as yours beautifully represent already. I’ll just report what we ate and about our experience. But as it goes with my big, lovingly irritating family - my bday has been hijacked by my cousins. They’re taking us out for Italian :neutral_face:. But we will definitely fit Raku in soon! And maybe Kinjiro :unamused:. Thanks!

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Hi @TheCookie,

About your birthday plans, very nice! Sounds like a winner. :slight_smile:

Looking forward to your report at Raku and hope you have a wonderful birthday! :slight_smile:

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Thanks @Chowseeker1999!

Has anyone been since they’ve reopened? Wondering if there’s any noticeable difference.

Even better. Went two weeks ago and it was the best of about 5 visits.

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Hi @Clyde,

We went last month (when they had their new chef) and were just re-opening again. Posted it above in this thread.