Warrior: I like Kinjiro. It is the best “izakaya” I’ve tried in LA. For the moderate price, the quality is high (particularly given the large portion sizes). Regardless of price, Kinjiro has dishes that are worth tasting. Surprisingly, the baby spinach and mushroom salad was my favorite dish tonight. This umami-rich salad, which has been on the menu for years, just tastes completely right. Also good was the uni risotto, which was so rich with uni that I thought it had too much uni (seriously), but that’s a forgivable flaw. The oysters in ponzu sauce was basic but successful. The grilled octopus was too rubbery, but the slimy takowasa was splendid. Miso-glazed cod and marinated mackerel were both good, but ordinary. The raw salmon, raw scallop, and blue crab salad (with lots of lettuce), while solid, was not a great combination. But we are obviously pretty spoiled not to be singing this restaurant’s praises.
Peony: This is the first time we have visited Kinjiro after Covid. We noticed they were understaffed today, but we were seated in timely fashion, and the food was served at a reasonable speed. The flavors of the food today were still as rich and bright as they were previously. The wasabi octopus, marinated mackerel, black cod, and mushroom salad were the most memorable dishes tonight due to their bold flavors and perfect textures. We have visited Kinjiro so many times, and we have enjoyed every time we visited. I consider it my favorite restaurant in Little Tokyo.
