Really weird question, but maybe someone knows… what brand of toilet paper is in the bathroom? It’s REALLY soft stuff. Just wondering. I’ve always been too embarrassed to ask Jun.
Old Japanese trick to keep the quality high. Especially when short-staffed. This is a main difference in business philosophy between Chinese and Japanese restaurants. No sacrificing quality, for that would be dishonorable.
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Another great meal at kinjiro.
Seared uni, nori
saba, yuzu kosho
Fresh and clean, really good.
grilled saba
uni risotto
Still great
foie gras #inbeforetheban
cold green tea soba
The soba is probably the most underrated item on the menu but it is outstanding. So refreshing with the perfect flavor and chew. @Chowseeker1999 you should give this a try next time.
toto
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Thanks for the recommendation @PorkyBelly. Sounds like you had a great meal! 
So as others have mentioned, are the menu prices marked up dramatically? Curious what you felt about it, having dined there.
For the soba, that looks wonderful! But do they make theirs in-house? I thought on one of my earliest visits, I asked about it, and at that time (this was 1.5 years ago? Really early on…) they said it wasn’t. Just curious.
Thanks for the reminder; I definitely need to go back soon.
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No sake? 
Yes, the menu prices are up dramtically, I would guess prices are up 30-50% just from a year ago. Quality and portions are still the same, but apparently they’ve been running at half capacity - only taking reservations for half the restaurant - since January when one of their two chefs left. Not sure if that has anything to do with the steep price increases.
I don’t think they make their own soba, when i asked Jun where he gets his soba he said it was a “secret”, whatever that means. Wherever it’s from, it’s one of the best items on the menu and also the cheapest at $12.
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Sorry @beefnoguy, I forgot to get a picture of the sake menu for you, next time.
Thanks @PorkyBelly. Yah during our last visit (after their 2nd chef left), we also saw the strange situation: Dining room was half full at most, and when a couple walked in, Jun turned them away saying “Reservation only.” The remaining empty tables were never taken the entire time we were there.
par for the course(s)
No sake, as in, no sake with your meal?
Correct
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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.
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