Kinjiro in Little Tokyo is very underappreciated. I think it’s much better than Tsubaki, for example, and it has a much more diverse menu. Here are pictures from last night.
Kinjiro did get a lot of love initially, but I think people became put off when the price of the dishes increased so radically, also by the fact that they weren’t filling all their tables due to staffing issues. Are they still limiting their seating?
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Also, have their prices decreased? Because reports from a year ago certainly don’t make Kinjiro sound anywhere near “mid-range”!
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Last night, I believe every table was full.
I am unaware of any seafood-focused Japanese restaurant in LA that has similar quality food at a lower price. I could be wrong, but I don’t feel like the prices at Kinjiro are higher than the prices at Tsubaki.
The prices are much lower than the high-end / Michelin-level restaurants like Shunji and Hayato. That’s what I meant by mid-range. I recognize that the prices are much higher than, say, mid-range Italian.
Raku?
I have not been to Raku! I keep intending to go. I edited my thread title to add a question mark!
loved our one dinner at kinjiro. was not moved to return though after the very steep price hike that followed the initial acclaim they received. happy to go to raku for that general genre of food when we’re in l.a.
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Gosh – I am surprised by the criticism. I know it’s expensive, but I think the value is good (at least comparatively). Let’s take something like “Uni, Scallop, Blue Crab with Ponzu Jelly (2pc)” $26 (one of my pictures). It wouldn’t surprise me if a restaurant like Shunji served 1pc of the same dish for $30.
True, but keep in mind that expectations are different for diners when they know they are headed into a temple of sushi. Kinjiro is, at it heart, an izakaya.
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…and FTCers got used to the superior quality of the sashimi at Aburiya Raku. Maybe raising the bar and making for harsh judgement of other izakayas who serve the same thing? You professors have done a good job with me. 
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maybe it’s irrational but it’s hard to go back and pay 30-50% for the same thing even if the new price is in the abstract not out of keeping with the market.
of course, it’s easier for people who have a lot more discretionary income.