Hachi - Carson

Great place for great Japanese food at a reasonable price. Definitely try beer ,spicy Miso beef intestine and gobo Chips ???????????? read more Great place for great Japanese food at a reasonable price. Definitely try beer ,spicy Miso beef intestine and gobo Chips ????????????

The food here tastes amazing. The “skewer” items are a very generous portion. Try the beef tongue. The meat is extremely tender and soft. The strip steak has a... read more The food here tastes amazing. The “skewer” items are a very generous portion. Try the beef tongue. The meat is extremely tender and soft. The strip steak has a great sauce with it. The Kobe beef and uni sashimi is incredible.

This is a late review from December, but better late than never cause this is my favorite Japanese restaurant in LA!! I loooove the ambience, the food, the work... read more This is a late review from December, but better late than never cause this is my favorite Japanese restaurant in LA!! I loooove the ambience, the food, the workers, evening reminded me of Japan. Def try their chicken meatball skewers. Would come here moreoften if it weren’t for the commute. ???????????!!

It seems I never posted my follow-up review. I was in town again in March and tried to walk in solo after being turned down for takeout/delivery last time. Laug... read more It seems I never posted my follow-up review. I was in town again in March and tried to walk in solo after being turned down for takeout/delivery last time. Laughably, I was rejected again! The restaurant is quite small, similar to Sushi Morio in Honolulu, with maybe 5-6 tables and a counter. I noticed some spots open at the counter and thought since it was quite late in the evening I'd have a chance, but nope... Rejected once more. I did make an effort. Having just returned from Osaka and Kyoto, I've come to realize that in Japan, they often reject people when there are no open tables. However, if a table becomes available as you walk in, they will accommodate you. So, I wonder if this is a cultural thing. Perhaps the third time will be the charm?

Like many other great Japanese restaurants in Torrance, Izakaya Hachi is located in the corner of a small strip mall. We arrived late in the evening, around 8:3... read more Like many other great Japanese restaurants in Torrance, Izakaya Hachi is located in the corner of a small strip mall. We arrived late in the evening, around 8:30PM on a random Tuesday night, and the restaurant was filled with people. Granted that it was a small place (40-50 seats), but still! It was so lively on a random week night! This was my first sign that this place will be good. As soon as we entered, we were greeted by Japanese-speaking wait staff. This soon made sense, as we quickly learned that 99% of the patrons spoke Japanese. I felt like I was at an izakaya joint in Tokyo. The food is served izakaya style, perfect portion size to try a little bit of everything. We ordered the following: Grilled Oysters: seasoned with dashi shoyu. They were grilled to perfection. Juicy, tender, not over cooked. Pork Kimchi: pan fried pork belly, kimchi, bean sprouts, served on a cast iron plate. It arrived sizzling with fragrant pickled scents from the kimchi. The pork belly was thin and seared until the fat was crispy. Absolutely delicious. Beef Tongue: my favorite dish of the night. Grilled to medium rare, perfect texture and flavors. It was so tender but still had a nice bite to it. Yuzu Pork Cheek: the cheek was seasoned with simple salt and pepper but had yuzu paste on the side to add to each bite of cheek upon serving. The citrus from the yuzu added a nice, unique flavor. Chicken Thigh Skewer: great, bold flavors. A little too saucy for my taste (I enjoy simple salt/pepper seasoning to taste the natural flavors), but still very good. Saba Mackerel Pressed Sushi: served with Japanese plum. I've never had pressed sushi before, but it's essentially sashimi pressed onto a layer of sushi rice and formed into a sushi roll. The tangy Japanese plum paste complimented the fish very well. Beef Sukiyaki Udon: BBQ beef, egg, with dashi broth. This udon is presented in a cute wooden bowl with a warmer on the bottom. Presentation is so cute. The dashi broth is packed with umami flavor, and the beef is thinly sliced and tender. The egg is runny, giving the broth a nice creamy flavor as it oozes out. I still think about all the things I loved and there's so much more I want to try! I'll definitely be coming back for more!