Jichan’s Onigiri-ya (rice Ball Shop)

We tried coming here once before but when we got there they told us there would be a long wait which we didn't have the time for so they told us that we should place our order online next time. The second time we placed our order online for pickup and it was seamless so I highly recommend that. There is decent parking here as well. Spicy Miso Buta Kakuni Onigiri This was really good and I would definitely get it again. The braised pork was tender and fatty. Onsen Onigiri This one was okay. It doesn't taste bad but it was also kind of lacking in flavor. I probably wouldn't get this one again. Also be careful when you bite into this because the runny egg might shoot out from the side causing a mess. It happened to both me and my sister. Chicken Karaage This tasted almost like teriyaki chicken. Not what we expected at all. It is not your typical karaage. The chicken was juicy though but I also wouldn't get again because I'm personally not a huge fan of teriyaki chicken.

4.5 stars! Plenty of parking, small space with a busy kitchen working to get out pickup orders and walk-ins. They have daily specials for Tues-Thurs. I ordered a karaage mini donburi which was really yummy and I would definitely order again. It is truly mini (see pic with fork for comparison) for $6.50 but you get your protein and rice. I also got the daily special of 2 for $6 spam onigiris which was pretty standard, nothing particularly stands out. I recommend trying a donburi bowl or a onigiri that's a little more special.

I have been wanting to try Jichan's forever, and am super happy I finally got to go there today! And it was well worth the wait! We ordered their Tuesday special, 2 Soboro egg mini donburi, their #2 combo, of 3 onigiri. You get to choose 1 protein, 1 veggie a spam or spam egg onigiri. Both orders were super tasty and flavorful! The rice was fluffy, sauce was fragrant with sesame oil, and the perilla leaf was very unique in my veggie (I picked ume shiso! onigiri. Note that they are set up more for takeout than a dine-in with tables. They have barstools and counters, which works fine for a quick meal. There also two small benches outside, if you want to eat or wait outside. The staff are friendly and work together to make the onigiri, and it was fun to watch them and hear them communicate with each other! They also have online ordering as well as phone orders. Will probably do that next time to cut the wait time. Looking forward to trying all the other onigiri flavors! Total comfort food, and brings back fond memories of Japan! Thank you!!!

Cute little store, I really liked the spam onigiri. I will definitely be coming back to try the spam and egg onigiri. overall I really liked the tamago onigiri has a little kick.

One of my favorites was definitely the onsen rice ball, which features a soft-boiled egg wrapped in rice. You really can't go wrong with anything egg-based, and this was a winner for me. Another standout was the kakuni and karaage onigiri. The kakuni was wonderfully fatty and tender, while the karaage was juicy and delicious too. Not every onigiri hit the mark for me, but I enjoyed the majority of them, and it was a delight to witness the craftsmanship involved. I was genuinely thrilled to have discovered this place, and it was impressive to see the employees working diligently to prepare these rice balls for everyone. They even sell T-shirts with the cute Jichan logo! I can't wait to return to Monterey Park, and you can definitely count on me coming back for more onigiri!