Los Angeles｜Hidden Izakaya with Real Charcoal Grill

Haven’t been around Pasadena / Arcadia in a while. Wanted lunch and stumbled upon this spot that serves yakitori at noon — rare since many izakayas won’t grill skewers during the day, let alone over real charcoal! Charcoal fire is a sign of respect to grilled food 😄 so we decided to try it. Here’s what we ordered: 【8 Skewers Platter】 A chef-selected mix — good way to sample their skills. Includes: chicken wings, chicken thigh, pork belly with asparagus, pork belly, shishito pepper, Japanese sausage, duck gizzard, chicken heart — 8 skewers for $22.50. Grilling was perfect — slightly charred outside, tender inside. Sauce was well-balanced between salty and sweet. The chicken wings were amazing — crispy skin, juicy inside. The scallop skewers also looked delicious! 【Ramen】 It’s a ramen house, so ramen is a must. We ordered:😁😁 Fujiya Chashu Ramen Flame Mountain Ramen (spicy) Their pork is Sakura pork — no odd smell, nice fat-to-lean ratio, pan-fried till fragrant. Broth was rich and flavorful — both are must-tries for first-timers. 【Grilled Norwegian Herring】 My husband loves grilled fish — many places use frozen, but here it’s fresh Norwegian herring. Tender and super fresh — would be perfect with drinks on a winter night with friends. 【Cold Tofu】 Simple and tasty side. Fresh tofu with bonito flakes, okra, and a drizzle of soy sauce — refreshing and great with skewers. 【Unagi Don (Eel Rice Bowl)】 You can tell from the photo — deeply flavored and rice-friendly.👍💕 They use nice ceramic ware — the little box was so cute and elegant. The eel had a light grilled aroma, sauce was balanced, and the warm eel fat melted into the rice — finished it fast! Comes with miso soup, feels like a proper set meal. They also have a wide drink selection, but we were there midday for errands, so we skipped.😊😊 Even on a weekday noon, it was nearly full — lots of regulars chatting with staff. Maybe that’s why they bother with yakitori at lunch — people like me come for that charcoal aroma! Overall really enjoyed — definitely a place I’d return to. Fujiya Ramen & Yakitori 411 E Huntington Dr #122, Arcadia, CA 91006 #RomanticLifeDiary #LosAngeles #LAEats #YakitoriLover #LateNightFoodIdeas #IzakayaFood