Torimatsu — Restaurant in Gardena

I knew I was in for a treat when I saw a poster on the wall explaining what is binchotan. Torimatsu is one of the top, if not the best authentic yakitori joints I have eaten at in LA/OC. I enjoy making yakitori at home (with binchotan in a japanese grill, skewering and deconstructing chicken to the best of my abilities), but will definitely be returning to enjoy the skewers that were thoughtfully prepared and grilled by the yakitori master.

The restaurant has very limited seating, so would highly recommend making a reservation for parties more than 2. I came a little after opening on Saturday, and luckily was squeezed in after 15ish minutes. The place was at its max capacity after two additional (I presume reserved) parties showed up between 6-7pm.

With regards to the food, I can't stress the attention to detail given to each skewer. Every skewer was cooked in a way to highlight the innate flavor and texture, so you appreciate every part of the chicken. The tare (sauce) was light, and I was often surprised at how juicy some skewers were (given my personal experience cooking them at home). The meat was threaded on the skewer to allow optimal grilling efficiency, bones were strategically removed to allow easier eating, small pieces of fat hidden within the skewer to make it more juicy, small green onions tucked inside tofu skin to change the flavors, etc.

Highlights of the meal: Tsukune (meatballs): so juicy and was not sauce heavy Gizzard skin in soy sauce: this was a pleasant appetizer and tasted like braised tofu. Always thought this was a byproduct when making gizzard skewers. Gizzard: cooked perfectly Liver: so creamy Cartilage: so juicy, idk how he did it Heart: loved how packed and juicy it came out Duck: first skewer I ate, but my second clue that the chef knew his stuff. Piece of fat was wedged between the pepper and green onion so that they soak up the oils Chicken wrapped in tofu skin: first time seeing this anywhere. There were hidden green onions inside the tofu skin that gave the skewer a refreshing taste. Bell pepper stuffed with chicken: another one of those "how is this so juicy" skewers. Chicken tail: like a mix between the cartilage and skin skewer. Recommend getting this.

We got the Torimatsu course (10 skewers, soup, salad, ice cream) which is essentially the omakase, and added on a la carte skewers and a couple appetizers. For first timers, I think the Torimatsu course is perfect and leaves enough room to experiment with more adventurous skewers. We ended up eating 15 skewers each + splitting the raw chicken and gizzard skin apps, which left us both completely satisfied.

If you're a fan of yakitori and miss eating yakitori in Japan, definitely check this place out. Looking forward to...

This place was a low key delight

Mu Junmai Daijinjo Sake - 4/5 was good cold and was a great drink to start out with

Sasami Ponzu (Rare Chicken Breast with Ponzu Sauce) - 6/5 this was sooooo freaking good. Never would I have thought that I would be able to eat rare chicken in the US. It was so good, can't really describe other than a better and thinner sashimi, but I will get his again every time

Torimatsu Course - 3.75/5 don't rember all the items I got, but for the 10 yakitori course, everything was balanced and went well with beer. I got chicken liver, which I'm not a fan of, but that just personal preference.

Scallion Salad - 5/5 it's literally just thinly sliced scallions and ponzu sauce, but got some reason it's sooo good. The scallion tasted great, oniony and with the sauce so good.

Chicken Hatsu Yakitori - 5/5 chicken heart is my personal favorite. I have yet to find one not good so take this one with a grain of salt. It was chewy, salty, and meaty.

Okra - 3.5/5 I'm a fan of okra, could have used some more charr in my option but the piece of okra was big.

Potato - 4.25/5 holy crud this was good. Look I'm not a huge fan of just a potato, but it came with butter and was perfectly cooked. Not a 5 for me just because I'm not looking for a great potato when I come to yakitori. I just come...

Food was delicious and set at a great price. My cousin and I ordered each of the two courses on the menu and two beers. Everything came out in a timely manner as well.

The biggest problem was when my cousin had recieved a skewer with a piece of hair in it. She asked me to double check which I also believed it was a piece of hair that had gotten on her skewer. It was short about an inch curled up and looked like it had a hint of brown to it but mostly black (which makes me assume it might’ve been a piece from the brush the chef was using).

When my cousin told the server about the hair, the server looked at it quickly, told us it was a piece of fabric from the charcoals, and scurried away. Our server didn’t ask if we would like a new one or offer anything to replace it either and just left us looking at each other whether we’ll trust her or not. She decided to just eat the top half, but we were not amused about the server’s response at all. If she had at least given us time to just ask for another skewer so we don’t feel disgusted eating the rest of the food, it would’ve been a nicer finish to our dinner. I would still like to assume it was a piece from the brush, but the server did not show any concern for us at all on such an extreme food...