HOMAREYA — Restaurant in Long Beach

This was a great night of food. They're still finding their rhythm when it comes to serving, but they are earnest in wanting you to have a good time. We had the Salmon grilled rice ball -salmon is so buttery and silky. That depth of flavor from the grilled soy sauce, the crunchy exterior of the rice ball, great contrasts of textures and complimentary flavors

Chicken thigh skewer Basic, but still very delicious, tender, and juicy

Pork belly skewer I don't know how else to explain this except as somehow perfectly chewy and creamy. The meat to fat ratio is simply luscious

Eggplant skewer Vegetarian friend said no complaints, but wouldn't get them again

Calamari and potato tempura Interesting contrast of temperatures and textures, but ultimately not something I'd get again. Maybe if it was heirloom/more flavorful tomatoes, maybe if the tempura wasn't mixed in with the wet stuff. But it was still flavorful and well seasoned

Chikuwa tempura Just a fun, chewy, tasty, savory bite of food, perfect paired with cold beer

Corn ribs tempura Hard to eat, I don't know why I always think the cob will be edible, but sweet, juicy, slightly salty corn will never not be delightful. Also perfect with cold beer.

Matcha Brownie and Azuki ice cream Just incredible. I would call the matcha Brownie more of a cake, it's a very light texture/crumb. But that being said, the thick stickiness of the azuki paste gives a similar "stick to the teeth" consistency a fudgy dessert can give you, so it works out. The ice cream is a little icy in texture, but still a great flavor, giving a similar vegetale freshness in the mouth as strawberry ice cream. And it's, of course, not too sweet

And the HOKKAIDO SCALLOPS WITH CUMIN BUTTER This was a remarkable bite of food. The cumin butter and sweetness of the scallop go together so so well. They play off of each other and nicely and cleanly lead into the fresh ocean taste of the scallop at the end, almost like the butter dissolved into an ocean taste. The cumin is not bitter or over powering. And the choice to include the whole of the scallop instead of a more trimmed/sanitized version gives it more texture. You have to sit and chew for a while, but the flavor is changing the whole time, so it's worth doing so.

The decor and atmosphere are quite plain, but it doesn't matter, because it's clear the thoughtfulness and effort and creativity and care have gone into the food. And when the food is this thoughtful, you really just need a clean, friendly place to enjoy it. There's something liberating and utilitarian about that. Frees up your brain for...

Local friends invited me over during their soft opening weekend, and was excited to hear about an Izakaya opening in Long Beach. Having grown up in Torrance you get spoiled with a lot of great Japanese options, and this new spot in DTLB is on par.

Got to try something different with their Japanese inspired quesadilla and it was delicious, as was the rest of the food.

I was a bit disappointed to see that the Nikaido wasn't served as a highball like at the Dodgers stadium. Ended up ordering a bottle of green tea to mix it on the rocks, and was surprised that either the soda water or other options had to be purchased as a bottle to mix the drink.

Overall a great place for authentic Japanese food in Long Beach, and excited to see what else they add...

I don’t usually write a Google review about a place, but I had to take the time to write one. My friend and I came here on a whim because we saw a TikTok about it, and the food, the ambiance, the music playing, and the service blew us away. For a soft opening, I was still really impressed. We had the shishito peppers, the cucumber salad, the yakisoba, the quesadilla (using sonoratown tortillas btw), the matcha brownie, and the mochi and ice cream. I was sad we didn’t have enough space in our stomachs to try more of the items. I can’t wait to come back...