Chinchikurin Little Tokyo — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I’m always on the lookout for Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. Sadly, I haven’t found one in the SF Bay Area (the closest one to that style closed). Because of that, I’m so glad Chinchikurin exists! Their okonomiyaki is the same as the ones I get in Japan.

I’ve been here several times. This time, we got the classic with crispy noodles. It was delicious! The noodles were on the grill longer so you get crispy parts as well as the chewy, soft parts. We also got the Hiroshima, which comes with green onions and flattened squid. The squid was flattened and shaped like bacon, but extra crispy. We got those with the soft noodles. It was also delicious! I feel like it came with more mayo than the classic, but each table gets an extra packet of mayo and oko sauce should you need more. Also, not complaining about the Hiroshima with what seems had extra mayo - it gave it a creamier bite that went well with the green onions.

We also got the garlic edamame and one of the new takoyaki specials. So the takoyaki place next door is a different restaurant, but you can order from them at Chinchikurin. This takoyaki had shoyu and garlic chips, and it was crispy. Usually, takoyaki has a softer texture, but that crunch was so satisfying. I highly recommend getting it!

To end our meal, we got the shaved ice with strawberries. The milky ice was a soft texture and the strawberries weren’t too sweet. It was refreshing!

We chose patio seating because it was a lovely day. Plus, the ventilation isn’t great inside, so it was too hot, and the aroma from the grills, though smells good, was making inside dining a little stuffy. But you could wait longer if you choose patio dining.

Service was great and the food came out quickly.

I highly recommend dining here whether you’re familiar with okonomiyaki or not. In the end, it’s...

Due to voluntary diet choices, there wasn't much I can eat here after finding out they didn't do the Hiroshima izakaya/teppanyaki option (only available in Japan locations). But I ended up just snacking on one of their garlic shrimp appetizer while the boyfriend ordered a Hiroshima okonomiyaki ($16.50).

I definitely enjoyed my shrimp appetizer, it wasn't overcooked (shrimp is so easily overcooked in many restaurants) and had delicious flavor. It was a tad bit expensive though, roughly $12.00. The boyfriend also enjoyed his okonomiyaki as well. We also enjoyed watching the staff prep and cook the okonomiyakis on the flat grills since we were sat at the kitchen bar. It had this nice assembly line process where you have four cooks with different steps in creating the okonomiyakis. Definitely a fun place to try out, but a pricey one. Our overall meal of one appetizer and one entree was $30.00ish after tax, $36.00 after tip. Definitely not a place I can dine at frequently.

I gave them extra stars because the staff is extraordinarily friendly. I needed to use the restroom but technically wasn't a seated guest just yet so I wasn't sure if I was allowed to use them. I asked and the hostess was more than understanding and believed that I was on the waiting list and allowed me in. Then while I was waiting in line for the restroom, my waitlist number was called, but I really needed to go and didn't want to leave, but also didn't want to lose my table spot. I was able to hail the hostess down and she was more than accommodating and held the table for me until I was finished with my restroom trip. She was also the one that took the time to explain some of the dishes to us as well as the history behind it. She was so friendly and made me feel so welcomed at the...

I've missed eating fresh okonomiyaki since living in Japan. Fortunately LA has me covered with Chinchikurin! This spot definitely satisfies my craving and makes my tummy happy.

I've been to both the Sawtelle and LA locations and they're pretty similar in quality. I went to the LA location today and will talk about that experience in this review.

First off, this location is in Little Tokyo which is a pretty perfect spot for it. Parking is very difficult in this area, though, and you might have a hard time finding a spot and will probably pay a good bit for it. When my fiance and I got there, the line was pretty short and we were able to sign in on Yelp and get a seat for 2 within 5 minutes for their outdoor seating.

They checked our temperatures when entering and handed us lamented menus. We ordered the the B&C okonomiyaki, jalapeno takoyaki, and tan tan men as well as the yuzu honey soda. The takoyaki came out first - it was very hot and fresh and the flavor was perfect with the little bit of jalapeno kick and creamy sauce. Then came the tan tan men. We were told to mix it well, so we did to get the flavors infused. There was a lot of delicious pork in this dish, but I wish we had gotten it a bit spicier than we did. The star of the show, the B&C okonomiyaki, came out last and we quickly dug into it. It had basil, cheese, and okonomiyaki sauce on the top. The flavors worked very well together and slathered the noodles with yummy goodness.

I didn't like the outdoor seating they had. It was off a very loud street with cars racing down it. But they're doing their best with the location they have. Also, service is a bit slow here. My fiance asked for water from a couple of different people before he actually got it. But all the staff were...