Kopan Izakaya — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I've been coming to this restaurant for many years, but recently they changed their name—possibly indicating new ownership. When we arrived, there were many open booths, but since we didn’t have a reservation, we were told we could only sit in a small corner area next to a loud group, or outside. But the "outside" wasn’t truly outside—it was more of an enclosed indoor-outdoor patio space.

We reluctantly chose the corner next to the loud group, but the noise level was unbearable. The people beside us were so obnoxiously loud that I couldn’t even hear my own voice. To make it worse, because we were seated in a corner, the sound echoed back at us, making the entire dining experience even more stressful and unpleasant.

What frustrated me most was seeing that the table we originally wanted remained empty the entire time we were there. After finishing our meal, I approached the manager to ask why we couldn’t have been seated there. His explanation was beyond frustrating—he claimed the table had a reservation and then told me to "put myself in his shoes" to understand why we couldn’t sit there.

But honestly, that’s not how you speak to customers. Instead of asking me to see things from his perspective, maybe he should try putting himself in our shoes—stuck in the loudest, most uncomfortable part of the restaurant while clearly better options were available.

This was one of the most unpleasant dining experiences I’ve had in a long time. I’m extremely disappointed, and at this point, I don’t think I’ll be returning. I hope the manager learns that before speaking to guests, it’s far more respectful to acknowledge their discomfort and apologize, rather than lecture them on how they...

Here you will find delicious food and a lively Izakaya vibe if you're looking for a casual night out! I came again after a satisfied to-go order. Don’t miss out on their opening promotion for BOGO 50%! There's a huge selection of small bites, ramen, and sushi rolls.

✨ My orders and recommendations:

▫️Tonkotsu Ramen I am surprised that the ramen price is very decent for its quality. The menu introduces that their ramen broth is pork bone based and boiled for 16 hours. The soup base is lightweight and well-seasoned! Kopan's ramen isn't too salty in general, unlike a lot of other places! The pork chashu is tender and huge!

▫️Trio Tartar (my fav, must try!! :) 💖 The creamy dressing is very flavorful and savory! It comes fast, so it's a great appetizer. I will come back for this dish :)

▫️ Nagasaki Nabe The Nabe is full of veggies and assorted fresh seafood. It’s a creamier and richer soup base, perfect for winter! It would go well with sushi and crispy rice to balance out the saltiness.

▫️Kopan Roll I love the Kopan roll comes with crispy crab sticks - my fav!!! It's a nice touch to add texture and crunch to the roll. I will definitely come back to try other rolls!

▫️Ginza Sushi Beautiful plating! They really pay attention to their food presentation. You will get 12 pcs of assorted chef’s choice sushi.

▫️Spicy Seafood Udon Very flavorful and rich seafood flavor. I love it, but be cautious of the spicy level! We ordered mild but it was still spicy to my personal preference :)

🅿️ 3 hours of free parking with validation.

🍽️ Reservation: make sure to call to ask for a reservation! Dinner time...

We could only say that the service was polite, but it wasn’t very welcoming or respectful on a micro level. Random servers came by and asked if we needed water, even though we were having sprite. Unfortunately, no one ever checked in on us regarding our food.

The Okinawa Sashimi was a joke. The menu described it as a 12-piece “Chef’s Selection.” When it arrived, there was no explanation of the variety or what the “Chef’s selection” was. Here’s where the magic happened: we dined as a party of two and were served three pieces of each fish. I believe it was salmon, lean tuna, albacore, and yellowtail. Regardless of the poor presentation, how are two people supposed to share three pieces of each variety? This reflects a lack of professionalism and laziness. I certainly do not recommend it if you’re a sashimi fan!!

The salmon was extraordinarily thickly sliced and contained tough bits, making it chewy and stringy. The albacore (bottom right?) was the best of the four, very delicious! The lean tuna was alright. The yellowtail was too greasy, fatty, and heavy. While we’re not sashimi experts, we do have expectations, having visited Japan and dined at numerous omakase and Michelin restaurants around the world.

The Negitoro Donburi- the tuna was good. HOWEVER, the amount of sesame oil in the rice was excessive. The uni was surprisingly tough and tasted not only bitter, but plain as well.

The fried baby octopus and tonkotsu ramen were basic. I had asked to have the egg and scallions excluded, but it still came with an egg and pieces...