TOT Little Tokyo — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Teishokuya of Tokyo is a little restaurant on the outside edge of the Japanese Village Plaza. I always pass by and it's easy to miss. Their restaurant doesn't look super attractive, but it doesn't look terrible and I think this middle ground defines ToT very well. The inside of the restaurant looks average, many of the restaurants in Little Tokyo are very historied and may have older, deteriorating furniture. ToT is getting there; their furniture is outdated but it's still in good condition. One downside about their place was that it was really loud. It felt like I could hear all the other groups in the room. Their service was normal and the staff was polite but they forgot our appetizer and had to make it later. The food is mid, like something I could make at home on a weekday. I ordered the curry udon and it tasted fine. We also had the takoyaki and the spicy tuna donburi, again they were just fine. I'm sure they're food is very stable, but I wouldn't want to go again. The taste of their dishes didn’t have any draw. The main draw of their food seemed to be their portion sizes. You can see in the pictures that they give a big bowl full of food, but at the same time they still skimp out on the meat. 5 slices of tuna for a big bowl of rice and salad. 2 pieces of chicken for a big bowl of udon....

We came it right before the lunch rush and was seated in a nice booth by the kitchen. I had not eaten yet so I was very ready for food.

Skimmed the menu and everything looked appetizing. Lunch Bento caught my eye since I really couldn't make up my mind, was too hungry to think. The salmon teriyaki gozen, includes appetizer, rice (choice of white or brown - I chose brown), miso soup, and salad. Appetizers vary. Today's appetizers included: fresh tofu topped with green veggie and miso sauce, veggie tempura with grated daikon, few slices of sashimi on a bed of daikon and fresh pickled ginger (YUM!), and zaru soba (just the right amount to enjoy without getting full). WOW what a bento box! Price $16.50. Very reasonable for the feast that was presented.

The salmon teriyaki was grilled to perfection. And tasted really good with a mouthful of brown rice. Tempura was crunchy good. Sashimi was fresh.

Husband ordered the sashi gozen. And he really enjoyed it!

We both had Sapporo draft. Washed all the food down well.

Service was good. And we were lucky to have gotten there just before the rush so lunch was served very...

Though I haven't been able to frequent T.O.T as much as I would like, it's always a treat at this small restaurant when I can visit. My main meal is the delicious Sukiyaki Donburi. Just sweet and savory enough. But what cemented my love of this place even more is that one evening, pre quarantine, a small older Asian woman who was unhoused came to the front inside the restaurant. Immediately, a security officer came in to physically remove her, and as I was starting to object and inform them that I was getting her food, the server came out with a bag of food for her and let the officer know she was okay to be there. Upon getting her meal she simply left. I could tell this older lady came from time to time as the servers had already started making something. So this place is just a lovely one, great cozy Atmosphere for dates or friendly gatherings. They seem to help their community and I miss being close enough through work...