Kagura Monterey Park — Restaurant in Monterey Park

Ever since Katsuhana (the tonkatsu restaurant inside Torrance Mitsuwa) closed, we’ve been missing a place for good-quality katsu. When Kagura first opened in Torrance/Gardena, we tried it out but felt the katsu wasn’t freshly fried and the flavors were a bit bland. Later, they opened a small takeout stand inside the Gardena Marukai food court, and to our surprise, the quality there was actually better than their main restaurant. I usually go for the Tsukedare Katsudon set, while my husband alternates between the Menchikatsu set and the Filet Katsu set. After the pandemic, we were excited to hear that Kagura was opening a restaurant in Monterey Park—much closer for us. We decided to wait a bit after their grand opening to avoid the crowds and visited on a quiet Sunday afternoon. At first it looked closed, but luckily they were open, and we might have even been their first customers of the day. The staff greeted us warmly and let us choose any seat, which made for a relaxed experience. The menu here offered more variety than the other locations and even had curry, which was a big plus. My husband ordered the Menchikatsu with curry, and I tried the Chicken Nanban. Presentation was excellent, and the katsu was freshly fried, juicy, and tender. Everything tasted great. The only minor drawback was that my husband wished the rice portion was a bit larger to go with the curry, though we didn’t check if rice refills were available. Overall, we had a great meal and would definitely recommend this Kagura location to family...

This is a review on my first experience at Kagura in Monterey Park. After seeing how popular this place is becoming, I had to try it for myself! There are very limited parking spots in front of the store. However, there is additional parking around the back. Expect to wait 30 to 40 minutes during peak hours due to the restaurant's small capacity.

The restaurant's atmosphere is aesthetically pleasing and does not feel cramped despite its limited capacity. Lighting is good and chairs are comfortable.

We came as a party of three three, requested to sit in the booth. We were told by Yuto - the manager - that booths are reserved for parties of four. He promptly sat two other groups at separate booths. One party of two, the other party of three. This was very disappointing as he told us directly that we could not be seated at a booth.

Aside from that, the rest of the service staff were attentive, polite, and prompt. We got our orders in very quickly and the food came out in under 15 minutes.

The food itself is solid but not a home run. I got the chicken katsu curry. The chicken was slightly tough, but the curry sauce was savory with a nice mild kick and the batter had a wonderful texture. They forgot to add the dressing to my cabbage salad so I had to request for it.

I wish I could give this restaurant five stars, but due to the service from Yuto, I cannot faithfully give it a...

I came to Kagura in Monterey Park for lunch on a Friday after a friend recommended it. I brought two friends and we started with the wasabi raw octopus appetizer. For our mains we ordered the premium pork loin katsu with curry, the millefeuille katsu without cheese, and the chicken katsu with cheese.

The meats were tender but lacked flavor. Without the curry or dipping sauce, the katsu tasted pretty plain. The curry sauce was the only thing that really stood out.

Service was attentive and the staff were friendly. The ambiance was nice and comfortable, making it easy to have a conversation. Parking was simple with a lot available in the front and back.

Overall, it was an okay experience. Nothing bad, but not memorable enough to make me want...