Toku Unagi & Sushi — Restaurant in West Hollywood

Oops, get ready for a long one y’all, I had a great time at this place and wanted to be thorough :]

Tucked away in a cute part of WeHo is a sushi place most known for its unagi (eel) boxes. I admittedly did not try it; I don’t think I could handle that much eel! This review is for those of you who may not be into eel, and want to know about the many other dishes at Toku!

We started off the course with a sake bomb… I’d never done that before but I will say Japanese beer and sake mix way better than a Mexican cervesa and shot of tequila (Mexican car bomb)!! Classy, I know. I think it was a great way to pregame before the food arrived.

Most sushi restaurants these days serve spicy chili oil edamame, and of course I cannot recommend that enough as a starter. The chili oil is spicy but not terribly so, making it a perfect way to whet your appetite before your main course! While you’re at it, make sure to also enjoy the roasted shishito peppers with fish flakes on top. The peppers served were quite larger than what I’m normally used to, so that was cool.

Additionally, my friend ordered a few plates of the fried rice with spicy tuna on top. This seems to be a popular trend at sushi restaurants right now, and while tasty, I will say the ones from Toku are just okay. If you haven’t tried one before, though, this is a good place to start.

As for the main course, I’m personally a sucker for omakase. I love whatever the chef recommends, and I can say with confidence that it was so delicious, I forgot to take a picture of it!! As someone who personally dislikes sea urchin, even the piece of sea urchin with roe was divine. I couldn’t even finish my spicy tuna hand roll at the very end because it came with so much food! In my opinion, omakase is the best way to get a bang for your buck while also tasting the best of what a sushi place has to offer. The fish practically melted in my mouth.

Speaking of fish, the fish served at this place is super fresh, of course, which should be expected of a restaurant of this caliber. The staff was also very friendly! I believe my friend knew the head chef, and he was warm, welcoming, and very professional. The space itself is rather small, so we were lucky to get a spot when we did. I can see why Toku is so popular!

If you’re exploring WeHo for a bit and want to stop for a bite to eat, I cannot recommend Toku enough. I think its unique spin on sushi with the added eel boxes makes it stand out among the many other places Los Angeles...

I never thought I'd see this kind of restaurant in LA: gourmet unagi dons. I've been to Japan and had these at Kyoto on two occasions, and always thought they were some of the best foods I've had in life, though very expensive. Finally, a Japanese eel restaurant that specializes in eel rice bowls has come to LA in the form of Toku Unagi, a popular chain in Japan.

I didn't try the sushi here, so I can't comment much on that. But I can comment on the unagi bowl. It tasted fabulous. The eel is imported from Japan, from what the management told me, which is why it has an incredible taste and softness to it. After steaming it, they charcoal grill it, kind of like yakitori style. The eel sauce that comes on top as well as over the rice was also tasty, with a nice hint of sweetness. My course meal also came with pickles, miso soup, and a kelp broth that you mix with some of the unagi as part of the course meal.

If you are looking to eat some upscale unagi in Los Angeles that is tasty and authentic, then you must come to Toku. Yes, it is a bit pricey, but for quality, it delivers. It replicates the experience of eating at an unagi house in Japan. The parking here is also pretty good (private lot) and the ambience is pretty nice.

I shot a YouTube video of my eating experience at Toku Unagi, which you can find on my YouTube page called Rockstar Eater, if you want to see this...

This was our first and last time! We told our waiter that I needed to take a chicken salad home for my mom BUT to bring it once we finish our meal due to our long drive home. Which should be common sense…. Next thing I know, he brings out the to-go order prior to us even getting our miso soup and sushi. We explained, again, that we needed to drive far so we prefer to have the salad made after we finished our food. The waiter said, he can’t take it back because I ordered it and it took a lot for the chefs to make (it was lettuce, shredded chicken, and largely cut tomatoes lol). He also said because it’s chicken, it will be fine to sit out for the duration of our dinner and long drive home. Long story short, they refused to take the salad off the bill or make a fresh one, and our waiter got a complete attitude and stopped coming to our table all together! Needless to say, the salad was filled with condensation and the lettuce were completely wilted by the time we got home… The food at Toku Unagi was not good and the to-go order was a complete waste of money. Sharing this experience with others so you don’t make the same mistake we made of going to this...