Presentation on Map Reviews Nearby

Japonica El Segundo in El Segundo

4 (55) 229 Main St, El Segundo, CA 90245, United States

Categories

Japanese restaurant

Location on the map

El Segundo, Los Angeles County, California, US

Phone: +1 310-648-8471
Site: https://japonicadining.com/

Opening hours

Monday:11:30 AM–9 PM
Tuesday:11:30 AM–9 PM
Wednesday:11:30 AM–9 PM
Thursday:11:30 AM–9 PM
Friday:11:30 AM–10 PM
Saturday:11:30 AM–10 PM
Sunday:11:30 AM–9 PM

Edit info

Total reviews rating 4

55 Reviews for Japonica El Segundo 2024:

Review №1

2023-07-24 17:35:11

Hands down the best sushi I have had in a very long time. Amazing dishes and great service. It was a perfect night to sit outside, sip plum wine, and enjoy some wagyu beef cooked at the table. 1st time here, definitely wont be the last.

Review №2

2023-10-07 02:57:37

This is a fun and tasty take on Japanese fusion cuisine. Impecable service and great atmosphere; this is a cool spot in El Segundo.Love the spicy edamame and using the sauce to dip the fatty crabby.

Review №3

2023-07-14 00:13:22

Cute place to eat and I love the sushi so much! Wagyu sushi is a must try, I love the spicy tuna on crispy rice, sake flight is a fun option too. I dont have many pictured but I also loved the truffle salmon, and if you love spicy like me, the Kyoto Kryptonite is a must. I come here everytime Im in LA! Oh, and love the spicy tantan!

Review №4

2023-12-08 17:30:39

Make sure you know what you are ordering. The vegetable ramen is fried brussel sprouts in a sesame oil base that tastes weird. The sprouts are decent, the broth is not. Pick them out quick. The shrimp tempura rolls have imitation crab in them that tastes spoiled, which begs the questions why add it and who would make fake crab taste worse. The server kept saying thats from the owners area in Japan but Ive been several times and never had food like that. Just be careful what you order. The music was excellent tho and servers fairly attentive.

Review №5

2023-05-19 23:05:33

Stumbled upon this place during Happy Hour, 3pm-6pm. Ordered the Jessica Albacore roll which was delicious. For an app, I got edamame from the Happy Hour menu. Although, I would have preferred the spicy garlic, it wasnt included for HH. Also, I ordered the Serrano Yellowtail 🍣 which was extremely good, 10/10. I highly recommend it if you dont mind the heat. Lastly, they had a great deal for hot sake and Kirin Light for HH.

Review №6

2022-12-27 08:20:33

As much as I was excited there was a somewhat-new restaurant on Main Street in El Segundo, I was pretty disappointed with the actual sushi.Atmosphere: 5/5They have both indoor & outdoor seating, both of which are a good mix of modern, clean, cute, and casual. They also have a large parking lot with free parking.Service: 5/5They checked on us multiple times and turned up the outdoor heaters when asked.Food Taste: 3/5Note, it’s not bad fish, no one got sick, but there were bad flavor combos.Miso Soup: This was good, $2.99, and came out right away. All of their ramen dishes are miso based, so it’s understandable why their miso soup was delicious.Beef Tantan: Get this ramen dish ($15.99) and you won’t regret it. The only good entree we tried.Final Fantasia: Avoid!! I ordered this $17.99 sushi because it said Chef’s Choice and had a lot of fishes I typically enjoy, but it was the worst flavor combo I can remember. Bluefin tuna, yellowtail, Scottish salmon, kanikama, cucumber, sweet onion yuzu ponzu, micro greens, and soy paper. It was missing either the tuna or salmon because there were only 2 of the 3 fish listed on the menu in the dish, and I couldn’t taste the yuzu. It was my bad that I didn’t realize kanikama was imitation crab, but regardless it really did not go well with the other flavors. When the waitress came back part of the way through me eating it, I told her I didn’t like it and she asked if we wanted something else instead, so we ordered the spicy tuna roll instead. I thought she was taking this roll off our bill because we said we disliked it, but she did not.Spicy Tuna Roll: Avoid!! Who puts sriracha on a tuna roll to make it spicy?! I’m not sure if they were trying to be unique and creative, but this is not what anyone at our table of 5 expected. We had to scrape off the sauce after trying it on the roll the first time and being severely disappointed. Please, find an authentic spicy tuna recipe and stop ruining this dish.Spicy Tantan: Avoid if you can’t handle extreme spice. Out of the 5 of us at the table, we all tried it (some with high spice tolerances) and it was unbearably and unpleasantly spicy. We could hardly eat any and left most of it in the bowl - a waste of $13.99. There should have been a serious warning. We enjoy spice, but this was ridiculous.

Review №7

2023-05-08 05:51:25

Fun traditional sushi with a twist. The flavor profiles are inviting and refreshing. Would like to return to try more. Very warm staff and overall service.

Review №8

2023-10-13 02:43:26

Food was MEH. All of the rolls were doused in sauce, seemingly to hide mediocre quality fish. Some of them had really weird battling flavor combinations. The garlic butter sauce on the white lightning absolutely did not work.Service was super weird too. The restaurant was half empty at 6:30 PM when we arrived, but we had to wait 10 minutes to get seated. No one even came to say anything to us to explain why there was a wait. And then they messed up our order and forgot one of our rolls .Don’t understand any of the good reviews. Found this to be super mediocre in almost every way.

Review №9

2022-07-17 04:36:37

I came to Japonica for dinner with my fiancee - we had try it before with doordash and the food was really good. So we decided to try the dine-in.The food is really good, fresh fish and good flavors combinations on the roll. The service was friendly, but some waiters were a bit distracted.I’ll be coming back to try new dishes.

Review №10

2022-11-08 19:52:59

5 / 5 experience for sure. Showed up for happy hour, Connor (I think) was our waiter, the blonde dude, very nice on top of it. Food came out super fast. I thought food was great, split the Brussels and the shrimp crunch roll with my wife. Whole meal was like $18 at happy hour, that’s a pretty solid rate these days.

Review №11

2023-08-22 05:16:45

Japonica is a great spot to come to for dinner during happy hour (3-6pm). The happy hour menu has 4 rolls to choose from: spicy tuna, salmon skin, bumblebee tuna and shrimp crunch. Some appetizers are seaweed salad and edamame. The sushi tastes great here especially at the reduced happy hour price. We always get a couple beers and take care of our sushi cravings.Parking can be difficult but if you can get there between 3:00 and 5:00, its wide open

Review №12

2023-10-14 11:12:51

I wanted to sit outside but was already full. Lots of people enjoying tbis place as they should! The food was delicious and fresh! I had the rainbow fish rolls and spicy tune rolls with Siricha sauce. They also provide plenty of ginger.

Review №13

2022-09-30 14:36:24

Cute sushi/ ramen place in downtown El Segundo. Had a few rolls and all were good. Service is kind and attentive. Live and good atmosphere.

Review №14

2022-07-15 02:33:01

This town already has a ton of sushi options so wasn’t all that motivated to try it BUT the location, and newness we gave it a go. Surprised at how fast they got us in, because it seemed to be so busy… Everything was quick, super fresh, and flavorful. Service was efficient and friendly. Add to all that, the vibe was family friendly, and upbeat… Total fan and will DEFINITELY be back!

Review №15

2023-11-26 04:12:59

The flavor combos on the sushi just dont mix well. Cool little place, but the food just isnt worth it to me.

Review №16

2022-07-27 12:21:42

Gave it a try. not bad, better than average. Place was clean. No issues.

Review №17

2023-04-16 01:44:41

Awesome vibe! Ate outside with the heater blasting and really enjoyed our meal. Very fast, awesome service.

Review №18

2022-07-23 06:45:42

First time here and it was worth the long wait, great staff and really good, fresh food! Our family had a great time.

Review №19

2023-08-29 00:58:18

Waited outside for 15 minutes with no offer of drinks or anything. Waiter seemed like he had an issue with waiting on brown people is all we can think. We came here to celebrate. They were not busy at all.

Review №20

2023-03-12 00:11:24

I ordered food from the happy hour menu. It was good. I like the atmosphere also.

Review №21

2023-07-05 23:18:42

Where ever you have had sushi recently, this place is better (probably).

Review №22

2022-10-08 05:56:19

Food was great and the service was great. Best sushi rolls in the area. There was only a 10 minute wait at 7pm on a Friday for a group of 4. Great Japanese beer and sake selection. My friend had ramen and really enjoyed it, but it was a bit spicier than she was anticipating so keep that in mind when you order.For the birthday dessert they brought mochi ice cream which was so nice and really pretty. Sad I forgot to take a photo. Add this place to your list!!!

Review №23

2023-04-14 17:42:08

Japonica is a great place to go for sushi. The fish is fresh and the rolls are delicious. The service is also excellent. We had a dark haired waitress who was very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. She even remembered that it was my wifes birthday and brought out a special dessert for her.The only downside to Japonica is the parking. It can be difficult to find a spot, especially on weekends. But if youre willing to put up with a little bit of a hassle, youll be rewarded with a great meal.Here are some of the things we liked about Japonica:The fish was fresh and flavorful.The rolls were creative and well-made.The service was excellent.The atmosphere was nice and intimate.The prices were reasonable.Here are some of the things we didnt like about Japonica:The parking can be difficult to find.Overall, we had a great experience at Japonica and would definitely recommend it to others.Here are some tips for making the most of your visit to Japonica:Make a reservation, especially if youre going on a weekend night.Be prepared for a little bit of a wait for a table.Order the omakase if youre feeling adventurous.Dont forget to try the dessert!

Review №24

2023-04-15 02:28:30

Staff was super nice and accommodating. Food was excellent, and ambiance was fun.Had hot sake, grilled shishito peppers, crispy rice with tuna, shrimp tempura, and a spicy/smokey tuna roll with tuna on top.Fun place, would go again. 9/10.

Review №25

2022-12-23 03:10:27

Ive ordered here three times. The first time we dined in and the food was great, but the service was horrible. We waited a very long time for everything including just getting utensils. The server apologized many times, so I let it slide that it may have been a bad day for them. It happens. Second time was a to-go order with no issues. Third time, they gave us an incorrect order, then fought against correcting it and were very unreasonable.. This is what makes me write the review, not because the order was wrong. All we did was call to ask if they would replace the item if we drove back with it. Instead we get attitude and accused of doing it ourselves. Im just getting very tired of this kind of service nearly everywhere I go. Im the customer and I paid you money, but you gave me the wrong stuff. Im sorry that happened, but no Im not going to just deal with it considering it was completely unlike what I ordered. It was a specific raw sushi dish, not a California roll... They told me the totally raw sushi dish I ordered magically became fully cooked by the time I drove home. Ive done it before with way hotter food in the bag and it never did that. Besides, why are you selling raw sushi to-go then? Wouldnt everyones order be cooked by the time they get home? We all know thats BS... All that happened was someone cooked it well-done by accident. Look, Im being civil about it. Remember when that was a thing? Just wanted you to correct your mistake. But instead I get blamed for it, am expected to deal with a weird smelling entree of what should be raw sushi, and you take my money for it? Luckily, when we returned to the restaurant, someone else took over and was very nice, although pushing all the BS excuses. You want to save $13 on an item, but you may lose me as a customer if you keep this up.

Review №26

2022-11-13 15:15:48

A few nights ago, I thought it would be nice to have dinner locally and four of us headed to Japonica. The wait for a table was short, good start…BUT the evening quickly fell apart. The service was deplorable. We waited 20 minutes for our water and saki, but that was after we waited about 20 minutes to give our order. Saki came in a bottle so I am not sure why that took so long. We had to ask for it twice. The food took forever and came out in random order. I got my noodles and everyone waited a long tome for their sushi rolls The wait staff didn’t bring the small dishes for the sauce. I had to get up and get the sauce dishes myself. I had to get up several times, so we wouldn’t have to wait long, to get refills of water, etc. The food is good but the service ruins the experience. Advice, get take away because you pretty much have to serve yourself anyway. There is no organization. For Japonica to have two other restaurants, one would think they could get it together for this location. It’s a small restaurant. There is not a lot of ground to cover for the wait staff. I don’t think it is the wait staff. I believe it is Japonica’s failed management. It is too bad they dropped the ball on what could be a great place but….sorry it is not.

Review №27

2022-08-17 04:12:49

My experience was the same as others on Yelp and Google - the food is tasty and worth the purchase, however, the service is poor. Tonight, we waited 15 min to be greeted after sitting, and waited another 20 min to take a food order. In total, it took over an hour to get the full meal. The server simply inputs what you say into a mobile device. I’d rather have that device given to me and skip the table service ordering. That said, I’d order takeout.

Review №28

2023-07-01 02:21:46

I had such high hopes for this place but it is not worth the money. Everything had a weird fishy taste, not fresh and the ginger was in packets and not fresh either. Much better places in town.

Review №29

2022-09-07 04:34:35

The ramen was ok, the sushi was good. Nice selection of japanese beer and saki! What takes it down is the service. Not experienced staff serving. They know little about the menu and drink options. Theyre tripping over themselves, telling one another to go help customers. They see that you need something and look away. Had to wait for menus, ask for drinks and the check. One guy started just 2 weeks ago, and this time refused to serve. Stayed behind register serving himself Sprite, while tables ran dry.And its pretty expensive. Im not sure Ill go back for 3rd time.

Review №30

2022-10-28 03:15:43

Had a wonderful experience at Japonica tonight. The Sapporo was perfectly chilled and the sushi was amazing. Stephanie was a pleasure and we didn’t have to wait even a minute. We’ll be back!

Review №31

2023-11-22 05:12:11

Outstanding food and service, and reasonable prices for sushi.

Review №32

2022-11-06 17:57:20

Its not your traditional sushi place as the menu items are more unique than your regular old rolls. The spicy tuna on crispy rice is really good and if you want a little less spicy, just forego the jalapeno. The tuna and salmon ceviche was also great and served in light garlic sauce and topped with micro greens. The ice cream mochis were actually good! The mochi skin was soft and the ice cream flavours were rich. Theyre also served with some frozen berries and whipped cream.Parking can be a little tough here in the plaza itself. Most of the underground parking is reserved for the businesses. Street parking is also available though.

Review №33

2023-10-25 15:48:11

I miss the Cubano sandwich here so much but this was better then I expected. Will be back!

Review №34

2022-12-15 03:20:24

Welcome addition to El Segundo! The 5 stars is for the tan tan ramen (which I’ve usually heard referred to as dan dan) - it’s sesame-based ramen broth so tastes more peanutty; I’ve only otherwise had it at Killer Noodle on Sawtelle. The sushi dishes are okay, not mind blowing, but the ramen is worth coming back for, repeatedly. The service in person is also very good!

Review №35

2022-07-16 04:39:37

The sushi at this place is decent (3.5/5) but the ramen is terrible and the sauce is way too peanut-y. But this place gets 1-star for service because it’s just terrible after 3 different interactions with them!!I called today and asked to place an order for pick up and the restaurant said “sorry we don’t place orders over the phone you have to come order here and wait for it”, I explained that I have kids at home and asked for an exception because I can’t come and wait for 30 mins then was told “no sorry we’re busy if we start taking orders over the phones we’ll be extra slammed” - what?? What kind of reasoning is this? So I should leave my kids at home for 30 mins so you’re not extra slammed by the sushi roll I’m about to order? Which you would have to make anyway whether I’m there in person or not?? You clearly shouldn’t be in business if that’s the case.I also live next door so I’ve been to the place twice for dine-in since it’s opened.. the first time the service was terrible and slow and we had to ask for otherwise standard things specifically rather than them just giving it to us (small plates, ginger, wasabi, drink refills, chopsticks), the waitress literally went back and forth 5 times before we had all the things we needed to eat and that’s all after the sushi has come. The second time we’ve been.. same scenario, a long wait to sit and an even longer wait for the food. Then we got our food in this order: sushi rolls then five minutes later our beers and water made it to the table then after another 5 minutes the edamame! Needless to say no one wants to eat their edamame after they’re done with their sushi.. and every time you bring anything up with the wait staff they’ll say “sorry we just opened we’re slammed” .. what a terrible excuse. Perhaps you should close the business until you have figured out your customer service then reopen when you’re actually ready and happy to serve people.

Review №36

2022-10-12 00:57:30

This was very good Mexican American cuisine... if all you know is taco bell, get some horchata and a grilled jalapeno ;) Portions are huge so come hungry! While everything is good I particularly liked the carnitas, juicy and flavorful!

Review №37

2023-03-27 06:48:24

Wonderful izaka sushi at their El Segundo location. Daily Happy Hour from 3pm-6pm everyday including weekends.

Review №38

2022-08-08 01:19:14

Food is decent but the service is the worst. The first time I went I just assumed it was because they were new and busy but this time it was very slow and the service was even worse. The workers seemed like you are bothering them with your presence and just stand around talking to each other. Don’t bother dining in, perhaps just a good take out location.

Review №39

2022-09-18 06:23:10

Good setting and appetizers, fried chicken was great, disappointing Saahimi and Sushi rolls that they claim is excellent. Expensive for what its worth.

Review №40

2022-08-21 23:37:44

This is a wonderful restaurant and is the 3rd. Redondo, Hermosa and now El Segundo. Across the three, the food is consistently excellent and don’t forget to order beer, sake or shochu! Let the Falcon Fly!

Review №41

2022-09-12 18:19:18

Terrible Service. I had a good experience at their other locations in South Bay, but will not return to El Segundo. Our server Olivia should not be in the service industry. Being Rude and giving Bad Service is not a good combination.

Review №42

2022-11-18 00:30:04

Our favorite Ramen in El Segundo is from Japonica. The Cilantro is delicious!

Review №43

2022-08-14 22:28:39

Had to ask for Wasabi, ginger and soy sauce bowels, the rice was loose so the rolls fell apart before u can get them in your mouth....

Review №44

2023-10-07 03:49:14

The best place for sushi in town

Review №45

2022-11-13 02:06:13

Everything is very good and the prices are reasonable. Not five stars because its not 5-star incredibly excellent.

Review №46

2022-12-22 17:26:17

Amazing! Great Ramen, Sushi, Apps and Customer Service.

Review №47

2022-09-11 01:06:26

The sushi and service is incredible. 10 stars. Incredible

Review №48

2023-01-11 22:52:20

Tasty food with good service. Happy to find this place.

Review №49

2023-04-30 03:46:16

Ramen was bland and grainy for some reason.

Review №50

2022-08-26 01:50:25

Great food and great careful staff. Everything hot and perfect.

Review №51

2023-04-21 16:46:55

Enjoyed the food and friendly service.

Review №52

2022-07-11 20:20:40

Great food and spot for relaxing lunch.

Review №53

2023-03-23 18:45:28

Great for lunch.

Review №54

2023-12-02 03:02:27

Our office just moved to the neighborhood. We tried this place Japonica and the service was terrible. We will never be back again with Kagura just 2 blocks down the street.

Review №55

2022-08-18 22:26:59

To say this is good sushi its an understatement. I havent had sushi like this in a while and it was absolutely DELICIOUS! We ordered the spicy edamame -spectacular sauce, the white lightning -unique blend of uncommon sushi ingredients that workout and the Kyoto kryptonite -crispy spicy tuna, everything very tasty and recommended. The staff is friendly and welcoming.•To say this is good sushi is an understatement. I havent had sushi like this in a long time and it was absolutely DELICIOUS! We ordered the spicy edamame - spectacular sauce -, the white ray - unique mix of unusual ingredients that work, and the Kyoto kryptonite - spicy and crispy tuna, all very tasty and recommended. The staff is friendly and welcoming.