Ohmigod, FTC meetup??? 
(I haven’t booked yet)
2 Likes
booked as well.
1 Like
4 Likes
They would really benefit from a FTC meetup. There was only one other couple on a Saturday night.
6 Likes
interesting…
2 Likes
went once - it sucked…so far may have been the worst meal of 2025
2 Likes
Im in for a meetup if I can plan ahead for a sitter!!
9 Likes
We were the only guests at the first seating tonight. They need some press/Instagram buzz.
5 Likes
Agree with the general sentiment that everyone should run, not walk to Kojima.
It looks like they have moved to a staggered reservation system on Tock. Instead of two distinct seatings, there are multiple time slots available. When we went last night (Sep 21), we were a lone party of four (5pm seating), and then another group of 4 arrived at 6pm.
It’s been said before, but it’s impressive just how much Chef Kojima-san changes things up. This was our second visit, and we only had one identical dish (grilled chicken heart). That much creativity and changes while still executing everything perfectly (or near perfectly) is pretty mind blowing, especially now that seatings are staggered requiring him to execute multiple, different dishes simultaneously.
Boiled and Salted Edamame
Chilled Sunchoke Soup
Hokkaido Snow Crab, Ikura, Uni, Sushi Rice, Shiso Flower (Chilled)
The sweetness of the crab and uni were contrasted nicely with the ikura brine and slightly vinegared rice. One of those “almost too beautiful to eat” dishes.
Grilled Hatsu (Chicken Heart)
The only element/dish that was identical to our first visit. But it’s so good, that I wouldn’t have it any other way than just simply grilled with a little togarashi the side.
Grilled Hokkaido Scallop
This was an on-the-fly substitution for my mom as Kojima-san remembered that she didn’t eat any of her chicken heart last time.
Fried and Marinated Chicken Wing “Stuffed” with Napa and Shiitake
Kojima-san’s chicken wings are probably the best that we’ve ever had (not that we’re well versed with the world of fried chicken wings), and paired with the napa and mushrooms, it was a fresh and different take on the stuffed chicken wing than what we were expecting.
Hokkaido Hon-Maguro (Bluefin) Owan
To be honest, I was skeptical that tuna would work in an owan. I had the thought that white-fleshed fish is always a better option, but the bluefin was the perfect texture, and an atypical grind of black pepper allowed the normally clean and subtle broth to stand up to the richer tuna. Even after being fully cooked, the intramuscular fat was of the tuna was evident.
Suzuki (Sea Bass) Sashimi, Myoga, Vinegared Grated Cucumber
Bok Choy with Baby Sardine Dashi and Magurobushi
It makes sense that you can make magurobushi, but I never really gave that any thought before this meal, It was a lighter and cleaner in flavor and a great complement to the bok choy. Maybe the only quibble is that the amount of magruobushi was too much relative to the amount of bok choy.
Kojima-san noticed us eyeing his box of tuna cuts, so he gave us a better view.
Seared Aji (Horse Mackerel), Akami (Bluefin), Chutoro (Bluefin belly) Sashimi
Anago “Naruto-style” Tempura wrapped around Eggplant with Sansho Pepper
Loved this prep more than the unagi/shiso “Naruto” we had last time. I would be happy with just this and a bowl of rice.
Grilled Ozaki (might have been ribeye cap?)
Loved the hamburg steak from our first visit, but this prep really highlights the special nature of the beef. Kojima-san really showcased his attention to diner appetites by giving my mom a smaller portion while I got nearly double the beef.
Fried Shrimp and Corn Gohan with lightly Pickled Napa and Miso Soup
Great gohan..didn’t quite get what kind of shrimp it was, because I heared “sweet shrimp”, but these were definitely smaller than amaebi, unless young amaebi is a thing?. Depending on your rice-style preference (firm vs tender), some might prefer Kojima-san’s gohan to Hayato’s, but it’s splitting hairs. Both are great, and there’s room to appreciate and love both.
Fresh Ume (from Toyosu Market)
Given how sweet and juicy the plum was, it almost seems a crime to turn it into umeboshi. A great way to cap off the meal.
18 Likes
I went to Kojima for a last minute business dinner thanks to finding out about it from this site and I loved it. Thanks @J_L
I checked morning of on Tock and no reservations, so I put myself on the Notify list. I was beginning to despair and consider back up reservations when I got a call at 3:18 p.m. that we could come. I asked when and was surprised to hear whatever time we wanted.
Turns out there were only 3 other diners there that night - a party of two and a solo diner. I think you could have walked in. In fact, I think the solo diner, who we got to talking to later in the evening, may have done just that. He mentioned he was in the neighborhood and just started searching for restaurants nearby for dinner and Kojima popped up.
Absolutely perfect place for a business dinner. One of my pet peeves is restaurants where tables are on top of each other – which is most decidedly not good for a business dinner (or for anything in my opinion). This felt so private, yet convivial.
Chef was practicing his English with us and his hospitality and humor shined through the language barrier. And of course, we loved Chef’s able assistant Mimi-san. I didn’t really take any pictures other than the menu for the evening and the tea. I photographed the menu (sorry for the lousy picture) because I was so enchanted with Mimi’s handwriting – she has been practicing calligraphy since she was 6 years old. She handwrites a new menu every day! She also hand-painted the noren in the restaurant and has some other decorating projects up her sleeve.
Every dish was good and perhaps my favorites were the chicken hearts and the seasoned rice with dried sardines. They even packed up some rice in a gift bag for us to take home for breakfast which was a delightful touch. I have walked out of restaurants before with little gift goodie bags, but never with one containing sardine studded rice for breakfast.
We brought our own champagne and corkage was a reasonable $50. And I’m no expert on wine pairings, but something absolutely magical happened when I drank the last glass of champagne with the Basque cheesecake. So if you bring champagne, save some for the cheesecake (although I’m not sure if they have cheesecake every night).
I’m a sencha fanatic, so of course I had to photograph the sencha they use (again sorry for the terrible pictures).
Seems to be bulk-packed in Los Angeles.
Definitely want to return. On the one hand, I want everyone to discover this gem. On the other hand, I’m afraid if they do, I’ll never get in again. Chef mentioned that if we did not have the appetite for the full omakase, ordering a few dishes a la carte was always an option.
20 Likes
Ah and I just found the link for the sencha they serve. Sencha Zairai【Kyoto Ujitawara】Japanese green tea – totonoeru 茶
Of course as Mimi-san was explaining to me, it’s all about the brewing temperature. I brew loose sencha each and every morning, but I’m really careless about brewing temperatures. Like many other dishes, it’s hard to replicate that restaurant experience.
14 Likes
Just to add that I ordered the Kyoto Sencha late Wednesday night and it already arrived in the mail today, so basically one day delivery, sans Amazon! It is shipped from right here in Los Angeles.
I am going to try to the best of my ability to brew it to Kojima standards, but I know I will fail. Among other things, I don’t have the patience to take a thermometer to my water, nor do I have an innate sense of what the temperature of my water is. I just noticed that the tea vendor has some nice Tokoname brewing pots for sale. I have quite a few, but have a bad habit of chipping the spouts.
7 Likes
There are electric kettles that will heat water to a precise selected temperature.
5 Likes
Yep! I even have an super fancy one from Breville which also infuses the tea, but I would not use it on super fine teas since it kinda steams the tea before hand.
I always have a pitcher of cold brew tea in the fridge. That is an excellent way to enjoy fine teas as well.
6 Likes
Just here to echo the sentiments of everyone else. I went last night and this place is truly special, serving up exceptional dish after exceptional dish, each one creative and comforting and really really good. I ate the best chicken liver of my life, had a mind blowing zuke tuna with Japanese mustard and fermented onion, a fish cake with matsutake and so many other great bites. Thanks to JL for getting the word out about this place. Already planning a return trip.
12 Likes
OMG! Now I know why that logo looked familiar!! Totonoeru is one of the tea makers at the new Little Tokyo Farmers market. They have a stand there every two weeks. Here is their schedule:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DOcLOX2kvjX/
On the weeks they aren’t there, there is another Tea Vendor which has some amazing blends. I have bought tea for them as well.
After biting the bullet on my last green tea run at Kettl, I am glad to have these guys I can pop into on the weekends. Little Tokyo Farmers Market is a super easy walk from the E Line train station.
–Dommy!
10 Likes
Dropped by with a friend after the movies for the mini omakase. 7 of the 8 seats were full and as soon as I sat down at one end of the bar I noticed Mori Nozomi at the other end. She was there with her husband (partner?). They were the only ones conversing with Chef Kojima-san given his shyness around English and the couple being the only Japanese patrons. At one point Mori-san was raving about the rice course and telling all of us how much Kojima-san is putting so many layered steps to all of the courses but not explaining to anyone and that he really needs to (she said this while laughing) so that we can appreciate what he’s doing etc. She’d asked about the rice that was under the slices of bluefin tuna and was told it’s actually 70% brown rice and minced lotus root (I forget what else was going on there). When her husband/partner learned my friend and I had just gotten the mini omakase of which the rice course was not included, he spoke to Kojima-san and then gifted us both the course. This was followed by a gift of chicken hearts from Kojima-san. All 3 were such sweet and lovely beings and I was touched by such generosity.
What’s funny is that I initially thought Kojima-san wasn’t happy with us as he had a stern facial expression but I soon learned that it’s really that he feels like his English is not up to par. I really wish I spoke Japanese. All this to come around to the actual food. I absolutely adored his cooking. The whelks we started off with were the best I’ve ever had. So briny sweet and simple. I must do a return visit soon for his full omakase.
Final note of thanks to @J_L and the rest of FTC here for the hint. When Mori-san asked how I’d found the place I told her it was because of the FTC crowd. Keep doing what y’alls do! 
26 Likes
Glad you enjoyed it.
We went a couple days ago, and it was pretty much an entirely different menu from our previous visits (starting to get into the fall seasonal ingredients now).
Standouts were the Kinki + Smoky Eggplant Owan, Spiny Lobster w/ Astrea Caviar (shout out to @Clayfu), and the Duck + Matsutake Gohan. Another highlight was the Fried Taro + Shirako with Ankake. We’re not big fans of shirako, but this may have been the best prep of shirako that we’ve ever had.
Kojima-san is generally pretty reserved, until you start engaging him and the servers, then his excitement and warmth start to come out.
13 Likes
Yes! I was telling my friend the same thing as I’m not huge on shirako but the sultry creaminess with the fried taro was comfortingly delish.
5 Likes
Yeah I thought the rice course was one of the highlights of my meal at Kojima. I thought it was special, although I couldn’t have told you why. Glad to hear that Mori-san agrees with my palate!
Maybe because it was less crowded the night I went and when my guest and I ended up lingering until after 10:00 p.m. together with one solo diner, Chef Kojima-san was not shy at all and was quite eager to practice his English. I would imagine it would be quite different when he was intently trying to feed 7 people at once.
12 Likes