Tori Matsu Yakitori

Authentic chicken galore Yakitori! If you enjoy meticulously grilled yakitori, this is it. When I visited this restaurant, a middled aged Japanese man was cooking skewers behind a tight counter. I really appreciated his grilling attentiveness. I highly recommend this restaurant for a cold beer and attentively grilled chicken skewers. Btw - to enjoy the full potential of this restaurant, I would recommend eating at the bar - I had to eat outside and thus had to order everything all at once

Absolutely love coming here, the yakitori is delicious and the a la carte menu is pretty extensive. The wasabi he serves with the chicken breast is insanely good, and I'd also recommend the chicken stuffed lotus, chicken meatballs and the yaki onigiri. It gets packed really quick here, definitely recommend putting in a reservation and even that can be a hassle sometimes since even that gets booked for weeks

It was excellent. Every yakitori piece was delicious. My favorite was the tsukune (chicken meatballs). The chasoba was tasty too! The service was very kind and welcoming and the food came fast. There was a bit of a wait getting inside (20 minutes) at on a Monday night, so it's a popular place and for good reason!

Amazing food, wonderful staff, I'll definitely be back again soon. I had the Torimatsu course and it was perfect.

Best yakitori! Food is amazing and price is reasonable.

Sohei Moribe

This yakitori restaurant is affordable, delicious, and has a great atmosphere. The vibe truly feels like a classic, old-school yakitori place in Japan, making it a very comfortable and enjoyable place to spend time. I would definitely come back again.

Emma Yuko CALIFORNIA WAX STUDIO

Torimatsu in Gardena is hands down the best authentic yakitori restaurant in LA. Everything tastes just like Japan — perfectly grilled skewers, amazing flavors, and top-quality ingredients. You can really feel the craftsmanship and authenticity in every bite. If you’re looking for real Japanese yakitori, this is the place. Absolutely worth coming back again and again!

D Chen

I knew I was in for a treat when I saw a poster on the wall explaining what is binchotan. Torimatsu is one of the top, if not the best authentic yakitori joints I have eaten at in LA/OC. I enjoy making yakitori at home (with binchotan in a japanese grill, skewering and deconstructing chicken to the best of my abilities), but will definitely be returning to enjoy the skewers that were thoughtfully prepared and grilled by the yakitori master. The restaurant has very limited seating, so would highly recommend making a reservation for parties more than 2. I came a little after opening on Saturday, and luckily was squeezed in after 15ish minutes. The place was at its max capacity after two additional (I presume reserved) parties showed up between 6-7pm. With regards to the food, I can't stress the attention to detail given to each skewer. Every skewer was cooked in a way to highlight the innate flavor and texture, so you appreciate every part of the chicken. The tare (sauce) was light, and I was often surprised at how juicy some skewers were (given my personal experience cooking them at home). The meat was threaded on the skewer to allow optimal grilling efficiency, bones were strategically removed to allow easier eating, small pieces of fat hidden within the skewer to make it more juicy, small green onions tucked inside tofu skin to change the flavors, etc. Highlights of the meal: - Tsukune (meatballs): so juicy and was not sauce heavy - Gizzard skin in soy sauce: this was a pleasant appetizer and tasted like braised tofu. Always thought this was a byproduct when making gizzard skewers. - Gizzard: cooked perfectly - Liver: so creamy - Cartilage: so juicy, idk how he did it - Heart: loved how packed and juicy it came out - Duck: first skewer I ate, but my second clue that the chef knew his stuff. Piece of fat was wedged between the pepper and green onion so that they soak up the oils - Chicken wrapped in tofu skin: first time seeing this anywhere. There were hidden green onions inside the tofu skin that gave the skewer a refreshing taste. - Bell pepper stuffed with chicken: another one of those "how is this so juicy" skewers. - Chicken tail: like a mix between the cartilage and skin skewer. Recommend getting this. We got the Torimatsu course (10 skewers, soup, salad, ice cream) which is essentially the omakase, and added on a la carte skewers and a couple appetizers. For first timers, I think the Torimatsu course is perfect and leaves enough room to experiment with more adventurous skewers. We ended up eating 15 skewers each + splitting the raw chicken and gizzard skin apps, which left us both completely satisfied. If you're a fan of yakitori and miss eating yakitori in Japan, definitely check this place out. Looking forward to my next visit!

J

After so many years, I still can’t find any other Yakitori places better than this place. That is it. The restaurant is small. I suggest making a reservation. Walk-in can be difficult.

Sanish Shrestha

This place was a low key delight Mu Junmai Daijinjo Sake - 4/5 was good cold and was a great drink to start out with Sasami Ponzu (Rare Chicken Breast with Ponzu Sauce) - 6/5 this was sooooo freaking good. Never would I have thought that I would be able to eat rare chicken in the US. It was so good, can't really describe other than a better and thinner sashimi, but I will get his again every time Torimatsu Course - 3.75/5 don't rember all the items I got, but for the 10 yakitori course, everything was balanced and went well with beer. I got chicken liver, which I'm not a fan of, but that just personal preference. Scallion Salad - 5/5 it's literally just thinly sliced scallions and ponzu sauce, but got some reason it's sooo good. The scallion tasted great, oniony and with the sauce so good. Chicken Hatsu Yakitori - 5/5 chicken heart is my personal favorite. I have yet to find one not good so take this one with a grain of salt. It was chewy, salty, and meaty. Okra - 3.5/5 I'm a fan of okra, could have used some more charr in my option but the piece of okra was big. Potato - 4.25/5 holy crud this was good. Look I'm not a huge fan of just a potato, but it came with butter and was perfectly cooked. Not a 5 for me just because I'm not looking for a great potato when I come to yakitori. I just come for chicken.

Greg Hao

Amazing yakitori restaurant hidden in a strip mall. I used to work in the area and have visited this strip mall many times to eat and not once did I try Torimatsu to my eternal shame. On the recommendation of a friend we finally visited and am glad that we did. The Torimatsu course is well recommended for first time visitors and is a great value. Highlights for me are the chicken soup and tsukune (chicken meat balls). Reservation is required and I recommend calling in advance as the small restaurant fills up quick.

Melissa Saywell

This was our first truly authentic yakitori experience. We sat at the bar and had the omakase menu. One of my companions ordered the 10 course and two of us ordered the 7 course. We shared items that differed from one menu to the other, so we had the opportunity to try almost everything on the yakitori part of the menu. Some favorites were the chicken stuffed mushrooms and the chicken tail (!). The soup was also excellent. The meal concluded with ice cream and green tea.

lichwo

The chef has mastered the art of yakitori. The tsukune (chicken meatballs) were the best I’ve had. The other chicken skewers were perfectly cooked, juicy and tender. The chicken heart was savory and soft yet bouncy. We really liked the chicken rice bowl and fried chicken breast. The duck was tender and mild. Quail eggs are a must try. Everything was infused with the subtle smoky flavor from the Japanese charcoal. Great atmosphere with nice servers. Reservations highly recommended. Enjoy!

Tony Tran

yaki onigiri is the best! with plum inside. all yakitori types are well done great service as always! my go to place and addicted - return again - always good and nice friendly servers staff - must reserve days in advance for counter seating - returned 4.18.22 and tasty as ever with nice staff- leave a good service tip!

Rachel Mui

Most authentic yakitori you can find in LA! Good price and good food! Must order Grilled eggplant, chicken tail and yaki onigiri 🍙 (grilled rice ball)

Jay Rue

Authentic chicken galore Yakitori! If you enjoy meticulously grilled yakitori, this is it. When I visited this restaurant, a middled aged Japanese man was cooking skewers behind a tight counter. I really appreciated his grilling attentiveness. I highly recommend this restaurant for a cold beer and attentively grilled chicken skewers. Btw - to enjoy the full potential of this restaurant, I would recommend eating at the bar - I had to eat outside and thus had to order everything all at once

Bryan Takeuchi

Absolutely love coming here, the yakitori is delicious and the a la carte menu is pretty extensive. The wasabi he serves with the chicken breast is insanely good, and I'd also recommend the chicken stuffed lotus, chicken meatballs and the yaki onigiri. It gets packed really quick here, definitely recommend putting in a reservation and even that can be a hassle sometimes since even that gets booked for weeks

Ella Nuno

It was excellent. Every yakitori piece was delicious. My favorite was the tsukune (chicken meatballs). The chasoba was tasty too! The service was very kind and welcoming and the food came fast. There was a bit of a wait getting inside (20 minutes) at on a Monday night, so it's a popular place and for good reason!

Kyle James Walker

Amazing food, wonderful staff, I'll definitely be back again soon. I had the Torimatsu course and it was perfect.

James

Best yakitori! Food is amazing and price is reasonable.

I was blown away by each and every skewer I ate. The chef clearly knows what he's doing, he's a master at his craft. I had never tried duck before and when I was told that one of the first skewers we were served in the 10 skewer dinner course was duck I was a tad hesitant. I thought it would have that gamey taste but you honestly could not tell. It was so tender and juicy, I should have ordered another 2. It's a great place to try different cuts of the chicken and with the condiments at your table you can experiment with differenct flavors. I'd love to come back and enjoy some more options.

Mia Franco

I was blown away by each and every skewer I ate. The chef clearly knows what he's doing, he's a master at his craft. I had never tried duck before and when I was told that one of the first skewers we were served in the 10 skewer dinner course was duck I was a tad hesitant. I thought it would have that gamey taste but you honestly could not tell. It was so tender and juicy, I should have ordered another 2. It's a great place to try different cuts of the chicken and with the condiments at your table you can experiment with differenct flavors. I'd love to come back and enjoy some more options.

It’s a busy place that you have to make a reservation in advance. We went on a Friday night and would like to add one extra person but it was fully booked so we had to seat in a smaller table with 5 people. It was a 2 hour limit dinner but the service speed is a bit slow. When we were ready to check out, it took a long time for the bill… like 15 mins so we had to ask to expedite. There were two waitresses and the younger one had no smile from the beginning to the end and the other waitress was warm and helpful. The food is about average and it’s a good place for friends gathering.

Food is okay, but they got my order wrong. Didn't got the chicken heart I wanted. The grilled duck is good.

AH

It’s a busy place that you have to make a reservation in advance. We went on a Friday night and would like to add one extra person but it was fully booked so we had to seat in a smaller table with 5 people. It was a 2 hour limit dinner but the service speed is a bit slow. When we were ready to check out, it took a long time for the bill… like 15 mins so we had to ask to expedite. There were two waitresses and the younger one had no smile from the beginning to the end and the other waitress was warm and helpful. The food is about average and it’s a good place for friends gathering.

Yang Zeng

Food is okay, but they got my order wrong. Didn't got the chicken heart I wanted. The grilled duck is good.

Food was delicious and set at a great price. My cousin and I ordered each of the two courses on the menu and two beers. Everything came out in a timely manner as well. The biggest problem was when my cousin had recieved a skewer with a piece of hair in it. She asked me to double check which I also believed it was a piece of hair that had gotten on her skewer. It was short about an inch curled up and looked like it had a hint of brown to it but mostly black (which makes me assume it might’ve been a piece from the brush the chef was using). When my cousin told the server about the hair, the server looked at it quickly, told us it was a piece of fabric from the charcoals, and scurried away. Our server didn’t ask if we would like a new one or offer anything to replace it either and just left us looking at each other whether we’ll trust her or not. She decided to just eat the top half, but we were not amused about the server’s response at all. If she had at least given us time to just ask for another skewer so we don’t feel disgusted eating the rest of the food, it would’ve been a nicer finish to our dinner. I would still like to assume it was a piece from the brush, but the server did not show any concern for us at all on such an extreme food safety concern.

Bill Vang

Food was delicious and set at a great price. My cousin and I ordered each of the two courses on the menu and two beers. Everything came out in a timely manner as well. The biggest problem was when my cousin had recieved a skewer with a piece of hair in it. She asked me to double check which I also believed it was a piece of hair that had gotten on her skewer. It was short about an inch curled up and looked like it had a hint of brown to it but mostly black (which makes me assume it might’ve been a piece from the brush the chef was using). When my cousin told the server about the hair, the server looked at it quickly, told us it was a piece of fabric from the charcoals, and scurried away. Our server didn’t ask if we would like a new one or offer anything to replace it either and just left us looking at each other whether we’ll trust her or not. She decided to just eat the top half, but we were not amused about the server’s response at all. If she had at least given us time to just ask for another skewer so we don’t feel disgusted eating the rest of the food, it would’ve been a nicer finish to our dinner. I would still like to assume it was a piece from the brush, but the server did not show any concern for us at all on such an extreme food safety concern.

Tell us only 10 minutes wait time, then saying to wait for another 30 minutes after waiting for 20 minutes already. This kind of behavior to maintain a full occupancy rate is truly disgusting.

wj

Tell us only 10 minutes wait time, then saying to wait for another 30 minutes after waiting for 20 minutes already. This kind of behavior to maintain a full occupancy rate is truly disgusting.