Gonpachi

Great decor and ambiance. Sushi was average. Yakitori was average. Appetizers very good. Soba Noodles Excellent. Overall experience was average. I would still go just for the ambiance. Pros: Ambiance Cons: Average Sushi and Yakitori more

The overal decor and ambience is amazing. Very romantic garden, large rooms for parties available, and a nice bar off to the side for after work happy hours. The food itself was extremely good and tasty. The price is a bit high, but, the quality and presentation certainly makes up for it. Our server, SKY, was really great. She made a few recommendations which turned out to be really really good choices. Overall, great food, great decor, great service, whats not to like. If your looking for somewhere new to go with a significant other, I would highly recommend Gonpachi. Pros: Great new place, awesome decor, food, and service!!! Cons: Price, but, quality is very high. Not a place for the thrifty. more

Gonpachi is a Japanese restaurant split into two sections. Why? Because it's the largest Japanese restaurant in the country, and we want to keep everything high-quality, especially the food. One section of the restaurant consists of ""Sumiyaki"" (Japanese BBQ, soba noodles, etc.) with a limited amount of sushi, and the other is a ""Sushi"" section with a sushi bar and tables. There are separate menus for both sections of the restaurant, so take your pick. The food is the best quality, since many of the chefs from the Tokyo restaurant were brought over for the LA restaurant, and new fish comes in every day locally and from Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, so you don't have to worry about what you're eating! \r \r The restaurant serves hand-pounded buckwheat soba noodles, fine sushi, and Japanese grilled delicacies. In addition to these favorites which express Japan's traditional flavors and styles, they have also created a variety of original dishes which incorporate assorted ingredients and cooking styles drawn from the flexible creativity and thinking of the chefs. Fresh soba noodles from buckwheat flour are threshed and milled right on the premises daily. A wide array of rare and interesting Japanese sake and shochu provides a perfect, balanced complement to the cuisine. \r \r Gonpachi is actually a duplicate of the Tokyo Gonpachi restaurant with the same owner, Kozo Hasegawa of Global Dining, Inc. There is Happy Hour every day as well from 5-7pm in the beautiful sake bar, so come on in for a cocktail and sample the chef's tasting menu of the day if you'd like! The restaurant is only open for dinner at the moment, but should open for lunch as well soon. Pros: Food, architecture, art, customer service Cons: Valet Parking more

This restaurant is soooo amazing! From the 300 year old front gate, the walk through the zen garden, the AWESOME bar, all the way through the scenery from KillBill! Sitting at the bar, looking out on the zen garden with the japanese architecture really takes you away from the LA hustle and Bustle! You really feel like you are somewhere else...Japan I guess, the countryside though. The Bartenders were so friendly and knowledgeable about everything, we ended up dining at the bar! The cocktails were great, you could tell everything was made from the freshest ingredients. We tried a tasting menu just to get to try a bit of everything since it was out first time there, and for once a japanese tasting menu that was REASONABLY priced AND FILLED us UP!!!! I will go back again and again to try all the different things on the menu...once is simply not enough! Pros: Atmosphere, service, vibe Cons: you have to valet, and they charge more

I am looking around Cityserach for another restaurant to go to, but I went to Gonpachi last night and loved it!. I want for of those shrimp fritters and king crab...maybe some lobster too please. Yum. more

I usually go to Japanese restaurants because I can order sashimi, which tends to be healthier than many American or French restaurants. I went to Gonpachi because I wanted sushi, but when I got there, the friendly server explained to me I had many options if I wanted to be healthy besides sushi/sashimi. All their chicken skewers are free-range chicken and the eggs they use are ""jidori"" eggs, which are also free range. I ordered some chicken skewers, sashimi, and something called dashimaki, which is a free-range chicken egg dish that I loved. I also had their special scallop with the shell, which was to die for! \r \r I will return to this restaurant because it is not too expensive, and I love the atmosphere. I have been to Koi, Katana, Sushi Roku, many of Nobu's restaurants, and many other Japanese places, but this is definitely my favorite. I loved the Japanese gardens and the authenticity of the restaurant. I'm telling everyone about this place because it is too good not to eat there, but then again. I'd make reservations though because it was packed when I went the other night. more

ok- Gonpachi is disappointing!!! I have to say that I was born in Japan and I have had sushi around the world - and was hyped to go to this place since many review were great in the LA Times but this place has C- so far in overall. I give one star since the service levels were terrible. My waiter never came back to me to ask how we were- or if our order was complete. In japan- they take the crab shells off for you- here its do it yourself. If you want some hot water for your soba sauce afterwards- you have to request it. They really should hire some japanese ladies who are service oriented. My belief is that the food is ok- less than expected- the place is nice - and the service is so bad. It does not take a MBA from Stanford to know that sinec the service is poor- a lot of patrons are no coming back- you only get one time to impress!!!! Pros: parking was a rip off more

The atmosphere is just great, but the food and service is just alright. Nothing to celebrate about. I am Japanese and I have had much better and cheaper food elsewhere in town. The sumiyaki is alright, the soba is not very good in my opinon, had much better for $8 bucks in other places, and the portions were very small compared to the price. I don't think I will ever go back, there are better and cheaper places to go. Pros: Atmosphere is great Cons: food is so so and overpriced (but you are paying for the atmoshpere) more

We had such a great experience on our first visit that we went back the next week too! We recently toured Japan, and the beauty and finesse we saw there, has been authentically brought to Los Angeles. You enter a beautifully manicured Japanese garden with waterfall, ponds, bridge, lanterns, bonsai and everything else you'll find in Japan. The interior does look a little like a movie set, but it is still beautiful and speaks authentic Japanese style and architecture with more sleek and simple quality than glam. Every detail has been thought out, even down to the handles on the bathroom stalls. The servings are small enough to appreciate the delicate flavors and sauces blending into a flavor experience. If you want big servings and strong sauces go to Claim Jumpers! Anyone experienced with Japanese fine dining will appreciate the ambiance, decor and flavors. The pork belly, off the menu, is spectacular! We ordered another one immediately after we finished the first one. Spend the $2 to get a bowl of rice on the side. The desserts are out of this world, not ""green tea ice cream"". Service was great! Friendly and attentive. Our tea pots were never out of hot water. We like the ""Genmai"" tea that has popped rice grains with the tea leaves that gives the tea a sweeter, roasty flavor. I say skip the soba - but my husband liked it alot. Gonpachi can end up on the expensive side, but it's worth it! Think of the $$$ and quality of high end fine dining, but with Japanese food and many more flavors than a meat and 2 sides. ENJOY!!!!!!!!!! Pros: Good - delicious food. Friendly staff. Nice group dining areas. Variety. Cons: Very big - can be overwhelming. more

Gonpachi is a really nice restaurant. It has a nice front patio. The inside is very cool too! But only if the food was as great as the decor. Well...the food was good but the worth was not there. I can go somewhere else with the same quality if not better that is cheaper and bigger portion. Just like all the other reveiwers they are right that the portion is small for the price it charges. Quality of fish is good but I had better and cheaper. I think the only thing worth going back is the fresh soba noodles they make in house, sumiyaki, and their mochiso (their version of mojito). Pros: Decor, fresh soba noodles, mochiso Cons: Price, portion more

Last weekend I went as part of a large group who are no strangers to spending $$$$ for a good Japanese meal. Everyone at the table left completely disappointment all around. The ONE thing this place has going for it is the decor, besides that its a joke. The portions are smaller than any Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles; I actually was hungry by the time I got home. The Rib eye steak and Black cod portions were about each the size of a cell phone . Between everyone at the table we had a little of everything (Sushi, Warn/ cold dishes, the food on a stick, etc..) so there wasn't much we didn't try. The waitress never wrote what food was order by who, so when the food arrived the servers just guess who ordered what. A few people in our party didn't receive the correct order and 2 of the orders were completely lost. Some of us were done eating before others had a single portion put in front of them. I have never felt like such a sap after a meal, don't waste your money or time. It was an awful experience. Pros: Ambience Cons: Portions, Taste, Price, Service, Attitude, etc.. more

I adore the architechture of this restaurant. the Japanese garden is beautiful. you don't see any of this so you have to go eat there to see what i'm talking about.\r the food was good and service was decent. I love sushi, but when i ordered sushi it was very small. I know their japanese, but i've been to other japanese restaurant where the sushi is not ridiculously big for ""american"" customers... just so that it's the perfect size.\r \r pricey, but definitely worth going at least once. Pros: ambience, japanese garden, home-made soba Cons: sushi's too small for me. the front desk person has that ""bevery hills"" attitude... didn't like. more

I went here a few weeks ago, before the massive staff and management walkout. The restaurant is beautiful and our food was good, but not that memorable. Our server was awesome, but she doesn't work there anymore. Our meal, again, was good. They make their own soba noodles, but I really couldn't tell if they were any better than the ones I've had all across the city from places where they're not made in-house. I've heard they spent like $18 million over the course of 4 years to get the place open - I doubt they'll ever make their money back... Pros: interesting authentic decor Cons: restaurant takes itself too seriously more