R-23 Japanese Cuisine and Art Gallery

Once you are inside R-23 it's a nice venue, but the ambiance outside leaves a bit to be desired--it's in an industrial complex in what used to be railroad warehouses. This probably isn't an issue on a busy night with lots of other diners, but when we went late night the entire area was deserted and doesn't exactly inspire confidence walking from your car.

Having said that though, R-23 does offer some very tasty food and sake. We'll definitely go back there and give it another go.

Pros: Nice venue, generally good food

Cons: Not in a very nice area

Posted 05/28/09

We went there for the first time on Friday, December 20th. My wife and I were so pleased with the service and food. We first thought to keep this little place a secret from all our friends. We wanted to surprise them all for each of their b-days and bring them there ourselves. But we decided to to be selfish. WE LOVE IT and would recommend it to those who are serious about their sushi :) Love it!

Pros: Great place

Cons: Hard to find

Posted 12/22/08

This is one of my favorite restaurants, period. It's fantastic for a date, as it's very much out of the way but very classy and high-quality. I've also had business lunches and dinners here, and taken out-of-town guests here. The decor just oozes coolness without feeling pretentious at all. The sushi chefs are all the real deal and know what they're doing. I equally enjoy sitting at the counter or at a table, each has its own benefits. Their cooked dishes are great, as is their yellowtail carpaccio. It's not cheap, but for a special occasion or a date, it's definitely worth it. MAKE SURE you make a reservation, it's always packed.

Pros: Amazing sushi, authentic and knowledgeable staff, excellent service

Cons: Must have a reservation, not walking distance to anything

Posted 08/22/08

Love the atmosphere and the food. Make sure you try the crab salad as it is out of this world. If you can find it that is ;-)

Posted 03/26/08

This is what downtown, loft-living, hip artist space with great sushi should be. I've been here a few times over the past five years, and I've been really impressed each one. This is one of my favorite spots to take out-of-towners who say LA isn't a real city and there's nothing really "cool" about our city. They do really nice, fresh sushi, but they are probably better known for specialty dishes from the kitchen liked crab salad, pine mushroom soup and lobster tempura. The wine list is impressive as well, with selections that were selected to actually pair with the food. The art on the walls is cool, the staff friendly and then there's the famous Gehry cardboard-looking chairs! It's kind of hard to find, down a small street off East Third, but that's part of the charm. They have a valet now.

Pros: funky location and design, great food, nice wine list

Cons: neighborhood still coming up, valet parking only now

Posted 11/01/07

Let's see, we ordered steak with ponzu sauce, soft shell crab, black cod, and 26 pieces of sushi for $116.

Make sure you ask the prices on the items without prices. The lobster tempura was $55 so we passed.

The fresh water eel is some of the best around. The other sushi is very good, maybe not the best in LA, but definitely excellent.

Yup, the location is not the best, but I have been coming here for years and have not had any problems.

Posted 10/26/07

I've been a semi-regular here for several years. Yes, it is overpriced and yes the sashimi and sushi is fresh, but not spectacular, but it's still worth going. I especially enjoy the cooked kitchen food, which is less Japanese and more fusion--there is beautiful presentation AND it is something special and out of the ordinary. I've never had a problem with the service--even when I went with a friend and clearly we were "out-of-towners" and non-LA people at that point. They've always been quite friendly and helpful--the owner once even came out to greet a party I had there and chatted up our table! So it's worth going if you've got the bucks to fund your sushi craving here! :-D

Pros: Fresh sashimi, and awesome cooked kitchen food

Cons: Overpriced!

Posted 04/26/07

sushi is good and fresh but all the food seems overpriced for what you get, and not outstanding. We asked for omakase but they didn't really seem to understand what we wanted. The kitchen dishes are beautifully presented. The restaurant has a beautiful interior. But not the best sushi in LA.

Pros: beautiful place and food

Cons: too expensive

Posted 02/17/07

The tempura was delectable (even though our waiter initially told us that they would not serve my vegetarian girlfriend a veggie only version. After several pleas, the manager helped us out). Beware that even the few dishes marked "veggie" contain fish stock. If you are fine with that, then you will love this place! I sure did. The rolls were excellent and the dishes were extremely tasty. Even the wasabi was particularly potent!

Pros: Amazing food, cool chairs/atmos.

Cons: The wait staff were hesitant to make alterations to their menu even to fit dietary needs

Posted 02/15/07

I first visited R-23 four years ago and was amazed. I've been back regularly since then and love it every time. I think i've covered practically all the items on the chef's menu, from the dungeoness crab salad, lobster tempura, fried sawa crabs, even to the ginko nuts(yum). We go primarily for the sushi, which are fresh, and of generous cuts... even the finicky uni is unfailingly fresh. The gallery is attached next door, and i didn't even know about it until one friday night when we showed up without reservations and we were seated out back amidst the artwork. It was a private gallery style dinner.

Pros: great food, ambience, furniture

Cons: scary alley, limited seating

Posted 12/21/06

The atmosphere is good. I wasn't too impressed with the sushi - it was fresh and declious, but nothing special.

Posted 10/25/06

I read some reviews before I went and i was confused cuz some reviews rated it as fantastic and other's disliked the place. I went with several friends for a bachelorette dinner and I found the place really pretty and clean; however, the most important thing, THE FOOD, took soooo long to come out AND they forgot my order. But the waiters were so nice and apologetic about it that I coudln't really get upset. And it was strange cuz when we ordered the waiter indicated to us that particular dishes could serve up to 4 people. So~ we ordered those dishes thinking it could feed us comfortably~ BUT these dishes come out and it was clear that just one of us could finish the whole dish and not even be very full. To make this short, the food was good but not GREAT! You can totally just go to Little Tokyo and get better food and spend less money. Yes, it was quite expensive ~ It's supposed to be a gallery/restaurant and i DID see some art there.. but the lighting was a bit dark so i didn't really get the impact that it functioned as a gallery as well. I don't recommend it unless you want to spend a lot of money in a cool environment wid ok food.

Posted 09/26/06

If you're looking to impress a date or out-of-town guests with how much cash you can drop on small and artistically arranged plates--this is the joint. Yes--there's a pleasant ambience--cool furniture & paintings--smooth service--but the food? Just doesn't justify the unusually high prices. It's a shame--if they simply priced everything more reasonably--I'd rate this place as an interesting find--and I'd go back. But because it was too expensive for the menu items--I walked away thinking I was duped--particularly since the fare itself was fairly conventional and standard. Overall, I'd say go once just to experience it--since it is always worth it to try something new. But it isn't going to be that one great Japanese restaurant that gets your repeat business--you'll have to look elswhere for that.

Pros: pleasant ambience, courteous and attentive service

Cons: difficult location, overpriced menu, mediocre fare

Posted 09/02/06

OK so... my Brahm and I disagree on this one. I thought it was great, but he thinks way too expensive... Let me explain why... I (and he) ordered appetizers from the (Price NOT listed) specials list. not a good idea. my shrimp tempura was 24.00!!!!! what~?~ and His Beef something-or-other ws 18... so with 4 people ordering ridiculous appetizers and (splurging) $40.oo on a bottle of sake our bill was $200... However, we usually eat at amazing but ridiculously low priced sushi places. Zip, Sushi Go 55... and I wanted to go somewhere new...
NOW for the rest of the night. Sake=some of the best I've ever had... Sushi= great cuts, and super fresh, and also normally priced per serving, not that expensive...
The presentation was cool and slightly shocking. ALL our sushi came out on one long platter, like an eel carrying our pieces on its back. I managed to eat 90% of mine allowing Brahm to steal a few.
The Decor is cool it's an art gallery and all the chairs are made of corrugated Cardboard but were surprisingly comfortable.
My suggestion? Splurge on the Sake, but keep the rest to your usual sushi fare, stray from the specials menu! :) (although my shrimp tempura was tasty and HUGE :) )

Pros: Atmosphere, Sake, Perfume in the bathroom :)

Cons: Not looking before I leaped! into the specials...

Posted 08/31/06

From the moment you arrive, you have the highest attention from Kato, the chefs, and servers. I have been a monthly regular for nearly five years. While I patronize other great sushi spots, this is the one keeper I come to again and again... never disappointed. Say hello to Toshio, one of the chefs. My favorite is their seared salmon; ask them to put some yuzu on it, and you'll be transported to an astral plane. The location is great and if you go in the early evening, you'll catch a phenomenal view looking westward towards the downtown skyline. Cheers!

Posted 08/08/06

This place is so overrated. The place is definitely gorgeous, but the sushi is very much below average. I am someone who eats Japanese food at least 3 times a week, so trust me, I know Japanese food. Their crab salad is good, I will give them that, but the sushi is simply disappointing.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: very average food

Posted 06/02/06

I am a total restaurant hunter in LA and I've heard so much about R23 I decided to try it out. We got reservations for Saturday night, needless to say it was totally packed and since I kept calling and moving my reservations around (running late) we had to wait about 15 minutes to get seated. I wasn't mad but after seating us, the manager and all the waiters wouldn't stop apologizing. Not only were they extra nice but extremely knowledgeable and helpful. The sushi was impecable and the crab salad was amazing. On top of all that the manager gave us 2 bottles of sake and 2 desserts as an extra apology for the wait. Granted I've never waited more than 2 minutes being seated before, I don't think many restaurants of this caliber would be this nice. In conclusion, try this place over hyped-up Katana.

Pros: Great food, Awesome service, Knowledgeable staff

Posted 05/16/06

we sat at the sushi bar & ordered the tried & trues and a couple of the house specials. our chef was focused & polite & obviously a genius because we couldn't stop ordering. all i can say is that i am planning my next trip back & counting the days. i just don't know if this should be a speical occasion place or if i can possibly not go once a week from now on. and the downtown location is a real treat to go to when you're sick of the l.a. hustle & bustle.

Pros: food, food, food

Cons: none

Posted 04/19/06

Very cool place. Good for a date. Our server asked us what time we needed to leave to get to our show on time (!) and then worked hard to make sure we were served promptly. Wonderful, rich food with attention to detail... you probably have not had Japanese like this.

Pros: Service, Food, Wine

Posted 03/30/06

I made a 6 pm reservation for Saturday night for a party of 3. the cooked dishes are great (there was too much dressing on the dungeness crab salad but it was good nonetheless), and the sashimi didn't disappoint either. the waiter seemed surprised that we didn't order any sushi or rolls, but kept ordering more sashimi. I went in mid-January, which I have been told is no-amaebi (sweet shrimp)- season, but the sweet shrimp here was to die for. I've been to four other reputable sushi restaurants since R-23 and none of them had the kind of amaebi that R-23 had, if they had it at all. the service was slow; we ordered some additional sashimi and it took about 15 minutes to arrive, at which point we had lost our appetites. after so much sashimi, the bill wasn't light, but the meal was worth it.

Pros: amabi (sweet shrimp)

Cons: slow service

Posted 02/05/06

Went here last night w/ my gf. Place is unique, almost reminds me of a restaurant in NY. It has bricked walls w/ cool art pieces everywhere. We only had sushi, so that's all that I can comment on, and it was amazing. The sushi was very fresh and large cuts. The rolls were also very tasty but very small. Only complaint was that the sushi took ages to come out. Next time, i would sit at the sushi bar instead of the regular tables. The house sake was also very tasty. My gf and I shared two large bottles. Spent $100 plus tip for the both of us including sake and beer.

Pros: food, sake

Cons: slow service

Posted 12/28/05

I'd expected a much more intimidatingly hip place, but found the host and servers friendly and welcoming. The place looks good, but not stunning. The sushi was a good value for the money -- more special than my local sushi joint, but not so amazing that I'll always remember it. The servings of toro and octopus were especially large (although the octopus wasn't that fresh).

The Pine Tree Mushroom soup ($17) and Yellowtail Carpaccio ($26) from the chef's menu were both amazing, and totally worth the price. I certainly wouldn't order them every time, but for a special visit, they were worthwhile.

The service was friendly, but slow and inattentive. We had to ask twice (maybe three times?) to get water, and the glasses weren't kept full. This wasn't due to 'tude, but more likely an over-busy staff. OTOH, presentation of the food was fantastic.

Pros: chef's menu, regular sushi

Cons: service

Posted 09/21/05

Located in a Little corner of Little Tokyo, in the outskirts of Downton. Food is ecellent, sushi is perfect. Food enought to get full of, along with appetizers and deserts that will definately have you return. I went with my girlfriend on a sushi night out about a month ago, after knowing about it for 3 years. Should have gone sooner. Paintings and their chairs made from recycled cardboard are something to see. A bit pricy but ok for a special occasion

Pros: good location

Posted 09/03/05

Everything about R-23 is beautiful. The ambience is amazing, and the food is to die for. The great thing about this place is that for how good it is, it is not pretentious at all. You can spend just as much money here as you could at Koi, however you will be paying for incredible sushi, opposed to snobby attitudes and beautiful arrogant people.

Pros: Food

Cons: Hard to find, parking

Posted 08/06/05

I don't know what the qualifications are to be an sushi expert but I've had enough sushi to know what's good and what's not. I have to say that R23 is exceptional. Every piece of the sushi was amazingly fresh and wonderful. Now I would go to R23 just for the sushi but their other dishes are phenomenal as well. The lobster tempera is one of the best. Now go for the food but enjoy the atmosphere and a great looking restaurant

Pros: freshness, Service, ambience

Posted 07/06/05

Sushi was fresh. But they are pricy!! I can get fresh sushi for less, and I didn't have to drive to downtown and try to find the secret location. Don't know how it's getting this high rating. Was wondering whether i was paying for the food or the atmosphere. There's no price shown on menu, be sure to ask before you order. Service? Who mention about service? I had to asked three times for my tea to be refilled.

Pros: Nice atmosphere

Cons: Pricy, Bad Service

Posted 07/04/05

R-23 is in a very interesting part of J-town-unique art hanging from the walls, very cool cardboard chairs, romantic lighting, and soft jazz music. The food is ALWAYS delicious, and service is great. If there is a seat available (make reservations!), you will get seated promptly. Let's get to the good part... the food! I am a creature of habit, and I stick to what works. 1) Salmon skin salad (about $12)... it's HUGE w/ greens, lots of salmon, shallot vinaigrette, 2) Lobster tempura ($38)... HUGE again, butterflied lobster tail tempura, with veggie tempura like asparagus (3 of them!), onion, potato, etc., 3) Sauteed bay scallops ($20)... oooh sooo goood! Buttery and melt-in-your-mouth, served on scallops shells (you'll be licking the sauce off of them), served with shiitake and asparagus, 4) sushi... very fresh uni, anago, salmon, and unagi, 5) dessert... japanese tiramisu... light and perfect ending.

Pros: Sauteed Bay Scallops, Very friendly staff, Romantic and relaxing

Cons: Parking entrance smal

Posted 02/28/05

the crab salad is really delicious. our highest recommendation. the quality of the fish (sushi/sashimi) that is served is very fresh and very good. this is coming from a sushi snob too. the space itself is a bit small...seating around 50 people at most, but if you can get in, it is well worth it.

Posted 11/18/04

Super Hip Atmoshere!!! It was so romantic....
I got great point to choose this spot from my date.
Sushi was beautiful and melted on my tongue.
It was best sushi I ever had in LA.
But the other dishes like Halibut wrapped mushroom Tempura or Hamachi Carpaccio were so unique and great.

Posted 07/16/04

Iam a Japanese Franco Chef....and always tried to find nice Japanese cusine in Los Angeles.
Finally I found best one "R-23"
Food was real Japanese and was best Japanese food out of Japan I ever had.
I loved original Japanese style sushi of R-23.
(I hated big fusion sushi everywhere in LA-You know Rice is CHEAP)
Beautiful private rooms and Gellery,comfortable lighting,nice Jazz music...What a great ambience! I knew why mr Bond(Pierce Brosnan) and his friends were here that night.

Posted 05/27/04

Jake and his gang always whip up a delightful somethin-somethin to smack on my plate whenever I'm around. Even the tender fishy dishes I might not particularly enjoy at other Pan-Asian joints translate into epicurrean treats I can stick a fork in again and again at R-23. Prime recommendations to the void for the Lobster Tempura and especially the vast selection of Cold Sake. Note that the restaurant is in a hangar plaza perpindicular to second street, that the entire plaza is 923 E, not just R-23.

Pros: Cold Sake Menu, Sushi, Service +++

Posted 04/08/04

This place is a notch below Nozawa and Sasabune. It is more in the mold of a Matsuhisa serving expensive small gourmet dishes. The sushi is fine, but for the quality you get, it is overpriced.

The ambience is ultra cool. This a great place for a romantic dinner with your hunnnie. Print out a map of the location on mapquest before you go or you may get lost as it is in a remote part of downtown.

Pros: ambience, gourmet dishes, service

Cons: , hard to find

Posted 02/06/04

Food was so good!!!!
great ambience in interesting artisty neighborhood...once enter inside you can experience oasis like.
A must go place!

Posted 01/16/04

I was shocked when I ate here. I have frequented many sushi bars here in Los Angeles, and I'm simply can not believe how anyone can find this place to be good. The pieces, size-wise, were tiny, they freshness of them were average. The selection of sushi was average at best as well. My god, they didn't even have albacore the day I went.
We left half-way through the meal and went to another restaurant.
Never again.
Thought: the best part of a restaurant should not be the building it is in.

Pros: cool building

Cons: indifferent service, food average at best

Posted 01/15/04

I love the location.
Seat at the sushi bar is feast!!!!!!!!!!!
Try the "hard core" sushi !

Posted 11/11/03

Too expensive, the food is not even that great.
Don't waste your time here

Cons: Too expensive, bad neighbourhood

Posted 10/27/03

As a transplanted NY'er, I felt like I was in Tribeca. I just brought my parents in from NY here, since I had such a great experience. Overall, the 2nd time around will I go back? prob. not. The waitress tried to push all the dishes w/out prices (such as the Chef's selections). I got suckered and ordered the appetizer Lobster tempura because she said that was the "house specialty." We got the bill and it was $40. I fell off my chair. Their Soup du Jour (menu prices were 6$) was delivered and the waitress said "this is very expensive mushrooms" If we had known! They need to take it down a notch.

Pros: good food, great architecture

Cons: henious area

Posted 08/26/03

R-23 is located in a part of LA you probably don't want to visit after dark but you MUST check it out during the day. Otherwise you risk missing some of the best accessible street/graffiti art in LA. The staff needs to check themselves (I know LA is an attitude-laden city, but COME ON), but the food is worth the trek.

Pros: fresh fish, calm decor, THE ART OUTSIDE

Cons: Prickly waiters, Service can lag, Parking can be ruff

Posted 08/11/03

We had reservations at 9:15 and arrived early. This becomes relevant in a moment. We went mainly with the chef's specials. The crab salad was fresh and generously portioned. Fried crabs were more for show than taste; a sauce would have been helpful, but different than any other dish around. Good sushi and the shrimp tempura was enjoyable. Then the waitress stopped to inform us that the yellowtail and shimeji mushroom was unavailable. Keep in mind this was 30 minutes after we ordered and a few minutes after the sushi bar shut down. I was slightly confused and pressed the issue when she returned. It turned out that there was still yellowtail, but the kitchen closed. Never have I ordered food and later told the kitchens done for the night, not even at fast food. Very tacky and unprofessional. I would actually recommend this place, but not past 9PM.

Pros: Ambiance, Value

Cons: Kitchen's Work Ethic, Location

Posted 07/20/03

I love this place. It's one of the few places that reminds of New York. The food is above average, however there isn't anything special about their menu that makes them stand out from other Japanese restaurants. However I do like the way they present the food. The ambiance is 10 times better at night than during the day.

Posted 04/14/03

The Food: Very good. BUT... this is a JAPANESE restaurant that serves JAPANESE food, including sushi. This ain't "Joe Ito's Sushi-o-rama". Thankfully.

The Service: Japanese-y. Our glasses were always full and service was prompt, but we didn't have our conversation interrupted once.

The Ambience: Awesome. It was candle lit and very modern. I can see how suburbians wouldn't like the locale, but anyone comfortable with downtown LA will be fine.

The Price: Good considering the quality. A comparable meal anywhere else would easily cost 50%-100% more.

The Low Down: If you are into stylized restaurants where the novelty is the "Asian-ness" and not the food, then avoid R-23. In fact, you may wanna steer clear of J-town all together. In fact, please do.

Otherwise, check out R-23. You'll be happy that you did. (By the way, it's a good date restaurant. After dinner, my date actually thought I had class.)

Pros: Food, Ambience, Service

Cons: Parking, Price

Posted 02/13/03

Great Sushi,great ambience,friendly service.....
worth to go back and recomandable.
They had beautiful private dinning section.
Try private room for your special party!

Pros: Reasonable price, Great food, Private room

Posted 01/07/03

R-23 was one of the most interesting Japanese restaurants I have ever been to. The atmosphere was extremely elegant. This is definitely the place to take someone for a special occasion. The food was mouth watering and well prepared. R-23 is like a sushi MUSEUM !

Pros: atmosphere, food, service

Cons: a bit pricey

Posted 11/16/02

A local colleague of mine suggested r23 as a great place for sushi. I was from out of town, and perhaps it showed because i was given no face and respect throughout the meal while all service from the waiter was directed to my colleague. Perhaps the waiters are only concerned about their next review?? This was insulting to say the least.
the sushi was very good although rather expensive.

Pros: food

Cons: expensive, poor service

Posted 11/06/02

I chose this place after taking a quick peek in the Zagats guide for top sushi places. My first choice was Katsu-ya but they wouldn't accept reservations so I chose R-23 instead. My first impression is that it is hidden very well in the warehouse district. My second impression was that the decor was very unique, their chairs were made out of cardboard. The atmosphere is definately a plus, with candles and colors that make a converted warehouse look good. However the food is another story, not worth it. One small portion is $8 a pop and a salad was $20. Instead try Katsu-ya, or Matsuda.

Pros: Atmosphere

Cons: Food

Posted 08/07/02

The decor and atmosphere is very nice, and despite what others say, the service is okay. The sushi on the other hand is not worth the value. Its better than your average sushi bar but not worth the price. Lunch for three can easily break the bank

Posted 07/29/02

Go for the atmosphere, and enjoy the ambience. The service was extremely slow as molasses and the sushi less than mediocre. The prices are higher than expected for a low rent-poor sushi, overrated restaurant.

I've tried this place 3 times. The first time by choice and 2 times to accompany other sushi adventurers. I've yet to find anyone that likes it.

Pros: atmosphere

Cons: stuck up employees, slow service

Posted 07/08/02

This place clearly suffers from a case of "The Emperor Has No Clothes"syndrome.The place is full of posuers and rubes willing to shell out big bucks to eat VERY ordinary,pedestrian Japanese food,and then remind themselves how wonderful it was.
Well,let me burst your bubble.This place is a total rip off !Set in an artsy box of brick(read that as LOUD)With pretentious service(no prices on the tacky lucite enclosed "special menu"-an illegeble regular menu where you have to hunt for prices-a host who is very good at ignoring you),this place reminded me of those silly temples of Nouvelle Cuisine of the eighties(those huge planks that are too large for the tables are hysterical)
VERY small portions at VERY high prices,$6 bucks for 4 bites of miso covered eggplant-come on,get real.
The sushi and sashimi are ok,but just ok-not great.
The best part of this joint is the mens room.

Pros: Mens room, Art on the walls

Cons: silly prices, silly service

Posted 06/28/02

Great service from the chef, and a great selection and freshness of fish....

Posted 06/18/02