OTOTO - Los Angeles, California

Alex Wiley

I had an incredible dining experience at this delightful Japanese tapas restaurant. The staff is lovely and super knowledgeable. The sake list is super interesting, I loved the banana sake! Food was also amazing, definitely come with a group to try more dishes. I had the snap pea gomae, crudo, chicken meatballs and seasonal tempura. Everything was delicious, the crudo was insane! Can't wait to return and try more dishes

Olivia

Came here for an early Sunday night dinner and we ordered potato salad, nigiri, filet o fish, and curry mushroom okonomiyaki. Although they have a wide selection of interesting sake, we opted for beer and a cocktail this time.

The potato salad came with a side of kurobuta sausage and one half of a soft boiled egg. We enjoyed alternating bites of cool creamy potato and warm savory sausage. Nigiri was melt in your mouth o-toro with a small side of wakame and a single shiso leaf. Filet o fish was a bit too heavy for me, I think it would be best maybe to share it between 2-3 people. At this point we were too full to eat the okonomiyaki so we took it to-go and had it for lunch the next day. It was delicious and densely packed with cabbage and mushroom filling, with just the right amount of curry seasoning in the batter.

The service was friendly and efficient, we never had to wait too long for anything. We were in and out in less than an hour. I think valet was $12, which is worth it because parking in this area is really annoying.

The ambiance here is good. The dim, warm lighting gives a feeling of relaxation at the end of a long day. It’s a nice place for a date, or dinner with a few friends. I’d be happy to come back again soon to try other dishes and sake.

Stephanie Vegas

Stopped by OTOTO on our way to the Dodger game and was pleasantly surprised to be able to be seated right away amongst other blue caps. We tried the Chicken Katsu sandwich, Potato Salad and their Japanese style burger. The burger was very juicy and was perfectly cooked. The chili added a nice touch - my only wish would be that it had some sort of spice or acidity incorporated somehow. The Chicken Katsu was very tasty and the chicken was nice and crispy. We tried one of the seasonal sakes with strawberry and it was very good! Service was excellent and the food came out pretty quickly. There's a few other things we wanted to try from the menu so most likely will be back! Parking can be a bit challenging, but they also have valet if you absolutely can't find anything.

Tina C

We were able to get seated right away at 7pm on a Monday night- I know it’s usually super busy here so we were lucky. The atmosphere is nice and the food was good. I really enjoyed the red bean dessert with strawberries and their scallop tempura and okonomiyaki. I wasn’t as big of a fan of the steak - it was a bit dry.

Chrissy Datuin

Absolutely loved this restaurant. Think of it like Japanese tapas. Each dish was so flavorful and the portions are generous, so you definitely get your money's worth. The space is intimate, so not the best for groups. But perfect for date night or dinner with a friend! I'll definitely be back.

Daniel John

We love this place. It really is a 5-star when you are in a group and passing drinks around, the atmosphere is A+. Just sitting down as a couple and having a few dishes for dinner is not quite the same experience. Food is good but for the price you can do better elsewhere, even their sister resto next door.

yousef

This place in Echo Park is not the place if you're looking for white tablecloths and hushed conversations. This is the cooler, slightly more rebellious sibling to its fancier, more predictable neighbor Tsubaki. It is a warm, dimly lit space with wooden accents and a welcoming vibe. Come here for a lively atmosphere, killer sake and good food. Forget reservations and be prepared to embrace the wait.

The menu is a playful love letter to Japanese comfort food. I dove headfirst into the shaved cabbage salad which has a surprising punch and tangy dressing that proved a bit too much as it reduced the crunch some. The roasted sweet potatoes with miso butter and garlic chips was pure comfort food gold, each fluffy bite a testament to their addictive nature as you'll wish there were more on the plate. The chicken katsu sandwich was simple, breaded chicken swaddled in a pillowy bun with a touch of pickled jalapeno but the pickled jalapeno promised kick never arrived. It did have me reaching for another napkin as it was messy. Let's not forget the more decadent, less messy tonkatsu panko-fried pork cutlet—a crispy crust giving way to pork which was a bit dry even with a dollop of creamy mustard.

While the service is friendly and efficient you come here for the vibes and certain menu items. It's not fancy, but it doesn't need to be. Ototo takes Japanese comfort fare in a different direction with some thoughtful touches and surprising flavor combinations. So, try your best to embrace, sip, eat and indulge.

Nikhil Shankar

Had a great time at this cozy sake joint. Our group tried 3 sakes, all of which were top-notch and showcased the diversity of flavors sake can hold. The food was also great — we had the chicken katsu sando, the okonomiyaki, the salt and pepper tofu, and the kurodai otsukuri. The atmosphere is great too.