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R-23 Japanese Cuisine and Art Gallery

923 E 2nd St Ste 109
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 784-6600
R-23 Japanese Cuisine and Art Gallery
Price:
$$$
Cross Street:
Vignes Street
Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30pm-2pm, 5:30pm-10pm, Sat 5:30pm-10pm

Message from R-23 Japanese Cuisine and Art Gallery

R-23 Japanese Cuisine and Art Gallery

Authentic Japanese restaurant Rated "Extraordinary" by Zagat

  • Traditional Dishes
  • Art on Location
  • Convenient Location

Minimalist Japanese restaurant and art gallery offers patrons fresh Japanese cuisine.

Paid advertisement by R-23 Japanese Cuisine and Art Gallery.

Editorial Review for R-23 Japanese Cuisine and Art Gallery – by Jod Kaftan

The Scene
Tucked away in a low-slung brick building just east of Little Tokyo, this chic spot is clean and stylish, with exposed brick and painted white walls, a high ceiling and cool corrugated cardboard chairs.

The Food
The menu is simple and concise--fresh, straightforward sushi and sashimi fare, with tempting sides like warm, salty edamame and fried, buttery-crisp soft-shell crab. Sea eel nigiri scores big, barbecued smoky-sweet and anchored by seaweed to a bed of rice. For around $10, the assorted sashimi platter takes your palate several leagues under the sea, with tender scallops, halibut, clam, shrimp, buttery tuna, chewy tentacled octopus and more. For dessert, red-bean ice cream glows pink, but tastes pleasantly subtle, while green-tea ice cream is a palate-friendly herbal refresher.

Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.

Insider Tips

When to Go

For lunch, get there before it opens at noon or you'll wait 20-30 minutes. Private spaces are available for group reservations.

The Extras

Omakase menus are available in the $30-60 range. R-23 also offers numerous meat-free choices for vegetarians.

Know Before You Go

Nervous about venturing downtown? There's prominent signage to guide you, and parking is directly in front of the door. Try lunch instead of dinner for your first visit.

User Reviews for R-23 Japanese Cuisine and Art Gallery

Citysearch (47), Frommer's (1 ), AOL CityGuide (5 ), MenuPages (1 ), All (54)

4 Star Rating: Recommended

03/27/2008 Posted by ktron

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 ;-)

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/02/2007 Posted by famousblueraincoat

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

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Editor's Review

Once a railroad loading dock, now a hip downtown hideaway for those who like it raw.  See the full editorial review.

Insider Tips

When to Go

For lunch, get there before it opens at noon or you'll wait 20-30 minutes. Private spaces are available for group reservations.

More Insider Tips

Restaurant Information

Parking

  • Lot

Hours

  • Mon-Fri 11:30pm-2pm, 5:30pm-10pm
  • Sat 5:30pm-10pm

Payment Types

  • Visa
  • Diners Club
  • MasterCard
  • American Express

Cuisines

  • Japanese

Meal Price

  • $$$

Amenities

  • Date Spot
  • Private Rooms
  • Celeb Hangout
  • Valet Parking
  • Romantic Dining

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