DIY Japanese BBQ

This place is fun for a date or lunch/dinner with friends, and there are locations all over LA (I'm just choosing this one since it's closest to where I live - but the Pico location in West LA is exactly the same). Start with the Gyu-Kaku salad (veggies and hard-boiled egg with a delicious dressing) and maybe some fried seaweed (get it WITHOUT the cream cheese, which has always sounded weird to me) - then let them start bringing the food that you will cook yourself at your table grill! My favorite proteins are the Harami Miso and Kalbi beef and the garlic shrimp. For veggies, I like the broccoli, garlic potatoes and garlic spinach. I would also recommend getting the sanchu lettuce wraps (you can make a lettuce taco out of your grilled meat and their yummy dipping sauces) and the original bibimba (a HOT pot that comes to the table with veggies, meat and rice that crisps around the edges - I like mine SPICY). You can order more food as you go and go slow just in case your eyes are bigger than your stomach. The only downside is that your clothes (and hair!) can end up smelling a little smokey after you've left!

This is a nice Japanese BBQ restaurant that originated in Japan (so I've heard). My advice is to always go at happy hour, which is usually 5-630pm I believe, but it varies by location. You get 50% off selective meats and draft beer for $2.

Great Japanese BBQ

Forget sushi, Japanese BBQ is where it's at. Treat yourself to some do-it-yourself bbq, their kobe beef is amazing.