Takuma

"Authentic down-home Japanese cuisine. Not your run-of-the-mill food. The quality and presentation are excellent and tasty at an affordable price point. This place reminds me that typical Japanese food is not just sushi and chicken skewers, but widely varied and fresh. A unique and friendly place in Santa Monica."

"We ordered via Postmates; the food came in cute boxes and was delivered in about an hour. Spicy Tuna Dip ($13.95): They give 3 white rice cracker squares which wasn't that good. I would rather have the regular crispy rice. The spicy tuna also tasted weird. Hard pass. Kakuni Bento Box ($19.95): This was a rip off. They gave only one piece of pork belly with two large pieces of steamed potatoes. The pork belly was okay - not very flavorful & also a bit dry. Yakiniku Beef Bento Box ($19.95): The beef was way better than the kakuni but the portion was small. Bento Box Sides: The two shredded side dishes were not edible to us. The potato salad was good. The green beans do not go with the salad."

"We finally stopped in to try this Japanese restaurant! This is an Izakaya restaurant. Their menu has a variety of options, snacks,(sozai), Japanese Salads, sashimi, along with hot dishes, dishes and delicious desserts! We started with the Kabocha Salad, Japanese pumpkin. The pumpkin arrived in a generous scoop,mousse texture with crackers and lettuce. It was a bit bland but I enjoyed it. $6.80 Our favorite dish was the Kara Age!! It arrived piping hot! We asked for ponzu sauce to dip, although the chicken was tasty in its own. $14.60 Next came the Brown Rice Scallop Risotto made with a lobster broth. This arrived in sizzling, (see video). The scallops were a bit chewy. It was very rich but tasty. $18 We also shared the Buckwheat Chicken Noodle Soup which was tasty but slightly bland, however it was beautifully presented. $15.60 Finally dessert! We shared the tiramisu $10, and creme Brule $12. Both desserts were really very good! The interior space was nice and contemporary and sleek. The bathrooms were clean, single rooms, one for women and the other, for men. The Japanese staff were all attentive and kind! Metered parking on Wilshire or the side streets."

"Great staff, all of them speak Japanese. This place is pretty excellent, and their dishes are served tastefully. Standout winners were the karaage, unfiltered sake, yellowtail sashimi, and tofu. All in all a great experience, and a little pricey but definitely worthwhile from a quality standpoint!"

"Amazing staff. Tasty sushi. Great service! Highly recommend the salmon hand roll and salmon sashimi. Those were our favorite items! Gyoza was solid. Eggplant dish was good, but we anticipated it being warm/hot dish…just a heads up it is a cold dish! We also ordered the cooked salmon plate…that was not our favorite item, but it was solid. Would recommend exploring their unique menu. Limited outdoor seating (dog friendly), beautiful and plenty of indoor seating. Parking street side or north of Wilshire. Hope to be back soon!!"