Kinokawa Japanese Restaurant
1611 E. Wardlow – (562) 427-8737
Parking: Private Lot Credit Cards: YES
As the popularity of sushi has grown so has the price tag, making it increasingly difficult to to find good sushi at reasonable prices. Tucked away in the northern part of the city, on the corner of Walnut and Orange, lies a little known, wallet friendly treasure named Kinokawa Japanese Restaurant. I’ve always had an affinity for sushi and Kinokawa satisfied both my appetite and my budget.
Don’t let the bland outer aesthetics of the restaurant fool you; the inside is as authentic as a poorly dubbed Bruce Lee movie. As our host led us through a winding walkway to our table we passed a private tea room that can accommodate parties of 6-8 guests. A scan of the sushi menu showed a wide variety of items from toro (tuna belly) to chicken sukiyaki.
Our meal kicked off with Japanese-style salad followed by miso soup. I ordered the soy burrito (crab, salmon and tuna wrapped in a soy paper delicately garnished with sesame seeds) and the beef teriyaki boat, which included a choice of a roll, tempura or Japanese dumpling. If you’re like me and love trying different rolls at every sushi joint, I highly recommend the soy burrito.
My husband had the beef sukiyaki, which consisted of thinly sliced, slow-cooked beef, vegetables, and noodles all simmering together in some delicious soup concoction. I gave the sticky rice that came with my meal to my son and soon enough most of it was on the floor or on his face, which I found quite adorable since for once I did not have to clean it up.
My daughter ordered a tempura platter that contained enough for lunch the next day as well. After filling herself up with battered shrimp and vegetables, she announced her undying love for Kinokowa and asked if it would be possible to eat every meal here for the rest of her life.
Most meals at Kinokawa will range from $4.00 to $15.00, all which offer large portions of quality Japanese food. The food was delicious and our dining experience was fantastic, helped by our waitress who always had a smile on her face despite the fact our children caused her an extra hour of cleaning and sweeping. She even asked us if we wanted more sticky rice for our one-year-old son. God bless her soul. While I may never enjoy that level of patience, I can definitely enjoy the food at Kinokawa Japanese Restaurant.