http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html http://st1.cdn.ypbot.net/prod/brands/yellowbot/logo_homepage_header.v0aa1e17.gif http://www.yellowbot.com/ http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html So the teppanyaki was rather bland. While the food was of top quality, the chefs were listless and didn't provide any sort of show. When I go to teppanyaki, I expect a show from the chefs. These chefs don't introduce themselves, they don't talk to you, they just cook, the food for you. No pyrotechnics, no percussion using cooking utensils, no flipping food into your mouth. Boring and lame. On top of that, they charge ridiculous prices for small amounts of food. I would not return and recommend that no one else go. Pros + Top quality food Cons - Expensive, and lackluster http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html The atmosphere here is very Japanese, and the food is really good. I couldn't say enough about the service. The waitresses serve your bento box lunch or sushi ion beautiful laquered dishes, while dressed in traditional Japanese Obis and wooden sandals. Parties of 4 or more may reserve a private tatami room (for a romantic meal reserve the room for 4, and say 2 dropped out at the last minute when you get there). Don't miss the rooftop Japanese garden. Expensive and worth it. http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html Everything is overpriced for no apparent reason. $30.00 per day for valet parking. $8.50 for 4 copies in the business center. $74.00 for room service breakfast for 3 people. (bacon was burnt and juice choices were wrong) Average cost for 3 people at any restaurant in the place is $125.00. http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html Compared with similar restaurants in Tokyo, Thousand Cranes is cheaper. However, with average set dinners at $85, I would expect better for the price in Los Angeles. As recommended by others in their reviews here and elsewhere, half of our party went with the premium sushi/sashimi dinner ($85) and half went with the Kaiseki dinner ($85). The premium sushi/sashimi dinner started with couple of raw oysters (yum), a plate of pickled veggie, 8 pieces of sashimi, 6 piece sushi plate, and small tempura plate (two shrimps and sweet potato). The sashimi was good, sushi was only decent. The toro was too grainy and did not melt in the mouth. The Kaiseki dinner was better in my opinion in terms of presentation and taste. The drawback was lack of description for each course. In Japan, the restaurant typically furnishes the diners with a description of each course. We had good service since I did approach the host and told him about the recent reviews about poor service. He informed me that he had seen it as well and the restaurant is addressing the problem by hiring and training experienced servers. We did enjoy our meal in tatami room; it was a delight to spend time with our closest friends. Pros + Ambience Cons - Price and food taste http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html I used to go here quite often for their Sunday Brunch. Ownership and Management changed recently around 2008. Geisha wearing, polite and attentive servers are now gone. Oysters are half their former size. They run out of food often and are slow to bring new dishes. You have to ask 2 or more times to get your drinks refilled. It no longer represents a traditional japanese restaurant, but rather only looks like one. They promised to take corrective action when I brought these issues to them. Two weeks later nothing had changed. I no longer go there, where as I used two at once or twice each month. http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html After reading many reviews online i found out that the chef who does tempura bar for 27 years quit. Too bad i didn't have a chance to taste tempura omakase but i still enjoyed tempura at thousand cranes. For first timers, i would suggest king crab topan, sukiyaki or shrimp tempura. Kaiseki was okay, but not too impressive that i'd wanna order when i visit again. The grilled plates were a little disappointing since the steak were a little dry and definitely not worth the price. http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html Veeery good place to stay. http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html Stayed here one night w/friends in early December. Hotel lobby & ambience are incredible. Good location - close to Little Tokyo & all the Japanese restaurants. Parking garage was decent, felt safe leaving my car there. Room was average (clean but a little worn out) & a little on the small side (booked the regular room with two beds, stayed there w/6 ppl). Beds were okay & clean. Bathroom was clean. Did not try the restaurants or spa on site, but their menu items looked really good. Visited the garden - it was okay. Just wish the parking was free. All in all an average stay. Pros + Location (close to/in Little Tokyo) Cons - Parking is not free & there is no continental breakfast http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html Azalea is located inside the Japanese New Otani Hotel in Little Tokyo, actually, but just a block away from City Hall. So, essentially, it is in downtown. This restaurant serves weekday "World Cuisine" lunch buffet. World Cuisine means different "nationality" food for every day of the week. For Thursdays, Azalea serves Filipino food and this was the day that I visited this restaurant. On that day, they had this excellent pork ribs. I believed it was boiled then deep fried. Kinda like how a crispy pata is cooked. The restaurant also served different types of green salads and mango salads. The mango salad is Filipino style but hte green salads were not 'cause Filipinos traditionally do not eat raw salads. However, the green salads were also good. Back to the main entrees: they also served noodles and breaded fish fillets. The latter ones were just so-so. There was also quiet a selection of desserts--some Filipino, some not. Overall, I enjoyed my visit. Wish they offered this during weekends. Pros + Excellent Pork Ribs, Very Good Service and Ambience Cons - Parking http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html This is one of those places that you go to for Special Occasions AND, if you feel like conversing. It is a quiet place, elegant, beautiful oasis-type view (they created a lovely Japanese garden in the middle of downtown) and the service is generous and cordial. Oh, and the food is very good, too. Pros + Ambience, hospitable service and good food Cons - None http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html I just brought my girlfriend to A Thousand Cranes and it was really an amazing experience. We actually visited Japan a few years ago and fell in love with the polite, attentive service by the people. It was something that we really a treat. And we didn't think that we would find something like that in LA. We've been to really great sushi bars in LA like Nobu, Hirozen, Matsuhisa, but there is something so different about A Thousand Cranes - the service and atmosphere. The restaurant sits on top of a hotel and has a beautiful garden outside with the most captivating Downtown LA skyline view. It's really gorgeous at night! We were seated in one of the special private rooms with tatami mats. We sat on the floor with our legs crossed. The waitress, who was dressed in geisha clothing, couldn't have been more attentive, polite and helpful. She poured the tea for us and smiled throughout the entire evening when serving us. It felt like we were in Japan again! The food if good, but doesn't rival the other sushi bars. However, if you're looking for a REAL traditional Japanese experience without the 10 hour plane ride to Japan, go visit A Thousand Cranes. It's wonderful! http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html The menu is tailored to suit the Citys distinctly conservative tastes. The Beer Garden is truly an oasis in the crowds of Downtown Los Angeles. Dishes such as traditional Azalea Luncheon Buffet and Crunchy California Roll and Beep Fried Baby Sardine are so scrumptious that they even distract from the fantastic views. All dishes are exceptionally well made if somewhat on the pricey side and there is plenty of Alcohol for those seeking to impress either a date, client, or anyone named Al. If you are looking for a train or maybe an extra 3rd person. Beer Garden is the place where fantasy can be reality. Pros + Very Romantic, Many Inside Jokes. Cons - There is no San Diego Location. http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html Talk about a hidden treasure. The fish was fresh, the tempura tempting and the service was excellent. I especially loved sitting in a private room that makes you feel like you're in another world. I highly highly recommend Thousand Cranes. Pros + Romantic, Amazing Food, Beautiful Views http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html The tempura bar is amazing for a quiet business lunch. It seems that you just have to know about it, as it's not mentioned on their website, and it's tucked away in a corner of the restaurant. The tempura chef keeps it coming in a well-paced stream of eggplant, shrimp, pumpkin, scallop, whitefish, sweet onion, etc. This definitely isn't one of those places where you get two wimpy pieces of tempura on top of a mound of rice. I was quite pleasantly full at the end of the meal, on just tempura. I've already decided to go back, and tell my friends. Pros + quiet, easy parking, unique Cons - somewhat pricey http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html the service was top notch as everyone from the host to our server was extremely accomodating. but i thought the food was average. i took my love interest and wanted to spoil her, so i ordered their most expensive dinner ($80 per). what we got was a series of disappointing meals that looked great, but tasted, eh. still, i recommend checking this place out once, only if you're in love and want to splurge. Pros + atmosphere, service Cons - price, price, price http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html There are many restaurants inside of the Thousand Cranes. The one I like best is the tempura bar. As the name indicates, almost nothing but tempura is served. Tempura is not my favorite Japanese cuisine, but Yama-San's work is magical. It is not you ordinary tempura. After tasting his, it will change your perception of tempura forever. Sit only at the tempura bar, Yama does not cook for orders outside of his domain. Tempura served in the dining area are made from the kitchen, not by the master. When Yama is sick or on vacation, the bar is closed. One more thing: their miso soup is made of genuine fish stock, a difference you can taste. Pros + Heavenly tempura, Great miso soup http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html We had confirmed reservations since June of 2008 for our stay at the Kyoto Grand Hotel; but when we arrived, after a long flight from Florida, at about 4 PM in the afternoon of October 27, 2008 we were turned away from the hotel. They refused to honor our reservations, claiming the hotel was oversold. Instead they sent us to... http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html My husband and I stayed at the Kyoto for 3 nights in September, 2008. We took a shuttle bus to the hotel from LAX and it cost us $US15 each - very reasonable. When we arrived the front desk staff checked us in very quickly and couldn't have been more helpful and friendly. Every time we passed the desk on... http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html Booked this directly using corporate rate. Rooms were clean and updated. Good for business traveler who is not looking for frills. (the bathroom was tiny and the tub was flimsy fiberglass) We had good service from front desk, concierge, but witnessed other travelers having difficulty getting into their reserved rooms in a timely manner. What we liked best was the... http://www.yellowbot.com/kyoto-grand-hotel-garden-los-angeles-los-angeles-ca.html hotel nice and got a great deal. service wasn't fabulous though. dinner at the azalea room on sunday night was horrid. only 2 staff we could see and they tried hard but took over 3 hours for dinner between waiting to give order to getting salads to getting the less than stellar entrees. came by once and told us the... Find local businesses and read and submit reviews and ratings q http://www.yellowbot.com/search/