Tokyo Noir

It was a misty and raining SoCal night, my friend was running behind schedule. She knew I had been trying to lock down reservations for some time. The LA fires prevented us for meeting up the first time around. So we were determined not to let the rain damper our plans. I took refuge at the main restaurant, El Barrio Cantina. The vibes were chill, and the bartender served up a smooth Oaxacan Old-Fashioned. The drink shook off the frost from the cold outside and slowly warmed me up. I mentioned that I was just grabbing a drink, and making my way to Tokyo Noir. He was a true Gent, and coordinate with the team in the back, letting them know I would be late. Tokyo Noir is a top-notch experience. I felt like the character in Tokyo Vice, Jake Adelstein, an American journalist, who gets plugged into the Tokyo Vice police squad and carefully navigates through the two worlds of Tokyo. The food was a TEN. The skirt steak strip was tender, nicely marinated, and cooked to perfection. The oversized chicken wings were tasty and filling. I'm so glad we didn't forget to order the Wasabi fries, they packed so much flavor and were a great finish to our meal. The bartenders were skilled bladesmiths (cutlers), wielding a knife with ease. It felt as though we were watching Michelangelo carve David from marble. The way they took a block of ice, chopped it up, and refined it into a civilized cocktail glass was purely art. The attention to detail, knowledge of their beverages, and the service exceeded expectations. The Astro Boy and Notorious were my favorite drinks. (Yet, another Jake Adelstein reference) Subtle, simplicity, which reminded me of Japan. We left feeling like we stepped off the plane back into the States. Thanks for taking us to Tokyo!

Tokyo Noir is a speakeasy behind El Barrio Cantina on Retro Row with excellent cocktails and drink concepts. I really appreciate their use of fancy ice, which elevates the experience.Firstly, parking is terrible as it usually is around the area, so you may have to circle the block many times or take a hike from a far parking spot. The service depends on your server. We started the night with one server who kept ignoring us (which was honestly quite frustrating), but we ended the night with a different server (I guess they switched off) who was super friendly and made up for the previous bad experience. The music was fine, except that the bass was extremely boosted. They played a particular song that shook me to my bones and vibrated my organs whenever the bass was thrumming, and I did not enjoy that.The drinks were all delicious, but my favorite was the First Love, which is like a shaved ice drink that you eat with a spoon. It was a perfect balance of flavors, and I really enjoyed how the grapefruit flavor really shined through, without it being too sweet. My partner really liked the highball.

Tokyo Noir is the cool place to be right now. Located down an alley behind El Barrio Cantina, they're reservation only and you have to be in the know as there's no signage. The big draw here is their craftsmanship and high end cocktails. Their ice cubes are flown in from Japan and hand carved. It's quite impressive to watch so I suggest you sit at the bar. We tried the Hibiki Old Fashioned, which to be honest felt like what you expect from an old fashioned. Simple and well-made but nothing unexpected except the giant ice sphere that's taller than the glass and makes for a very funny way to sip your drink. I preferred the Astro Boy or Drunken Tiger as they're both vibrant and fun. All cocktails are around the $18-$22 mark with the truffle old fashioned landing even higher. Don't come hungry but they do have some small bites for bar snacks. I really enjoyed the Bao Buns, and also tried the grilled squid which again is simply simple. The music vibe is old school hip hop and they have some cool photography adorning the walls. For all the hype I expected the drinks to feel more unique but it's a place worth checking out once.

STEPH JUDGEMENT: Super-cool, super-small cocktail bar best for date night. The hubby and I've been here twice now and both times we've been impressed. The first time we were there at 5, but we'd made the same reservations error that others have, where we'd reserved under el barrio instead of Tokyo noir, but luckily they were able to squeeze us in as long as we left by 7:30. The second time we'd made reservations for 8:30 (for the correct place this time), and I think we preferred getting there early, before the place got really wound up. It was a much more relaxing vibe, but then again, we're old. The decor is all dim lights and eclectic fun, a squadron of Japanese oni masks vying for wall space with black and white photos of SoCal rappers and lowriders. So far we've tried the following drinks and food:- Hibiki old fashioned (my fave, but one of the spendiest choices)- Nutorious (the hubby's fave)- Drunken Tiger (citrusy and refreshing, love the Korean spicy cucumber garnish)- Astro Boy (refreshing and sweet, but not overly so)- Japanese high ball (refreshing palate cleanser)- Mezcal high ball (very smoky but refreshing)- Wasabi fries (perfectly fried, with yummy accompanying dipping sauce)- Grilled Squid ( perfectly grilled)- Deviled eggs (decadently rich, bordering on too salty)- Charred edamame (wonderful smoky edge in a spicy soy chili sauce)- Grilled Corn (charred corn "ribs" topped with Parmesan crisps)We loved all the drinks and food, and also loved the showmanship of the bartenders as they made the drinks and hand-sculpted the ice cubes/balls (ice flown in from Japan!). Both times we sat at the bar and we think it's the best spot. Two things give me pause on a full five stars, thought: Reservations are a pain, which I get because it's such a tiny and popular new place, but there's no spontaneous dropping in here. I have them saved in my OpenTable app and check their availability from time to time. Perhaps as their newness wears off the reservation situation will improve. Also, since this place so small, it is best for an intimate date night than a group outing--their largest seating is for four and it looked pretty cramped with tiny tables at shin-level. It can get kind of loud, so trying to talk to someone not right next to you could take some effort. Finally, it is a bit spendy, but I think the quality of their products and service doesn't make it outlandish. We're fans and look forward to our next visit.

Fyi get your reservations a week ahead of time as the experience is worth it. Everything from food, cocktails, ambience, and the godzilla light to alert the room that someone is outside is very well done. Lot of collectible and rare whiskies that aren't on the menu, but they are opened.

Omg, finally got to go last night and I loved! I first saw Instagram ads for this place everywhere back in December and I have been trying to go but reservations are super hard to get. They open bookings 7 days in advance so I highly recommend looking a week in advance in the morning and grabbing a bar seating! (I'm not sure if they do walk-ins?) The whole bar is quite small- there is maybe 8-10 seats around the bar and 10ish~ seats at high top tables but the bar is where all the action is with the funky bartender making cool drinks and cutting shaved ice from Japan (LOL?).My reservation was for 2 at 8:30 but we didn't get seated until 9:10 as other reservations ran late and it's easy to see why. The drinks and food are really good (and the venue is so small) so be prepared to stand in the cold outside for a bit potentially!I ordered the charred edamame, okonomi corn dogs, and Okinawa Gimlet to drink. Both the appetizers were recommendations and they were fantastic. The waitress especially sold me on the corn dogs because she said she doesn't normally love corn dogs (as do I) but these are different and special and I 110% agree. I woke up this morning craving the corn dogs and already can't wait to go back just for these.As for my drink, the Okinawa Gimlet was the perfect balance between light/refreshing and tart so I would definitely order again! The drinks are strong too!

!! Is really all I can say; my experience here was nothing short of incredible. The ambiance is what really got me.Funny enough, as we were looking for the bar, we walked up with two young ladies who were also trying to find the entrance. We were all so confused because, looking from the outside, it does not look like a bar entrance. You need to ring a bell, which will then light up from inside and notify the staff that you're there. We lightly joked that this was a bad escape room game. The paintings on the outside of the building are gorgeous, and once you're inside, it's small but beautiful with a Japanese/Long Beach vibe, if that makes sense. They played cool hip-hop songs, and our waitress was great; she worked the heck out of that room on a Sunday night when they were pretty busy.My partner and I will definitely be back.

Finally got a resy here for the day before vday. Got in early at 5:15 and right when we walked in, felt like we were transported to a bar in Japan, but loved that it was very LA inspired (decor and music). The hostess greeted and seated us immediately and was very attentive. They have updated their menu, love a good menu with pics, but damn it's hard to turn the menu pages lmao. Ordered our first round of drinks (Kaiju and the truffle old fashioned) and both were amazing. - Kaiju was light and refreshing but well balanced and not too sweet. -The truffle old fashioned came with a piece of shaved black truffle on top Also ordered food: - Corn - great, no complaints, also how could corn ever taste bad? - Wagyu - also great if you eat meat, no complaints here-Bluefin tuna tostada - loved this, light and fresh but the burnt black sauce gives it a depth of flavor -Salmon crudo - great flavors, on the smaller side and expected maybe another piece or two of fish on the plate -Wasabi fries - very wasabi-y lol so just be prepared - Nagoya wings - 2 pretty big pieces and cooked well, good flavor - we also go the unagi, salmon and hot cali hand rolls and all were decent, my issue was that the seaweed was not fresh/crisp and was too chewy for me We ordered another few drinks but didn't care for them as much. -juice theory- this was not bad but felt a little like a take on a spiked V8 - nutorious- good but tasted a bit like medicine - hibiki old fashioned - this was good but, hard to drink with the short cup and big ice, also hard to go from the truffle old fashioned to this, should have gone the other way around lol Cute spot, gotta come back and try some other drinks

Saw this place on Instagram and wanted to try it out. I made a reservation but the only time left was 11:45 pm. It is a speakeasy and you enter through the alley. You use a buzzer and then someone comes and lets you in. The place is not big so make a reservation. It was full. We sat at the bar which felt like a sushi bar. The decor was very cool. The bartenders were great and their artistry was fun to watch. The drinks were not only lovely, they were tasty. I asked for a refreshing tequila drink and the bartender hit it on the nose. They stop serving food at midnight but we were able to grab the steak and deviled eggs. The steak was very good and flavorful. We love deviled eggs and these did not disappoint. It was a fun experience.

Overall experience: 10/10Food: 10/10Drinks: 6/10Tokyo Noir is a cozy and intimate experience. Small plates and fancy drinks. You can tell they put thought in time into it. I would definitely come back for the food and atmosphere.Favorite food items I enjoyed eating. The Hot Cali and Deviled Eggs were dynamic. Literally explosion of flavors in your mouth. Highly recommend. Other items I had that were good: steak, corn dogs, and a tuna hand roll. The only drink I enjoyed drinking was the Old Fashioned. Strictly my opinion. I felt the presentation of the drinks was a 10/10. The bar tenders truly spend time making these drinks. For me personally, I didn't like the taste of a couple of them and I also felt it was all about the presentation of the ice. It's more ice to liquid ratio if you know what I mean. That said, I would definitely come back and recommend this place. It's all about the experience.