Looking for Little Tokyo ideas and places to try in downtown Los Angeles? You’ve come to the right place! If you’re new to my account, I’m a 4th-year DTLA resident and constantly trying new places in the area. I’m often the go-to gal for things to do and places to eat in downtown Los Angeles.
Below are my own TikTok videos, alongside information about the places. Just for context, I started a TikTok account, @kanainlosangeles (follow if you’d like!), purposely something other than Life in Wanderlust, not to be secretive, but because I wanted to see if I could go in a more lifestyle direction. Newsflash, I could not (lolz). Travel and food are what I do best, and I’m ok with that!
Yamazaki Bakery
Yamazaki Bakery sits inside the Little Tokyo Japanese Village. It’s a small bakery but offers a large variety of baked goods. Their most popular item is their soft, delicious steamed buns filled with your choice of meat, custard or red bean. I can confirm that Yamazaki Bakery is indeed Japanese, since Yamazaki is a huge company in Japan and I grew up eating their toast in the morning!
Mitsuru Cafe
Mitsuru Cafe was never somewhere I had stopped to try until recently and I’m mad at myself for that! They have the best treats, especially the Imagawayaki (a Japanese pastry with red bean paste inside) which is the main feature of my TikTok video. They also have chicken karaage skewers, dango and so much more!
Cafe Dulce Little Tokyo
I feel like Cafe Dulce doesn’t really need an introduction if you’re from the LA area. They have other locations outside of Little Tokyo but this is the most convenient spot for me! They have delicious coffees and a great selection of pastries. The pastries are Asian-inspired and oh, so delicious!
Tous Les Jours Bakery Little Tokyo
Yes, Tous Les Jours Bakery is Korean and yes, it’s a chain. But in my defense, it’s located in Little Tokyo and it’s one of my favorite spots for bread! Tous Les Jours in Little Tokyo definitely reminds me of a Japanese bakery. It’s small but has a great selection of sweet and savory breads, including sandwiches, beautiful cakes and a full coffee menu. My dentist is on the 2nd floor of their building so I treat myself after an appointment because I hate the dentist and I deserve it, haha!
Somi Somi Little Tokyo
Somi Somi Little Tokyo already made an appearance in one of my most-read posts, Best Desserts in Los Angeles Part 1 (yes, there’s also the Best Desserts in Los Angeles Part 2). The lines are loooong during the weekends and sometimes even during the week. It’s a dessert spot that serves taiyaki and ice cream!
Marukai Marketplace
I almost don’t want people to know about Marukai because it’s my grocery store, haha! Marukai is a small grocery store in Little Tokyo where you can find everything from regular groceries, Japanese beauty products and honestly one of the best Japanese delis in California (in my opinion, of course). I frequent the deli almost on a weekly basis where I buy sushi (at a great price for the quality), karaage, ramen, katsudon and so much more!
Bae
Bae is mostly known for their black, charcoal ice cream and charcoal cone. I’m personally not a huge fan of it but my husband loves it! I love their matcha or black sesame soft-serve (pictured at the top of this post) and add fun things to it. It’s a great spot for a quick dessert if you’re in the mood for ice cream and Somi Somi’s line is too long!
Orochon Ramen
Let me start off by saying I’m the pickiest human being when it comes to ramen. Growing up in Tokyo, I was blessed to be able to try different kinds of ramen at different places and that’s developed quite the ramen pride in me (ramen snob, maybe? Maybe). There are a few ramen spots in Little Tokyo I would never go back to but Orochon Ramen surprised me! They’re located on the 3rd floor inside Weller Court and it’s delicious. The serving size is huge which usually I associate negatively with, but nope! I’d probably pass on the appetizers (99% sure it’s frozen food microwaved) but the ramen is good and because of the portion size, you’ll be just fine with ordering ramen.
What do you think of this list? Any favorites or any you want to try? Part 2 coming soon but if you want more, check out my TikTok!
love the reviews, thanks for the info. Great job!!!!
Author
Thanks so much for stopping by, appreciate it! 🙂 ~ Kana