“ If you want an authentic Japanese izakaya (pub) experience, Izakaya Hero is the place. I'm originally from Japan (but I have lived in the US a little over half of my life). It's a small establishment near UCLA. As soon as you walk in, you're in an izakaya in Japan. The workers, the chefs and the waitstaff, are mostly (if not all) Japanese. Their offerings are very authentic. They serve several dishes that contain cow intestines, dishes with mentaiko (cod roe), Hakata (city in Kyushu) style ramen. Their food is NOT Americanized at all. If you are opened about trying authentic Japanese food, this is an excellent place. If you want teriyaki or sushi rolls, this is not your place. I don't think they even serve teriyaki. My girlfriend and I ordered/shared 6 dishes and hot sake. See my pictures for details. I have included my ratings in the caption. After sharing 6 small to medium size dishes, we were completely full. The total only came to $113 (including a 9.5% sales tax) plus a tip. This is a GREAT deal. I recommend you to try this restaurant if you want authentic Japanese izakaya food. ”

“ After a week of indifferent meals we stumbled upon this absolute gem. Food was great (kimchi, assorted pickles, agedashi tofu, chicken karaage, chicken gyoza, shrimp tempura) but the kobe short rib was exceptional. Inexpensive compared to some of our other meals. The stand out though was our server Lucien. He was friendly without being over-bearing and was as authentic as the food and the atmosphere. Five stars all round. ”

“ Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. The service to the food, everything is always amazing. Sake and beer definitely also help. The specials are always a new surprise and a pleasant experience awaits with an attentive staff! ”

“ Came here with a girlfriend the other night since I had it on my hit list. The place is super busy crowded and no table remains empty. We decided to order the hot pot for two ($35/person). Probably won't ordered again because you really don't get enough food for the price that you're paying. And it was just OK. Service was very friendly but slow. We had to tag down our waitress a few times. The chicken karaje was absolutely delicious though!! ”

“ Overall: mmh mmh mmh. Located off the main Sawtelle strip is this tiny Japanese Izakaya that is on an absolute tear. So many delicious menu items I HAVE to go back and try more. Food: their stuffed chicken tsukune wing was so unexpected. Crispy skin on the outside with dumpling filling on the inside. Almost like a gyoza. Chicken karaage can never go wrong with that. Especially how crunchy crispy the texture is. The pork belly wrap was straight to the point letting the flavors of the ingredients do all the work. The chive one packed an intense punch with the fat rendering on the aromatic chives. The Shabu tonkotsu bowl was surprisingly really worth the order considering they load the bowl up with ramen noodles at the end. Good balance of ingredients with the meat and veggies to go with the slightly richer broth. Ambience/Decor/Service: hard to judge this place on their interior because of how small the shop is. I count maybe 6/8 tables for a max of 36 people inside. Not meant for large parties but meant for an intimate yummy experience. Service was quick so that they could quickly bus and serve the next group. ”

“ What a lovely, authentic, and cozy lil joint in Westwood. You have to call in for a reservation, as it gets very busy and packed. It was a rainy night when we came, which was perfect because we came here for the Motsu Nabe. Izakaya style means sharing! We ordered a bunch of food, including: JIDORI STUFFED CHICKEN AGEDASHI EGGPLANT HORUMON PLATE (INTESTINES) NIRATAMA OMELTTE WITH MENTAIKO MOTSU NABE SEAFOOD CROQUETTE FRIED OYSTERS CHICKEN KARAAGE I'd say everything was cooked really well, and flavorful. The only items I wasn't a huge fan of were the Fried Oysters and Stuffed chicken, but that's due to my personal food preferences as I'm not an oyster nor Jidori Chicken fan. My friends enjoyed it a lot though! My favorite was definitely the Horumon Plate and Motsu Nabe. The intestines were generous and very fatty. I've never seen so much intestines being offered in a Motsu Nabe before. It's interesting that the broth for the nabe was more dashi-like and clear, as Motsu Nabe usually has a milky creamy looking broth. I'd say the latter is what I prefer, so I wish they had the milky version too. Service is really friendly and nice. Each party allowed only 2 hrs but that's enough time. There's paid parking right next door, but if you don't mind a little walking, you can find street parking in the nearby residential areas as well. ”