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Kai Japanese Roots, Los Angeles, CA

Kai Japanese Roots

3.8 (26)
$31 to $50
Japanese
542 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013

About this restaurant

  • Romantic
  • Innovative
  • Neighborhood gem
Kai Japanese Roots offers a Elevated Izakaya dining experience, and only the highest quality sushi grade fish. Featuring Sushi, Robata and a creative Japanese tapas, we pay homage to classic sushi and innovate with an extensive and changing chef's menu of cooked dishes. Kai Japanese Roots is located in the Historic Core of Downtown LA , offering a beautiful setting, and a menu perfect for a date night or hangout spot. Full bar along with extensive Japanese Whisky and sake list.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Japanese, Izakaya, Sushi
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–12:00 am Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Jake Kim
  • Private party facilities
    We have a private mezzanine with seating for up to 30, perfect for private or corporate events. For parties of 12 or more, please send us a message and we'll be glad to talk to you about it.
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Cross street
    Between 5th & 6th on Broadway (Spring Arcade Building)
  • Parking details
    Available on Adjacent Sprint Street
  • Public transit
    Next to Perishing Square Station off the Metro Red LineParking Available on Street, or parking lots on Spring St between 5th &; 6th.Use the FreeBird App (Android or iOS) for a $5 ride credit each way when dining at Kai!
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, High Tea, Kosher, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 26 people are saying

Kai Japanese Roots reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

3.8
3.8 based on all time ratings
  • 3.8Food
  • 3.9Service
  • 3.7Ambience
  • 3.5Value

NoiseModerate

26 Reviews
  1. JLee

    Los Angeles17 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 19, 2020

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Quality of the food and services are excellent! The value and variety of the dishes offered at Dine LA week are impressive. We have tried many Japanese restaurants, the DineLA menu offered at Kai is unique and memorable. We will be back.

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  2. MichaelH

    Los Angeles13 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on January 19, 2020

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    It was very quiet when we arrived at 5:00 but it became more alive as more people came in. The food (sushi) was presented beautifully and seasoned just right. Pace was just right.

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  3. SoCal

    Los Angeles3 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on August 31, 2019

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Good food and good service. Overpriced drinks - $10-$13 for a pint of beer.

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  4. MrDateNight

    Los Angeles1 review

    5.0

    Dined on August 14, 2019

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I have lived in Downtown LA for few years now and was looking for a nice date spot for my wife and I that was a little bit closer to our home in the Historic Cor by Spring and 5th. I had been to Kai previously , but it has certainly gotten better since my last visit about 8 months ago. They're manager Liz was very gracious and made us feel extremely welcome , she also let us know that they had recently hired a new Head Chef, and from my experience it is definitely working out as the food was fantastic all around. We arrived during their Happy Hour before 7PM, so we started with their Veggie Gyoza which was perfectly crisped and dressed and a couple of hand rolls. They also had a really cool line up of Japanese Beers in bottle , and I'm always a big fan of Hitachino which they had like 5 different kinds of. For Dinner, we opted to explore their assortment of tasting and share items as we were advised by our server. the Chilean Sea Bass skewers and their cooked black cod sushi stood out in particular, the sashimi and nigiri we ordered were great all around. My Wife is tried their cooked salmon hotpot which she refused to share, so I assume that was a sign she enjoyed herself. Throw in a few sips of Nikka , and I must say, it made for a lovely experience through and through. Glad to see Kai getting better, we could definitely use more restaurants like them in the area. I would recommend this place for a date night or a hangout after work because of the chill atmosphere and solid food & drink options.

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  5. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 25, 2019

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Such a hidden gem right in the middle of downtown! My friend told me I had to check it out and so glad I did! Their sushi was incredibly fresh, the cocktails and beer selection was excellent and their staff was attentive and friendly- I would 1000% visit again 👌🏻 If you’re a sushi lover, this is the place for you!

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  6. diningvisiting

    Los Angeles14 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on May 20, 2019

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Seems better for drinks. Fish wasn’t fresh and service at lunch was slow and disorganized.

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  7. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 10, 2019

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Made reservations to celebrate a birthday on a Saturday night. Great ambience and staff. Everyone was very friendly and helpful without feeling too overbearing while we were eating. Staff food recommendations were also top notch as well. Food came rather quickly and was plated pleasantly. Everything looked as good as it tasted. One small knock, would be that they forgot our order of Seasoned Cajun Cauliflower Tempura, but we were a large table (11 guests total) so that's excusable. They brought them right out within about 5 mins of being notified. I'd definitely recommend the Beef Curry, their Tokyo Mules, Aomori Fries, and the Broadway Street Roll. Will definitely be back!

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  8. OpenTable Diner VIP

    New York City2 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on January 21, 2019

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Reservation was taken but when we got there the server said they were closed.

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  9. CheleR

    Los Angeles5 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on January 20, 2019

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    There were 3 of us, making a total of 7 people in the restaurant. We each ordered a beverage, appy & entree. One appy arrived, followed a few minutes later by 2 entrees, then 1 beverage. We asked about the other appetizers and were told the kitchen was 'slow'. After we had finished the two entrees that had been served, we received the final 2 appys. A full 15 minutes elapsed before we got the final entree. Bizarre and the food wasn't good enough to excuse it. Can't recommend.

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  10. JohannaS

    Los Angeles3 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on January 20, 2019

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Kai was such a disappointment! Where to start... Restaurant = freezing cold. A restaurant that cold makes you want soup. Miso soup, to be precise. We ordered four miso soups, each came at a different time of the meal, and one basically came as a dessert course. The food was regrettable. A curry with almost no meat. An order of 'chicken teriyaki' that was literally sad pieces of chicken with a side of teriyaki sauce. The service was inconsistent, and non apologetic.

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FAQs

Kai Japanese Roots offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (213) 232-4900.

Kai Japanese Roots is rated 3.8 stars by 26 OpenTable diners.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Los Angeles
  4. Downtown
  5. Downtown

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

Google Map for Kai Japanese Roots

542 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Between 5th & 6th on Broadway (Spring Arcade Building)
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–12:00 am Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Japanese, Izakaya, Sushi
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Available on Adjacent Sprint Street
  • Public transit
    Next to Perishing Square Station off the Metro Red LineParking Available on Street, or parking lots on Spring St between 5th &; 6th.Use the FreeBird App (Android or iOS) for a $5 ride credit each way when dining at Kai!
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Jake Kim
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, High Tea, Kosher, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    We have a private mezzanine with seating for up to 30, perfect for private or corporate events. For parties of 12 or more, please send us a message and we'll be glad to talk to you about it.
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