“ Went to Kodo for me and wife's anniversary meal (and a late Valentine's dinner) and had a great time! Our server, Julia, was fantastic and we were surprised to hear she had only recently started there! We got great recommendations on food, sake pairings, and were attended to very well. The ambience was very appealing, and had a clean, contemporary look that bordered somewhere between high-end casual and formal (at least by my standards). Expect outdoor seating for larger groups, while indoor seating seems to only be for couples or bar top guests. At least for me, the quality of the cocktails and sake were exceptional, and I appreciated that the drinks weren't overly sweet compared to a lot of other restaurants of similar quality. Our favorite cocktails was the Cha (tea based cocktail I believe) and for me, the old fashioned as it had a woody, but not smokey or overly-earthy aroma. Our favorite sake of the night was the recommended sake, the somahare. It had a very clean flavor profile that paired well with the rich flavors. Of all the items we ordered (and we ordered almost the whole menu), the chilean sea bass was our favorite in both the ceviche and cooked form. The temp and texture was perfect, and the sauce was very well-balanced, something we have a hard time coming by as for us a lot of sauces and dressings for contemporary asian cuisines tend to be overly sweet. The ceviche had a firmer, chewier texture than a lot of other fish, which we appreciated as it reminded us of halibut sashimi, which is more popular in Korea than other countries and is a texture and flavor we had been missing. The other dishes were fantastic as well and though it was still tasty, the wagyu tataki was not something we would order again, as we felt we were paying a lot for the saffron topping and it didn't pop out as much as other dishes like the Uni Pasta or the sea bass dishes mentioned above. Overall, a fantastic experience for those in the mood for contemporary Japanese-inspired cuisine. We honestly had hoped for the omakase course but apparently they are getting rid of that aspect of their business in lieu of more playful, elevated izakaya-like fare. If the owners are reading this, I do think it would be helpful to put a PDF menu on the site/yelp, even if theres a disclaimer about it being potential outdated as dishes flow in and out of the menu. Although it did not bother me personally, I could see the lack of a visible online menu (and the presence of nigiri images on the site despite it being removed from the offerings) being something that deters people from trying Kodo out, or being disappointed of the lack of an omakase set if that is why they were trying to go there. ”

“ BEST MATCHA I've tried IN TOWN so far. kodo is a Japanese restaurant open for dinner that opened a coffee shop at the front during the day and is now also a hotel. This achingly beautiful space serves the best ICHIGO MATCHA I've had. Barista was fast. Street metered parking. ”

“ Ambiance, service and food all top notch! I traveled here from OC from a reccomendation and it was well worth it. Keep in mind that parking is a little difficult since they do not have their own lot. There is a valet service for $13, not including the tip. We had a prior reservation for Sunday evening, but it didn't look like we would have any trouble getting seated. The menu is a little pricey but everything on it was within reason for a date night. Everything is also meant to be shared so portion size can be a litttle on the smaller side. Our server gave us some great reccomendations, which I will be passing on to you. 100% go for the chicken karaage, it was our servers favorite and now it is mine. Combine this with the salad and you have a winning combination. For our mains, we ordered the uni-mentaiko cream pasta and the umami prime ribeye. The pasta was rich with umami and the pasta was cooked really well. The prime ribeye was seasoned and cooked really well. I loved the yakiniku sauce that made it taste like a really expensive beef bowl. The meat was a little on the rare side, but thats how it should be eaten. Overall great dinner, and would come back! ”

“ Came to celebrate a friend's birthday. It's a little pricey, but flavor combinations are yummy. I recommend coming with a small group and ordering a bit of everything. AMBIANCE Located in DTLA, the restaurant feels like a grey modern art museum. Valet was $13 right in front of the restaurant. Front and back room available for dinner. DRINKS $18 Cocktail had good quality liquor. Lychee Martini was not too sweet & very strong $9 Thai tea is a fantastic non-alcoholic option! FOOD 5/5 Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice $24 - can't go wrong. crispy rice was perfectly crispy and generous amount of spicy tuna 4/5 Chef's Selection Nigiri Plate $65 - it's fun to get one per person and try each piece together! some of the pieces melted in your mouth, others had interesting flavor combinations 4.5/5 Uni Squid Ink Pasta w/ Ikura $30 - very rich and filling. couldn't taste too much of the uni, loved how they marinated the ikura 4.5/5 Cheesecake - cooked for 8 hrs! paired well with the sesame seeds and jam SERVICE Staff were phenomenal and very knowledgeable on the food and drinks. Definitely a must try for a nice dinner. ”

“ Parking: Street parking is available but may need to spend time looking for an open spot if you come during a busy time of day. Outside: This restaurant is located inside a historic building Engine No 17 at the corner of the street. The entrance is large floor to ceiling opening. Interior: Very beautiful upscale and modern design. Comfortable waiting area (although there was no wait for us) and modern décor. It felt like walking into a hotel when we checked in with the hostess. We sat outdoors which was nice and open. It can be a bit cold as everything is concrete including the bench seats. The lighting however is very intimate and beautiful. Service: Amazing, the servers are very respectful and attentive. Never had to wait long for anything that I needed. Food: Everything we tasted was amazing. I didn't have any complaints and would definitely be back to try their other menu items. Would definitely recommend this spot for date nights, birthdays, girl dates, and unique dining. Order: Hand roll trio - 6/5 each roll was very delicious, highly recommended Tsukune - 4/5 good and very juicy Crab Cream Croquette - 5/5 savory appetizer Crunchy Shrimp Roll - 5/5 unique flavor, simple and still delicious Uni-Mentaiko Cream Pasta - 5/5 must order. Grilled Sea Bass - 3/5. Not the buttery fish I thought it was. Did not love the puree as much as the other dishes ”

“ Came here on a special new years eve omakase dinner reservation on Resy and was very excited to try Kodo after looking at other reviews and watching YouTube videos about this place. Kodo is such a nice vibe restaurant with dark lights and a great atmosphere all throughout the restaurant. Service was immaculate. Everyone was so nice and helpful when choosing drinks and explaining the dishes as it came out. There was a total of six dishes, including dessert at the end, which was really delicious however felt like it was very mid compared to other Omakase places. I was expecting a bit more nigiri dishes and felt a little letdown. The other dishes were just okay. For $95 per person, I guess I was expecting something else in terms of Omakase. Wouldn't highly recommend someone to try this special Omakase set menu as I felt like there are better alternatives. Willing to try their regular menu dishes on a different day! Valet was $13 and street parking is available if you can find. ”

“ I love the vibe of the place! I came here for the cafe drinks and ordered the coconut matcha latte and kuro goma latte. The coconut flavor overpowered the matcha in the coconut matcha latte, but I still enjoyed it. The coffee was strong in the kuro goma latte so I definitely recommend if you're in need of caffeine in a delicious sesame drink. There weren't a lot of people so the service was quick. They also have a cute patio with seating outside. I would definitely come back to try the restaurant and also try new drinks with friends. ”

“ This was our 2nd time and all I can say is everything we've tried has been AMAZING! Staff ran fairly quick and the restaurant feels pretty intimate. They also have a hotel and cafe in the building. Every dish is a little more unique than the usual you have at other places. We tried the monkfish liver mousse, spicy tuna crispy rice, uni pasta, and some of the nigiri! To top it off, we still had room for the bread pudding. Definitely a place we'd recommend to people :) ”

“ This is a nice special occasion restaurant. Beautiful and elegant setting, high quality food, and attentive service. But be prepared to pay for it... budget $100-150 per person. Everything we tried was excellent but I think their menu changes often so you may or may not be able to order based on old Yelp pictures. However, it makes dining here a more unique and exploratory experience! The portion sizes for most items are delicate and not so much... if you need something to fill you up, get a pasta dish. Now, a great part of the meal in my opinion is the dessert! Unlike the sushi or sashimi dishes, the desserts are of good size and can put a great satisfying end to your dining experience! ”