KaGaYa

KaGaYa Restaurant Review:

If shabu-shabu is a serious passion rather than an occasional diversion from sushi, then under-the-radar KaGaYa in Little Tokyo is definitely the place to go. Shabu-shabu is pretty much all they do here, delivering thin slices of USDA Prime and Wagyu beef --- including the prized, intensely marbled Wagyu from Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture --- for a bath in a pot of scalding dashi. Also offered are Alaskan king crab, oysters and clams. Meals, which are rather pricy, include two seasonal appetizers like delicate blue fin tuna, steamed egg custard or freshly shucked oysters, a choice of soup cooked tableside, vegetables and dessert, which ranges from green tea mousse to crème brûlée. Everything is beautifully and graciously presented by owner Masato Kagaya and staff. This intimate storefront restaurant, with bamboo accents and traditional art, is quite unassuming.