This is probably my favorite Japanese restaurant in LA. No frills- just great home cooked Japanese food. It reminds me of what my Japanese mom used to cook for us growing up, and makes me feel at home. Love their katsudon and curry katsu. Really love this place a lot. There are a lot of good Japanese places with a flavor of the month dish, a fancy sushi roll you like, and exciting fusion options like spicy tuna crispy rice, but not a lot of straight up homey Japanese restaurants like this that serve traditional comfort food. It's no wonder it's been around since 1976. I'm always happy to give this place my business and support an LA institution that does it right. Five stars!

We literally used to come here after Raves/clubs late night. Have some curry hang with all of my friends . Just take over the whole restaurant . Today we got to Little Tokyo, pretty late . Almost all the restaurants were close, except for our good and faithful Kouraku ! It was fun. I love the robot that dropped your food off very meet the Jetsons vibe.

They're fast and affordable. I have gone for lunch to have the monthly lunch special, which is just a discounted dish, and I have visited for late-night eats. This is the go-to spot for my friend's husband, who is Japanese. He's always fun to go with and talks to the servers in Japanese. They use a robot to bring some stuff out, which is helpful so the servers aren't constantly carrying things back and forth. I most enjoyed the Pork Mixed Fries Curry Rice since it had fried shrimp, pork cutlet, and a minced cutlet. I've had ramen, rice, omurice, and many of their sides. It feels warm, cozy, and welcoming in there. They're usually busy, especially with locals.

TLDR: The curry is phenomenal. My partner ate a katsu before I could take a photo. Feels like a homey diner in Japan, but they have modern robot servers. Must visit in Little Tokyo. We came here thinking there was still omurice, but their Tenshin Chahan Annkake is a close second. The gravy is delicious and the rice was light and fluffy. But the one that surprised us was the curry. The chicken katsu was perfectly paired with the curry. We were scooping every last drop of the curry by the end of the meal. The novelty is the robot servers, but the overall service here is warm and polite. I really appreciate the arsthetic that reminds me of Japan. I wish I knew about this spot earlier because this is now my new staple in Little Tokyo/DTLA!!!

One of my favorite late night spots if you wanna go back in time to retro Japan. This place has a lot of history and reminds me of my time in Japan with how everything is set up like you're in Japan in the 1980's. My table got a chicken Katsu with curry, bbq beef rice plate and a pork oyakodon with a side of dumplings. Everything was flavorful and the curry seemed to be very fragrant with sweet undertones. The dumplings were a good addition to everything. Would reccomend coming here after an event or in the evening to get the aesthetic of being in Tokyo.

Friend and I came here a quick lunch and it was delightful! It's located down the street from the plaza so it wasn't as bustling. The employees were very nice and checked on us often. I love their food display outside! We ordered: Melon soda - suuuuuuper refreshing and came with a nice big scoop of vanilla ice cream and cherry. This was my first time having it so I can't compare it to anything, but I enjoyed it! It's pretty pricey though at $9. Chashu ramen - came quickly! The five pieces of chashu were super thick and tender. Yum! The soup wasn't as salty as I had anticipated which was awesome and the noodles were nice and chewy. Friend ordered the curry ramen and said it was good, not too heavy on the curry flavor. Definitely has a cozy and homey vibe. Would definitely be back to try other options! They have a qr code at each table where you can order and pay on your own. But if a server takes your order, you have to pay with the server and not with the qr code. I found that to be a little confusing.

I've known about Kouraku for a while. I love Japanese-style Chinese cuisine, also known as 中華料理. I saw that this restaurant served chuuka cuisine and I had to give it a shot. Being in Little Tokyo, the restaurant is quite busy. We sat in the far back of the restaurant. It definitely had a hole-in-the-wall type of vibe, similar to a small mom-and-pop restaurant in Japan. I ended up getting tenshin chahan ankake, which is a shrimp omelette on top of rice with gravy on top of the omelette. My wife ordered the pork tripe ramen with spicy miso. The tenshin chahan was pretty good! The gravy was sweet and flavorful, and the omelette was tasty. The fried rice was good too. I did not try the other dishes. Being in Little Tokyo, it was definitely a bit pricey. But overall the flavors were solid.

A friend took me to dinner at Kouraku in Little Tokyo. I had the katsu donburi, very traditional sweet/savory comfort dish with fried chicken katsu, eggs, onions over rice. It was good and hearty 8/10, I prefer a bit more flavor on the sauce. The chicken karaage appetizer was crispy and good garlic and ginger flavor profile. Not the best I've had, but I did enjoy it, 8/10. The service was great, a robot will deliver your good to your table. This place has lots of history, it opened in the 60s.

Tucked away in the worn out streets of Little Tokyo, LA, Kouraku is a hidden hole in the wall that promises an authentic Japanese dining experience like no other. Kouraku offers an extensive menu featuring a wide variety of Japanese favorites, from hearty ramen bowls to specialty plates.A favorite is the Katsu Curry, a combination of crispy breaded pork cutlet smothered in rich and savory curry sauce, served with a side of fluffy rice. Their appetizers, such as the gyoza and tempura, are also good and perfect for sharing. What truly sets Kouraku apart is its dedication to providing consistently good food and has been around for decades. I like the robot that delivers the food in the dining room. It's a rolling bento box that is fun to watch making rounds.

Came here on a Sunday evening and the wait for a group of 6 was around 30-45 mins. The place isn't huge so that makes sense but I'm sure the wait for a small party isn't that long. You order by scanning the barcode at the table and you pay there itself, convenient if you want to be in and out. I liked the Shumai, gyoza and Takoyaki - I usually don't like those but these were good. Loved the Tan Tan Men too, the portion size is huge! Street parking can be hard because of how busy the area gets. I'll definitely go back if I'm around.