Very good. I'm sure there are a couple that I'm not aware of, but Carlos Junior is definitely one of a couple of restaurants in SoCal where it will be the closest thing to Japanese accurate tempura. It's quaint little joint. Staff works hard to prepare the food. Definitely come early if you want to eat quickly. They get pretty busy pretty fast. I recommend the premium seafood tempura bowl. Comes with two shrimps, eel, scallops bunched up together in batter with shishito pepper. Their sushi rolls are also not too shabby either.

When I heard this place, I was immediately drawn in by the interesting name -def read it as Carl's Junior the first time and had to do a double take. This is the second location of this restaurant, I believe, with the first location being in Torrance. It's located on a slightly quieter street in Downtown Pas but still close enough to the lively crowds on Colorado. Prob one of my fave tempura places in LA/the States so far and I loveeee soba so extra brownie points. They're known for their tempura and I was really excited to try it after my trip to Japan last year. It's light, subtly flavored, not too oily or greasy, and not too much breading. You can choose from different tempura combos - I've tried and enjoyed premium tempura combo (with the soba) but I'm sure you can't go wrong. You can get the soba hot or cold and both are great. On the doorway of the restaurant, there's a little infographic showing you how to enjoy the tempura properly with the sauce and radish! I've also tried the hot beef soba, which is so comforting on a cold night. It's flavorful but not too heavy or oily. Service is super friendly. I recommend going early and putting your name on the waitlist (ipad in front of the restaurant) because the line gets long, the flow of customers is not too fast, and there's not too much seating in the restaurant. There's parking in a structure nearby but I've always just found street parking.

Stopped by this cozy little spot for a quick lunch and was pleasantly surprised by the quality and care put into their Special Tempura Plate. The tempura was light, crispy, and not greasy at all--exactly how it should be. The plate came with a nice variety: shrimp, fish, sweet potato, pumpkin, and other seasonal veggies. Each piece had a clean crunch and held onto just enough of the house-made sauce without getting soggy. The shrimp was plump and tender, and the veggies still had a bit of bite to them, which I appreciated. It also came with a perfectly cooked bowl of rice and a side of miso soup, rounding out the meal nicely. The space is small but clean and welcoming. Service was friendly, and food came out pretty quickly even during the lunch rush. If you're in the mood for solid, well-executed tempura in a chill setting, this place is worth a visit.

Came on a Saturday right before the lunch rush and there was already a line! They have a electronic waitlist system where you can put down your name to save your spot, so definitely make sure you put your name down. The place is small so there are limited tables, especially if you have a large party. We waited about 15-20 minutes in like and were seated. The menu is pretty simple and offers a variety of tempura bowls/plates and soup bowls. Of course we came to try their tempura and opted to go with their special tempura bowl. We had asked what's the difference between the bowl and plate (about a dollar difference), and were told that the plate has a bit more rice and the tempura is serve on a plate. Because they make things fresh, it does take a bit of time for the food to get served. We debated getting another dish in case it wasn't enough food, but glad we did not! The bowls were more than enough with a good proportion of rice to tempura. The tempura came out pipping hot and crispy. You also get a small bowl of miso soup which helps to round out all the flavors (savory, salty, and sweet). The meal was definitely worth the wait so if you're in the area definitely check it out!

Now I don't have to go to Little Tokyo for delicious tempura, udon and soba. The tempura is crispy perfection. Hot soba is a much appreciated option in addition to cold soba and hot udon. The beef udon rivals Monzo in Little Tokyo for taste. The wait can get long on the weekend, but it's to be expected and not different from goin downtown.

Japanese tempura fried to perfection! If you are a fan of tempuras, this is a place worth checking out. Located in an alleyway on Colorado, this restaurant is small, but offers a few outdoor seating with heat lamps available. The wait can be long, so it may be preferred to go with a smaller group or to plan in advance. Simple, no frill restaurant that offers a variety of tempura combinations along with some sashimi items as well. They also have beer and sake available, but you can't order these if you are seated outside on the patio. I opted for a tempura and soba combo, which comes with three shrimps, pumpkin, seaweed, and shishito pepper, along with a choice of hot or cold udon or soba. I decided to get cold soba at the recommendation of the waitress, and it was a good call. The soba was served with a dipping sauce that paired well with the plain chewy soba noodles, which was nice and refreshing. The amount of soba given was deceiving, since it is plated on a raised box to drain any excess water, as opposed to filling the whole box. The portion may be small for dinner/large eaters. Overall, even though I'm not a big tempura fan, it's nice to know that a tempura don spot exists nearby. I might return if the wait isn't too long and I'm in the neighborhood craving some lightly battered tempura.

Came here on a weeknight and the wait was super long. We waited for a little over an hour but I think it may be because we were a group of 4 and the place is very small so the worker was trying to wait for more table to open up to accommodate us. I ordered the premium tempura plate and I got very full as it came with miso soup, bowl of rice, an egg, and several different tempuras. The tempuras were made fresh and tasted very good quality, almost like Japan's standards.

My partner and I enjoyed a delicious dinner of premium all you can eat sushi. Our favorites were salmon toro, bluefin toro and yellowtail toro. Our server, Indra, was AWESOME! He was attentive and friendly and provided great service. Hope he's our server next time!

It might seem simple, but they make the tempura so damn good here! The batter is so airy, light, crunchy, and flavored inside. Usually tempura is a second thought as an appetizer, but the main thing here is their tempura entrees. I came with a friend at 11am right when they opened and there was no wait at all (unlike the reviews I've been reading here). We both ordered the Combo, which came with Small Tempura Bowl with Soba/Udon ($20.99). We also both added the Kakiage ($3.99), which is tempura squid. For the soba/udon, you also have a hot or cold option. My friend and I both got the udon but one hot and one cold. They also offer two pickled sides on each table along with some tempura sauce and spices. Let me just say that I was blown away by how delicious this bowl of tempura was paired with some smoothing and refreshing noodles. This is so simple, but so good. It's one of the closest things you can get to Japan without traveling there. Love the tempura here!