Aburiya Toranoko (CLOSED)

With its yakuza-meets-art-gallery décor, Asian-inflected specialty cocktails and endless list of menu options—seriously, there are different dishes posted on restaurant's blackboards—Aburiya Toranoko is the sexy, pop counterpart to its next-door sister, the Lazy Ox. You can sit at the bar or the robata grill here, but most of the Little Tokyo locals pile into the booths and order the much raved-about tsukune ($2.80), which lives up to its hype: These juicy ground chicken meatballs, and other earthy dishes such as the buta kakuni ($7), aka braised pork, are among your best bets here, though the more ethereal housemade uni tofu ($12) never disappoints.