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Tomato and Egg Stir-Fry

10 min prep · 10 min cook

Los Angeles · Japanese

Hakata Izakaya Hero

Westwood Hakata izakaya from Hiro Chiya for motsunabe, tonkotsu ramen, mentaiko, and dumpling-stuffed chicken wings.

Price
$$
Opened
2019
Neighborhood
Westwood1929 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Restaurant website →

About

Chef-owner Hiro Chiya opened Hakata Izakaya Hero on November 1, 2019 in a small Westwood Boulevard storefront (the former Necco), naming the room for a phonetic play on Hiro. He spent years with the Izakaya Hachi and Manpuku Japanese BBQ group and briefly cooked at Urasawa before going independent; the menu leans into Hakata and Kyushu drinking food from the Fukuoka region where he spent his youth. Expect motsunabe (intestine hot pot with garlic, cabbage, and nira), milky Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen that Eater treats as more than an izakaya afterthought, chicken wings stuffed with ground pork like grilled gyoza, mentaiko plates, sizzling wagyu, karaage, and a daily specials sheet of sashimi taped near the door. The Infatuation and Time Out keep it on Westside shortlists as a calm, reservation-hungry hideout a short drive from Sawtelle, tucked among the Persian restaurants of Tehrangeles. Soft dinner hours run evenings only; call ahead after 6:30 p.m. Dedicated house websites have been unreliable; Instagram is the liveliest public channel.

Menu highlights

  • Motsunabe (Hakata intestine hot pot)
  • Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen
  • Chicken wing gyoza (dumpling-stuffed grilled wings)
  • Mentaiko and daily sashimi specials
  • Sizzling wagyu platters; chicken karaage

Diners say

Public reviews praise authentic Hakata flavors, the hot pot, ramen, and a tiny room that feels like a neighborhood regulars’ den. Recurring friction includes hard-to-get reservations, tight seating, and service that can feel brisk or blunt on busy nights. Diners who like it usually book ahead for a shared izakaya dinner with beer or sake, not a walk-up sushi counter.

Review synthesis as of 2026-07-31. Synthesis of recurring themes in public Yelp and Google Maps reviews sampled July 2026; not a rating or ranking. Cross-checked against Eater LA venue write-up (Matthew Kang), The Infatuation, Time Out, Palate Project, Food Talk Central opening notes (Nov 2019), and ChowYumLA. Soft evening hours and call-ahead reservations: confirm live. No live Michelin listing found July 2026. House domains (izakayahero.net / .com) unreachable or misdirected at research time; Instagram used as websiteUrl.