Kaiba Japanese Restaurant - Monterey Park - Japanese restaurant in Monterey Park - 816 S Atlantic Blvd, USA

Had their lunch special. Overall very good. Monkey brain was huge, the spicy tuna roll was really good. The Michelada was the weakest thing I had there.

Friendly staff, parking can be tough at times, small dining spaces and the restaurant offers a wide variety of Japanese food selections. We would love it more if the online waitlist is available for use. Currently we can only join the waitlist at the door. The kitchen-made items feel chewy, dense which was probably overcooked. Sushi bar items are decent. They have counterparts in Pasadena, Anaheim and this review is for the Monterey Park location. Kaiba has just opened a new spot in La Verne and we’re planning to try them all.

The exterior might not catch your eye immediately, but don't be fooled by appearances. The restaurant has its charm, and there's a convenient parking lot at the back. To save time, I recommend using Yelp's waitlist feature to secure your spot. The Spicy Tuna On Crispy Rice is an absolute delight! The combination of spicy tuna and the crunchiness of the rice creates a flavor explosion that will keep you coming back for more. Another appetizer worth mentioning is the Spicy Garlic Edamame, perfectly seasoned and incredibly tasty. For those who appreciate a good amount of fresh sashimi, the Sashimi Combo won't disappoint. The portion is generous, and the fish is undeniably fresh. What sets Kaiba apart, besides its delicious food, is the affordability of its drinks. The Sake & Beer options are reasonably priced, making it an ideal spot for a casual get-together with friends. The inviting atmosphere and wallet-friendly drinks create the perfect setting for a laid-back evening.

Great place, reasonably priced and the food portions are a good size. The jalapeño bombs are huge. Sashimi is nice thick big slabs of fish and fresh.

I've made a couple of visits here, and I must say, the service has consistently been top-notch. I’m pretty sure the rolls at this place are on the larger side, and they don't disappoint in taste either. The spider roll caught my attention due to its unique setup – the soft shell crab is mostly concentrated at the end pieces, while the middle ones are really just huge California rolls. The rainbow and tiger rolls are standouts in their own right. And the sashimi was an absolute delight, accompanied by some premium wasabi. They only have indoor seating. If you're on the hunt for parking, you won't find it in the front, check the back instead! Oh, and here's a nifty tip – if you check in on Yelp, you can get a free soda!

I’ve been coming here for years and it’s never disappointed. I wish we could make reservations or join the waitlist on yelp beforehand but other then that it’s an amazing place with great staff!

Fantastic place! Everything we ordered was delicious! Service was above and beyond! Great, knowledgeable and very friendly servers! Fresh fish was melting in the mouth! We will be back:)

We chose to visit Kaiba because they received a 4.6 in Google reviews and they were 15 minutes away from our hotel. The place was small and not in a cute cozy way, but in a cramped hectic way. Our table was near the kitchen and prep area for to go orders, so there was a lot of foot traffic. The staff was friendly, but too busy to really provide a warm welcome or reliable attention. There wasn’t a kids menu. I ordered my daughter their chicken teriyaki on a sizzling plate as well as a side of edamame and miso soup. I asked them to hold the sizzling plate and the bed of onions the chicken was served on. The chicken was cooked well and the teriyaki sauce was balanced. The miso soup and edamame tasted as expected; nothing really stood out. We tried their Kaiba roll (albacore, shrimp tempura, krab meat, cream cheese, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño in Kaiba sauce) and Fire roll (spicy krab meat, avocado, cucumber, spicy tuna, spicy crunch with fire sauce). Personally, I thought the rolls were too large; had to cut them in half to eat. We also thought the plates were too busy and had useless or excessive components. We didn’t even notice the fire sauce on the fire roll plate as it was underneath a mound of green onions. The albacore on the Kaiba roll looked old and was a tad dry. For both rolls, there should have been more focus on flavors and simplicity. Their Mango tango cocktail was deliciously dangerous. The flavor was amazing and it had a kick to it. I would come back only for this cocktail. We spent about $100 (including tip), but it was money wasted. I definitely left feeling full, but not satisfied.