(626) Foodettes

Bust out your wallet because this post is a little on the pricer side!

The Open Door is a small Izakaya-style (tapas/small plates) Japanese restaurant in Diamond Plaza. Each plate is give or take around $10. It can get pretty pricy but if you love Honda-Ya or Furaibo, then TOD will absolutely blow you away.

Seating is limited and TOD has some awkward hours. So beware! FYI, they’re only open for dinner. TOD has an array of delicious menu items.

Here are the dishes I ordered:

Pork belly – which came with a little fried pork skin on top.  It comes with a poached egg which you need to mix and pour over each piece.

Beef Tataki in Ponzu sauce.

Crispy rice with albacore

Yuzu Pepper Whitefish with Ponzu Olive Oil

Beef carpaccio

Veggie mushroom dish

Beef Stonepot Rice

Bone Marrow –you scoop it straight from the bone and spread across the bread, topped with garlic. 

Yes, The Open Door seems a little out of place in Monterey Park. Perhaps, even to the point of being a tad pretentious for the San Gabriel Valley, but I really enjoyed myself. I also love that I don’t have to drive all the way to Honda-Ya to get my Izakaya fix.  

I missed the Happy Hour, so my bill came out to $120 with tax and tip for 3 people. TOD is probably not the best place to have a big dinner since each plate is a tad pricy and small. 

If you like watching the game, then this may be perfect for you. They have a good happy hour, decent parking, and allow  you to store your unfinished bottles of alcohol. I loved how they had typical tapas dishes for the people in my party that didn’t like to try anything out of the ordinary and more of the unique dishes for the more outrageous eaters like me.


 I want to try the Egg Shooter with candied bacon next time!

122 S Atlantic Blvd

Monterey Park, CA 91754

By Kristie Hang