Yes yes yes yes! I used to come here years ago, more for ramen. I really didn't get into yakitori til recently, but my boyfriend and I wanted to give it a shot. There are two sides, ramen side and yakitori side. We were seated at the bar, so we were not able to order ramen there. If we wanted ramen, we had to move, which we were considering given that it was a cold, windy and rainy day. But we opted to stick to where we were at. Inside has plenty of seating, with one area seeming to be more traditional tatami like style where you remove your shoes and sit criss-coss on a cushion. It was a well suited environment. Nice change from everywhere being more modernized. The service was great, it wasn't too busy yet, so they were very attentive and helped us choose some items. We tried the chicken thigh, pork belly, 3 kinds of beef, bacon wrapped tomato and enoki, scallop and had the rib eye. Also had an order for the gyoza. They were small, so order came in 10 or 12 pieces. So juicy! All the yakitori was delicious, great quality and some had some great dipping sauces. The garlic one was the best! This place can add up as the skewers are smaller portions, but I thought it was perfect! We can't wait to go back!
Robert L.
I went to the Yakitori side of the building. They are both interconnected. Let me just say that this is the best Yakitori that I've tried in OC. I ordered the following skewers: -Chicken Meatballs -Beef Tongue -Hokkaido Scallops -Baby Scallops with Bacon -Pork Belly -Spicy Sausage -Salted Chicken -Sauced Chicken And a side of Takoyoki, which is also the best that I found in OC because it had the perfect crisp on the outside and moisture on the inside! Their "mega mug" Sapporo is seriously MEGA and was enough for my date and myself. Loved the ambiance because everyone was super kind. There is an option to sit traditionally like in Japan with the wooden seats where you take off your slippers. Service was quick, nothing particular else stood out.
Daniel Hilton
Pricey but good. Quick service, cool atmosphere. Everything was hot and fresh.
Mao N
Friday dine out at this restaurant. Had to wait for about 30 minutes to get a table. Great atmosphere but the service was slow. The restrooms could have been cleaner.The dishes we ordered were mixed: some dishes were great. The sashimi dishes I would avoid next time. They were just ok.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Larry Kim
Solid food. Just as good as high school in 2005.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
H B
This place is great. It isn't big or super fancy but the atmosphere is right. I came many times with friends at night just to have some beers and food. We could sit in there for hours till the closing time and they were completely cool with it. Food was very good (the beef was a little too chewy for one time) with fair price. No complaints about the the service everyone is always super helpful. I would recommend this place to everyone.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Arabiki Sausage, Heart
Mar Vy
This restaurant has always been a favorite of mine! However, during our recent visit, we noticed some changes.The green tea flavor in the hot tea we ordered was hardly noticeable. While the Asparagus wrapped with Pork Belly was decent, it leaned towards the salty side.On the bright side, the Cherry Tomato wrapped with Bacon was a standout favorite, grilled to perfection, and the Quail’s Egg wrapped with Bacon was another enjoyable option.Unfortunately, the Onigiri lacked a generous amount of salmon, and the Goma Spinach, while still delicious, came in a smaller portion size. The beef skewers were tender but didn’t quite meet our expectations from previous experiences.The Creme brûlée was also a letdown, now served in a small tin foil container instead of a ceramic bowl.Although the staff was friendly, we couldn’t help but notice a decline in customer service compared to previous visits, where they were more attentive.
Food: 2
Service: 2
John Ly
Delicious!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
S N
Pretty good ramen and chicken katsu. Convenient spot to satisfy my Japanese comfort food cravings. There’s a good variety of lunch sets to choose from and are a good sized portion.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Lingling
It used to be one of my go-to yakitori places, but not anymore. The lack of options doesn't bring many surprises, although the meat quality remains consistent. Be prepared for a wait—it's always a waiting game.
Extremely kind staff, cheerful upbeat atmosphere. Excellent food. I can't speak as to the authenticity, but the food is very good. I don't like pork, but their pork belly will make you a believer. Shrimp fried rice and takoyaki are also very good. Creme Brulee my favorite dessert here?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sunny Suravarapu
drove all the way here from Irvine because of the reviews for yakitori. get there and they have a sign that says no
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Aika Kolya
We came here on Sunday evening, they were out of a few dishes we wanted to have, account for that because they might be out of what you came for. Also there was a long line. We waited for about 40 minutes to get seated, but there are few benches outside. Other than that, the food and service are good. The atmosphere is very live = noisy. :) last call on Sunday is 9:45.
Recommended dishes: Chicken Karaage, Kobe Rib w BBQ, Soup
Imani Johnson
I loved it. It was a true and really good experience. It's just like visiting Japan, I love it so much I will definitely be going back here. But a woman did slip on a wet floor and I don't know if this place is still up but it is amazing the food the service and atmosphere was incredible please go support this business it's amazing.
Excellent ramen. The soft boiled flavored egg and the bamboo are to die for. The soup flavor is just on point. Dear owners, please don’t ever change the quality. I’m willing to pay more if ingredients cost more.
Yes yes yes yes! I used to come here years ago, more for ramen. I really didn't get into yakitori til recently, but my boyfriend and I wanted to give it a shot. There are two sides, ramen side and yakitori side. We were seated at the bar, so we were not able to order ramen there. If we wanted ramen, we had to move, which we were considering given that it was a cold, windy and rainy day. But we opted to stick to where we were at. Inside has plenty of seating, with one area seeming to be more traditional tatami like style where you remove your shoes and sit criss-coss on a cushion. It was a well suited environment. Nice change from everywhere being more modernized. The service was great, it wasn't too busy yet, so they were very attentive and helped us choose some items. We tried the chicken thigh, pork belly, 3 kinds of beef, bacon wrapped tomato and enoki, scallop and had the rib eye. Also had an order for the gyoza. They were small, so order came in 10 or 12 pieces. So juicy! All the yakitori was delicious, great quality and some had some great dipping sauces. The garlic one was the best! This place can add up as the skewers are smaller portions, but I thought it was perfect! We can't wait to go back!
I went to the Yakitori side of the building. They are both interconnected. Let me just say that this is the best Yakitori that I've tried in OC. I ordered the following skewers: -Chicken Meatballs -Beef Tongue -Hokkaido Scallops -Baby Scallops with Bacon -Pork Belly -Spicy Sausage -Salted Chicken -Sauced Chicken And a side of Takoyoki, which is also the best that I found in OC because it had the perfect crisp on the outside and moisture on the inside! Their "mega mug" Sapporo is seriously MEGA and was enough for my date and myself. Loved the ambiance because everyone was super kind. There is an option to sit traditionally like in Japan with the wooden seats where you take off your slippers. Service was quick, nothing particular else stood out.
Pricey but good. Quick service, cool atmosphere. Everything was hot and fresh.
Friday dine out at this restaurant. Had to wait for about 30 minutes to get a table. Great atmosphere but the service was slow. The restrooms could have been cleaner.The dishes we ordered were mixed: some dishes were great. The sashimi dishes I would avoid next time. They were just ok.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Solid food. Just as good as high school in 2005.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
This place is great. It isn't big or super fancy but the atmosphere is right. I came many times with friends at night just to have some beers and food. We could sit in there for hours till the closing time and they were completely cool with it. Food was very good (the beef was a little too chewy for one time) with fair price. No complaints about the the service everyone is always super helpful. I would recommend this place to everyone.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Arabiki Sausage, Heart
This restaurant has always been a favorite of mine! However, during our recent visit, we noticed some changes.The green tea flavor in the hot tea we ordered was hardly noticeable. While the Asparagus wrapped with Pork Belly was decent, it leaned towards the salty side.On the bright side, the Cherry Tomato wrapped with Bacon was a standout favorite, grilled to perfection, and the Quail’s Egg wrapped with Bacon was another enjoyable option.Unfortunately, the Onigiri lacked a generous amount of salmon, and the Goma Spinach, while still delicious, came in a smaller portion size. The beef skewers were tender but didn’t quite meet our expectations from previous experiences.The Creme brûlée was also a letdown, now served in a small tin foil container instead of a ceramic bowl.Although the staff was friendly, we couldn’t help but notice a decline in customer service compared to previous visits, where they were more attentive.
Food: 2
Service: 2
Delicious!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pretty good ramen and chicken katsu. Convenient spot to satisfy my Japanese comfort food cravings. There’s a good variety of lunch sets to choose from and are a good sized portion.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
It used to be one of my go-to yakitori places, but not anymore. The lack of options doesn't bring many surprises, although the meat quality remains consistent. Be prepared for a wait—it's always a waiting game.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Extremely kind staff, cheerful upbeat atmosphere. Excellent food. I can't speak as to the authenticity, but the food is very good. I don't like pork, but their pork belly will make you a believer. Shrimp fried rice and takoyaki are also very good. Creme Brulee my favorite dessert here?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
drove all the way here from Irvine because of the reviews for yakitori. get there and they have a sign that says no
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
We came here on Sunday evening, they were out of a few dishes we wanted to have, account for that because they might be out of what you came for. Also there was a long line. We waited for about 40 minutes to get seated, but there are few benches outside. Other than that, the food and service are good. The atmosphere is very live = noisy. :) last call on Sunday is 9:45.
Recommended dishes: Chicken Karaage, Kobe Rib w BBQ, Soup
I loved it. It was a true and really good experience. It's just like visiting Japan, I love it so much I will definitely be going back here. But a woman did slip on a wet floor and I don't know if this place is still up but it is amazing the food the service and atmosphere was incredible please go support this business it's amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Takoyaki, Soup, Skin, Salmon Onigiri, Yakitori Assortment, Hakata Ramen
Excellent ramen. The soft boiled flavored egg and the bamboo are to die for. The soup flavor is just on point. Dear owners, please don’t ever change the quality. I’m willing to pay more if ingredients cost more.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hakata Ramen