Cute, small (seats 38) people restaurant with yummy food. The open kitchen is in the same space as a dining room (so you may end with some kitchen aroma on your clothes/hair). The restaurant opened for seating at 5PM but they brought out the Yelp waitlist tablet around 4:30 so you can sign up. They do not offer the Yelp waitlist via Yelp app so you can't sign up for the waitlist then drive over. Our party of 3 got in easily (since I put my name on the waitlist) & were super excited to eat. We shared: the potato salad which features an onsen (poached) egg that is lightly fried in panko, which was a nice surprise & added texture to the potato salad. Stupid tuna roll. Rice & shiso roll as the base, with slices of tuna & ikura and Hokkaido uni on top. It's a deconstructed roll which was fun to eat. This was one of our favorites. Mentaiko crab pasta - pasta is a creamy sauce with pollock roe & fried crab. We heard that this item might be retired from the menu so we had to try it & it was another one of our favorites. Kaisen don - marinated spot prawns/ikura/blue fin tuna/hokkaido uni/shoyu cured egg yolk over rice. When it arrived, we realized that we probably over ordered. It was very fresh & delicious. Kuma katsu don- kurobuta pork rib loin/fresh panko crumbs/shoyu tare/tamago/steamed rice/nori. Yummmm! Deep fried, juicy pork over soft scrambled eggs & rice. Absolutely delicious & another one of our favorites. I had a mikan highball cocktail that features tangerine, sochu & blood orange. Refreshing & not sweet. No dessert available. Service was friendly & helpful. Lots of parking available as this restaurant is in a strip mall with a big parking lot.
Kelvin C.
This was high on my bucket list of restaurants in the Bay. The things that stood out: the chef technique, craftsmanship, and gorgeous presentation. The inside is cozy, comfortable, and beautiful decor. The katsu was massively thick piece of tender kurobata pork, crunchy, and flavor packed katsu sauce. The egg over the rice needed a bit more soy sauce/dashi/salt, but otherwise I really loved it. I highly recommend the potakoaki, it's a creative combination of potato croquet and okonomyaki. Delicious and shareable appetizer. The soft shell crab pasta had a rich cheesy/soy umami flavor. Finally the kaisendon was packed with different flavors of seafood, tamago, and uni. It was a work of art! Overall, it was an enjoyable meal.
Evan Z.
The food is really delicious. Interesting twists on Hawaiian Japanese fusion with great spices. The portion sizes are very big. Some of the dishes, like the beef katsu, are big enough to split. If you're looking for something traditional this isn't it. If you're looking for a fresh take on food you don't typically get this is the place to go!
Ou W.
Overrated Instagram noodle house that did not meet expectations on the taste. The average dish is about $40 (overpriced). There's also a mandatory 18% added to the bill. Our dinner for two was about $130 with no alcohol.
Matt P.
Great service is this quaint Japanese fusion restaurant. The wagyudon was amazing as was the crab pasta. I liked the idea of giving origami paper to amuse yourself with while waiting for the food.
Lanna T.
A unique take on Japanese food. I came by at 4:20PM on a Friday, scared of a long wait. The yelp check-in kiosk was placed outside at 4:30pm, and I was the second party. At least with yelp check-in I could walk around the plaza a bit. We were seated promptly at 5pm. Once we were inside, there's muted lighting and an upscale ambiance. The menu has a variety of items, which do feel a bit different than the standard Japanese restaurant. The dishes feel like there's more thought put into them, the presentation is really nice, and items rotate in and out regularly. The service was typical, nothing fancy, and the food came out pretty quickly. We ordered the kuma katsudon, which is even bigger than it looks in the pictures. The kurobuta pork was really juicy and fatty, and fried to perfection, though for $52 it is pricey. It definitely felt heavy after 1-2 pieces. We also got the mentaiko pasta, which was delicious. The pasta sauce was perfectly balanced with the spicy mentaiko and creaminess, and the crispy crab was great! The "almost famous" fried chicken was a karaage with an extra crunchy batter. It was good, though my friends thought a bit too much crunch on the outside. There was some egg salad (I think) on the side with the shredded cabbage which was really good. While I do want to come back to try more dishes, this would be more of a special occasion meal for me considering the price point. Would recommend trying if you're on the fence, but not worth a long wait to me.
John T.
Neat interpretations on food.. couple dishes were heavy on salt but paired w rice went well. The waiters (especially Anthony) are awesome and checked on us often to make sure everything is ... excellent customer service worthy of the tips!! Read the pics descriptions for more info:
忆琳
If not for the exceptionally poor service we have experienced I would rate the food good however this is packaged that we paid for which I think it was totally not worth the time waited and $ spent. I came with my family and after we sit and order, no water or tea was offered until we ask. The worst part starts when my family needs napkins and we have been waiving hands a few times with no response so I went out and reached from under the check in table, then one of the waiter told me not to grab anything until ask for it--honestly when you need napkins just in general then you need it. If this place does not allow for self service napkins then please put a sign up for it! If our table has been attended more often then I wouldn't need to self service for the napkins and being told off before the whole meal starts. I would appreciate you have more respect for a mother with a toddler!! The whole experience has put the taste of the cuisine down so much, I came because family recommended but I wouldn't recommend to anyone else. During the meal time, we sit around 6pm and asked for tea multiple attempts around 6:30 with no one remembers until the 5th time the waiter Anthony comes back asking if we need boxes to go now while we are still eating! So I ask what is estimated time for each sit, there wasn't. I ask if he is asking us to leave then you know what he says? "I can have my manager to ask you to leave." Wow, thank you very much for this exceptionally horrible service!
Shirley C.
This place had been on our list for awhile because of all the Instagram hype about it. We decided to come on a Saturday night to try it out. We ended up waiting about two hours, which was expected. The mentaiko pasta was good for about five bites before it just felt too heavy and salty. This dish did not feel balanced in terms of flavor. The katsudon meat was actually juicy and tender, contrary to what some reviews say, but the batter was extremely greasy. The fattiness and greasiness of it all just did not make us feel good. What was also odd was that all of the sauce was on the bottom of the bowl. We didn't realize it until we almost finished the rice. We also ordered a grilled eggplant appetizer (which came last btw), but the flavor combinations were just so odd and it felt like nothing went well together. In total for the three dishes, our meal ended up costing $109. I did not feel like it was worth it overall.
Xiao W.
The worst Japanese food I have ever had. They made the food look like Japanese food but they're not! Katsudon is my favorite food since child. But the Katsudon here is terrible. I would like to give a 0 star if I have the option. They use very thick port for Katsu and taste very dry and hard to bite. No sauce for egg and rice at all. The dish has no taste at all. The worst Katsudon I have ever had. I've also ordered the risotto, this one is even worse. To me it's not risotto, it's soy sauce and vinegar rice, the taste is so weird, salty and strong, I can barely have a bite. It makes me sick. When they just opened, they have scallop for $27, and now they add some rice to it and charge for $45 which is insane. Also, there's no service at all, they charge mandatory 18% service fee before tax, and asked you to pay the tax for the service fee. But they're only serving when ordering food. They don't provide napkins, they don't refill water, they don't ask if the food is good. The seating are so tight that you're like sitting shoulder by shoulder with the guest next to you. Very awkward. I don't recommend this place.
This restaurant has been on me and my friend's radar after seeing so many videos about it on social media. For starters, the warnings about the long line are true! The restaurant opens at 5pm but they put out a tablet for the Yelp waitlist at 4:30pm. My friend and I got there around 4:15pm and we were the first on the waitlist. Before the restaurant was even open, the waitlist was already at 30-35 mins. The restaurant is situated in a plaza with a big parking lot. We ordered the "almost famous" fried chicken, mentaiko crab pasta, and wagyudon. Our favorite was the mentaiko crab pasta. The sauce was flavor and not super spicy. Although it was very creamy, we didn't think the flavors were overwhelming. This was our favorite dish. Apparently, the restaurant is going to change out the mentaiko pasta soon so def try it before it's gone! We would've loved the chicken more, but it tasted a little too salty for us. I think it might've been the seasoning on top of the breading, but I'm not too sure. The side of cabbage that comes with the chicken was actually really tasty. The wagyudon was good, but it wasn't what we expected. The sauce on wagyu was on the sweeter side. My friend was expecting more of a soy flavor and I would have to agree. Overall, I really enjoyed our experience. The service was quick and the servers were really attentive. The ambiance and decorations were really cool. They give you origami paper on your plate so hopefully you're able to make something unlike us lol For the price, I def wouldn't come here frequently. Look forward to seeing the new changes to the menu.
Kaiyun C.
Horrible service!!! Food is so so. 18% service charge mandated. Today we were served by a man with long beard. After we were seated for a while, he didn't come to check on us for a long time. We need some napkins but he was not around for a long time. We saw there were some on the reception desk, so we just grabbed some. At that moment he appeared, telling us we were not allowed to do that by ourselves. Where were you when we needed you!!!! The same thing happened when we needed some hot tea, long time no response! After a while, while we were still eating, he just came and asked whether we need any boxes, a clear sign to let us go with an arrogant attitude. DO NOT GO THERE UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET YOUR STOMACH FULL OF ANGER!!!
Callie Zhou
I had high expectations when I saw pictures of the food online but was so disappointed. I don’t see how this place is worth any wait but gladly we didn’t wait at all on a Tuesday evening.We ordered the Kuma Katsudon and the crab Pasta. The Kuma Katsudon tastes so bad that 80% of it is fat and tastes like Chinese preserved meat, very salty. The crab pasta is better, more flavorful, but still a bit salty.The Japanese soda is very good tho, I had the watermelon one.They charge a flat 18% service fee so it adds up to $100+ for two people.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Crab Pasta
Charles Wong
Called the place says no reservations so I got there only to find out that they aren’t accepting anyone in the waitlist.. maybe should have told me over the phone when I called like 15 mins ago? Whatever look at ur reviews ur restaurant sucks.
Service: 1
Jalen A.
Good service, good food, and affordable! Dishes were full of flavor and unique as well. Would come back again and recommend!
Cute, small (seats 38) people restaurant with yummy food. The open kitchen is in the same space as a dining room (so you may end with some kitchen aroma on your clothes/hair). The restaurant opened for seating at 5PM but they brought out the Yelp waitlist tablet around 4:30 so you can sign up. They do not offer the Yelp waitlist via Yelp app so you can't sign up for the waitlist then drive over. Our party of 3 got in easily (since I put my name on the waitlist) & were super excited to eat. We shared: the potato salad which features an onsen (poached) egg that is lightly fried in panko, which was a nice surprise & added texture to the potato salad. Stupid tuna roll. Rice & shiso roll as the base, with slices of tuna & ikura and Hokkaido uni on top. It's a deconstructed roll which was fun to eat. This was one of our favorites. Mentaiko crab pasta - pasta is a creamy sauce with pollock roe & fried crab. We heard that this item might be retired from the menu so we had to try it & it was another one of our favorites. Kaisen don - marinated spot prawns/ikura/blue fin tuna/hokkaido uni/shoyu cured egg yolk over rice. When it arrived, we realized that we probably over ordered. It was very fresh & delicious. Kuma katsu don- kurobuta pork rib loin/fresh panko crumbs/shoyu tare/tamago/steamed rice/nori. Yummmm! Deep fried, juicy pork over soft scrambled eggs & rice. Absolutely delicious & another one of our favorites. I had a mikan highball cocktail that features tangerine, sochu & blood orange. Refreshing & not sweet. No dessert available. Service was friendly & helpful. Lots of parking available as this restaurant is in a strip mall with a big parking lot.
This was high on my bucket list of restaurants in the Bay. The things that stood out: the chef technique, craftsmanship, and gorgeous presentation. The inside is cozy, comfortable, and beautiful decor. The katsu was massively thick piece of tender kurobata pork, crunchy, and flavor packed katsu sauce. The egg over the rice needed a bit more soy sauce/dashi/salt, but otherwise I really loved it. I highly recommend the potakoaki, it's a creative combination of potato croquet and okonomyaki. Delicious and shareable appetizer. The soft shell crab pasta had a rich cheesy/soy umami flavor. Finally the kaisendon was packed with different flavors of seafood, tamago, and uni. It was a work of art! Overall, it was an enjoyable meal.
The food is really delicious. Interesting twists on Hawaiian Japanese fusion with great spices. The portion sizes are very big. Some of the dishes, like the beef katsu, are big enough to split. If you're looking for something traditional this isn't it. If you're looking for a fresh take on food you don't typically get this is the place to go!
Overrated Instagram noodle house that did not meet expectations on the taste. The average dish is about $40 (overpriced). There's also a mandatory 18% added to the bill. Our dinner for two was about $130 with no alcohol.
Great service is this quaint Japanese fusion restaurant. The wagyudon was amazing as was the crab pasta. I liked the idea of giving origami paper to amuse yourself with while waiting for the food.
A unique take on Japanese food. I came by at 4:20PM on a Friday, scared of a long wait. The yelp check-in kiosk was placed outside at 4:30pm, and I was the second party. At least with yelp check-in I could walk around the plaza a bit. We were seated promptly at 5pm. Once we were inside, there's muted lighting and an upscale ambiance. The menu has a variety of items, which do feel a bit different than the standard Japanese restaurant. The dishes feel like there's more thought put into them, the presentation is really nice, and items rotate in and out regularly. The service was typical, nothing fancy, and the food came out pretty quickly. We ordered the kuma katsudon, which is even bigger than it looks in the pictures. The kurobuta pork was really juicy and fatty, and fried to perfection, though for $52 it is pricey. It definitely felt heavy after 1-2 pieces. We also got the mentaiko pasta, which was delicious. The pasta sauce was perfectly balanced with the spicy mentaiko and creaminess, and the crispy crab was great! The "almost famous" fried chicken was a karaage with an extra crunchy batter. It was good, though my friends thought a bit too much crunch on the outside. There was some egg salad (I think) on the side with the shredded cabbage which was really good. While I do want to come back to try more dishes, this would be more of a special occasion meal for me considering the price point. Would recommend trying if you're on the fence, but not worth a long wait to me.
Neat interpretations on food.. couple dishes were heavy on salt but paired w rice went well. The waiters (especially Anthony) are awesome and checked on us often to make sure everything is ... excellent customer service worthy of the tips!! Read the pics descriptions for more info:
If not for the exceptionally poor service we have experienced I would rate the food good however this is packaged that we paid for which I think it was totally not worth the time waited and $ spent. I came with my family and after we sit and order, no water or tea was offered until we ask. The worst part starts when my family needs napkins and we have been waiving hands a few times with no response so I went out and reached from under the check in table, then one of the waiter told me not to grab anything until ask for it--honestly when you need napkins just in general then you need it. If this place does not allow for self service napkins then please put a sign up for it! If our table has been attended more often then I wouldn't need to self service for the napkins and being told off before the whole meal starts. I would appreciate you have more respect for a mother with a toddler!! The whole experience has put the taste of the cuisine down so much, I came because family recommended but I wouldn't recommend to anyone else. During the meal time, we sit around 6pm and asked for tea multiple attempts around 6:30 with no one remembers until the 5th time the waiter Anthony comes back asking if we need boxes to go now while we are still eating! So I ask what is estimated time for each sit, there wasn't. I ask if he is asking us to leave then you know what he says? "I can have my manager to ask you to leave." Wow, thank you very much for this exceptionally horrible service!
This place had been on our list for awhile because of all the Instagram hype about it. We decided to come on a Saturday night to try it out. We ended up waiting about two hours, which was expected. The mentaiko pasta was good for about five bites before it just felt too heavy and salty. This dish did not feel balanced in terms of flavor. The katsudon meat was actually juicy and tender, contrary to what some reviews say, but the batter was extremely greasy. The fattiness and greasiness of it all just did not make us feel good. What was also odd was that all of the sauce was on the bottom of the bowl. We didn't realize it until we almost finished the rice. We also ordered a grilled eggplant appetizer (which came last btw), but the flavor combinations were just so odd and it felt like nothing went well together. In total for the three dishes, our meal ended up costing $109. I did not feel like it was worth it overall.
The worst Japanese food I have ever had. They made the food look like Japanese food but they're not! Katsudon is my favorite food since child. But the Katsudon here is terrible. I would like to give a 0 star if I have the option. They use very thick port for Katsu and taste very dry and hard to bite. No sauce for egg and rice at all. The dish has no taste at all. The worst Katsudon I have ever had. I've also ordered the risotto, this one is even worse. To me it's not risotto, it's soy sauce and vinegar rice, the taste is so weird, salty and strong, I can barely have a bite. It makes me sick. When they just opened, they have scallop for $27, and now they add some rice to it and charge for $45 which is insane. Also, there's no service at all, they charge mandatory 18% service fee before tax, and asked you to pay the tax for the service fee. But they're only serving when ordering food. They don't provide napkins, they don't refill water, they don't ask if the food is good. The seating are so tight that you're like sitting shoulder by shoulder with the guest next to you. Very awkward. I don't recommend this place.
Restaurantji Recommends
This restaurant has been on me and my friend's radar after seeing so many videos about it on social media. For starters, the warnings about the long line are true! The restaurant opens at 5pm but they put out a tablet for the Yelp waitlist at 4:30pm. My friend and I got there around 4:15pm and we were the first on the waitlist. Before the restaurant was even open, the waitlist was already at 30-35 mins. The restaurant is situated in a plaza with a big parking lot. We ordered the "almost famous" fried chicken, mentaiko crab pasta, and wagyudon. Our favorite was the mentaiko crab pasta. The sauce was flavor and not super spicy. Although it was very creamy, we didn't think the flavors were overwhelming. This was our favorite dish. Apparently, the restaurant is going to change out the mentaiko pasta soon so def try it before it's gone! We would've loved the chicken more, but it tasted a little too salty for us. I think it might've been the seasoning on top of the breading, but I'm not too sure. The side of cabbage that comes with the chicken was actually really tasty. The wagyudon was good, but it wasn't what we expected. The sauce on wagyu was on the sweeter side. My friend was expecting more of a soy flavor and I would have to agree. Overall, I really enjoyed our experience. The service was quick and the servers were really attentive. The ambiance and decorations were really cool. They give you origami paper on your plate so hopefully you're able to make something unlike us lol For the price, I def wouldn't come here frequently. Look forward to seeing the new changes to the menu.
Horrible service!!! Food is so so. 18% service charge mandated. Today we were served by a man with long beard. After we were seated for a while, he didn't come to check on us for a long time. We need some napkins but he was not around for a long time. We saw there were some on the reception desk, so we just grabbed some. At that moment he appeared, telling us we were not allowed to do that by ourselves. Where were you when we needed you!!!! The same thing happened when we needed some hot tea, long time no response! After a while, while we were still eating, he just came and asked whether we need any boxes, a clear sign to let us go with an arrogant attitude. DO NOT GO THERE UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET YOUR STOMACH FULL OF ANGER!!!
I had high expectations when I saw pictures of the food online but was so disappointed. I don’t see how this place is worth any wait but gladly we didn’t wait at all on a Tuesday evening.We ordered the Kuma Katsudon and the crab Pasta. The Kuma Katsudon tastes so bad that 80% of it is fat and tastes like Chinese preserved meat, very salty. The crab pasta is better, more flavorful, but still a bit salty.The Japanese soda is very good tho, I had the watermelon one.They charge a flat 18% service fee so it adds up to $100+ for two people.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Crab Pasta
Called the place says no reservations so I got there only to find out that they aren’t accepting anyone in the waitlist.. maybe should have told me over the phone when I called like 15 mins ago? Whatever look at ur reviews ur restaurant sucks.
Service: 1
Good service, good food, and affordable! Dishes were full of flavor and unique as well. Would come back again and recommend!