A weekly spot for my family and I! My partner's mom is Japanese and this is the only Japanese…read morerestaurant in pgh she will go to. Reservations are highly recommended - it's on the smaller side. The menu has so many options and an amazing variety. One thing to note is this Japanese food is not like most others. Its focus is on homestyle, also fried/stir fried Japanese dishes. So do not expect Ramen or noodle soups. A couple things that are always ordered is the Kaarage, Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki (best in the city), yakisoba or udon, and gyoza. The staff is so sweet and the decorations remind me of Izakaya places in larger cities. They have a bar with cool cocktails and adorable bento boxes they sell during lunch hours throughout the week. Cannot recommend this place enough!!

I went in a group, and we split a lot of different items. The seaweed salad was good (4/5), and the…read morepork gyoza was all right (3/5). The takoyaki has a crunchy outside and a good flavor (4/5), and the okonomiyaki is pretty filling (4/5); these were the best two. The yaki-udon with shrimp was ok (3/5) but definitely expensive for what it was and the quantity; they also don't add much shrimp, despite the up charge. The sake no shioyaki was below average for salmon (2/5) and very expensive for that amount they give you. Similarly, the onigiri is almost entirely rice if you add salmon (2/5). You order on a tablet, and they bring the food out. Service was ok (3/5); we had empty waters for a while. The restaurant is well-decorated, and you can see the chefs work, which gives it an ambiance somewhat like a hibachi place (4/5). Overall, I think most of the items are pretty expensive for what they are; they don't have the quality or quantity to justify the price.

Went to celebrate my wife's birthday and her arrival in Pittsburgh for the weekend with an…read moreincredible meal at Otaru. Our server, Cat, was knowledgeable, attentive, and immediately picked up on our social cues, blending in to the chitchat we enjoy, while we could hear her behind us giving another table the alone time they preferred. She is the best server I have experienced in a long time. I heard her tell another table that her whole family is in the restaurant business, and her comfort and skill with every table made that abundantly clear. Too bad we were not hungry enough to order more, because everything was fantastic. We had the chef's selection of sashimi and of sushi (two different dishes) and a takoyaki appetizer. Everything was fresh and delicious, and the different sauces on the nigiri and sashimi elevated the fish in amazing ways. Of course, all of this joy is just highlighted by the incredible three-river view, which my wife said was a great way to start her weekend here. What a great place! If you are thinking about it even a little, just go. You will be thrilled.

If you want to really wow someone, you should take them to Otaru up on Mount Washington! It has a…read moregorgeous view of the city and the food is somehow even better. I went a couple of years ago and thought it was decent then but am so glad I gave it another shot because I was really impressed! Our server was really friendly and patient as we ordered essentially half the menu. I will note that it's pricey but definitely worth it for the occasional splurge meal. If I had to pick, the chawanmushi, unagi gozen, and New Zu cocktail would be my favorites although I would order every single thing we got again! We were really impressed by how fresh our fish was. It just melted in your mouth and the presentation of everything was beautiful.

pork buns and spicy yuzu ramen fire. the yuzu taste was actually prominent and good very cozy storeread more

Definitely the best ramen spot in Pittsburgh! The restaurant is small, but is decorated so you feel…read morequaint and cozy. Had the garlic cucumbers and spicy miso ramen, which were incredible! Staff is welcoming and attentive! Again, it is a smaller spot, so be patient if they're experiencing a rush. Overall amazing place! Only downside are their hours being a bit odd, so be on the lookout if you're trying to pop in mid afternoon as they're typically closed then.

Two of us made reservations for Kiku on Christmas Eve. Kiku is tucked away inside Station Square…read moreand the inside is fairly large with multiple tables. We decided to go with the sukiyaki hot pot for two which was an excellent choice. The hot pot broth had such an incredible umami flavor that we were scraping the bottom of the pot to get it all. I would come back solely for this dish!

Love their lunch portions! Always clean whenever I visit…read moreand the staff are kind and professional!

My husband chose this spot for my first dinner after moving here, and... He made the right call :)…read moreDefinitely make a reservation; the place was packed. The seafood is fresh, and the menu features several creative options. We tried a variety of items (Nigiri, Temaki, Takoyaki, and the daily specials) and honestly loved everything! As sushi lovers, we shared several small plates and really appreciated the quality. The fish-to-rice ratio was spot on. I loved the vibe: very hipster, complete with a DJ. Next time, we'd love to sit at the counter facing the kitchen for that authentic Japanese experience. Our server was so sweet and gave us some great recommendations. Even though it was busy, the timing of the courses was perfect. Highly recommend!

Umami has been a bi weekly rotation in my household! I've brought my family, visiting friends, and…read morecoworkers and all of them have left full and happy excited to return! I highly recommend a reservation as they do not take many walk ins, especially for big parties and definitely take advantage of their happy hour menu (5-6pm). Their HH menu allows you to try some of their most popular bites for a fraction of the cost! Items that we ALWAYS order are the karaage, stir fried udon wit shrimp tempura, at least 3 skewers, the lychee martinis, Takoyaki, and some variation of toro. We try to mix in others every time and have never had a bad bite! Servers are always so kind to us and can't wait until my next visit! Hopefully it's soon!

such a cute and yummy place, we got to sit inside a big honeycomb so vibes were nicee…read more the pork yakitori was my fav out of the yakitori we tried the shoyu beef ramen was tasty and broth wasn't too heavy. i liked the toppings it came with and they were honestly pretty generous with the amount of beef servers were also really nice

Wonderful restaurant for a lunch hangout with friends! The honeycomb theme is super aesthetic…read more Food-wise, I ordered the katsuobushi pork ramen, which was delicious! The broth was rich and savory, and it came with multiple slices of meat which just melts in your mouth. The food did take a longer time than expected to come out, but the servers were nice and helpful. Overall recommend!!

Oiishi Donburi is an absolute gem. I've ordered both the salmon bowl and the bulgogi bowl, and the…read moreportions are genuinely massive, especially the salmon. They are not shy at all with the protein, to the point where I always have leftovers for later. The salmon is fresh, generous, and perfectly balanced with the rice, while the bulgogi is savory, comforting, and full of flavor. Everything tastes truly homemade, like a meal made with care!! It's the kind of place you order from when you want something filling, satisfying, and consistently good. Incredible value for the portion sizes and quality, and easily a go to spot when you want real comfort food done right.

They fit so much food in the bowls! This place is warm and inviting. The ingredients taste very…read morefresh. I like how many varieties they can make. The vegetable tempura was unlike any Iv'e tried before, very light and shredded. It tasted bland on its own but dipping in the sauce brought out its flavor.

We've been meaning to try Bae Bae's for a very long time and I'm bummed that we didn't try it…read morebefore it's latest reinvention under the Bar and Supper Club banner. I wouldn't really call this a supper club to be honest but the place definitely carries a house music bar vibe and the back bar area and seating is very dimly lit, perfect for cozying up and enjoying a drink late night. The ladies' room was so dark, I mistook it for a storage area because I could only make out a white ladder in the corner that was being used as cute shelving. The place is seat yourself. Our waiter was not super friendly and didn't offer to give us napkins or anything when our wobbly table caused our drinks to splash all over the place. The cook served our chicken with a big smile and happy interaction and we really loved his personality. The bartender also stopped by to bus our table and he was very pleasant as well. We enjoyed the perfectly fried small plate cauliflower with the plum sauce and the fried cheese/garlic wonton bites with the sriracha mayo spicy dipping sauce. The fried chicken breast on the large plate was slightly overcooked with a maple gochuchang sauce that was very bland. We were so thankful that the large plate fried chicken came with a side salad to offer some respite from the heaviness of the fried dishes. It would have been great to have some side acidic or fresh vegetable options like Kimchi or something. Maybe we tried the wrong dishes and there are other not fried things that are delicious? The dirty martini cocktail was just so-so, not really much flavor at all, but the mojito was very good and refreshing. It's probably a good late-night place for a bite and drink.

Love this place!! Hidden gem in downtown pittsburgh. Only thing is I feel like their hours are a…read morebit all over the place