Love everything at this place. Gavin and Darrell are the best. Tonight was fun with Izzy and…read moreDarryle as our servers.

Omg, this past visit was one of the BEST we have had in many, many years!! We came for Father's Day…read moreand had Chris as our chef. My husband and I thought he looked familiar, well we had him at Benihana in MV for his bday last Oct! Well, Chris delivered! Was fun and a great chef! I love that in addition to the filet and scallops I ordered, we also got noodles and potatoes with the veggies. The sides got a definite upgrade and it hits! Shogun went through an upgrade so it looked better aesthetically. The bathrooms need an upgrade tho. Overall this was one of the best experiences, thanks to Chris!! :)

Food and service time was spent w the best people and amazing chef…read more I'll be back for more with this chef Didn't wait long good time

We had Nino as our chef and he was incredibly fun and entertaining! My daughter loved her…read moreexperience as well as our family!! Thank you Nino!!!

Great service. We…read moreloved this a few months ago and came back. Immediately when we walked in a manager we recognized said "welcome back". Let me tell you.... When you only ate somewhere once but they remember you that makes you want to keep coming back! One big draw for me is the kids meal and options/service for kids. If a kid is under 7 they don't charge for them to split your meal with you and they can still get their own soup bowl and chair. Also, they have a kids meal option for 10 and under. My kids absolutely love being treated like real customers. They get to cook their own food and the team addresses them kindly and tends to them. By the nature of this type of meal there is a decent amount of checking in the waitstaff has to do like adjusting cook temps, delivering plates and drinks, coming back for add ons etc so it is a good restaurant experience for kids. They even have high high chairs (not a typo) for the babies. The food is good. Everything is prepped to order... you can literally see people slicing your meat or putting your vegetables together in the back. I come here because I want quality and not the volume of an ACYE place. I'd prefer to spend my calories wisely. I was surprised that it was full but no wait on a weekday. It's hard to find somewhere with a vibe on a weekday but this place has one. It's a short drive from the zoo and Balboa park so I'm sure the team will see us again.

Japanese hot pot? Ok…read more Driven by the place many many times and always assumed it was a ramen spot. We decided to give it a try after realizing it was hot pot. We walked in and just one other couple was dining. Happy hour from 5-6. Our waitress immediately explained how the menu worked and gave us cooking tips. I ordered the miso broth with pork and toro. We also had the chuck roll and brisket. The chuck roll and the pork were delicious. Would definitely skip the toro and brisket next time. The veggies they served were all great (mushrooms, emoji, bok choy, carrot, spinach, kabocha squash, with the exception of a bit too much cabbage). The experience can a little a bit of an endeavor if you've never done it solo, as you solely have to pay constant attention to the pot while trying to eat at the same time. It can be hard to hold a conversation when your food is boiling boiling hot! Definitely a laborous experience but a fun one!

This East Village corner used to be the home of a short-lived taco shop. There were plenty of those…read morebusinesses in downtown so a hibachi-based menu was a unique concept. Besthibachi is a regional chain with six locations in the LA area. Long tables and countertops were available for seating, however all of the customers who were present at the same time as my visit were doing takeout orders. The menu board was posted on a wall in the front left corner of the room next to the register. I asked the cashier if the place was open on weekends, and he said yes. Well, that was one star deducted from this review because when I showed up at 1:30 pm on a recent Sunday afternoon, the doors were locked, and no one was inside. The supposed hours of operation were from noon to midnight seven days a week. Combination plates and hibachi entrees made up the two menu columns. After reading some of the reviews, I decided to stay away from any seafood ingredient because the value was not there. I chose the New York Steak which was served with vegetables and rice. I asked for the meat to be cooked medium rare and for teriyaki sauce on the side. About 15 minutes later, a takeout container was handed to me inside a plastic bag. There was plenty of rice and veggies, but the amount of meat for the $20 price tag was on the low side. The steak was also overdone as it was closer to medium than medium rare. The quality at Besthibachi was not exactly the best so my rating was three stars minus one for the closure when they should have been open for business. The fact that my revelation surprised the cashier told me that something was disorganized with their scheduling.

Decided to do a stay cation this weekend and at about midnight we had a craving for hibachi…read more Stoked to find out this place was two blocks from where we were staying. First, this concept is awesome. I wish this was a more Common chain and they had one in north county because i would be all over it! Anyways, I'm not sure if it was a slow evening but at first we thought they might not have been open. All of their TV's were off and the dining room was empty, but the door was open so we went for it! We ordered a combo of NY strip and chicken It was about a 10 minute wait, got our food and walked back to the room to eat. This was delicious. We shared a plate and thank goodness we did because the portioning was great! The fried rice was delish. The NY strip was perfect and the yum yum sauce was great! I couldn't tell if it was the chicken or the veggies but something was a little salty, but overall it was delicious. I will definitely go back! Thanks for the great food!

Mom's been craving there meat so went for Mother's Day's dinner. Kobe gold was good, miso pork…read morebelly not so much. It was too salty, over all it was good. We ordered kimchi and surprisingly good, since it wasn't made by Korean(assuming, since its Japanese restaurant) didn't have any expectations but was I wrong, it was great! They also offered mango pudding for mothers! Thank you! I had a cake with me for Mother's Day and as soon as we were seated, server asked if I wanted to keep it in there fridge, so considerate and thoughtful of them. When we're done with our meal, they brought us cake and plates, forks. Super nice and it was delicious!

Incredible Kobe, but disappointing service for a birthday…read more We came here to celebrate a birthday with a party of 6. The interior is beautiful and intimate,perfect for a celebration. The self-cooking process and tablet ordering service was explained clearly to us from the start. The meat quality here is exceptional. We ordered both the Family Wagyu Platter and the Family Prime Kobe Platter. While both were delicious, the Kobe was the absolute standout and so good that we ended up ordering a second platter of it. My nephew enjoyed his meal immensely. Unfortunately, the service didn't match the quality of the food and ruined the mood for our celebration. When the second half of our party arrived, there was a confusing mix-up, and the staff actually sent my 10-year-old nephew outside to wait on the sidewalk. To cap things off, they completely forgot the complimentary birthday dessert we were promised. The food is easily a 4/5, but because of the safety oversight with my nephew and the forgotten birthday treat, I'm giving this a 3-star rating. It's a great spot for the meat, but the hospitality needs a lot of work.

Food here is really good, we got the salmon teriyaki and boy oh boy did it blow our expectations…read moreout the water! Went back but was only able to catch their dinner menu, no salmon teriyaki :( but their udon was good. The vibe here is also excellent, the staff got along really well, our orders were taken extremely fast. The staff also shared a beer with some regulars, if that doesn't put a smile on your face I don't know what will! Their menu on the walls was also so visually appealing. It felt like I was in Japan again! Just kidding I've never been ;( To the restaurant! ADD THE SALMON TERIYAKI TO THE MENU AGAIN please I am on my hands and knees. Arigato Gozaimas ititakimas!!!!

We got the agedashi tofu and the deep fried baby octopus to share. Love both of these sides, the…read moretofu was extremely soft and flavorful and the octopus was crunchy, chewy, and just so flavorful. I got the Nabeyaki Udon, it was delicious, hearty, and filling. It really hit the spot on a cold cloudy day. The broth was light and clear and the udon was bouncy and chewy. I also loved all the ingredients, the chicken was tender and the shrimp tempera were light and crunchy.

5-Star Lunch Gem in Santee! Had a wonderful lunch at Okawa…read moreSteak House & Sushi today! The service was excellent--attentive and friendly from start to finish. The food was delicious! We had the shrimp and steak, and it was perfectly cooked and incredibly flavorful. It's so nice to know that this little place sits right here in Santee and is not overpriced for the great food and the fun hibachi show you get. A little detail that really stood out was the iced tea; it was wonderful and you could truly taste the fresh brew. They also have lunch specials which are very reasonable, making this a great value for the quality. We will definitely be back!

First time visiting Okawa Steak House & Sushi for Mother's Day dinner. We made reservations for…read more3:30 PM and were seated promptly, which was nice especially for a holiday. When our first waiter came by, he took our drink order and then it honestly seemed like he forgot about us. About 10 minutes later, another waitress came over asking for our drink order, and we let her know someone had already taken it but hadn't come back yet. We were seated at a hibachi table and most of us ordered the filet mignon medium. The steak itself was tasty, but there were SO many garlic pieces on top, it was honestly a lot of garlic. The fried rice was okay, nothing really special, just egg, rice, and butter. We all received vegetables except my brother-in-law, and unfortunately nobody noticed or fixed it. The restaurant also felt a little dark and cramped inside, especially once it got busier. What felt awkward though was that by around 4:30 PM, the manager came over and basically told us they needed the table because they had more reservations waiting. We were already finishing up eating, but it had only been about an hour since we sat down. For a party of 8 on Mother's Day, it just felt rushed since most places usually allow at least an hour and a half. Overall, the food was decent and the hibachi experience was still fun, but the service and feeling rushed at the end made the experience a little uncomfortable.

It was delicious! The lomo saltado was so delicious I stopped talking to just eat. The aji verde…read morewas so so SO good it was so perfect with the rest of the things in my dish... Wedge fries is definitely the way to go the extra surface area soaked up so much sauce the entire dish was super yummy!!! Also the chicha morada was super refreshing, I've never had it before but I'd definitely try it again. Will be coming back with my brother in tow to eat again!!! Also also our server was super nice and he was the one who suggested the wedge fries. Sensational.

Ambiance is wonderful, pretty decor and spacious but full of plants in pots and hanging from the…read moreceiling. Service was fine, food arrived quickly and Bella, our waitress, was very friendly. I ordered the Ropa Vieja which was delicious, and I got the chicha morada that had a wide variety of flavor in one sip. It would be nice to see a few more things on the menu, but regardless would recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys Latin American fare and a culture-induced vibe!