Stopped by Okinawa Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse for a late lunch and decided to sit out on the…read morepatio.... such a great choice!! The outdoor seating was relaxed and perfect for enjoying the beautiful weather without feeling rushed. Service was friendly and attentive, even during that in-between lunch/dinner time. Our food came out fresh and well-prepared. We both ordered hibachi. Our server even offered us to go drinks which was a nice gesture. Overall, it was a laid-back, enjoyable experience. Definitely a solid spot for a casual lunch date or catching up with friends. I'd come back again for sure.

Food first, thoughts after... Overall a good choice. We went…read moreback after so many years because our friends wanted to go before moving away from Birmingham. The sushi was good. My husband enjoyed his udon but both of us were thirsty when we got home due to the saltiness.

Excellent sushi, excellent service & and an overall A+…read more The reviews for Samurai Japan were very accurate. When I walked in at 7pm on a Wednesday night, it was a full house. I immediately knew that I was going to be happy with my decision to eat here. I started off with the Shrimp gyozas. Since most gyozas are made with pork, I cannot remember eating shrimp gyozas before, and these were phenomenal. I highly recommend that you give them a try. I was pretty hungry, so I decided to order the Sashimi Deluxe dinner. 21 pieces of sashimi seemed pretty ambitious. If I had known how thick the sushi was going to be, I probably would've gone for a smaller dinner, but I'm glad that I didn't know because it was amazing. As for dessert, I always go with Red Bean ice cream. For those of you who have never tried red bean ice cream - you have GOT to try it. I know what you're thinking...red beans and ice cream do not go together, right? Well, you are absolutely WRONG! I don't know what breed of red beans go into this delicious dessert, but it is amazing and incredibly refreshing. Do yourself a favor and drive directly to Samurai Japan...eat until you're totally full...and then order the red beans ice cream anyway. You'll thank me later!

Stopped by Samurai Sushi in Vestavia for a Sunday lunch after church for Easter, and it was a…read morepretty relaxed experience. The restaurant wasn't crowded at all, which made for a quiet and easygoing meal. The sushi itself was just okay... nothing particularly memorable, but it satisfied the craving. Service was smooth and timely, likely helped by the lighter crowd. Overall, a decent spot if you're looking for a low-key lunch without the wait, but the food didn't quite stand out compared to other sushi spots in the area

I wanted some authentic ramen and this place has it! So freaking delicious and a cool atmosphere…read moretoo. Will definitely be making this a regular stop on our on going food tour. Two thumbs up

My son is headed off to college this weekend so I decided to take him to a new Ramen spot. He had…read morebrought up this place a while back and it felt like a good time to visit. I was hoping that we would be able to sit in one of the honeycomb seats and they were available. A waiter brought out menus and told us when we were ready. We could push a button at our table and he will be back. I ended up getting a beef Ramen dish and my son got a pork Ramen dish. We also decided to get some of the Boba tea. Our dishes were good, but they were not as spicy as we would have liked them to be. We could've used a little more seasonings, but they were decent Ramen dish. The ambience in this place is super cool. I come back again.

We went to lunch today to Nori and it was great. All the food we had was very tasty. My sons 9 and…read more11 loved their shrimp and the potstickers. My wife had chicken and scallops also very good and I had steak and lobster which was excellent. The service was great and the ambience is very nice. I think we were in and out in about an hour. Our cook was funny and talented in his skills. My kids even had a Rama made Strawberry Boba Tea and loved them. We will be back!

Unfortunately this was not one of my favorite hibachi experiences and I do plan on revisiting to…read moresee if my next experience would be different. I'm wondering if it was my fault for not ordering hibachi from the demonstration grill, but I was thinking since the restaurant was empty I was going it a service ordering from a table, but my soup and salad came out after my hibachi meal. I think the waiter forgot about it because I had to so if it was still coming. When it did come, the soup looked like mostly water (see photos) and the salad was over drenched in dressing. I've never seen that much dressing in a salad my entire life. The meat wasn't hot but the fried rice really saved the day. It was salty, but I prefer mine that way. I like the location of this place so I'm hoping that next visit will be different.

Sushi and a white wine hates to see me coming ‍…read more Don't miss happy hour so you can try several apps & drinks. Our faves in order: *The strawberry mojito was sooo refreshing *Kimchi brussel sprouts (y'all know I love an acid component and this delivered) *Panang curry pot stickers *Tempura green beans Fave rolls in order: *Cash Me Out *Spicy crunchy salmon *Spicy tuna We had a reservation but it wasn't necessarily needed. It's more casual than we thought and that was a welcomed surprise. Our server was friendly and helpful. Parking wasn't too too horrible. There are slanted spots right outside the restaurant, if you're lucky enough to get one. Beyond those, idk where you'd park. We had a lovely evening and would go back!

Love Shiki. Consistently good food, great location. I love the coconut soup here. Sushi is always…read moretop tier, too. Family-friendly, lots of good apps like edamame and tempura green beans. Service is always fantastic, even their takeout service - they're always super quick. Inside is cool, and the patio outside is a good vibe. I think they have a weeknight Ladies night wine special.

Uber Eats dinner from here and it was fantastic…read more Got two California Rolls (Buy one get one free) and hibachi chicken and white rice. Very good.

Iwas so excited to try this place because I'm a huge foodie, but our server completely ruined the…read moreexperience. When we arrived, my friend asked how the All-You-Can-Eat (AYCE) option worked. After the server explained it, I made a lighthearted joke to my friend saying, "So, anything and as much as you want!" The server immediately snapped back with a rude comment about her manager not liking food waste. I told her it was just a joke between friends, but the attitude didn't stop there. When I tried to order a single bowl of ramen, she told me to get the AYCE dinner option instead, even though ramen is listed individually on the menu. Because I have a smaller appetite, iI told her it was good and I was sticking with the ramen. Later, my friend offered to share a piece of her sushi roll with me. The server cut in and rudely snapped that we weren't allowed to do that, stating that if I wanted anything else, I had to get the all you can eat. While we told her that I wasn't getting from her food we where just sharing because it was our first time there, she was sooo rude coming at us that we CAN'T. While I understand AYCE sharing rules, her delivery was incredibly hostile, argumentative, and unprofessional. It completely ruined our lunch break. I was looking forward to this place, but the terrible service ruined it.

DO NOT DINE HERE. If I could rate this a place a zero I would. My first time having a bad…read moreexperience at a Kobe's restaurant. Im not sure if its because we sat at a both instead of having them cook in front of us but the food was terrible. I ordered the salmon and steak, the only thing that was edible was the steak, which I had to pick bones out of. The rice was inedible, I literally had to spit it out because I couldn't swallow it due to the taste. The salmon was dry, over cooked, and unseasoned. We offered to pay for the food that we did eat but instead the manager told us to go home and never come back. Dine wisely !

We made reservations for my daughter's 13th birthday last night. There were 13 of us total. The…read morecook did not even do the entertaining at all. We had to go find chopsticks. No Happy birthday dessert or anything. They were dead because the weather was bad. I would have hoped for a better experience. I feel like it was a waste of time and $500. The tip was included and I felt service was horrible. I will not be going back.

Iola is a solid choice for consistent good food. We eat there and it wonderful. We get takeout and…read moreit wonderful.

We are so glad that Ooka was able to reopen in Pelham. My wife loves sushi, and this is one of the…read morefew Sushi places I will eat. They have a great selection of tempura and noodle dishes, and I love their crab Rangoon. We've never had a bad meal here, though service can be spotty on occasion. The ambiance is completely different after the renovation. The previous space had a warm, eclectic charm, filled with decorations that reflected a blend of Asian influences. The new design is minimalist and very clean, with white walls and white ceiling tiles throughout. While it feels bright and modern, it also feels a bit sterile--more like a professional space than a cozy dining spot. I found myself missing the relaxed, inviting atmosphere that once made it such a comfortable place to unwind.

Great Ambiance, great food and the service was excellent! The price for the alcohol was…read moreridiculously high! I ordered 6 shrimp at $10 a shrimp. My friend ordered a $65 dollar steak that was fatty and small. We spent close to $600 or more and will not be going back.

Johin'na was a great date-night experience. We had a 5:30 reservation in the Sakura Room, and from…read morethe smooth valet experience to the fast service, everything started off great. The atmosphere was the highlight for me. The purple lighting, cherry blossom trees, and Japanese-inspired decor give the room an upscale, intimate vibe. We tried the Birmingham Roll, Brussels sprouts, bao buns, chicken lollipops, Sake Sangria, Strawberry Lychee Martini, and peach cobbler. Everything was flavorful. My only knock was the portion size. Several items are listed as "To Share," but the portions were smaller than I expected.

Spicy, sour, and seriously satisfying! That's how you describe the soup at Fuji Hibachi Express…read more When I'm looking for a quick dinner, one of my favorite pickup spots is Fuji Express. You can order online by going directly to the website. They make the food quick and my orders have always been correct. My go to order is a large hot and sour soup with a side of rice. By getting the large, I have plenty of food for lunch the next day.

Our go to hibachi take out! I am a huge fan of the spring rolls and the chicken hibachi. The…read morehibachi is the best deal! You get noodles and soup and salad. Flavors are great! They are so quick, literally ready in 10 minutes after I call it in.