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    Iyasaka

    4.9 (44 reviews)
    Closed 6:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Iyasaka Photos

    IYASAKA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Intimate
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Reviews With Photos - Iyasaka

    bite-sized pork katsu
    Shiny C.

    Found this hidden gem after landing at SNA and wow is this truly hidden and truly a gem! I would have never thought to come here if I hadn't stumbled across this yelp page. When we dined at this restaurant, there was only one woman serving and one man in the back. They serve super unique dishes, most of which I haven't had before, at least in the way they cook them. My favorites were the pressed mackerel sushi, corn and shiso leaf tempura, and the rum creme brulee. I also loved the melon soda cocktail! However, some dishes might be an acquired taste - the braised pork belly is on the lighter side and comes in a thick broth. The chicken gizzard is served cold, which I'm also not used to. Some of the dishes can be quite salty, but I suppose that's why you drink with them! The service was amazing. We were one of two parties in the restaurant so I'm sure our experience was more intimate, but our server was attentive and it felt super comfortable and familiar. She was very friendly and recommended their popular dishes to us. Definitely check this out if you're in the area! I'm excited to come back and see what they have on their new seasonal menu!

    Danielle E.

    Iyasaka is a dim-lit hole in the wall serving small, Japanese plates with a twist. Our party of 5 was seated without a reso. Service was exceptional! The dishes were unique and well executed. Though I wish some of the plates had a sauce (like the potato and tempura) flavors were delicious and memorable. We did not order any crazy entrees so I'm interested to be back and see what that's all about. I would say this is a great place to try, especially for a date night!

    Sakana Oroshini (Broiled Fish with Grated Daikon)
    Nicole C.

    Total hole in the wall restaurant. Iyasaka is in an unassuming strip center literally adjacent to a gas station. Walking in the entire atmosphere, layout, and decor is reminiscent of an actual restaurant from Japan. The best part? The food quality is surprisingly exceptional. The execution of the food here is minimal and high quality. Dishes that look simple are packed with flavors, and it's been such a long time that I've had a mackerel dish that surprised me. The pressed mackerel sushi, Saba Battera, is some of the best mackerel I've had in a very long time. Not a hint of any fishy flavor and the portion of fish is huge. It's worth coming to this place for this one dish alone, but for everything we ordered there wasn't a single bad dish. Our server was really sweet and everything came out in a reasonable time. This is a great spot if you need to grab a bite before going out, or even better if you're done with a night out and you need a place to keep the night going. Closing at 2am, this is the perfect spot to end the night with some beer and great izakaya food.

    Shannon Z.

    HIGHLY recommend eating here!!! The vibes, the service, the food - everything was high quality. We came in on a weekday evening and there was no wait. We tried multiple dishes and each dish wowed us. I felt like I was eating dishes from culinary class wars - that's how innovated and amazing the dishes were lol. The dishes were more elevated compared to traditional izakaya. We started off with the tomato salad, which was so refreshing and had an amazing sauce with a mixture of tartiness, sweetness, and savoriness combined. Next, we had the stuffed chicken wings which were amazing - it was like a dumpling but inside of a chicken wing and chicken itself was nice and crispy. After that we got the fried octopus which came in a soup and the flavor was so delicious and unique. We ended with the braised pork belly which was super tender and melted in my mouth.

    Chicken eggplant gratin
    Leon A.

    We really enjoyed coming here since we usually go to izakayas in OC and this is something different. Smaller plates (like kaiseki) and the quality/selection is better and you'll see items you've never seen at the other restaurants. The beef yukke was our favorite, fried octopus was really good and different since it's served in a thick sauce, chicken cartilage (not pictured) was great also. The server used to work at Kappo Honda, and she remembered us and provided the same great attentive service she has always provided. Their drink selection is also different from other late night Japanese places since they make cocktails. Overall, highly recommend for people looking for good eats outside of the other izakayas in OC that have been around for a while like Shinsengumi/Hondaya/Kappo Honda.

    omakase
    Hena L.

    Great service and cute spot! Open super late. We ended up randomly popping in because it was one of the few spots open later. Food-wise, my favorite dish was the pressed salmon sushi. I've been thinking about it still and it's been weeks. We also tried the omakase dish which was an assortment of foods such as sashimi, tofu, an edamame based dish. Even with this, I liked the fish dishes the most and want to come back to eat more of this compared to the other dishes. We tried an apple based cocktail and a melon based cocktail but I wasn't the biggest fan of these. I think it's better to get the beer!

    Pressed mackerel so good
    David D.

    We were really impressed by the food quality and taste at Iyasaka. The wife heard about it and I had no expectations, but every dish was so good. We love pressed mackerel and came here just for that one dish. It was our favorite and didn't disappoint. Fish was really fresh and flavors great. Croquette and octopus were delicious, would definitely get those again. Gizzards aren't my thing but the wife loved them. I thought the Hamburg was really good, but it wasn't exceptional where I would order it next time - and that's only because everything was so good and we want to try more. Honestly I would pay more for these dishes as an kaiseki or multi-course fancy meal. Can't wait to go back and try more!

    Seasonal bamboo shoots
    Andrew L.

    Izakaya as a word has been kind of co-opted by non-Japanese to mean more or less upscale Japanese food. The actual real meaning of izakaya should be a drinking restaurant with a focus on small plates. This place has a bar that covers nearly all the major forms of alcohol and the small dishes to accompany your drinks here are superb. All the details here are paid very well attention to for discerning gourmets. I think this is the perfect place to eat and drink for a few hours with a friend or two. I will definitely be back.

    Cut mackerel sushi
    M J.

    This is my favorite new restaurant. The staff are so nice and enthusiastic about their food and drinks. The food is delicious, with a great selection of small dishes and main courses. The big surprise for me was the mackerel cut sushi. It was fresh and fatty. The omakase appetizer was creative and flavorful. The roasted duck udon had a delicious, rich broth. I look forward to coming back and trying new things.

    Pressed Salmon Sushi- seared on top and yummy!
    Andy C.

    Yummy food and I'd drive out of my way to go here if I was in a drinking mood. This place is an izakaya that specializes in fried, steamed and boiled food. A lot of their menu offerings are very unique and offer a fun twist on classics, like their agedashi tofu that is wrapped in seaweed before fried. I do wish they had grilled skewers though... My favs: Chicken cartilage with plum Chicken gizzards Stuffed chicken wing Agedashi tofu Rice with salmon and roe Pressed (seared) salmon sushi Eihire- grilled stingray fin Pressed Mackerel roll - fishy in the way mackerel is Fun to try but wouldn't repeat: Japanese taro fries Fried katsu bites Shumai Tomato salad

    Giseela N.

    We came with a large group, and everything was excellent. The food had an amazing presentation, and the flavors were delicious. I really appreciated the attention to detail in how every dish was plated. The servers were amazing--very friendly, attentive, and caring throughout our visit. Definitely coming back again!

    Bamboo Sushi
    Emily T.

    The service was attentive and friendly. The server explained all the small plates carefully. The food was uniquely enjoyable as they were prepared in unusual ways such as the corn tempura and the bamboo sushi! The ambience is perfect for a late night place to hang out for after dinner drinks and if so inclined karaoke!! I would recommend trying Iyasaka out sometime. If you are plant based or vegan there are great options for you!

    Battera (Mackerel) Sushi.

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    5 months ago

    Everything was amazing. Highly recommend. Small and intimate. Legit Japanese comfort food.

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    7 months ago

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    When arriving to the brewery, I enjoyed the look and atmosphere. Very wide open and plenty of…read moreseating, the string lights helped create a nice inviting atmosphere. But I was caught off guard by the lack of music and overall how quiet the whole place was. I went on a Friday and there weren't many people there, which isn't bad just something I had noticed. Very stark comparison to the other breweries in the area, which were much more lively. The beers itself were decent; however, there were no prices posted anywhere on the chalk menu, or the paper menu from what I saw. I ordered 2 drinks, one of which needed to have the keg replaced. When the attendant returned she said they were actually completely out, but the drink I had ordered was a double IPA, and without any prices posted or itemized receipt, I wasn't sure what I was able to get instead. The attendant then tells me "if you get something cheaper, I won't change the price" which confused me. A double IPA is typically more expensive than a regular beer or seltzer and she didn't even offer a refund to compensate for the fact that it was sold out and I had already paid for it. This could have been mitigated if the prices were available or she offered me an itemized receipt. For 2 beers I paid $20 before tipping. As a customer I'd like to be informed of what I'm getting charged for, and if I'm charged for something more and given less, I'd like a partial refund. In the end I got my beers and sat down. The brewery itself doesn't serve food, so it was nice being able to bring my own food and est what I want. Again, up until 30 minutes of being there, no music was playing, so very off putting vibe. Overall, I did not enjoy my experience here and don't recommend anyone coming here when other breweries are in tbe area and much more clear with pricing and have a more lively vibe.

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