As a sushi fanatic, moving to New Mexico has been extremely disappointing. (Wonderful for nature but disappointing as a fish eater). Santa Fe is in desperate need of a superb sushi bar. This place is NOT it. It is WAY overpriced. Not enough sushi. It's mostly a Korean style eatery with cooked dishes. Food was tasty but again, way overpriced. You're paying for the ambiance which is indeed nice. But I want amazing sushi. read more

I love Izanami! This review is long overdue. I love the dining room (can't wait for it to reopen) I love the food, I love the service every time (thank you for this time Paloma), and I love the attitude. Your curbside takeout family meals helped me survive the quarantine. Wish I could eat here every night! read more

After seeing a few photos of ramen from previous Yelp reviews, we decided to give Izanami a shot. The setting of the restaurant is absolutely beautiful and peaceful!!! I am glad we found this place. The soup base of "aji amarillo ramen" is what made our experience 3-star. It didn't have a clean broth taste compared to the ramen bars we have visited. The soup base is the key ingredient that would make or break the dish. This is probably not the strongest dish on the menu. Service and atmosphere are awesome!!! I would try the burgers if we decide to return. read more

izanami - Aji Amarillo Ramen - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Completely disappointed. Came on the recommendations of a handful of people. The zen filled walk up to the restaurant and pretty waterfall immediately outside the door, is misleading. The environment once inside feels like a fast food Asian restaurant, complete with the staff wearing cheesy plastic name tags. We ordered the gyoza, sautéed veggies, soba sesame noodles, ramen, pickle plate and wagyu burger. It pains me to say that the food was actually gross. Additionally, it was sloppily prepared and looked unappetizing. The best offering is the complementary miso chocolates rolled in coconut. A supposedly upscale spa should have a better restaurant associated. read more

Izanami is a restaurant I go to often . The food is amazing , authentic , etc.. The environment makes me feel like I'm at home , and MOST employees are absolutely awesome and attentive . Although the other night I went to go over there a specific server I had named MATEO was very rude , showed that he did not care about my table. Flat out ATTITUDE . Had a horrible time . read more

This restaurant was hands down one of the best restaurants I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy. It was the perfect backdrop for a celebration and had such spectacular views! The waiter was very knowledgeable in helping us pair the perfect sake with our meal. The main stand out of the meal was the wagyu tartar... we ordered two! It melted in your mouth, the presentation was beautiful. The desert was almost to pretty to eat.. almost. I highly recommend and I can not wait to return to ten thousand waves and this gem. read more

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As I went solo, I made a reservation but added that I would be more satisfied to sit at the bar. Not a problem and when arrived, was seated within five minutes of my reservation time. Above average food (especially bibimbap with steak), though the onigiri was very good and the Japanese mushrooms were excellent. Service as above average with a special shoutout to Diego, my server, and his willingness to converse about the range and tasting of Sake (excellent range). One caution - CHECK YOUR CREDIT CARD receipt. I pay cash for the tip and cross out "Tip" on the bill. HOWEVER when received my credit statement noticed $15.00 higher than bill. Luckily I live in Santa Fe so revisited the restaurant to resolve the issue. Person who assisted was pleasant and accommodating stating "must have been a mistake" to which I was, and remain, skeptical. read more

My entire family tried their Thanksgiving take out. Sounded like a great meal from a restaurant we frequent. We all (3) got ill shortly after eating, ended up throwing most of the food away. I sent an email to the manager and she (?) said she would pass the info on to the chef. The result: zero. Never heard a thing. Not a lot of concern/empathy coming from a high end restaurant to a customer, especially not a new customer. Expensive dinner wasted. Additionally the meal was not very tasty. Perhaps they should stick to Asian fare. We will not be back. read more

We were extremely disappointed with both the service and lunch today at Izanami. Below is a statement from their website- "Don't expect the usual. There is NO SUSHI (we're a thousand miles from the ocean). No soggy tempura." "Don't expect the usual?" That is an understatement. Don't expect food with flavor or freshness or good service either. "There is NO SUSHI (we're a thousand miles from the ocean)." So why put a lobster ramen on your menu? For $26.00, I could have bought much better lobster at Costco. Fresh lobster should not be tough or chewy. Fresh lobster should not have an overwhelming fish smell. When I stated the lobster wasn't really good, the server was patronizing and unwilling to offer any compensation. Because of the hype and price point, I was expecting so much more. When I merely pointed out what fresh lobster should taste like, the server mocked me. If we are a thousand miles from the ocean why are you falsely advertising lobster and offering sashimi? The noodles were overcooked and mushy. The truffle-lobster-bone broth was weak and watery. The bento box offers of vegetarian option of the day or a meat option- (salmon!!) When I explained salmon was not meat, the server just looked at me and said there were no substitutions. I chose the vegetarian and it was a disgusting mix of bizarre flavors and poorly prepared food. 3 soggy pieces of avocado tempura? Goat cheese on roasted artichoke? At best this poorly advertised and poorly executed "fusion" cuisine. read more

Loved this place. True Japanese style. Blankets and hot towels, traditional Tatami room. Sake flight was to die for. Bento boxes, Soup and Kartage were great. Bipandbop and Foi Gras burger were decent. Would absolutely return after a day at the spa. read more

Love this authentic Japanese restaurant the toilet seats are heated The food is Yummy read more

The food is terrific, spicing very well balanced and delicious. Just be prepared that the portions are as tiny as they are pricey.

I felt as if we were transported to the countryside outside of Kyoto when we pulled into the Ten Thousand Waves compound on the way to lunch. The restaurant is up the road on a hillside with beautiful views, set against a monumental stone wall with a waterfall and gardens. For dining in times of Covid, the purpose-built pavilion is ideal and spacious. All the food was good to excellent. Zangi Fried Chicken, Shichimi Fries, Gyoza were perfect. The Miso Ramen was good, but the broth could've been a bit richer. Our servers were great, but service is bit clumsy. Plates should be cleared individually, not piled up on table first and then cleared. Overall, very enjoyable!!! read more

We visited Izanami the night before the two week lockdown went into effect, hoping to support the restaurant. The food didn't disappoint. The wagyu short ribs, wagyu beef ishiyaki, and nasu dengaku were fantastic. We enjoyed the sake flight. The disappointment? We received only one sake flight even though we ordered two. The waitress never checked to see if everything was ok, so we missed out and so did the restaurant. She'd also left a menu with us so we could order more, but since she went missing we gave up. We noticed she never checked in with the other tables in our enclosed porch area (right off bar). Just giving mgmt. a heads-up... read more

In my opinion this is the best restaurant in Santa Fe. Beautiful and tranquil atmosphere, knowledgeable and friendly staff, comfortable seating. The food is AMAZING! Some small plates for sharing and some large plates. The food is fresh and so delicious! The menu is seasonal. The sake menu is large and the staff knows it's sake! The desserts are unique and a crowd pleaser. I cannot recommend Izanami enough. Treat yourself! read more

Visiting Santa Fe for the weekend from LA and decided to check out Izanami on our last night. Right off the bat, the place is gorgeous. It's a bit of a climb up the hilly road to get to the parking lot but the views are beautiful. The service was great, our waiter was very attentive and was spot on with the recommendations - I don't think I would have thought to try the pork ribs had he not said something and I'm so glad we listened because they were seriously some of the best ribs I've ever had hands down. We also got the ahi tuna tacos, the croquettes, and the wagyu beef burger (which was a liiiiittle over cooked but still great). The food was pretty damn good all around the prices were surprisingly reasonable (a bill at a similar establishment in LA would have been close to double what we ended up paying). It might be a while before I make it back to Santa Fe but when I do, this spot is definitely at the top of my list of places to return to. read more

After a few hours at the spa with some friends, we headed down the hill a short distance to the new restaurant. The icy waterfall at the entrance was stunning and made a great backdrop for some photos. Inside, things were a bit hectic. The host or manager made it clear they were much busier than expected. I think they are still working out the kinks of being a brand new restaurant. Once we sat down in the tatami room, the ambiance was gorgeous. Many of the fine touches you admire at "The Waves", as locals call it, are translated beautifully in the decor of the restaurant. It even has those supercool high-tech Japanese bathrooms. I loved the hanging lantern groupings. I would love to recreate that in my house. If you are expecting fast service because you are starving from the spa, or you were expecting to eat fish, you are in the wrong place. Luckily, when you live in Santa Fe you become accustomed to the very gentle pace life can move at. Some of us even appreciate it and thrive in it. My suggestion is to grab a snack at the spa to nosh on if you are hungry or you might get cranky waiting for your appetizers. I opted for the "fragrant and bright" sake flight to hold me over. It was a great choice! We also had the soup and edamame humus to start. They were all delicious. For my entree I decided on the local sautéed brocolette and the spinach salad. Everyone ended up sharing their dishes. From vegetarian to gluten free, everyone in my group was well fed and happy. It was a good experience overall. I can't wait to return to this place to see how it progresses. read more

izanami - Icy Waterfall 2014 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Fantastic meal in a beautiful setting! This was our favorite meal in Santa Fe, and that's saying a lot considering how vibrant the food scene is here. The staff were all friendly, kind and fun, and the owner/manager (not sure which) was super funny and made everything fun. The sake flight was fantastic, as was the green tea brewed with roasted brown rice (genmaicha). I really don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu. Keep in mind that this is similar to tapas, in that the dishes are small and are brought out as they are ready, not served in specific courses. Trust the process - I promise it's really neat and makes for an informal and fun eating experience. If you're a fan of onigiri, don't pass up the spicy crab onigiri. The hot buttered mushrooms were superb, as were the Brussels sprouts. Try the A5 wagyu beef cooked on a hot stone, and definitely don't pass up their chef's specials for their sashimi offerings. They had a beef tartare on special that was some of the best I can recall eating. Their Covid protocols were well-thought out and highly appreciated by us. We had a wonderful time and we look forward to visiting again when we're back in Santa Fe. read more

Not worth the hype. Don't bother. Seriously. Pretty place but...it took 1/2 hour to get our table, 20 minutes to get order taken. Ribs were dry. Gyoza burned. "Fried chicken" was a poor excuse for what it should've been. Fries, meh. The best part of the meal was the end, when they brought the bill with two tasty chocolate truffles. That's it. read more

If you want a perfect study on cultural appropriation, look no further! Not one Asian person working to be seen; the waitress taught us how to pour each other our sake as they do in Japan; none of the dishes are authentically Japanese. Beautiful space though... but man... call me a snowflake, but as an Asian, I couldn't help but cringe. read more

This is the restaurant in the Ten Thousand Waves Spa. It is small plate/tapas style Japanese gourmet. My husband and I had the omakase chefs choice meal. Each dish was prepared with care for presentation and taste. We had yellowtail sashimi, tempura shrimp, cooked sea bass, soft shell crab for the seafood and mushrooms, fava beans, shishito peppers, a risotto like dish (yes!) with a special sausage interspersed in the rice, shishito peppers and a ice cream dessert. We enjoyed all the food. I tried one of the sake flights and thought each one was of high quality. I would recommend this place for overall ambience and food. read more

Izanami was such a pleasure, and such a great complement to the spa next door. The bibimbap and beet salad both compared favorably to the best I have had at home in California, and the view of the mountains made it the best lunch I could remember in ages. I was so lost in the food that I left my backpack underneath the table, and did not realize until shortly before boarding my flight in ABQ. The restaurant was so kind, they shipped the bag to my home and wouldn't even let me pay the shipping. I received it less than three days later. Thank you, Izanami. We will be back. read more

All I can really say is that this place is AMAZING! The flavors are on point and their sake offering is top notch. We tried the "high and dry" sake flight and loved every one. Wish we weren't light weights so we can try them all. We only stopped in for a snack. If you're doing the same, I highly recommend sitting at the chef's counter to watch dishes get made. We ordered the shishito peppers, mushrooms, and tofu. Every dish was delicious and flavorful. Izanami is a must try if you're in or near Santa Fe. read more

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A wonderful experience with a very short drive out of town. We enjoyed ramen, wagyu burger and fries, and bibonbop. Everything was delicious and so fresh. The view was beautiful and the service was great. It was a really nice break from the Mexican food in town. The pricing is extremely reasonable too! We also got the sake flight since they have a large sake menu with options not seen elsewhere. Would highly recommend! read more

This place is taking me out of my Yelp hiatus for the last 10 (?) years. My wife and I are on a road trip with our puppy so have been limited (worth it) to places that are dog friendly and izanami popped up. Two years ago we were in Japan so we figured it'd be pretty cool to eat here and we were not disappointed! We went here two nights ago and again tonight and both were excellent experiences! The hostess each night (Cristina I think) got our pup Maggie water and some treats and was very welcoming and lovely. The only things we did order both nights were the shishito peppers and the Kuri Kuro chestnut ale. We did two separate sake flights each night and had some great conversations about Japan and sake in general with both of the waiters; tonight was with the sake sommelier so this was pretty cool because he let us know about a local sake shop near us that we are going to look up. Over two nights We got the gyozas (least greasy ones we've had and so good), mushrooms, arugula salad (my wife's favorite dish), spicy cucumber avocado salad (incredible), fried oysters, lobster tempura, crab onigiri, charishizushi, wagyu Japan vs Nebraska tasting, and summer zucchini (only thing we didn't love and wouldn't order again). Desserts: the cake and "the soup." I thought the cake was insanely wonderful and had a hard time wanting to try something else but woah, the tapioca soup was top five best desserts I've ever had! The prices we thought were reasonable and loved that we could bring our dog and all the staff (we met many each night) were delightful! Definitely would love to stay there next time! I would highly recommend this gem! This was a leisurely paced meal, which we loved, also, we were totally obsessed with the fact that they require COVID-19 vaccines or testing before dining in!! Love it and made us happy to support them even more!! read more

I really love this place. Not just the spa and hotel which I have not been able to stay at Due to my lack of knowledge or planning when I traveled. The restaurant was quite a surprise considering most Hot Springs I've visited in my time I've had no restaurant attached. Walking into this place was like a blast from the past of visiting Japanese Onsen during my travels. Upon walking in I got to eavesdrop on some customers ahead of me which gave me quite a chuckle. With that being said I feel the clientele may have the tendency to be slightly eccentric. But isn't that always part of the fun with traveling and seeing new places? In closing the food was great, the ambience was wonderful, and the staff was cordial. I was traveling so I didn't get a chance to drink the really wonderfully curated sake collection but next time I go back, Believe me I will be saying kampai!!!! read more

The food is of reasonable variety and quality, but what you're really paying for in a restaurant like this is atmosphere. The service is unfortunately really hit or miss -- we've had friendly servers and oddly condescending ones. One server was particularly rude when we didn't want to order any alcohol. This used to be one of my favorite restaurants, but between the construction and the tepid service, I've rather gone off it. read more

Meh. I was a little dissapointed. NO FISH? A Japanese restaurant that doesn't have fish on the menu. Well the chefs tasting menu had 3 types of fish but they won't let you order that a la cart. They were out of many items I wanted to order also. No booze. Beer, wine and sake. Service was ok. Store was clean. Brussels sprouts, ribs and tempura were the best things we tried. read more

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Great food and service! What a great find! I was Ten Thousand Waves for my birthday and went o Izanami for dinner. What a great meal! They offer small plates and we ordered 6 for the two of us and each dish was amazing and full of flavor. Our server was great and she made recommendations and helped us pick a bottle of saki. I really enjoyed the whole experience and would highly recommend this restaurant. A fun place for a foodie. It was a great birthday dinner. read more

Izanami is open for both outdoor dining, with lots of heaters, and take out. Both are great, even in Santa Fe's cold winters. I had shabu shabu on the patio last week and took out a 32 ounce Wagyu tomahawk steak with onions, broccolini, two sauces, and wasabi butter for New Year's Eve dinner. Both provided a ton of food, and both were excellent. I opted to have the kitchen cook the steak for me. I ordered medium rare, and it was cooked and seasoned perfectly. The sauces (shiso chimichurri and yuzu anticucho) were interesting and very tasty but almost irrelevant because the steak was so good. The shabu shabu was a cook-it-yourself at the restaurant experience and consisted of tasty broth into which you cook lots of vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, chicken sausage, thinly sliced beef, and noodles, with the broth taking on the flavor of each addition. I am very grateful that one of Santa Fe's best restaurants is open during these Covid times. read more

izanami - Shabu shabu - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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The best meal we had during our recent trip to Santa Fe. Everything was delicious and we experienced exceptional service. Added bonus, we got to try Yuki no Bosha sake, which was amazing after seeing an NHK documentary on the master brewer. read more

The food and service were excellent... The waitress was very knowledgeable about the menu. Only tidbit that was left out when we were planning our weekend - you need a reservation... We were seated quickly since there was cancellations but it's better to have a reservation. read more

izanami - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

My mother and I had a fabulous dinner here recently. This was for sure one of the best meals I had while in Santa Fe. We ordered all veggie dishes and the watermelon heirloom salald, the potato soup, and the sake braised mushrooms were outstanding...so fresh and full of flavor. For dessert we had a divine and not overly sweet coconut milk pudding with tapioca topped with mango and raspberry sorbet and a touch of basil syrup. That mango sorbet was EVERYTHANG! Our server was knowledgeable and friendly. We were staying at the spa, so getting to eat in your robe right after a hot bath was the icing on the cake. If you love quality Japanese food, eat at Izanami. read more

Fabulous location in the hills above Santa Fe. Had dinner with four friends and the service and food were outstanding. Our host, Raul, was engaging and provided excellent insights and advice regarding the menu, as well as for sake from the extensive offerings. We began with a medium dry, earthy option that was served hot. We especially enjoyed the well seasoned rack of ribs, as well as the sea bass and a shared burger. The setting is spectacular and well worth the trip. We'll definitely return on a future visit to Santa Fe. read more

This is a must try restaurant! The grade A foi grad, the sake braised shimeji mushroom, and the wagyu steak... Really love them! You will enjoy the fresh food, tasty drinks and friendly staff here read more

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I hate to write this as it used to be one of my favorite places to eat. The ambience is still very nice but I am disappointed in the menu changes, disappointed enough to not drive for 40 minutes to eat there any time soon. Service was almost impeccable....just a little slow. The Sake flight was pretty good, although in the past we always bought one or 2 of the sakes but not this time. read more

Love the floor table sitting. Everything is so fresh and tasty. Foie Gras Burger is unbelievable. I can't express how fresh the Foie Gras is. My husband says he will fly to New Mexico every year just for this burger read more

izanami - This Foie Gras Burger is unbelievable. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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I have been going to Ten Thousand Waves since 1996 and was very excited about the restaurant when it opened. Recently, the customer service at Izanami is not up to Ten Thousand Waves standards in the past. In an effort to support local businesses, I dined or attempted to dine there twice in recent months. My husband and I sat outdoors in the late fall. Our food (nothing was especially complicated in our order) arrived well after that of others seated long after us. I am trying to be more patient because I understand these are difficult times, but sitting outside in chilly weather and being served very slowly with no explanation was not very pleasant. The food was fine but not memorable. I also attempted to order one of their holiday take out meals. When I requested the order I was told there was a noon cutoff that day that I had missed. Neither their website nor newsletter info mentioned a noon cutoff that I could easily find, it only mentioned the date. When I pointed this out so perhaps it could be better clarified in the future, I was made to feel like it was my mistake. I congratulate Ten Thousand Waves on its success in growing and attracting a greater national and international clientele, but it saddens me that it no longer appears to value excellent customer service (and local customers, but that's another issue). read more

Delicious Japanese restaurant! The hostess was a bit of an airhead. She was very confused at check in and confused me with another guest twice... Food came out quickly, decent price, and good sized servings (there are supposed to be small plates, but pretty big for tapas style!). Server was ok. Not awful, but she was just average. Nice ambience. I would come back but wouldn't make a "special" trip unless I was going to the spa too. read more

I dined at izanami while I was a guest at 10K Waves. It was delightful! I'm not a sake fan but the server convinced me to try a few and, color me surprised, I discovered a few I liked. The meal was terrific...started off with a few small plates, added more, and more, and....well, you get the idea. The atmosphere is classic Japanese (says the guy who has never been to Japan) and the service was great! If it weren't so far from home I'd pop in frequently for dinner. read more