Great food. Cool decor. Welcoming warm host. Excellent service. Definitely stop by here for an overall great experience :)

I was surprised at this spot on the way into Ojai . It has Japanese, Indian and Tibetan food. I had the sushi burrito, sounds weird right ? It was a big sushi roll with crab Salmon , seaweed, rice and lettuce . We had mussels made so delicious the sauce was flavorful I couldn't pick out the spice . A lovely cup of tea outside in the beautiful sunshine . Don't pass it by give it a try u will be surprised. read more

Always tasty food, sushi freshly made, beautifully made. Staff are very friendly, and attentive. Dorjee and Dolkar are the nicest folks.

This excellent restaurant is just outside of downtown Ojai. The outside area is very cute and the owner is very friendly and charming. We have several dishes that we shared. My fave was the dynamite roll. Super delicious! Highly recommend! We will definitely go there again. read more

Quite a surprise for a trip to Ojai. Good service, fresh food. I cannot recommend this enough.

We recently moved to Ventura, so happy we found this place this place on our trip to Ojai. Food and service was amazing. The ambiance was so welcoming. Can't wait to visit again! read more

the food is DELICIOUS! i had the sushi burrito and it was the best thing ever. super fresh and it was made so quickly! beautiful and clean inside, the prices are decent, and the service was lovely! i would come back here every day if i could read more

Mandala Restaurant - inside seating - Japanese Near Me - Ojai, California

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A bit disappointed in the sushi, very slow to fill our order. The spicy pork was disappointing too. We may check back in six months, but then again maybe not, there are better options in the valley. read more

What a pleasant surprise this place was. We had just finished a long hike and were pretty hungry. Took a chance on Mandala and we were so pleased with everything from the service to the variety of food on the menu. We would definitely eat here again next time we are in town. read more

I love this place! Their momos are soooooooo good. Thugpa soup! And fish curry. And samosas! The owners are kind, ambiance is lovely, love all the vibrant colors and art. shout out to Rinchen for being hilarious. Go check it out! read more

Cold sushi! The Vampire roll was delish! Their menu is full of options but we were there strictly for sushi read more

Mandala Restaurant - Vampire Roll - Japanese Near Me - Ojai, California

They lit the gas fire on the deck to take off the chill off the blustery day. We sipped miso soup and watched the hummingbirds stop in to pay their respect and to refresh themselves in the Buddha fountain. Three cuisines: Japanese, Indian and Tibetan. We had a couple items from each of the latter two menus. All the food was fresh and delicious. Excellent food, excellent service, warm and peaceful atmosphere. Perfection. read more

Mandala Restaurant - Hummingbird Drinking Fountain on deck. - Japanese Near Me - Ojai, California

Went for a first time with Mom and loved it!! The service, the atmosphere, the food and the whole vibe was super comfortable. The server was great and let me bend his ear about how the Tibetan monks had opened for the Grateful Dead one year. It's cause they had a recording of the monks and their throat singing. Very cool. The patio was comfortable, even though a few ants were crawling on me, they didn't eat much or spoil anything. The Tibetan chow mein was excellent and an ample portion. It was not as oily and greasy as Chinese Chow mein usually can be and had sort of a hibachi flavor to the vegetables. We ordered ours with chicken and there was plenty of chicken in it so I was very impressed with the dish in pretty much all ways. Yum! This sushi burrito was also really good. The server told us you can add fish to it but we just ordered it the way they make it with the crab and cucumber and avocado, more California style. It was a good size and I think a burrito shared between two people is perfect with another dish. I was so happy when I saw that the sushi burrito was served with the little pile of seaweed salad which I love very much. That was a nice surprise. We also had one order of samosas to share. They were cooked perfectly and as far as samosas go, I'd say the filling was above average but I always felt samosas were a little bland. I did use the citrus dipping sauce which was good but the samosas were not my favorite but far from not being less than good. All in all, mandala is a great place to go and I'm excited to go back. I took a to-go menu with me to study for the next pickup. The menu is pretty extensive with Tibetan, Indian and Japanese choices. Thank you everyone there at Mandala! We'll be back! read more

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I always go back for their delicious baked salmon roll and seaweed salad. It's a chill environment. Good people too.

Delicious food but sometimes you just have to know their strengths. I stay away from the sushi & often go to the momo soup. It's actually the only thing i get there anymore. Momo soup has entered my cosmology in such a powerful way that I often talk of it without preamble or even any real occasion. It has entered the pantheon of great soups, alongside Pho Oxnard (a controversial choice over Pho Saigon), any & all tom kha, and the venerable split pea from Andersen's. It occupies a space once held by the tomato soup of the Sidecar Restaurant, where once I would enjoy jazz & grilled cheese. The service here can be slow hence the four star review. Momo soup. read more

GO, GO, GO... IT IS SO Good!. This is among the top 3 food experiences of my life. I felt closer to God in appreciation of their food. If you are not into alternative spicy food, just try it and go here to be happy you experienced something different and amazing. This guy has no idea how good the food is, It is EXCEPTIONAL!!! This kitschy, semi-tacky, but you're still curious experience is the 2nd best meal I have ever eaten in my life; It only compares to a 12-course meal dining with members of the Jordanian Royal family in a private dining room in the most exclusive restaurant in Jordan and the first time I had Blue Fin Toro moves to #3 . I am that serious!!! I am an eco, local supporting foodie who cooks better than most restaurants... I'm that good and I live in Los Angeles. Get to this place as fast you can for a divine culinary unique experience before he moves and has a 6-month waiting list. The Pakoras with mango dip will send you to heaven (and I do not like mango fruit... how did he do it?). The excellent quality sushi with seaweed salad and cucumbers after the pakoras was a delightful sensation. Then, we went for the gluten-free momas with an amazing chili dip and the chef said " he hadn't tried them yet so he hoped they would be good." They were fantastic and then we used that delectable chili sauce from that dish on top of our final round tapas style ordering of crispy tuna rice (we wanted to compare it to our local place at home). They knocked everything our of the park by miles. I want to live here just to enjoy their food several times a week. We ate the night before my birthday and had reservations for my birthday. someplace else. If I repeated this night for my birthday dinner, I would be ecstatic. read more

Very nice staff. Unique place for a Tibetan restaurant. The menu is a mix of just couple of Tibetan dishes, Indian and sushi. Food was good and the decor is unique. They have an outdoor fireplace which was a nice touch. read more

For Ojai, this is the best place to get Asian food. Especially the Chinese stir-fry kind of dishes. I love their stir-fried glass noodle. Plus the steamed veggie moms (the sauce is spicy but it is the key) Their sushi is also great. It's slightly pricey because it is in Ojai, the options are very limited. But they are delicious for what you can find in Ojai. read more

Well, this was an awkward experience. This review is based solely on customer service, as I did not get a chance to try their food. I walked in and I was the only person there, granted it's takeout only, but nobody was waiting for their food. Should've been an indication... There was a man and woman behind the counter, they looked at me and didn't say anything. Umm, this is odd. I said "hello" and asked if the naan was vegan. The woman coldly responded "no". She didn't make any other suggestions... so I was looking at the menu and asked if the samosas were vegan. She simply said "yes". So I said I would like to order that and probably an entrée. I asked if I could use the restroom while I waited for my food, the woman looked at me and said "restroom is broken". By this time I was over her coldness, & the man next to her had not said one word to me this entire time. Soooo awkward! Decided I would go somewhere else for lunch, I said "okay, never mind". Not sure what was up or why these two didn't want my business, but I definitely won't return. read more

I grew up in China, so sometimes I miss the authentic taste of Asian food. When that happens, I head out and try to see if their are any restaurants that can satisfy my cravings. I was very impressed by what I found at the Mandala restaurant. From the first second I walked in I knew this was going to be a good experience. First off, the decor of the place is gorgeous. The owners of the place are from Tibet, and clearly are very proud of their culture. Prayer flags, a small alter, even the slight scent of incense are some of the first things that greet you when you enter. Secondly, the workers there are incredibly warm and friendly. They do actually try to get to know each customer on a personal level. When I was there, the waiters who rolled around for tea joked and genuinely tried to engage each of the four different tables. For one couple, they even picked up a traditional prayer horn and gave it a couple blows, much to my initial shock. For me, as I was Asian, they gave me some food recommendations and I had a long chat with one of the family members of the workers there in Chinese for a good hour. Thirdly, the food is on point. I was slightly skeptical at first of the idea of a Japanese/Tibetan fusion (because despite both being Asian, the two cuisines taste totally different) but the dishes soon took care of my worries. I started out with their lunch set, which allows you to pick three different entrees with rice and soup. I decided to go Tibetan, since the whole decor of the place suggested that was where the family was from. I chose chicken curry, gobi alo and some beef momos, and they were excellent. Still feeling a little hungry, I asked one of the family members there what they recommended, and he told me his son loved the baked salmon rolls, so I decided to give it a chance. Much to my surprise and delight, it was actually one of the better salmon rolls I've ever had (and I've had many), easily beating the sushi place in Santa Paula, where I usually go. Finally, those folks are trying to help out their fellow folks in distress in Tibet. Their prices are very reasonable for the quality, but they also donate 2 percent of their annual income to education and food in the rural communities in Tibet, which seems to be a very noble cause. In conclusion, if you want to get some authentic, delicious food in a warm and inviting place, as well as help some people in need, come to Mandala. read more

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We visited here for a late lunch while driving down to LA via 101. The extra detour was worth it. The drive is quite scenic and the restaurant itself reminded us of being in any of the highway eateries in the Himalayas. The food was quite authentic- we got vegetarian Tibetian food (monos & noodles) along with some daal and naan. Everything was delicious, fresh and piping hot. We got the noodles with the spice on the side for the kids. This was a good idea - the kids lapped up the noodles while we used the spice for our serving. Finally we just loved our conversations with the owner. Again reminded us so much of the friendly hill folk from our trips to the mountains. He was chatty and yet respected our privacy and gave us our space. If you driving down 101 or visiting the JK foundation, be sure to check out this place. read more

Could have given five stars, but more research needed;). Good food & service. Loved the outdoor patio, great vibe at the whole place. Kirin on tap, yum. read more

Not your typical restaurant - after dining there I felt confused and conflicted. There is stuff everywhere- reminds me of home. The wait staff is dressed for a day at the park and running around like a Chinese fire drill - but always polite. Took quite a while for what seemed like the only waiter to take our order but the food came reasonably quickly. Two other fellows also dressed casually showed up to help out even though one told us he wasn't really working- then what are you doing here? We had a coupon for a free appetizer if you order 2 entrees, which we did - but the waiter said one of the entrees doesn't qualify even though it's listed under "entrees" on the menu. I'm so confused. He took the coupon anyway and graced us with a free appetizer. Our entrees showed up first and when I questioned the whereabouts of our appetizer and sushi roll, they appeared shortly after. The degree of discombobulation by the staff was disconcerting. How about an efficiency expert? Oh yeah - the food. It was all served hot and fresh. The tempura shrimp was just OK. The lemon sushi roll was really nice. The stir fried udon noodle dish was OK - nothing special. My wife's tofu and vegetable entree was again OK - nothing special and somewhat lacking in flavor. It took quite a while to get some takeout containers and the bill again due to the disorganized staff but we finally found our way to the door. Will we go back? Hard to say. It's fairly close to home and if the sushi roll was a good indicator of the rest of the sushi, if we do return it might only be for some sushi. read more

We had a wonderful and tasty meal at this gem of a place. Who would think there would be a Tibetan place in Ojai! We started with the chicken somos as our appetizers. We also tried the Tibetan chicken chow mein noodles, which included lots of veggies and chicken vs. many other places where they put too much noodles. Our favorite dish by far was the fish curry, which was super flavorful with such an array of wonderful South East Asian herbs and spices. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful in making suggestions. We felt like we were part of the family. We also enjoyed the artwork throughout the restaurant. Mandala is a must try if you're in Ojai!! read more

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What a pleasant surprise in Ojai! Never in my life have I seen a combination of Japanese, Nepalese and Indian cuisine until I met Mendala Restaurant. Service was excellent! The entire staff was extremely attentive and Dolkar and I had a great conversation during my short time in town. My favorite item by far was the spicy tuna roll. Simple, but perfect. For $6, it doesn't get better than that. The Chicken Momo Soup has a wonderfully light veggie broth. It's great for anyone looking for a healthier, light bite. Come check out Mandala yourself! It's truly unique and Dolkar is so sweet! read more

Mandala Restaurant - Spicy Tuna Roll! - Japanese Near Me - Ojai, California

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Be careful, even though the business hours show they are open until 9:30 PM, they might just close at 7 PM (according to staff). We came here at 8:30 and the server (probably the owner) was not very pleasant while serving the food and told us that we are late and they had to stay open for us, although we asked several times if it's OK to dine in before ordering. He could've just shut up and made everyone's day better, why would you try to make your customers feel bad on a Saturday night! One star because the girl who took our order was nice. The food was not that good and tasted like heated leftovers. read more

They have the best sushi in Oak View/Ojai in my opinion. And there's an ad coupon every so often for 10% off or a free appetizer with 2 entrees. Sushi is delicious, the atmosphere is calming and the service is wonderful. read more

I am not from this area, and I often eat at the Tibet Nepal House in Pasadena, which I think is fabulous. I am a vegetarian and I have never had any problems there. So when my friend and I came out to this "Tibetan-Style Sushi Place" in Ojai last Sunday, we had high expectations and were bitterly disappointed. I laughed when we entered because they were playing the identical syrupy Om-Man-I-Padme-Hum" music that they often play in Pasadena, except they kept turning it off and on again. I started by ordering a delicious-sounding rose-saffron boba tea and what I got was indescribably bad, like when you pour water in a glass of milk just to get every last residue of the milk. Flavorless, and with stale, chewy boba. One of the worst jokes of a drink I have ever been served, perhaps in my entire lifetime. When I mentioned it to a server, he just kind of flubbed around about it and never really offered a remedy or even a clear explanation. Lame, and the sad part was we were charged for it. My friend and I both share a repulsion toward canola oil. We asked, and sure enough, they use that fecal sludge here. Here? In hippie-dippy organic Ojai? We were about to walk out until the proprietor stopped us, promising us that they could use butter (no good since my friend is vegan) or sesame oil or anything else we wanted. He seemed sincere and we were hungry and tired so we said OK and stayed. Kind of a mistake. My friend ordered some kind of chopped vegetable dish with that sticky purple rice, and I ordered veggie momo soup after assurances that it would be meat-broth-and-canola-oil-free. In all sincerity, both dishes were acceptable, but I noticed the rice was kind of stale and dry-looking. Here's where both I and the restaurant made a huge mistake. I decided that I might enjoy the momos more if I pulled them out of the soup and put hot sauce on them. I asked a server for the house hot sauce, thinking it would be like the wickedly deadly stuff they serve at TNH in Pasadena. This server was a new guy that wasn't privy to earlier debacle over canola oil, and he deftly retrieved a small cup of their sauce, a wicked-looking dark red oily concoction. I started putting some on the momos and ate them, but in the back of my mind noticed a peculiar objectionable twang. After ingesting quite a bit, I realized! Canola oil! There were only us and one other party in the place at that moment, but I nearly had to jump up and do semaphore to get the attention of one of the servers that were yakking away with each other. He came to the table and I asked him what kind of oil was in the sauce, and he arrogantly answered, "Chili oil." There was then a dull thud because we all knew that was a B.S. answer. He admitted the imprecision and dashed off to check. He returned and demurely admitted it was crapola oil. Another dull thud and then I wordlessly pushed the cup toward him to be removed. He finally did so in the same flubbing manner as the boba guy. Great, so now I have eaten a huge dose of raw canola oil. Lovely! Later, the proprietor came over and asked after us, and I told him flatly what was wrong and right with the meal. He offered brusquely to waive our bill, to which we refused. Why? Because we are Buddhist-types too. We practice compassion, and despite their lame cluelessness, we know that it is hard to run a restaurant in these times. I even went over to their little gift shop area and bought three boxes of incense and two beautiful little talismanic charm thingys like the Chinese have in their feng-shui stores. Of course, nobody knew how much to charge and after some investigation, we arrived at the prices. I was again disappointed to learn how overpriced their incense is, but bought it anyway. Overall, not a 100% negative experience, and we are not the usual kind of assholes they have to deal with, but pretty bad and surprisingly out-of-sync for a "spiritual" Ojai resto. I was truly dismayed at what appeared to be a lack of vegetarian/vegan protein options. read more

I ordered 3 rolls and 3 teriyaki plates. Good prices. Fresh food. The kids liked the dinners.

I love this lil find... the chefs are great and the restaurant is so inviting.. they are so friendly and will work with u to make ur order extra special!!! read more

Just ordered to go and my roll was plain, they forgot my sauce. Grrrr. Atmosphere is warm.

Hidden gem that we found by accident on a 15K bike ride in Ojai. The Tibetan momos were the family fave. read more

Mandala Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Ojai, California

First time here, but not first time with Tibetan food. Mandala is lovely and comfortable inside. The owners are helpful and kind, and will answer any question about menu items or make suggestions. The food is very tasty and if you aren't ready for Tibetan, they also serve Japanese and Indian. We will definitely be back! PS: The owner brought us--gratis--a very tasty Spicy Jalapeño roll: jalapeño, crab, and cream cheese. Then after our plates were cleared, he and the whole staff came to sing Happy Birthday to my husband, delivering a wonderful Mochi ice cream dessert (see photo). read more

Mandala Restaurant - Birthday Mochi ice cream dessert. - Japanese Near Me - Ojai, California

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Had lunch here one day while in Ojai. The food was very good. Good momos. Both chicken and veggie. Shush was well above my expectations. Not getting 5 stars because both our beverages were dirty and had to be sent back. But the staff was VERY accommodating and polite. Still, takes away from the overall raising. In the end I would come back and try again. read more

Grrrreat food!!!! Affordable and tasty!!! Love the place and great sevice First time and ofcourse we will visit again!!! read more

Mandala Restaurant - Seafood soup - Japanese Near Me - Ojai, California

I know I already wrote a review but it doesn't seem to be here... Husband and I stopped in to try this new restaurant in a familiar location. I was a little wary of the fact that they boast having so many nationalities represented in their dishes, and reading the menu confirmed my concerns: they have a few dishes from each country, but nothing special from any one of them. If you want Japanese food, you'd be better off going to a Japanese restaurant with a full compliment of options. I'm guessing it's the same with the others, though you won't find a Tibetan restaurant around and if you want one thing and your dining companion wants another, maybe this place will suffice. Husband got the pineapple chicken which I almost got and was later glad I didn't. He liked it, but it was chicken in a bowl of broth which was not what I would have expected. Staff was friendly when I was there, but not everyone was familiar with the menu so when I asked what was in a dish, our server had to go find someone else before she could answer me. I ordered a roll which wasn't very memorable and a dish of noodles I recall liking well enough. Our visit was okay, but I like Japanese food, do not like Indian food and because the Japanese part of the menu was so limited, I doubt I'll be coming back. read more

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I was working nearby so I stopped for lunch, and I have to say I was amazed by how delicious their food is! I got the Chicken Tikka Masala and it was perfectly cooked and balanced. Every ingredient was so flavorful and rich. Very strongly recommend. Their nigiri is not the best in California, but it's good too! I got everything for take out since I needed to get back to work. I prefer eating in but it was still amazing. read more

Found this place on the Axxess card and really enjoyed it! The server was a young blond that was very kind, friendly and knowledgeable. He did a great job checking in with us and explaining the different dishes. The prices are a little high ($12-16 per plate) for what you get. The portions are small, but if you aren't starving, it is enough food. I got the vegetable lentil dish ($14) with naan ($3) and really enjoyed it. The hot food helped warm me up and the naan was a great addition! With the naan, you only get about 4 small squares - it is not the average serving size of most Indian restaurants - not enough to share. My husband got the vegetable soup with dumplings. He was still hungry after, but I gave him my side of rice and he was fine. We really liked the flavoring of everything and the ambiance of the place. It was very beautiful and calm. I would come here again - and next time for the lunch special. You get a bento box with your choice of items for $11-15. The menu is huge - they have sushi, chicken, dumplings, curry, soups, veggies, etc. Lots to pick from. They also serve a hard ginger beer by New City Brewery that was to die for! read more

Wonderful place. Friendly staff. The owner is a very warm and inviting person. We had soft kinds of sushi, momos and lunch special. Everything was tasty and fresh. My favorite were the Tibetan dishes. The patio is lovely and they were all very nice to my dog. Will be back for sure. read more

I was craving a sushi burrito and I always see this place when I drive by on my way to work. I decided to give them a try. The burrito was amazing! Full of flavor with the perfect amount of spice. The staff was super friendly which made my first experience a great one. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

Mandala Restaurant - Sushi burrito and seaweed salad! One word... AMAZING! - Japanese Near Me - Ojai, California