Firstly, I want to say that I love a beef so much. It tastes so soft and good in smell and the perfect marination of the meat. My daughter like Takoyaki and sashimi. Overall is really delicious with not really high price and Reasonable price. read more

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My new favorite place. Great quality fish, varied menu for all preferences and price point that is reasonable. Super friendly staff! Try happy hour sashimi. Udon. Yum! And of course happy hour Kirin ...it's on tap. read more

Cool place! We had a reservation in the VIP Room, which comfortably fit 11 people. It was very clean and they had quick service.

Incredible food, ambience, service and location. Having been to traditional Izakaya restaurants in Japan, Mori Izakaya is TOP notch! Upon arrival, I was seated right away, offered happy hour items (there are SO many) and began my dining experience. I actually found this establishment from an Instagram post raving about this absolute gem in Anaheim. I ordered a draft Kirin, whiskey highball, curry rice (just like coco curry in Japan!), miso and spicy tuna hand roll. In summary, this was the highlight of my weekend and I can't wait to come back. read more

Mori Izakaya - View from my booth. Beautiful environment, seating is perfectly spaced and so clean! - Izakaya Near Me - Anaheim, California

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Stopped by Mori Izakaya for dinner and enjoyed the cozy atmosphere and friendly service. We ordered a variety of dishes including sushi, grilled skewers, takoyaki, fried squid legs, and okonomiyaki. The sushi was fresh but fairly average compared to other sushi spots in OC. The takoyaki and fried squid legs were easily the standout dishes of the night. Both were packed with flavor and paired perfectly with a cold beer. Most of the grilled meats were cooked well and had a nice char. The okonomiyaki looked amazing when it arrived at the table, but unfortunately it was undercooked in the center and not what I expected. Despite that, the overall experience was enjoyable and I would return for the takoyaki, squid legs, and drinks. read more

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Yummy food and glad that Mori Izakaya is a great late night restaurant! The ambiance on Saturday is a bit quieter than on the weekdays or happy hour days! Service is attentive and nice! The waiters checked in on us whenever and on rotation! TIP: Just a light reminder that happy hours take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays! read more

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Had this place bookmarked for a few months so when our friends asked us to join them for dinner here, I was excited. First impression - I was shocked how spacious it was. Ambiance/lighting and decor so cute and cozy! Unfortunately, I don't think I can say good things about the food and wouldn't come back. It was extremely underwhelming. Everything was soo dry and chewy. The ribeye, mushroom, gizzard were all overcooked. Sashimi was decent but not the quality I would expect for a restaurant. Unagi skewer was the only thing I liked. Maybe they had an off day because our experience doesn't closely resemble those of other reviews I've read. read more

Mori Izakaya - Izakaya Near Me - Anaheim, California

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Good izakaya with yakitori and many other dishes. We came here for my sisters graduation around 5:30 PM. Interior is like a Japanese yatai with lots of table seating. We ordered some carpaccio, many yakitori, Kara age, yakisoba, and creamy uni udon. My favorite was the carpaccio, fresh and good portion. Yakitori was solid as well but not the best I've had. I had a ume high ball very strong and refreshing, Overall solid food with good service. Would love to try the other dishes my next visit. read more

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Went for our friend's birthday, we got the VIP private room in the back. It had karaoke! Our servers were amazing! Kevin thank you for being a great server making sure we had a good time! if you wanna place to hang out with your friends or celebrate a good time, this is the place to be. Food was good too read more

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Located in a large plaza, this place has plenty of convenient parking. The restaurant is spacious with lots of tables, and they also have private rooms, so there's plenty of seating and the space feels open. The interior has a warm Japanese izakaya-style atmosphere with wood accents and vintage Japanese decor. We ordered the udon, chicken katsu curry, and yakitori. The udon broth was rich and flavorful, and the chicken katsu curry was satisfying. The yakitori was a little on the dry side, but overall, we had a good experience. Service was friendly. This was my first visit, and I was satisfied overall. I'll definitely come back again. read more

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8.9/10 What was ordered: Beef short rib w/ soy, beef ribeye, lamb chop, pork belly w/ miso, pork belly w/ spicy, bacon asparagus, bacon enoki, garlic butter scallop, unagi, squid leg karaage, okomiyaki, and salmon sashimi. Overall everything was delicious. My favorite and most unique item was the lamb chop. It was so cute and tiny, which made it perfect for photos. The only critique I have is that one of the beef orders was a little tough to chew, I think it was the beef short rib. Other than that, everything was great and I would definitely come here again. Note: One thing about this spot that I'm not a fan of is the hosting situation. If there's a wait and you put your name down, the host won't give you a time frame of when a table will be ready. It's insanely inconvenient because how are you supposed to know if you're even willing to wait that long? It's also misleading because there are always so many open tables, but they don't seat people in those spots. Maybe they don't have enough employees, but it's frustrating to see empty seats while you're just standing there. read more

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We came here for a friend's birthday since they have private karaoke rooms. I'm personally not a karaoke person but if you are, this spot is solid. The song selection was kinda weak but the sake selection definitely made up for it. My friend ordered a bunch of dishes for the room. My favorites were the tofu, mushrooms, and okra. Sadly they ran out of okra. If I come back, my order is already decided: okra x5 shiitake mushrooms x1 and a small bottle of nigori sake ($19) read more

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One of my top izakaya spots! Love bringing friends here and leaving satisfied in how delicious everything tastes. It was a quiet cozy night and not as busy, I came 2 1/2 hours til closing time but the food and service was still great. I was finally wanting to try the udon Mentaiko cream, but they said since they weren't as busy, they were going to close the kitchen early so they only had the happy hour menu available which was a bummer. Mori izakaya never skimps on freshness and bursts of flavors! Skewers: -Sirloin -garlic pork belly -spicy pork belly Potato croquettes and salad: -Crispy on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside with the perfect balanced dipping sauce. -salad; unwilted crisp greens with a light sweet dressing California tuna hand roll was good, nothing special. It was definitely missing some sort of sauce or drizzle Gyoza: golden crunchy delight Miso -piping hot chefs kiss. Overall 9/10 highly recommend. read more

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Came here for the second time last Friday night after work and it was just alright. The first time was good enough to consider coming back, but unfortunately I don't see myself coming back again. I ordered 4 pieces of yakitori to go along with a beer; just a little pit stop before going home to grab a bite and unwind for a bit. Unfortunately the yakitori took a long time to come out. I kinda wanted to nibble on something while drinking some beer, but it took so long I just decided to finish the beer instead. When it did come out, it was also a bit disappointing as well. The last time I came here the yakitori was much better. This time around it was dry and offensively under seasoned. Listen, I eat a lot of chicken breast for da gainz, so I fully expected the chicken tenderloin to be dry, but more wasabi absolutely would've helped. Even my favorite meatball with cheese was a letdown. Anyway, service was fine. The hostess was friendly and had a positive vibe about her. Unfortunately this makes it 0 for 2 for izakayas this month :( Guess I'll have to continue making the journey out to Fountain Valley for good yakitori then. read more

Mori Izakaya - Izakaya Near Me - Anaheim, California

Happened to be in the area. Stopped by due to the good reviews. Place was clean and by too loud. Service was good and food came out pretty quickly. Would get the + 1. Chicken thigh shio 2. Liver 3. Pork jowl: + 4. Pork belly: + 5. Spicy squid 6. Corn 7. Gizzard 8. Skin 9. Heart 10. King mushroom 11. Rib eye cap: + 12. Scallop with garlic butter 13. Shishamo 14. Eel 15. Fried potato Mentaiko mayo 16. Fried oyster Some of the meats are a bit dry or tough to eat. Overall 3.25 read more

Mori Izakaya - Izakaya Near Me - Anaheim, California

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Came here for dinner. The place is popular on weekends on expect a long wait. Parking lot is spacious. Place is clean and decorations are lovely. Our server wasn't very friendly and acted a little inconvenienced when we would ask for things. The pacing with how items came out was a little off. We ordered rice to go with our skewers and it came right away, but the skewers took a long time to come out so the rice was cold by the time everything else started getting to our table. The table next to us was complaining about the service too. They took a while with the check when we asked for it, and the server just plopped it on the table and walked away wordlessly which was kinda rude. It took another 20 mins for someone to pick up our credit cards, and more time to give it back so we were just sitting awkwardly. Drinks- My mango highball was sweet and refreshing. It has a good amount of alcohol. Food- The chicken heart was dry, possibly overcooked. The garlic butter scallops were tender and juicy with a good garlic flavor. The beef rib eye overcooked and tough. Pork belly was juicy. Chicken skin was crispy and my favorite. Asparagus and shitake mushrooms were fresh. Meatballs with cheese tasted like cheeseburger, very juicy and flavorful. They were out of a lot of things on the menu. Experience was not good overall. Service was terrible, and food items were a hit and miss. read more

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My boyfriend and I went to MORI Izakaya for dinner after leaving Disneyland, and it was our first time visiting. We ordered a variety of dishes including ribeye and pork skewers, chicken hand rolls, scallop and shrimp skewers, lamb chops, and yellowtail belly sushi. Everything was delicious and did not disappoint. The restaurant was very clean, the service was great, and the staff made our first experience there a really enjoyable one. Every dish was flavorful and well prepared, especially the skewers and sushi. It was the perfect dinner spot after a long day at Disneyland. We will definitely be coming back! read more

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Oh boy. I had high hopes from all the reviews, and being it was my first time here. We were greeted by one of the friendliest hosts. She explained the menu thoroughly and was super pleasant, reason for the extra star. This is where it goes down hill. Server name on receipt. First interaction is are you ready to order. NO hello NO how are you NO is it your first time. I had to initiate the "courtesy." Not ONCE throughout our while experience we were asked how everything tasted, if we wanted a second round, if we wanted more food, or an even touch to the table. Just because you have a high pitched voice doesn't make you hospitable. On to the food: Soy Wings: 1/10 did not even eat. It was burnt and half sauced. Horrible Pork tonkatsu: 3/10 ok fine im comparing it to my pork tonkatsu from Japan. This doesn't even compare. I would describe it as soggy pork. Skewers: 2/10 needs to come with a sauce. It is so dry. Overall, this is one of the most underwhelming experiences I have ever had in Orange County. I love to support small businesses, but this establishment dripped the ball on many levels. I highly doubt not recommend. I think her name is kristine, but i wouldn't know since she did not introduce herself. read more

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I came here with my parents on a Tuesday during Happy Hour. We were pleasantly surprised by the gentle atmosphere. At least on a weekday evening, the music and waiters were very calm and relaxing. My mom's favorite dishes were the Potato Salad and the Mentaiko Hand Roll. My dad's favorite dishes were the Mirinboshi and the Sansai Udon. My favorite dishes were the Potato Croquettes and the Fruit Sherbert with Wakamomo. (The sprouts are such a cute touch!) I would be curious to come back and try the yakitori. Overall, we had a lovely time in a beautiful space. read more

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Happy hour! Prices listed below March 2026 Spicy Tuna Handroll - $7 each Tako-wasabi - $7 Fried Aji - $10 Everything else was regular priced. Highlights were the tako-wasabi and the yellowtail carpaccio. Yummm!! read more

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A new favorite Japanese restaurant in Anaheim. Parking is plentiful. When entering the restaurant the setting is clean and inviting. It has a modern feel with nostalgic Japan. The menu has plenty of selection from Sushi, Yakitori, cooked food, beverage and spirits. It was incredible that each dish we order, it was good. We ordered a few share items for two and was happy with each dish. The yakitori was delicious and flavorful. The favorite was the mentaiko creamy udon. Service is incredible. They were very attentive and friendly. Highly recommended great for all occassions. Would come back again! read more

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So glad we got into this place. We had a little bit of mishap when we tried to check in. On our way from Anahiem we're kinda like on the other side of town. We called in and spoke with the manager Justin he tells me over the phone just come over there's availability to be seated when you get here. So we drove there probably around 10 minutes. We get to the front and we were told by the girl upfront that there's no availability that we needed to have a reservations. I told her no thank you we're not waiting for an hour and a half. So we go outside and I called Justin back and I said hey just got here at the restaurant with the girl is telling us that there's no availability that we needed to have a reservations so sorry for the misunderstanding come back to the door. He helped us... thank God he was kind enough to seat us in the VIP because there is no seating availability with the amount of servers they had for the evening. So glad we did!!! The food with phenomenal service was great. We almost missed out but thanks for people like Justin we gladly experience this amazing place. Yes, there was a miscommunication in the beginning, but I can see how she is just following their policies and what not. My family and I were so thankful that Justin kept his word... The inside was nicely decorated... we took a few pictures up front very beautiful place will definitely coming back. Just note to anyone who's trying out this place, make sure that you have reservations they fill up real quick, especially when it's a busy weekend. And if you call take the name of the person you spoke with or assure you'll have a place when you arrive. We will definitely come back! Thank you Justin. read more

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The food was decent, and the ambiance was nice. It's a bit on the pricey side, with a tapas-style menu featuring sashimi, skewers, chicken wings, and small plates. A pitcher of beer costs around $30, and skewers are typically $4-$6 each. Service was average, and the atmosphere is kid-friendly. Food came out a bit slowly--they missed one of our dishes, and after a long wait, we decided to cancel it. read more

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First time at Mori Izakaya. I've passed by so often but haven't been able to visit until yesterday. I was there by myself and was immediately greeted warmly by the bar staff when I walked in. She explained the menu well and walked me to my table. Service was fast, I didn't have to wait long to get my food. The food was amazing!!! My salmon skin roll was filled with flavor and the yakitori are just - wow, the beef was so juicy and tender, and the chicken skin was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Perfectly seasoned too! The restaurant is spacious so it's good for large parties. I'll definitely come back with a party so I can try more food! read more

Mori Izakaya - Salmon Skin Roll - Izakaya Near Me - Anaheim, California

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This place has such a nice vibe. I've never been to an Izakaya before so I'm excited to try this spot. I loved how it looked. Every thing seemed to be made of wood. The figuring is perfect. Not super dark. There severs and host are very informative and friendly. And they serve quickly. Food looks beautiful. The chirashi is so delicious. The fish is so fresh. The rib soy marinated yaki Tori was juicy and flavorful. Tako yaki is delicious. The food is just amazing. Best first time experience. read more

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* Who: 3 adults * What: dinner * When: Saturday night * Why: catching up * Space/decor: plenty of parking, open space with some sections semi-divided, simple/more modern decor, on the side of brighter lighting. * Service: not good. The pacing of the food came out strangely such as getting a bowl of rice right after we sat but food didn't come out until like 15-20 minutes later, they forgot an order of beer, they rarely checked on us, & took 20+ minutes to get the check after we asked for it when the place was half empty by then. * Food: average. Best thing was chicken skin. They ran out of a few items such as pork jowl. The ribeye was allegedly overcooked. The karaage was good. We ordered like 10 skewers & 2 sides in total. Whiskey highball was surprisingly decent! Final thoughts: average food quality & slow service will not have me coming back. Been to other places where it's cheaper, better food quality/option, & much better service. Final grade: B or 6/10 read more

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3.5 Stars truly, solid food and good service but overall not without its issues. This was dinner on our first night in Anaheim. I found it on yelp and as a lover of Izakaya with a family that loves sushi, I had to bring them here. I checked out the menu online and it looked super with lots of unique Japanese small plates and some of my absolute favorites so we grabbed the car seat seats in Huff an Uber from the hotel to get over here and give it a try. This restaurant is a serious vibe with lots of warm woods, a big open bar, booths, and other decor that will make you feel like you're sitting in Japan. We had made a reservation and sadly had to wait quite a while to be seated, but once we were, the servers were prompt, and as we receded, they told us about the menu and then sadly shared some of the many items that they were out of or had removed from the menu. It's understandable to have a couple of items missing either due to popularity possible supply chain disruptions, but nearly every thing that we had seen online that made us want to visit. The restaurant was out of stock the night we visited. This included all of the beef tongue dishes, many of the sushi and sashimi specials like the Spanish bluefin tuna, and several other items. We put together an order from what was available, but even as we did that, we found that they did not offer certain things you'd find in other restaurants that serve similar cuisine, namely, things like basic, single fish hand rolls. We also found out that many of the menu pictures are not actually representative of the dishes they serve, but the menu lacks descriptions so that's all you can go on. We saw this with the yakitori items and the soy chicken wings. The chicken breast with wasabi skewer was shown with the pickled wasabi on it but came with a bland, nearly neon green dollop of sauce that tasted nothing like wasabi. The wings were shown as glazed and grilled, but arrived similar to Korean fried chicken. We enjoyed what we ordered with standouts being the tomato salad, salmon hand rolls, golden fried siu mai, and chicken skin skewer. The cold tofu was good but basic. I don't expect restaurants to make their own tofu but I could see the ridges from the container it came in. Though not what we expected and removed from the bill, the soy wings came hot and crispy, and my kids each ate one and enjoyed it. The sweet shrimp sushi was good too. Succulent and sweet as it should be. But the fried heads were greasy and not totally crispy. A bit disappointing considering the premium for them. For dessert we had the mochi, which was a super generous portion with several flavors. They even put a sparkler in it for my son's birthday! Service was stellar. We had lots of questions and they were happy to answer them, they were also quick to remedy any issues we encountered without an issue. Had the food measured up to the service, this surely would've been a higher rating. I'd really hoped it would be a fantastic experience and feel I may have just caught it on an off day. read more

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Service was amazing! Food was amazing! Everything was fresh and yummy. We will be back :) read more

Really disappointing experience at Mori Izakaya in Anaheim. Service was extremely slow, and the timing of the food made it even worse--our yakitori skewers were coming out nearly 20 minutes apart, which completely killed the flow of the meal. To top it off, we were missing two plates by the end and had to keep checking in with staff, which shouldn't be necessary. The whole experience felt disorganized and frustrating. On top of that, the food and overall vibe didn't feel very authentic compared to other Japanese yakitori spots I've been to, which made it even more underwhelming. Definitely not the experience we were hoping for, and I wouldn't come back. read more

We came during happy hour and were able to get a good amount and assortment of food and drinks just off the happy hour menu! Just a heads up the sushi is 2pcs and for happy hour, the buy one get one 50% off applies only for the same sushi. The sushi portions were decent and the yellowtail tasted great, but the tuna could definitely be better. We also ordered some skewers and they were all nicely seasoned and grilled, but it's relatively expensive compared to other yakitori. Not sure I would come back outside of happy hour just due to the prices here. I loved the ambiance and decor here and the fact that they have a bell at every table to call for a server. However, service is pretty slow and it took a long time for everything from being seated to ordering and receiving each round of orders. read more

Mori Izakaya - Sushi - Izakaya Near Me - Anaheim, California

Food was very delicious! Shrimp shumai top tier for $4! Hand rolls are healthy sized, 3 rolls and you'll be rolling out the door. Curry rice is hearty and soul warming. Beef and pork skewers were tasty AF. Forgot to mention, $8 suntory highballs! read more

Mori Izakaya - Izakaya Near Me - Anaheim, California

First time here. Food was great. Ambiance was amazing- feels like you're r in Japan. Staff were very attentive and awesome. - lisa (mother) The first time I ate it Is the best thing I ever ate today I love it so much here -Charlie (7yr old) read more

4.5 stars Food and Service were both great. A nice, clean izakaya. 1 of the 8 items I tried was not prepared to MY preference. Also, I prefer dark and "dirty" joints a bit more. Hence, the 4.5 stars. Will come back to try more dishes for sure read more

Mori Izakaya - Izakaya Near Me - Anaheim, California

We first came here for a friends birthday party and had to come back again for the skewers because we liked it so much! Our fave was the ribeye cap yakitori. The yuzu soy wings were also phenomenal, super crispy and hot, with a slight tang from the yuzu that cuts through the heaviness. Service was super fast when we came in on a Wednesday night. We'll definitely be coming back again :) read more

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This is one week old review. We want it something light and since this place is nearby, we give it a try. It seems like they are understaffed severely as they keep on telling the walk in that they don't know how long the wait will be. I would recommend make reservation if you can. Well lucky for us, the walk in before us decided to leave for other places so we only waited for 35 mins. The place is spacious and I believe they have private room for party. In term of food, it was delicious, expect for the pork belly. It was dried and under seasoning. Oh, the fried fish cake was chewy, so I don't recommend that either. Chef Omakase sashimi are basic fish, nothing special. They also forgot one of our order, but charge us. When I asked them about the bill and tell them we never received this item, that is when the server was like oh. They are about to make it, so do you want to wait or just cancel. We cancel it. So if I don't check the bill, no one is gonna said anything? Overall, if you like the izakaya experience, I would still give this place a try. read more

Mori Izakaya - Izakaya Near Me - Anaheim, California

Beautiful interior and fresh sashimi! We ordered the uni udob, large sashimi plate, and yakisoba for my birthday dinner. read more

Mori Izakaya - Izakaya Near Me - Anaheim, California

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We came to Mori Izakaya on a Friday evening. Parking was easy to find and the place was not too busy. It is a large restaurant with lots of warm wood and big booths, easily accommodating bigger parties. Service was quick and friendly. We had the Tako Wasabi (small octopus), Ankimo (steamed monkfish liver), Nagasaki Jjamppong (pork bone broth with seafood), and various grilled skewers. Every bite was delicious. Our favorites were the octopus and the liver, followed by the soup. The meat was partly a bit chewy but still nicely seasoned and crispy. Good value for money too. Overall, a very solid place! read more

Mori Izakaya - Ankimo (steamed monkfish liver) - Izakaya Near Me - Anaheim, California

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Food was so amazing! The beef rib skewers were the best. Service was 10/10 so attentive read more

Mori Izakaya - Shrimp tempura, gyoza, chicken thigh skewer, katsu don, soba, shrimp shumai - Izakaya Near Me - Anaheim, California

Came here mainly for the yakitori and appetizers. The food itself is good and well prepared, but the portions are definitely on the small side. I understand that yakitori is traditionally served in smaller portions, but it still felt a bit underwhelming overall. The yakitori had great flavor, but the pieces tiny. The ribeye skewer wasn't as fatty as I was hoping it would be, and the garlic butter scallops only came in two pieces, which felt a little skimpy. The portion size of the miso soup is surprisingly bigger than I expected. Unfortunately, it leaned a little too salty for my taste, so I'd give it a 3/5. The standout dish was the fried squid legs. The pieces were big, and perfectly crunchy. Overall, while the food was tasty, it didn't feel like a very filling meal, especially for the price. Ended up spending around $40, and it's hard to justify that much for what felt like "tiny food." Should've spent that on an AYCE bbq place instead. Lastly, food took too long to come out. It wasn't too busy a night either. Lost some points here as well. read more

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Mori Izakaya is located in Anaheim which serves Japanese-style food that is cooked on a charcoal grill. They have a pretty good-sized menu of variety. They also serve alcohol and we got some sake. We ordered mainly a lot of different skewers but some were not that hot when we got them. But others were just fine. We also ordered some sashimi to try as well. I would say skip the sashimi because some of the pieces I had tried weren't that fresh. Also maybe don't order the chicken skin since it is deep-fried and not grilled. read more

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