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    Robata Wasa

    3.7 (877 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Robata Wasa Reservations

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    ROBATA WASA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Romantic

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    Recommended Reviews - Robata Wasa

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    indoor seating
    Viv N.

    A hidden gem inside Irvine Spectrum for affordable yet upscale Japanese cuisine! Everything was super fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Among the appetizers & entrees, the real standouts were the salmon skin taco and the mentaiko & shrimp pasta. The taco was crispy, savory, and so addictive -- the guac inside added a nice kick. The pasta was rich, creamy, comforting, & not too heavy. With its modern low-lit ambiance, Robata Wasa is the perfect spot for date night or dinner with friends!

    sushi gozen bento
    Winny K.

    Still a solid spot! Crispy Tuna Rice is a crowd pleaser and I feel like I could just eat order after order of this. The texture of the rice is crispy, crunchy, delightful and packed with flavor. Definitely a crowd pleaser of an appetizer! The RW Sushi Platter has nice presentation, and provides a good variety of fish, so it's a nice way to sample Robata Wasa's nigiri offerings if you don't want to order a la carte. Tiff was our waitress and she was very helpful, friendly, and took great care of our table. Ambiance is casual enough for every day, but still feels upscale and a nice place to celebrate special occasions too. We had two birthdays in our group and Tiff made it special with some mochi desserts! Thank you!

    Deluxe Chirashi Don
    Daniel C.

    Good spot for a quick bite. Service was friendly and helpful. Michael gave excellent recommendations and I enjoyed everything we ordered. Scallop crudo - refreshing and nice touch of citrus Albacore tataki - delicious. The crispy onions added a nice texture and sweetness to balance the sauce Chirashi bowl- great deal for the price. The sashimi was fresh and huge portions. Consisted of tuna, salmon, snapper, yellowtail, octopus, ikura, and uni Crispy lobster roll - lightly tempura lobster on top of California roll and tempura flakes

    Nico F.

    Sat at the bar and Michael took great care of us. He was friendly and easy to talk to and gave a solid recommendation on a roll that we really enjoyed. He also made an espresso martini that he created and put on the menu himself, made with cold brew. We're big espresso martini people and this one easily topped our list. The ambiance was relaxed and comfortable and made it easy to settle in and enjoy the night. Service was steady the whole time and never felt rushed. Overall a really good experience at the bar and we'd definitely sit there again.

    Ruby M.

    This place had some good specialty rolls, I ordered their salmon lemon pepper roll which was so delicious; I did not realize it was gone so fast! We got a big bento box for the table and I was surprised to see how big it was. This is a perfect place to have a family lunch or dinner, and excellent service!

    Mentaiko & Shrimp Pasta
    Kyna S.

    The food here was amazing -- full of flavor and cooked perfectly. Shareable: Albacore Tataki with cilantro sauce (chef's choice) -- fresh, tender, and a must-try. Special Rolls: Hokkaido Roll (chef's choice) -- if you like shrimp and eel, this one's rich, savory, and delicious. Entrée: Mentaiko & Shrimp Pasta -- creamy, flavorful sauce with juicy shrimp. I really liked the twist of squid ink -- it added depth and a subtle brininess that made it stand out. Service: 5/5 -- friendly and attentive. Ambience: 5/5 -- interesting and inviting interior.

    Natasha N.

    Super overpriced sushi. I honestly do not have a favorite here. I am also not a huge fan of the ambiance. It's not very welcoming and definitely felt out of place. I did like our server though. Attentive and considerate when needed. The restaurant is also on the smaller side. There are other places that have great quality sushi and the price point is great. It's all up to you if you don't mind spending and just want to try for yourself. As Always, NOM 4 LIFE!

    These rolls showed up like the main characters. Zero side-character energy here...
    Joey T.

    Pulled up craving sushi and this place did not disappoint. The sashimi was super fresh.. buttery salmon, clean tuna, no fishy vibes at all. The rolls were stacked and plated like they're auditioning for a magazine cover Flavor-wise they lean rich and saucy, so if you're into bold rolls vs super traditional, you'll be happy here. Service was friendly, chill atmosphere, and everything came out fast. Solid spot for a sushi night when you want something a little fun and dressed-up without going full fine-dining mode. Would definitely come back.

    Shareable: Japanese Scallop Crudo
    Jennifer L.

    Haiku: Robata Wasa Fancy sushi spot Generous appetizers Clean and peaceful vibes. --- If you enjoy Japanese food, there's something for everyone--nigiri, sashimi, specialty rolls, salads, udon, pasta, grilled fish, and chirashi rice bowls. The salad and appetizers are generous in portion and shareable. We ordered a bunch of dishes and did family style. - The Shiitake Mushroom Salad had a great balance of umami and creaminess. It was still light, yet satisfying. If you're a fan of shiitake and miso, this salad is for you. - The Shiitake Truffle Fries are a seasonal item and it should be on their regular menu. It's all sliced tempura-battered shiitake, not potato fries. It was crispy and savory. - I never say no to a Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice. It was perfectly crispy and loaded with spicy tuna, and fancified with tobiko (fish eggs). - I still think about the Japanese Scallop Crudo. It was a thick scallop with a great bite. The lemon, cucumber and sweet salsa brought brightness, crunch, and zest. The food leans more Californian Japanese, but you'll also find the classic comfort foods. Nonetheless, it was delicious and refreshing. The restaurant exudes clean, upscale, and peaceful vibes. Service was sweet and attentive. I would come back, but the dishes are on the pricier side, so it's more of a special occasion type of spot.

    Sushi Gozen
    Ria A.

    Food - 1.5/5 Service - 5/5 Ambiance - 3/5 I understand the low reviews on this place now. My coworker got the Deluxe Bento and said it was decent with some things good like the teriyaki chicken and other items meh like the croquette. I got the Sushi Gozen Bento and found all the fish except the salmon slightly fishy or tough. The shrimp sashimi piece still had shell and tail on it which was annoying. The ambiance was fine but for a higher end restaurant I think I would have expected the bathroom to be nicer. The outdoor seating area was really pleasant. I do want to say our server Parker was good though! Unfortunately I would not come back here because I'd rather leave Spectrum and find actually quality sushi.

    The awesome Hokkaido scallop roll
    Pearl T.

    New favorite sushi place. The Hokkaido scallop roll is the main reason. The other rolls we tried were also really tasty... especially the seared salmon lemon pepper.

    Volcano Roll
    Katie P.

    When I say, this is one of my favorite sushi spots in Orange County, believe it! They have the best assortment of sushi, having the presentation being no less than amazing. I always sit on their patio, they have long booths that can accommodate party of six. The service is always top-tier, everyone is so kind. My favorite sushi roll to get is the volcano roll, the presentation speaks for itself. The sushi is bursting with flavor, leaving me to want more every single time. This is a great place to take a break while shopping at the spectrum, or coming here for a date night. I'll be dreaming of the next time I get to come back!

    Beef Don
    Jonathan B.

    Upscale Japanese restaurant at Irvine Spectrum! The Beef Don was super flavorful, lots of beef, borderline too much rice, and healthy greens on top! Service was nice, checking in on us often!

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    The food tastes bad. They didn't even give us soy sauce and wasabi until we ask. Japanese restaurant btw.

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    Page 1 of 22

    Robata Wasa Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Robata Wasa

    How can we make a reservation, don't see an option online?

    Do I need to make a reservation for lunch?

    It couldn't hurt because the Spectrum does get busy. Staff is also a little snobby so if you are coming in with a big party I would recommend you do. You might get better service that way.

    Will you be open during christmas?

    Robata Wasa is not open on Christmas Day.

    Are there gluten free options?

    Yes, there are gluten free options. Please ask a staff member for details.

    Is the beef halal?

    The beef is not halal

    Reservations only? Or can reservations be made?

    Reservations can be made by calling in.

    Is there a cake cutting fee, for birthday cakes brought in for a party?

    There is no fee for birthday cake cutting.

    Is there corkage fee for wine and how much?

    $15 per bottle

    Is the vegetable ramen vegetarian-friendly?

    Yes

    Are dogs allowed on the patio?

    According to one of the reviews on here no

    Is there a happy hour?

    Yes they have it now. Happy hour started on March 4th 2019. From 3:00-5:30pm.

    View All 12 Questions

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    Fukada

    4.1(3.1k reviews)
    0.3 mi
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    Fukada is an OG traditional Japanese comfort food restaurant located in the Los Olivos area in…read moreIrvine. This spot is located in a plaza with a good amount of parking spots. They are technically a takeout spot, but they do have a good amount of seating inside and outside after you get your food. For their menu, they have an extensive selection of foods you can mix and match with for combos. I ended up getting the Katsu Don and the Mixed Tempura and everything tasted delicious. All of the staff here are very friendly and welcoming. There is a reason why this spot has over 3,000+ positive reviews!

    Service was great. The nice gentleman who helped me brought out my food as soon as I paid…read more Everything was packed up nicely and secured. I always get the Lunch Special Noodle Combination. Kake Udon 4/5 I love a good udon with just green onions. Their broth is really good and it totally hit the spot for me. Spicy Tuna Don 5/5 Love it so much! My friend introduced us to this place three years ago. At the time, I was pregnant and got the Oyakodon (It was tasty, but I know people come for their spicy tuna don) , but she said that I had to come back and try it. I did and ever since, that's what I order. They also give you a heart amount of rice, which I told mind because I love rice. I'm a carb girly. The next time I come back to Fukada, I want to try their Seafood Salad. My husband really likes it.

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    Hako - Fish Katsu

    Hako

    4.5(2k reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $$

    Nice place but be prepared to wait when going, almost at all times. Store is pretty small but cozy,…read morenice staff as well. As for the food, I understand why the line is long. It's definitely very good food and worth the wait once in a while. Food is always consistently good. Katsu has a really good breading on it and flavor as well. Sauce puts it over the top. Meals are also pretty big and well priced which really adds the chefs kiss for an already great meal stand alone. Would recommend!

    Expectations may have been a bit high due to the popularity and good word about Hako, but I…read moreregularly am on the hunt for good Japanese katsu and curry, so have tried some pretty good katsu in my days. First off, it's a pretty great value. You get a set meal for a very good price these days, since the katsu meals come with their homemade katsu sauce (tastes like a slightly sweet and sour peanut satay), cabbage salad, rice, miso soup, and pickles. If you're looking for value only, this is great. Even the appetizers and sushi rolls are reasonable. I like that you can add on extra curry or some pieces of sushi or gyoza with your katsu or udon meal, and can add more than one. We saw a lot of takeout orders going out, though you don't get the soup. - Agedashi Tofu A light, popcorn crisp fry with sturdy cubes of tofu with enough dashi to cover them all. Respectable appetizer if you like tofu. All the pieces are very hot inside. - Hako Tonkatsu The pork cutlet is pounded so flat and enormous. I added a side of mild curry, which tasted like a good normal Japanese curry, and the additional gyoza were standard grocery filling (seemed to have more of a baked than fried texture on the skin). The nutty satay-like sauce went well with the katsu, but the curry was better. The rice was good and fluffy, and the pickles added an acidic balance. The miso soup was on the salty side. I liked how light and refreshing the cabbage salad was, though I prefer other dressings over this Thousand Island-like creamy one. The katsu itself was a bit disappointing, as it was devoid of moisture and the crisp could have been better. - Chicken Katsu The chicken was slightly better than the pork, as it retained a little more moisture and was just a bit more tender. However, all other aspects were the same. We tried the spicy curry for this plate, and it had the same taste as the regular curry, but with a bite. If you like pain more than taste when you eat spicy foods, I guess that'd be why you choose the spicy here. Considering it took nearly an hour for us to get a table on a random weekday night (seated close to 8pm), I definitely was expecting the food to taste much better. The tables are situated very close to each other, too, so you'll probably have a neighbor within your elbow space. It's not even a contender for a majority of katsu places in NorCal or Hawaii. But if you're in the area and have a craving and want a lot of food for the price, it's fine. If you have leftovers, they will give you an extra new side of their sauce, which is sweet.

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    Menya Hanabi  - The Original Nagoya Mazesoba - Deluxe Nagoya Mazesoba

    Menya Hanabi - The Original Nagoya Mazesoba

    4.4(693 reviews)
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    Locally owned & operated
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    I've been here multiple times now and I still order the exact same thing every visit because it's…read morejust that good. The mentaiko cream mazesoba is seriously amazing. It's super creamy, flavorful, and comforting without being too heavy, and the noodles are always cooked perfectly. Every time I think about trying something else on the menu I end up getting this again because I already know it'll hit every time. They also have appetizers for $7 during happy hour! They come out really crispy and fresh, and the portion is actually pretty big so it's perfect to share with other people at the table as an appetizer. We always finish them so fast. Service has always been great too. Everyone is really nice and the food comes out pretty quickly even when it's busy. They give you rice at the end to mix with the leftover sauce!! Vibes are chill in the restaurant the volume is kept at a medium. Definitely one of my favorite spots when I'm craving mazesoba. I already know I'll keep ordering the mentaiko cream every single time.

    Menya Hanabi is known for their mazesoba, which is a brothless ramen and it's packed with flavor…read more When you get the noodles, they recommend mixing it up with the egs and enjoy the chewy noodles. Then you can add kombu vinegar to mix it up. I enjoyed the texture of the noodles, but the flavor gets tiring pretty quickly. For me I think the flavor becomes overpowering, even after adding the kombu vinegar to lighten it up. One order is a lot of food, especially because you can add rice at the end to soak up the sauce.

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    Izakaya Osen

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    4.3(2.1k reviews)
    6.6 mi
    $$$
    Outdoor seating
    Full bar

    Found my new favorite sushi spot in Costa Mesa. We did the $100 Mother's Day omakase and I was…read moreblown away by the value. Every course was delicious and the fish quality was top-tier. Beyond the freshness, I loved the creative touches--they clearly put a lot of thought into the garnishes and sauces. The service was attentive, and the restaurant has a great energy. For $100, this felt like a steal compared to other high-end omakase spots in OC. Everything was flavorful, fresh, and beautifully presented.

    We made a reservation for Friday night 7pm and there was quite a lot of people already for an…read moreIzakaya joint! Although, it's funny everyone mainly comes for the sushi rather than the izakaya food. Love the interior! Modern, sleek, and minimalistic. The restaurant was a lot bigger than I thought since there's patio seating. Parking here is shared with a business complex, which they offer your 2 hr free with validation. If over, it would have been $1.50 per 15 minutes (from what I remembered). Service was also friendly and efficient! We got to order the rock shrimp tempura, omakase bowl, miso crab salmon, maguro kajime, and the soy garlic edamame. Orders came out pretty quickly! We actually got the rock shrimp tempura first, which this one was pretty nice for the first few bites. Then it was me realizing that the batter was really hard, which I feel like this should be called rock hard shrimp haha. The flavors were good though! The soy garlic edamame came next, which this one was really nice! The soy garlic gives it a nice sweet touch. They also give a good amount. Then came the maguro kajime, this one was really good! Fish was really fresh and everything was so soft. Then came the miso crab salmon, this one was my favorite! Flavors tasted really good fused together, also very soft and fresh! The omakase bowl came last, which definitely was pretty nice. Everything was really fresh and it was nice they offer you seaweed so you can make your little hand rolls with it. The sea trumpet seaweed was really unique, although, I wasn't really a big fan of it after having so much it because it's tasted very oceanic. Actually, the whole omakase bowl tasted really oceanic, which is pretty nice, but personally for me it was too much haha. Everything was really good though! My least favorite may be the rock shrimp tempura, but my favorite was the miso crab salmon.

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    TANAKAYA - Matcha Soba

    TANAKAYA

    4.0(868 reviews)
    7.7 mi
    $$

    Super good! Got the lunch karaage soba combo and my boyfriend got the soba sampler. Decent…read moreportions. Service is a tad slow. One thing to note is that the karaage comes on top of a small salad with dressing? It should come in a separate plate bc after I had the karaage I was left with warm salad. Great place otherwise though ! Would come back

    I've been meaning to try Tanakaya after seeing their soba flight on Tik Tok! I came near opening…read moreand got seated right away, and by the end, it was pretty full, so I can see how waitlists might be long during busy hours. Plenty of parking and staff is attentive! Everything is a bit expensive for what it is, but overall taste wise, everything was amazing regardless! We got the assorted tempura, filet katsu don, and cold soba flight sampler. The assorted tempura was good, they had a lot of variety and I enjoyed the mushroom, asparagus, and potato! The shrimp tempura portion is very generous in size and was good. A little overpriced for what it is, but if you love this assortment of fried tempura, it is overall good to try! The filet katsu don was amazing, and I like that it came with a small bowl of miso soup! It's always nice to have that as a complimentary side dish. The katsu was crispy and complimented well by the sauce! I'd highly recommend this dish! And now for the star of the show... the soba flight! This was so fun to go through and I highly recommend it just for the experience! My personal favorite was the one that included enoki mushroom on the topping. Definitely would recommend trying Tanakaya if you haven't already! I'd definitely come back.

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    Izakaya Habuya Okinawan Dining

    Izakaya Habuya Okinawan Dining

    4.4(1.1k reviews)
    7.1 mi
    $$
    Healthy dining
    Hipster vibe

    Can't believe this was our first time eating at Habuya -- such a hidden gem and totally worth the…read morewait! We joined the Yelp waitlist about 30 minutes after opening and waited around an hour to be seated. Since it was prime-time Saturday dinner and the restaurant is tiny, the wait made sense. Pro tip: come 30 minutes before opening or join the waitlist early if you can! White Corn with Truffle Salt -- 5/5 A must-order. I wasn't expecting much, but it was absolutely perfect and so good with drinks. Pork Cutlet Curry -- 4/5 Classic katsu curry flavor, but the breading was a little on the harder and darker side. Maybe just a bad batch, but still really good. Bluefin & Salmon Sashimi -- 5/5 Order it with the pickled wasabi. It melts in your mouth -- SO good. Purple Sweet Potato Fries -- 4/5 A great appetizer and perfect for snacking with drinks. Beef Sukiyaki -- 5/5 Served with a soft-boiled egg, tofu, mushrooms, and kimchi. I usually don't love sweet beef with kimchi, but this was perfectly seasoned. The BEST. Saving the best for last -- the owner and her team are the sweetest ladies. They work fast, check in often, and you can really tell they care about their customers becoming regulars. Best izakaya in OC! Thank you, Habuya, for a wonderful dinner.

    Authentic, super delicious izakaya food!! Totally worth the wait. Wife and I had a great time. We…read morestuffed our faces. Service was great. Quirky music. Small space. Will absolutely come back! Our absolute favorite dishes were the Atkin Mackerel and Shrimp Curry. Highly recommend them. The only dish that was mid was the Chicken Karaage - we'll skip this dish next time.

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    Izakaya Habuya Okinawan Dining
    Izakaya Habuya Okinawan Dining - Chicken wings

    Chicken wings

    Izakaya Habuya Okinawan Dining - Purple Yam

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    Purple Yam

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