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    T'San

    4.2 (67 reviews)
    InexpensiveJapanese
    Closed 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

    T'San Photos

    Business Info

    T'SAN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - T'San

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    Dynamite chicken

    I am so glad they are back!! This was a once a week lunch spot for me for years when they were across town. Then Their building was condemned when it was hit by a truck. They disappeared just before Covid time and now I'm so glad I found their new location here. I have always ordered the chicken dynamite. (literally for years) It is always consistent and incredibly delicious. The portion sizes are like old-school Chinese restaurants. This husband and wife duo have got a great thing going. I've been here several times since I found this new location of theirs and will continue to come back. Who knows maybe I'll try something other than chicken dynamite.

    Dynamite chicken, shrimp, and veggies, on top of fried rice.
    Jordan B.

    T'San is the manifestation of the old saying "Never judge a book by it's cover." When I pulled up to the building my first thoughts were "Is this place even still in buisness?" and "Is THIS the place that everyone was telling me is so good?" T'san could use some major rennovstions; furthermore, the outside almost made me turn around. Fortunately, I saw pictures of food that looked bomb on yelp, and remembered all the good things I've heard from others so I said why not. The dynamite chicken and shrimp over fried rice was delicious and served in a genorus portion for only $8, not a bad deal at all. I can see what all the hype is about. I also appreciated that the lady who took my order scaled down the hotness of the dynamite sauce as per my request. I do have one suggestions for T'san though; to improve their "Drive Thru" system, because their full menu isn't diplayed outside so when I was ordering at the window she told me I had to come inside to see it. Having printed menus or displaying the full menu outside could eliviatate this issue, as minor as it may be.

    David H.

    What I really like about Yelp is that you can find places in areas that you wouldn't even think to go. T'San Japanese Restaurant is one of those places. I just so happen find and bookmark this place a few months ago, but never got around to trying them out. Reviews looked good and pictures as well. It wasn't until a friend of mind asked to if I wanted to check out this one place for lunch one day. T'San looks really rundown inside and out. You can eat inside, but I normally get it to go. Menu looks good and plan on trying other items next visit, but I had the 20 piece shrimp Teriyaki with fried rice and veggies. Last visit I had the combo Chicken/Shrimp and I was please both times. I was also very please that they also included sliced read potatoes along with some sort of cajun spice seasonings. Very nice touch. Everything taste fresh and was flavored well. The staff is also very friendly. After reading other reviews I know what to do with the supplied butter & teriyaki sauce on my next visit... that is if I get the same thing again. LOL

    Menu board
    Katrina C.

    The only reason I went out of my way before heading to NN for this little hole in the wall is because of the fantastic looking teriyaki photos that Matt M. Have been posting and popping up in my feed. Thanks for that Matt. The pictures just made me crave teriyaki more and more. This little restaurant, if you can even call it that, reminds me of an abandoned Capt'n Ds, previously owned by the Chinese mob. That probably doesn't make much sense, but when you see this little "dive" you'll know what I'm talking about. There's parking all around the place but absolutely NO lines are visible, so park however you want, just be courteous. I went for lunch, and I was the only one there. Inside is very small. A few tables lined up in a row, cafeteria style, but nothing more. The front counter was barricaded with plastic glass and a small hole for exchanging payment of food. Quite a reminiscent view of the Philippines typical corner store. The old Asian man, I could only presume to be Japanese, took my order promptly and started heating the grill. A few minutes later, it was all ready, bagged and stuffed with a fork, some napkins and a soy sauce. The food, oh, the food. Superb! It was far better than the Sakura Elite of McArthur Mall. But also sweeter than Sakkio Japan of Lynnhaven. I would say it's in between for me. I only tried their chicken teriyaki, so I will have to make a return and try other things on their menu. -1 Star for the location, layout and physical aesthetics of the restaurant.

    (Burn so good) chili paste, i.e. hot sauce. I think it has a hint of sweet to it and it is RED RED.
    Yane Y.

    Okay, talk about ghetto location. It's located to the right of Piggly Wiggly and next to Juniper Rd. if you go at night, its a little dark and you can definitely feel uncomfortable. No lyin' here! I went while dark (6:30) and went through the drive thru. Pulled up to the window and ordered with the gentleman who was there. To be honest, I'm not sure how to get their attention when they aren't next to the window. I asked what the dynamite chicken bowl was and was told that it was teriyaki chicken with spice. Since there were a couple reviews on that, I decided to go with the dynamite chicken bowl. I mean, for $5.69 for chicken and rice (maybe $0.35 for fried rice substitution), its really not a bad deal. You are really getting your money's worth. I mean, really. The food? I love that the chicken has some grilled sides. The veggies were perfectly cooked. The broccoli was perfect. Not too crunchy/hard/raw; not overly cooked. Loved the sprouts, onions, mushrooms, cabbage... The rice could have used some more sauce or something because it was bland in one section. Probably should've mixed everything up prior to eating it. Next time, I'll ask for more hot sauce (chili paste) on the side -- I asked for it to be less spicy and it wasn't spicy enough. Thankfully I had soy sauce to help with the blandness. Also tried the shrimp roll. It was fine. Just shrimp fried. For $0.99, I guess it's reasonable. Anyway, I wanna give this place four stars. I'll need to come back during the day and get dynamite chicken as is. I'm certain I would increase ratings. Maybe I'll try it again before I leave and increase the rating. The only reason I am giving three stars... Location, and... The minimal blandness in fried rice which in sure is a result of my request for minimal spice.

    Dynamite Chicken with fried rice. $7 something
    Naomi G.

    So yes, its a hole in the wall and if it weren't for the food pics and awesome reviews I definitely would have never stopped here but I did and it was great!! I was greeted by the kindest old man who was running a one man show back there and told me my Dynamite Chicken would be ready in 5 minutes (only customer there then). 5 minutes later he was bagging my lunch up and making friendly conversation and I was outta there. The food came to $7 which I think is fair for how much food I got and the quality of the food. My veggies were fresh and not over cook, my chicken had some kick to it as I requested spicy and delicious as well. I'll be back.

    Dynamite chicken bowl and teriyaki chicken bowl
    Brandia G.

    Found this spot through Yelp, and I wasn't disappointed with the food. The location is in my opinion, the hood, and the building is a bit run down. Like many have already said this is a place where you don't stay and eat your food, get it to go. The inside is old and shabby looking. If I hadn't heard or read such great reviews I would have never ate here, especially after seeing the inside. Anyway, I ordered the Dynamite Chicken Bowl and a Teriyaki Chicken Bowl. The Dynamite chicken was sooo good. It was spicy, the veggies were fresh and crisp, and the flavor was great. The portion was more then I expected, and for only $6. Even though it's in a less than desirable area, I'll go back again. The food was really good.

    Rickardo S.

    Got to go in a hurry. Tasted my wife's plate of teriyaki shrimp and chicken. Great flavor.

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    28 days ago

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    8 months ago

    Must try!!!! Food Soooooooo good and the service is good too ! Reasonable prices. Runnn

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    Nice little spot to grab to go on the fly. I get the dynamite chicken and fried rice. Love it!

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    6 years ago

    Dynamite Chicken was AMAZING! Loved every bite. The prices and quantity are great also.

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    8 years ago

    The food was really decent. I would recommend as a first time try and allow the person to make their own decision.

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    Page 1 of 2

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    Hokkaido Sushi - Salads from the AYCE menu!

    Hokkaido Sushi

    4.0(370 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$

    Tried Hokkaido for the first time yesterday specifically because my sister wanted AYCE. When we got…read morein, we were greeted and seated immediately which was great. However, we were given the regular menu. I just assumed maybe it was no longer AYCE. We asked a server walking by and she did inform us there were 2 menu options. She brought us the AYCE menu. I think when we were greeted we should've been asked which menu we'd like or at least given both. Anyway, I had a house salad, a shrimp tempura roll, the Ginza roll, a volcano roll, and the seafood fried rice. I also tried my sisters salmon skin roll. I really like their ginger dressing on the house salad compared to other restaurants. The Ginza roll is a cooked salmon roll with cucumber. I really liked it. However, if you prefer something a little less fishy tasting with some crunch, I'd recommend the salmon skin roll. It has a light salmon taste since there isn't much actual salmon in it. I did not like the volcano roll at all. It was really mushy and something was just off about it. The fried rice was really good BUT I don't like that the menu says it comes with "crab" when really it's imitation crab meat. The shrimp in it are huge tho and the rice itself is really flavorful. Overall, we had a good experience. Everything was fresh and came out fast. Our server was on top of it even tho she talked entirely too fast and I barely got anything she was actually saying! The restaurant itself is a nice vibe and super spacious. It could definitely be a good spot for a large party. $26.99 isn't bad at all for AYCE. I'd definitely visit again. Oh yea - If you pay with a credit card, don't forget to get it out of the holder. Their holders don't have the little slot up top where your card sticks out. It was placed behind my receipt copies when handed back to me, and I ended up forgetting to grab it. Had to go back and get it today. They did still have it and there weren't any unauthorized charges on it or anything!

    You can't beat the price for this quality of sushi! I got the salmon lover and it was very good…read more Salmon was creamy and buttery. It was also only $17 which I felt was a steal compared to other sushi places. Service was indeed slow but there were only 2 people for the entire restaurant. They need to hire more staff. I wouldn't come here for a high end date night place, but this place was great for casual and cheap sushi with good friends

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    Bar

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    T'San Japanese Food - Teriyaki beef

    T'San Japanese Food

    3.4(5 reviews)
    2.6 mi

    T'san is that spot that I'm always going to stop by when I'm in the area. The owner and her husband…read moreare always kind and their food is popping!! They're normally pretty busy, so you may have to wait a bit, but it's worth it!! I got the 20pcs steamed shrimp with broccoli, potatoes, and rice. I also got chicken gyoza. The shrimp with butter sauce was definitely delicious. That's my go to order. The butter sauce is so good. The gyoza was also tasty. I wish I ordered more than 3. Lol. Their Kobe beef and dynamite chicken is also worth trying. They sell Chinese and Japanese food. The menu has a good amount of options!! . It's a little hole in the wall kinda spot, but the customer service is good, and the food is to. Check them out!!

    Do not be fooled. I saw the great reviews and thought hey let me try this place. I got the chicken…read morefried rice and after getting it i open my plate to see pretty much a tray full of rice and u have to search for tiny bits of chicken. EXTREMELY STINGY on the chicken i never thought there could be this extent of stinginess on chicken and then on top if that it is extremely bland even with soy sauce and the chicken itself is burnt with no sauce or seasoning. A lot of the reviews are old so maybe this place was good once upon a time but i can confidently say it is no longer worth it. additionally the prices are higher when what the menu says my meal was suppose to me 10.95 it ended up being nearly 13$ ***Update: I called to address this and the man who answered the phone rudely said "i always put the chicken in for the customer i cut it up really small, ok thank you" and hung up the phone before i can reply" he knew he was wrong and i was more than willing to bring it to them to show that there is basically now chicken in this bowl but they decided to be rude. Do not go here if your looking for good service or a good meal.

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    T'San Japanese Food - Menu

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    Shrimp and rice

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    Where you order

    Kotobuki - Spicy Tuna roll and California roll

    Kotobuki

    3.9(326 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$

    Always a fun experience going to Kotobuki! The sushi is great, the tables are unique and the…read moreservers and staff are always very friendly and helpful. Ambiance is always nice and calm when we come for dinner. I'm sure we'll be back again next time we're in town!

    SKIP Kotobuki in Norfolk - Worst Sushi Experience EVER…read more Kotobuki in Ghent is a disaster. I gave this long-running spot a second chance, after a poor first experience, and it was a mistake. A friend insisted we return, and the service was shockingly bad, the sushi was subpar and the overall experience was the worst. From the moment you walk in, Kotobuki screams neglect: dead plants, servers dressed like they're doing yard work and a pervasive smell of old fry oil. We had reservations for the "traditional Japanese" sunken-table room, where we removed our shoes and climbed into our seats. One dirty pair of slippers sat at our table, while a random pair of construction boots lay abandoned nearby. The "ambiance" was completed by 70s soft rock -- Lionel Richie instead of "traditional Japanese" music. Our server took my order for a dirty Stoli martini, then disappeared for an absurd amount of time only to return and say they couldn't make it -- with no explanation. We hunted through the limited menu while our server vanished completely. The owner eventually stopped by, and I had to specifically request a sushi list. Tired of sitting cross-legged, I briefly put my feet into the pit under the table. Rather than place my bare feet on the filthy floor, I slipped my shoes back on for a moment. That's when the owner's daughter stormed over and aggressively accused me of saying, "Screw you and screw Kotobuki -- I'm not following the rules!" She launched into a rude, insulting lecture about "Japanese custom" while I sat there stunned. I immediately took my shoes off again, just to de-escalate, but the evening was ruined. No customer should be verbally assaulted over something as basic as not wanting bare feet on an obviously dirty floor. In an awkward position, not wanting to ruin the evening, I ordered my food. The sake was watery and flavorless, the house salad was sad, wilted iceberg lettuce drowning in bottled ginger dressing, and the sushi arrived lukewarm with questionable rice that called for a palate blinding amount of wasabi. It was boring, poorly prepared, and far below average. This was one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. Hand to God! Had this not been a special evening with a dear friend, I would have walked out the second the owner's daughter chastised me at the table. Management at Kotobuki clearly doesn't care about customer service or basic standards -- especially when family members are allowed to treat patrons this way. "Japanese tradition" doesn't excuse poor hygiene, rude staff or substandard food. In America, we have health codes for a reason. If you want decent sushi in Norfolk, go literally anywhere else. Kotobuki is just a lazy dive. There's nothing special on the menu, very little sushi selection and nobody seems to care. If you choose to ignore this warning, lower your expectations folks, you are about to be disappointed. The only thing good about this restaurant, is the opportunity to tell you how much it sucked.

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    Kotobuki - This table was a that table she told me it's not clean, maybe this table too expensive for me

    This table was a that table she told me it's not clean, maybe this table too expensive for me

    Kotobuki
    Kotobuki - Assorted rolls and nigiri

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    Assorted rolls and nigiri

    T'San - japanese - Updated September 2026

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