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Osakaya Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
1737 Post StSte 370
(between Buchanan St & Webster St)
San Francisco, CA 94115
Neighbourhoods: Japantown, Lower Pac Heights, Pacific Heights
(415) 922-2728
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
253 reviews for Osakaya Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"i absolutely love coming here for their curry." In 80 reviews -
"This place has excellent ramen." In 96 reviews -
"I also recommend the Super Dynamite Roll." In 5 reviews
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253 reviews in English
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Review from Peter L.
San Francisco, CA
4/25/2012
Went to the Cherry Blossom Parade and wanted to get some food afterwards, but it was a ZOO and we figured service and quality might not be up to par with everyone at every place overworked.
So we went back the next day and went to Osakaya because I love their displays in the window. We decided to get the 2 specials that were presented at the door display.
A Bento box of Unagi, Teriyaki Chicken, California roll, seaweed salad, rice and miso soup for $12.50 and the Pork Ramen (?) with 4 piece nigiri (omalet, unagi, tuna and shrimp) for $10.50
The Chicken and Unagi were excellent, the California roll and rice were a bit on the dry side.
The ramen was good, but the pork was really dry. I liked the broth, but my wife thought it was too salty.
Service was friendly and efficient. Green tea was filled 3 times! The girls really had some needy customers, but waited with a smile!
Without the specials the menu is a bit pricey, but the food is good.
$30 well spent! -
Review from Spencer E.
South San Francisco, CA
5/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Meh this place is just alright. We ordered many different sushi rolls and one thing that threw me off was that the rice was warm. It tasted unpleasant when eating the rolls that had raw fish in it. They load their rolls with rice with fills you up but not in a good way.
The prices here are cheaper than other places in japantown but don't expect something that amazing when eating here. Great place to go to if you want to carbo load though.
I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say they're just not known for their sushi -
Review from Aaron L.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 4/7/2012
I ate here just last night with 7 other people! A 10 min wait wasn't bad at all.
We got there and I ordered the Tentoji Donburi. Most filling order I've ever gotten! It was really good and I was pretty satisfied. The bill turned out to be $81 cuz of the gratuity for 8 people. A bit pricey but hey it's Japan town.
Good place overall.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/20/2012
I absolutely enjoy eating here! I've been coming here for the past 3 years and if you want some… Read more »
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Review from Tina D.
San Francisco, CA
4/30/2012
Gross food and bad service! the sushi was filled with mostly rice and ramen is disgusting. sashimi was not fresh at all !! very rude service! + they tried to charge a 15% gratuity fee for only 2 people.
We left without leaving a tip, and the worker actually had the nerve to yell out that tip is not included in the bill. Do not come here!!!! -
Review from Minh B.
San Francisco, CA
5/14/2012
it seems no one notice and gave great review, but i had horrible service. food was not good and over priced for the bad quality.
CHARGE 15% GRATUITY FOR 2 PEOPLE AND TRIED TO CHARGE GRATUITY AGAIN. Surprised people that go there do not notice that and give the restaurant 5 stars. -
Review from Alex C.
Fremont, CA
Every time I come to the city, I make sure to stop by for a meal. I've tried their ramen, curry, and a variety of donburis and have loved all of it. Their side dishes -- croquettes, tempura, tonkatsu -- are phenomenal. They have a pretty good selection of warm and cold sake as well as a number of beers. Could not recommend this place more!
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Review from Em D.
San Jose, CA
3/26/2012
We were so hungry by the time we got the area that we just went into the first restaurant we saw. Apparently, you need to sign up by the door for a table. No one else was in line when we got there so we assumed we didn't need to; but the waiter seemed irked that we didn't write our names. Minus a star...
We ordered the ramen with chirashi and a tempura with chirashi. The ramen was very bland and the chirashi, well fish was not fresh; as for the tempura, I dont think you can go wrong with tempura. Another star taken away...
Lastly, they do not validate parking while other restaurants do...hence the 3 stars. -
Review from Gloria H.
We sat at a more spacious table and the service was friendlier.
What we had:
large beer
seafood miso ramen
niku ramen
dragon rollListed in: Japanese...teriyaki to sushi!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/12/2010
3.5 stars
We walked around and around looking for ramen and ended up here. I think it was the… Read more »
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Review from Emily L.
San Francisco, CA
3/23/2012 3 photos
Greetings, my hungry-for-Japanese-cuisine friends! I've wandered aimlessly around Japantown a few times, I am after all made in Japan. Every time I wander around in there, I always resort to Osakaya because of their front-end display. Something about the shiny, plastic udon noodles, donburis, and nigiris make me drool before I even enter.
I've been to Osakaya a few times. Every time I go the service is mediocre, nothing over the top, but not terrible either. The restaurant is quiet inside so it's a nice place to have a casual conversation with friends. I'm rating this place a 3-star because I have had really awesome Japanese food so I've become quite a snob.
I ordered the Hamachi Kama (grilled collarbone of a yellowtail fish) with a side of white rice. Overall, the Hamachi Kama was pretty standard: average size, garnished with a lemon wedge and a side of sweet ponzu sauce. The piece of Kama that was served to me was a bit on the fatty side and it was more oily than I am used to. For this reason, I am rating this place a 3-star. Hamachi Kama is typically meaty & delicious, if you haven't had it before, I highly recommend you order it next time you're at a Japanese restaurant!
My friends ordered a Nebayaki Udon & a vegetarian roll. This place is great if you're a vegetarian, they have an entire menu devoted to green-friendliness. I don't know about you but when I go to a Japanese restaurant I demand to eat fish!! :) Gnawing on veggies and greens are better left at a salad bar. My friends both liked their dishes though, and I even got to pose with their food! Presentation is pretty good.
In short, not the best Japanese restaurant, but it's decent. Again, I'm a snob and have been spoiled with excellent Japanese food - which I hope to share in my next Japanese post! :) -
Review from Puppy D.
San Francisco, CA
3/16/2012
I went to oosakaya for lunch.
I ate yakimiku and unagi donburi combo. It was pretty good! -
Review from Brian C.
Los Angeles, CA
4/17/2012
Decent ramen..
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Review from Ave L.
West Sacramento, CA
2/25/2012
Every time I come to SF, I make it a priority to visit Japantown. I've walked through the mall a bunch of times, but I've never sat down and ate at one of the restaurants, until yesterday.
I ate at Osakaya after looking at their menu which is posted just outside the restaurant and decided go give this place a shot. I love sushi and all the other sushi joints I've been to have all been mediocre. Being in Japantown, I had high expectations as far as their food goes, and this place is amazing.
I had their bento special which cost around $12 and you get a LOT of food.
I'd definitely come back again when I'm in town. -
Review from Sydney M.
San Francisco, CA
2/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is my go to place for lunch while in Japantown. Service has been consistent and good. I've already been here a handful of times. We get our green teas immediately and no later than 5 minutes someone would ask if we're ready for our order. All the servers we've had were nice.
The food itself is okay. I have no real complaints about it because everything we've ordered so far hasn't been awful. Good sized portions, doesn't take forever for our good to come out, and the price is pretty reasonable. -
Review from David S.
3/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Well this was a fine meal, but indistinguishable from any other place to eat next to it...but still "A-OK". The little place on the bridge has a more 'curious' menu if you want something more peculiar. Else this is a solid set of standards.
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Review from Johnny C.
Oakland, CA
2/12/2012
A pretty good place for food but not necessarily the best for service.
We came here and both ordered curry udon. I ordered mine with a croquette and the food was fabulous. My curry was very flavorful, noodles were chewy, and croquettes were crispy and warm. The only thing I didn't really like was how the curry was kinda runny and watery, I'd prefer it be a little thicker.
I guess I didn't really like the service too much because they didn't give us our check and it took us a while to get their attention. But I've come here several times and this hasn't really happened. -
Review from Steven V.
Sacramento, CA
3/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Every time I've been here I wasn't too impressed with the food. Saw why they were not too busy so I settled this time because I was super hungry and did not want to go hunting for a place to eat. This time I got a bowl of their miso ramen with sliced BBQ pork and a side of croquette. The ramen wasn't bad at all. The noodles weren't over cooked and the broth was quite flavorful. The croquette was okay. Still, can't say that this place would be my first choice in J-Town.
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Review from Paola M.
Manhattan, NY
While visiting the Japan Center Mall we decided to stop here. Quick meal, I didn't enjoy it. Wouldn't visit again.
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Review from Dui N.
San Jose, CA
11/23/2011
We were so hungry when we got to the food court in Japaness Town. We decide to try out Osakaya b/c the restaurant was pact at 4pm, a good sign.
For appertize, we order Chicken Kaaza (or someething sound like that) and Octopus, these are the only dish we enjoy. But then, who could possibly mess up deep fry food.
Deep fry tofu was flavorless and texture was not right. I was expecting crunchy outside and warm and creamy inside, it was not.
We ordered 3 rolls, it probably the worst sushi I have ever had. To put into perspetive, costco sushi taste better for a lot less.
For Main course, we order tenderloin katsu, stir fry sirloin beef, and eels. The Beef was ok, but not tenderloin katsu and eels, they were both musshy, as if the food was made a week ago.
I was alot of people around us order Ramen. Howerver, on our way out, I saw at least 2 tables didn't even finish their food. Nothing great about the food here, I would not try again. -
Review from Jonathan L.
San Francisco, CA
12/14/2011 3 photos
This restaurant is pretty good and the prices are very fair. My grandma walked by this place with her home girls and told me about this "amazing bento box with boat loads of food." Excited, I drove her here for lunch and the bento box was just a regular box you would find at Kikis or any other lower end Japanese restaurant except a little more expensive. I think my grandma just tricked me to giving her a ride to Japan town to go shopping.
Nonetheless, we still ate here and we ordered curry chicken over udon, bento box special and a dragon roll. Overall the food was pretty good and the portions are pretty big. I wouldn't rank this place as an elite Japanese restaurant but their prices are fair for having the ambiance of Japan town. The service was also pretty good. The waitress was attentive and kept refilling our tea and taking away dirty dishes. Solid 4 stars. -
Review from Ethan C.
Issaquah, WA
8/25/2011
I could almost give this place four stars, except for one major mistake. I was with 7 other people, making two families of four. Wanting to avoid the 15% auto-gratuity, we split into two tables. We ate, and everything was good, but then at the end, tey still tagged on the 15% charge! Seriously? We weren't even talking and our tables were split up. It's not like we sat together. They have absolutely no right to charge us. A while back, we went to Red Lobster and when we explicitly asked if tthere was a 15% big group charge, they said yes and honored us when we split up our tables. When we tried to claim our money back, they insultingly asked us if we live in the US (heck yeah we do) and after a bunch of arguing, they finally gave us our money back.
Other than that, the food was good. We ordered Oyako-don, Tanin-don, Katsu-don, and Osakaya Sushi Deluxe. The deluxe was pathetic bet everything else tasted good. -
Review from Buyi Y.
Newark, DE
3/28/2012
bad service,,food is good..one of the serves is cute
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Review from Daniel N.
North Highlands, CA
1/28/2012
Pretty good ramen and katsu curry! 3.5
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Review from Oliver D.
Union City, CA
9/19/2011
Meh, the sushi here is just mediocre in my opinion.
Osakaya does get really crowded all the time, though, so they must be doing something right. Maybe I've just been ordering the wrong things from their menu. -
Review from Tony L.
5/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
The first time I came to Osakaya was probably back in high school. It was cheap. It was quick. It was accessible. Which is pretty much all you need.
But these days, we need other necessities to satisfy us. Like curry.
Which is precisely why we came here, a curry craving. My friend had the tonkatsu curry. I had the chicken katsu curry. I opted for medium spicy, which really wasn't that spicy at all. The curry is pretty thick and has a very fatty taste to it, but otherwise has a simple taste and texture. And the boiled egg you see floating in the curry? It looks like half an egg. But really, it's only a slice. Fail.
The guy next to us was jammin' on the ramen. I saw the ramen on the menu and was tempted, but eventually passed on it. But that dose of ramen envy was enough for me to reconsider my options in the event that I return.
So. Curry. Twelve bucks or so. The bang for buck tilted towards the mediocre side. I say visit On the Bridge instead the next time you have a curry craving. -
Review from Anastasia M.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2012
Osakaya offers good basic Japanese food. I usually go there for Udon curry tonkatsu.
Last time I went there (a couple of month ago), I had a little incident: as I was leaving I put on my jacket that is a bit bulky and I accidentally touched the lamp that was over our table.....You should have seen the amount of DUST that flew away from it!!!! Neighboring tables had dust in their food ..I felt sorry for them!
I am quite disappointed as I thought that Japanese people were very strict when it comes to hygiene....
Please clean your restaurant!!! -
Review from Amy C.
3/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Chicken Katsu Curry Quiz:
If the CKC craving hits you do you:
a) Go to Osakaya and order their Curry.
b) Wait till you can get over to Muracci's.
Answer: b)
I mistakenly picked "a" and then had to do "b" anyway. Unfortunately, Osakaya's version tasted like it came from a box and instead of being spicy it was very bland and pasty. The ingredients in the maki roll that we ordered was similarly flavorless. Service was very spotty.
I did enjoy the sake and the company though!Listed in: East Asian Eats, Fried Chicken Addiction
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Review from Mai H.
San Francisco, CA
5/24/2011
Came here on Friday for dinner. It was a little bit of a wait for a Friday night. Kind of expected. The seating is quite tight, but the service is fast.
I had the ebi tempura donburi. Hubby had the ramen special (miso ramen with chicken karage). Friend had the curry croquette. And appetizer was mushroom tempura.
The mushroom tempura was yummy. We ate all of that. It was freshly fried. An awesome plus!
The curry was ok. I've had better curry before.
I thought the ramen was just mediocre. I expected more for j-town, but was disappointed.
The highlight was the tempura donburi. Made just the way I like it. Filled with veggies, tempura, fishcake, and eggs.
I will def come back for my donburi. -
Review from Luis C.
1/1/2011 5 photos
The salmon bento box ($7.50) from the to-go side window filled with pre-packaged items is a good deal.
Now: http://media1.px.yelpc...
Before: http://media1.px.yelpc...
In the past I'd often order one of the combo lunch offers pictured by the entrance. But after ownership changed in late 2007 the food quality has gone downhill, although it was never great. Never had any problems with service.
On my last visit the food was worth just 2 stars. The sashimi of my tuna & avocado appetizer didn't taste fresh, http://media1.px.yelpc... and the ramen was worse than ever (dry slices of pork meat, and strange mix of leftover veggies). http://media1.px.yelpc... The fried shumai with hot mustard paste was merely okay. http://media1.px.yelpc... The old owners had a homemade version with bits of cubed bamboo shoots and a green pea center (the only place that did this). -
Review from David D.
Updated - 12/19/2010
Upgrading here based on my experience at noon on Sunday.
Another restaurant that was supposed to open at 11:30am didn't, so our survey of Japantown restaurants brought us here. Open door, immediate seating, lots of people.
We were seated near the kitchen, so the waitress gave us plenty of attention, checking on us each time she passed by. We held her off until we could fully comprehend the 12-page menu, and then of course settled on bento boxes.
I ordered the chirashi gozen, a deluxe spread of panko fried flounder, various slices of fish, nicely cooked jumbo shrimp, a beef yakitori stick, two scoops rice hiding in there. The maguro and toro were excellent, and the flounder was first class.
My Lady ordered what was unbelievably labelled "combination." She chose her cuts, and enjoyed the result thoroughly. Lunch for the two of us cost $30.11 + tip.
So while that other place didn't seem to miss our business, we didn't miss theirs either. I am a fan of Osakaya. Oishii desu.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/7/2008
There is a faster line moving at Osaka Ya.
We dropped in here for dinner, when the whole Japantown… Read more »
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Review from Jenna T.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2011
Had a bad experience.
I was desperate for some Japanese food and this is the first place we saw. I remember coming here for my prom dinner (many years ago). Anyway I ordered the lunch special with the ramen and unagi and rice. I was so hungry. I didn't even finish half of it and found a huge curly long piece of freaking HAIR. I told the waitress and she looked annoyed. EXCUSE ME. I lost my appetite. They canceled the order and I didn't have to pay for it. She didn't seem apologetic. She probably thought I planted it in there but I would never do that.
Aside from the hair, the ramen and unagi was ok. The unagi was HARD. Don't know why. Maybe it was old. The ramen tasted very MSG-y. Service was terrible. Just cuz it's in Japantown doesn't mean it's authentic or good. -
Review from Cassie L.
San Ramon, CA
4/23/2011 2 photos
Food: I had the lunch special with unagi and tempura; BF had the pork katsu cury. Fantastic unagi! The unagi was juicy, full of flavor and melt-in-your-mouth goodness; the tempura was just okay, a bit too oily with bites of tempura batter only in some pieces. Pork katsu was good, but the curry was just okay.
Value: For lunch and dinner, the prices are okay. The best thing about this place is the take-out!! After 5PM, the prices are reduced for take-out, $5 for bento boxes and $3 for rice bowl (regular prices are$7.50 for bento and $5 for rice bowl). SO AWESOME! My BF and I stocked up and had the food two days later; it was still very good microwaved.
Service: Good, average service.
Ambiance: Pretty nice and clean. The place is a bit dated. -
Review from Dor H.
Alameda, CA
6/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Back in the days when I was obsessed with Japantown, this used to be my family and I's go to place whenever we wanted to eat in the mall.
Grandma will get shoyu ramen and say it's too big, and I'd get katsu or croquette curry.
They have so many things in the window that will tempt you, but after all the places I have traveled to over the past years and the many delicious things I've tasted. This place is so average, I would feel bad bringing an International friend here because this place just says, yeah our perception of what Japanese food tastes like, sucks. You really have to travel outside of Japantown and into Fremont or San Jose or something. The best places are in the most unexpected places.
It was a good first step into my adventure of food, but it's better to go elsewhere. -
Review from Cathaleya C.
Naperville, IL
5/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you are hungry but don't want to dine in and/or pay gratuities, go ahead and purchase a $5 boxed lunch. There were domburi with unagi, oyakodon and maki rolls.
The roast chicken over rice was drizzled in sweet soya.
The chicken omelet had mushrooms. -
Review from Christine L.
San Jose, CA
5/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Japantown SF. You fooled me good. I figured anyplace that has been here forever MUST be good, but I was mistaken. I got here a little after noon and I was STARVING! BF & I both ordered ramen, I got a side of chirashi and he got a cute little croquet.
I'm no ramen expert, but I've been to plenty of places around the bay with better tasting noodles and soup. My chirashi both looked and tasted old, and the waitress didn't know enough english to tell us whether or not parking was validated (it's not). We ended up having to speak to a manager or owner, not even by request! They just ran off looking for someone of authority, I guess.
I WOULD come back here because I'm sure there's good food hidden in there, I just happened to not get any of it on my first visit. :( -
Review from Rachel S.
5/8/2011
Came him with the boyfriend and his crew, who are apparently regulars and swear by this place. Even though we walked in around 2:30p, we could still take advantage of their great lunch specials, which are served all the way until 5pm!
I got the chikara ramen, which was tasty and HUGE, although the baked rice cake component was a little strange and really just tasted like "burnt-ness". Still, it was wonderful after I removed the offending rice cakes, and I could have easily split it with someone. Also, while it seemed difficult to get our water refilled, there was never a shortage of tea.
I will definitely make this one of my go-to places in Japantown. -
Review from Laura T.
Napa, CA
7/14/2011
They're okay. I used to come here when I didn't know what Japanese food should taste like, so I came back recently after ending up in San Francisco again. Had a decent dinner-- ordered some sushi and croquettes and neither were particularly spectacular, but they weren't bad either. The croquette seemed a little bland, so I had to rely on the dipping sauce that came with it to get some flavor. No problems service-wise; the food came out quickly, and empty plates were cleared quickly as well.
I may end up here again (but there are other good restaurants in Japantown), but wouldn't pick this place if I had to take someone out. -
Review from Sue R.
San Francisco, CA
3/1/2011
I usually come here for late lunch (their lunch set is served til 5 pm I think).
I have tried almost all lunch set of restaurant in both buildings of Japan Town. I think Osakaya's lunch set is among the "best value for money".
The taste is good, not great. But for 10-dollar lunch set, it is totally acceptable! The amount is large.
Their special bento is also good. For 12-14 dollars, you get lots of stuff. Usually there will be unagi don/salmon/tonkatsu.
Their rolls are ok. Dragon roll is worth its price. Big chunk of eels.
Service is ok. It really depends on servers. Some are really attentive and just cannot tolerate seeing your empty tea cup (they'll come around very often with teapot). Some that I met are just not very hospitable during peak hours, which is acceptable for me. -
Review from Warren C.
12/29/2010
I was disappointed as I honestly thought that the heart of Japantown would have the best Japanese food, but turns out that's not really the case. Osakaya boasts the largest wax display in the mall, so I figured it had to be worth a shot.
It was just mediocre. Service was nothing to write home about either, and the quality of the food surely wasn't enough to justify the 20 minute wait. They offer bento boxes and lunch specials from $8 to $13 with a decent portion size. However, the actual food itself is probably similar to whatever quality you can find at your local Japanese eatery...no sense coming to Japantown in SF for this. I'd recommend looking for a higher rated place instead.
On the plus side, the wasabi shot I took really hit the spot. I think the wasabi might be of better quality or it was just me on one of my better days. -
Review from Yaeko M.
Chicago, IL
11/27/2011
Bad service. Sushi was horrible. i can't believe it's in the Japan center in Japan town. This place is only for people who don't know what to expect Japanese food.
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Review from Leme T.
Oakland, CA
1/16/2011
I came here with my friend today because we both wanted to try another restaurant in Japantown that's not Mifune. At first we looked at what they had to offer and went to other restaurant to see what they had to offer. Came back around moments later and there was a huge line. oh darn.
we found the wait list and sign our names. we got out tables in about 10 minutes and ordered by the next 5 minutes. Food came in a total of 10 min. my friend's food came out first. He ordered a tempura lunch set which came with two deep fried shrimp and the rest of the plate was deep fried vegetables, three onigiri(one was salted plum sauce,2nd seasoned seaweed,3rd salmon), and a miso soup. not bad for 10.50. I ordered the ramen with a miso soup base and unagi rice bowl.
They were bigger portions then mifune's. It filled me up way faster too! My friend really enjoyed his meal since he didnt bother to even look up at me while i was talking instead he was trying to pick what he was going to eat next of his plate. By the end of the meal we were both happy campers with bloated belly.
