Miss this place already. The best of Little Tokyo is now gone.
Aaron T.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Alhambra, CA
Oiwake you’ll be missed by many! Your $ 10 dinner buffet is a steal and the casual/laid-back vibe adds to the experience. It’s hidden up on the 2nd floor so it feels a bit secluded. Interior is a bit run– down but you can tell that the place has provided so many great times for many people. You can’ t really find places like this too much anymore… The classic Little Tokyo is slowly disappearing as long-time businesses close. You have about one more week to make some lasting memories here… Definitely stop in and say hello/goodbye!
Kat C.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 West Covina, CA
I have to say this place is quite adorable. I came here for happy hour and the prices were just right. The pictures of beer were cheap and the appetizers were also cheap and tasty. The only thing that I have to complain about is that to get the waiters attention at the bar, you have to go and hunt them down. But once you have their attention, they are quite attentive. Just to add this in, they have a buffet for around $ 10. Can’t beat that! I have a special connection with this place. This is where I met my very special someone. He had me singing in front of everyone, and open karaōke. I don’t sing. I don’t ever sing in public. I sound like a chipmunk, but for him, I attempted to sing. The Karaōke selection is great! You fill out a small piece of paper and give it to the DJ for them to place your song. The stage is smack center, Open view to the public. Gotta love this place.
Leenie W.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Walnut, CA
Restaurant and bar located upstairs in the middle of the plaza. Cool place to hang out and have a drink. Affordable prices on food and liquor. There are a lot of appetizers and small food portions that are super cheap. Waitresses and waiters are friendly and attentive. Would love to come back… But I read on one of the reviews that they might close soon BC the rent was raised? Hope not. Try this place, it’s super duper chill!
Danny L.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Los Angeles, CA
For all of you Oiwake fans, they will be closing their doors for good by the end of September 2015. I used to frequent this place so many times back on the days. When I come here, I usually try their AYCE Buffet. For $ 8.50, plenty of food for you to choose. From teriyaki chicken, vegetable base curry, salad, fried rice, yakisoba noodles to California rolls. I love coming to this place is because of the AYCE. The food is ready for you to eat. They also have a huge variety of food for you to order off the menu. This place is known for their full bar & their karaōke section. During the night time & weekends, people come down to Oiwake to loosen up, hang out & chill. They come to drink & have a good time with friends, family & their loved ones. Japanese Village Plaza Mall won’t be the same without Oiwake.
Tai T.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles, CA
**QUICKUPDATE**: So I went in yesterday to my favorite karaōke bar/restaurant in all of Little Tokyo to have a few drinks with friends after a hard day’s work and what did I see at their front door on the second floor? A big yellow poster saying that the place has been officially sold to another company, a Chinese owner, who will be taking over the retail space and making it into something else. Oiwake is closing down and their last day will be the end of September 2015. So starting October 1, 2015 the new owner is going to take over and gut the place. And the first thing that came to mind was«Well, where will I go to get cheap drinks, $ 10AYCE buffet, and phenomenal service in Little Tokyo?» Goddamn, it is a sad, sad day for the fans and loyal patrons of Oiwake. This was the first place I had my first alcoholic drink. It was also the first place where I got shit-faced drunk. So many memories of drunken escapades with friends have happened here. We’ve even got kicked out once for getting overly drunk one time. I first discovered this place through my older brother in high school where we discovered that they served $ 7 lunch buffet’s back in the day. Yes, it was that long ago. Over 10 years ago was when I first found out about this place and it wasn’t until later on during college where I would eventually make my way back to this place to have my first alcohol drink in a bar.(I’ve had beer at a friend’s wedding but that doesn’t count). Yan’s(and for those of you who may know of him as «John,» «Jonathan,» and other names) last day is tonight(August 29, 2015) so for everyone who loves his secret drinks/cocktails, come on down tonight for one last hurrah!!! Because he won’t be around to make those favorite cocktails after tonight! And if for no other reason, September will be the last month that y’all can conquer the Rainbow Warrior Challenge. Don’t know what that is? Stop by tonight and find out! James(the owner), Yan, Jeff, Derek, Juan, the female staff(whose names escape me at the moment, I’m sorry), and the kitchen staff, thank you so much for providing a space for all the regulars who drink and talk sports there. Thank you for all the great memories you’ve all helped to create for all the casual drinkers and solo drinkers who go there to wind down from work or just to have a quiet spot to contemplate and drink in peace. And most importantly, thank you for providing a spot for all the old school Japanese patrons from the days of yore who go there just to see you guys. My friends and I will be back tonight to wish Yan a final farewell. We wish you all the best wherever you all end up at and hopefully, we’ll come across each other again in the near future.
Kat T.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Las Vegas, NV
I love Oiwake! The staff is awesome here! I’ve always had good service, food and drinks here. Even when it’s crazy busy, yes even then! I’ve been here so many times and I guess this is my first time writing a review. But what stands out is the awesome Manager Jonathon who works here. He treats his customers freaking amazing. If I have a problem he is there to answer all my questions. The other staff like King and a young lady I forgot her name are amazing. My alcohoic beverage is always on point!!! Jonathon knows how to make it. It’s like ninja alcohol so good then bam you faded. The new menu that was made a long time ago was the best decision made. Thank Oiwake staff and Jonathon!
Joy K.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Los Angeles, CA
OMGTHISPLACEISTHEBESTFORCHEAPDRINKSANDGOODFOODAND I AM A FOREVERCUSTOMER. I thank my friend A for this recommendationnnn ohhmyyygoshhhhhh. No this is not a zagat rated michelin star gordon ramesy restaurant. But it does have AMAZINGWEEKENDHAPPYHOUR. Bot only can you either do an ayce buffet for like $ 10 you can simply order off their hh menu which is so cheap and delishhhhh!!! Sapporo pitcher is $ 7…$ 7!!! NEED I SAYMORE?! Although there is one lady waiter who looks and acts like she hates her life so I wouldn’t take it personally.
Richard L.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 San Jose, CA
Definitely had way better food in J-town, but my family and I decided to stop here because there was a «buffet». When we walked in and checked out the buffet we changed out mind and just ordered a la carte. The food was decent, but nothing to write home about. I’m assuming the drink specials are enough to get people to come back.
Emmanuel L.
Évaluation du lieu : 1 Los Angeles, CA
I was skeptic to try this place out but when it comes to late night eats in Little Tokyo there are few and far between. I am writing on my way out of the door after I just ate a salty combo 4 bent box that quite frankly was just not any good. But really, food isn’t my main reason for writing this review. I’m doing this to warn you guys… DON’T COMEHERE. The booths are f***ing infected with BUGS! I’ve been sitting here for 10 minutes and my leg is covered in bites! I’m outta here! Hey management! Do something about this please! This ain’t cool!
Allison A.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Los Angeles, CA
This place is good for the price you pay. I’m speaking specifically about the dinner buffet for 10 dollars. They have a sizable selection such as yakisoba, rice, beef, chicken, cali rolls, salad with a yummy miso dressing, veggie tempura, udon and such other comfort staples of Japanese food. They give warm green tea with the buffet for free. I was full with one serving, so I didn’t try the dessert section of the buffet. This place would be good for anyone who wants to eat different and decent food on a budget. The location is spacious. They offer booth seating which is next to the bar and what looked like a separate room for big parties(not too sure). This is a key detail in that it can get pretty loud in the booth area due to the rowdy people at the bar, which is fine for some or not. It got annoying me because of some over excited ucla student were been a bit ridiculous with their volume. There isnt any music playing loudly in the restaurant so i dont see the need to yell so much. Lol A let down was the time of service. When we walked in we were not greeted until we got into eye sight of a busy lone waiter. He was quite helpful but for the big area, I’d expect more than one waiter doing all the work. I felt bad for him. This one waiter was also serving as a bartender and waiter to a big party in the separate room. Where was everyone else?! Due to lack of service workers this poor older man was not able to attend to everyone in a timely manner. He was so nice though and attentive when he did visit us. I could tell he was working as quickly as he could. We actually sat for 10 mins before one of us got up to ask whether we could just go and grab our food! This place needs at least 2 – 3 waiters. So if you go to Oiwake make sure you look for service. Bringing in more people like the hard working older gentleman would definitely raise the level of stars this place would get on reviews because the food is good. I’m sure it would be perfect then. Ill be coming back now that i know who to look for in terms of service. Lol I wish i had gotten his name but he’s the older Latino gentleman.
Jamora C.
Évaluation du lieu : 1 Paris, France
A long time ago, the person who built this restaurant used to care about this place(or this is what I’m fantasizing). The outdated but lavishly 80’s décor and seating make it seem like this was once a place intended for greatness. A sushi haven? A karaōke super kingdom? Well, as of right now, Oiwake is hanging on by a string… a soggy, old noodle string. The only great thing about Oiwake is the amazing happy hour they have. With such cheap prices, the place is a bright light attracting moths of bad-mannered young businessmen who get super hammered and super annoyingly loud(during our dinner, I think a group of them even invited an escort or two!). But are cheap drinks really enough to call this place a restaurant? Well, I found out… I made the mistake of bringing my family here. The first sign of a bad restaurant is when the servers look like they have given up on life. After receiving the basic menus, we were abandoned for 20 minutes. My family and I never received any Happy Hour menus(I searched for them myself) and it took forever for the waitress to come to our table. When we finally got all the menus, we saw the sushi was overpriced like all the other restaurants in Little Tokyo. We did see the good deal for a buffet($ 10) so we walked over to see what they were serving. What we discovered was a sad senior citizen cafeteria style potluck table with food that had been sitting out for hours the day before, refrigerated, and then forced to repeat the same fate the next day. We definitely skipped this option. Too tired and too famished to go somewhere else, my family and I ended up ordering three rolls, udon yakisoba, and some Happy Hour appetizers. The appetizers were straight up food nightmares… we had butter garlic edamame and fried tofu. My first thought… who thinks putting butter in edamame is a smart idea? Hey, I wanted to try it, curious foodie that I am. Unfortunately, it ended up being as disgusting as it sounds. Butter from the 99 cent store with edamame that had been in the freezer for 5 years. The worst offender was the tofu: a gelatinous mutant disgrace to Japanese food. I think it was supposed to be fried tofu with sauce poured over it. Instead, it tasted like baked slugs. The food nightmares kept coming. For about $ 12 – 13 a roll, I expected the sushi to at least be standard. I was so wrong. All the rolls had old, soggy, regurgitated rice… it was almost inedible. One of them, the«Pizza Roll», was a mix of Kraft cheese, mayonnaise, and DRIEDPARSLEY. It is so horrible, I imagine every time someone eats this roll, a sushi chef dies somewhere. I don’t even want to talk about the other rolls, it is that upsetting. The only dish that was somewhat edible was the udon yaki. Even then, the dish tasted like one of those instant noodle packages. I’ve never written a review with so many adjectives and similes. Obviously, Oiwake, my fantasy of you was delusional and very wrong of me to want. But at least drunk people enjoy you immensely… because you must be drunk to eat this food!!! Come for the happy hour drinks, but stay far far away from everything else.
Lauren T.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 San Diego, CA
Review is based on the dinner buffet. I’m surprised that the average review here is only three stars. LA Unilocalers are tough critics! Overall, I was surprised by the selection and quality of this $ 10 buffet. As far as selection goes, there really isn’t a whole lot offered, but the chicken karaage and curry were delicious. Additionally, the veggie tempura isn’t half bad either.(Don’t bother looking for shrimp in the tempura section, because there isn’t any.) On the downside, the pork fried rice and yakisoba tasted like it had been sitting under the heat lamp for far too long. If I were to come back, I would like to see an improvement on their dessert selection and quality. I had a tiny nibble of my mom’s chocolate cake. It tasted like a chocolate sponge. I didn’t try the frozen yogurt, but it looked soupy from a distance. Yes, I realize that four stars is pushing it, but for $ 10 you really can’t beat the value! Tip: If you park in the structure, don’t forget to bring in your ticket for a free 2 hour validation!
Gerry B.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Westminster, CA
There is a large number of mid-range and value-priced restaurants in Little Tokyo, all offering pretty much the same menu. The advantage of Oiwake is that it is on the second floor and a little quieter than most. The seating is primarily in booths each of which can take six persons. There is also bar seating and three or four rooms for private dining. Service was well-meaning but two or three requests from our party of ten were overlooked and had to be reordered. Overall, our group found the sushi and soup better than the teriyaki and tempura dishes. Later in the evening they have karaōke. The food selection certainly does not justify the $ 8.95 cost per person, as options were lacking. The food tastes the same as the small fast food outlet in your neighborhood. With ten persons going around the buffet, the sushi roll option quickly diminished. We asked if they would be bringing out more, especially in light of the high cost, and were told by the manager that we should have come early if we wanted more sushi so had to wait to made!!! Can you believe the audacity!!! Oiwake Asian Buffet, you need to get your act together! Shame on you!!! People beware! You are better off spending your hard earned money elsewhere on better food and much better service.
Barbara W.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 West Covina, CA
Upon arrival, you seat yourself, so it might be kind of confusing if you’re getting buffet because you’re not sure to just start getting your food while at the entrance or wait until you’re seated. Or if you’re seated, if you should leave to get your food or wait to get your food after the servers come by? My family and I just picked a table to drop off our purses and I sat down to check in and watch our things while my family got food. They had chow mein, various salads, tempura, chicken katsu, teriyaki chicken, and miso soup. The buffet also provided soft serve vanilla cream with a variety of toppings like sprinkles, cookies n cream, chocolate syrup, gummy, mini m&ms, peanuts, and chocolate chips. My family agreed that the miso soup was a little too salty but besides that the quality was good for the price. They had ginger sides and different toppings for the soba, you just add according to your preference. If I were in little Tokyo I probably wouldn’t come again just because it was nothing spectacular and there are so many eateries around. No fish in the buffet, the sushi just had cucumber wrapped inside or California roll. Monday through Saturday happy hour lasts 5−8pm
Tom H.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Torrance, CA
Can’t beat the prices for their buffet. We came here for lunch and grabbed the $ 8 lunch buffet(dinner is $ 10). All the food was good. Choices were chicken teriyaki, chicken katsu, vegetable curry, and much more. Can’t beat the prices.
Ann G.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Whittier, CA
Good for hanging out with friends. As for food, there are better options. However, the point is that you are here to hang out and get some drinks with great people. Have been here many times over the years and the service is remains consistently fantastic. Your whistle will stay wet!
Gary I.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Los Angeles, CA
Buffet Only:(Non Foodie friends suggested that I go with them) In the best sense, Oiwake seems like a seasoned rustic«dive» somewhere in the rural area of northern Japan that is known as To-hoku, sometime in the 1950’s. My guess is that for at least 20 years Sake(sah keh), beer, wine have been either swilled or spilt onto the floor. Then you remember when entering there is a huge sculpture of Tanuki or badger that is carefully sculpted with his right hand holding onto a rope at the end of which is tied to a big Sake bottle. You look around and look up to see the old style Sake kegs wrapped in fancy rice paper with Sake brewery labels boldly imprinted. The dark woods that make up the framework of the various eating areas are starting to look more crafted & not so divey. If I had to put things in a hierarchy, I would categorize Oiwake as a classy dive. The AYCE dinner buffet at Oiwake is only $ 10 so don’t think you’re gonna eat high on the hog with Uni, Toro, Hon Maguro, Ikura, Matsutake, and expensive stuff like that. Hell, no. I mean for $ 10, dream on. But I found the Chicken Teriyaki to be moist, meaty, not cloyingly sweet with a good chicken flavour Umami. The vegetable Tempura was crispy although the batter is rather thick, but the string beans & Japanese Kabocha pumpkin retained enough of the fresh Tempura flavours to merit a second helping. The fried rice was flavoured with a bit of Sho-yu/soy sauce, scrambled egg, white sesame seeds, carrots, bits of greens and was a good starch component to the other dishes such as Hijiki, Sho-yu braised brown seaweed; Tsukemono/salt brined pickled Nappa cabbage, and even the faux, Japanified«kung pao» chicken which had a healthy addition of a huge amount of green & red bell peppers & onions, and did not have extra fatty oil so prevelent in Chinese wok cooking. There are plenty of salad variations that can have To-fu, classic Japanese cucumber salad with Wakame(wah kah meh) a healthful green flat seaweed that adds an ocean Umami to the lightly Japanese rice vinegared cucumber. There are Sushi rolls such as the California roll with the crab flavoured Surimi & aguacate. There is even a Japanese flavoured potato salad roll that tastes better than I would have thought. The Japanese style curry was actually rather delicious with a mild curry blend that had a meaty, deep chicken fond de cuisine Umami with the main component for starch being earthy Russet potatoes, carrots, bulb onions. There were more items on the buffet, but those above were the ones that I actually tasted. An hour later, we were all filled to the gills. I paired this buffet meal with a Sho-chikubai«Nama» or draft Sake which worked well with this Japanese meal. For those not enthused about a buffet meal, or after seeing what is offered at the buffet, there is the option of ordering from the menu which I have not sampled as yet. Not all is a home run with the buffet food items, but enough hit singles or doubles. At first just sample a tiny, itsy bitsy bit of everything that looks appealing, then on the second run load up on what food items turned out to be good. For those into Karaōke(kah rah oh keh) and NOT(kerry okie) which sounds like some hick from some hootchie kootchie place in the Ozarks, it seems there is a platform on which to perform. Nothing was going on around 7pm on a Thursday night, but I assume the music & singing happens later into the wee night. 3+ Unilocal stars for the acceptable 10 buck buffet that can fill your belly til it pillows out.
Kevin W.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Temple City, CA
Awesome bar in the heart of Little Tokyo. Great service. No cover at night unless there is an event. Night time kareoke. Been here for a few events and random nights to drink. Bartenders make pretty cool and colorful shooters. I ate a few random snacks here when I drink. All decent drinking snacks. Rainbow Warrior Challenge — $ 40 — 7 super fruity shots in 30 seconds. Took me about 7 seconds to finish. I saw my picture on the wall the last time I went. Drinks were really sweet but you can barely taste it since your drinking it so fast.
Siamrath B.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Los Angeles, CA
Came here for lunch with 17 other people and it was great. The majority of us got the $ 8.50 buffet and during lunch rush hour it wasn’t even packed. I was a little skeptic about this place by reading the reviews that has been posted on Unilocal about the quality of the buffet. I was greatly misled. Other people who gave this place ½ stars was expecting more than what they were paying for. I tried almost everything and there was nothing I particularly hated. With that being said let me break down what my meal consisted of. I started off with a main course of fried rice with chicken katsu with vegetable curry over it. Essentially I got the chicken katsu fried rice curry, which I thought was worthy of 4 stars(pretty standard, it did not disappoint). The calamari on the side was a nice surprised, but a bit disappointing. It was close to being good, but it was not fried enough leaving it a light yellow color(indicative of undercooked fried food). I did not try the yakisoba but it looked good. The terriyaki chicken was also good. The pumpkin tempura was amazing, definitely my favorite(I love pumpkins). The cold Soba noodles were whatever, didn’t like it. With all that and a soft serve machine for the end, the buffet was concluded with me being satisfied of the low cost food and the great service. Would come here again for happy hour!