Wakasan

This was a very good place. But the phone message at the restaurant said «We are closing our business as of August 25 due to the change in ownership.» Too bad…

Not good for lunch, only 4 items on the menu

Wakasan’s creativity never ceases to amaze me. I love the simplicity of the food. Everything we have is always soooo good! Even simple things like a chicken drumstick. We loved their grilled mackerel, grilled trout. Tonight, it was grilled river fish and grilled barracuda, spotted snapper sashimi, beef tongue, Japanese omlette. The grilled tofu is to die for!!! I am soooo sad this place is closing as Wakasan is retiring. Good for Wakasan. But to me, this place is like home!

Wakasan is absolutely hands down my favorite place to have Japanese. I am moving to Japan for a year and I would still go here right before I leave. It is pretty small, so if you do not have a reservation and you are planning to go on a busy night, you might have to wait quite a bit. I recommend making a reservation for the «Omakase» dinner. It is just course after course of pure bliss in your mouth! From broiled foods to braised dishes, fried to fresh clean sashimi items, they take you on a journey of not just tastes, but aromas and textures that create a delicious experience that you will not forget. I have also tried their items on the menu and my favorite is the Ikura bowl (Salmon Roe) It is just to die for!
I am sad to hear that they will not be here anymore. I hope the sons of Mr. Wakasan pay homage to their father and create something similar, or have a special «omakase» dinner because everything about this place so truly special.

I got the Sukiyaki Udon which was delightful! The bonito broth was heaven. The noodles were perfect and in perfect quantity.
The service was lovely as well. Not too intrusive
I loved the seating. They have one large family style table and many individual tables. The lighting is romantic and I think this would be a lovely date spot.

Last night I was talking with a guy who inquired about my death-​row meal. He’d barely finished asking when I blurted out, «Wakasan. No question.»
When he asked why, I think I may have gone a little overboard in my reasons. Which may have been because just a few minutes earlier I’d claimed that my favorite food is Italian. I’ll admit that a plate of stellar pasta, warm bread topped with garlic butter, heaps of red vino along with a couple sides of gluttony are my go-​to comfort foods.
But if I’m afforded the chance to dine once last time before I leave this earth, I will not ask for delicious food that simply fills my belly, but rather Wakasan’s version of what it means to break bread.
Wakasan is not just excellent sashimi and flavorful nasu miso and top-​shelf sake and seasonal kabocha. It’s an experience. When I was trying to explain this to my friend, the thought popped into my head of the feeling that washes over me when I see an izakaya in a Studio Ghibli movie: Instant safe haven. Have no idea where that comes from, but there it is.
Blame it on the notion that in my most recent past life I was Japanese but, for me, once you duck through Wakasan’s noren and into its warm and inviting refuge, nothing else exists outside. Even the thought of something so strange, and sometimes frightening, as death.

Very bad attitude! Fist time in here, the waiter told me, do not come before reservation!

Saturday lunch. All 6 of us ordered the omakase lunch bento. They only make 6 a day, so we got lucky. Omakase bento included small portions of:
— potato & pork stew
— fried fish
— salmon & tuna sashimi
— tamago (egg)
— grilled salmon
— two salads
— rice
— miso soup
Everyone in our group loved the food. Very authentic and well-​prepared. We will definitely be back for dinner omakase!

came here for lunch but sad I missed the omakase bento box :(. would love to come
back and try it again. they also ran out of the hamburger steak lunch set when I went so hence the 4 stars. I know it’s a small restaurant but popular menu items should be well stocked… ended up with chicken karaage set. and the bf had miso ramen. portions were good size and price reasonable… the ramen was a bit too salty but since Im a girl and u know right around that time… right now I loved the saltiness, bf wasn’t really a fan… I ate all my lunch (boy was I starving). and on a side note… waitress didn’t seem like she wanted to be all there… it was close to their closing at lunch, I get it… but you still gotta muster a smile on your face and at least present that you are happy working… otherwise your vibe travels to the ppl eating there…

I’ve only been here for lunch. The beef shabu shabu set is a perfect lunch portion and the broth is extremely tasty. It comes with salad, rice, vegetables, tofu, pickles, as well as ponzu and sesame dipping sauces. At $ 12, it is a wonderful lunch deal.
The chef choice’s bento box ($ 15) can be hit or miss. They only make 6 a day, and the selections change daily. The box itself contains four small courses. My favorite was the fried fish, but I didn’t care for some of the selections, like konnyaku.
Service was extremely attentive and accommodating.

We came here about a dozen times by now.
For the past year and 10 month-​ish, we have been ordering the «Omakase» dinner, or the «Omakase Bento Box (lunch time)»
And quite frankly, the quality has never decreased and it has been a very good experience.
The atmosphere, the food, the alcohol, the price have been decent, and we really enjoyed this place. I would definitely recommend people to here, if you’re a fan of cooked Japanese food /​izakaya style for the late evening.
NO SUSHI. .. well, you shouldn’t come to a place like this for sushi, for your ‘rainbow roll” or your «dragon rolls» or «california rolls» or «spider rolls» This is NOT a place for sushi or rolls. Down the street from Wakasan (on either side (North of South)) have plenty of restaurants serving sushi.

3.5 star food, 2 star service.
I made a reservation for dinner. Upon arrival, the waitress denied that I had made the reservation and insisted that I had gone to the wrong restaurant, WTF. Fortunately another waiter remembered my name and pointed me out on the reservation roster.
The waitress kept forgetting condiments that I ask for. No one filled my hot tea or water throughout dinner.
Will not go back again since food is just so so.
The beef tongue was quite delicious tho.

After running for 3miles you would want something light and not heavy. Walk in to this japanese restaurant around 9 and the place was still open. The ambiance is welcoming and its a small restaurant. The waiter was very friendly and nice.
Food: This restaurant is a tapas style. They also serve ramen and cold soba.
Toronto zara soba: This dish was very simple, refreshing and tasted delicious. Never had quail egg with soba.
Chicken Wings: it was okay a bit salty for my taste
Agedashi tofu and egg plant: Tasted Yummy. The broth was went very well with tofu and egg plant. It was salty
Squid-​butter sauteed: Portion small but it was delicious.
Would definitely come back to try their lunch and dinner Omakase bento box. For lunch omakase must order a head of time as it only serve 6 a day.

Impromptu date night at Wakasan on a Wednesday! Since reservations are required for Omakase, I called in a little before 6pm for a 6:30 reservation for two with no problem.
We were the first patrons of the night and were greeted warmly and seated. We didn’t really need the menu but it was nice to see what else was offered. After getting some hot tea, omakase commence!
I’m not going to describe all the dishes, since they probably rotate/​change often, but the highlights were definitely the superfresh sashimi, deep fried shrimp and the baked rice + soup dish. Actually all the ingredients tasted really fresh and I love the Japanese aesthetic and simple palates.
TLDR; So great. Definitely will come for a similar experience the next time I have an excuse!

Seems like there are many Japanese wannabe restaurant who acts like tonkatsu and beef teriyaki are the only food Japanese restaurant serves. Don’t be deceived! Those are typical Japanese-​American restaurants and epitome of real authentic Japanese restaurant is a place like Waka-​san. :D
Waka-​san serves is an izakaya where you mainly drink and eat various tanpin (tappas/​small dishes) as you drink. They serve anythin from sashimi to grilled beef tongue to grilled fish and full on courses (omakase). I’ve never tried the omakase here but I’ve had the chance to enjoy a pitcher of beer with my colleagues and had the opportunity to try many of their tanpins. Trust me when I say EVERYTHING I ate was delicious (which includes gyu-​tan (beef tongue), hokke (grilled mackerel), chicken karage, grilled kalbi, steamed clam in sake, and fried oysters. I still have so much other dishes I want to try here but I’ll save it for next time when I’m dining privately opposed to work outing so I don’t look like a pig haha.
All in all, you have to visit this hidden gem! Waka-​san has small valet parking right behind the restaurant & it’s only $ 2 so I highly suggest you park at the valet. But beware, the parking spaces are pretty tight.
PS There’s a lovely waitress on Wed and Friday I believe named Miyuki. She’s a reallly nice gal, say hi to her for me! :)

Valentine’s Day brought me here. Decided to try something different rather than expensive romantic Western dinner. We reserved our table in advance. We were trying to change the reservation to an earlier time on the same day, but it’s already fully booked, so we stuck with our time. Upon arrival, we were able to find a metered parking outside of its operation hours to park for free. Great start for the evening.
Had the $ 45 Omakase (reservation only), 8 course:
#1: Chawanmushi
#2: Fried Tofu, Squid Sumono, Egg Omelet, Shrimp Ceviche, Asparagus, Potato Salad, King Crab, Fried Shrimp, Hijiki
#3: Snapper with Lemon & Sesame Seeds, Tuna, Albacore with Ponzu Sauce
#4: Beef Ponzu
#5: Salmon Croquette (Heart-​Shaped for Valentine’s Day) with Cream of Corn
#6: Sukiyaki
#7: Ikura Rice
#8: Dessert: Green Tea Cornflake Clusters (Valentine’s Day Special)
Drinks:
Asahi Super Dry Draft Beer
I felt like most of their dishes were pre-​made (came out fast and cold, tasted like pre-​made, the whole sashimi plate was refridgerated, etc.). I hope they had to do that only because they are swamped on Valentine’s Day. The only thing that was hot from the kitchen was the Salmon Croquette — super hot, but the cream of corn surrounding the Croquette was cold. The food is ok. The Sukiyaki was the funnest part. You get your own pot and cook your own Sukiyaki in it. Interiors was great and authentic. I would give this place a 3.5 stars, because $ 45 for an 8-​course Omakase is such a deal.
The servers were nice. The waitress made the Green Tea Cornflake Clusters herself. Impressive. I ordered the draft beer to accompany the Omakase. The beer was great. We also ordered the Ice Cream in addition to the Omakase. Was gonna order Green Tea Ice Cream (because of all the Unilocalers’ recommendation), but they didn’t have it, so we got the Black Sesame Ice Cream instead. It was good.
Black Sesame Ice Cream
Beware, because if you come here for dinner, they require a minimum of $ 20 expense per person.
Interiors

I wish there were more places like this in LA. Not pretentious. Just good authentic japanese omakase.
It’s a small place with traditional japanese décor, which makes it quite cozy. I believe the omakase is reservation only and they ended up serving us maybe 8 – 9 dishes. The amount of food and the quality was impressive. I distinctly remember the tofu appetizer, the super fresh sashimi, and the fried chicken. I also remember how the waitress beamed as she told us that shabu shabu was the last dish, knowing we were in for a treat. I love that kind of pride that only comes when you are serving good products.
Not every single dish was a hit, but the quality of the ingredients and the care put into the preparation was evident. Add a few bottles of sake, and we left stuffed and happy. I have had omakase at sushi places before, but this was a new experience that I really enjoyed. And the fact that it is affordable makes it that much better.

Great service and great food.
Got the Omakase and couldn’t have been happier. The food just kept coming!
Everything I received was delicious and fresh. I was perfectly full for the $ 45 I spent.
The décor inside is nice, and the waitress/​waiter always have a nice smile. Chefs are great people to talk to.
I am not Japanese, so I cannot comment on the authenticity of the restaurant, but I can say that, after living in Japan for a little while, I have a acquired a taste for Japanese food. The Japanese food at this resturant was delicious :). I will be back.
Parking: street parking, as well as a valet I believe. I hate valet so I did street parking

3.5 stars.
Wakasan is known for their izakaya styled omakase.
For $ 45 you get about 7 – 8 small plates of food. Don’t worry, it’s not so small that you won’t be full. I believe they change up their menu every so often so don’t quote me on what items you’ll be served.
Most items were unique like the crispy potato fried shrimp tempura and the little burner that you cook chicken and veggies on. The non-​unique items were sushi rolls and sashimi.
For the most part, I really liked the «cook your own chicken & fixin» thing with a side of unagi (freshwater eel) fried rice and the green tea with red bean & cream pudding dessert. However, I found most of the other dishes too salty.
The most unfavorable part of the meal to me was that the skin of the fish was still attached to the sashimi (maybe others are into that but I’m not). And yes, I know it’s omakase so it’s chef’s choice, but I’m not a huge fan of monkfish nor uni.
Oh… very small place. but they have 1 – 2 large tables for groups.
Street parking or if you’re lucky you can use the lot next to it (I think it actually belongs to Bella Pita).

Waksan started off on a high note, but ended with rudeness from the wait staff.
I’ll get to that later.
First the food. We got the omakase for $ 35/​per person. Quite a deal considering how much food we got, but I was under the impression it was 12 courses. Instead, we got 9. When we asked the waitress why that was, she just said that it «varies». Hmm. I see.
1. Spinach with bonito flakes– Cold appetizer topped off with bonito flakes in a soupy broth with slices of bamboo. I liked it because it was healthy. It was just hard to eat without dripping broth all over the place.
2. Egg tofu with steamed sea urchin– This was a favorite among the table. The uni was paired perfectly in texture with the tofu and practically melted in my mouth.
3. Marinated abalone with shitake mushrooms and seaweed– Not a fan of this dish. It was toO salty for my taste, and I only liked the mushrooms. Abalone was okay.
4. King mackerel, tuna and halibut sashimi– Delicious. I liked it all! Fresh fish is sometimes hard to come by, but they did good.
5. Salmon, fried shrimp and lotus root– This was my favorite dish of the evening. Salmon was grilled perfectly and seasoned well. I loved the fried shrimp, it was simply divine. The lotus root added texture and elegance to the plate.
6. Albacore salad with poached egg– Pretty damn good as well. We mixed the poached egg into the salad and it brought out the flavors of the fish and greens. Yum.
7. Beef shabu– This was quite a set up. They brought out a small stone boiler with raw beef and scallions sitting in a paper dish on top of it. We had to push the beef down to cook it and after it was cooked, they took away the fire pot. I rather enjoyed this soup, but then again, I’m a shabu fanatic! Great presentation.
8. Sticky rice with mushrooms– Meh. Some parts of the rice were burnt. I hate burnt rice, and the flavor was not good. My least favorite dish. It felt like a let down after everything else we ate.
9. Cheese crème brûlée– Holy smokes! This dessert was off da hook! I wish they gave us a bigger portion, as the ramekin was tiny. I’m not big on sweets, but damn, I could have ate a tub of this crème brûlée. Smooth, creamy, and lip smacking good.
So, why the 2 stars?
Well, after we enjoyed our dinner and paid the $ 200 bill, the waitress comes by to tell us to leave since there was another party waiting outside. She just said, «We have another party waiting and if you could leave that would be good». What the F? Are you kidding me?
We were in shock at her rudeness. She didn’t even say please! Besides that, there were 2 other empty tables! And, we had just spent good money and given her a good tip! $ 200 aint cheap, especially in this economy. The reason it was $ 200 was due to the 2 bottles of sake we ordered. But, anyhoo.
My friend asked to speak to the manager who came by and was like, «Oh, it’s a Japanese custom, you can choose to leave or not. It’s up to you.» UMMM what? He did say sorry, but it felt like he was just saying it out of respect, not like he meant it.
BTW, the party that was waiting outside ended up being seated at an empty table. So, why did they ask us to leave again?
Whatever, it’s cool. We ended up staying another hour chatting and drinking water.
And no, I won’t be back. I refuse to pay good money to be treated like shit.