Azabu

We came during Valentine’s Day and was pleasantly surprised with the experience - from delicious and quite good portion of food to attentiveness in service. Patricio was our server and he was very attentive, checking in on us right after the food were delivered.

This was our first time here at Azabu in Whittier. Let me say, what a romantic atmosphere. Azabu had such a luxurious vibe. A welcoming smile greets you at the entrance and from there on out everyone was extremely accommodating. Our first experience here was perfect. Our waiter was busy with another customer, but he took the time to tell us welcome and he'll be right with us, and 3 min later he was taking our drink order. So professional... The atmosphere was elegant and fun. We sat at the sushi bar and we were made to feel extremely important. Everyone was accommodating and the food was DELICIOUS 😋😋.. Presentation was perfect and I was blown away by the taste. We also tried the scallop shots.... DELICIOUS!!! Those became a repeat order 😋😋😋. We had a wonderful evening. We will definitely be back again... Absolutely!!!!

This sushi restaurant exceeded my expectations. The decor is so cute and romantic. They have beautiful painted murels with so much detail. The sushi rolls are amazing, but the chocolate cake is fire🔥. The staff is friendly and absolutely accommodating. The decor, food, presentation, and attention to detail is far beyond words. My new favorite Sushi 🍣🥢 spot😋

The food was incredible. Yes, it's pricey, but this place actually delivers. The flavor isn't just on the walls, each dish is carefully thought through and executed. And then there's the drinks... Not just presentable, but wonderfully balanced. If that wasn't enough, the waitress took an interest in our flavor preferences and made conscientious recommendations, even some substitutions. We had an amazing time and have vowed to return as soon as possible.

We just happened to stumble into Azabu while looking for a sushi dinner spot. The restaurant is very nice and modern. The waitstaff was attentive, professional and knew the menu well. We started with the black crispy rice which was delicious. Next we had the Geisha roll (it’s a roll with spicy tuna, shrimp tempura and topped with albacore) yum! We had the seafood ceviche after and finished off with the tuna tataki (not pictured). All of our food was exceptional and presented very well.

The hostess had a bad attitude and could not give us a bigger table and told us that we should’ve just made a reservation. That is actually insanity because you should be able to get accommodation as the customer. I was basically treated as a thug and probably won’t ever return here in the future. The food is great but the service is terrible and I wish the service was as great as the food. Will not be returning!

Went here for a business dinner, but would be a perfect location for a romantic date. The ambiance and atmosphere is amazing. The staff was very attentive and the food was amazing. The sushi was the best the table had ever eaten. The steak was delicious as well.

Recently visited for the 1st time and this place was great. Uptown is really starting to have great places to eat. I'm ready to go again. There were four of us, so we ordered about five or six different items, all delicious.

Been here many times but first time taken care by Patrick and he was great!! Will defiantly make sure to return once again!

This place is definitely for the foodies out there. I'd start out by recommending the Wagyu dumpling starter. Whatever they put in that sauce is almost enough to cause a foodgasm. The roll I had, called the Geisha was really tasty, and whatever that stuff is that looks like super finely shredded onion rings really elevates the dish. I have to say though, the highlight of the evening were the desserts and the drink. Not too sweet and great mix of textures.

We had reservations at 5:30 and arrived at 5:15 and were sat immediately. We sat by the door which isn't an issue, but the frantic hostesses and possibly manager were constantly slamming the door as the cold wind kept breezing through us. Granted we asked to be moved when we sat at 5:15 but they refused as the whole restaurant was still empty. The server stated that " they were a little overbooked today" so they would not be able to move us. Our server did not explain to us that the pre fixed menu was SHARED. At other restaurants the appetizers are often shared but then entrees would be per individual, hence why they put "or" between the entrees choices. Making it seem as if each customer gets his/her own choice. He did not once explain anything or how the Valentine's day prefixed menu worked. It took us after our appetizers, did we question if the Denver wagyu, 8oz steak, is also shared. Over years of experience, I've noticed a common trend for a pre fixed menu is supposed to sample various dishes throughout their menu, although smaller portions, but be a complete meal. Not 2 people sharing 4 pieces of wagyu each.... also overcooked. They had the audacity to charge $125 per person for a single steak, handful of friend rice, 6 Brussel sprouts and 4 shrimp dumplings. We asked another server why our denver steak did not come out on a sizzling plate like we have seen on YELP. She stated that the pre fixed denver steak is pre cooked on a normal plate with butter in a tin sauce bowl. I wish I could give this place 0 STAR When our server put in our dessert order it took 40 min for our ube cheesecake to come out and our chocolate strawberries were MELTED. Our server then never gave us utensils and I had to walk up to the kitchen to demand utensils. I am allergic to peanuts; when i asked our server if there were nuts in the brownie bites, he said he'd check and never returned. Walked by us multiple times almost ignoring us. We just asked for our check to get out as fast as possible. Not once did our server check on us or apologize for the delay or inconvenience. Our whole dining experience took almost 3 hours for not even food for TWO PEOPLE!! This place was god awful and I will never recommend this place to anybody.

Complete mismanagement, misleading menu, and overwhelmed staff. My boyfriend made a reservation here for Valentine's Day at 8:45, we showed up 10 minutes early thinking we could grab a drink before our dinner and we realized there were at least 10 couples waiting outside. We were told a 30 minute wait because they were backed up. We ended up not being sat until 9:55pm. We didn't leave the restaurant until 12:20am. Our food took over an hour to come and it was just okay. We HAD to order off the prefixed menu, we picked the cheaper option because we didn't trust the more expensive one to be worth it at the time and thank goodness we did. It wasn't until we sat down and were about to order were we told that everything was shared even the entree. My boyfriend and I had to share ONE steak. The manager (or owner?) was on the floor helping but made no effort to rectify the situation for anyone. This was a huge oversight and even offering a free drink or something would've softened the blow while people waited outside in the cold for over an hour. You could also tell the entire waitstaff was in over their heads. So disappointed with this because we were so excited to come here. Patrick was our server and he was kind and did his best.

Every single dish we had was remarkable. Perfectly delicious. The wait staff was, specifically Christine, fantastic. She knew her everything about it and was quick to understand what we wanted. The espresso martini was great. But really can't say enough about the sushi. So so good. We will be coming back often.

Everything here was fantastic. We were visiting from out of town and didn't have any expectations, but we were blown away. The vibe is trendy, modern and upscale. The service was attentive and friendly. All of the food was so so good. Prices are on the higher side, but everything was absolutely worth it. Some of the highlights were the baked crab hand rolls, the wagyu fried rice and the caviar-uni-toro. This is definitely a meal I'll remember for a long time.

From the minute I walked in to the end of our meal...WOW! Young host greeted me with a smile and welcomed me in. Extraordinary service, food and vibe! Our waiter JJ was by far one of the best servers I've ever encountered. He was helpful and polite...oh! and fun! Let's get to the FOOD & DRINKS: Denver Steak- 5 Sashimi Pizza (side of avocado)- 5 Fried Rice- 5 Destiny's Child Cocktail- 5 Ambiance/Decor- 5!!!!! My dear Yelp peeps, GO! You will spend a pretty penny but it's well worth it. Manager J was quite delightful as well, thank you!

We came on Valentine's Day & the service was exceptional ! Diego was our server and he explained the prefix menu and everything was amazing . Definitely will be coming back!

I loved the service! Our server was Patrick/ Patricio ! He was very patient and recommended us some great food and drinks. The vibe in there was great!

Came in for a date night, the restaurant is beautifully decorated and the ambience was very romantic and the staff they were welcoming and friendly. We ordered a bunch of delicious rolls and the smoke old fashion was beyond yummy. The presentation was beautifully done. If you're ever in the area in Whittier, you definitely need to stop in. They take walk-ins, but you should definitely make reservations. Parking can be a little tricky as they have parking on the streets, but there's also a parking lot to the right of the restaurant. Overall, such an amazing experience definitely would like to return back here. I had such an amazing time that I forgot to take pictures of all the delicious food that we ordered in the drinks so definitely will come back.

Azabu has a beautiful and romantic ambiance that sets the perfect tone for a date night or special occasion. The atmosphere is undoubtedly the highlight of the experience, with its cozy, intimate vibe and elegant decor. However, the food and service left a lot to be desired. We started with the cucumber seaweed salad, which was far too salty and not very enjoyable. We also tried a few salmon nigiris and handrolls. While most were average at best, the crab handroll stood out as the clear winner--flavorful and well-prepared. Unfortunately, that was the only dish that truly impressed us. The biggest letdown, however, was the service. It took almost 20 minutes for someone to even take our order, and the same issue arose when we were ready to get the bill. It felt like we didn't really have a dedicated waiter, which made the experience frustrating. To top it off, the food is overpriced for the quality offered. While the ambiance is lovely, it's not enough to justify the cost or overlook the subpar service and uneven food quality.

All I can say is WOW! Every morsel of food we ordered was spectacular. Perfect size portions, the FRESHEST fish and all presented beautifully. Excellent service from every staff member we encountered. Absolutely stunning artwork, beautiful decor and perfect mood music encapsulates you while you dine. Fine dining like this can usually be found in LA or Malibu but I can not believe this is all in Whittier! a HIDDEN GEM!

Great food great ambience the vibe felt good relaxing. The service was excellent. I got taken care by Christine! Very professional great attitude I like it very much. Def recommend it!

This is a hidden Gem! Dinners there have been AMAZING. The food is beautiful and has an artistic presentation to it. But most important it tastes great. The decor is beautiful and conducive to the atmosphere. I also want to thank the General Manager Joshua, he is one amazing individual. He has always made sure that we feel welcome and you can see he takes his position to heart. To many dinners and enjoyable evenings at Azabu!

Great service! Highly recommend coming here the servers are exceptional. We came for dinner and it wasn't too busy we were able to sit down quickly. The food was tasty and fresh. The place is very cute and nicely decorated. Will definitely be back!

If you're planning to visit, I'd highly recommend that you make a reservation, even for a middle of the week. We came on a Thursday and around 7 p.m., it was pretty busy. As for the experience, service was good but not over the top. The ambience really isn't great for little kids but it's fine if you bring children and if you do, you want to ask for the side that's on the same side as the sushi bar and not the drinks bar. There weren't any low-lights other than the fact that it took a long time to get some of our entrees. The first few came out pretty quickly but after that, we waited about 30 minutes for the rest of our food. Then after that, we ordered a dessert and waited another 15 minutes for that. In terms of food: Very good category: Tuna tataki, denver wagyu carpaccio, carpaccio sampler, charred Spanish octopus (a little on the small side and it comes with a sauce that adds a little kick to it, very tender and flavorful though), lobster roll (one of the better rolls I've had), on the half-shell kushii oysters (great presentation) Good: bluefin tuna and salmon tartare was good. Denver wagyu...wasn't quite as mouth melting as I expected it to be. Good flavor, good presentation but a little disappointing when you consider it's supposed to be wagyu. It does come out a little on the rare side but you can continue to cook it on the hot stone plate that it comes out on. Meh: wagyu dumplings (kind of disappointed with this one, probably wouldn't order again), lobster tail (ala carte) was a little on the dry side. Lastly, the Sushi Dragon was pretty impressive. Although I would've like it if it had a few more options rather than the so pieces of the same thing. In hindsight, I would've spent the $250 on other ala carte sushi options instead but it was nice experience. Desserts were good and they provide a free yuzu cheescake for birthdays. We also got the berry ice cream martini. I think they mistakenly added a vanilla ice cream martini that we didn't ask for but in the grand scheme of things, $9 is not a big deal. Lastly, they automatically added a 20% service charge to the bill which was a surprise, so be forewarned.

How to date night out with my hubby! He took me to Azabu! Which is the perfect setting for a date night.... I definitely will be coming back with friends !!! The ambience is so perfect for a romantic dinner!!! The food is amazing. The quality is so perfect. My only complaint is the rice was a tad a bit soggy and a little bit on the vinegary side. For the class in the price point, I was expecting better, it's really important to get sushi rice perfect or it kind of ruins the dish. The service was amazing. There was one guy working two full rolls of tables and he was fast and efficient. He gave out the best pointers, and he gave out the best suggestions for drinks. He was super friendly, super motivated. You can tell he really liked his job. For a packed night they were fast and efficient! I suggest this place and I cannot wait to come back !!!.

First time here. We had such a great experience. We went on a Wednesday night, very mellow night but the staff was very friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable oh their menu. All the alcoholic beverage we tried were amazing. Drinks 100% delicious all of them. It wasn't a bust on Wednesday night, not loud etc but I highly recommend making reservations especially for the weekend. Everything we tried was delicious. Some items on the menu are overly priced but everything was great.

We've been to many restaurants from New York to Hawaii. Never have we ever had sushi that is as amazing as Azabu quality. Tonight we were hosted and served by Patrick, he explained tastes and each serving as what it was. Patrick learned our tastes quickly, he knew what drinks we would like as he helped us pick our drinks and food throughout the night. The bus boy that was in attendance as well was very observant to when we needed our plates retreated. Second time here, and I have no complaints. I will say I did let a hostess know that the restrooms needed tidying and was returned with a very unprofessional response. Coming from a family that owns restaurants I took no offense in this as I know that these positions are constantly refilled. 5 stars

Everything was delicious. Recommend a little bit pricey but worth it. Everyone was super nice. You must try.

Absolutely love the vegan sushi options. I've driven by here so many times in uptown whittier, I'm glad I finally got to try this place for dinner. Came during happy hour 4-6 everyday. The husband got a cocktail that was absolutely delicious! We also got the wagyu dumplings from the HH menu. A complete delight, perfect contrast of yuzu to the richness of the a5 wagyu. A very nice little treat. I came for some vegan sushi. I really loved plant lab in highland Park and was devastated they closed. So I saw azabu had vegan sushi on a menu, five months ago. They've changed their menu a bit, but now they can make almost anything on their menu into vegan. I chose something off the old vegan menu, the baked scallop roll. And it was really tasty. I personally love scallops, and these vegans one were quite comparable. The use of the soy and the almost crispy texture on the outside was a very unique and successful creation of scallop that wasn't just mushrooms lol. The flavors were on point, no seaweed on this roll, but black/purple rice was used. Overall, I highly recommend this place if you're craving some high quality sashimi, sushi, cocktails, or even vegan sushi.

VALENTINES DAY DISASTER! WHATS THE POINT OF MAKING RESERVATIONS?! Had a 7:30 reservation. Pulled up a few minutes early and find it odd that there 25/30 people outside the restaurant. We check in and they say they are running a bit behind and it'll be just a short while. While waiting outside, I overheard people saying how they had a reservation for 6:30, 6:45 and how they still haven't been seated. It was 7:45 at this point. Why did they take reservations?? I asked for the manager twice so that he can come outside and see how many people were waiting outside. Manager never showed face. We left at 8:00 and ended up going to another spot. When I asked the hostess at 7:55 how many more parties in front of us, she said 7. LOL. Then we saw a couple walk out and I asked if it's worth the wait. He pointed at his to go box and said it was mehhh. that was all we needed, we were out.

Truly a delight. From service, to food, drinks, and atmosphere... we've always enjoyed our time here. The Denver roll, King roll, and fish ceviche are amazing. Not to mention they have caviar! I'm in! Toddler parents, they were able to give us some basic fries to satisfy the littles. ;)

Made reservations for 930pm did not get seated until 1100pm. Prefixed course menu is a shared food menu but you each pay the full price plus 20% tip. Wanted to just order drinks and have a nice time but was denied because we had to order the course menu. They had a la carte options that couldnt even be ordered from unless you ordered from the $150+ prefixed menu.

Thanks Patricio. Great service. 2 Oyster shooters, A5 Miyazaki, Deluxe Sashimi spread with Brussels sprouts on the side. Great for two and will be back.

Amazing ambiance and even better drinks! Our handsome waiter Diego provided the upmost excellent service! The best time was had, food was superb. Must have Elderflower.

Every single dish we ordered was amazing, their cocktails are on point and they do not skimp on the alcohol. The design and ambiance of this restaurant is amazing. Their staff was excellent and professional, highly recommend this amazing restaurant!

Due to being a holiday they should expect a high volume of customers and have proper staffing. Overbooking is greedy. Even with a reservation the wait was an hour. Many couples left due to the long wait time. Hostess continued to say her robotic response "it's a 25 min wait" on top of what you've already been waiting. Once seated our server never came to our table we had to ask someone to arrive to our table. Overpriced for the quality of food they provided on their fixed menu. Total time of 3+ hours is ridiculous.

This spot is Legit! The food was fantastic. The ambience was nice and comfortable. Our waiter Patrick was attentive, courteous and made my wife and I feel right at home. We got checked in on by the manager, Mosley to ensure we were enjoying the evening. We will definitely be returning to this place. The Sashimi Pizza and Wagyu Steak was Amazing! 5+ stars if I could.

Made a reservation for 8:30 PM on Valentine's Day, and we weren't seated until 9:30. We were lied to about the wait time and were told they were only backed up by about 25-40 minutes. We didn't leave the restaurant until 11:30 PM because the wait times for the food were also extremely long since the kitchen was also backed up. OVERPRICED for the set menu. Steak was under seasoned and bland. Not worth the visit.

The food and service was amazing! High quality Japanese food with amazing rolls and sashimi. Our waiter Patrick was very helpful as well!

Love the food it's great a little pricey but worth it me and my wife always come here to eat one of our place to go to in up town

Diego made our night amazing! Everything we ordered was so worth it & the atmosphere was perfect. Drinks are perfectly curated- ask for the elderberry martini with Lychee on top! So yummy. Can't wait to come back.

Highly recommend it. Excellent service and delicious food. Snow crab hand roll and octopus are a must. Perfect for night out, date night, or special occasion. Beautifully styled and very clean. Can't wait to go back.

Used to a small hole in the wall sushi spot, not its a poppin dinner/ bar: Friday night Hotspot! Dinner was great, felt a bit upscale so dress accordingly. Drinks were fire! Dwf coming back

I have to admit I was bummed out when the original Azabu closed down. I was a regular for years. When this new place popped up, I gave a shot. I've been here a few times and on one occasion I ran into the original owner!!! It's rare to go to a sushi restaurant with Japanese owners. I definitely missed Jose at the sushi bar. With that said, this new place is incredible. I've had the vip nigiri every single time, and it's incredible. They also have the premium nigiri, which I had twice on two different occasions...it literally melts in your mouth. It is a little pricey, but this has to be the best sushi in all of Whittier.

One of my friends suggested that I try Azabu at Whittier, so I took a friend there to celebrate her birthday on Thursday night. We did make the reservation before going. And we got our table right away once we arrived. I like the restaurant and bar's atmosphere, very romantic and relaxing. The food here was great! We tried VIP Nigiri Sampler ($55) was excellent, very fresh. Bluefin Tuna Sashimi ($28) and Yellowtail Sashimi ($22) were fresh and great! Sashimi Tacos ($22) was great. Wagyu Dumplings ($20) was ok to me, I didn't really get this dish's soul. Denver Wagyu with hot lava stone ($50) was good, but just a little bit over cooked to me. For the drink, Yuzu Call Her ($15) was great! For the dessert, Ube Japanese Cheesecake ($15) was fantastic. It mixed well with berries and bananas. Since it's my friend's birthday, they proved us a complementary ice cream Martini Matcha, which was excellent! The service was excellent! Our server was very attentive. he answered our questions patiently and never forgot to check our table to see if we needed any help. I believe there are some regular customers dining next to us, and the onwer came and greeted them and chatted a little bit as well, very nice. Even though it was my first time visiting there, the owner still came to our table and greeted us , which was very thoughtful. We will definitely recommend this restaurant and probably will come back on the weekend to try more dishes and drinks next time.

What a great experience in this fairly new spot in Whittier downtown, CA! I met up with my girlfriend here and we both love food so we tried a bunch of dishes and we liked everything! The service and ambiance were great too. It's a good spot for a date night and friends meeting up. Some of the best dishes were the Azabu roll, the toro crudo and the poke tacos. Their tempura was just OK so I wouldn't get that next time. The azabu roll was quite fancy (almost $50) but the portion was decent. But what made it worthwhile was the flavor! Each piece had a piece of truffle on it, and the ingredients were fresh. Topping the roll with some crispy skinny potato strips just made the rolls even better! The toro crudo portion was small but the flavor was so good. It went really well with the truffle crackers that came with it. The poke tacos was made with deep fried wonton wrapping I believe and the raw fish was very fresh. They did a good job on the seasoning too! Very enjoyable. I would totally come back if I were in the area again. Never been to this part of town. It's a cute neighborhood!

It was good, the service started off strong until my server starting drinking at the table next to mine.... We ordered the salmon carpaccio and it was amazing. The rolls were alright, i felt like there was soo much tempura and not enough raw fish.

We came in for dinner with an 8:30pm reservation on a Friday night. Parking: $10 valet Ambiance: Swanky, stunning decor, clean, nice crowd, not too noisy, good for occasions/couples/friends/drinks/dinner/happy hour. Wait time: We waited almost an hour to be seated with a reservation. The hostess told us we would be seated shortly as the couple in front of us will be leaving shortly. We decided to wait and have a drink at the bar. As 50 minutes passed, we saw the couple she's referring to ordered another steak entrée. They're definitely not leaving any time soon. My friend had to check on our reservation, and that's only when we got seated elsewhere. Drinks: We had the elderflower martini and tequila and soda. Both were good and strong. At the table, we got another round of tequila and soda and sweet sulka (just okay). Food: Appetizers- wagyu dumplings (very good) and plain edamame. The kitchen was backed up, so again, another long wait. Main entrée: The king sushi roll (delicious), airline chicken breast (dry, dry, dry; disappointing), another order of wagyu dumplings, and yellowtail roll (just okay). We were also offered several off the menu options. We did not wait too long for the main entrées to arrive this time (thank God). Service: Our waitress, Christina, was pleasant and very knowledgeable with her recommendations. Our water was always filled, and she constantly checked on us. Bartender was quick to give us our drinks. The hostess was nice but she forgot about our reservation. It would be nice if she kept us updated about the seating situation and more aware that we've been patiently waiting for too long. Price range: From $5 miso soup up to $250 omakase. Overall, I give this restaurant an honest 3.5 stars based on my experience. I will be back to hopefully see a much better experience since this place has so much potential.

Came here for a birthday and it was such a great experience! The place have great decor, great vibes, and great music. It was during happy hour (5-7pm Tues-Thurs) so we were able to try multiple things on their menu without it being too pricy. Spicy Citrus Yellowtail Carpaccio, fried rice, crunch roll were all very yummy. The seafood pasta was decent but on the lighter side. This was during a weekday night so it was easy to find parking on the streets. Service, quality, and ambience was all great too- will recommend to check it out !

Joseph did his thang thang! Great services As well as delicious food. Checked in every few minutes I couldn't complain..

Best Restaurant in Town !!! Great Food Always Fresh ! Service is always Fast , Professional & Respectful Thank-You Azabu

First time coming to Azabu and wow! The place looks nice inside and very clean. We came with a group of friends and the food was amazing. I got the SMOKED AZABU Roll and it was good. Small portion but it was good. The Oysters were very fresh. The service was good and she was on top of it! Overall experience was amazing! From the drinks to the food and service. Highly recommend this place!!

It all starts at the door , Natalie is amazing . She smiled and with such a friendly welcoming energy and I truly appreciated that . She opened the door and walked me in the building to receive warm welcomes by the owners and general manager Jason . Very amazing experience!!! I would truly recommend the place to anyone and will keep coming back . Big shoutout to you Natalie you are amazing !!! Not to mention the food is amazing , And the ambiance in the room is filled with amazing lights and perfect vibe for a date

This place is amazing. The food, the service and the atmosphere spectacular. Our server Laura was great. She made recommendations that were spot on. Well worth the price. We enjoyed every second of our visit. We will definitely be regulars. This is a must try place. You will not be disappointed.

The food was all delicious. My favorite dish were the scallops on the half shelf. They are sweet with small pieces of mango and pomegranates. The Denver roll was also good. Probably the best tasting roll we had out of all the different ones we tried. Ambiance was very mellow. The best part of our visit was our server Marco! He had so many great recommendations from the matcha cocktail to the caviar. He was definitely the highlight of our evening. Make sure to ask for him if you want the full experience.

Food was good! Wish they had more fresh sushi roll options. Drinks were really good and service was okay. We sat outside so there were major delays in our service. Waited almost 40 minutes for drinks.

First time there and it was great! Service was on point, from the bartender to the table busser and manager, everyone was friendly and attentive. The spicy edimame was delicious, lovef the oyster shooter and the Geisha roll was yum! We asked if the football game would be on and the manager found it! Music playing was good. We will be back:)