Izakaya Osen Irvine

My fiancé and I left a work holiday party still a little hungry, so we decided to make a reservation at Izakaya Osen. Reservations are highly recommended here, as the restaurant is popular and tends to fill up quickly. Fortunately, we were seated immediately at the sushi counter after checking in with the hostess. We were offered fresh water and handed menus along with the specials for the day. I decided to try the Premium Kaiseki Osen, a curated selection of six small dishes featuring premium fish. Each section of the box had its own charm, fresh and thoughtfully prepared. The standout for me was the uni on top of scallop, finished with a thin slice of black truffle and a touch of caviar. That single bite alone carried more depth and richness than some entire dishes I’ve had elsewhere. My fiancé ordered the toro uni bowl, which is one of our staples here. It comes with tubular seaweed sheets that do not provide crunch, but instead offer a very distinct seaweed flavor that pairs perfectly with the toro and uni. It is our preferred way to enjoy the bowl and something we look forward to every visit. While I enjoyed the experience, I am not sure I would order the kaiseki box again. It was good, beautifully presented, and clearly made with care, but for me the value did not quite match the price point. That said, the overall meal and atmosphere made the night memorable. Food: 4 out of 5 – Fresh, elegant, and flavorful, with a few standout bites Service: 5 out of 5 – Warm, attentive, and well-paced Ambiance: 4 out of 5 – Trendy, lively, and intimate, especially at the sushi counter I would absolutely return, especially for the toro uni bowl and to try more of their specialty dishes. Izakaya Osen is a great choice for a date night or special outing if you are looking for refined Japanese cuisine in Irvine.

My favorite sushi place in all of Southern California. Great for amazing sushi quality, but also for bringing friends or clients. Interior brings me back to Japan and the staff are very attentive and friendly. Will be recommending to all friends!

I visited this restaurant for lunch and was truly impressed. I opted for the omakase bowl, a delightful combination of various fresh seafood delicacies, crowned with a piece of uni, fish eggs, and caviar. The dish included a base of rice, along with seaweed on the side to craft your own delectable sushi rolls. The seaweed had a wonderfully unique texture that added to the experience. Additionally, I ordered a potato salad, which unfortunately left a forgettable and overly sweet impression. The restaurant's size is quite intimate, so I highly recommend making reservations for a larger group in advance. P.S. parking is complimentary with validation!

The ambience was noisy. The tables for couples are small and very close to others, offering no privacy. If your neighbors are loud, it’s difficult to hear your partner. We actually switched to bar seating just so we could hear each other and avoid the noise from nearby tables. Use your indoor voices, people! Despite having reservations, we still had to wait 15 minutes to be seated, only to end up moving to bar chairs for a better experience. Our order was also mishandled. The server skipped our drinks and appetizers, bringing the mains directly. I had to remind them about the drinks, and they had completely forgotten our appetizers. The overall atmosphere was loud and uncomfortable—not ideal for a date night. While the sushi was good, the poor ambience and service left a bitter impression. I also feel the sushi here is overpriced since you can find similar quality food with better ambience and service elsewhere. I recommend trying O Fine Japanese Cuisine instead—the ambience, service, and sushi quality are all better.

*Delayed post from Jan ‘25 We arrived around 6pm on a Thursday and found the place packed, but were seated immediately at the bar since it’s first come first serve. Despite the large crowd, ordering was quick and easy and our items were brought out one after the other. Everything we ordered was absolutely outstanding! I would recommend the Toro Unagi Bowl, Beef Tantan Nabe, and the Osen Signature Makimono. For Kushiyaki, order Prime Beef, Pork Belly, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, and Sea Bass. You will not be disappointed! Having been to Japan, I highly recommend coming here for a more authentic experience in comparison to many Americanized restaurants you see, like hibachi. There are so many different kinds of Japanese foods to try besides sushi rolls, such as udon noodles, tempura and endless fish meals. Keep in mind that these meals are magnitudes cheaper in Japan, but alas, the novelty and sourcing costs more here.

We dropped by this place on a Saturday for dinner with reservations. The inside decor was a nice sight, but where they had us seated originally, even though it was separate tables from the neighboring guests, it felt like we were packed in like sardines. There was barely room to breathe. We asked to be seated outside instead. The outside seating was nothing to write home about, but it was roomy. Most of the food was yummy, but some of the items were a bit over the top and unnecessary. Personally, they hurt the dish more than they helped. The seaweed that came with the Chirashi was really awkward tasting, almost bitter, similar to eating dried tea leaves. The smell reminded me of the Mazuri pellets for pet turtles. This seaweed was too extra. The sweet shrimp with uni, truffles, and caviar were great. The gold was definitely over the top and not sure what it added? We ordered a stone pot of rice and for whatever reason, it was the last thing to come out, way after we’d finished eating the rest of the food. The order the food came out needs some rework. Overall the restaurant has some promising parts, but has room for improvement before I’d come back.

On May 30th, the day before the end of our trip, we visited Izakaya Osen Irvine near our hotel, thanks to a recommendation from our chairman. We were a group of 14 people, but the restaurant kindly prepared a spacious table for all of us so we could sit comfortably together. We truly appreciated this thoughtful arrangement. At first, we noticed that most of the managers were American, which felt a bit unfamiliar. However, we were delighted when Nicole, the Korean manager, came to our table. She provided us with such warm and generous service that the atmosphere immediately felt comfortable and welcoming. It was a pleasure to have dinner while speaking Korean for the first time in a while, and everyone in our group felt more at ease. Nicole’s bright smile and attention to detail made our evening truly satisfying. I believe that the reason our last night in LA became so special was because of Nicole’s friendly and professional service. If you are a Korean planning to visit this restaurant, I highly recommend asking for Nicole. I am confident she will guide you with kindness and care. Thanks to her, our last night in LA became an unforgettable memory. Because of Nicole, we are leaving with such wonderful memories. Wishing you good health and all the best, Nicole! Thank you so much!

I have been enjoying sushi at Silver Lake Osen Izakaya since Chef Don was in charge, and I’ve always appreciated the quality and freshness of the sushi. Recently, I finally had the chance to visit Osen in Irvine, and it was definitely worth the trip! The freshness of the sushi was outstanding—each piece was a testament to the chef’s commitment to high-quality ingredients. The balance of flavors was impeccable; every bite was a harmonious blend that delighted my taste buds. Chef Don’s expertise truly shines through in every dish. From the delicate cuts of fish to the perfectly seasoned rice, it’s clear that a lot of thought and skill went into creating the menu. I highly recommend Osen in Irvine for anyone seeking an exceptional sushi experience. I look forward to my next visit!

Great food and service. They have the best Sushi in town. They even make special dishes for us. The Sushi and sashimi are the freshest I've tried compared to other local Sushi...

Dined here for a friend's birthday yesterday, but this was my second time eating at Izakaya Osen. Our party ordered many dishes including the Salmon & Hijiki Hot Pot, the Toro Uni Bowl, the Omakase bowl, a Rainbow Roll, and the Beef Tantan Nabe. All of the fish was really fresh, and we loved everything we ordered. The matcha cake dessert is also really yummy! Service was very attentive as well, I don't think we had to wait/flag any servers down at any point, they made sure to check on our table consistently. Overall my group had a great time, and I'll definitely be coming back :)

This is going to be my first yelp review and Izakaya Osen is worth it! Came in for lunch a few days with my boyfriend and we were seated at the patio. We ordered everything at once thinking the server who took our order would pace it out for us. We were slammed with most of our food all at once, which is the reason for the 4 star review. Another server named Park, I believe, saw this and made sure the rest of the food would be paced out and made the rest of the experience a lot better. We ended up finishing everything and Park got us some matcha cake for dessert, which is exactly what I wanted to try! The food here was overall great. The tuna pringles, porkbelly, prime beef, gizzard, miso crab salmon roll, and soft shell crab was some of the best appetizers I ever had. The rock shrimp tempura was however a bit too saucy for my liking but it was decent. For the rolls, we got the osen, maguro kajime, silverlake, and baked lobster which were all so delicious. (We couldn't believe we finished all this) I especially liked the maguro kajime roll and will be coming back it. The matcha cake was honestly one of the best desserts I tried and really melts in your mouth. I definitely recommend coming here for your next sushi experience!

My family and I adore this place!! Izakaya Osen is an exquisite restaurant with beautiful booths, a cozy patio, and a bar to wait at before being seated. The servers are nothing short of absolute sweethearts. Philip is a phenomenal manager who always personalizes and reassures that every table has the best dining experience. Our favorite menu items are salmon and tuna sashimi, toro uni plate, yellowtail jalapeño sashimi, onion albacore sashimi, the Osen roll, the miso crab salmon signature plate, the fresh roll, and the toro uni roll, which they put on the house!! They also gave us the ika karaage appetizer, mochi cake desserts, and an extra premium sake as complimentary meal items! The vegetables and fish are super fresh and delightful with the sushi flavors being prominent and well-balanced. This is an absolute gem of a place! Shoutout to Izakaya Osen for being the best sushi restaurant in Irvine!

Brought my kids to eat here for the first time, even with a reservation that was set a week go, we were still told to wait 30+ min. Be prepared to wait even if you have a reservation. But this wasn't that big of a deal for us. The only issue we had was with our main server Hannah, over the course of our meal we were helped by many wonderful servers and every single one of them were great and professional, with wonderful attitudes. Hannah, on the other hand, was not only rude but unprofessional as well. While taking our order, she constantly rushed us, was inpatient, and made faces. She was extremely rude to other tables as well, having her service made the entire experience extremely unpleasant. The food was good and creative but the freshness was not nearly on par with typical standards. Despite that, the food was pretty enjoyable.

I've been to this Place two times. First , the environment is fashion, well decorated, and looks really nice. Server and waiter are kind, polite and know a lot of all the dishes. There are so many choices of food. I ordered salmon salad, omakase bowl, egg plant, Uni and live shrimp sashimi, premium sushi&sashimi , all taste good. I love the most is the YUZU KANPACCIO, that taste like NOBU style. Martha cake is good, I like cake better than matcha.

Service was excellent! I wish I didn't love this place this much but I do. It keeps me going back every time. Excellent quality fish. Impeccable taste and craft. I would revisit every time I get a change. It's a pretty penny $120 average per person.

Izakaya Osen came up on my FYP on TikTok around my husband's bday. Since he likes sushi and i like trying out new places I decided to make reservations here. The place was pretty busy! Definitely recommend the outdoor seating if you can. The portions are pretty good here and food is delicious! Everything we had from deep fried soft crab, eggplant, jidori chicken (juicy!), hamachi Kama (deep fried yellow tail collar) and drinks were all so good! Loved the toro sashimi, they were big pieces! I'd go back here for some good Japanese food! Easy place to find Service was great Recommend making reservations

We had a fantastic time at this izakaya restaurant this time! We were able to grab a corner counter seating with last minute reservation. It was so relaxing and cozy for hubby and I. For drinks we shared bottle of cold sake and two draft beers. The food was so delicious as before. I loved the flavorful skewers and the raw was so fresh. Hubby especially liked jack mackerel nigiri. I enjoyed my favorite ankimo as well. The service was so friendly and attentive the entire time. It was a great izakaya dining experience for us! Great food and service, we would definitely come back whenever we are in this area!

永遠記得～沒有人可以左右你的人生，只是很多時候，我們需要更多勇氣，去堅定自己的選擇，美好的一天，就從下好自己的棋，演好自己的角色，努力的去實現你的理想和目標開始～ 很多的日本料理都是韓國人開的，大部分他們走的是特大號魚片，CP值高的路線，當然也包含了AYCE,這一家，IZakaya Osen 是屬於比較貴些，精緻路線，我已經寫過兩次，但是我覺得他們東西搭配在一起就是很好吃，就燒烤，我不喜歡，來這，燒烤可以直接跳過了，這我還喜歡他們中午很便宜的生魚片便當，跟他們比較有特色的bowl , 總之就是跟別人不太一樣，跟我一起去的兩個朋友，也很喜歡這家，在爾灣很受歡迎，生意也好是屬於比較新式的日料~

Hands down some of the best sushi I've had recently, and great value for the price point. Excellent service throughout and the staff even brought me a hook for my bag. We ordered the Hachi Mori 12pcs and the toro roll, both of which were very flavorful even without added soy sauce or wasabi. The fattyness of the toro and salmon in the Hachi Mori were perfect. Bathrooms were clean and plenty of sinks too. Validated parking for up to 2.5 hours in the garage.

The Irvine location is just as good (if not maybe better??) than the Silverlake location! I made a reservation for a Friday night & we loved the entire meal! The service was on point, the cocktails were good (I got the lychee one)! I absolutely loved the salmon skin salad and the soft shell crab! The best I've ever had for both dishes! We also got the dragon roll with eel on top? The roll was sooo filling-- each piece could've been a two biter! My fav thing of the night is the toro! We got the toro nigiri and it was sooo good! I could've eaten 10 more!

I am a bit picky person when it comes to sashimi/sushi - and I will tell you, osen is one of the sushi places that serves fresh & good quality fish to your table. I've been to the silver lake location several times because of their great food and cozy-japanese-like vibe; and it was my first time visiting the irvine location! Irvine location definitely has more of this luxurious ambiance - feels like omakase place. All the staff were very friendly and nice too! I had a big company with me, so we ordered various menus, but if it's two people, I would definitely recommend to get a toro uni bowl, salmon salad, and one premium chirashi so you can share everything. The portion is really really generous, so no need to order extra. Itd be the best if you can try little bit of everything - but that would only work with big group. I would love to come back real soon! I need that chirashi regularly ahaha

We came here for lunch on a week day, and we made a reservation through Yelp. The bar area is nice, but you can't really see too much of what the sushi chefs are making. The service was good overall. The fish is so fresh and delicious and can't wait to come back. The lunch deals are great, and we opted for the chirashi. - Chirashi (5/5): For $35, the portions here are pretty big and quite filling. The salmon was my favorite, super delicious and fatty. Comes with lots of pickles sides as well.

Situated next to the Goldfinch restaurant is Izakaya Osen - Irvine. There is plentiful parking in the nearby structure and the restaurant does validate or you can option for valet as well. Ambience wise this is a cute date spot amongst the hustle and bustle. Reservations can be done but it is still first come first serve so tables are limited but can sit as the sushi bar. However, this isn't a sushi restaurant first and foremost as the counters are high so cannot really see the action going on behind it. The service is prompt, efficient, and patient if not friendly. It was nice even upon exiting the hostess had double checked that we had the parking ticket validated (first time that's ever happened so kudos to an attentive and customer service oriented). Now the food was good in appearance but execution was lacking as was very bland. The blue crab was plentiful but mayo overpowered it. The yellowtail handroll only could taste the cilantro. The omakase bowl had mixed fish with uni and salmon roe that you make into a roll with the provided seaweed (which was soft and trended toward soggy rather than crisp). And the bluefin tuna required soy sauce. Understanding this is not a sushi restaurant and only happens to serve sushi among it's many options the high quality fish usually doesn't require soy sauce as let the fish stand out on its own but these somewhat necessitated it. Perhaps the hot dishes were more the way to go as the cold dishes left a sensation of feeling unsatisfied.

Really big portions and really amazing overall for high quality sushi. The service was great and super nice inside

Ambiance in this place is so cute!! Really great location for a date or friends night and they do validate in the parking structure. Great shareables for sushi, yakitori, and sake!! I love the spicy tuna crunchy rice roll and beef skewer, as we all the enoki wrapped bacon. We also brought our own cake and they didn't charge a cake fee!! Helped light it for us and let us stay longer at the restaurant. Huge plus cause most fancy restaurants charge $5/pp for cake fee! 10/10 I would recommend going to their other omakase Osen location in LA too for a unique chef tasting menu

Izakaya Osen is one of the best Japanese restaurants I've been to in Irvine. The modern interior is welcoming and the service is top notch Best of all, the food is unmatched. The kushiyaki skewers are great starters and bigger than expected. The uni scallop carpaccio and oysters were some of the best I've ever had The omakase bowl and sushi were the stars. The fish is imported from Japan so you know it's high quality This place is perfect for a date night or for any special celebration

i didn't want to like this place considering the price point but it was super delicious and a pleasant surprise. There's a paid parking lot so make sure to get validation at the restaurant. The soft shell crab was great but could've don't without the sauce and had it w lemon instead. The toro roll and barbecue items were also fantastic--most notably the beef tongue was super high quality and well cooked. Lastly, i love the rice pot!! It came out sizzling hot and the flavor and texture was immaculate. it was smooth and soft and buttery and very umami. Highly recommend if you come here!

I love coming here on a special occasion! The prices here are very mediate but you can definitely spend a lot if you choose more of their premium menus and specials ~ but I do have to say it is completely worth it if you spend the extra dollar! When eating here the quality of the fish and appetizers just melt in your mouth! The ambiance and service is so welcoming! The servers are very attentive as well.

This place is a really nice date night spot. We came on a double date. The ambiance is fancy and really pretty inside. There's both outdoor and indoor seating. Service was good and we were able to be seated in the booths which was nice. Because it was upscale the food was on the pricier side. The food was pretty good but I would say Hondaya is better for their food. This place was mostly night for a fancy date night type of vibe. We liked the izakaya. Wasn't a huge fan of the omakase bowl although they did say it was their most popular item. Enjoyed our time here!

Popular business district sushi place. serves a stable of Japanese cuisine. Got busy when we visited for Father's Day weekend. Staff tried to be attentive, but were busy as bees. Huge selection with iPad menu. Could improve with pictures if that was the case. Would come back here, but just for lunch. Check it out

My first time coming to this restaurant, I made a reservation have never been here before. I called the host to see if we can come in early and she said yes we could by the time we got there which was 10 minutes later there were no tables available only at the bar which I honestly did not have any issue with . I wanted to look around to check out the restaurant because I obviously have never been there before and the hostess said go right ahead and there was a rude server there female wish I knew her name who would not move to the side for me to walk past her so when I walked to the back of the Restaurant, she purposely ran into me and then when I was going back to the front of the restaurant, she purposely ran into me. I think this girl sailed to understand common courtesy which is very upsetting . On my way back to the bar to sit I ran into her so hard she didn't say excuse me no apology nothing just a big huff and attitude.. The bartender was extremely friendly, positive and helpful. I'm actually glad we sat at the bar. The salmon Skin salad was absolutely incredible spicy tuna and crispy rice was 10 of 10 . We absolutely enjoyed everything minus the rude waitress that ran into me LOL . I thought it was funny that the hostess did not give us the menu and the bartender was having to flag the hostess down to give everybody the menu which I thought was kind of funny . I would definitely recommend this restaurant. The Sushi is so fresh and phenomenal

One of my favorite sushi spots to visit in OC! It can be a little pricey, but the food/drinks are definitely worth it. This spot can get pretty busy during dinner time, so I recommend making reservations prior. Their fish is high quality and is super buttery with every bite! My favorite would have to be the toro nigiri topped with caviar and their seared salmon nigiri. I would give this restaurant 5 stars; however, during our past couple experiences our service was a little slow. The last time my boyfriend and I dined here, we had to cancel one of our dishes because it took wayyy too long. We also ordered dessert and we were waiting for almost 30 minutes.

I had good interaction with whoever managed the online communications in setting up a reservation and asking for special accommodations. However once seated I told the server of the arrangement and she was clueless and said they wouldn't not do that and when I said, I arranged it, and it could be confirmed with the manager, so then she said that's fine with a sigh and a clear look of annoyance. I even added that the arrangement allowed for 20% automatic gratuity and she replied of course we have to do that, with an eye roll. Service was not as good as expected, every time they brought our food out. They were confused and didn't know who it belong to, and also informed the item in the softest voice possible so no one could hear. The servers all seemed tired and annoyed. The atmosphere outside was nice however it was very crowded and there was not enough heat lamps for our table so we had several people who were cold. It was also very loud outside, so we had to shout to talk to anyone not sitting next to us. The table was rather large albeit very beautiful. The plating and the food was for the most part pretty good and everyone enjoyed what they got. The only one we disliked was the persimmon cream cheese, it was overly sweet and dry. The grilled black cod was delicious and soft.

Let Osen welcome and capture your Japan Cuisine-loving heart with its take on traditional Japanese cuisine with modern touches and creativity. It's a great spot for celebrations, business outings and date nights. The service, ambiance, and menu will just give you more reasons to come again. Plus they validate 2.5 hours of free parking. Osen can only do everything right and every dish that you order will only satisfy your appetite more. Their menu is filled with so many choices and if you cannot decide because it is really hard, just go with their seasonal tasting menu or go for any omakase or sushi chef's choice. I had a great time and the service was simply impeccable.

I would've given them 5 stars had it not been for an odd interaction with who seemed to be the manager of the establishment that evening. The food and ambiance at Izakaya Osen are great. We paired the recommended hot sake with the Omakase bowl, Toro Uni bowl, the Osen roll, and the Creamy Nagasaki Udon Nabe all of which were individually fantastic. The only problem being the order they came in and the time it took for us to check on and be served the final item, the udon. If you're wondering what went wrong and why it couldn't have been easily resolved at this restaurant, I am as well. Why did we have to wait more than 20 minutes for the soup towards the end of the meal after having finished every thing else? We had taken our time finishing the last few pieces of the Osen roll and checked with the manager about the missing order. She said the kitchen was working on it after having checked on it. But after 10 minutes passed I tried to cancel the order but was told it was just about to come out. We waited another 10 minutes. Who eats soup at the end of their meal after waiting another 20 minutes for it? I saw and was about to speak to the manager about this but it seemed like she was avoiding me and I decided it wasn't worth confronting her at the time about it. Instead, I'll just share my experience here with the expectation that this doesn't happen to any one else or myself when I do revisit this place.

We wanted to really like this place but it was just okay. First of all... their reservation system was disappointing since it should options for indoor or outdoor seating. We were seated outdoors since that was the only seating available even when we had reservations. The service was decent, we had a wobbly table but the waitress helped with that and the food came out on a timely manner and was presented well. Now to the food... we got the rock shrimp tempura which was good but not worth the pricetag. My wife and I both got the omakase bowl, which comes with soft and hard seaweed. It was at best OK. The fish was fresh and of good quality, however the sesame oil macerated the dish since its a pretty strong flavor that overpowered the flavor of the fish. I did appreciate them providing extra seaweed without extra cost! Overall, it was just okayy... didn't understand the hype of this place. We're happy we tried this place out.

I came here with my family to celebrate my dad's birthday. I had an indoors reservation at 6:15pm, and arrived at 6:21pm. The front desk told us that all tables were full, and asked us to wait another 10 minutes. 10 minutes passed, and they told us that all tables were still full. We were then told: "Reservations are on a first come, first serve basis." I don't believe that's how a reservation works. Needless to say, I don't think I'd come back. Disappointed that a restaurant ruined my dad's birthday dinner!

Definitely recommend. Although the price is on the expensive side, The food portions are huge so it's worth it, tastes very delicious and all the people here were welcoming, very nice, accommodating, and helped us enjoy our food. Our server suggested the popular and her favorite dishes, constantly checked on us, and refilled our drinks for us. Order the Bluefin seared roll! (It was a Japanese spelling) was very tasty, highly recommend it! Also, our server recommended the Omasake bowl and it was fun to make a DIY sushi wrap, and tasty as well. Spicy tuna crispy rice was good too, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. My wife loved the miso black cod. I'll be coming back to try more.

I was excited to visit. We were celebrating my daughter's birthday. Let's start with the pros. Ample parking. There is a parking structure and you can have your ticket validated and parking is free! Ambiance.... pretty. Cozy... subdued. There is outdoor seating.... Now the Food.... hmm.... ika karaage... it was ok.... osen.... just ok.... spicy tuna crunch... just ok... silver lake.... just ok..... baked lobster.... just ok.... Yes.... it was just ok. I expected a wow factor from this place. But that was a big miss. We didn't order more due to the missing wow factor. For $150, I didn't think it was worth it. I've had better for less $$$. Service.... servers are polite, sure. But there is substance missing in ther service. Borderline patronizing when explaining the menu. BUT quick to clear out the dishes when done. Nothing wrong with that but It was done in such a way of "you done get out" kind if way. No I will not be back.

We'd been wanting to try this restaurant for a long time after reading all the great Yelp reviews and I'm so glad I finally could! My tip is to show up right at 5:00pm when they open OR make a reservation (super easy = make it via the Yelp App!) because our reservation was for 5:15pm on a Friday and it wasn't crowded but by the time 5:45pm/6pm rolled around the place was PACKED with a wait to be seated. The restaurant is kind of on the small side with a row of tables down the middle, a sushi bar and small bar area when you walk in and a row of private rooms. Service was fast and attentive! The food was innovative and delicious! We really liked everything we ordered: Tuna Pringles 10/10 Tuna Uni bowl 10/10 Maguro kajime roll 9/10 Osen roll 9/10 Miso crab salmon 10/10 (AMAZING!) Yellowtail jalapeño 10/10 Parking is free (they validate for 2.5 hours) in the structure behind the restaurant. This was our first time to Izakaya Onsen but we plan to come back again soon!

"Sushi is not just food; it's an art form, an experience." - Francis Mallmann This is a modern, hipsterish place in Irvine with an unwieldy iPad for a menu but everything we ordered from the sushi bar was fantastic! The sushi, crispy rice, roll, uni bowl, rib eye skewers; all of it tasty and with the expensive prices. Very good sake, beer and wine list but we brought our own. $25 corkage. Ambiance is date night or group outing or expense account padding ;-) Service friendly and formal. Your mileage may vary but we loved it :-)

I came here with my family, party of 5, on a Wednesday night. We reserved a table outside; plenty of seating indoors and outdoors. Service was good, as expected. The menu is on an iPad! Parking is garage and can be validated. Decor is modern high-end Japanese. Portions are quite small, and we're big eaters, so we did order lots of dishes to feel somewhat full. Prices are definitely more expensive, but it is a higher-end, fancier Japanese restaurant. The fish quality is so fresh, and the toro literally melts in your mouth ($64 for 6 pieces...oh boy). The blue crab uni bowl ($35) was smaller than your usual donburi bowls but there was a good amount of crab. Spicy tuna ($22) was standard, pretty good. The rock shrimp tempura ($25) was delicious, smothered in sauce yet still crispy. The miso crab salmon ($28) was alright, lacking miso and the salmon masked the crab. All the skewers were very good, and I really liked the marinade. The meats were tender, cooked well, and a little red when appropriate. Overall, Izakaya serves up incredibly high quality fish and seafood. Some dishes are definitely more worth than others but expect to pay a hefty price for food and drinks. It's a beautiful, classy spot when you want to treat yourself!

It was crowded near the hostess stand. Luckily, we made reservations and were seated quickly. I was hoping to sit in one of the private rooms, but we were seated outside. It was fine since there were heat lamps. To start, we had the chawanmushi. It came with crab and ikura- fancy. Then we had the toro unagi bowl. It was more filling than I thought it was going to be. We also ordered the onsen and futomaki roll. Both were good and the fish tasted fresh. While we enjoyed the meal, it's not everyday dining as the prices are quite high. It's more of a treat yourself kind of meal.

This was my favorite solo meal ever. I don't normally dine by myself, but I decided to treat myself. However, I will be back with my SO next time. I sat at the bar. I was intrigued by the toro unagi bowl, but I decided to start with the Premium Sushi Hachi Mori which comes with 8 pieces of chef's choice sushi. It took awhile to came out but my server assured me that there's only one sushi chef that prepares the premium sushi. I can't recall the names of every fish but the toro and uni were one of the best I've ever had in a long time. Each piece was divine, and I wanted to savor it all forever. I ordered the Toro Unagi Bowl which came with seasoned rice and seaweed on the side. It was phenomenal. Definitely meant to be shared, so I packed it up and saved it for my SO. He loved it as well. Did I mention that even their to-go box is very fancy?! Trust me on this one. I love that they also validate parking. I highly recommend dining here for a special occasion because it is pricey - or if you just wanna treat yourself.

Literally so good! I'm so amazed by how much our group got to eat and how much we paid. For the price, we definitely got our moneys worth! They have a wide variety of food, and their menu is overwhelming!! We asked our server for her best recs, and everything was tasty! Parking is easy at the parking lot, and can be validated at the restaurant (2 hours). I also loved how fast their service was!

Omakase bowl with sesame oil was amazing! I went to twice in a week and same dish, so fresh!

I've been slowly going to every restaurant on my long list of places I'd like to try...and I can now check off Izakaya Osen. Unfortunately not the fabulous experience I was hoping for. For the price, I think Honda Ya is the clear front runner in izakaya in SoCal (but my cousins prefer here). To be fair, we came here for Valentines Day so they were packed. They were handing out one rose to each female guest (they forgot to give me one). They were sold out of white wine (which would be the natural pairing with our sushi dishes). My food came out to the table significantly later than my husband's. Unless you're in the private alcove seating, all the other tables are so close together that we could clearly hear the conversations of the patrons on either side of us. If you want fresh sushi in an upscale, fun setting, I suggest Ten. Pros: ample parking in the big parking structure, classy decor, extensive menu on an iPad so it's easy to scroll thru Cons: slow service, food not worth the price, very limited wine list

OH. MY. GOD. This place was genuinely one of my FAVORITES of all time. The food, service, the interior...all top notch. My table was rocking a little bit and the worker noticed and fixed it immediately. He was honestly so quick and attentive which I really appreciate. My favorite was the jalapeño yellowtail. We got two orders and I honestly could've finished another plate alone. The fish is SO good. I WILL absolutely be back! Also, parking is the structure and they validate it! Yay!

Food 5/5 Omakase roll 4/5 - Osen roll 3/5 - Maguro kajime Service was fast and friendly. Nice ambiance with ample space (was seated outside). I'd come back again.

what to order: beef tongue and bacon wrapped enoki skewers, omakase sets tip: make reservations!! they seem very busy My husband and I came here to celebrate my birthday. It was so yummy!! Very aesthetic and vibey restaurant with super attentive staff. All of the food was delicious I do think the omakase pieces have a bit too much rice for my liking. The fish is also cut quite large. Each piece was more like a two-bite situation. However quality and taste were excellent!! A little pricey, it came out to be about $300 for the both of us. I would def come back during their lunch specials if I had the time or worked near by. Highly recommend!

I recommend making reservations for this place. There was free parking. There's no waiting area. The place was pretty crowded. There's common area seating and individual rooms that they seat 2 parties in it. The menu is on an iPad and they come to take your order. I got the chicken heart which was cooked well and tender. The spicy tuna hand roll wasn't that spicy, but I don't really like onion with it. And they gave us the matcha ice cream for free since they messed up our order. It was pretty rich. I will say this place is pretty expensive. Everything is at least $18 and up. I would come here as more of a date night, anniversary, or birthday celebration.

Came here on a Tuesday night for OC restaurant week, and the place was packed (inside) but a lot of tables open on the outside patio. Service was amazing! We did the $150 omakase tasting for OC restaurant week, and our servers explained all our dishes as it was brought to our table. All the dishes were delicious, and even though we were outside, the weather was nice, and there are outdoor heaters.

After so many great reviews, I made a reservation for Mother's Day lunch on a Saturday. The restaurant is very close to the airport and freeway which was quite convenient because my in-laws were leaving out of town right after our family get together. We parked in the garage structure as there wasn't any other place to park. Fortunately, Izakaya Osen validates for 2.5 hours so there wasn't any rush to get through our meal. At the last minute, we added two more people to our table. The hostess was able to accommodate us right away. Our server, Park, was the absolute best. He was friendly, honest, and attentive. The place is Korean owned and we enjoyed the call button that was available at the edge of our semi-private dining room. The vibe was very modern, minimalistic, and chic. I can see why people recommend going here for date night. The food was delicious. I order the omakase bowl after many people on Yelp spoke favorably of it. I personally did not enjoy it as much as everyone. The salmon roe was a bit too fishy for me. The assorted fish was chopped altogether in one lump on top of rice. Maybe I didn't understand that when I ordered it. I was expecting something like a chirashi bowl. This wasn't that. My mother-in-law loved the dish so different strokes for different folks. We also ordered shishito peppers (okay), spicy tuna crispy rice (yummy), and Futomaki (the best thing I ate at lunch). I'm a bit bummed we didn't order anything from the izakaya menu. I would come back and try more on the menu. BUT this place is pricey so I have to wait for another excuse to splurge.

Incredible find from Instagram..make sure to grab a reservation as we got one for 745p Friday night and it was packed like their food was! We did wait another 10m after our reservation but the food made up for it. Service was ok, nothing extraordinary but we came for the food! A5 wagyu beef on a hot stone where you cook yourself was a great experience..the sushi portions were not small..so don't eat ahead! The yakatori sticks were insanely good..chicken heart, stomach, scallops and oysters were awesome..the Hamachi collar was huge. Every bit of food was tasty and delicious. Table for 4 cost about $260 and we walked out feeling full and wanting to come back again. Great environment, clean but best of all the food was a hit. Our favorite order was no doubt the A5 wagyu AND the blue crab Uni bowl w seaweed! If you are in Irvine and love a great experience, you should go to izakaya osen!

Pricey! but worth the price for me personally! I'm a big sushi lover and for special occasions. This is the spot to go to. We got the Yellowtail Jalapeño which was flavorful and the jalapeño added a hint of spice. Then, we got the Miso Crab Salmon which was refreshing and had a slight truffle flavor. Got the salmon skin hand roll and the yellowtail cilantro which we liked! Got the Toro Unagi bowl which is unique and really good! I would get that next time I come. Lastly, we got the Unagi Shrimp Roll which was really good! It was definitely a filling roll. We also got the Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice which was amazing I just forgot to take a picture of it hehe. I would recommend this place for a cute date night! The restaurant is pretty small and is pretty pricey so definitely more of an occasional dinner spot. The service is also phenomenal! The two times I've been the waiters have been super friendly and conversational!

Came here to celebrate a friend's birthday this past weekend, and all I can say is this place is amazing!! The service was a 10/10, from the hosts in the front to the servers! The servers who helped us out: Angela, Soko, Hanna, Sophia, and even the manager Philip, were all super welcoming and attentive! Even though we were in the private room because of our large party, they still made sure to check on us multiple times throughout our meal. The food was also great. We got the Rock Shrimp Tempura and the Miso Crab Salmon to share for the table, and they were both delicious. I ordered the Rainbow Roll and the Toro Uni Bowl, and you can just taste the quality. They don't have any imitation crab here, so all of the items that have crab actually have snow crab in them. All of the seafood tasted so fresh, and the presentation was also amazing. If you're ever considering this place for a date night, birthday, or any occasion, you should definitely come here. Hands down, some of the best sushi in OC.

You really get your bang for your buck here. The price you pay for premium fish seems very reasonable compared to other spots. Between 2 people, we ordered the Omakase Bowl and the Premium Chirashi. This was the perfect amount and it was actually quite filling. I love the seaweed paper that came with the Omakase bowl. It was floss-like and it melted in my mouth. The presentation of the Premium Chirashi was so pretty and it came with some pickled side dishes. The complimentary birthday dessert was to die for! While eating it, I kept saying this was the best dessert I've ever had. The mochi matcha cake was chewy and it paired well with the matcha icecream. The only downside which I really didn't like is that we had a reservation on a Wednesday night at 730pm but we still had to wait about 30-45 minutes to be seated. They should really change their reservation system and not have 15 minute reservation intervals. No wonder so many people still had to wait to be seated.

I've had this place bookmarked for a while now after reading a few awesome reviews from Yelp friends, Dee, Leonard and Arshad. I used my birthday as an excuse to go with my family, and I'm soooo happy I did! Easily made reservations via Yelp for 7 people on a Saturday afternoon. The interior has a clean, modern design with natural wood and dim lighting, reminiscent of upscale sushi restaurants in Tokyo skyscrapers. The seating inside seemed a bit tight and narrow, so I was pleased to get seated in the more spacious outdoor patio. The weather was perfect, which made the experience even better. Everything we ordered was exceptional, fresh and flavorful: Kushiyaki (skewers) - Jidori Negima ($5.90), Beef Tongue ($6.80) and Prime Beef ($5.90) came with three pieces each, juicy and tender Salmon Skin Salad ($19) - a generous amount of fresh mixed greens, avocado and crispy salmon skin. Easily shareable. Omakase Bowl ($37) - interesting mix of mashed toro and blue crab, topped with a few pieces of uni, and dollop of salmon eggs and a pinch of caviar and gold flakes as garnish. The most interesting ingredient was the fibrous Kajime nori (sea trumpet seaweed) to wrap bite size amounts with! Premium Sushi and Sashimi Hachi Mori (prices vary by number of pieces) - we were blown away with how fresh and rare the selections were. Some were imported from Japan like the uni, scallops and snappers. The king salmon and toro melted in our mouths. Blue Crab Rice Hot Pot ($39) - omg this was to die for!! Each ingredient complemented each other well and each bite was bursting in flavor! They served a delicious matcha ice cream and cake that had a gooey mochi texture. Yum! Service was friendly and top notch! We're pretty sure this place may be Korean-owned as most of the staff were, but they fully understand Japanese aesthetics and authentic sushi! We were very impressed! They validate parking if you park in the structure as well.