Izakaya Honda Ya

Visited during the happy hour and got a variety of yakitori, the Albacore Sashimi w/ Crispy Onion and Fried Baby Octopus from the happy hour menu. In terms of the yakitori, everything was kind of as I had expected. The chicken skin was probably the highlight for me in terms of flavor and quality. I kind of wished everything was grilled for a bit longer though, as I enjoy a slight crisp on the outside. I'd also say that each of them could probably use a bit more sauce/seasoning as it was slightly on the bland side. For the albacore sashimi, I was slightly disappointed. The flavor of the sauce and the crispy onion was so overwhelming that I felt like I couldn't really taste the albacore itself. On the other hand, the fried baby octopus had the perfect amount of flavor and texture and was absolutely delicious!

Any place located in Yaohan plaza gets extra points, and the food is very good. Chawamushi and Yakatori and monkfish liver! I felt i was back in Torrance! All the food was excellent, the Hamachi I really liked too. Weird interaction with a host that's worth mentioning-- we have double booked reservations and I trying to call and let them know. When I arrived I told the host that I was apologizing for the double booking and told him that I tried to call, he took it to mean that I was annoyed that he hadn't answered the phone and told me about six different ways that they were way too busy to answer the phone. Even though he took about 5 minutes to explain that to me in every angle possible. Didn't ruin the food though!

I do not have enough words to describe how amazing the food is here! I had a special of the day, the Japanese style Mac and Cheese with crab and shrimp, my daughter had the Niku Udon, and my guy had the Katsu Don. Everything was amazing! The pork cutlet was tender and melted in your mouth. The Niku Udon was filling, and the Mac and Cheese was a culinary trip! The light cheese and seafood ingredients melded so well together, I was thoroughly impressed! We can't wait to be back to make it a date, and for the yakitori!

I loved my experience here last night. Lots of small plate options and also some decent sushi options. I got a pitcher of Sapporo and tried almost all skewered meats. My favorites were chicken skins, gizzards, and pork belly. The restaurant was crowded. Make sure you make a reservation because the wait time can be very lengthy.