Stopped by Okinawa Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse for a late lunch and decided to sit out on the…read morepatio.... such a great choice!! The outdoor seating was relaxed and perfect for enjoying the beautiful weather without feeling rushed. Service was friendly and attentive, even during that in-between lunch/dinner time. Our food came out fresh and well-prepared. We both ordered hibachi. Our server even offered us to go drinks which was a nice gesture. Overall, it was a laid-back, enjoyable experience. Definitely a solid spot for a casual lunch date or catching up with friends. I'd come back again for sure.

There was superb customer service from the beginning to end. We really enjoyed the patio area where…read morewe ate. There is hibachi style here but no open grill which was okay. The food was okay, I was really looking forward to the rice and veggies. Veggies were good but the rice had a bit to be of aftertaste perhaps from the grill. The portions were generous for the price.

Stopped by Samurai Sushi in Vestavia for a Sunday lunch after church for Easter, and it was a…read morepretty relaxed experience. The restaurant wasn't crowded at all, which made for a quiet and easygoing meal. The sushi itself was just okay... nothing particularly memorable, but it satisfied the craving. Service was smooth and timely, likely helped by the lighter crowd. Overall, a decent spot if you're looking for a low-key lunch without the wait, but the food didn't quite stand out compared to other sushi spots in the area

Where do I begin? I…read morehave lived in the Birmingham Metro area the majority of my life and love trying new places, so when my son spotted this place on a shopping trip to Publix and asked if we could go try it out I said yes (if he was a well-behaved boy at school lol). Luckily for us, he was today. It's location being over the parking deck is probably why I didn't notice it and I was nervous about how accessible it would be however there were two solid ways to get there either from the street or parking deck so that proved to be no issue at all. It has both indoor and outdoor seating with cute decor all over the inside. I've never been to Japan but one could imagine this gave its all to emulate the feel of a cool Japanese city restaurant. There's a cocktail bar on the right, sushi bar to the left, and good seating in the middle. Maybe large parties would be hard to seat upon reflection but I'm sure it's doable. The menus we received were EXTENSIVE. So many sushi and nigiri options were available it was almost overwhelming but they also gave us a paper selection for sushi that went into detail of the chef specials. But don't worry, they had other options including various soups, salads, appetizers (we got the spring rolls, YUM. My son devoured them), and hibachi style dishes. We decided to get the Udon with shrimp and veggies, Osaka roll, and Vestavia roll. Genuinely, you can taste the love and care. My son actually closed his eyes and sighed when he dived into the noodles dish and was enamored with the Vestavia roll (did I mention he's six?? Seriously, that reaction from a six year old means they're doing something right!). I also was beyond impressed with the flavors of it all. I wish I was more hungry so I could get more. Lastly, I want to touch on service. I, myself, am a bartender so service is a big thing for me. I have high expectations because I know how the job should be done. When I tell you these lovely people know how to make you feel at home, goodness. Every customer that came in was warmly greeted and if they were a regular it was like they were coming home. The lovely lady at the front (I want to say was maybe the manager?) was all smiles and running around helping and talking with staff and guests alike. She stopped by our table and chatted with my son and told us she was happy they had "new family members" (LOVE). Our server was phenomenal, even seeing my son was struggling with his chopsticks so he rigged up a pair to be more kid friendly which was great. We were sat facing the sushi bar so we were watching how much care and effort they were putting into each plate. It was a sight to see. This place clearly cares about its patrons from the moment they come in til the moment they leave. The love they put into every dish and interaction should be something you get everywhere. They've set a high bar and I'm happy we got to experience it. I cannot wait to go back. I'm already plotting what I'll try next!

Such a wonderful dinner and unique experience! We tried so many tasty dishes tonight and were blown…read moreaway by the atmosphere and presentation of it all. What we ordered: -Pork Tonkatsu Omurice: I was a bit nervous to try this but I'm so glad I did! The runny omelet is served atop a bed of fried rice and your choice of a sauce. I also ordered the pork tonkatsu but could've done without since the fried rice had chicken in it. I tried both of the sauces but my favorite was the curry. Only critique is that it could've used some salt. -#5 Shoyu Beef Ramen: my boyfriend really enjoyed this one. I'm not big on ramen but he loved it. Quite a large serving. -Brown Sugar Bubble Milk/Milk Tea: incredible! This was a delicious sweet drink! -Honeycomb Platter: this had a variety of appetizers/small bites which was perfect to share with someone else. I loved the variety here. The edamame was my favorite! All in all, this was quite the experience! Not to mention, the interior here is truly unique! I would absolutely recommend.

The design is honestly what made me want to check this place out in the first place I had seen it…read moreall over social media and it looked so cute and unique inside. When we got there, it definitely lived up to the aesthetic. The whole setup is really nice, very much so photo-worthy, and you can tell they put a lot of thought into the design! I was visiting from out of town and brought my mom and sister with me, so I was pretty excited for us. We were really hoping to sit in the honeycomb booths since that's what you always see on social media, but unfortunately they were blocked off when we arrived, which was a little disappointing. It wasn't a dealbreaker, but it did take away from the experience we were expecting. The servic is where things started to fall short. Our waiter wasn't very attentive, and there were pretty long gaps between him checking on us. We found ourselves waiting a while for simple things, which made the experience feel a bit off. On a positive note, the food did come out pretty quickly, so I'll give them that. That said, the food itself just didn't really hit for me personally . It looked good, but flavor-wise it was kind of underwhelming. We also didn't receive the Cherry Blossom jelly that we asked for with my combo, our server just kind of forgot, and when we requested soy sauce, it took quite a while to get it. Those little things add up, especially when you're already not getting much attention from your server.

Came here for lunch and had a really great experience. Ordered the vegan ramen, which was honestly…read moreone of the best bowls of ramen I've had. The broth was very flavorful, and for once, this bowl was huge, so well-worth it. The atmosphere in the place is clean, modern, and comfortable. Hence, it would be a great spot to sit down for a meal. Additionally, the place wasn't too noisy or packed, which made the lunch atmosphere relaxed. The service was what really stood out to me: Upon entering, I was greeted and the staff regularly checked on me to see if I needed anything. They even refilled my drink before it was empty, which I appreciated since I like sipping on soda while I eat. Because the portion size was so big, they even packed my leftovers into a to-go box for me, so that was nice. The food tasted really authentic. I went to Japan last summer, and their egg tasted almost exactly the same. In general, I felt this was a nice lunch and that I would definitely come back here.

Unfortunately this was not one of my favorite hibachi experiences and I do plan on revisiting to…read moresee if my next experience would be different. I'm wondering if it was my fault for not ordering hibachi from the demonstration grill, but I was thinking since the restaurant was empty I was going it a service ordering from a table, but my soup and salad came out after my hibachi meal. I think the waiter forgot about it because I had to so if it was still coming. When it did come, the soup looked like mostly water (see photos) and the salad was over drenched in dressing. I've never seen that much dressing in a salad my entire life. The meat wasn't hot but the fried rice really saved the day. It was salty, but I prefer mine that way. I like the location of this place so I'm hoping that next visit will be different.

Shiki is a place I have frequented often when staying in the nearby hotel. I have really liked…read moreeverything we have tried there. My go-to is usually the Shiki fish. I love the sauce that comes with it! I have also had a great yuzu margarita there, which I would recommend if you want a cocktail! My most recent order was the Super Crunch Roll. I got this to go, and I picked it based off of previous Yelp reviews. It was delicious but didn't necessarily blow me away, especially for it to be ~$17. It left me feeling hungry, whereas I usually feel quite full from a sushi roll. They have a lovely outdoor patio for whenever the weather is nice. They do allow you to bring your dog to sit with you! Service can be hit or miss at times, but overall, we have had great experiences. They have a HH 4-6 Thursday-Sunday, which is nice if you can make it then. It includes 1/2 price appetizers, $5 cocktails (marg, mojito, cucumber collins, and mule), beer, wine, and sake. I attached the menu for this. I believe the HH and lunch special pricing is only offered for dine-in.

Very clean, friendly, and a great happy hour menu…read more I had the pork and shrimp dumplings soup, AMAZING!!!

We had Alabama roll, pink lady roll, sumo roll, and 3 others I couldn't remember. Sumo was good,…read morepink lady was good too. The rest of the rolls were not good though. Ramen was real bad, calamari was ok, fried soft shell crab was good. Hibachi was salty but pretty good. Bottom line, I came for the sushi, and it mostly disappointed, but I wouldn't be opposed to trying again maybe I caught them on an off day or something.

Visited here after watching some influencers, and was excited to try it. First I must say upon…read morestepping in the door we were hit with a terrible smell. Influencers didn't mention this. Not exactly sure if we even wanted to stay because we both smelled it. Asked about it and was told it was the fresh fish, fresh sushi. The sushi is right at the door as soon as you walk in. What we ate: hibachi bowl, seaweed salad, calamari and a couple of other dishes. *Con: the smell when we walked in was a turnoff but other guest assured us it was ok they loved it there. Sushi was cut too large and was just dry...only tried one kind and just 2 pieces of it *Pros: hibachi was really good Waitstaff nice & efficient. Prices- very reasonable/ compettitive Would I go again...maybe once more Would I suggest it- No I really wouldnt

DO NOT DINE HERE. If I could rate this a place a zero I would. My first time having a bad…read moreexperience at a Kobe's restaurant. Im not sure if its because we sat at a both instead of having them cook in front of us but the food was terrible. I ordered the salmon and steak, the only thing that was edible was the steak, which I had to pick bones out of. The rice was inedible, I literally had to spit it out because I couldn't swallow it due to the taste. The salmon was dry, over cooked, and unseasoned. We offered to pay for the food that we did eat but instead the manager told us to go home and never come back. Dine wisely !

We made reservations for my daughter's 13th birthday last night. There were 13 of us total. The…read morecook did not even do the entertaining at all. We had to go find chopsticks. No Happy birthday dessert or anything. They were dead because the weather was bad. I would have hoped for a better experience. I feel like it was a waste of time and $500. The tip was included and I felt service was horrible. I will not be going back.

I really enjoyed my visit to this restaurant. The food was excellent service was good. This is a…read moreplace where it's food spook for itself. We order a lot of food because we wanted to try everything to give an honest review about food. This place did not disappoint.

We are so glad that Ooka was able to reopen in Pelham. My wife loves sushi, and this is one of the…read morefew Sushi places I will eat. They have a great selection of tempura and noodle dishes, and I love their crab Rangoon. We've never had a bad meal here, though service can be spotty on occasion. The ambiance is completely different after the renovation. The previous space had a warm, eclectic charm, filled with decorations that reflected a blend of Asian influences. The new design is minimalist and very clean, with white walls and white ceiling tiles throughout. While it feels bright and modern, it also feels a bit sterile--more like a professional space than a cozy dining spot. I found myself missing the relaxed, inviting atmosphere that once made it such a comfortable place to unwind.

1000/10 recommend…read more This was an amazing experience--great food, outstanding service, and a beautiful atmosphere. The dishes were flavorful and well prepared, the staff was attentive and welcoming, and decorations of the restaurant added such an elegant, unique aesthetic that made the whole experience even more memorable. Highly recommend.

We had an 8:30 reservation but weren't seated despite multiple open tables because we were assigned…read moreto a specific "room." When we asked if we could sit at one of the open tables, we were told no--then watched a walk-in party with the same number of people get seated there. When we were finally seated, it felt like an afterthought. The room had no music (unlike the rest of the restaurant), a large garage fan blowing, and bus tubs/service items sitting out nearby. Service was chaotic. Our cocktails arrived room temperature, a Coke took 30 minutes, and our bao buns were delivered to the wrong table. Meanwhile, a party that was seated about 40 minutes after us ordered roughly the same number of items, finished their meal, and left before we even received all of ours. By 10:30 pm we still hadn't gotten two of the four dishes we ordered and had to cancel them. When the bill came, the canceled items were still on it and nothing was comped. At a certain point we were honestly waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out and tell us we were being pranked on Punk'd. Unfortunately, it wasn't a prank--just a really frustrating dining experience.

Spicy, sour, and seriously satisfying! That's how you describe the soup at Fuji Hibachi Express…read more When I'm looking for a quick dinner, one of my favorite pickup spots is Fuji Express. You can order online by going directly to the website. They make the food quick and my orders have always been correct. My go to order is a large hot and sour soup with a side of rice. By getting the large, I have plenty of food for lunch the next day.

Our go to hibachi take out! I am a huge fan of the spring rolls and the chicken hibachi. The…read morehibachi is the best deal! You get noodles and soup and salad. Flavors are great! They are so quick, literally ready in 10 minutes after I call it in.