Authentic Japanese restaurant just off of Convoy. Okan Diner is a sister restaurant to Wa Dining Okan, but has significantly easier parking and seating. I think the menu is the same, or at least very similar. I love to get the salmon kama and the salmon ikura rice bowl, but honestly, everything has been great. The portions are very nicely sized. read more

Okan Diner is one of my go-to places for a relaxing dinner with friends. It is an izakaya-style Japanese eatery with a little of everything. I went on Memorial Day with friend for an early dinner. I was delighted to see Okan offered happy hour on a holiday. The Sapporo was 50% off and the fried squid legs were $2 off. The legs were well fried with a nice chewy. The pieces could have been cut a bit smaller to make them easier to eat but otherwise delicious. I ordered the katsu pork curry meal set and my friend tried their new promo: 5-skewer yakatori meal. The skewers are preset and tonight's were meatball, chicken thighs with salt, ribeye, sausage and pork belly. The meal set was $21.25 and came with bowls of rice, salad and miso soup. We were lucky for parking since it was a holiday. The strip mall has 4-5 eateries plus other businesses so parking can be really hard. read more

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Not a big noodle person but this place hit the spot. We came right at opening so there was no wait whichever as nice. Unsure how it would be when it's busy though! Overall a cozy vibe going on. We got the carbonara udon and the curry udon and they were sooo good. The curry udon was more on the watery side but not mad about that. The carbornara was pretty creamy so I'd def recommend taking a lactaid with this if you're lactose intolerant lol. read more

Okan Diner - Carbonara udon and Deluxe Curry Udon - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

The food here is just okay. The place isn't the best looking, but it does have that Japanese underground bar/izakaya kind of vibe. The only difference is it feels a little overpriced for what you get. I'd recommend giving it a try, but I'd come here more to grab some drinks and order a few dishes to share rather than making it your main spot for dinner. read more

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Great happy hour beverage prices! I also got a generous portion of chicken karaage on HH. This is an udon noodle lover's dream! I love udon and there were so many options, even unique ones like carbonara. I got sukiyaki - thinly shredded beef with cabbage, onion, mushroom and an egg in a delicious sweet and umami sauce/light soup base. It was a huge portion, but so good I couldn't stop eating. My friend got the pork belly rice dish and she loved it. This was delicious! Ill definitely be back to try other dishes! read more

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Dinner gone horribly wrong. I've been wanting to give this place a try for a while and unfortunately I've should've completely passed on ever coming here! We came here on a Friday night. There were a couple tables open and were able to get seated right away. A few min later, there were people waiting to be seated. We ordered a couple of drinks, the Blue lagoon and a lemonade. The blue lagoon (a blue drink) was a bit too sweet for me. For dinner we ordered the following items. - Mixed vegetable tempura - I liked most of the veggies, the shrimp was too greasy and limp, not very crispy at all. - Beef tataki - this just looked completely wrong! It was cold, hard and brown! We sent this dish back immediately. - Yellowtail sashimi - hubs loves yellowtail sashimi and always orders it. One bite and it was too fishy for me to have another bite. - Karaage - this was ok. - Kakuni Kamameshi (Pork belly rice kettle) - seasoned rice with pork belly, egg (probably too raw), pickled ginger and onions on the side. We enjoyed this... but after going home for the evening, within hours neither of us felt good and I was sick and not eating anything else for the rest of the weekend! I think there were probably too many dishes that could've been the culprit that made us sick, but overall I think the food and unsafe food handling practices probably did us in. Staff was nice though. Small parking lot was packed. We won't be back and BEWARE! I hope this review is the warning you need to stay away from this place! NEVER AGAIN! Series: 1 2025: 58 read more

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Back a second time this week to try some different things Beef tongue kettle rice- simple but flavorful. Tender beef tongue, fragrant rice Creamy mentai udon- spicy and creamy. A great combo Duck soy ramen- ramen was ok but the duck was overcooked and kind of tough Beef sukiyaki with rice- a reliable and filling dish with light flavors, nice and warm. Happy hour: handrolls- a great deal and so so good. As always- we get our favorite: blue crab salad. Huge chunks of fresh crab Others: karaage, eel and avocado roll, takoyaki. Another yummy night! read more

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So so good! I went for an early dinner Friday night, around 6pm. Good buzz of a variety of customers--singles, couples, families, friends, etc. Seated straight away. Friendly, professional staff. The menu haa lots of choices, and the food is very home style and comforting. My karaage craving was satisfied. So hot, light, crisp and flavorful. My daughter loved her deluxe curry udon, and I enjoyed my Saba Shio Yaki dinner set hit the spot. Draft Sapporo beer, yum. Mango soda with a shot of soju, double yum. This was my first time to this location. There was a chill vibe and I look forward to returning. (Note...I just realized my previous review was for Wa Okan on Convoy! I have to figure out how to move this over there...I'm so sorry for any confusion!) read more

Okan Diner - So much good flavor! - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

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OKAN DINER Review: Melon soda, was 10/10 and I think they make a liquor version of it! Fresh made salmon onigiri: 10/10 I dont think I can go back to the Mitsuwa/Marukai refrigerator kind Chicken Nanban: Included miso soup, salad, and side of rice - I give it 7/10! It was tasty but I think it was a little more bland than I expected, but I also should've have been more adventurous for my entree. Overall: 10/10 because the service was good, it wasn't busy! It seems like a little hidden gem right off the 805! Clean and chill, this place really hit the spot. read more

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Great place to hangout with friends and grab a bite to eat. Lots of food selection. Great share tapas style. Service is fast and attentive. We ordered on yakitori, salmon sashimi bowl and rice bowl. All so good and just the right portions. read more

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Still the best udon place to come for Uni Udon. Their plating has changed a bit but the flavor is still the best! You can completely finish the sauce as it is creamy and not salty. Parking is great since it is away from the busy convoy streets so if you are in the mood for some good Japanese udon or rice bowls, this is the place to be. They have a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as well. They have switched the bathrooms to be gender neutral. There was only one staff working the hall but still quick to bring out our order and will refill our water as needed. read more

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Food was good and happy hours was a good deal. I got the duck soba soup, very simple and not bad. The other udon pastas are a bit salty for me. Service was ok read more

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Was seated super quickly on a weekend (dinner time). The restaurant felt super mom & pop and was very casual. Mentaiko udon was creamy & flavorful--the sauce had a perfect balance of the saltiness from the mentaiko, and the flavor really shone through! The tonkatsu broth felt very light in comparison to other tonkatsu broths I've had in the past--if you want a light ramen, the tonkatsu broth is a good choice. Similarly, the duck soba broth was light in flavor as well; the duck itself was a little thick & chewy, but was still good! read more

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Got a quick lunch here randomly and what a great spot! I got the creamy mentaiko udon ($21 or $24) which was delicious! It wasn't too buttery or rich but it was nicely balanced. I love that they have a lot of lunch combination specials that you can customize. Quite frankly you can make a combination out of anything you choose. The world is your oyster here. The space is quite small inside but there is outside seating that is not as cute. The service was efficient and my meal came out super fast. read more

Went to go eat there and it was closed by the health department. This was my firsthand experience trying to eat here. Yelp removed my first review claiming "it wasn't clear that your review described your firsthand experience as a customer of the business." I literally tried to eat here and couldn't because they were closed for a vermin infestation. Doesn't get much more first hand than that, Yelp. The photo clearly shows the date and restaurant on top of my description. Be honest Yelp! They are now open 2 weeks later with an A rating from the county. Go figure. Still will pass. read more

Okan Diner - Health violation - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

This Japanese restaurant was really disappointing. I wanted to give it a fair shot, so we ordered several different dishes but unfortunately, almost everything missed the mark. First, I ordered the carbonara udon, which is normally one of my favorite Japanese dishes. What came out was basically watery udon with bacon, mushrooms, and pepper. The mushrooms weren't seasoned, the sauce lacked any creamy richness, and overall it had almost no flavor. Carbonara udon is essentially the Japanese take on Alfredo, so it definitely should not be watery or bland. After cracking the poached egg the dish ended up being worse. It just tasted like egg yolk with water and udon. I ended up taking a few bites and not being able to finish it. We also ordered the crab kettle rice, and paying over $20 for what was essentially mushroom rice with shredded crab felt kind of crazy. The crab quality wasn't great, and the dish itself was very underwhelming. We specifically asked the server what it was, and her description made it sound much more exciting than what actually came out. Had we known it was just plain mushroom rice with crab on top, we definitely would not have ordered it. To give the menu more of a chance, I also ordered a few skewers. Unfortunately, those were disappointing too. The gizzard had a strong smell that made it hard to eat, and the chicken skin was overly oily with a strange aftertaste. Our bill ended up being over $80 before tip, which felt expensive for the quality of food we received. I'd still be open to trying their second location someday maybe that one is better than this diner but based on this visit, I left pretty disappointed. read more

Okan Diner - Carbonara Udon - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

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i was here a few years ago and regret not coming back sooner! the mentaiko udon was so creamy, buttery and decadent. the agedashi tofu was not done with silken tofu, but i didn't mind it. we also ordered a chirashi bowl and there was so much fish and even uni on it! my brother tried duck ramen for the first time and it was a hit. i need to make it a point to come in more often. portion sizes were very fair and you definitely get a bang for your buck! didn't try but i loved that they had mocktails that you could turn into cocktails on the menu. read more

Okan Diner - mentaiko udon - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

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I came here with friends, not knowing what to expect, I ordered a sukiyaki udon, let me start by saying this is a fave of mine already the broth was amazingly done balanced and tasty, and the noodles were just perfect, the portion is big, so if u aren't as hungry, beware! The ambiance is nice, for a 1-1 dinner or to go with friends, our server was great, explained the menu, was fun and fast with our orders ! read more

My friends and I dined here last Saturday night, and unfortunately, we had a terrible experience--mainly due to how my boyfriend's order was mishandled. We ordered a chirashi bowl, beef tongue/chicken skin skewers, and a blue crab handroll, all of which were good. However, what soured the experience was the way the restaurant handled my boyfriend's order of the Crab and Mushroom Kamameshi. We knew the Kamameshi would take about 20 minutes to prepare, which was fine since our friends had ordered the Gyu-Tan Kamameshi as well. But when the dish finally arrived, it was the Mentai Kamameshi instead. We informed the waitress, confirming we had ordered the Crab and Mushroom Kamameshi. Rather than apologizing or updating us on the wait time, she simply ran off--without any notice that we'd now have to wait another 20 minutes. At this point, everyone else had finished their meals while we were still waiting. Frustrated, we called another waitress over. She claimed she hadn't heard our order properly, which didn't sit right with us--why not clarify at the time instead of assuming? Worse, she told my boyfriend he "didn't need to be like that" when we expressed frustration about how the first waitress handled the mistake. Having both worked in the restaurant industry, we know that the right approach is to acknowledge the mistake, apologize, and provide an update--not ignore the situation. Had we been informed of the additional wait, we would have ordered something else. When the dish finally arrived, it was bland and completely not worth the wait. We had to add soy sauce and chili flakes just to get some flavor. Eating while everyone else was already done and ready to leave made the situation even worse. Overall, I was really disappointed, especially given the great reviews. I understand that mistakes happen, but the way the staff handled them was unacceptable. Because of this experience, I won't be coming back. read more

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Okay yeah I love this place. It's super cozy and it matches the diner vibes that they would have in Japan. It's super chill and what I absolutely love is how you order eat and pay, no fuss and no constant checking in with you. it's a great place to hangout with friends and family, and if I worked close by I would definitely come by on a long day at work. They got everything from sushi, okonmiyaki, udon, yakitori, etc. The drinks are mixed in house like the chu-hi and they're just as strong as I remember them! The hamburg steak was dry and it had the flavors there, and the takoyaki and kaarage were alright. The mentai udon noodles though?? That's where it's at. Absolutely delicious and original, I would come back just for this tbh and I'm even thinking about making another trip just for it! Also the fries here are sooooo good idk what about it tbh but I think about them too Also they have the bidets you find in Japan - yes the Toto branded hot seat bidets - it's lowkey a tourist attraction in my circle of people I know tbh, I found out about the toilets here from a coworker haha There's plenty of parking here unlike actually convoy street, the service is no fuss, and it's a no frills location! Definitely recommend for a chill night! read more

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Overall the food here is decent, not terrible and not great. The yakitori here is dry and the only ones worth getting are the scallop and the pork belly. My favorite was the scallop because it was seasoned well and tender. The okonomiyaki is good but on the smaller side, it was about the size of my small hand -- would definitely get more than one if you have more than two people. Service was generally good and the food came out in a timely manner. read more

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Great experience. I've been here twice and I always like to get the rice pots. I get the scallop, roe, corn, and butter one. The portion is great for the price! I also like getting the agadashi tofu. Just note, the pot rices take 20-30 minutes to cook. read more

Okan Diner - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

The mecca for warm homey meals. Okan Diner is serving up homestyle Japanese eats! I absolutely love their set meals- so balanced, filling, and cooked with love. We dropped in during lunchtime and immediately made a beeline for their specials. I got their Sukiyaki Lunch Set Menu which features a skillet of Sukiyaki, a bowl of white rice, miso soup, and a side salad. Sukiyaki is essentially thinly sliced beef cooked in a sweet soy broth- one of my all-time fav dishes! It also featured cabbage, various mushrooms, and tofu. So. Freaking. Good. One of the most comforting meals I've had in a very long time. Can't wait to be back and make my way through the menu! My one morsel of feedback is about the service. It's s-u-p-e-r slow. The day we were there, there was only one person in the front of the house tending to diners. We eventually just made our way up to the counter at the end to get her attention... read more

Okan Diner - Sukiyaki Lunch Set Menu - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

Delicious food, fantastic service and great ambiance! Tons of menu choices! We got the teriyaki salmon lunch plate & tempura udon. Really good! We'll be back! read more

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Everything is delicious beyond expectations, we can't wait to come back! I got the sukiyaki udon and they are super generous with the veggies in it (mushroom mix - enoki, shimeji, shiitake, as well as Napa cabbage) in addition to the meat and tofu, which is really unique compared to other sukiyaki udon bowls I've had locally. Service is excellent and friendly! read more

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We went there on a Sunday evening, it was crowded n busy. Ordered agedashi (tofu dish), yakitori (skewed chicken) and sukiyaki. Whenever we come here, sukiyaki is a must and probably the only place in SD with more authentic sukiyaki. Sukiyaki was good as expected. However, the tofu dish had too much sauce that lost its crispiness, the chicken was kind of dry n not tender as it should be, which is a great disappointment. read more

I really enjoyed their happy hour menu. Hot House Sake for $3.95 is such a great deal. That paired with their takoyaki and geso kara just hits the spot. Really impressed that it was freshly fried. Service was great as well. Happy Hour is available Monday-Thursday from 5:30-6:30PM. There's a huge parking lot, but even on a Thursday it was already pretty packed. Will be back again! read more

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Came on a Friday night during dinner time. Parking lot was very packed. We got lucky we found parking. Inside was not packed yet. The servers were very helpful. We got the combination tempura, yellowtail sashimi, beef tataki, karaage, and the kakuni braised pork belly. The food came out very fast. The tempura had a nice crunch to them but the shrimp pieces had a lot of oil. The karaage was ok. The yellowtail was suspect to me. It tasted a little weird and had too much of a fish smell. We did not finish. The beef tataki was cold to the touch. Like it just came out of the frig. It was overcooked and very tough to eat. We returned because it was too suspect for us. The kakuni was actually good. Came with plenty of pork. The men's bathroom was a mess. You had to use some force to lock the door. It used a slider to lock the door. No door handles. Looked like they took out the door knobs and taped over the holes. I'm not sure if the toilet seat was even connected. It was way too loose. The paper towel dispenser did not work. They put toilet paper on top so you can dry your hands. The soap dispenser did not work. They placed a hand pump out and filled it with something pink. Not the original soap that comes with hand soap pump. The floors were very sticky. When walking through the place, you can hear your shoes sticking to the floor. I'm pretty sure we got food poisoning from the place. Came home and started not feeling good. Then came the food leaving the body by any means possible. We are differently never coming back because they served us food that should never have been served. read more

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We were craving udon and found this little gem. It's tucked away in a very busy strip mall, where sometimes you might need to circle a few times to locate a parking spot. The vibe was very chill and service was great. The 2 servers that were working were friendly and very attentive. We were promptly seated and served water immediately. Our order was taken and food came out within a reasonable time. The udon broth was very tasty, the noodles were perfectly soft, and the tempura was perfectly crunchy. The ramen was also very good, the broth very flavorful, and with big pieces of pork. We'll be back to try other dishes. read more

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We came in on a Saturday night and they were fairly busy. The place is nicely decorated and is dimly lit, offering a cozy ambiance. It took a while to be acknowledged or greeted while we waited at the host stand, but then once they did, they offered a table right away. We ordered the sukiyaki udon, garlic edamame, sweet potato tempura, and katsu udon. Everything tasted amazing! I was so shocked with how flavorful my udon was, it was the best part of the meal! The katsu curry had chicken that was a bit dry and the curry definitely tasted like something I could've made with curry cubes. The tempura was delicious though! Will be returning. read more

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I always make a joke as this was the restaurant that brought the friendship between me and my friend. A great place to have an intimate hang out with family and friends! It's located next to Emie's Alterations in a small plaza area with other non-eatery shops. There's a parking lot with ample stalls that doesn't seem like it would get full at night. The spicy tuna roll was okay in my opinion. I loved the freshness of the minced tuna but there wasn't any flavor to it which was great in bringing out the freshness of the tuna. Since my friend and I went during happy hour, the price of it was $5 instead of $7. It was a good happy hour price for some fresh fish! The Maze-Udon, on the other hand, was VERY good. It was a soupless udon with just the sauce, noodles, and toppings, and wow. So much flavor! It was a tad salty but still so good. Definitely a good choice! Overall, small cute Japanese restaurant with a huge variety of home style Japanese dishes for really good prices. Would love to come back in the future to try more of their foods! read more

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This authentic Japanese restaurant is located in a small plaza, has blacked out windows, and looks unassuming from the outside. I saw the great reviews and decided to check it out and order food to go. I had the sukiyaki udon and it tasted great! A little bit on the saltier side, but I really enjoyed the ingredients included such as the napa cabbage and mushrooms. It wasn't crowded when I went on a Tuesday evening and my food was ready as soon as I arrived. The food is decently priced and I would definitely come back to try more dishes! read more

Food: 9/10 Service: 6/10 Ambiance: 7/10 Honestly there was nothing necessarily wrong with service but 1. for the past 2 years, this place is way too hot. The AC is broken on always the hottest days or they just dont have one which makes no sense to me because this place has GOOD BUSINESS. Please invest in an AC especially when most of the menu is HOT or needs to be fresh like sashimi and soba. The food is phenomenal. I'm usually never disappointed with what I choose. Anything you choose, it WILL be above average. The workers aren't the nicest in my opinion, but the food makes up for it. Just wish this place had AC - like last time I wanted soba because I was dying in the heat and the soba was warm... the soy sauce thing was warm too... PLS. AC. read more

Okan Diner - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

This is my second time coming here and it tastes just like I remember, the sukiyaki is very good and flavorful and the way the udon noodles soak up the flavor and they were cooked just right not soggy but still soft n chewy. The service is good they are very kind they also patiently wait for you to decide, the food itself also does not take long to come out which is a plus. The place has no foul smells but rather smells like fresh homemade food which has a very nostalgic ambiance, everything is nice and clean and the interior is very welcoming. Overall I do think this place is a must try. read more

Okan Diner - Sukiyaki udon - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

The menu had a large variety of options, but the staff was super helpful and guided us through it. They said the carbonara was extremely popular, and while it was a good portion including the bacon, I felt like it was lacking a little bit of flavor.The squid was crispy and flavorful but is a little oily for my liking. The sushi rice was almost like the ones from the rolls of a grocery store, but other than that it was generously filled. The chicken skin had a lot of flavor and we would come back to enjoy more skewers and happy hour drinks! read more

Okan Diner - chicken skin skewer, seaweed roll - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came in for dinner on Sunday night. There was no line and we were seated within two minutes of walking into the restaurant. We ordered several items: -butter mentai udon -creamy mentai udon -salmon and avocado bowl - beef tongue, rib eye, chicken livers and meatball yakitori. -scallop kettle rice Everything was simply delicious. Portions are small so prepared to order more food. The prices aren't bad for the quality of food they offered. Service was prompt and attentive. We spent almost $200 for a Birthday dinner. We cannot afford to do this often so it will be a special occasion spot for us. read more

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The food and ambiance were amazing! I had the beef kasameshi and it was really good would definitely recommend. My only gripe was that the restaurant was busy with only one server on duty so the service was a little slow. read more

We tried Okan diner for the first time today. We are pretty impressed. The food was very very tasty. The eel was warm and delicious. The service was pretty good too. The ambience was just normal for this kind of restaurant. Wear a coat. read more

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Pretty solid place with delicious udons. I recently tried the mentai udon and that was nice and creamy. It was flavorful and the sauce was the star of the dish. My friend got the carbonara udon and that was a cool fusion dish. It felt more of a pasta dish than a traditionally Japanese dish though even with the udon. I remember also trying their sukiyaki udon and that was a great soup udon option. The beef was yummy with the hint of sweetness and soup makes it perfect for cold days. This place is a bit of a smaller diner but gives off a cozy atmosphere vibe. I would recommend checking it out for those cold rainy days. read more

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This location is not very busy and usually can get seated quickly. I went at dinner on a weekend and was seated at one of the last empty tables. The interior boasts typical Japanese decorations that immerse you in the culture and cuisine. The beef udon comes with lots of meat slices and the broth is not overpowering. The egg was a bit too runny for my preference as it was not quite like an ajitama egg consistency. The takoyaki comes out hot and was a delicious appetizer/side. read more

Okan Diner - Beef Udon - Noodles Near Me - San Diego, California