Had a great time at Robata Wasa. The food was amazing and felt super authentic. Our server Tomoko was awesome -- really friendly, knew the menu so well, and gave solid recommendations. Her service made the whole experience even better. Definitely coming back. read more

Came in Saturday and Our Server Vi took really good care of even when she looked she was busy .Food was great, The supervisor Jose was also very helpful answering all our Gluten-free questions.. read more

I really enjoyed the food. The sukiyaki udon was just what unwanted with the broth and the noodles. The beef was how I remember my favorite sukiyakis. Pacing of the meal was off, my wife and son had sushi rolls, but I had finished my whole bowl of sukiyaki before a roll came. It's a chill place to eat- inside or outside. read more

See all

You can't just slap on sashimi atop a birthday cake and call it "fusion." It needs to make sense. Cajun spices in udon don't make sense. It's not genius, it's not creative, it's not out of the box thinking; rather, it's amateur and pretty ridiculous. It's like something from a competitive kids' cooking show, minus the cute part. No one is going to taste this cajun shrimp udon and call it brilliant. Take it off the menu. DUH. And reconsider the opinions of whoever approved this for the menu in the first place. This isn't a matter of personal opinion or bias; it's factual that it doesn't work. Also, super presumptuous to put this "shrimp udon" on the menu with absolutely NO MENTION of the cajun part?! Wth. If it's not going to be mentioned on the menu, the least the server could do is clarify this point when it's ordered. Like "Hey, heads up, it's cajun udon..." so that anyone full of brains could be like, "Oh that sounds disgustin', let me order this instead." Honestly, when it was served to me, I thought it was an innocent mistake they made in the kitchen...like they meant to shake some shichimi togarashi but grabbed the wrong shaker. So I sweetly inquired if it was supposed to have cajun spices in it. Server confirmed it was. He said something about how the shrimp was separate from the broth. Clearly. Just how sashimi is separate from a sheet cake. It made me question everything that was Robata Wasa honestly. All credibility lost in one fell swoop. To the server's credit, he did offer to bring me something else. But I had already sent one order back when he mistakenly brought me salmon belly instead of the yellowtail belly I had ordered. I wasn't going to send back 100% of the food items delivered to me. I have this incredible ability to eat awful things. If ever I visit Robata Wasa again, my bar will be much lowered. Vibe is on par with that of your typical corporate trendy inauthentic Japanese restaurant. Well-appointed on the surface, but somehow ringing hollow. Also, there was a larger group that was sat at the table in the middle. Both the amount and volume of screeching sounds from the chairs being scooted in and out were intolerable. Design flaw. 3.5 stars rounded up. read more

See all

We have been wanting to try this place for a while now and we were so happy we finally did! We were wowed from the beginning. The decor and overall feel of the restaurant is so relaxing and welcoming. Our server was so kind and service was 10/10. We ordered the Natsu Salmon roll, a classic tuna roll, and Spicy Yellowtail Tataki roll. Split between the two of us, it was the perfect amount. My favorite was the Natsu Salmon because the flavors were so well balanced! Thank you for a great experience. See you soon! read more

Need I say more? Everything was amazing. Soft sushi, great tempura, good atmosphere hidden gem!? read more

Robata Wasa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Always love it here when shopping at the mall! The food portions are good and everything is yummy. Cocktails are very expensive $15 for a basic drink... service is good not great ambiance is good. read more

Robata Wasa - Rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Nice ambience, beautiful food presentation, good food, and friendly and prompt service. It was pricey but it seems to be llike that everywhere. We will be back again. read more

See all

Nice spot and solid sushi, but the waiter clearly wasn't having a great day, or didn't want customers. We felt rushed and unwelcome almost immediately after sitting down read more

I'm surprised for someone who loves sushi, I haven't been to this joint at Irvine Spectrum. Maybe it is because I have my usual go-to spots. For ambiance, I loved it. I think that is where I will start first. I was seated at one of the long booth tables along the beautiful wall of ceramic dishes that depicted Hokusai's The Great Wave. There were multiple elements of Hokusai, which I loved. And yes, I am am aet history nerd. I also liked the front waiting area prior to being seated. I got an overall great vibe from this restaurant. Although I missed out on checking their restrooms. Next is the food. It was acceptable on pricing. We ordered the Shiitake Mushroom Salad. The miso dressing was so good! For rolls we for a classic Rainbow. The special one was the Salmon & Lemon Pepper Roll. I love pepper so that one was delicious. You can't go wrong with the awesome combination of lemon and pepper; it is a very American style of flavor though. Still good and major yum! I would order it again. Next time I will also look into some nigiri. I am usually a nigiri fan anyway, but I was with my best friend and her family so we were all about sharing family style. The service was great! We had toddlers at the table and they definitely made things easier. For example, things were constantly being dropped on the floor. The staff was so understanding and helped with picking things up and also without asking gave us a lot of napkins. Bravo on that one! Being a part of a large outdoor shopping mall, I think this restaurant was decent. Parking is always available but it can be hard to find during the popular hours of course. So good luck there. read more

See all

Food was great, we had the sashimi and volcano roll, house salad and miso soup. Salad was a large portion, all of the food we had was delicious. Would recommend! Server was attentive, Eva did a great job! read more

Robata Wasa - Volcano roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

I've been to Robata Wasa at Irvine Spectrum multiple times, and the food has been consistently excellent every single visit. The quality and freshness always stand out. Special thanks to Eva, who provides outstanding service and makes the experience even better. read more

Tomoko is really helpful! My buddies came here for the first time and had no idea what to get but her recommendations were great!

We usually love coming here, but the hostess tonight (Jan 3 at 6:00pm) was not paying attention to the waitlist and we ended up having to wait way longer than parties that came in after us. Our quoted time of 25 min was closer to an hour. Great food though, but management really should work on training the staff better. The hostess' attitude was also unacceptable which made it even worse. Instead of being empathetic to the mixup and helping us understand how much longer we might need to wait, she popped an attitude and told us that small parties of 2 weren't a priority and they prioritize larger groups. read more

I really loved this spot. The baked salmon and garlic edamame are delicious. Service was a little slow but they were busy. Restaurant itself is pretty nice read more

Robata Wasa - Baked Salmon - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

My favorite sushi place!! Service is always so good and the vibes are immaculate! We always get sushi rolls, teriyaki chicken, and gyoza! read more

We ended up here after leaving another restaurant with uncomfortably small tables for couples, only to find the same issue here. Honestly, we consumers should collectively boycott these cramped seating arrangements. Fortunately, when I asked the host for a different table, they were accommodating, which I appreciated. The sushi was good, and the service was solid, but the prices were way too high for what you get. read more

See all

Great variety of options for japanese food. Lots of rolls, bento boxes, appetizers and more. Tempura was cooked perfectly and had the light crunchy exterior. Salmon skin salad was delightful but a bit too much dressing. Both rolls were refreshing and light, sashimi roll was my fav. Squid ink uni pasta sauce tasted like alfredo. Complimentary birthday dessert of green tea mochi ice cream. Seated outside on a sunny day! read more

See all

This place was delicious!! Our servers name was Tiff!! She's awesome, thank you tiff for the great service. Ambiance was great, we sat outside and the weather was lovely. The yellow tale jalapeño is so so good!! I can drink the green sauce salmon so creamy and fresh. Gyoza crispy and delicious! Natsu roll had lemon slice with avocado on top I highly recommend. read more

See all

We had an amazing dining experience with Tomoko! Always great service and we indulged in the Salmon Lemon Pepper Roll, Sukiyaki Beef Udon, and Crunchy Roll. read more

One of my top meals of 2024 so far, and this will be hard to beat! Lovely staff and the best service here. It's closest to park near the Apple Store at the Spectrum. Started off with the Scallop crudo, this was so refreshing and delightfully spicy, and the scallops were huge too! The Squid ink uni pasta was calling my name, and this was so creamy and delicious. For rolls, we got the Sashimi roll which was my absolute favorite here, and the Volcano roll which is literally lit on fire! Had to end the perfect meal on a sweet note with winter-only seasonal Yuzu flan. Thanks for reading! ^-^ read more

See all

If you're ever at Irvine Spectrum, you NEED to check out Robata Wasa! The food is amazing! fish is very high quality and fresh, and the presentation is beautiful! The staff is very kind and the service is fast. The ambience is very warm and cozy, perfect for a dinner date! Also, the mocktails are so yummy! For starters, I ordered the uni meets ikura, spicy tuna crispy rice, and ryoshi plate. For mains, I ordered the mentaiko shrimp pasta and sushi gozen bento. Highly recommend everything. read more

Robata Wasa - Uni meets Ikura, Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, ryoshi plate - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Food is amazing!! The place is nice, clean, and super cute for taking pictures. I left 4 stars because the service was honestly not great. The guy who took my order was rude and never checked in to see if we were okay. It also took a really long time to get my check and my card back. I waited about 5-7 minutes, and there were only two other people there. Other than the service, I would definitely recommend this place. The food is really good, and I'll be back read more

Had lunch at Robata Wasa today and really enjoyed it. The space is beautiful and relaxing, and the food was genuinely good -- fresh and flavorful. Service was very good. I'd definitely come back again. Solid spot if you're in the area. read more

Robata Wasa - Uni meets Ikura - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Really enjoyed lunch here! There are so many sushi options in OC so it's hard to be the best but this was tasty. It wasn't anything I haven't had before and there weren't any unique combinations overall but they deliver on what you order! The eel, salmon pepper, and no rice roll was good. read more

Robata Wasa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Food was really great here, my wife and I love sushi and always make it a point to try to visit any local spot. The drinks were also really good! Overall the staff was friendly, so no big complaint. The host let us know it was going to be about 15 minutes and I'd get a text to come in, and the text didn't come through until 30 minutes. That was a bummer. Additionally, it was pretty cold outside, we had asked the server to turn on the heaters which she did, but then about 30 minutes in she turned them off. We asked if they were out on a timer, and she said "oh no, I just wanted it off". Ok? Inside the restaurant was nice, it was a bit loud (music) so we decided to sit outside so I'm not having to yell over it. Overall, good experience, I'd go again for sure read more

Food: excellent. Service: fast. Ambiance: relaxed, and spacious. Walk-in during weekday, with no reservation. read more

Went here for my wife's birthday dinner. We ordered a few appetizers and a few entrees. In terms of the appetizers, we had the jalapeños poppers, chicken karage and shrimp. My wife and her mother really liked the shrimp as they seem to have a Cajun twist to it. The poppers and chicken karage were comparable to others that we had at other restaurants. Of the entrees, we ordered the beef sukiyaki udon, sushi bentos box, miso salmon, uni pasta, deluxe bento box. We never tried the miso salmon because we were too full by the time it came out so I will likely have that for lunch. The uni pasta was good. But the uni portion they gave was very small. So only my wife had it. The son really enjoyed the bento box but he was only able to finish the beef portion. The udon and sushi bento were comparable to others we had at other restaurants. Service was average. Our water was empty for some time before the staff realized it needed to be refilled. Overall, I believe the food, service and ambiance were above average. But for that price point, I would likely not come back. read more

See all

We have been here many times over 5+ years and have been happy each visit. It is a place that is quieter than the surrounding mall and has quality food. The special dishes and sashimi have been fresh and innovative with well balanced flavor and freshness. Staff have always been pleasant and welcoming even when there is a wait. I dont always have a good experience on return visits to most other places, but this restaurant has been consistently a delight. read more

Very mediocre for the expensive price. Total for 4 dishes was around $90 and it's not even filling. Only way to get full was from the heaps of rice they give instead of actual proteins. The uni & ikura dish greens still had dirt attached on there...so they obviously don't bother washing their ingredients. See first photo for reference. 5 sashimi slices for $18 and it tastes just like a ayce or grocery store bought one. Don't recommend coming here. Save your money for better spots! read more

See all

Food was excellent! Their special pasta, pictured, was something I'll be craving for. Too bad you don't have a restaurant here in Hawaii, where I live... read more

Robata Wasa - The best pasta! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

We had early reservations for 6 pm made earlier by the Daylight Savings reset. We had decided to come for OC Restaurant Week but found out from the waitress they weren't serving it anymore. Oh well, Restaurant Week is really just an excuse to get together with friends to try a new place anyway. Right away, the waitress seemed pretty rushed. I guess she thought sitting down and our telling her our party was short one person meant we were going to order right away. Nope. And the answer stayed nope the next three times she came by to ask. Pretty annoying to get the bum's rush before even our party was complete. Our friend arrived so we ordered our food. This restaurant is incredibly loud. We were sitting in the patio section with the door to the main dining area open and it was like getting blasted by a wall of noise at our backs. I guess the waitress couldn't hear an order right so when the wrong thing was brought to our table, she heavily implied we should just accept it anyway. My very nice friend whose order was messed up almost fell for it but I had to put my foot down and told them we really wanted only the food we ordered. So I guess in punishment for asking for only what we ordered, our food got sent out with 15 minutes gaps in between items arriving. I had ordered the sushi bento so my food was fine (it was a chilly night and my food wasn't going to suffer from getting colder) but the mango foam lobster looked sadder and sadder the longer we waited. Finally the seared ahi arrived and we could start eating. Food was fine. Looked fancy, tasted okay. Small portions, high price tag. Lookswise the restaurant is has a warm upscale vibe in Japanese style blonde wood. In actuality, the hard surfaces reflect a lot of noise however so walking through the dining room to get to the restroom is a noisy journey. Service seems attentive but you get pestered to order before you're ready and then you get the wrong food and they're really reluctant to make it right. The wrong item still showed up on the bill but was credited away with a passive aggressive weird "customer satisfaction" line. Uhh, if you hadn't brought out the wrong thing and were more speedy about it, I'd actually be satisfied. Food looked nice and tasted okay but the restaurant experience is about more than bellying up to the trough and chowing down. Ambiance and service definitely have their place and at this price point (final bill was $120 for 3 people), I really don't expect to get harassed in multiple ways. Irvine Spectrum is abundant with many restaurants serving many types of cuisine at varying price points. I will probably be going to many other places within walking distance before coming back to Robata Wasa. read more

See all

I had high expectations for this restaurant especially it being where it's located me how the appearance of the restaurant looks; however, I think the food is mediocre at best. Food Taste & Quality (Main Dishes) - 2/5 Appetizers - 3/5 Service (from our specific waiter) - 4/5 I'll have to try again for their sushi rolls because the family and I had tried most of their main dishes + appetizers & wasn't so satisfied based on our experiences from other places on the food. read more

Robata Wasa - Obento - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Always a great time here. The servers are so attentive and kind. Music and ambiance really sets the tone for a lovely meal as well. The food is very fresh and well put together on the plate. read more

Robata Wasa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Perfect stop at the spectrum for delicious cocktails and Japanese bites. Been here twice and I would say the bar is the way to go. Each time we came on a whim and there was a wait to be seated but not for sitting at the bar. The bartender is attentive in getting multiple orders, getting plates cleared, and refilling drinks. The signature cocktails are all well-crafted and provide something for everyone or every mood. They have Japanese-inspired riffs of classic cocktails like the Margarita (La Patrona Japonesa), Martini (Osaka Vesper), Manhattan (Hitori & Bitter), Mai Tai (Tomo on Vacation), and Midori Sour (Yudori Sour). We tried all of these and they're all delicious. The food also has a personal touch and elegant presentation. To start, my girlfriend and I love Spicy Garlic Edamame and we are constantly searching for the best. Our favorite is from Kopan Ramen and the spicy garlic edamame they make here is very similar. The spicy tuna crispy rice here displays an aesthetically pleasing big smooth ball of spicy tuna and they get the texture of the crispy rice perfect too. Even something as basic as their Sashimi impressed me with its surprisingly delicious pairing of pickled onion. The decor is filled with creative Japanese art like the hanging sake lamps or the wave plate mural. The restaurant provides a versatile experience that makes it great for tons of occasions: dates, hangouts, solo, etc. - just not your AYCE sushi with the hungry boys. Overall, the menu and service have been enjoyable and I look forward to many more visits as I make my way through the menu. read more

See all

I was impressed with the decor and comfortable seating for a dining experience. Very relaxing to grab a bite after a day of shopping here at the Irvine Spectrum. Service level was mediocre and could improve by checking in with guest during the dining experience. They recommended a few items and their Bake Bree was to die for!! I was impressed! The sushi itself was good, but the roll wasn't the best. For the price point could've had more flavor or thicker slices of the sushi in/on the roll. I tried their seasonal drink which looked amazing but the tase itself was very tart. Overall good experience and will be going back for their omakase when the Chef Is in. read more

See all

This place is incredibly unprofessional. I called to request a refund because I never received my food. I placed my order online, but they were closed when I went to pick it up. Nowhere on their website did it indicate that they were closed. In fact, one of my coworkers had a similar experience and she received a callback along with her food. I, on the other hand, have yet to receive any response from them or my refund. This restaurant is not inexpensive, and I was really looking forward to my sushi that day. I've called multiple times, and each time they assured me that they would call me back, but it has now been over a week with no follow-up. I rarely complain about food services, but I was genuinely disappointed about missing out on my sushi. Unless I either get my food or my money back, I will hold a grudge against them. read more

Robata Wasa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

The food was perfect. There was a large party on Saturday night when my family was eating there, so the dishes came out slowly, but the server was very kind and gave us a discount. read more

The food was really good and the servers were very friendly. We really liked sitting outside on the patio. I am really glad that we chose this restaurant. read more

The sushi itself is good quality, and there's some great choices on the menu. The interior is also very nice, besides the occasional ill-fitting music playing in the background. However, for the prices, the service is very lacking. Every time we have come in, our drinks don't really get refilled. Even when it's not busy, we're checked on very briefly (with the focus being on whether the items are correct or want to order more) before they quickly disappear again. We only see our server when ordering, getting our meals dropped off, and paying. Having been here for both lunch and dinner during both weekdays and weekends at varying levels of traffic, the service is always the same. Although the location at a mall is convenient, there's plenty of other options nearby with cheaper prices, better service, and comparable quality. I've liked the sushi here, but it's difficult to fully enjoy a meal thirsty with an empty glass trying to find your server. read more