A nice place for tapas in Irvine. I really enjoyed the unique items they served in their bento boxes. The sushi with bacon jam was my favorite item. Reasonably price menu. The service was a little slow though, but I enjoyed my time dining there. read more

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Got take out, couldn't eat it -- super fishy. They didn't give any sauces to items that commonly come with them. Blew $50 on inedible sushi. Maybe dine in is better, but I'm not coming back to see. read more

Short review: welcoming hosts are always nice and welcoming, wait for walk-in is not too long, sushi tastes awesome and menu is large and has a ton of options. Long review: They have a fireplace outside with nice outdoor seating. Servers are almost all very cool and welcoming. I've been here 15+ times and may have had a below average experience once or twice. Parking is also easy. They make reservations and rarely get fully booked on weekends which is nice. They also stay open pretty late for Irvine. read more

Amazing atmosphere and food me and my family like the place and food, tried dragon sushi roll which the way they served was special read more

Robata Wasa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Great place to hang out if u r craving fancy fusion Japanese food 2nd time here because I was craving panko brie cheese and mushrooms salad . This time I tried sashimi , the most high quality ever ! Thank you for the delicious food yummmmm read more

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Met up with one of my girlfriends that I haven't seen in ages at Robata Wasa! It's a fun, modern Japanese restaurant. The place was nice and clean inside. As soon as we were seated, they wanted to take our order right away. Yikes... I haven't even looked at the menu! Our server was kind and probably had a feeling we were their to catch up on life so she didn't come back for awhile. Finally we were ready to order! My first time here, her second time here. I had her order most of the dishes. Cucumber Salad: 3/5 Mediocre cucumber salad. 6 pieces. Edamame: 3/5 plain ol' edamame. Nothing special. Panko Brie Cheese: 3/5 One of their signature appetizers. Deep fried fried cheese with blueberries and honey. You can skip this app if you want. Sukiyaki Beef Noodle: 3/5. There wasn't much to it. Just noodles, beef, broth, green onion and corn. My friend asked to have no onions in hers, but they put it in anyway. You would think if you're paying $17 a bowl of noodles, they should get it right. And.... That's about all there is to this place! read more

Some improvements have been made since my last visit. Rice portions are larger, and the salads seem more fresh. Staff are very courteous as usual. All dishes tasted wonderful. I was very surprised by the presentation and freshness of the chirashi (sashimi bowl) and recommend it for newcomers who try their lunch menu. One point that can be improved is attention to how meat is cooked. The teriyaki chicken for my daughters meal had parts that were not cooked all the way! Luckily we noticed before feeding her that part of the chicken. Besides this, the dining experience was very satisfying. With better consistency this is sure to be a popular lunch spot at Spectrum read more

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Came to walk around and shop then ran into this place. Decided to grab a bite & the sushi was delicious! We got the Dragon roll and salmon and lemon pepper roll! Our server Michael was amazing! Totally recommend! read more

The restaurant is nice, the food and service are average. read more

Robata Wasa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

This restaurant is lovely... and the hostess Tiffany is wonderful, pleasant, and exceptional at hostessing. I've been here many times and sometimes it's extremely busy and she even in those times, she remains great at what she does. I can no longer give Robata Wasa 5 stars because as a vegan their sushi options are actually disappointing to me, though tasty lol. I love a good classic veggie roll... and I eat a lot of sushi lol. But Robata Wasa only has a cucumber roll (with just cucumber) or an avocado and cucumber roll (again with just avocado and cucumber) .......... At other sushi restaurant I have had robust veggie rolls with bean sprouts, carrots, cucumber, avocado, and asparagus in them... So to come to Robata Wasa, as beautiful as this restaurant is, and for these to be the only vegan, vegetarian roll options they have I am just.... lost for words really... I hope one of the chefs sees this review and easily just adds a better veggie roll to the menu. *** I'm actually writing this while eating here at the restaurant now, another bland cucumber avocado roll.... (But I'm at Spectrum Mall and wanted some sushi!) and a table next to me added shrimp tempura to a dragon roll and I have asked for veggies to be added to a roll for me and the chefs have not made that adjustment for me before.... So this is something else that is just disappointing. To me this restaurant is top notch .... I hope they decide to make these simple changes... Also, my server was Parker and he is very pleasant and kind as well :) read more

Robata Wasa - Cucumber & Avocado Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Excellent quality sushi. Took my daughter we had excellent time. We ate everything to the last drop.

This spot deserves 5 stars! One of the best uni pastas I've ever had.. Definitely worth the try! read more

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Came here on a Wednesday night. Our server Tiya was extremely friendly and attentive. The food was so yummy. Got one of my favorite dishes from any restaurant I've been to in my life which is the fried brie cheese with blueberry and honey. I cannot speak highly enough about this restaurant! Yes, wait times can be high and it can be a little pricey but if you're going to complain about wait times and prices then either find somewhere else to eat or eat at home!! read more

Spare yourself one hell of a evening with your toilet. It'll be a long embrace. My family became profusely ill due to food poisoning after dining at Robata Wasa yesterday evening (August 17,2022). I called and informed the restaurant about how devastatingly sick my family became and the manager did not seem to care. Nevertheless, She stated they receive many calls about food quality. I'm saddened to see other yelpers review about poor food quality, also being food poisoned, and Even seeing RATS in the restaurant. Beware! read more

We had dinner The night before Father's Day. From the location and website the place looks inviting, food appealing. The staff and server was helpful and attentive. Tapas Tempura Calamari, Miso soup and Octopus balls were hot and delicious. Both kids enjoyed their selections of assorted sushi. The platter of sashimi was cool, almost room temperature and had no texture , my wife's bento plate was so so/ meh. read more

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

Nice place to grab a quick bite to eat & share some tasty beverages for a date in the spectrum. Yummy sushi, excellent recommendations from the waitress and prompt/attentive service. read more

Average all around --while the staff and ambiance were great, the food was just sub-par. I found a gnat in my ramen but I'm assuming that's just because the only place to eat was outside. The heaters kept me nice and warm. read more

Robata Wasa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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My kids love to eat here, every time we're at Spectrum Food's great taste & good service. read more

Slowwwwwwwwwwwwwww service........ This sums up my dining experience at Robata Wasa. Althoug the restaurant is pretty and well decored, there are some aspects that need improvement....Besides service that needs to be addressed, the food needs some loving as well.... The rolls and sushi tasted bland and not very exciting. It would have helped if the rolls had some sauce on them rather than just red chili sauce.... Although I was looking forward to trying this place, I would rather drive extra 15 mins to go to Sushi Roku.... I'd rather pay more and enjoy the tastier sushi options. But seriously, the management needs to figure out something about the slowwwwwwwww service....... And the restaurant wasn't even full when I went there! read more

Robata Wasa - Rolls were meh..... I wouldn't hurry back here anytime soon....... - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

While the food was good, the service was AWFUL!!! We sat at 3:00 in the afternoon for almost 15 minutes before a server acknowledged us and took our order. We ordered a salad, edamame, and rolls. The salad and edamame should have come out first, but it all came out together. It took our food over an hour to come out even though we could see 6 people working in the kitchen. I will NEVER go back to this restaurant again. read more

Decided to come here last night since we were looking for a late dinner, and this place was still open (til 10pm). It was on the newly remodeled side of the Spectrum. Wow, this place has such a beautiful interior! We loved the mural made from plates and lights at the bar made from sake bottles. We tried: Yuzu Miso Trio [$32] (3/5)- This came on a huge circular tray with rice, miso soup, a savory egg custard, a salad, and a small plate with miso-cooked salmon, sea bass (?), and scallops. The sea bass was juicy and well-cooked, and it stood out the most of the trio. Basic rice and miso soup. I enjoyed the egg custard the most, surprisingly. It wasn't too salty like the kind you get from KBBQ. While everything was good, it was underwhelming for $32. Salmon Mango Tango [$13] (5/5) - Awesome. If you love Philly rolls like I do, this is basically a Philly roll with a sweet twist. It has some type of sweet drizzle on top that isn't too overwhelming, and of course had mango inside the roll. The avocado on top was a plus. Very reasonably priced. I would get this again. Squid Ink Uni Pasta [$22] (3/5) - The noodles are so interesting. They look like they're handmade and have that wavy texture, and they're black from the squid ink. I've never seen noodles like this before, but I think it's really creative! The uni pasta sauce had a lighter flavor than we were used to (we usually get the uni pasta from EMC), but overall this wasn't that bad. I liked that it was topped with roe. Kind of a small portion size for an entree. Robata Salmon Belly [$8] (4/5) - Ordered off the robata menu, this was pretty good! Personally not a fan of cooked salmon, but this was very much what you would expect. Overall I think this is a great addition to the Spectrum. It's a little pricey for the portion sizes though, in my opinion. I couldn't justify getting the Yuzu Miso Trio again at the $32 price point. Shared all this food with 2 others but I ended up feeling hungry again shortly after. However, the food is definitely high quality. There's no happy hour yet, but I heard that there might be in the future. I'd definitely try this again as a happy hour spot, but for dinner, it's a bit pricey. read more

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My girlfriends took me out for my birthday and they decided on this establishment. It is a large restaurant that seats people inside and outside. It's clean and they follow safety protocols. For my meal, I ordered the bento box with a variety of meats. Because I was really hungry, l devoured everything in the penta box. It was good. We also ordered the garlic edamame and the ahi tuna with avocado cream for appetizers. They we're both good, except the ahi tuna press was a bit too salty. Because it was a bit chilly and we sat outside, we ordered hot green tea. Our server was sufficiently attentive it took decent care of us. This is your more fancy-with-a-fusion twist to Japanese food. The best way to put it is restaurants are like perfumes, it's all about preference: traditional versus more modern Japanese food. read more

Robata Wasa - Ahi tuna and avocado cream - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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It's been a while since I've had sushi at a sushi restaurant due to COVID-19. Luckily Robata Wasa at the Irvine Spectrum has a large patio for outdoor seating. I ordered their RW Sushi Platter ($25) which comes with 10 pieces of sushi, soup, and salad. It's a really good deal for decent sushi on a patio. Upon checking in, my temperature was taken and I was walked to a table on the patio. The staff all wear masks and some had gloves on. I was given a menu and it took a few minutes for my server to come over to ask me if I wanted anything to drink. I ordered ice water initially as it was 90 degrees out. Then I asked for the Ace pineapple cider ($7). The drinks were brought out first and then the sushi platter which was plated beautifully. My meal was lovely and I felt a little more zen. read more

Robata Wasa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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A little overpriced for the portion, but quality is not bad. Good place if you want Japanese Food with fusion. My friend and I sat indoors, the restaurant was pretty open and good about covid-19 social distancing. The atmosphere is a traditional Japanese restaurant with wooden interior, bar seating at sushi and regular seating outside and indoors. Food-wise, they have appetizer, rolls, noodles, and rice dishes. My friend and I shared the Agedashi Tofu ($7), Volcano Roll ($18), and Menchi Katsu Curry ($16). Food came pretty quickly, around 15 minutes. The agedashi tofu was light and soft with not too salty dashi sauce. Presentation of volcano roll was literally on fire! The waiter lit the aluminum foil and flames~ The dish is pretty rich with Mayo sauce and crab mix, overall good but wish it was more spicer, the rice could have been a little more tender since it kept falling. The Menchi Katsu curry sauce was rich, the sauce was flavorful, the Katsu was crispy but the portion size was small, only 4 tiny pieces! Rice was a little too soft in my opinion, but my friend liked the texture. Wish the curry came with some veggies in the dish. The amount of food was plenty for two people, but expensive with a total of $45 for three dishes. Overall, solid food and good service. Will be back if I want to splurge on a nice meal. read more

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This is a beautiful location at the newly remolded part of the Irvine Spectrum. The restaurant itself is gorgeous, open, and tastefully decorated with Asian touches, which really set the tone for the sophisticated, but not stuffy, ambiance. Food: if the name isn't telling, I get the sense this is more of a robata reataurant, though the sushi selection is still good. By good I mean that it is fresh and has that "melt in your mouth" texture. That being said, I have had better sushi at dedicated sushi restaurants where they also have a more extensive and rotating sushi menu based on the catch of the day (Though lacks the trendiness) . Speaking of trendy, what I found interesting was one of the rolls, the Special Temaki which is a hand roll, came out unrolled. It appears you are supposed to roll it yourself, which is a bit weird, but fine if it was set up properly, where you roll it up so it's like a cone. However, it was set for me roll it like a cut roll, which was a bit of a pain because there was too much filling for it to be a "proper" cut roll. That little minor detail irked me: I supposed if you are trying to be "trendy", then please do it properly, or at least give some proper instructions on how to roll it (if it's truly meant to be rolled like a hand roll). No one explained anything. The robata is good though tiny, but that is as expected. Price wise, everything is a little pricey for the portions, but again, that is kind of on point for this type of restaurant. In all, it was a pleasant experience if you want to try something a little different, but in all, i think this entire experience was just "fine". I think Robata needs to try a little harder if it wants to be exceptional. read more

Two words: Big Fan! I had so much food here when I was invited for their family and friends soft opening event and their dishes are all so fresh and so delicious!! We had an assortment of appetizers, skewers, sushi, sashimi, desserts, drinks, and I really have no complaints whatsoever. I wish I remembered all the names of what we ordered but I attached a few photos for your reference. I really loved their uni pasta - I could've ate that all day. I highly recommend all their sashimi as well because you don't get that type of quality just anywhere!! Also, the presentation was awesome! Everything looks so pretty, I didn't want to ruin it! I really do want to commend their service as well. They were extremely on top of it with their water service and always asking if there was anything else we needed. I really felt like I was being well taken care of throughout our entire dinner so thank you for that! I've dined at Robata Wasa before at their old location but this new restaurant is much bigger and it's absolutely beautiful! I love all the new decor they've added. Overall, great ambiance, delicious food, and excellent service!! Really great place to eat some high quality sushi if you're in the Irvine area. read more

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I was so disappointed. The food was good and the patio area was nice but the service is slower than molasses. I waited 15 minutes before someone appeared to get my order after they dropped off the menus. Another person dropped off my food and then we waited another 20 minutes after I ate before we could get our check and box. After they came by with the card reader, the waitress took off again and had us standing there for 10 minutes and we never got our receipt. How long do they think the card reader takes? They just couldn't be bothered to even ask us to wait. She just left so we just left. The food is not worth that long of a wait. Ridiculous. I left 15% tip anyway since I'm not coming back. read more

Made reservation here for my birthday dinner. Wasn't sure what to expect with it being my first time trying this establishment. Was very happy with the service and the dishes we had. The plates tasted delicious, and the fish was so fresh. Look forward to dining here again. read more

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After heading back to the office for what has felt like FOREVER since covid I have been searching for a nice relaxing spot to have a great drink and lunch. Robata Wasa absolutely nails it! The waiters and waitresses, like Tomoko, the bartender, and the hostess, Amaya, have all been more than hospitable to me and have turned me into a weekly regular. I'm a tapas kind of guy so I am always looking for the best small bites to go with my glass of rum and these are to die for! My normal order is Karrage, Gyoza and a rum and coke which leaves me fully and happy every time. Both cooked to a crispy perfection I've also had the Udon on a rainy day and it us definitely a place to check out! read more

Robata Wasa - Calamari Tempura, Gyoza, Rum and Coke - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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My son and I came here for my bday. They had just opened Monday, as part of the new business expansion at the Irvine Spectrum. The warm ambiance and kindness of the hosts immediately made me feel welcomed. We ordered the Salmon Tartare, Salmon Citrus, and Ultimate Albacore. All were extremely yummy and fairly priced. Our server, Jodie, was consistently informative, kind, and hospitable. She recommended several items from the menu which made our decision easy. As for dessert, I highly recommend the Matcha Cheesecake. I'm not a cheesecake person but the texture was light, soft, and gelatinous. I'm glad the taste was not overbearing w/cheesecake flavor, but evenly mixture of both matcha green tea and cheesecake....yummm!!! Finally, a good sushi place at the Spectrum!!! read more

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This was a couple of weeks ago but I still think about this experience and it still leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Ordered the squid ink pasta with uni on top and the uni was rancid. Ruined the whole dish and I got a discount for it when I finally complained halfway through eating but my issue was not entirely with the dish....or the flies that you could see flying throughout the restaurant. My issue was when I came into the restaurant, was seated but then had to wait a good 20-25 minutes before anyone helped to take my order. I was about to leave but I really wanted to try the uni pasta. I didn't even know who my server was as I had to flag someone over to tell them I was ready to order. The server who finally took my order was nice enough but then she did not come to check in on me and I had to make another effort to try and flag down another person to help me check out. It was an unpleasant experience overall and I don't think I will be coming back as my first visit here was just as unpleasant. read more

The sushi was fresh and the grilled hamachi collar was grilled to perfection. Service was friendly and prompt, will be returning soon!

So today was my second visit to Robata Wasa for dinner. I have been eager to come back after hearing about their updated menu with new specialty items. We ended up trying all of them! I appreciated the quality and freshness of the seafood in each of these dishes. Mango Foam Lobster: I was intrigued by this combo as I LOVE mango AND lobster, so this dish was a must try for me! The mango foam paired well with the perfectly poached lobster tail. It was also topped with sautéed chick peas and kubota sausage. The sausage added a nice smoky flavor to the dish. However, I was not a big fan of the chick peas. (I may just be biased bc I typically don't like chick peas unless it's transformed into hummus lol). Other than that, I really enjoyed this dish! Seared Ahi Avocado Crema: The seared ahi tuna was so tasty! I loved the tang from the lemon ponzu and pairing it with the creamy avocado sauce. I'd definitely order this again. YUM! Uni Meets Ikura: This dish consisted of sea urchin (uni) and salmon roe topped over sushi rice with sesame oil. I enjoyed the mild, yet delightful flavors of the sushi rice with salmon roe. The uni was the star of the dish, as it should be! :) Japanese Scallop Crudo: The scallops are topped with sliced cucumber, sweet apple salsa, and Serrano pepper. It's light and refreshing. Citrusy from the lemon juice and a nice kick from the Serrano. The crunchiness of the cucumbers and apples complement the scallops well. We also tried the calamari, vegetable udon, and spicy tuna roll. These were all delicious, especially the spicy tuna roll! SO GOOD! The service we received tonight was phenomenal! Chef Andy took the time to provide us with a thorough explanation of each dish we had ordered. It was apparent that Chef Andy was passionate about creating memorable experiences for his customers through his unique dishes. Looking forward to trying more of his signature items in the future! Also, thank you to our server Danny for being so sweet and attentive throughout the evening. In regards to COVID-19 precautions, the staff did an excellent job making us feel safe during our visit. The restaurant is currently limiting their capacity. They all had their masks on and social distancing was enforced. I highly recommend swinging by Robata Wasa to give your taste buds a unique and satisfying experience! :) read more

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The fishnet was 1000/10. The vibes were so good and service was very good. Servers check up regularly and their seasonal specials are a must read more

Robata Wasa - Wall art inside - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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I've been here about 6 times and I've always had a great experience here! The food is delicious and the presentation is always beautiful. Their bentos are really yummy if you want to try a variety of items. Their shitake mushroom salad with miso ginger dressing was also one of the best salad's I've had! The portion was perfect to share with 3 and it was super refreshing/tasty. Sounds super simple, but definitely try this salad! The mango foam lobster was also perfectly cooked. The lobster was super soft and tender and the sauce complimented it well. read more

Robata Wasa - Love their agedashi tofu and shitake salad! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

I came to eat at this place last week looked appetizing, food was alright a bit pricey but okay as me and my wife were enjoying our meal a Rat was crawling on the top of the establishment it was probably the size of the cat not sure what their feeding them. After researching on OC health care agency I found out they've been closed several times within this year due to them finding rat droppings and rats as well in the kitchen area. Will never come back to this place cannot believe they are still open after so many failed inspections unbelievable. read more

Robata Wasa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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Great place, food is delicious. Will go back to try other dishes! Location is good, service is fast, read more

I was super unimpressed with the food and the service. The restaurant was nice and the hosts were personable (well the girl was). We couldn't really understand our waitress and so there was a disconnect there. The waitress weirdly brought my son a kid sized coke with no ice. When we asked her for ice it took a very long time for her to return. There was loads of waiting, first for our order to be taken, then for our drinks to arrive, then for our food order to be taken and our food to arrive. I had higher hopes for this restaurant. My son and daughter said their California roll and avocado rolls were just ok. My albacore sushi was good but my roll tasted really fishy. The other people in my party were less than thrilled with their rolls. I will not be dining here again unfortunately. read more

The volcano roll & Naruto roll were sooo good! The vibe is always nice vibe, nice staff & the quality of all the food wam better than NOBU read more

This place is really accommodating.....so far the vegan options I've had are the avocado rolls, sea weed salad, and shiitake mushroom salad with no cheese add tofu....the salad was definitely my favorite. Food is always great quality and the staff is always exceptional! Would absolutely recommend this place!!! read more

Robata Wasa - Shiitake salad made vegan - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California