Loved the food. I got the sushi platter which came with some really fresh fish and a variety of other things. The restaurant is beautiful inside with a very modern and clean look in the spectrum The service could use some finessing - it took us a while to get water refills and for my friend to get some additional sushi ordered. read more

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

Went to lunch here with my sister at around 3pm on a Saturday. The service was fast and the food was great They were really accommodating when we mentioned my sister was allergic to avocado. read more

Robata Wasa - Sushi Gozen Bento - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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Stopped in for some lunch on a Saturday afternoon and the place was busy but there were tables available. We didn't have to wait to be seated. Our waiter was a little slow or real busy but kept forgetting things we had ordered of asked for. The rolls were tasty and fresh. Enjoyed all the food and the table next to us ordered a flaming dish which was exciting to see. Would come back. I believe this is the only sushi spot at Spectrum. Stop in and get your roll on! read more

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We had dinner here for the first time at Robata Wasa. We ordered the salmon skin salad, calamari tempura, garlic beef, and the unagi don. Well the restaurant interiors are nice with a cool vibe, decorated with sake bottles and high ceilings. However, the food is below average. Man what a waste of so much potential! If they can improve the food this place has so much upside. Unfortunately the food does not taste good. read more

Robata Wasa - Unagi Don had too much rice and smelled a little fishy. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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Was shopping in irvine spectrum on a weekend with a friend when we decided to take a lunch break at Robata Wasa. We came just before the lunch break and there was plenty of outdoor seating available. Food was good, with the chicharron salmon skin salad being the stand out for me. The dressing was balanced, the salmon skin was crispy, and the ikura (salmon caviar) provided a surprise pop of saltiness. We started with cold sake and was asked to choose our own cups - so cute! When it started getting a little cold, we decided to switch to hot sake and once again asked to choose new cups. Service was great - even though we sat outside, it did not hinder the level of service we received, we were constantly checked up on. read more

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This place is okay. Nothing special. Their food is good and the restaurant itself is nice and modern. They have decent appetizers. It's one of the nicer places to go if you're shopping at Irvine Spectrum. I think the quality of the food doesn't match their prices, but the place is convenient if you're in the area. read more

Robata Wasa - Carpaccio, croquettes, Camembert and ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Went on a Saturday around 3pm and service was pretty bad. Stood in front of the host stand for more than 5minutes before I was sat by the bartender and then had to wait almost 10minute after I was seated to be evene acknowledged by a server. Service was very lack luster for the price of their menu. Ordered a crunchy roll and a beef sukiyaki udon. The crunchy flakes one the roll were somewhat stale ruining the roll. The beef sukiyaki udon was bland, the broth was very watery without much taste aside from the taste of the beef. The entire experience was medicore for the price and location. read more

Went there for lunch with a group of 5 on Friday for lunch. We were immediately seated and the restaurant wasn't too busy but I found the service was slow and disorganized. 4 of us got their food first and the 2 of us had to wait a good 7-8 minutes before we got our food. The presentation was good however I found that they use too much rice on the rolls and in the sashimi bowl. I had rainbow roll and salmon and avocado roll and really there were just meh. For the price they charge, and with the quality of food and service I don't think I would go back. read more

Robata Wasa - Deluxe Kaisen Don - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

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Delicious overall! We came originally for their robata box at lunch but apparently they discontinued that item (it's only available for dinner). The service was great and food was delicious! Bento box: well cooked miso salmon, beef and chicken were flavored with a thick sauce. Purple sweet yam fries: typically I don't like sweet fries but this was amazing! It had the perfect crispness and soft on the inside. Green tea cheesecake: comes with a red bean paste to dip in. Well powdered with match and not bitter at all. Light and fluffy with a subtle sweetness. read more

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The food was great! Service was so so. Here's a list of the things I ate! - Crispy rice spicy tuna is sometimes a miss at other places, but the ones here were large and tasted great. - Sashimi/Sushi platter is probably the best bang for your buck. $30 and you get 8 high quality sashimi, spicy tuna hand roll, miso soup, cucumber salad, and inari. - Calamari is maybe the only thing I'd skip next time I come back. It wasn't really flavorful and the sauce was boring. - Lobster roll was pretty good. Most places dont use actual lobster in it at this price point. - Masago/uni was good as well. Also, for uni and all the other sashimi, they use fresh chopped wasabi. Certainly special. I think of this place as a slightly more premium Kabuki. The service was eh, and we even had to cancel one of our extra orders because it took over 20 minutes and nothing came. It was just more masago/uni, which I personally don't think should take that long. The place is nice and tables are spacious. I'm a fan of the decorations in there as well. PS: It's located near the Target and Nordstrom so park there. I was also not able to put my name on the waitlist over the phone or make a reservation. read more

vivian was amazing waitress! so kind and helpful being a good atmosphere to the restaurant! food is amazing as always

This first time I went it it was take out. Very few customers and 30 minute wait. Was told everyone was on break. You have all your chefs go on break at the same time? Gave them another chance at sit down. Service was marginally, food good so I tried again. Last night I went to the bar. Maybe 6.7 tops tables have customers. I ordered the rolls and waited 15 minutes. Finally just walked out and said this will be the last. read more

The rolls were falling apart with overcooked rice, low quality shrimp and salmon The service is so slow, no one came back to ask about the food and refill the water The cucumber salad was not fresh at all . Not recommended at all read more

Will was a great server! The food came out very fast and was very fresh and delicious. I highly recommend you come stop by at the Irvine spectrum! 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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The restaurant is nice, the food and service are average. read more

Robata Wasa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Irvine, California

Their sushi and sashimi were amazing! Super fresh fish! Had their green tea on a May gray day. Naruto roll because...why not?! I love Naruto shippuden read more

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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

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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We visited Robata Wasa on the 24th and the waiter seemed so frustrated that he had to work on that day. No smiles and he would go for a while and not check on us. It looked like they didn't have enough staff for the day and the ones who showed up were overworked. We wanted to order more drinks but the waiter came so late that we just got the receipt and left. Beside the service, the quality of food was not as always! We were really disappointed as Wasa used to be our to-go place. read more

Ink pasta with uni, shiitake mushroom salad (HUGE portion) are my regulars. Sometimes I order the prawns if I want something salty to go with my salad. Their chirashi don is a good portion but something is off - definitely better at an actual sushi restaurant. Dog friendly restaurant. read more

We celebrated my daughter's 21st birthday party. It was a surprise party, and the staff was super helpful to keep the surprise. Our server Eva gave some great suggestions of what to order for the party. We got a large bottle of plum wine which was served in sake glasses. It was a beautiful presentation. Eva also recommended the roasted mushroom salad. It was fantastic. I would've never gotten that otherwise, but it was a huge portion and good for the crowd. Everyone loved that salad! We ate on the patio, it felt like a private space since we were in the back corner. I was able to bring decorations and a cake, and it wasn't a problem. The sushi and shareables that we ordered were presented beautifully, and made it more special than going to another Japanese restaurant. I am so glad that we chose Robata Wasa to have my daughter's birthday party. read more

Okay so I usually don't write any reviews but I couldn't share the experience I had with my family at this restaurant. MICHAEL was the most professional and friendly server I have came across in a very long time. The food was amazing everything tasted delicious and the service was top notch. Thank you for making us feel so special. read more

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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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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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

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

Great place to eat and people watch at the same time. The ambiance is amazing and the drinks .. I had an appetizer but it was just enough to keep me going. read more

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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The food here is amazing. The service was great!! Will was the best waiter I've ever had, he was very nice. He has positive energy and makes the vibes great. read more

Robata Wasa is the best sushi I've had outside of Japan! Very good quality and taste! Our server Parker was super friendly (and cute too, ladies I hear he's single ). 5/5 experience! 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

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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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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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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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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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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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

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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