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Wafuu Izakaya

3.4 (33 reviews)
Updated 2 months ago

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Aleena A.

Service was lovely and ambiance is great but food was limited in portions and flavor. Perhaps the ramen and other menu items are better!

Love the cozy booths and lantern-lit bar -- great place to unwind.
Nelson E.

Stopped by Wafuu Izakaya for happy hour and really enjoyed it. Tried a bunch of skewers -- chicken, beef, sausage, and veggies -- all tasty and well-grilled. The fried oysters and takoyaki were also solid. Service was great and the place has a really nice vibe -- cool lanterns, cozy booths, and a clean, modern look. Prices are a bit on the higher side, but you're definitely paying for the ambiance. I'll be back to try the ramen next time.

Shelley L.

My family was so excited to see this spot open. We've been waiting as soon as we saw the sign go up! There is a variety of booth seats and regular table seating. Giant TV by the bar. Gorgeous interior with cherry blossom, pretty oak and wood decor. Really tranquil and blissful environment. Workers didn't seem to happy or excited but maybe it's the first opening weeks that are stressful? Trying to give them benefit of the doubt. They mimic the way Asia does dining in that you scan a QR code to access the menu and order. It's really convenient but for those who want a classic menu, I believe you can still request one. Either way, the reviews were questionable so we stuck to tried and true foods. Ordered a katsu dish, katsu don, and a ramen. All were good and we gobbled up the food quickly. Food did arrive in record speed but it was hot and fresh. The katsu is done very well and the katsu don (with egg) was a crowd pleaser in our family. The ramen was equally popular with our kids and the serving was a good sharing size. I would definitely come back with a larger group since they have the seating and give this restaurant another try with service.

JiHae L.

I stopped by Wafuu during their soft opening and was impressed by how much they've transformed the space. I'm not sure what was here before, but it's clear they've put in a lot of work. It feels like a little corner of Japan, which is a refreshing change of scenery. They're still waiting on their liquor license, so the grand opening will come later, but I decided to drop in early and check out the menu and vibe. We ordered a few dishes to try such as the Momo (chicken breast) yakitori with medium spice on a skewer, though to be honest, it wasn't spicy at all. Still tasty, just don't expect much heat. The pork gyoza which was nicely pan-fried and juicy. Karaage chicken which was a solid option, crispy on the outside and flavorful. The chicken yaki noodles which was comforting, savory, and a good portion size. Overall, the food was solid and the atmosphere was really well thought out. I'm curious to see what the full experience will be like once they officially launch with the full menu and drinks. Worth checking out if you're craving a Japanese vibe and some classic bites.

Bar area
Rion C.

Nice decor with ample seating. There were cherry blossom branches all around the ceiling. Partial raised panels of wood provide an element of modern design to the restaurant. Nice looking bar area. We had the lunch specials which allowed you one appetizer, one main dish and a soda for $20. My friend ordered a gyoza (6), spicy pork katsu and a soda. I got a seaweed salad, regular pork katsu and soda. The meals come with a miso soup which was flavorful and not overly salty and a side bowl of white rice. The katsu had a nice crunchy coating and not over cooked. Food came out very fast and they didn't pace the serving between appetizers and main dishes. Once the appetizers came out, the main dishes came out right behind it. We didn't have time to start eating the appetizers. So I would just think of it as one big meal that comes out all together. Taste is average. Although the gyozas were tasty. Waiter was helpful with guidance in ordering via the app. You scan a QR code to see the menu and then proceed to put in your order using the menu. No worries if you are having problems because you can just tell the waiter what you want and he will put it in separately on his end.

Fish Katsu
Yvonne M.

It's a nice new open space, service was quick friendly and attentive! Overall the food is average, could use more flavor but for the price it could be elevated a bit more. I did enjoy the experience cause the staff was great!

Amy W.

I was waiting for this to open since I saw the signs up! The place is not too big, maybe 8-10 tables and 2-3 high tops. Which is what I except from an Izakaya place. The servers were nice and very sweet to my baby. They even offer to give him a baby plate that has suction to the table. I thought the food was only okay. Most of the yakitori were too salty and the pork bun was dry. The ramen was good.

Gyoza (Pork)
Angela L.

We have been waiting for this place to open ever since we saw the signs for it. We went for lunch on Monday and was pleasantly surprised to hear they had a lunch menu. Inside looked like traditional Japanese decor with some modern touches, clean, and inviting. We were welcomed and seated at a booth. You can order off the QR code which I'm not a fan of. I do see if being helpful when they are busy. We split a spicy miso ramen lunch combo (which came with an appetizer and drink) and a pork katsu lunch special. The spicy miso ramen had deep flavor, a hint of spice, and was satisfying. The meat was minced pork so you got a little meat in every bite. The noodles were chewy. The pork katsu was crispy and not too dry. But if you leave it on the plate too long the bottom gets soggy. The gyoza appetizer was crispy, the filling ok, the dipping sauce was good. The salads were typical with the dressing on the side. My daughter who doesn't like salad dressing liked this one. This place has something for everyone.

Suzana C.

Great new Japanese restaurant in Forest Hills, right in the middle of everything--shops, restaurants, and easy to get to. The staff is super friendly and welcoming, and the food is excellent. Portions are on the smaller side, but the pricing is very reasonable, so it balances out nicely. The plum wine and sake are especially good. Newly opened with lovely decor that makes the space feel warm and inviting. Definitely worth checking out!

Chicken Yaki Noodles
Sydney C.

This newly opened restaurant in FH is clean, modern, with an open feel, despite its small footprint. Staff is friendly and service is fast - a little too fast. Food came out within minutes of ordering. The yakitori was pretty terrible. The mushrooms were too salty. The beef and pork belly are way over cooked and under seasoned. The chicken thighs were okay; glazed with a light savory sauce. The ramen was not very good. The broth was okay, a bit on the bland side. The seasoned egg was little to be desired. The noodles were tasteless and over cooked. The yaki noodles were also under seasoned. The veggies were fresh with a nice crunch. The noodles had a good texture. But overall, fairly bland. The miso cod had a nice flavor. Very good glaze. But the texture of the fish was a bit off, super soft and a bit too mushy. The Ika Geso was probably the best thing we got. Very well seasoned. Nicely fried. Overall, the food was mostly under seasoned and bland. The mushroom yakitori was over seasoned and way too salty. With two other decent ramen shops nearby, Wafuu is not the place to go for noodles. Too bad, was looking forward to their opening.

"Beef gyudon"

EDIT TO ADD: The owners response seems a bit gaslighty and dismissive of my constructive criticism. I've returned to add photos of the menu that I took the day I dined. As you can see, they don't even have "yakiniku don" on their menu even though the section says donburi. I ordered beef gyudon under that section- maybe they should get that sorted out in their next menu print. Also, their menu does not say anything about the skewer set being limited and this is something I found out verbally from their staff after initially submitting my order. Also, maybe stop using ChatGPT for your responses to criticism and pipe the low reviews into it so you can get a summary of what to change. Thanks! OLD REVIEW Our food took 1 hour to come. The seating is cute but other than there I do not have much good things to say about them. The staff seemed disorganized and apparently the kitchen was even more disorganized because we stopped our waiter after 30mins to ask about our order and they mentioned the kitchen was still ramping up. They also need to update their menu because their yakitori platter says pick any 5 skewers for $18 and we picked one of the seafood ones and 2 beef, pork belly, and a veggie one. The seafood skewers are more expensive so the waiter came back to us 10mins later asking us to pick something else because the only ones included in the skewer set are chicken, beef, pork, and vegetables. We ended up trying 2 beef, 2 chicken, 1 veggie because they were out of pork. The beef was overcooked and too salty, the chicken came with sweet chili sauce which is not how traditional Japanese yakitori is served and the veggie skewer we got was too salty as well. For entrees, we got a miso ramen and beef gyudon. The ramen was also over salted and the broth was weak in non-salt flavors. The gyudon was not gyudon at all, they did not even use the correct cut of meat. It was more closely related to the Americanized teriyaki places but 2 times more expensive and somehow less tasty. My bowl was like 3 cups of cooked rice, a small handful of beef, and some cabbage and carrots sauteed in sweet teriyaki sauce. I will never return.

Stickers in unwashed bowls
Rodge M.

Ordered two bowls of ramen, found stickers in each. Guess they never washed them! They were nice enough to comp us for both. Still charged us for the drinks though

Ziqing G.

It's so delicious. The environment is clean and comfortable. I will bring more friends to eat here next time.

beef, chicken breast, shrimp, and zucchini yakitori

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Angela-owner C.

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9 months ago

Delicious food, everything was very flavorful and nice spice. Very good service. Deserves a higher rating.

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10 months ago

Table was dirty, ramen was cold, skewers were tiny. Service? You use your phone for everything.

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6 months ago

Great food, beautiful restaurant, and very friendly staff. I really enjoyed my visit!"

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Thank you for your kind comments and please visit us again!

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4.4(945 reviews)
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We met up with another couple to try this Japanese Izakaya style restaurant and honestly didn't go…read morein with high expectations--especially since we've all traveled to Japan and experienced the real thing. But this place completely knocked it out of the park. It far exceeded everything we anticipated. We were seated in a private booth, which made the experience feel even more authentic and intimate. Every dish that came out was absolutely delicious, thoughtfully prepared, and beautifully presented. They even provided a bell to press for service, and each time, the server appeared almost instantly with a warm smile. It's clear the owner and management truly know how to create and run a successful business--from the attention to detail to the seamless service and overall experience. For a moment, it truly felt like we had been transported back to Japan. An unforgettable dining experience.

When you walk into Izakaya Nana it's like walking into the alleyways of Japan. The booths were also…read morewell decorated too (there was one with one piece images on the wall), disappointingly though the one I was in had very dark lighting so my dad had to use his phone flashlight to see the menu. For our food we ordered the hako sushi, tornado omelette fried rice, trio tuna sushi roll, yakitori platter (ordered chicken gizzard and gyu harami on the side) and the A5 Wagyu cooked on the stone grill. I recommend getting the yakitori platter as it's a nice sampler but my husband especially enjoyed the chicken gizzard. My dad never had wagyu before so he especially loved the wagyu but I do think it's expensive for the amount they give you, I can see why it's pricier but just know before you order it's like $45 for 2.5 oz or in our case about 5 thin slices of wagyu. My brother said the tornado omelette was tasty and filling and he enjoyed it. The trio tuna sushi roll was very fresh. As for the service, I think everyone was pleasant but the vibes were a little off, it seems like they were just very exhausted. This doesn't affect the quality of the food or the experience but it was just something I noticed. They were still very attentive and provided great service. The reason for the one star off is because I do wish the Hako sushi had a bit more flavor, I saw so many different ingredients and fish but none of the flavors were impactful, it was rather one dimensional which was disappointing because it was presented so beautifully. Overall, I recommend giving Izakaya nana a try and I would definitely go again to try other things.

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Izakaya MEW

4.3(3.3k reviews)
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Honestly, I really enjoyed my time at Izakaya Mew. I love the underground vibe because it gives it…read morethat cozy dim vibe. The servers were pretty attentive and funny, they'd check on us regularly, somehow managing to convince us to get even more items based on what we liked. As a big fan of seafood, I really enjoyed the Scallop Uni Butter Scallop and the Shishamo Fritters. A lot of the items didn't feel heavy which is always a plus with Izakayas, and allowed us to order and try even more items on the menu. Definitely the perfect place to come with a group of friends after work !

Great tasting food that will surprise. Tried the toro taku crispy rice, it was a recommended item,…read moreand this one surprised me the most. Great variety of textures and taste. The creamy kimchi udon was ok. It didn't feel like one dish, but tasted good. The una don was great. Good sauce and blend of supporting veggies to enhance the taste. Service was super quick. Everything was rapid fire: order taken, food comes out quick, water gets replinished before asking, plates are taken the moment they are finished, and check comes immediately after asking for it. Interior was cramped and loud. Really fitting as many tables as they can in the space. I saw others mentioning to make reservations. I went without one and got lucky. There was a table opening 30 minutes out. Would recommend having one, but you can definitely try walking in. First come first serve basis Overall, solid spot for great tasting food. Great for smaller parties of 2, but expect it to be tight with spacing

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Ozakaya - Ozakaya

Ozakaya

4.5(354 reviews)
7.1 miProspect Heights
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My family and I had the most amazing lunch here recently. We came on a weekday shortly after…read moreopening and were seated right away. My husband had the kaishin don, I had the Ozakaya donburi set and our girls shared the shoyu tonkatsu ramen. The fish was so incredibly fresh here and the rice was seasoned perfectly. My donburi set also came with dashi broth that the waitress later brought over to pour on top of the leftover rice in my bowl to be enjoyed at the end of the meal. The broth and rice combination was really comforting and satisfying. This dish was something I wanted to try in Japan but did not get a chance to experience when there, so I was excited to try it at Ozakaya. I was really pleasantly surprised by the ramen here as well. Although the pork could have been better/more tender, the broth was rich and seasoned so well and not too salty like other places. Last but not least, the service here was excellent and efficient. I would definitely come back here the next time I visit Brooklyn as there were many dishes on the menu I wanted to try!

The sun was out, cherry blossoms were in full bloom, so we stopped by here after walking around the…read moreBrooklyn Botanic Garden, honestly perfect timing and vibes. This place is super popular and I get why. It was packed but the service was insanely quick and efficient, which I appreciated. We shared the chirashi (9/10) and a spicy tuna roll (7/10) and it was honestly more than enough food for both of us. The sashimi is chef's choice so you're getting whatever's freshest that day. Overall, the quality was excellent. A couple of pieces were a little on the flavorless side, but nothing that ruined the experience. I'd still give it a solid 9/10 and would definitely come back if I'm in the area again.

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Wafuu Izakaya - izakaya - Updated May 2026

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