Izakaya (居酒屋) in Japanese means "stay-drink-place," combining iru (to stay) and sakaya (sake shop), referring to a casual Japanese pub or gastropub serving alcoholic drinks (sake, beer, shochu) and a wide variety of small, shareable dishes (like tapas) for socializing after work. (source: Google AI) Lunch before a medical appointment in the Forest Hills, Queens, NYC vicinity summons Japanese cuisine. Business was relatively quiet and rather empty on a Tuesday early afternoon for lunch as there were only two people and I subsequently became the third patron. There was no wait for a table and - finally my luck turned around with no wait to be serviced and no negative body language projected against me as a single lady dinning alone! I was finally seen, heard, and acknowledged as I am one life in the smallest measurement. Customer service is, indeed, as described by Yelpers to be attentive, efficient with order fulfillment and polite with reverence by good measures. I did receive a printed sales receipt to retain. I did leave a 20% gratuity for this male server who did served me well. Restroom facilities are relatively clean with a contemporary modern sink. There are Sakura cherry blossom branches that fills the ceiling for decorum. There are QR scan code laminated to the table at the corner to order. I am old school and highly prefer printed paper menus interacting with a human with a waiter for ordering. Disposable bamboo chopsticks and Renge 蓮華 or Chirirenge 散蓮華 in Japanese and Tangchi 湯匙 or Tiaogeng 調羹 in Chinese for spoons are distributed as utensils. This casual Japanese pub is located in Forest Hills' main shopping district on Austin Street. It is very accessible via E, F, R and M trains at MTA NYC Transit Forest Hills -72nd Continental Avenue subway station. I do not see any business cards nor takeout menu for grabs. Four stars? The menu was average and did not really entice my interest. I was hoping to see Matcha ice cream. Tonkotsu soup Ramen noodles, $17.99 豬骨拉麵 Served with kikurage, menma, half brown soft boiled egg, scallions, pork Chashu, and fishcake. Pork chashu チャーシュー, a Japanese dish of braised fatty pork belly. It was served in a standard Melamine ramen bowl, but not piping hot with steam visibly emitted as I desired. This Ramen noodle entrée includes one side salad with ginger dressing. The salad was average. The ginger dressing was also average served separately, but rather insufficient in quantity. Oh! I wanted slightly more salad dressing, but not the entire restaurant's stock like SNL's "Lisa From Temecula." The noodles are the main protagonist in this entrée as I wholesomely enjoyed. Asian noodle soup is always comfort food during tumultuous times. All other ingredients were a delight, fresh and served middling warm, but neither hot or piping hot. The pork belly was average. The brown half soft boiled egg was okay, but I prefer white eggs. The soup base broth is Tonkotsu for pork bones and it is not spicy nor salty. The Tonkotsu soup broth was average. Wafuu Izakaya includes a side salad with this entrée which most Japanese restaurants charge the salad a separate fee and distinguishes from competitors. Hot Matcha green tea was served which I am grateful. Matcha green tea (either hot or cold) is one of my favorite default. This noodle soup and salad certainly eat my fill. "I'm only here for the food." - Jacqueline, "Ever After: A Cinderella Story" 1998 movie read more

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First time coming for lunch and I was impressed! The combo for $19.99 includes appetizer, soup, soda and entree. Was a great deal. I enjoyed my miso soup, chicken wing apps and pork curry katsu entree. I bought the soda home. Service was great. Food came quick and the ambiance is nice in there. read more

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Wafuu finally opened! We've been waiting for months for this izakaya to open. The outside looked ready for a long time and the inside is gorgeous with dark woods and wood slat walls. The bar looks cool and there are even sakura branches up in the ceiling. I wonder if they are waiting for the printer to deliver real menus because these stapled together printer sheets are really getting ragged even after only a month. The food pics are nice though. And you can use the QR code laminated to the table to order. We did it the old-fashioned way by politely speaking to our server. We got a variety of dishes to share, starting with the Yakitori platter. For $19.99, you can choose 5 skewers from the a la carte selections (except for the pricier seafood skewers). They were grilled and seasoned well. I really liked the Fried Kaki (aka kaki fry, fried oysters). The breaded oysters were tender, fresh & juicy. We also shared Chicken Yakiudon, Yakiniku Don & Pork Katsu Don. The yakiudon was very good and the katsu was crispy and generously sized. I did not like the sauce on the beef in yakiniku don. The texture tasted strange. I'll try the gyudon next time. There are a lot of restaurants on this block with a variety of ethnic cuisines and I would make Wafuu a regular spot when we come to Forest Hills. read more

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

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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. read more

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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. read more

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Cuisine: 5 Service: 3 Decor: 6 Value: 4 Overall: 4 I was looking g forward to a new Japanese izakaya opening near me, but this brand new business seems to be doing so many things wrong. I'm glad they are having a soft opening period to correct mistakes, though I hope they make major changes quick before it's too late. First problem is their service. After months and months of delays, I walked by one day and the manager said they will soft open that tomorrow (Friday) at lunchtime a few weeks ago. I left my phone number and made a reservation for four people on Friday night at 7:00pm. On Friday, we showed up for dinner at our scheduled time and they were not open. I understand if something came up and they need to delay again, but why didn't they call to inform us of that situation is beyond me. That's just proper etiquette considering we drove there and paid for parking. Instead, four of us had to find another restaurant nearby on a busy Friday night. When we couldn't find something we liked available, we ended up driving to Flushing for a late dinner. Fast forward two weeks, a friend and I did get to try a few menu items. Service was alright, but our table needed to be wiped because it was dirty when we sat down. The decor of the restaurant is not bad either, but I don't understand the lady (possibly the owner or manager) singing karaoke randomly throughout our meal at the bar. Her voice was fine, but it was more distracting than enjoyable. You can see the confusion on all the patrons' faces. I counted this intrusion on our meal as part of the score for the decor by subtracting a point. As for the food, the best of which was the Bacon w/ Scallop Yakitori. I do wish the bacon was a bit more crispier, but at least the scallop was large and tender. However, the menu outside of the restaurant priced the skewer at $6 while the digital menu inside had it priced at $8. For what I got, it's not a bad price, but I certainly didn't appreciate the bait and switch. I also got to try a bunch of other yakitori skewers that had weird individual pricing imho. Best thing to do is probably order the Yakitori Platter to save some money. As for what to choose, get the pork and chicken, which were nothing special but both were at least decent. Definitely skip the beef because it's a poor cut and very tough. Shrimp is nothing special either, and veggies are simply not worth the price for such puny portions. Another item we tried was the Japanese Style Chicken Wings, which was more like a curry flavored fried chicken wing from a Chinese takeout than anything Japanese. They were quite yummy. Unfortunately, you're paying 2x the price. Lastly, the Ika Geso had a bit too much batter and slightly over fried. Also overpriced. What I felt throughout the meal was a sense of cuisine that did not live up to standards of Japanese cooking. Just look at the yakitori, I have hundreds of pictures, from my multiple visits to Japan and great local restaurants, that shows very uniformed bite sized pieces of proteins and veggies. Not this mess of a plate that had giant pieces of chicken and tiny pieces of asparagus and mushroom. Also, they are charging Manhattan prices that are too high in this neighborhood imho, while providing subpar service. Unless many things change drastically, you will unlikely see this place survive in such a tough industry and current economic climate. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

Wafuu Izakaya - Bar area - Izakaya Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

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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! read more

Wafuu Izakaya - Fish Katsu - Izakaya Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

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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. read more

Wafuu Izakaya - Izakaya Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

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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. read more

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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! read more

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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. read more

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The decor and service were both very good. However, the food left a lot to be desired. The short ribs were undercooked and chewy. The quality of the meat was not great. The food came out very fast and should have been better cooked and seasoned. The skewers were not well seasoned and also not cooked well. The squid was very chewy and charred. The mushrooms had extra spice which was not appetizing and the chicken skewer was sort of mushy. I also did not like the pork belly which had a funny flavor. The hot Saki was just warm and did not taste good. The green tea was very good and I got a refill. Overall, the food was very disappointing though the ambience was nice and the server was very attentive. The price was competitive and I was hoping for a meal that was worth what we paid. read more

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. read more

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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 read more

Wafuu Izakaya - Stickers in unwashed bowls - Izakaya Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

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

Wafuu Izakaya - Izakaya Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

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here r my comments in no particular order: - beef yakitori too hard - chicken yakitori too bland - edamame not enough salt - squid too big - cod poorly plated but tasted aight - shrimp tempura too much fried batter - soba noodles do NOT come with soup (not depicted here because thank jeezus i asked the waiter before ordering it) - fellow patron sent fish back to kitchen twice (unsure why but he was dissecting it with his chopsticks so maybe it was undercooked on the inside?) - ant on table read more

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The food is great. I've been many different times and never have I had an issue with their food. On different trips I've gotten the Katsu (both chicken & pork and also the curry variant), tonkatsu ramen, pork gyoza, and various skewers. The service is good too. They are always pretty fast and have rarely made any mistakes. The ambiance is amazing. The interior is clean and cute. I personally enjoy a stylized interior and this place has a very nice one. I do think the prices can be kinda high but compared to other places in the neighborhood they are reasonable. read more

Good and quick service. Bites were tasty. Ramen definitely the star. Flavorful broth and good serving of noodles and vegetables. Music a bit loud but overall ambiance pretty and cozy. read more

Wafuu Izakaya - Veggie Ramen - Izakaya Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

Five stars! Fantastic ramen, amazing green tea cheesecake, and truly great customer service. Delicious food and warm hospitality make this spot a must-visit! read more

Wafuu Izakaya - Five stars! Fantastic ramen, amazing green tea cheesecake, and truly great customer service. Delicious food and warm hospitality. - Izakaya Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

The waiter that brought my food had such a stench of body odor that it lingered after he left. It was so bad that I spoke to his colleague who indicated he already knew. His colleague said my waiter was the manager. I asked him to tell my waiter in a diplomatic way. Even gave restaurant good review. However, to my surprise they added a 25% tip on the bill which included food and tax. This was on top of my tip which was less than 20%. I had indicated to waiter that would be doing so because no one wants to spend good money in a restaurant and be treated so. Indicated that should like to return within a week and hoped situation would improve. Needless to say, I would never go there again! read more

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

Karage chicken tastes good But there's no alcohol yet. Will come back when they fully open the bar to have better dine in experience read more

First time here and we had a great experience. The service was excellent, and I ordered the ramen which was very good. Cute place with a nice vibe, will definitely come back! read more

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

My wife and I went to Wafuu Izakaya in Forest Hills this past Friday, 10/24/25 at about 6pm and were quickly seated, the table next to us and the booth beyond were empty. Another couple was sitting nearby. We were brought menus and served water, one of the cups was dirty. Soon the table next to us had a couple, and the booth had a family. The family at booth had food brought out to them. The waiter took the order of the couple next to us that had come in after us. The couple that was already seating near us were asking what ever happened to their food. We waited about another 10 minutes and walked out. Nobody ever came by our table to take an order. We wasted about 45 minutes at Wafuu Izakaya, and will not be returning. read more

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

Soft opening. Decor was nice. Service was friendly but spotty. Got my order wrong, food didn't come out in time. Just typical fare, nothing to differentiate it from other izakaya places. Some items were not available. I'll try it again after they've opened a few months in to see if it's better. If anyone is looking for work they are hiring. read more

45 mins. wait for take out and dine-in. After 45 minutes, the takeout came but where's the ramen I ordered? Oops, the kitchen forgot. When my ramen eventually arrived, now about an hour of waiting, the soup was bland and the noodles were, to put it mildly, sparse. To add insult to injury, I ordered 4 takeout items, no utensils or napkins. The restaurant was half empty which makes this experience perplexing and inexcusable. read more

Food was Yaki dish and Yakiniku Don were excellent. Best ever. The service was attentive and so was the ambience, clean and I love the ceiling cherry blossom decorations. read more