Dan Izakaya Restaurant

Place gets crowded!! We went around opening time and it filled up quick. There is a lot of parking nearby.The food is pretty decent and comes in very good portions. You could ask to add unagi to your dish also! Highly recommend, it adds so much umami and depth to the flavor. It is priced reasonably too. Me and my friend both could not finish haha.

We came here as a group of seven. I tried calling for over 20 minutes to make a reservation, but no one picked up. When someone finally answered, they told me they only take walk-ins. We went anyway, only to wait over an hour in the cold. That alone knocks off two stars. Once we got in, the service was fast and efficient, and the staff did apologize for the long wait, which I appreciated. The food was good, and the portions were pretty generous, so I'll give back three stars for that. However, since the place closes early, we didn't get much time to relax after our meal before having to leave, so I'm taking off one star for that.

Visited here again on valentines day for dinner. It was super busy with a line out the door (both waiting to dine in and waiting for pickup orders). Definitely call to get a reservation ahead of time because we've been here twice and both times there was a k ine out the door for dinner. I personally like getting the sashimi and appetizer platter because it's 16 pieces of sashimi, takowasa, ankimo and sashito peppers for $55, which for the amount feels worth it.Bur if it's your first time going here Definitely get one of their Meshi bowls. The crispy rice that forms at the bottom of the bowl pairs so we'll with whatever topping you choose. We got salmon with uni (which is an additional charge). There's also Eel and I think beef but yea, super tasty and highly recommend :)

Really great restaurant tucked into a plaza off Saratoga Avenue. Reservations are highly recommended as it's a smaller restaurant and seems to be busy at all times.My friend and I ordered the yaki onigiri set, deluxe meshi, chicken karage, sashimi salad, and the seafood miso nabe. Everything came out really quickly. Fresh sashimi on the salad and lots of it! Shishito peppers were spicy but perfectly cooked. The seafood miso nabe had lots of seafood and veggies and the broth was comforting. The deluxe meshi had lots of salmon, unagi and had perfectly crispy rice on the bottom. The takoyaki was too mushy for my taste and didn't taste fresh as it was probably pre-cooked and reheated. The yaki onigiri was my absolute favorite part of this meal. I've never had onigiri where it was pan fried like this, where the rice had lots of sesame oil and you get the crispy rice texture. I would come back just for this!Service was excellent, very attentive by the wait staff.

Food: We ordered Hiya Yakko, Yaki Onigiri, Unagi Meshi (M), Premium Kani Chirashi, Deluxe Meshi (L). They were all good, but the Yaki Onigiri was especially delicious.Ambiance: Casual, busy for a Wednesday night. Service: We were served quickly. We were brusquely told to leave right after paying the $175 tab. I understand they needed the table, but sheesh. Isn't an Izakaya supposed to be a place for hanging out with friends?

Ambiance is warm and cosy with lots of wood covering most of the walls and ceiling. It's like those restaurants in the Asian shows I binge watch, lol! Service is very welcoming as well. We got-Agedashi tofu-4/5- a small bowl with 4 large pieces of fried tofu in some umami rich broth. The tofu was incredibly soft and had a crisp outer layer which was not tough. Chicken karaage spicy- 3/5- I have eaten chicken karaage at every Japanese restaurant I have been to, and I have visited quite a lot. The karaage here is unlike all those other places and not in a great way. The outer layer felt tough and overcooked. The spicy powder was great though, so were the 2-3 fried shishito peppers that came with it.Squash croquettes-3/5- two large croquettes with a sauce drizzle and some shishito peppers. The inside of the croquette was incredibly soft, more like a soft potato rather than squash.Yasai Udon- 2/5- udon in a fish broth. The broth was way too fishy for my sensitive palate so I didn't enjoy it. My not so picky fellow diners didn't enjoy this as well. It tasted like smelly fish water. Mind you, I have eaten fish broth before and it was never this funky tasting.

Service was great. 2 people came to check if we were ready to order. One thing is my wife dropped her napkin didn't even know and then the waiter bright a new one and picked up the one on the floor. This is like Michelin star service. Observing, attentive. Impressive. The unagi Meshi was impressive as well. The rice was crispy but not oily. Very impressive. Portion is small but just perfect for me.

It's one of my favorites, yet I don't come frequently because it is so hard to get a table. On this Monday early evening, we just walked in. We noticed the menu has been upgraded with more pictures.Instead of the normal order of meshi, which are delicious, we tried Unagi done and seafood nabe. Both were excellent, as expected. I think their Yaki Origiri were not "roasted" (Yaki) but fried. The agedashi tofu were spot-on.The downing of the broth from seafood nabe was so satisfying -- a warmth flew down into the belly and a mouth full of unami. That's why I kept on coming back.Need to find a better way to secure tables.

Love this little Izakaya tucked away in the back of a strip mall on Saratoga Avenue. They have been there for years. It's always busy because food is excellent and has a wide variety. The decor is very simple and plain, very unassuming. Service is pretty good, we were checked on a few times.The two of us shared a two piece Yaki Onigiri with grilled salmon stuffing, a 16 piece sashimi set, a grilled sliced beef tongue, and a garlic steak. The onigiri was nice and crispy and tasty. The sashimi was very fresh; four pieces each of salmon, tuna, hamachi, and white tuna. The sliced garlic steak was perfectly cooked and bigger than I thought (I remember it used to be smaller). The grilled beef tongue was very thinly sliced; I wished the slices were thicker.Prices were very reasonable and food quality was excellent. My only complaint is that it's very hard to call in to make a reservation. It seems like they never answer the phone. We got lucky this time and got a table when we arrived at 11:30am on a Saturday, 15 minutes after they opened. Very soon there was a line waiting outside!

Overall (5/5):Dan Izakaya is a fantastic spot for izakaya-style dining, offering a many Japanese dishes. The pricing is fair for the quality, making it an easy choice for a cozy, casual night out with friends or family. It's in a large plaza so parking should't be an issue, and I highly recommend this place a try.Ambiance (4/5):The restaurant has a traditional Japanese izakaya feel. Would love to see a deep clean as the place looks like it could use some love, but others may think it's a part of the charm.Service (5/5):The staff at Dan Izakaya are friendly, and attentive. Our dishes arrived promptly. Service was great and no complaints about our experience.Food (5/5):Salmon Meshi (5/5):The Salmon Meshi is a standout dish. The salmon is perfectly cooked with a slightly smoky flavor that pairs beautifully with the seasoned rice. The addition of scallions and roe adds texture and a hint of brininess, making it one of our favorite dishes here.Hamachi Carpaccio (5/5):This dish is also another favorite of ours. It's got a citrusy soy-based dressing. The balance of flavors is great, and the thinly sliced onions and microgreens on top provide a refreshing contrast to the buttery fish.Uni Onsen (5/5):An absolute must-try for uni lovers! The silky smooth onsen egg pairs wonderfully with the rich and creamy sea urchin, creating a very nice bite. The seasoning is a bit strong and some what overpowers the uni but it's still very delicious packed with umami.Garlic Steak (5/5):The garlic sauce is perfectly balanced--bold without being overpowering--and the steak is cooked to our liking (medium leaning on medium rare).