Wasabi Izakaya

10 Reviews on “Wasabi Izakaya”

• Vballboy

  We were looking for something different to try and found this place a bit off the beaten path. We both loved the gyoza and ramen and would definitely go back. However, it was a little odd to see the server getting ice for the water out of a picnic cooler with his hand.

  November 3, 2020, 10:03 am

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• Marika Paprika

  I’m not going to lie – I was seriously shocked by how good this ramen joint was! I was lucky to be introduced to this little gem by a local friend that is extremely knowledgeable about Japanese cuisine and culture, so perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised. Though I must admit I haven’t tried many Asian restaurants in Kelowna, Wasabi Izakaya certainly set the bar pretty high.The restaurant is small and unassuming, conveniently right in downtown, but very easy to miss! It was fairly busy when we arrived, and it was later in the evening – around 830pm, though on a Friday. I was reassured when I saw a number of Asians dining here (I find that’s always been one of the tell-tale signs that an Asian restaurant is somewhat authentic and tasty). I ordered the Original Pork Ramen for $8.80, and my table shared the Hot Sake and Gyoza. The Sake was typical of what I would expect and quite pleasant, but the delicious food was truly the highlight of my experience. The Gyoza was well-made, and the Ramen was fantastic! It was probably the best Ramen I’ve had in a long time, and I was delighted with the quality. Apparently the noodles are hand-made daily, and are simply perfect in texture, with the broth being very rich in flavour. If there was anything I would comment on, perhaps I would say that I wish the bowls were a little bit larger. The portion sizes were a tad on the small side, and I could have certainly eaten more. Perhaps offering a regular and large size bowl would be a better option for the Ramen. All in all though, Wasabi Izakaya was amazing, I would return in a heartbeart – and I would highly recommend it to anyone that loves Ramen!

  November 24, 2017, 12:23 pm

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• Brayden Lam

  After much hunting and debate, this little gem came as a recommendation by our hotel concierge. Three of us decided to try it out as out weekday dinner.We started with 2 appetizers, the takoyaki and the okonomiyaki. The takoyaki was nicely seasoned without being over done. My only qualm with it is it seemed to be cook on a grill-top and not on the authentic Japanese grill meant for takoyaki, as the top and bottom were flat. The okonomiyaki was crispy and flavourful.We ordered two entrees, one off the main menu and one off the specials. We got one curry with pork ramen and chicken confit ramen. The current was a thick soup nicely flavoured, but a tad on the salty side, with no spice. If someone is looking for a dish with lots of flavour, this would be it. The pork made a nice side to the curry. The chicken was very moist with a nice crispy skin. The soup was thinner but with a full body of taste. It absorbed some of the salt of the chicken to give it a rich salty chicken flavour.For dessert, we ordered a taiyaki. It was nicely crispy, with a soft inside. Texture reminded me of a fair mini donut with the smooth red bean paste in the middle.Overall I have to say I was quite impressed with the food. From the hand-tossed ramen noodles, to the home made soup broth, I can definitely say I’ll be back when I come back to Kelowna.I would recommended this to anyone looking for a good eastern soup noodle restaurant, or something different from your usual cup of noodle.

  September 29, 2017, 2:32 am

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