Latest Reviews
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I've never been to Japan but when I hear Japanese mention how this place is like a slice of home, I can't help but agree.This place is literally a hol…
Martino Reyes
Wa Dining Okan
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Terrible Service with a terrible attitude!. I would never step foot in this restaurant again. The servers have the worst service. It may have been bec…
Jaesungclark
Wa Dining Okan
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I've lived in Japan twice now, once as a student and once as a teacher. I have always had a passion for Japan and it's customs and foods. After leavin…
VirusFM
Wa Dining Okan
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Wa Dining Okan is open for Casual Dining. Wa Dining Okan serves Japanese and Sushi dishes. Incorrect or missing information? Make a report, or claim the restaurant if you own it!Details
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7 Reviews on “Wa Dining Okan”
I’ve never been to Japan but when I hear Japanese mention how this place is like a slice of home, I can’t help but agree.This place is literally a hole in the wall, and occupies a small corner of a restaurant mall. The ambiance of this place is very intimate, there are a few tables good for two to three people, and there is a bar type counter where everyone else sits. All the waitresses are Japanese and I’m assuming all the cooks are too. When you sit down, they hand you a nice hot towel, something customary in Japanese/Asian cultures. It is more of a tapas place than a full blown restaurant. The people I have seen come here usually have a few drinks along with some finger foods to pass by the time. So keep that in mind, you might have to order a good amount of food to really get full and it will add up since this place ain’t cheap. Worth the money though!The high rating on this place comes from the taste of the food and the authenticity of it all. I have been here two times and have liked everything I have tried. The Gobo Salad is a good starter, one of the dishes with a hefty serving. The Roast Duck w/ Green Onion was done very well, not too gamey. Seared Salmon and Scallops melts in your mouth, a must for your visit here. Omelette & Eel Roll was something new, like a sushi roll with egg in lieu of rice. The Baby Fried Octopus is also a nice starter, although portions might be a hit or miss. The last time I went, there wasn’t much. The Tuna Sashimi and Avocado Rice Bowl is one of my favorite dishes here. It’s one of the few dishes that are filling. Very fresh ingredients and worth the price.Sometimes this place gets packed, so be sure to call ahead of time to make a reservation. Parking is also a little tight because the lot is shared with a few other small restaurants.
Terrible Service with a terrible attitude!. I would never step foot in this restaurant again. The servers have the worst service. It may have been because I was Korean which is the only reason I can imagine that it was as bad as it was with the waitress not giving myself or my family a second look from the time we walked in to the 10 minutes we stood in a very empty restaurant to the time we grabbed menus and sat ourselves to the next 15 minutes we waited till I literally had to stop her and ask when we could get any service. Absolutely the worst dining experience I have ever had. Do not come here. It’s not worth the hassle.
I’ve lived in Japan twice now, once as a student and once as a teacher. I have always had a passion for Japan and it’s customs and foods. After leaving Japan the second time I moved here to San Diego, and have been scouring Convoy and elsewhere for the best Japanese and Asian foods. Okan is by far and away the most legitimate Japanese dining to be found in San Diego. Simply walking through the door I felt like I had traveled by wormhole to Japan. The layout, the bar and tables, all the little touches. I would go as far as to say that everything in the entire place is imported from Japan.The food. Mindboggling. Anyone who had spent a large amount of time anywhere far from home, even domestic, knows that some foods for some reason just can’t be replicated elsewhere. NYers look for NY pizza everywhere they go. Californians are disappointed by Mexican in New England. Authentic Japanese is extremely hard to find in the states. Okan is unbelievably authentic. I think the most homesick and picky Japanese ex-pat would find solace at Okan. And what’s more, it’s delicious. Try the stingray wings for something very off the beaten path.The service and ambiance. Definitely call ahead, but other than that get prepared for Japanese hospitality and a general air of ease you’d expect in a slow jazz lounge. The waitresses are all dressed in kimono, the patrons are usually all middle aged Japanese and seemingly people who’ve spent time in Japan, and are all looking for another hour or two back in the land of the Rising Sun. For those who haven’t yet been to Japan, Okan is the easiest way to get there for now.
Flawless. We’re tough to please but could find no fault with any of the six dishes we tried. This place serves extraordinary food! The only disappointment is the small size of the restaurant and the resulting 20+ minute wait for seating–but it’s worth the wait.
Japaneses Home-style bar nibbles. Think Japanese tapas. Teeny-tiny bar with a couple of very tight fitting tables in this romantic, cozy setting. the food is amazing and the menu constantly changes. Order a couple of plates- have a beer or sake then order a few more. this is late night dining at it’s best. This is NOT Americanized Japanese food, so if your looking for a chicken teriyaki bowl – this ain’t it! It’s authentic so be adventurous and try the scallop with Uni soy dressing or the Eel flavored rice. you’ll thank me later.
Ridiculously tasty Japanese tapas-style food. Just got back from dinner at Wa Dining Okan and had an overall super tasty experience. My fiance and I arrived at 7:30 and had to wait about 40 minutes for a table. It was ultimately worth the wait but you might want to make reservations for Friday and Saturday evenings. We started with cold eggplant dish with a peanut-y miso sauce. I love eggplant in general and the sauce was extremely tasty. Next we had the gobo salad. Neither of us had ever had gobo salad or had any idea what gobo was, so we were surprised and delighted with the resulting mixed greens with a heaping topping of a fried shoestringified rooty vegetable. Highly recommended! Next we had the pork-wrapped asparagus. The asparagus was super fresh tasting and cooked to perfection wrapped in thin slices of pork. Loved it. Next we had the duck with green onion. This was maybe the least standout dish for me, which isn’t saying much since I still really enjoyed it. Lastly, and definitely the highlight of the meal for me, we had the braised pork Nagasaki-style. This was cooked to perfection, fatty, melt-in-your-mouth pork with finely chopped green onions on top. It was a must have in my opinion.I highly, highly recommend Wa Dining Okan! The super tasty noms combined with the friendly wait staff who were on top of everything even on such a busy night yielded a very satisfying experience. I will definitely be going back!
Very nice.. Although it’s in the Sushi category, I would class this as more general Japanese restaurant that has a few Sashimi offerings. The food was well prepared overall and _very_ flavorful.Portions were just right and did not leave me feeling overly full and the wait staff was friendly and knowledgeable about the food being served.The only suggestion I had for the manager on duty was that the sashimi, while very high quality in regards to the fish, needed a bit more attention in preparation. Perhaps 4-5 slices of each fish that are 3-4mm thick instead of 2 slices that are 8-10mm (about a quarter of an inch) thick. The flavor and fresh quality made it worth gnawing through the slab-o-fish, but it wasn’t graceful and it certainly wasn’t as elegant as the rest of the meal.I would, and am, planning to return (though maybe I’ll try a different dish and avoid the sashimi until they change the preparation).