WA Japanese Restaurant

8 Reviews on “WA Japanese Restaurant”

• Jordan Ruckman

  Restaurant Review: WA On Massachusetts StJapanese | $$$ | 740 Massachusetts St. | (785) 843-1990By JORDAN RUCKMAN Apr. 15, 2017WA is a Japanese style restaurant that Im sure you walked by if youve ever been on Massachusetts St. If its sushi youre looking for its WA you need. I have been two times prior and on the third I wrote wrote this review on. Let me start by saying I am reviewing the restaurant based on six categories; Appeal, Seating, Speed, Cost, Service, and Food. I will provide a score based on a four-star system as well as a five-star system.Appeal: From the second I walked into the door I was quite impressed with the decor throughout the restaurant, from the bamboo tree growing in the middle of the room to the traditional samurai swords displayed in the corner of the bar, and of course the wood carvings behind the bar that scream Japan. The next to be realized was the soft lighting and music that enabled me to become at ease and relax, soothing away the stress from the day leaving me to enjoy and focus on the restaurant, a very hard feat to achieve from my experience. The journey starts with waiting to be seated by the waiter/waitress. The waiter was dressed in formal wear missing nothing but a suit. Dressed in, consistently throughout all three experiences, a long black dress shirt free of any wrinkles or debris complemented with a bright crimson tie above black slacks enlaced with a belt finished with shining black dress shoes. The menus consisted of three to four pages that had a very organized setting that included pictures of the food (something I found very useful as I am not very familiar with the Japanese cuisine). Lastly I would like to complement the option of sitting at the bar which gives a clear view of the chefs preparing the food. I give Appeal an A-.Seating: While waiting to be seated the Waiter grabbed the menus, asked us for bar or table, then proceeded to direct me, and my two friends that I shared this experience with, to our table as requested.the seating arrangements for the room were very strategically placed and well thought out. From the perspective of entering the room, the bar is located to the left wall stretching almost the entire distance with in all eight chairs if memory serves. In the middle behind the welcoming podium and blinds that nicely hide away the tables from the light was a table for eight followed by two separate tables for six with the preparation counter immediately after. Finally on the right, where I would be found sitting, are a series of tables seated for four. Past this you can find the hallway that leads to the restrooms. When seated it is clear to see the strategy that was implemented with the seating as there is plenty of space for each person in the chair as well as on the table. Between my two friends and me, who are all college guys, we could have fitted an additional seat on each side while still being comfortable. Having this room while eating allows one to remain relaxed and enjoy their time at the restaurant, something one doesnt think about without taking the time to appreciate it. Another pleasant feature is that this style of seating can bring people together. While eating a neighboring table of four asked about the sushi we had, we gave them our recommendation and next thing I know we were talking like old friends. The age gap had to been at least a decade and we barely knew them but the way the room was designed made it simple and easy to bond and overall have a good time. For Seating I give an A+.Speed: While waiting for a table the waiter immediately rushed over, gathered the menus, and sat us all within the minute. I was quite pleased as this has been consistent throughout the times Ive gone. It might be in part due to the fact that there were not very many guest in the restaurant but nevertheless I was pleased. After being seated we were immediately handed our waters and the waiter left us with the menus after asking if we wanted any other drinks which we replied no. We made up our mind on what to order and as we did the waiter was back ready to serve. While waiting for our food we conversed, laughed, played a game, and then before we knew it our food was done. One of my friends was actually a bit disappointed that the food was delivered as fast as it was as we had to end our game. As we ate our server patiently waited for us to be finished and when he was given the que he brought us our check and we were gone. I was very pleased and as was my friend who had to turn a paper in. We were there for about an hour, maybe 45 minutes in all. For Speed I give it a B+.Cost: When we arrived the place obviously was not very busy and this is probably the reason why. The food is by all means not cheap, but it is not expensive either. Being sushi it is expected to be pricing but feeding a group the tab will add up fast. The average roll is about $10 and can feed typically one person with the person maybe still craving more while dessert cost on average $3.75 consisting mostly of ice cream or variants of. While eating with my two friends we ordered our food and I covered the tab, three rolls and two desserts my total came to just over $50 not including the tip which Ill talk about later as it is not part of the restaurants cost. Overall this was the worst grade received but as the main menu item is sushi it is expected to pay about $18 a person for a meal. For Cost I give a B-.Service: The service all three times varied in bit but I will critique based on the most recent of the visits. Waiting to be seated we did not wait long, we were seated in a very timely manner . When our drinks were empty we were immediately given refills, more often than not while the glass wasnt even half empty. The waiter cleared our table the second we were finished with a dish, provide service with an excellent smile, and overall made the atmosphere a welcoming one. At one point we even had a conversation with him as if we were all old high school buddies catching up over a beer. As mentioned before our meal was $50 and you can be sure I tipped this man 20+%as he was that good. For service I give them a A+.Food: The most important part of any restaurant is the food. No matter how nice or expensive a restaurant is it all comes down to what comes out of the kitchen. WA did not disappoint. Sushi is by all means not a favorite meal of mine but since eating here the first time I have started craving sushi more and more. Its a taste that brings you back and lets you leave full and satisfied. I ordered from the menu three rolls consisting of the Apollo Roll, the KU Roll, and the Hanamachi Special Roll and two dessert items consisting of Mango Fried Ice Cream and Red Bean Fried Ice Cream. The Apollo Roll is sushi filled with spicy crawfish, cream cheese, and jalapeno all deep fried. The KU Roll has Unagi, cream cheese, avocado with half fresh tuna and half salmon on top. The Hanamachi Special Roll simply being california with yellowtail on top. The Apollo being my favorite consisted of a crunchy sweetness followed by the spice while the KU was more tangy and a bit more bitter that complimented the tuna and salmon. Finally the Hanamachi Special was one that my friends enjoyed quite well as the moment it touches the tongue a sense of euphoria crashes over you. The dessert menu was limited and the fried ice cream tasted only slightly better than the run of the mill but again this is a sushi restaurant. Overall I give the food an A+.WA is a restaurant that I have and will continue to recommend to friends and family. The experience is unforgettable and is a wonderful place to go from being a family, to going with friends, a date, or just to go by yourself. Its a wonderful experience. On a scale of four I give 3.5 stars. On a scale of five I give 4.5 stars.

  July 18, 2017, 6:46 am

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