- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Izakaya Masa
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
928 Fort Stockton Dr(between Goldfinch St & Hawk St)
San Diego, CA 92103
Neighborhood: Mission Hills
(619) 542-1354
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 6 pm - 1 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
287 reviews for Izakaya Masa
Review Highlights
"The black sesame ice cream gets a star on its own."
(in 26 reviews)
"The ramen is delicious, and the dessert is awesome."
(in 146 reviews)
"The beef tongue was grilled to perfection."
(in 26 reviews)
Loading...
287 reviews in English
-
Review from James D.
Chula Vista, CA
1/21/2012
Authentic Japanese Restaurant with fantastic Ramen. The broth is the best I've tasted locally. Good prices, not expensive and the quality of food is excellent.
It is very small so there can be a wait during the normal dinner hours. The staff are all Japanese and add to the authenticity of this great place. Large groups are probably not the best idea since it's so small with limited seating.
Enjoy! -
Review from Rob W.
San Diego, CA
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
By the time we got there, they were out of all the interesting food. No black sesame orgasm in this review. Sorry to disappoint. :)
Ordered the ramen, takoyaki, and of course, the obligatory beer.
It's open late, and the grub is a strong contender but nothing especially striking.
Granted this was literally dinner no. 3 for the evening, so someone could have UNVEILED complimentary a plate of gold bricks covered with strippers making it rain bacon and it probably still woulda gotten 3-4 stars at best.
...ok fine. 5 Stars.
Take notes, Izakaya Masa.
I smell a business opportunity. -
Review from Christina D.
San Diego, CA
2/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Masa is a gem tucked a way in a funky strip mall kind of invention in Mission Hills. Just two blocks away from my apartment, and honestly, I don't know I am not there more often. I just figured out that they take reservations, and it is small so it is worth calling a head. I don't think many yelpers have reviewed their sushi, focusing more on the ramen and appetizers. I've been craving sushi, so last night we had the dragon roll, and a special roll with salmon prepared two ways. I also love the California Dream roll. I think it is fresh, well made and delicious.
I love the fact that when you walk in you are greeted in Japanese by the staff, including Masa himself, cooking behind the bar. -
Review from Lisa W.
Izakaya means bar in Japanese. i didn't really feel like this was a bar spot. It was more of food. Not bad food though. It's a small place located in Mission Hills, tucked in a corner. My friend recommended this place to eat because I'm always craving Asian!
3 different style of ramen, which is awesome because I've been to Japan and the ramen is different in all regions. I chose the Hakata (southern island) ramen, it had less salt/soy sauce and so it was a lighter broth. It was good and not overly salty. The broth was very delicious and flavorful. I also got the SD roll, which was okay, it didn't stand out to me. And I got the grilled beef tongue. it was really lean and flavorful. At the end I also got the sesame ice cream, it was weird and different, tasted okay. Most of the food was bar food. Reminded me of Japan! -
Review from Erin K.
San Diego, CA
2/7/2012
Absolutely love the ramen! I don't know for sure, but probably can't get more authentic than this in San Diego. It's to die for. My husband and I go here for a low key night out. We usually get some rolls and each get a big bowl of ramen. It's a teenie, tiny little place with interesting decor and friendly service. Highly recommend it!
-
Review from Maggie Y.
Fremont, CA
1/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm not very familiar with other Japanese restaurants in San Diego, but this one was a great find. You'll get the authentic Japanese feeling when you walk in and you're greeted in Japanese by all the entire staff.
As previous reviews, small groups are ideal as the place is not very big and most the tables are small tables. I went super early, so we didn't have to deal with a wait, but by the time we left the place had filled up.
The walls inside the restaurant are covered with menu items written in Japanese along with Japanese paraphernalia. You can tell by the staff's accents that they're all from Japan, which makes the restaurant feel authentic.
I had the Hakata ramen and it was delicious! Well flavored broth and perfect noodle to broth ratio.
For dessert I had the green tea ice cream spring roll with red bean. A little sweet for my taste, reminds me a little of deep fried ice cream. Interesting if you've never had it before, its sweet but a little salty, warm outside but frozen inside.
Service was good. I can see why some people might say its bad, the place is small and they don't have many servers and it's obvious English is not their first language, but you can definitely tell they're working really hard.
We didn't get a chance to try any of their izakaya dishes, but I would definitely come back to try them next time I'm in San Diego! -
Review from Chad K.
San Diego, CA
1/4/2012
Horrible experience! DO NOT EAT HERE.
Service was incompetent, inconsiderate, and just plain rude. Gave our table away to a group who showed up well after us, then proceeded to offer us seats at the bar. Claimed they didn't know we had a child with us even though I was carrying him in front of them while we waited for 30 mins. What did they think I was carrying? A meatloaf? Recommended we eat at a table they dragged outside after they screwed up. So let me get this straight... you screwed up and now want us to eat by ourselves outside the restaurant in front of the crowd of customers waiting to get in? Seriously!?
Food here is unremarkable and I am used to much better service at Japanese restaurants. Take it from me... there are many better Japanese dining experiences in San Diego. -
Review from angie k.
San Diego, CA
1/5/2012
Very disappointed with their customer service. I will never go back to this restaurant.
Arrived at the restaurant to request a table for 3. After some back and forth talking between the two Japanese waitresses, they decide that a table would be readily available in 20-30 minutes. They ask if we want to wait. I say, "Yes." So, I take myself outside to sit in the few chairs they have for customers. At the same time, a lady behind me walks to sit in one of the chairs saying that they rudely asked her to stand outside. She peruses the menu for a few minutes and leaves complaining about the lack of friendly service.
Other people enter the restaurant...some get seated and others wait outside. Thirty minutes pass and I enter back into the restaurant to make sure they remember we are waiting outside. The waitress looks at me and asks the other waitress about the wait. She then tells me that there is the bar area where we can eat, which was not feasible since we had a child who was a toddler. She then tells me that it would be another 20 minutes if we wanted to get a table. Now, that is a problem! If she would have told us that it would take us a total of 50 minutes (30 mins for the original wait + 20 minutes more) to get a table, we would gladly have found another restaurant without insult.
This restaurant experience left a bad taste in my mouth. They did not attempt to correct their mistake and never mentioned they were going to sit us at the bar. Aside from not being a child friendly place, what if there was a physically disabled person wanting to dine? I would say this restaurant is not an amazing place to eat to be treated in this manner. No restaurant should treat customers this way.
There are plenty of great Japanese restaurants in the Kearny Mesa/Convoy area! You should give them a try instead. -
Review from Alex D.
1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
If you can appreciate authentic Japanese cuisine in a cozy, traditional environment, a visit to Izakaya Masa will not disappoint.
For a light start, try their amazing shrimp shumai, takoyaki and a California roll (as a quality measure). Next up, pick up a bottle of Sapporo to go with your order of the American Dream.
Yes, prices here are a bit steeper and portion sizes a bit smaller than at Japanese restaurants you can find on Convoy. Rest assured, however, at Izakaya Masa you always get what you pay for.
Also, the ability to make reservations by phone is a plus since the place is fairly small and tends to fill up quickly. -
Review from Mia L.
This place just never lets me down. Their ramen is the perfect comfort food. Their Agedashi tofu is usually on point. Yes I order their agedashi tofu all the freaking time. The Japanese Sausage was cool, tasted juicy like it should.
Awesome place!Listed in: Mia's Best of San Diego
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
5/4/2011
3.20.11: I had their Ramen and the soup base was a little salty for me but then again, I can taste… Read more »
-
-
Review from Jazmine C.
Chula Vista, CA
1/9/2012 6 Check-ins Here
Mission Hills secret I'm afraid to share!! =0X
But if I must..... this is what you NEED to know:
They are open 6pm-1am every day BUT not Monday. Don't try any other hours because they WILL be closed. I've tried (even on Monday.)
Limit your group size to 4 people at most. Patience is a virtue, considering the place is very intimate.... although I've never had to wait more than 5 minutes for seating.
You might be intimidated by the all-in-Japanese specials posted on the walls, but the ladies are always nice in answering your questions.
Takoyaki (Squid pancake ball) always comes fresh and BLAZING HOT so do NOT drop the fire ball in your mouth or you will lose your taste buds! [Multiple seasoned veteran right here.]
Hakata Ramen is the yummiest, a regular order is portioned enough for most eaters. The Half size is good if you decide you want to try multiple dishes, however I never have because a regular bowl is the one thing that brings me back. You can imagine what the large might be like ;0)
and and AND... my favorite part of the Izakaya Masa experience is that when you arrive everyone greets/welcomes you with "Irasshai mase," and when you depart they thank you with "arigatou gozaimashita" in the traditional Japanese fashion.
Now that you're in the know.... lets keep it between us? -
Review from Sang P.
12/26/2011
Drove all the way from La Jolla to try this place. We wanted Ramen, but a different place, not the usual Tajimas that we always go to. We were sick of it.
It was a cold night and the restaurant was located in a random quiet street but as soon as we entered the restaurant the warmth overwhelmed us.
I was already excited to eat. We started with the homemade shrimp dumplings and the spicy tuna roll. Standard dishes - made very well but hard to mess up.
I ordered the Shio ramen - and this was not the style that you would find, say in like Tajimas or other ramen places on Convoy. The broth had a more delicate yet deep flavor that I really liked.
Overall, the waitress was really friendly and I think I enjoyed the Izakaya atmosphere/mood even though we didn't order any alcoholic beverages.
Would come back a lot more often if it was closer! -
Review from Michelle B.
San Diego, CA
12/23/2011
My parents love this place and I really wanted to, but...
Make a reservation or you will standing outside waiting for at least 15 minutes, if you are lucky.
The inside is not my taste but also not my culture but it seemed clean. The waitress was nice and helpful, the hostess could not get us out of there fast enough. The food was okay, nothing spectacular. I ordered Udon and dad Ramen, we ended up switching. We also ordered Red Snapper sashimi which was firm but not fresh. The check arrived before my dad finished eating.
All and all I will never go back but expect my parents will. -
Review from Max P.
12/21/2011
I was super dissapointed.
Ramen was super salty.
Yakisoba was plain seems like almost no care was taken what so ever to make this dish. Just noodles and a few pieces of Octopus. Usually there is some veggies in there.
The sushi was good quality and seemed fresh.
The shape of the place was kinda weird, but i liked that some one had decorated the place up.
I wouldn't eat here agian, if I was in the area I might drop in for a beer or two is about all. -
Review from Ainsley D.
San Diego, CA
12/12/2011 3 photos
I love that Masa is around the corner from where I live, but I hate that they don't do take out!! This surprised me when I went in by myself one night, looked over the menu at the doorway then tried to order and was basically laughed at for trying.
A few weeks ago I went back with a friend and I loveloved the atmosphere + all the decor, it definitely felt authentic. The food we had was good, but there weren't very many options for people who don't eat meat other than fish. I was looking forward to trying one of their ramen bowls, but EVERY SINGLE BOWL had pork broth in it, gross!
Closed on Mondays and only open from 6pm-1am all other days. -
Review from Noah S.
San Diego, CA
Another hidden gem in
The hills of mission
Call for reservations or wait at lamplighters -
Review from Ryan C.
San Diego, CA
11/12/2011
On a super cold night, my girlfriend and I decided to eat ramen. Instead of going to our usual ramen joint, Tajima, I found this place on Yelp. It took us longer to find this place because it's nestled in an awkward plaza, but upon entering, I was excited to have found the place.
For appetizers, we ordered a black pepper crispy tofu, vegetable tempura, and ponzu beef. All were amazing! I especially love the black pepper crispy tofu, though my girlfriend did not because she's not a huge fan of tofu dishes.
We both ordered ramen, and I was extremely happy with the soup. Very tasty and it definitely warmed my soul. I had a medium, and I thought the serving was just right. My girlfriend hadn't eaten all day, so she ordered a large and was very satisfied.
For dessert, we ordered a green tea ice cream with green tea/red bean spring roll. The spring roll was a bit strange, both sweet and salty, but the green tea ice cream was yummy.
We're definitely coming back for more! -
Review from Denise K.
You walk in and it's like a little slice of Japan. Everyone working here is Japanese with a heavy accent. The food is traditional and uber delicious. The patrons are predominately Japanese folks, which of course gives Masa some street cred.
What we ordered:
Homemade Shrimp & Pork Gyoza - YUM! 4 pieces was the perfect portion.
Beef Tongue - perfectly grilled and salted. Delicious!
Lobster Dynamite roll - packed with lobster so it's well worth the $13 pricetag.
Hakata Ramen - perfectly textured noodles and broth that I wanted to drink all night long. I think I might be addicted...
This place is great!! Make a reservation no matter what time of day you want to go - it's small and fills up quickly! -
Review from Brandy C.
11/4/2011 4 photos
Stop going to fake Japanese ramen store. This is the right place for all the Japanese food!
Great place for this winter weather. The ramen is delicious, and the dessert is awesome. I love this little Japanese well decorated restaurant. It's very small, but everything they serve is delicious.
-1 star: my friend told me that they serve great portion of rice bowl before, but now the portion is not full anymore. I want to spend my penny worthy! (rkk... you know what I am talking about!) -
Review from Jenna L.
Sunnyvale, CA
11/18/2011
You can't find the place unless you know it's there. The sign is only in Japanese and it's hidden in the corner kind of, so it's hard to see even from the street. We ate a lot, and it was pretty decent Japanese food, which is very hard to find for me. Granted, we had just eaten an entire order of carne asada fries right beforehand...
I would definitely go back, but with more of an appetite next time. The ramen doesn't get served until after 9pm, so if you go, I would recommend waiting until late night. -
Review from Cass I.
San Diego, CA
1/11/2012
Tuna carpaccio that will change your life! You must order it! The fried garlic and chopped onions take the tuna to the next level. Plus they have the best ramen is SD for sure... I get the one with a soy sauce base but you really can't go wrong with any of them! Plus the prices are not bad at all!
-
Review from Nancy T.
9/30/2011
BEST FREAKEN RAMEN I HAVE EVER HAD!!!!!!!!!! ENOUGH SAID.
- SO FLAVORFUL and meat so tender.. I want to go back to San Diego just to eat here. (~$6) Comes in three sizes: Half, Regular, Large.
GREAT "eggroll" ice cream too! (its freshly made) We got it with green tea and black sesame + black sesame ice cream. Eat it together -- they compliment each other perfectly.
All the other stuff we had isn't even worth mentioning, get these two when you come here! -
Review from Jessica L.
San Diego, CA
11/1/2011
Best ramen in San Diego, hands down. I would definitely recommend coming here! I hear the other menu items are not that good, but their ramen is to die for. It is very authentic tasting and reasonably priced. The broth was very flavorful, the noodles were the perfect chewiness, and the fried garlic and corn added a nice touch.
The decor is cool, they have a Japanese style interior and the walls are decked out in Japanese memorabilia. The only downside to this place is that it's pretty packed so I would either a) make a reservation, or b) sit at the bar. It's definitely worth checking out, also it is extremely hot in here. -
Review from Ashley G.
San Diego, CA
12/13/2011
i love ramen. i could have it morning, noon and night. and in san diego you have an assortment of options, almost all of which are in kearny mesa.
enter, izakaya masa, a wondrous couple miles from our house.
we ordered their fried gyoza, a hakata ramen and a shoyu ramen. the gyoza was fried perfectly, with a delicious pork filling. crispy on one side, hot and meaty on the inside.
the ramen came swimming in a delicious broth, the chasu was very tender, with just the right amount of fat trimmings. the noodles were also perfectly al dente.
isakaya masa ramen wins over santouka, tajima and DEFINITELY over chopstix (barf) -
Review from Jennifer W.
San Diego, CA
1/18/2012
Hands down the best ramen ever. I've been trying to find a ramen place to beat Izakaya Masa but I haven't come close. I recently took to a trip to New York City and thought I would find a decent contender to battle Izakaya Masa for my the love of my tastes buds. Nope. Not one place could even compare. I also have tried the chicken katsu and spicy scallop roll. They are both DELISH. I love everything about this place including the friendly staff and the fun decor. I always want to eat here!
-
Review from Jill E.
10/2/2011
Wow! Yakudori was previously my favorite ramen spot of San Diego. But this place blew me away with their Hakata ramen. I came in on a Thursday night at 10pm.
The area is near Hillcrest, St Francis, UCSD trauma center yadda yadda in a little corner that can be EASILY missed if no one ever showed you the place.
I was greeted with a warm "iraishamase" welcome. Also to note, this place seats 20 people. Something like that! Really feels like a mom and pop spot.
So I ordered the Hakate ramen and I was so pleasantly surprised that the broth was not overly salty at all! It was seriously the right amount of salt. And I also ordered their SD roll with some crunchy caviar looking things for about 8.50 I pretty much murdered the roll and the majoriy of my extra large 8.50 ramen bowl.
Ok the bathroom, you actually have to go through the actual kitchen where the cooks are, and then you'll end up at the bathroom! It's clean though, I just thought it was something to note.
This place will be my late night spot for ramen. I really don't know any other place that's open til 1am. I'm in love with this place! -
Review from Kristen B.
Spring Valley, CA
11/2/2011
So I ended up at this place for the first time on a Tuesday night around midnight or so. They're open until 1 am so it's best to make reservations, weekday or weekend. It's a pretty small place but very into the Japanese culture. Very nice set up with pictures of sumo wrestlers all around, Japanese fans all over the walls, etc.
So I hear this place has the best ramen in SD so we just had to give it a try! We normally end up at Mitsuwa Marketplace off of Clairemont Mesa Blvd, but I've got to say, I think this place has won my heart as far as ramen goes! Great flavor of broth, not too salty, not too flavorless, just the right amount of ingredients. Thumbs up to that! We also ordered the American Dream roll (salmon, caviar, tuna, avocado, tempura) & the San Diego Dream roll (shrimp tempura, avocado, caviar). I preferred the SDD because it had shrimp tempura, which is my absolute fave! Nothing too extravagant but it had just the right amount of crunch & flavor! :D
The waitresses are friendly & attentive. Refilled our water glasses when needed, smiling while taking our order (interested in their customers and/or love what they do), very patient. Not too many places where you can go with good food, great service, & most importantly, a clean environment. I will definitely be back though to try out the green tea ice cream that I've heard (yelped) so much about. -
Review from audrey y.
San Diego, CA
10/2/2011
Finally ... a Japanese izakaya (a tapas bar in the most general sense) for Japanese loving palates!
I came here for the first time tonight and was completely blown away by the quality of the food here. Previous reviewers rave about the ramen, but I think the stars of the show are in the mini gourmet dishes. Here are the ones we tried:
- Monkfish liver --- perfection on a plate. It's the fois gras of the sea and perfectly plated with grated daikon and a shiso leaf. The sauce didn't overpower the wonderful fish liver.
- Vinegared octopus slices - Our octopus was perfectly sliced and served raw and marinated in a light vinegar. Normally raw octopus is very tough (I've eaten it raw in Japan) but this octopus was so incredibly tender. The vinegar did not overpower the octopus but tenderized it slightly and gave it a wonderful acidic and slightly sweet flavor. The accompanying daikon was also marinated in the light vinegar sauce and provided refreshment in between bites. It was so wonderful we ordered a second round.
- Tuna carpacio - Marinated paper thin slices of tuna in another wonderful vinegar concoction.
- Baked mussels - We received four wonderfully fresh mussels seasoned lightly with cream and seasoning. Not one piece of grit or grime to interfere with the briny taste of pure mussel. Excellent!
The kitchen is really tiny and the decor of the restaurant is very typical of an izakaya you'd find in Tokyo --- which means a bit crowded and cramped, walls filled with all kinds of decor.
Izakaya Masa will give you a taste of a typical Tokyo izakaya without requiring a trip to Japan. Take advantage of this neighborhood gem!
There's free parking on the street and in the lot. Reservations for tables before 8 pm are recommended especially on the weekend. We patiently waited 30 minute for our pass at this wonderful meal and it was so worth it, but I'll make reservations next time.
The above-listed dinner plus soba and tempura cost us about $60 for two before tax and tip. A remarkable meal and very reasonably priced for the quality you're getting. -
Review from Diana S.
San Diego, CA
1/25/2012
yum ramen :)
-
Review from Hans P.
San Diego, CA
9/19/2011
Alright... Let me just say that this place serves about the very best bowl of ramen I've ever eaten. Let me preface this by saying that I grew up in la just a few minutes from little Tokyo and have always considered myself a connoisseur of good ramen.
My problem with Izakaya is the fact that whenever I want a bowl it's not open. A few months ago they stopped serving lunch, which is totally fine if they wanna do that - it's there prerogative to limit the amount of time they choose to actually be a functional money making place of business. They also recently closed for about a week which is also fine if they were going to renovate or something. (they didn't)
Now jump forward to about a month after the closure. I'm once again totally craving some Masa ramen. I drive over there and now they're fucking closed on Monday's! W...T...F....
If this place didn't have the beat ramen I would never ever fucking come back! -
Review from candice s.
San Diego, CA
9/18/2011 1 photo
Very good ramen.
Tiny place in a business plaza that is tucked away in a corner and very easy to miss. Small lantern out front. It felt like I was in Japan. The place is set up just like a tiny bar in Japan. You definitely need reservations here because of limited seating. I had the fried oyster appetizer and the shoyu ramen and both were excellent. The ramen broth was the best (see my picture). The thin slices of pork melted in my mouth. I got the large $8.95 and I couldn't finish it. I will return for a ramen fix! -
Review from Kim P.
San Diego, CA
12/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
My friends are I were craving Ramen around midnight last Friday so we first tried Tajima. The wait was ridiculous so I suggested we try Izakaya Masa because I had heard good things. It did not disappoint. I had their fried chicken and their Hakata ramen. I would probably kill to have that meal again at this very moment. The flavors were excellent. I also really liked the service and the decor - both are friendly and inviting. Definitely a hidden gem, can't wait to go back.
-
Review from Allen F.
Izakaya Masa is my hands down favorite place to eat in SD. It's a small shop hidden in the corner of an unassuming business center. If you've never been here before, chances are you'll pass it by even if you know what general area it's located in. When you find it though, you'll be transported across the Pacific to a restaurant ripped straight out of the Japanese islands. Well, to clarify, the environment is of a highly traditional Japanese ambiance. It's not so much that Japanese restaurants all look like this, but more so that the place is decisively Japanese by decor.
Though I've tried much of the menu, my go-to's are the hakata ramen, katsu-don, and pork katsu curry.
The hakata ramen is my pick for the best ramen in SD. The broth is rich, albeit a spot too oily. The noodles aren't made in-house but they are cooked to a medium hardness which is my preference. The meat is slightly above standard. At times it can be a bit tough and the flavor isn't savory as it ideally should be, but it's still very solid. The egg? They don't even try. I suppose no egg is better than a bad one. Well, ramen is about the harmony of all the pieces coming together to create something that is better than the sum of its parts. At Masa, the broth, noodles, meat, and garnishes come together to create an honest late night delight.
They have a unique dessert available in their pairing of black sesame ice cream and a spring roll with green tea flavored cream cheese and red bean. Individually, they're both good on their own merit but don't really play too nicely together. The key here with this item is that it's different. I've just never had this kind of spring roll anywhere else so get it for the experience.
So then why 5 stars? Well, because it's a hole in the wall. Because it's authentic. Because the staff is (almost?) completely Japanese. Because it's open late. Because they serve the best katsu-don I've had stateside. And really . . . it's because I come here way too often to give them any less. Izakaya Masa is a true San Diego gem.Listed in: Ramen
-
Review from Isabella B.
Chula Vista, CA
9/3/2011
I rarely do reviews for restaurants for the first visit, as if I know I'm going back there I would like to try different things so that my reviews would be more comprehensive on the types of food being offered. Exceptions are if it's not in the area, the restaurant really is that bad, or in an even more rare case, the restaurant blew me away. This is an example of the third option.
You know that you found a gem when the clientele is of the same ethnicity as the type of food the restaurant caters to. I saw A LOT of Japanese people eating here. Then again, I can say the same thing about Okan and Oton on Convoy, also really good restaurants. Shows you that the food is authentic.
It's a small place, good for a casual date or an intimate gathering of friends that want to drink but don't want to go to bars. After all, isn't that the point of an izakaya? My ONLY complaint about this place is that the place is quite small, but that's just me trying to find things to nitpick about at this point.
Service was nice and timely.
Food/drink:
Sparkling Sake: Yes, you'll have to pay a pretty penny ($10), and the bottle it comes with isn't very big. Using 2 small glasses it comes around to 2 servings per glass. I don't like sake very much but OMG I can just chug this stuff like water, tastes like spiked ramune soda. Why can't sake be this good?
Takoyaki: First time I had takoyaki. A bit tangy, but the octopus was quite savory.
Hakata Ramen: I learned from my friend that he tried hakata ramen when he was in Kyushu, and he said that it was the best ramen he's ever had. We both ordered ramen. Broth was just simply AMAZING, very savory but not too oily. It was my fault that I put too much pepper as it did alter the taste ;_;. Very generous amount of green onions. Meat was tender yet very savory. I wish they included egg on there, but I can't always get what I want... My friend enjoyed it as well, and he said that despite the broth being more opaque than the one he remembered, the taste was exactly like how he was served back then. Update: This is the best ramen in SD.
I cannot wait to go back here. -
Review from Bailey Z.
7/30/2011
Izakaya Masa is as authentic as it gets as far as ramen houses go. It's located in the tiniest plaza and is easy to miss only because their sign is in Japanese so I imagine their popularity spread mainly through word of mouth. The restaurant itself is decorated in all things Japanese; it makes you feel like you know you're in the right place.
There are three options for ramen with three sizes. Out of the three, we tried the hakata and shoyu ramens. Personally, I prefer the shoyu ramen's broth because the flavors are so balanced. But, the hakata has such a rich, deep, and full flavor, that it's hard to pass up (it's just fattier). The fried garlic chips add another dimension too, but it will ruin your breath the rest of the night. I only wish they were more generous with the tender cuts of pork. You get two slices in a regular bowl and one slice in a small.
I also learned that when you're in a ramen house, order only the ramen. The spicy tuna roll wasn't spicy at all and had cream cheese. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything special either. Everyone talked about the black sesame ice cream with red bean paste and green tea spring rolls for dessert. Apparently every customer ends their meal with this. It's a little pricey at $6 for such a small dessert, but worth trying if you don't figure to be back for a while.
Overall, the prices of the ramen are relatively cheap compared to how much good ramen usually costs (like Ippudo in NYC). The closest comparison is Santouka, but Izakaya is better in quality. They also close at 1:00 am, which is awesome for those late night ramen cravings! -
Review from Maribel F.
San Diego, CA
7/16/2011 6 photos
We had a craving for Japanese, so we headed to Izakaya Masa. If you haven't already been here, it is tucked away in the corner of a small strip mall like complex. You know you are in the right place when you see the Japanese laterns hanging out front.
After coming here, I learned that I have to brush up on my Japanese language, kanji, and hiragana since the menu and advertised specials are in Japanese and/or Engrish.
We ordered the following...
*Enokitake (Japanese mushroom steamed in miso with green onion): subtle flavor, but it was good.
*Maguro Yamakake (raw tuna with a yamaimo (Japanese Mountain Yam) foam topped with dried nori): I LOVE tuna. I repeat, I LOVE tuna, but this is one way to make it unappetizing! The yamaimo is a sticky, mucousy consistency and really doesn't add any flavor. The tuna was also unnecessarily drowned in this too. :-/ I don't recommend it.
*Marinated Fresh Salmon & Octopus: This was fresh and delicious! I just wish the portion was bigger. It consisted of three pieces each of raw salmon and octopus, but there was tons of onion!
*Yellowtail salad (thinly sliced served over lettuce,cucumber & tomato): The yellowtail was fresh and delicious.
*San Diego Dream Roll (tuna, salmon, avocado, tempura & masago): This was a simple yet tasty roll.
*Una-don (grilled eel over rice): The ratio of eel to white rice was like 1:6. I do not recommend it.
Service was good. We were checked on by our waitress frequently since we were ordering 2-3 dishes at a time since we really didn't know what we were going to get. I think prices are comparable to other izakayas in SD. Also parking can be hard to find in the small parking lot.
Overall, I think this Izakaya is okay. I prefer Wa Dining Okan instead. -
Review from Christine B.
Honolulu, HI
9/20/2011
We were visiting SD for the week and I was craving ramen so I consulted my handy Yelp app and found this place. I love hole in the wall Japanese restaurants! They are always the best. It was a Thursday, 7pm, and we were seated right away.
We ordered vegetable tempura (mostly for our toddler daughter). It was good but I've never had tempura onion before. Kinda weird. Not bad, though. I ordered the shoyu ramen and it was yummy. 5 stars. My husband ordered the salmon teriyaki teishoku. It was okay. Not great. We ordered the green tea/red bean spring roll with black sesame ice cream. It was interesting - I liked it but the matcha was pretty strong. It almost tasted a little cheesy at first and it really made the red bean taste non-existent. And I actually really liked the black sesame ice cream.
One really odd thing is that you have to walk through the kitchen to use the bathroom. It's a really odd feeling to walk through the kitchen - I kinda felt like I was intruding.
Anyways, wish we could go back to try some more food. If we ever make it back to SD, I'd definitely want to check this place out again. -
Review from Lynn H.
San Diego, CA
7/4/2011
I came here a few months back with my friends late at night. Decided to come here because of the good ratings but I don't think this place is that great.
I ordered the tako yaki because I wanted something small and wasn't that hungry and my friends had ramen, chicken terkiyaki, yakisoba and calamari. First off, whoever made the food took forever I mean come on it shouldn't take that long to make the appetizers and once those were out it took them forever to get the entries out. I must admit the food was good but it wasn't that great. I can probably get something better elsewhere without having to wait an hour to get my food.
Once everyone was done eating we sat there for awhile until one of the waitresses to notice that we were done. The waitress cleared our table and we sat there for a good 20 minutes to get our bill. Actually we had to ask to get our bill after she cleared the table. Then our waitress was too busy eating so another waitress had to help us and she seem confused. OH just to let you know the service here is crap, its not that great because when we first came in they seem to have an attitude problem as if they were too good to serve us and a bit clueless. ANYWAYS, once we got our bill we paid half in cash and half on a card and they seem clueless about doing that too.
When we were done with paying we got up and left and didn't leave her a tip. First off, I normally tip and usually I tip if you deserve it, it is my choice if I want to tip of not. NOPE this girl ran out asking for tip and it was the most awkward situation ever cause we stood there looking at her thinking if this girl was serious. Does she know how badly she treated us? Did she know that she didn't do her job right? Well one of my friends gave her two dollars so she can stop standing here asking for a tip. Run away with our two dollars and leave us alone. -
Review from Flea B.
San Diego, CA
9/25/2011
Very authentic Japanese restaurant. The ramen dishes looked amazing, and this is the place to go for serious comfort food. Next time I have a cold you had better believe I'll be visiting this place! The sushi was all right (had the fireman), sort of pricey for the portion sizes. The inside of this place is really neat.
This is a great late night date place, or rainy night hideout. I'll be back. Did I mention they're open until 1am?! -
Review from Dana D.
Escondido, CA
9/9/2011
Izakaya Masa gets that extra star for the service :)
MAKE RESERVATIONS! My boyfriend and I went there around 6 on a Friday night and the restaurant was empty. Surprisingly, the waitress told us that the whole restaurant was reserved. She did say that if we can finish before 7:30, then we could stay. Respect her for being honest to the people who made reservations, and accommodating to completely new faces.
We had the Spider Roll, Alaskan Roll, Chicken Curry Katsu, and the Chicken Teriyaki Donburi.
Spider Roll- Lots of avocado and crispy crab body!
Alaskan Roll- Raw salmon was TO DIE FOR. Angel Cloud soft and fresh out of the water. I would recommend ordering anything with raw fish. Next time I am trying all of their sashimi.
Chicken Curry Katsu- I have had better, but you really can't go wrong with curry :) I wish they offered menchi as an option with curry.
Chicken Teriyaki Donburi- THE TERIYAKI SAUCE!! DEAR LORD THE SAUCE! They cook it with something because there was a thin film of fat on it, but that is what made it delicious.
Go on an adventure and try Izakaya Masa :D
