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I'm always excited to try a new Japanese restaurant. There's something about Japanese food that demands criticism from you. Japanese food is Japanese culture collected into the multi-layered experiences of feasting with your eyes, savoring with your mouth and satisfaction from your stomach. If a bento box, a dinner set, or a chef's omakase can create an exemplar of all three criteria with his art then his efforts to show you the essence of how much the Japanese take pride in their culinary skills to take you on a journey to Japan.
My experiences at Kitayama affirm my love for everything Japanese. The heavy wood door reinforced with medieval iron rivets transports you to a world walled with red and brown lacquered furniture laced with gold leaf cranes and amaryllis. You'll notice a regal kimono is hung with its accompanying obi as you walk towards the welcoming host who greets you with courteous bow.
I always get seated at a window that looks out to the elegant rock garden lushly lined with Japanese maples, pine bonsais, a rock waterfall, and mini stone pagodas. The serene scene immediately puts me into a relaxed state that prepares my mind to review the menu and listen to my taste buds and heart for the final zen decision of what delicious food I'm about to order. The servers are diligent, my tea cup is always full, and my food always comes out when I least expect it.
I tend to lean towards getting a lunch set every time I go. Deals range from $10-$17 for a wonderful array of items. They most always include a bowl of perfectly seasoned sushi rice, oshinko pickles, iceberg lettuce salad with sesame dressing, main dishes that vary from tempura, chicken or beef teriyaki, an array of sushi, or a fillet of salt-marinated salmon or other type of fish. Some sets include a bowl of comforting udon soup. The quality of sushi is very good. You can tell the sushi chefs and fish buyers are proud and confident of their product when the sashimi and sushi is served room temperature.
I'm never disappointed in quanitity. I usually can only have a spoonful of the udon with it's silky smooth dashi broth, after I have completed the main parts of my lunch set. Tempura is served piping hot, the teriyaki sauce is real teriyaki sauce - it's more free flowing and you can't draw a line in it. Most teriyaki sauces have a gel-like consistency. That's a sign of it being made in massive quantities with the usual commercial urgency that a restaurant kitchen makes its food. Kitayama makes its teriyaki sauce with real love and care. It has all the dimensions a teriyaki sauce should have: a slight tang from the mirin and citrus, the sweetness from a drizzle of honey and sugar, and the sultry depth from the soy sauce.
There is no compromise in how good the food is and the artfully crafted presentation that brings excitement to your eyes. Carefully placed shiso leaves, laces of shredded daikon that serve as a bed for sashimi, carrots and cucumbers crafted into sakura flowers placed on authentic-looking Raku, Oribe, and Shino ware show how your appreciation for food and your patronism is important to the chefs and to the establishment.
Kitayama is a restaurant that lays its heart out on the line for its customers, and it wins mine every time.
What's not to like? Quality high-end sushi. Impressive to dates, your social circle, or your parents when they come to visit. If you take anyone in either of these three genres of personal relationships to this restaurant you will be successful. Your date will love it because they have a lighted rock garden and the waitresses wear these huge fancy kimonos that girls go absolutely nuts about. You also sit in booths with these see through curtains between seating areas that add to the authentic Japanese feel of the place. Your parents will love it because the food is good and they will be proud that you have become somewhat accomplished and successful to afford to take them to an expensive restaurant. And your social circle will love it because it's a good restaurant tucked behind an office park and they most likely have not heard of it. Instant credibility.
I had to crash at a friend's place for two weeks while my house was in escrow unexpectedly late and I had already terminated my lease at my apartment. As a thank you I brought Pat G and Ashley C here to splurge on a variety of rolls and sashimi. I would take the rolls over sashimi but the $20 plate of sashimi is worth it. The Three Kings roll is really good and in general the eel rolls are tasty. For three people, with sake, I dropped like $125 here. Not bad for 2 weeks of lodging at Villa Sienna.
I came here for lunch today and the service and food has definitely dropped significantly from the many times I've eaten here in the past. I would have always rated this restaurant a 5 in the past due to the lovely decor with the Japanese garden, the authentic attire of the servers, and the fresh sashimi.
However, today's lunch was quite a disappointment for the following reasons:
1) When we ordered the lunch special at 12:45pm, the waitress told us to wait because there might not be enough lunch specials left. She checked and said that they would have more in 10-15 minutes. How can your run out of lunch specials at 12:45pm?
2) The food was not good considering how much they charge. We had two pieces of toro for$13 and it wasn't outstanding.
3) They did not keep coming to refill the green tea and I had to ask the server to refill it.
4) The menu selection has also diminished too. They used to have all these unique and cool items on the menu but now, the menu is basically just the sushi list, lunch specials, and bento boxes.
5) They no longer have cute servers wearing Japanese kimonos. The servers just wear black.
Kitayama hosted my graduation party and accommodated 16 people in one of their private rooms. The service was fantastic and the food was delicious! Great restaurant.
People thought this was:
Came here with for my Dad's birthday dinner, thus breaking my almost 2 year sushi hiatus (I think I'll be pretentious and say that I was a well versed sushi eater before that). The first thing I noticed was that the workers were Vietnamese!
It's a little strange (perhaps in a bad way) to come to a Japanese restaurant and be able to talk to the workers about Viet Nam... but don't get me wrong, the workers here are SUPER NICE!
The wait here is much shorter than at Taiko, which is really the main reason why we came. While we waited, we hung out at the bar and chatted with Victor (who insists that it is pronounced, Vic-Tore, not Vic-ter) who is half Vietnamese and a quarter French and Swedish respectively. He's really funny and great to chat with and makes a mean mojito. Major props to him, because without him, our wait would have surely felt much longer. He also was very generous with the edamame that he served us.
We sat at the sushi bar and Jun seemed to be the chef for half of the bar. His knife-skills are up to par with some of hte better sushi chefs I've seen, which is a shame since the quality of fish at Kitayama is far from the best I've had. At the sushi bar, I sampled:
1. Salmon - I had this sashimi style. It's bland here and the usual rich, oily flavor that you get at higher end sushi restaurants is definitely lacking. The sashimi was also drenched in a tart sauce and covered with cucumbers which, I believe, was a good attempt by Jun to try and bring out what little flavor the fish had.
2. Yellow Tail - I had this sashimi style as well. As with the salmon, the yellow tail was also a bit bland, so much so that I wish I had some lemon to squeeze on it.
3. Monk Fish Liver - I know, I know, it's not monk fish liver season, but I haven't had it in years and I was craving it. It's the most orange monk fish liver I've had and also the largest out-of-season liver I've ever seen. Definitely lacking in both flavor and texture. It was far too crumbly and didn't have the creamy richness that really good liver has.
4. Tamago - Bleh! This was terrible! The color wasn't even right! It looked grey! Worst dish of the night!
5. Spanish Mackeral - This was one of the better things I had at Kitayama. The fish was creamy at first which builds up to a nice tart finish which is accentuated by the sauce which has noticeable traces of citrus in it.
6. Albacore - Mediocre and if anything, a bit dry.
7. Unagi - It was alright, nothing special... though nothing too terrible.
8. Red Snapper
I appreciate the effort, but if it weren't for the generous amounts of alcohol I was drinking, I probably would have been much less satisfied. So as a tip, get your drink on at the bar first! It'll make your food taste much better.
People thought this was:
Great interior, great outdoor garden, and VERY MEDIOCRE food!
The best thing of the night was the couple who was originally from New York sitting next to us. If it wasn't for the drinks and good conversation, I'd have to say this was a really mediocre experience. Even the flamboyantly gay bartender couldn't spice up the poki rolls here.
I assumed that they'd have some good nigiri sushi, but almost everything they served up was sub par. I've had better experiences at restaurants in strip malls in San Dimas. It sucks that this place is all show and no soul. If they were reincarnated, they'd come back as rock.
People thought this was:
This place was always so close, and yet we came so infrequently. We always acted as if nobody knew why, but everyone knew why: it just always seemed to take forever. It has plenty of seating, and they do a lot of hanging various barriers around to give individual tables their privacy. Still, even when it seemed like it wasn't remotely crowded inside, it took a long time to get seated, and then was pretty slow afterward, even at the point of them giving the bill which usually is... well, you know.
The food is somewhat expensive, and mediocre if you order off the set of six or so combos that will be your instinct and are located toward the back. You're better off skipping this and any mention of tempura or whatever other non-sushi/sashimi Japanese items might be involved, and ordering the sashimi -- maybe sushi -- piecemeal or off one of the more diverse combos. I was tasting a lot of things on my best visit, and not really keeping track of what was what, but generally they did a better job on the more complicated sushi rolls, and the sashimi as well.
They also seem to have a pretty decent bar, but nobody's ever there, so it's sort of like, "What's the point?"
This is the best place for lunch in Newport Beach, if your craving for Japanese. The quality of the beef and chicken they use melts away in your mouth! I've been coming here for years now, and have to admit they use the finest quality meat! The laugh I always get out of this place is when I see caucasians trying to use a chopstick! haha!
I don't live in Orange County anymore but I eat here pretty much every time I go home, and I love it every time.
First, Kitayama is owned by a seafood wholesaling conglomerate. So you KNOW that fish is good (rumor is they save the best for their restaurants)
So I find it hard to believe that people don't like the sushi/sashimi (you don't eat it for the soy sauce or wasabi flavor... right?)
Secondly, I wouldn't go here to eat california rolls or chicken teriyaki, just because they have such a wide range of traditional and more authentic Japanese food to choose from (I can go to my neighborhood place to get those items). Fish cheeks, squid "noodles", eel bowls, lots of good stuff to try so definitely order out of your comfort zone! (By the way, I'm not personally a fan of Shabu Shabu... so can't recommend that :P )
Now on to the food! Recently, I tend to sit at the sushi bar, and it's really fun to chat up your sushi chef and your friends at the same time, and they make whatever you want, or you can do a sort of pseudo-omakase where the chef just makes whatever he feels like making. Does a good job of going from light to dark, subtle to strong tasting dishes.
One of my favorites is, I think, a Red Snapper, where he puts on a little salt, a little lemon, and this hot pepper (jalapeno?) oil with some of the peppers, and places it in the oven for a tiny smidge just to warm up the oils, and hands it to you. It is inCREDIBLE.
Long story short, come here for the fish and the traditional dishes. And to enjoy the great decor too!
5 stars for great sushi bar experience and fresh fish
Revisit? Most Definitely!
Beautiful outdoor landscape and rock garden, dimly lit, semi-private booths, and private rooms for larger groups. Great for photographs.
Unfortunately, the food didn't meet the expectations. I would only return for the sushi, but there are better places at more affordable prices. The sashimi platter was fresh - uni, sweet shrimp (heads were fried after), scallops, and fatty tuna. There were few pieces, so each boat will likely only feed 2-3 skinny people.
The main entrees were a disappointment. My sauteed halibut had scales on the fish skin, the veggies were soggy, and the sauce was way too salty. The teppanyaki included fresh ingredients, but the DIY grill at the table was trouble. The $20 chicken teriyaki (no joke) looked dry and bland.
Come back to impress your guests with the restaurant's decor and some sushi, but avoid the main entrees.
I bookmarked this place to try over a year ago on 3/28/2009 and finally went today. Kitayama was actually the first place that I bookmarked.
We went for lunch. I was worried that we might not be able to make it over there eat and back in an hour but we did. Well maybe we took an extra 5 minutes, but we could have if we really wanted to and rushed our server.
Made reservations for noon. At first glance upon walking in I thought this place looks empty, but then when we entered the dining room it was indeed quite full so I was glad I made the reservation. This place was also much bigger than what I expected, but also much less fancy. I am sure at night when the lighting is right, the garden and restaurant will look more purdy.
Food.
Combination #2
- Free range teriyaki chicken. Great chicken meat with none of that hard or really fatty and inedible stuff. Skin on too and it was even a little crispy.
- Tempura consisted of 2 shrimp and 1 slice each of pumpkin, yam, and carrot. All good. Tempura just slightly more oily that I prefer but it was good with a crispy shell.
- Sushi consisted of 2 salmon nigiri, and 1 tuna and 1 snapper. Sushi was not cold, which to me, thats how I like my fish, so it was just right. For some reason I don't like it cold.
- Spring salad had too much dressing on it but otherwise pretty tastey. The dressing was more of a creamier sauce unlike some other places.
- Miso soup and white rice also come with the meal.
Good amount of food and decent value.
Spicy Tuna Cut Roll - Pretty skinny roll, and again more of a creamy sauce and it had radish sprouts mixed in. Nice change from where most places just mix the tuna with some chili sauce and roll it up.
Yellowtail Nigiri - Average sized slices and good
Service was like what everyone has said. Not too personable, but it got the job done.
As we were leaving we tried to exit into the garden through doors by the dining room but it wouldn't open. Oops. A server was sweet enough to lead us to the door and even open it for us to see the garden. Bonus points for that!
People thought this was:
Kitayama use to be one of the meccas for traditional sushi in the OC and why it use to garner such high ratings. I finally got around to trying it. But with more hardcore sushi places that have opened in the OC, can Kitayama stand up to all the competition?
I had what our waitress considered the "hardcore" sushi items. No rolls here. Not that I have a problem with them, but this traditionally is not really the place for them.
I have to say while the fish was good, it was mostly normal OC good.
Toro-Decent quality still not the buttery melt in your mouth kind I've had.
Uni-Super standard tasting (as in tastes the same through most OC places), made me gag a bit due to the a bit too much fishiness for me. Sushi Wasabi's is better and not so been-there-done-that tasting.
Spanish Mackeral-Pretty good, same quality as a lot of better places
Halibut-Recommended item, still sucked, way too chewy. Murasaki's usually is better at this one.
Scallop-Decent but slightly blander than usual. Ikko's and Wasabi's are a bit better.
Blue Fin Tuna-About the same as most of the best places.
Sweet shrimp-Again standard OC quality, the best one is still the live one from Maki Z-Sushi.
Sea Eel-Not so good, lumpy and a bit over coocked. The Murasaki one blows this one away.
Tried two specials, one was the tofu custard with uni and lobster. Sounds oh so decadent right? But none of the flavors came together and they made it way too slimy. The second was the fried shrimp in shiso leaf. Tasted mostly of leaf and not really of shrimp. Not a good combination.
Well I am sorry to say that Kitayama, for the sushi, does not stand up to the hardcore sushi places in the OC. While good quality, it does not have a difference that makes it stand out in any way. With the questionable taste of the specials and the price, I can't really recommend this place other than for the ambiance.
So I came here for the first time with my BF's fam because friends from Holland were here. All 8 of us sat at the sushi bar. I really had high hopes for this place....it was good....wasn't mind blowing. I can't even guess what the bill was since we all ate a lot and of the Goood stuff. We brought our own sake (just pay a cork fee of 12$) saw some of the prices of their sake and it can go up to 150$. So let's talk about the fish that is now in my belly:
Yellowtail sashimi: um...big disappoint. The only good thing about it was it did not taste fishy. Had that bottom hard part on it. wasn't soft and succulent. BF was super not happy about it. I think the chef knew maybe it wasn't the best because I *think* he threw in the giant clam sashimi for free.
Red Miso soup: that was good (had a smokyish flavor and little round dark mushrooms) wouldn't order it again but glad I tried it
Sashimi: Albacore was just okay, Salmon was super good, snapper with this (not hot) toasted pepper was super good.
Scallop sashimi cut in the middle with uni was OH YUM!
Sea eel (was not bbq'ed, was toasted with sea salt) was Oh yumyum
Sweep Shrimp was Oh yumyumyum
Spanish mackerel on top of tofu was yumx5
Toro was to die for
Salad with cooked giant clam and squid was good (glad I tried won't order again)
Toro bbq roll was just okay couldn't really tell it was toro
Lemon slushy? was refreshing (it was actually in a lemon)
Scallop sushi was sweet
Yeah we had a lot of food. I was beyond stuffed to the max!
People thought this was:
I really like Kitayama: the food, the atmosphere. I have been there twice: once at the sushi bar, and once at the restaurant. It was a fun experience both times. Seating at the booth is very private, while the bar is a bit noisy. It just depends on what you prefer.
My only disappointment is that their California roll is not with real crab, and our waiter told us that it would be too expensive to make it that way. Well, I have California rolls with real crab at many other places including Fukada, and it is not that pricey.
But I generally like this place, I will definitely be back.
People thought this was:
This is seriously my favorite Japanese restaurant in Irvine. I love seating at their sushi bar and order my favorite roll -- special cucumber roll ---no rice! They make it here the best and I've had this everywhere else sold!
I also love their lunch combo and specials. I like seating in their very private feeling booth with curtains.
Their zen garden is also very nice and peaceful.
Just writing this review is making me want to go back there very very soon! Kitiyama, mama's a comin'!
People thought this was:
This is almost a 5. Excellent quality fish. They have a sister fish company up in LA and I'm assuming all their fish comes from that source.
I've only been here for lunch so this review is based solely on lunch hour experiences.
The sushi roll specials are awesome, and the bento boxes come with very tasty beef and chicken (depending on what you order).
There is something very impersonal about the service here. it wasn't bad, just very...distant. That aside, the booths are intimate and this is probably the best quality Japanese lunch you can get for under $13 in the John Wayne airport area.
This would also be perfect for a business meet if you've gotta take some clients to a local but decent restaurant. During lunch this place is pretty much full of suits and me in my grimy hoody. Whatevs.
People thought this was:
It's been awhile since I've been here, but I'm glad things haven't changed!
Their lunch specials are amazing. Today I got the sushi special, and someone else got the saba special.
The saba was most impressive: two slabs of moist fish, udon, tempura, and miso soup/rice.
The sushi combo came with assorted nigiri and a cut roll. The unagi didn't really fit in too well with the combo. It came out cold, and the pairing of cold/hot didn't make sense. Oh well.
We did order a side of saba, toro, albacore, and aji nigiris. All were great.
Time to come back for dinner n get their shabu shabu!
People thought this was:
Beautiful Japanese gardens and nice dining areas. Yet, they are trying to do too much with the menu and, as a result, are doing very little well. Place has potential, but in Newport Beach as long as the place is one where people can be "seen" they probably don't need to waste the money and effort to produce a fine meal.
Fresh fish.
I had dinner chirashi. good quality food. I think it was $35 or so.
Don't try rainbow rolls or other rolls. They are not as good. Sushi and chirashi was good though.
Others were having sukiyaki and shabu shabu. They looked delicious.
Make sure to have pineapple sherbet. $5 or so. TRY IT.
People thought this was:
The food here was very mediocre. The shabu-shabu meat was lean as shoe leather. My friend got a bowl of pork & eggplant soup that looked terrible. Not recommended at all.
I have a friend who I'll call Manny. He likes everything expensive without any substance and Kitayama is one of those places. He has LV sunglasses with reflective LV on the lens.
The decor is at most cute besides the waitresses wearing kimonos. Yes, I may be a little harsh with my reviews but I've experienced a lot of restaurants especially ones without the gimmicks and reasonably priced. Good food speaks for itself (Kitchen Nightmares).
Black cod was THE ONLY thing that was decent. Don't even try the shabu if you've been to California Shabu Shabu.
Our group of 10
Mussels
Clams
Sashima
Tempura
Soft Shell Crab
Shrimp Ball
Super California Roll
Chicken Teriyaki
Tofu Teriyaki
Shabu
Black cod
all under 1 star but the cod.
People thought this was:
My second time to this place was not as impressive as the first. The food was still good though. I got the Prime Rib Sukiyaki and my friend got Salmon Teriyaki and Lamb Chop.
I really want the pineapple sherbets but they ran out, so we didn't get any desert. I was very disappointed.
People thought this was:
I came here once and had the most amazing time!
The food were great! So delicious! The atmosphere is…
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So the fam and I were oddly in the mood for some sushi. We decided to pass up on Sushi Sankai, our usual spot, in favor of a place owned by a friend of mother's: Kitayama.
Right when you walk through the door, your eyes are treated to the GORGEOUS Japanese decoration of the restaurant. From the waitresses in kimonos, to the amazing zen garden, to the booths that look straight up from a geisha house, the place is flat out beautiful. However, the decor alone could not carry the mediocre sushi throughout the meal.
We ordered multiple rolls, including crunchy, Philadelphia, and California. The brother-in-law opted for the shabu meal, which looked decent, but I didn't try. We also ordered some yellowtail sashimi, along with some others. I was HIGHLY disappointed with the quality of the sushi. It tasted very.. plain, for lack of a better word. Other places have a unique style and taste to their rolls, which Kitayama did not. I was hoping the sake bomb would help with my meal, but it didn't. Back to Sankai for me!
People thought this was:
We ate here in March/2008, so this is a late review. I plan to be in the area and will dine at Kitayama again in March/2009. I'll update this review then. Given what's available in the greater LA area, I'd give Kitayama a 4.5 if there were 1/2 point options.
We had a reservation for dinner, arrived on time, and were promptly seated. Our hostess was authentically dressed in a beautiful kimono. She was Japanese and spoke the langauge fluently. Her ceremonial attention to detail, politeness, and exemplary service was outstanding. Our dinner extended near closing time and she seemed to disappear at the end of our experience when it came time for the check. I'm not sure if she was scheduled to leave before that time or what may have happened to her. We were both deeply disapponted for not being able to say goodbye and express our thanks.
A number of the replies on this establishment disturb me. Being rude, brash, and arrogant seems to be a trait for the young, know-it-all wannabes in the general LA area. When we arrived there were several families of various asian descent eating in our area. As they finished dinner and left there seemed to be an influx of loud, crude, arrogant players. I wouldn't be surprised if they were some of the people who responded so harshly here and blabbed on about mayo on their desired American-style "fad" rolls etc. i.e. showing their complete lack of Japanese cuisine experience. With the exception of their presence and disturbance, our experience at Kitayama was quite outstanding.
My friend started with a ginger dressing salad and I placed an order for nigiri toro and maguro. We also ordered a bottle of chilled Kubota "Manju" daiginjo sake, which had a fresh production date of only several months old. My dinner guest thoroughly loved her salad. My order of toro was extremely fresh and quite exquisite, as was the maguro. The menu claimed that the family who owned the restaurant also have their own fresh, local seafood operation, and I can believe it.
For our entre we both ordered the optional "Prime Rib" Beef Sukiyaki, which our hostess prepared tableside for us along with fresh, raw egg. Again, our hostess provided us with delightul conversation as she courteously prepared our dinner before us. We were not disappointed when the wonderful smell of our hot pot dinner turned into a wonderful taste as it washed across our tongues. We both agreed that this was the best sukiyaki preparation we've ever eaten, which is quite a compliment. My dinner guest's mother is born and raised in Japan, where she was also born, but later raised in America. Our sukiyaki experience at both restaurants and in many different private home settings likely exceeds most Americans. We never pass up a chance for sukiyake whenever we come across it.
I would not hesitate to entertain Japanese guests, either personal friends or business associates, at Kitayama. Our pleasant dinner experience here will stay for us a long time. I can't wait to dine at Kitayama again when I'm visiting the OC next month. I'll likely order the kobe-style beef shabu-shabu on this visit.
People thought this was:
Lunch is a steal if you are in the area. They have lunch sets which includes both udon, rice bowl & entree with reasonable prices.
Dinner courses are great as well! Large portions for shabu shabu and sukiyaki and the appetizers that comes with the course are quite delightful.
I especially love their tamago nigiri. Thick slices of tamago with a small amount of rice tucked inside the egg. Another dish I usually order is their Chawanmushi. It is silky, smooth with uni at the bottom! Cooked uni that is! I am usually not a big fan of raw uni so this is definitely another great way for me to enjoy uni.
Overall, I really liked the food & the ambiance here except the service I got last time. Miscommunication on what you want to order may happen and sometimes the service is quite slow.
i've been here a few times and i didn't think it was all that great.. i think the food was a little over priced :( however i have to say the decor was nice.
People thought this was:
4 stars my ass. How stupid can you be to rate this "only look" place greater than 2 or 3? The 4 stars is definitely for the ambience. I came here for a birthday party of about 10 people. We were all in our 20s/30s, but the waitress treated us like were in high school. We were all Asian. I know that we weren't always ready when she came by, we didn't look rich, and some of us were indecisive of what to order, but that doesn't give you the right to give us bad service. After a while, she just didn't even care about us. Big parties are always hard to serve. She should have acted more professionally and dealt with it. I could just tell, she seemed like a very mean, snobby old Japanese woman. Her "niceness" was all fake just like her fake smile.
Anyway, I ordered the beef sukiyaki and it was BAD. I've never had sukiyaki this bad before. They cooked it right behind us but when it got served, it hardly had any broth and the pieces of beef were HUGE. Not many ingredients like vegetables either. Not to mention, it was very salty too. I've had beef sukiyaki for half that price that was way better. It cost $22. The appetizers I had were fine, but nothing special and certainly not worth the 8/9 bucks each. I didn't have any of the sushi or sashimi, but looking at my neighbors plate, it didn't look anything special and the portions/amount they give you is SMALL for the price you pay. Someone got the sashimi boat and they were very stingy on everything.
Before we left, the waitress didn't give us our change back, even though we specifically requested for it back. We didn't want to pay a dollar more for the bad service we got. She was a b*tch. What topped off the night was one of the guest paid the ENTIRE bill then suddenly left. No one even knew him that well, but he paid for it all. Karma will get him back. ^^
Here's a comparable place I'll recommend to you that's EXCELLENT: It's called Japanaise. It's like a high end Japanese/sushi spot with a French flair. They have Japanaise branches in Chicago, Las Vegas, and I think in LA. This is a high end fushion Japanese restaurant that is expensive, but the food is generally excellent and matches the price. Does not disappoint!!
People thought this was:
I'd like to agree with the general consensus on the four stars, but...
I've only ever been here for dinner. I have tried twice to book reservations for the tatami room (which I've heard from colleagues is an authentic tatami room ... no holes in the floor). Each time, I was told on the phone that I would be seated in this area, but the promise has never been fulfilled. That's something I just can't stand.
This place is a little pricey, but I've always been satisfied with my choices. Shabu shabu and soft shell crab dishes have never disappointed.
I'm going to warn Yelpers that if you plan on getting the recommended sake of the night, ASK ABOUT THE PRICE. I know this seems a bit tacky, but consider that Kitayama once served me their best sake without letting me know that I'd be fronting over an extra $150 at the end of my meal. That's definitely a lesson hard learned.
In terms of decor, they've attempted to create a "classic" experience. This didn't start weirding me out until I began noticing more and more Korean waitresses. When I see them dressed in their yukatas, it's as if I've being let in on some kind of inside joke. Very odd.
3.5 stars.
People thought this was:
I am usually very graceful with the ratings....
but this place is by far THE worst japanese restaurant I've ever been to.
First, if you walk into an Asian restaurant, and see more non asian people walking around.. you know... it cannot get any good but have over priced non authentic food.
Decoration...is alright, the size of the restaurant is Ginormous!
The waitresses are Korean ladies walking around in kimono...
super over priced Sushi...which I know that I could get similar quality but probably 10 times less the price that they charge.
my friend ended up order little bit of this and that and the total summed up to 200 bucks for two.
Not sure if the quality or the portion was worth what you pay for.
Not Recommended.
Just because it's in a fancy neighborhood, does not mean it's a good restaurant.
if you want similar feel and surroundings, I would recommend the Geisha house in Hollywood. At least they have good drinks and fun environment.
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With offerings for lunch and dinner, Kitayama is a good Japanese restaurant. Make sure to make reservations in advance and you'll be fine.
As for the sushi, it's good. I also like the the eel bowl. I didn't like their Shabu Shabu.
I like to decor of the restaurant. There are private rooms for parties too.
p.s. I know this is weird, but they have one of those expensive toilets in the bathroom (lol). It had a seat warmer.
Let me to preface this review by saying that I don't like most Asian fusion places.
That being said, this place is disgusting. My friend took me here, swearing up and down it was "REALLY good Japanese food." Wellllllllll, when you walk in and see a bunch of non-Asians, sorry dude.
The food was horrific. I didn't try the sushi since we were there for lunch, but they even messed up a bento box! How on earth do you mess up rice, teriyaki chicken, and tempura?
This is a place you'd take people you want to impress (the decor is pretty nice)...people who don't know what real, GOOD Asian food is like.
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Kitayama for me was a jewel that was found randomly. I was driving with my girlfriend at the time, getting us lost to find a random restaurant to try out *not kidding at all* and we ended up at Kitayama. Upon entering, and getting to our table, it felt like we were actually in Japan! Decorated by very traditional type decor, and it helped also that there was a giant corporate party where everyone were dressed in kimonos.
I've been here twice now, and my only reservations are that this restaurant wouldn't be for everyone. Be sure to check the menu to see if they have something you'd be willing to eat first. It is under my impression that not every dish is going to be good, but I recommend the sukiyaki.
Recommended dishes:
Blue-fin tuna sushi
Sukiyaki
Sake Pudding
Atmosphere: Complete culture immersion inside
Food: 4/5
Price: A little bit pricey
Service: Friendly
Sushi lovers BEWARE!!
The average 4 stars this place has gotten is definitely NOT for the FOOD! It's definitely for the ambiance. It's a cute place tucked away with zen gardens and women in kimonos. It's great ambiance including an outdoor patio for smokers and warmer nights.
So we start our night (birthday night) with drinks at the bar. The bartender girl is a true bitch with fake hair. I ask her if she has red bull (for a red bull vodka) and she says to me "No we don't have that, it's not classy". (insert shocked face!). I GUESS i'm not classy. But besides that ... they ran out of blueberry stoli and didnt even have other flavors of stoli besides blueberry and vanilla (yuck).
Moving on to the food. So we start in the tatami rooms with the whole group. Knowing that my bf and I don't like to eat shabu shabu (hot pot is way better) or their teppanyaki (I would rather go to Honda Ya and have someone else cook it), we decide to test their sushi. And here we go ..
King crab roll (their speciality) - eh, its just crab in a roll
Bluefin tuna nigiri - I've had better, this one didn't melt in my mouth like I had expected
Japanese clam nigiri - the best thing all night - it was sweet, raw, and fantastic.
Spicy crawfish roll - eh, totally not worth it. There was no party in my mouth, no melting pot of flavors like their should be with the type of ingredients their using.
Yellowtail nigiri - this was good (better than the one I had recently at ra)
And then we ordered a spicy scallop handroll which NEVER came and I had to cancel it. Service was slow, food was brought out unevenly and the waitresses weren't around enough to order drinks consistently.
VERDICT - this place is way overrated for foodies and I would never go back. You can find way better sushi in OC elsewhere.
I wouldn't really call myself a picky eater, but a few bad experiences have put me firmly in the "not a fan" category of sushi patrons. I do, however, like teriyaki sauce and saki bombs, so I do frequent some Japanese restaurants.
I met my best friend here on Saturday night for drinks and diner. I recommended the place because I had heard good things and she's a total sushi monger so I thought it'd be fun to give it a try. The rain (or more accurately) the threat of rain seemed like it kept people at home as there was literally no one at the bar besides me, and two bartenders. I did have a nice drink and then one of the bartenders made me a sample of a pomegranate martini so I switched to that so I could pretend that the pomegranate juice health benefits outweighed the deleterious effects of the massive amount of vodka in the drink.
My friend arrived and we drank for a little longer, ran into her "girly-doctor" and finally made our way to a booth in the back. The details at this point get fuzzy because I think I had had three of the martinis at that point, but I do know that I ordered the "Aged Certified Angus Prime New York Steak" (don't judge me!) and my friend had the "Kobe Style Beef Shabu Shabu". I think shabu shabu means boiling water, or something to that effect because she had to cook her own meat.
The food was pretty good-- I ordered my steak rare and it came out medium rare, but I doubt that was the restaurant's fault-- pesky food codes and all... and my friend's kobe looked... interesting. She assured me it was pretty good (and I guess $50 for Kobe is considered a good deal).
Oh, we also had tempura rolls, which I liked.
What else? After eating, we went back to the bar and hung out with the bartender. I had originally wanted to go out to a bar-bar or dancing or something, but we had a really nice drunken conversation with him about his Japanese-Swedish heritage.
Also, I learned that Kitayama means North Mountain, so now my japanese consists of moshimoshi, Arigato, and... kita... yama.
People thought this was:
Came here for dinner the other night with my family and everything was fantastic. Reservations were made, got seated right away, waiter/waitresses (wear traditional Kimono's too) were very attentive and answered all our questions, decor was nice, the outside Zen like garden is a must see, and wasn't overly crowded where you had to yellow across the table. We got the following:
*Assorted Sashimi - halibut was very sweet and tasty, tuna could have been a bit fresher
*Snowcrab and Avacado salad - dressing has a light flavor to it, but all ingredients together was very refreshing
*Tofu and Seaweek salad - I liked the dressing a lot and the tofu was very fresh
*Beef and chicken yakitori - you cook it yourself and the beef is very tender
*Sushi Nigiri - halibut, salamon, blue fin tuna, shrimp, octopus, uni, and yellow tail (all very delicious)
*Green tea icecream - to my suprise, very good, great blend where the green tea isn't overwhelming
We probably spent over $200 on everything, but definitely a nice place to go on a date or for a special occassion, but be prepared to spend $$$
People thought this was:
Came here for lunch with my coworkers. We made reservations for 9 and were promptly seated when we entered. The service from there on out was just so-so because even though the food came out fast, our server kept forgetting portions of people's orders like the rice.
I'd say the lunch portions for the prices are worth it! I got the Kitayama Combo ($23) which came with:
- 6 pieces of sashimi
- Baked black cod (aka Butterfish)
- This gorgeous display of crispy shrimp
- 2 scallops
- A large daikon radish
- 3 small appetizers (a beef, an asian root, and tamago)
- Rice and miso soup
I'm an eater who likes variety so this was a great, satisfying meal in my opinion! A bite of salmon, a bite of beef, add a sip of miso soup... mMm I was stuffed! I asked what kind of sashimi was offered with this combo and they said tuna, yellowtail, and salmon. Since I don't like tuna I asked if I could just have extra salmon and no tuna. They were happy to change my order without griping and there was no extra cost for the substitution - hooray!
I'd highly highly recommend getting ANY combo that comes with the black cod - it is melt in your mouth, savory goodness with the skin crisped to perfection and nicely topped with a sweet sauce.
The ambiance here is great too - it's really large and spacious with kimonos decorating the walls. They have booths with little curtains as well so you get a sense that there is some privacy while you dine here.
People thought this was:
I went back again this time for a small outing. The service is once again superb and fabulous, but the everything else was "a-ok!"
Why?
The sushi is not so great. The portions are barely satisfying, but overpriced. You need to spend at least $30 for a decent meal... maybe more.
The food comes one...by...one... one... entree... every... five...to... ten... minutes... and then when everyone finally got their meals THEN the waitress gives us our bowl of rice. So for about five people, we had to wait 20 minutes to get our rice altogether. My sister and cousin were already done with their salmon teriyaki by the time it came since they were the first ones to receive their food.
So expect to spend a long... looooooong time there because they take their sweeeeeet time.
Great for parties and group fun, but most definitely not somewhere you want to go when you just want your food.
People thought this was:
Well I came here for a birthday party held for 10 people. They gave us the largest dining room there… Read more »
As I have only had lunch here at the sushi bar I am reviewing based on that. The first time I went I thought it was just ok but after this last time going I realized that I actually really liked my sushi. I ordered a rainbow roll which was done perfectly, the fish was all very fresh and the sushi chef was friendly (not super chatty like in some places, but efficient and he made a mean roll so I cannot complain). I also tried a toro-scallion roll, they put more toro in this roll than I have seen anywhere else, which at first I thought I wouldn't like, but I was pleasantly surprised and it also added more substance to the roll. My dad ordered salmon cheek, which I did not try, but he enjoyed it, though he usually likes to get the yellow tail cheek which they had run out of that day. Based on this, which is not a lot, I really liked Kitayama. I will be returning since it is right down the street from where I work.
There def. is a wait, but if you have an hour lunch break and sit at the sushi bar you will be out of there within that time period. All in all a good experience.
People thought this was:
Came here on a wednesday evening without reservations, had to wait an hour. With some reservation, for the place was booming with us gaijins, a good sign? Or rather the opposite? Who knew, not I.
Very calming and charming inside, I liked it. The waterfall was a little too much for me though, but I did like the rock garden.
Our waitress was very witty and charming in her kimono, she knew just all the right things to say. A true professional, it feels inappropriate calling her just a waitress.
My sushi was okay, the tamago was very good though. My newfound dining companions enjoyed their shabu shabu and sukiyakis, but then again they were young and starving so of course it was good. I was old(er) and not as hungry, but I enjoyed my meal all the same.
Cool place, I'd come back again. Especially if I'm not driving.
People thought this was:
[5 Stars: Personal Favorite]
2008 12 24
Omakase - High quality materials and high quality execution.
Newport Beach, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
Newport Beach, CA
Category: Japanese
Newport Beach, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
Costa Mesa, CA
Category: Japanese
Newport Beach, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
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