Izakaya Masa
| Address: | 928 Fort Stockton Dr, San Diego, CA 92103, USA |
| Phone: | +1 619-542-1354 |
| Site: | izakayamasa.com |
| Rating: | 4.7 |
| Working: | Closed 6PM–1AM 6PM–1AM 6PM–1AM 6PM–1AM 6PM–1AM 6PM–12AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 11
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Erin Barry
Almost feels like being at a true izakaya in Japan! Small plates (tapas style) of most Japanese classics, plus a sushi selection and ramen choices. The place is well decorated and you feel transported out of San Diego. Be prepared to wait, though, (even on a Sunday night we had to wait for about 25 minutes for a table). But the food is well worth it! Highly recommend the gyudon, takoyaki, and katsudon. The zaru soba was also delicious, though not as flavorful as it sometimes is. Ramen is good, but be prepared that they make it with much more garlic than most places (which I like but others may not). On average you probably need about 2-3 dishes per person. Finally, be sure to save room for dessert! The orange sorbet is fresh and excellent, although the stand out by far is the black sesame ice cream with green tea spring roll. The ice cream is one of my new favorites, just a little sweet, and they serve the spring roll warm and crispy, making for an amazing contrast. Excellent place and would return!
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Everard Castaneda
Relatively authentic from my experiences at izakayas in Japan. Of course there are slight differences to cater to the western palate. And since ramen is the new bacon these days, I have to mention that their ramen is underrated next to places that market themselves as ramen restaurants. Yes the wait times can sometimes be a little long depending on the time and day, but I dont believe in docking stars to restaurants because the ratio of people who want to eat there and their capacity dont match up. If its a good place to eat then expect a wait..or stay home and cook. Just an opinion. I also dont think (generally speaking) people know what izakayas are to begin with. Theyre not really a Japanese restaurant in that sense. They are a sort of drinking place with certain types of Japanese food to eat while youre doing all that drinking. Akin to a pub and pub food..except so much better. Now order a Sapporo and some takoyaki and let the good times roll.
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Laurie Hester
I went to this restaurant based on the great reviews, and it was terrible. Ive lived in Japan, and was with 2 Japanese people. It was embarrassing. I am always suspicious of an ethnic restaurant with nobody from that ethnicity in it. All non-Japanese patrons. I suspect this is run by Koreans, because there was kimchee on the menu for one, and Japanese food normally has very delicate flavors, which is overpowered by kimchee. I have never seen kimchee offered in a real Japanese restaurant. I have also lived in Korea and love kimchee, but then it goes well with Korean food. At any rate, the tempura was soggy and greasy. It was inedible. The ramen was horrible; tasted like package ramen. Again, inedible. Good thing I wasnt too hungry. The gyoza was blah. The sushi was okay, but not spectacular. The food was presented very well, and they had some unusual things on the menu, but if you cant get the basics right...
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Jaymes Wenceslao
Still one of the ramen places that I love to go to, and has remained as my top ramen house for about a year now. I always get the Hakata Ramen, its the restaurants most popular dish, and for a good reason. The tonkotsu broth is very rich, you get a good portion of pork, the ramen noodles are cooked perfectly and its all at a great price too . The restaurant is pretty small so dont plan to come with a party bigger than 6, it can get pretty crowded on weekends so be prepared to wait when you get there. It fits well with the surrounding neighborhood, it portrays a hole-in-the-wall street food place that definitely lives up to the hype. I highly encourage you go check it out (but not on Sunday because its closed)
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Christine Tran
Easily best ramen in San Diego, although there isnt much competition here. The broth is perfectly salted with hints of miso- nice and hot. The ramen is always cooked to al dente and just the right amount of chewiness for the broth. It is always worth adding an egg to the dish. Deal breaker. Char siu is the best component- fresh, filling, and subtle hint of sweet. Other dishes worth nothing: agedashi tofu, miso soup, tempura. Service is excellent here. Youll be greeted cheerfully by the whole restaurant crew upon entering/exiting. Strong cultural influence, which is awesome. Its like being in Japan...in San Diego.
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Colby Henderson
Pros- The menu has some unique items such as beef tongue and spicy jellyfish. They also have generous portions for the rolls. The waiting staff was very friendly. Cons- First and foremost, I had to wait 45 minites for a seat. The sushi has that slight fishy flavor which to me indicates the fish is not that fresh. The rolls were actually quite massive to the point where a normal person would need to take two bites per piece. Also, they would not prepare beef tongue for me, apparently they said it would take too long to prepare. I will not revisit this place when I am in San Diego again.
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Jorgeanne Cabuhat
I highly recommend. Its a small place but the food is great and they are open late. Must gets: ramen and their masas fried chicken (make sure to squeeze lemon over it). They are popular for their ramen but also do very well with their sushi and bento boxes. It feels like an authentic Japanese restaurant. Make sure to head their early before their dinner rush or you can expect at least a 45 minute wait. They have parking but the lot gets pretty packed and Mission Hills street parking is not the greatest, but well worth the hunt.
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Crissy Dawson
I was so impressed with this restaurant. Its tucked away in a tiny little mini-mall. When I walked in, I was greeted by the whole staff with "Irasshaimase!" It was so hard to choose what to order, because the menu has a great selection of traditional Japanese dishes. I ordered the Shio ramen and some salmon nigiri. The Shio broth was flavorful and not too salty, and the noodles were cooked to just the right texture. The fish was good and the sushi rice was excellent. I cant wait to go back and get more comfort food!
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Kimberly Patton
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, cant wait to go back.
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Jacques Pavlenyi
Possibly the best Japanese food Ive had so far in San Diego. Small -- dare I say "intimate" two-room box with a small bar and kitchen, the service is so friendly, and the food excellently prepared. The California Roll - that staple this signals good or bad like bread at an Italian restaurant - was fresh, crisp and slighly sweet. The gyoza complex, and the chicken cutlet (katsura) roll a wonderfully unexpected surprise. Definitely make reservations!
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Jill Marie
My favorite thing about this spot is its traditional feel. The atmosphere and decor inside is just right, although it can get a bit loud. This place is small and you must make a reservation! The food is excellent, with a wide range of delicious Japanese appetizers and dishes. We went here for a birthday celebration and everyone had an excellent time. Highly recommended!
