What Heavenly Japanese Spot Made Me Visit Four Times in Six Months?

I’d been seeing posts about this hidden gem in Irvine for a while, tried it late last year, and instantly fell in love — last week marked my fourth visit! In order of the photos: 🍣 18pc Sashimi Platter Technically 18 pieces, but the portions are generous — includes toro, uni, scallops, and more. Amazing value, easily enough for three. The ingredients are super fresh — the spot prawns were still moving when served, and they later fry the heads for you to enjoy. If I had to nitpick: the wasabi octopus felt unnecessary, summer toro was a bit lean, and one more silver-skinned fish would make it perfect. Highly recommend the platter — way better value than ordering individually. 🦪 Oysters Seasoned with dashi jelly and scallions. The oysters have a slightly metallic, creamy flavor. They said they’re Japanese oyster seedlings raised in Washington — regardless, they’re tasty. 🦀 Blue Crab Rice Pot Loaded with goodness — crab meat, flying fish roe, pickled ginger, seaweed. Mix it all together for amazing texture. The crispy rice at the bottom is heavenly. The sea bass rice pot is equally delicious. 🦐 Stone Shrimp “Tempura” More like sweet and sour shrimp than classic tempura — fried shrimp tossed in a garlic mayo sauce, sweet and tangy. Not traditional, but tasty enough to try. Honestly, their hot dishes aren’t the strongest — some rely too much on sweet chili sauce. 🦑 Fried Squid Karaage Basically fried squid — didn’t expect much, so no disappointment. Chewy but not rubbery, easy to bite through. Good enough. 🫛 Garlic Edamame Seasoned with soy sauce and garlic — much better than plain salted edamame. Served covered in a small bowl — when opened, the aroma is amazing. This seasoning would be perfect on Korean fried chicken. 🍹 Non-Alcoholic Cocktails 🌶️ Chili Mango — strong chili presence, dry and spicy, not heavy. Avoid if sensitive to spice, but worth a try for the adventurous. 🍸 Lychee Martini (non-alc) — essentially lychee sparkling water over ice… not much to say, wouldn’t recommend. ⚠️ Note: Half the seating is indoors, half outdoors — strongly recommend sitting inside. Outdoor service can be inconsistent — my first two visits outside, they forgot wasabi with sashimi and bowls for rice pots… spent the night politely chasing staff. Indoors, service is smoother — and you actually get the fried shrimp heads! 🏠 Izakaya Osen 💰 About $100 per person #Irvine #IrvineLife #IrvineEats #LosAngeles #LALife #LAEats 🍱