Izakaya Restaurant OG — Restaurant in Linz

Way too expensive for what you get! We don't eat a lot - but for €80 we left hungry. Now - don't get me wrong, we eat out a lot. I have no issue in paying €€€€ for great food. However, when there is a total and complete unbalance between the food received and the price charged, this is not OK. We've eaten more sushi & sashimi than the average diner - we go to great lengths to seek out great Japanese S&S all over the world. From the reviews Izakaya sounded great. So you can imagine our disappointment when we ordered salmon sashimi that was so thin it was transparent and maki that was 98% rice, & you had to squint to see the fish and the roll slices were the thinest I have ever seen. The taste was good - but no soy sauce on the table (the sauce that was served with the 'S&S was minimal and watered down) Overall, a huge disappointment and we won't go back. Unless I guess you order one of their 'shake n bake meal menu sets' there is no way you would enjoy a sushi & sashimi meal here - its a shame, because the taste and quality was good. But when you spend €80 on dinner and don't even get enough to satisfy one person; then it's time to...

Once you visited Japan and you liked the food, it is so hard to find a restaurant to taste just close to that in other countries.

The glass of plum wine I ordered interestingly predicted a good experience here at Izakaya. But boy, when I tasted the shiro miso soup, I just entered another dimension. Have you seen that scene in Rattatouille with Anton Ego having the final taste? That was me after I took the first sip of miso soup. It was striking. It felt like time stopped. It was like I was lost and finally found. Close to dropping a tear out of happiness and peace of mind. The soup felt like in Japan. So simple and full of flavor. I realized I was craving it since my last trip to Japan a few months ago. And I am still peaceful and happy minutes after.. I just found joy in simple things..

Yakitori was also great, very well fried and served with an amazing sauce.

The place is small and cozy, the cook is Japanese, they import stuff from Japan and cook it here.

I will definitely come again to try...

Best and probably only real Japanese restaurant in Linz. The food is quite authentic and the Sushi and Sashimi here is very high quality (especially in comparison to what you get in places like Akakiko). They occasionally have Rāmen specials, although I recommend going somewhere else for that, as I think they somewhat lack in flavor. I definitely do recommend their Hotpots (like Shabu-Shabu) though, as they are quite fancy and offer you a huge load of meat and vegetables for a very fair price. You must pre-order them at least one day ahead with your reservation though and it's only for 2 or more people. Their desserts also leave nothing to be desired as their matcha and sesame ice cream are perfect to end a satisfying meal. A warm cup of Sake might...