Osaka Mansun Restaurant — Restaurant in Austin

TERRIBLE PLACE AVOID AT ALL COSTS! SURPRISED I AM NOT DEAD AFTER EATING AT THIS PLACE LAST NIGHT! I really, really wish I could give 0 starts after my experience there yesterday evening. I ordered Korean food to go, I had Tangsuyuk (Korean style sweet and sour pork) and my gf had Yukgaejang. I get there to pick it up and the lady at the register said that she was sorry but they were out of some of the korean side dishes that usually come with the meal and gave me a salad instead. That was ok, disappointing but it's all good at this point. I get home open and start opening the packages quickly because I am starving at this point. I open the package that has the fried pork for my tangsuyuk first. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! There is hardly any pork! If you are familiar with this dish then you know it usually comes with enough to feed two (way too much food usually) but this looks like it might be enough to feed a small child but that I even doubt. Then I pull out the sauce... It looks fine so I pour it on and man it is just thin, very thin like a thin soup which is not very typical (it is usually thinner than Chinese sweet and sour). Then I take a bite. OH MY GOD THIS IS THE MOST TERRIBLE FOOD I HAVE EVER EATEN. The sauce was nothing even close to what it should have been! DISGUSTING (I hate that word but it describes it perfectly) thin and tasted like brown gravy with some ketchup mixed in (I almost threw up just now thinking about how that tasted). OK, OK on to the next meal the yukgaejang.. Maybe they will get this one right!? NO WAY! It was so terrible and they definitely used mexican or new mexican chile powder to make it (I know, I am from NM and know my chili) The noodles were terrible and my gf even commented that she should've just sent me to the HEB around the corner to get some Ramen noodles, that would have been much better and at a fraction of the cost! Our meal total was over $30 and it was the biggest rip off I have ever been a part of. Someone shut this place down or get it together. Sorry excuse for...

Terrible. Was seated, then told the dining room closes in 8 minutes. I replied there was not a sign on the door indicating that as the hours of operation were listed from 11:00-10:00 M-F. Ignoring me she asked for my drink order. I was offered 4 white wines without being offered a menu. So I ordered a generic type of wine. When I asked for the dinner menu, I was showed the QR code in which the menu was so microscopic that even zooming in was nearly impossible to read. I ordered a roll I was familiar with and escolar. She shouts my order to the chefs from my table, then asks if I’d like a salad and miso soup. I said yes. After delivering my drinks, she brings all of my food at once. The order was wrong, unagi instead of escolar, the quality of the salad was cheap & not tasty, and I wasn’t served a plate. After I put a piece of sushi in my mouth, she checks on me, to which I hadn’t even chewed twice but needed a plate. A customer entering at 2:07 was turned away because they were ‘closed’ though the door was not locked and the open neon sign was on. I finished my meal at 2:25. Drink empty, salad & soup bowl at edge of table, credit card visible. As is custom, the family sat down to eat at 2:30. I was then ignored until the employees finished eating at 2:45. At this point the waitress approaches my table, and with a mouth full of food, holds her hand in front of her mouth, through a muffled voice asks me if I’d like a to go box. Not been given a wine menu, my glass of wine was $12. Not having time to look at ANY menu, I was charged $8 for a lunch salad, $3 for a bowl of miso soup. The rest is history because for terrible service and poor food quality, as well as order inaccuracy , the bill was $53. I did not recognize any of the employees. If this is under new management, I feel this restaurant should change the name so as to not reflect what used to be a high quality with great hospitality restaurant that I used to...

I've been eating at this restaurant for 20 years and it’s still one of my favorites. In fact, Osaka is where I was first introduced to sushi back in 1993. They've had some ups and downs, but it seems in the past 3 or 4 years they've reinvigorated their menu as well as upgraded their sushi quality. Perhaps it’s the articulate nature of the newer chefs that demand a higher quality experience. Whatever they’re doing, it’s working.

I've eaten at sushi restaurants all over the US and I can tell you that Osaka’s quality and service are up there with some of the best. For such a small unimpressive venue, they deliver excellent results. I've eaten here too many times to count and the most recent experiences have been the best. The Uni I tried last time was sweet and tender and delightful. The Uni at any restaurant is going to be hit or miss, but it seems every time I've tried it at Osaka, it’s been perfectly prepared and tasted exactly as I expected it to. The chefs put extra care into their work, which shows in taste and presentation.

One thing I miss however is the traditional Koto music they used to play. It made the dining experience sort of like meditation while enjoying the onslaught of food porn. It also transported my auditory senses into another culture, further extending the experience beyond just food. It would be awesome if they could just play that music for me when I go to visit, then after I’m gone they can put on whatever main stream stuff they’re playing now.

I frequently recommend this restaurant to my friends and family. It’s a place that I have established many great memories over the years that will remain close to my heart. I’m grateful for Osaka and I hope they continue to flourish as one of the longest standing sushi restaurants in Austin. If you’re an Austinite or just visiting and you enjoy sushi, you owe it to yourself to give Osaka a try. Be sure to...