Izakaya An Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Concord

Soooooooo happy this place came to Concord!!! Just when I was feeling we moved to a culinary desert, surrounded by Little Cezars, Starbucks, and a Golden Coral (that Concordians are enthusiastically excited for some reason) Izakaya An has arrived!

We popped in here being cautiously optimistic for some Japanese cuisine and we were overly suprised how delicious it was!!! If you've been to Japan or you're seeking a truly more traditional place this is spot on. Udon was amazing!

The karaage, udon(chicken), mixed tempura, pork belly, and beef skewers were DELICIOUS!!! The only thing that made it better was the smile on their faces and the sweet lady that owns the place coming out to say hello and check on us.

There were three other tables there with people having fun and seemed to be enjoying their food too.

Love this place and will certainly be back to keep supporting this wonderful family establishment! Thanks so much for the great food and service!

The Asahi was promptly refilled too :)

Update 10 Jan 22: Izakaya now offering sushi rolls. They are delicious!!!

Update 16 Mar 24: This place is...

I accidentally found this amazing Japanese tapa place (Izakaya). If you’re looking for true Japanese family style food, this is the only place I found within Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, and Concord. That’s why there’s no fancy sauces or “teriyaki” options because the food here is “authentic.” 😋 Let’s talk about the Udon, the soup is very flavorful but not salty at all. You can taste Katsuo (skipjack tuna) and rich natural vegetables flavor. The Udon noodles taste soft yet chewy, not the average frozen Udon you found in other places. My wife loves their Daikon Mentaiko (pollock roe) salad. It’s a great light appetizer as itself, but goes well with white rice too. We also love their Tamakoyaki (rolled omelette). Most of time, you can find sweet and soft egg rolls in many places. Izakaya An style is very mild and smooth. The portion size is very satisfying ❤️ If you’re used to American style Japanese food, you will be surprised by this place. The food doesn’t use tons of salt or spices. Don’t be disappointed because this is how great family style Japanese food is...

Any place that serves Orion beer has a special spot in my heart. We started our meal with an order of fried chicken cartilage which is a sure sign of an authentic izakaya.

The Chirashi Don was delicious: expertly prepared sashimi over perfectly seasoned rice.

The Grilled Miso Black Cod was exceptional. According to my wife, the type of Miso used was legit and the accompanying Kobachi were wonderful compliments to the meal.

The yakitori set was spot on, tasty sauce slathered over charcoal grilled skewers of chicken, pork, shrimp, shiitake, and Japanese yam. Cho oishi daiyo!

If you’re looking for the quintessential izakaya experience you will be hard pressed to find anything as legit as Izakaya An. The owners were friendly and highly accommodating to me and my family. We will most definitely return to try the rest...