Robata Izakaya — Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City

The restaurant we originally wanted to visit was closed, so we had no choice but to look for alternatives — that’s when we came across this place and decided to give it a try.

Everything started off fine. The ambience was nice, and we were shown to a cozy dining room that felt comfortable and welcoming.

We ordered quite a variety of dishes, but unfortunately, the communication with the staff was unclear. Even though I pointed to the pictures while ordering, the staff didn’t repeat the order back to confirm. Dishes started arriving one by one.

One issue was that we ordered sea bass sashimi but were served mackerel instead. I told the staff we didn’t order it and didn’t want it. Eventually, the correct sea bass sashimi was served.

There were also long delays with some dishes. My salmon bowl took around 20 minutes, and the avocado sushi roll took about 30 minutes to arrive — which was quite frustrating.

Food-wise, everything was just mediocre. Nothing particularly stood out in terms of flavour or presentation.

When we received the bill, I noticed the mackerel (which we didn’t order or eat) was included. I asked for it to be removed. After some back and forth, one of the staff even asked if we could still pay for it. I politely declined and repeated that we hadn’t ordered or consumed it. Thankfully, they eventually removed it...

Overall, I feel like that the food is value for money whereby you get what you paid for. The taste is alright but for the price you are paying, I would say it is pretty good The curry rice tasted decent, can't really rate the udon dish since it was literally just udon with sauce (it would be a disaster if it tasted bad). Unfortunately the skewers were alittle lackluster. The octopus was alittle too soft, I would have wished for it to be grilled alittle more. The chicken giblet was not seasoned (not sure if they are supposed to be seasoned in the first place). The yakitori and chicken wings were pretty bad since they were unseasoned and pretty dry. The only one which I felt was decent is the shishamo which had that slight charred taste to it. Honestly, will I visit here again? I would say yes as I would like to try the other dishes but...

Robata Izakaya is a convenient spot for those looking for an authentic Japanese izakaya experience. The cozy ambiance and comfortable spacing make it a relaxing place to dine, whether for a casual meal or a special night out. The service was excellent, with staff speaking good English and always ready to assist.

I tried the Minced Tuna & Green Onion Rice bowl along with Chicken Gizzard and Chicken Heart skewers — the food was decent, with the grill adding a nice flavor to the skewers. The drink selection is also impressive, with options like sake and wine.

Additional perks include free WiFi, and they accept Apple Pay and credit cards, making payments easy. Overall, it’s a solid choice for anyone craving a laid-back Japanese dining experience...