Izakaya Sasaya 居酒屋楽楽家

"This place always has some of the best and most authentic Japanese food whenever I order from here. The chicken karaage is so good. The grilled skewer meat selection is amazing. The chicken katsu and rotating specials have never disappointed either."

"I understand the importance of tipping. I had left a standard 20% tip for our entire order to begin with. Afterwards, I decided to order a can of soda (read: not served or otherwise prepared) and pay a separate $3.86 check unrelated to my first big order of food. I was not going to tip again just for a passive-aggressive staffer to transport a can of Coke from their fridge to my table that is right outside their BOH. I tried not tipping at all. Unbeknownst to me, the "waitress" (they don't take your order or check up on you while you eat) was watching me from behind, then interjected with a "I don't recommend you do that. I will have to make your order to go." I was baffled. I told her I already tipped for our actual bigger order. The Coke was just an after thought; a completely separate $3.86 check. I fought it. She begrudgingly backed down. She brought me a Coke with no separate cup for ice while my partner received an ice cup with his drink. Food was much too average for the energy wasted on tip-begging. Anything else neighboring Izakaya beats it in flavor and service. If you want to be badgered for a tip then come here."

"Hot dishes are good and comfy, the chicken skewer was really great. Yes, the space is a bit rundown but honestly I think that’s a vibe. It’s charming. They did change the space since I last came here, though. I prefer how it was before, more open. Like this is good for romantic dates or meetings because there’s privacy. I wish they had the servers come in and talk to you though instead of just ordering everything on a tablet."

"We went for late dinner, it wasn't that crowded and we sat right away. We noticed the ipad on the table, thought it was pretty cool, so started to browse the menu, but the ipad was a little slow and non responsive. The food came fast, and the tech and vibe are pretty cool."

"This place is fantastic. We came in looking for a late dinner and everything was outstanding. I especially liked the smokey duck skewers and the salmon / avocado roll. My wife loves mentaiko so she got the mentai-udon which was perfect. The chazuke to end the meal was just right. Highly recommended"