I have not been SO HAPPY for a long time since u went to Japan last year! This place is legit and so authentic. The yakitori all has a nice charred flavor and was grilled to perfection. The beef was so tender and the pork belly has the right thickness to make it crispy. The sauce that they use to dip the yakitori is full of umami. Was so pleasantly surprised by the soft shelf crab hand roll which is a huge portion. The crab was crunchy and paired so well with the creamy imitation crab. Usually I don't expect salad to be very good but the tofu and avocado salad was so tasty. It can truly be a meal on its own since the portion was huge! Even though the waitlist was long but they turned the tables very fast. But they still let you take your time once you are in the restaurant. Super attentive service and extremely nice staff. I like the open large table concept where you feel the warm atmosphere yet have a little bit of privacy. Can't wait to go back to this place!

Friends and I had gone to the Japan Fair in the STC GardenWalk but was not satisfied with the food there (plus it was expensive). And so friends said we should go eat here as they've had it and I never had. And so we went :) it was around an hr wait but totally worth! **ORDERED: ~ Spring Tempura Set: Taste: 9/10; this tempura set was very interesting as I've never had most of these vegetables in tempura form. There was okura, bamboo, lotus root, eggplant, and pumpkin in the set. It was so crunchy and fresh! The breading was not too much which I LOVED! ~ Skewers: okura, gizzard: Taste: 8.5/10; the skewers were pretty good, hot from the stove, and tasty with great flavor! I definitely enjoyed them and hope to enjoy the many varieties they have on their menu! ~ Tonkatsu: Taste: 7.5/10; the crunchiness was pretty good but I felt like the meat wasn't as juicy as it could've been :( but I still enjoyed the crunch! **VIBE: Inside of the restaurant was a traditional setting with some shared tables and regular separate tables which I didn't mind at all since we had a smaller party. The Japanese decor along with the servers yelling welcome in Japanese every time someone came in was a very welcoming and friendly vibe! **PEOPLE: I believe our server was new which I would never mind as we all gotta start somewhere :) he was able to assist us plenty and was able to get our orders quickly and efficiently! **OVERALL: I would definitely come back as they have an extensive menu of traditional Japanese food and I can't wait to try more of the variety that they offer! :)

I came to honda-ya multiple times with many different friends in the area, but the experience this time was nothing like the rest. I think it's because I got to treat out my boyfriend, and we tried so many different dishes, which were all so amazing! Food: I firmly believe that you can't go wrong with anything you order from here, you can blindly pick and choose, and it'll still be good haha. But with that aside, their beef tongue yakitori, scallop yakitori, garlic marinated scallops in their special menu, men-mochi, and yakiudon are absolute musts. I quiet enjoyed the tako-wasa although the wasabi flavor was rather strong for me, liked the salmon carpaccio even though it wasn't super unique or special. I don't think I'll be ordering ume-shiso, beef tatami, stinky roll, matcha mont blanc, daigaku imo next time, but glad I got to try those as well, cuz they were still very delish! Price: most dishes tend to be less than $10, but can be up to $15-20 if they are special menus or require more expensive ingredients. We ordered a whole bunch of plates, and the meal ended up to be about $130 including tax and tip Ambiance: we signed up for the floor seats instead of tables, to really get that feel of japanese izakaya restaurant. Despite me and my boyfriend being asian, I don't think it was super comfortable to sit cross legged the whole time, but worth it for the experience. Usually I had to wait up to an hour to get seated, but because I came on a Monday, we only waited about 10-15 minutes Service: nice young non-Japanese waiters running the show within the restaurant, they were friendly taking my orders and made sure we got all the plates correctly. Checked in often to refill our waters, and got our check right on time too Parking: large parking lot within the complex, honda-ya is located in the corner of big outdoor plaza. Had no issues finding a spot on Monday evening, but I think it can get quiet busy during the weekends

Ya, this place is absolutely bonkers. If there's one must go place to eat at, it's Honda-Ya. Izakaya and small bites is the name of the game here. I was a fan of, well, everything but let's break it down: Tako-wasa was wasabi marinated octopus and phew, it's fresh with a kick. Loved every bite of it. Ume-shiso tempura is white fish wrapped in shiso leaf and it's glorious with its crunch paired with the lemon and salt/pepper thing. It was gone in seconds. Beef tataki was decent at best, it's good but you could probably get something else better. The garlic scallop with quail egg is a limited time item but wow, easily my favorite dish of the night. It's just... heaven on earth. The fresh scallop marinated in garlic sauce and oomph. Can't stress how much I loved this. Salmon carpaccio is almost always a solid option, no exception here, nice and fresh and refreshing to boot. Men-mochi is my second favorite item, mochi, cod roe, and cheese? Sign me up. The cheese and mochi pull is impeccable and the cod roe just seals the flavors together, making for a pretty fantastic dish. Yakiudon is a nice carb since you're likely ordering a bunch of noncarb items, good flavors and diversity in this dish. Beef tongue skewer is pretty epic. Nice and chewy but also cooked to perfection. The scallop skewers were good too but pales in comparison to the garlic scallops. Stinky roll is another nice filler item, the sushi is good, everything is fresh, but again, filler for carbs. Now dessert: matcha mont blanc is the epitome of "not too sweet" which makes for a nice dessert for "older" asian folks like us. So what're you waiting for? Honda-Ya's calling for you. The wait can be long on weekends, weeknights aren't *as* bad but you do what you can. If you can eat on the tatami floor, go for that, you take your shoes off and enjoy some cozy and chill ambiance in an already amazing restaurant.

I had the pleasure of dining at Honda Ya in Tustin and their skewers are exceptional. Each skewer was grilled to perfection, with the meats juicy and flavorful. The variety on offer was impressive, allowing us to try everything from chicken to tender beef and succulent shrimp. The atmosphere was cozy and the service attentive, making for a delightful dining experience. If you're in the area, don't miss out on these delicious skewers!