Iwata

If you love great sushi and cant afford to eat at the $$$$ restaurants every day, Iwata is the next best thing. With choices like yellowtail belly, spicy tuna stuffed jalapenos, albacore tempura and spicy tuna on toast (my personal favorite), they are more of a traditional sushi restaurant, but with a twist. Parking can be difficult though, so get there early and shoot for a meter. more

I was first introduced to Iwata back in December and I cannot tell you how much I crave to go to this restaurant. To make it clear how much I love this restaurant I have been there twice in the past week...well past 5 days. LOL The fish is always fresh and I have NEVER had a problem. I am very picky when it comes to my sushi. I grew up on the East Coast going to one of the best restaurants that brought their fish in daily. I have also eaten at some of the best restaurants in the world. If it's your first time going you have to try the Rice Crispy Spicy Tuna, Citrus Salmon, and Habba Habba Roll!! They are my favorite! The green tea is also fantastic and warms the soul... I recommend this restaurant to EVERYONE!! I think I will eat there tonight for dinner!!! Pros: Best Fish in town! Great Service! Cons: Small and not much ambiance more

THE WORST SUSHI EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE.....\r The restaurant is nothing special to look at, though I don't care much for aesthetics. I'd been to Iwata a few times - it's a weak to moderate sushi place. But my recent visit takes the cake as THE WORST SUSHI EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE, and probably THE WORST RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE since moving to LA 10 years ago. I generally don't write reviews, but this was something else.\r We ordered the assorted sashimi platter, which came to the table looking pathetic. About 8 small pieces of sashimi for 13 bucks. The tuna SMELLED. I ask the lady how fresh it was, and she said it was caught this morning. Yeah right. \r Order the soft shell crab roll. The crab is just torched, almost black. Brutal. \r Freshwater eel roll - and this is the capper - a 1-inch, sharp as nails, BONE in the sushi roll. I tell the waitress and she just smiles and says ""Sometimes there are bones in the fish"". WHAT? Never in my life had I had a BONE in my sushi. I almost slapped her with my dick so she could understand the hazard of bones. \r \r When the bill comes, after all my complaining, NOTHING had been taken off as an act of courtesy. The bill read ""SUSHI - $59.30"". No itemized breakdown. \r \r I poured soy sauce all over the table, left a 7% tip (generous) and walked out. \r \r Suck it Iwata. I'm never going back, and I would rather eat at an all-you-can-eat dump then go to your crappy excuse for a sushi bar again. Pros: I didn't throw up upon leaving Cons: everything more

Let's start with the fact that I have been eating at iWata for 13 years. iWata was the place where I started eating sushi and I believe I will be taking my kids there one day. Iwata isn't the place you go for a romantic meal, iWata is where you go if you want amazingly well prepared fresh fish at a very reasonable price. Shuga (spelling is off im sure) is very picky about the fish he uses and always delivers the most fresh fish. A few favorites that are must tries are the ""Taka Special"" which is nothing crazy it is just salmon chopped and put on a crispy rice with a very delicate sauce that heightens the taste of the salmon. The scallop sushi is also great. Their spicy tuna cut roll is one of my all time favorites as is their spicy shrimp handroll (their sauce makes both). Now on the other hand if you want the staples; yellow tail, toro, sweet shrimp, uni, albacore, etc. then those are all amazing as well and should not be left out. Try iWata and fall in love, tell Shuga and Taka Jason says Hi. Pros: Fish, Chefs, Service, Price, Creativity more

This is my favorite sushi place! My boyfriend and I used to live in Sherman Oaks and were regulars. We went at least every other week and now we miss it dearly. The wait staff is very attentive and courteous. The sushi is very fresh. My favorite rolls are the crunchy roll, soft shell crab roll, california roll, and spicy tuna roll. They also have a great spicy tuna on a fried rice patty and their tofu and chicken salad are also really good if you want something besides sushi. Prices are reasonable as well. Iwata is consistently delicious! Pros: Great Food Cons: Parking is limited more

I visited this restaurant last Wednesday, April 9, 2008 with my boyfriend. We ordered spicy tuna hand rolls, a rainbow roll, and a teriyaki chicken and sashimi dish. The fish was very dry and did not seem fresh, but neither of us wanted to complain. \r \r The next day, we were both very sick. When we called the restaurant to let them know, the owner/manager was very rude, defensive, and argumentative. We were not calling for a refund, but we wanted to warn him about unsafe food in the restaurant. He yelled, ""Everyone always thinks its the sushi that makes them sick! Usually 3 or 4 people call if the fish was bad."" Because we were the only two complaints of the day, our worries were dismissed as an eager attempt to rob him of our dinner money from the previous evening.\r \r I felt it necessary to post this complaint because I don't feel comfortable dining at arestaurant that needs at least 10% of its nightly customers to become ill before they worry about the freshness of the fish. Pros: Reasonably priced... Cons: NOT fresh. Missed a few days at work due to recovery. more

Everyone that I have brought to this place loves it. The sushi is great and the prices are totally reasonable. For the people who posted bad reviews: 1) everyone has at least one bad experience somewhere, it happens - life isn't perfect...dont let it rule your decision making though and lay it down as a judgement against this place. 2) walking in 10 minutes before closing is awful. Anyone who has worked in the restaurant industry will tell you that those are always the worst customers and the least appreciative. That shouldn't be the definitive review of your impressions of this restaurant. more

Though I feel the quality has gone down slightly since my first visit almost 4 years ago it is still way above the average. The sashimi is great, they use flavor combinations that are not the norm. \r The prices are GREAT... the service is alright...and because they don't take reservations you might have to wait a bit, its worth it. Recommendations: salmon sashimi with citrus sauce, spicy salmon tower, spicy tuna toast, johnny roll, and for dessert...Crunch roll Pros: quick, quality, great prices, unique flavors Cons: parking sometimes hard, no reservations taken more

Iwata has the best spicy tuna on rice cakes! This is one of my staples every time I go to a sushi restaurant and Iwata beats them all. The rice cakes are crispy and the spicy tuna sauce is perfect. It really doesn't get better than this. I also highly recommend their jalapeno albacore appetizer. Service has always been fabulous - the sushi chefs are all very friendly and the waiters are attentive. The parking lot is an issue, but I've found that street parking on Moorpark (or the residential neighborhood behind it) works pretty well. Pros: spicy tuna rice cakes Cons: small and a bit cramped, parking lot, no reservations on weekends more

I ordered albacore sashimi, which did not arrive, and when I reminded the chef, she prepared the dish. At the end, she charged me for two.\r \r I protested, but frankly did not make enough of a scene. The chef dismissively informed me she had served me two dishes. I think I would remember receiving a double portion of the non-seared albacore had it been presented to me. The master chef corroborated the sous chef's lie.\r \r I left, breathless and frustrated. Customer service is key, and Iwata knows nothing of it.\r \r The portions are meager (think slimy, thinly-sliced salmon sashimi) and the fish is sub-par for Los Angeles. Pros: Adequate parking lot. Cons: Lackluster fish and service more

i have been coming here for a long time. very loyal - always bringing friends with me. recently i went for lunch, 10 minutes before they were about to close. they wouldn't serve me. i assume if your business' hours are until 2'30pm, for lunch, that means i should be able to walk in until that time and get served! i went over to house of taka, at this point it was three minutes before their closing time of 2'30. no problem, they let me order lunch! what a concept. i have a new favorite sushi place in the valley!! more

Iwata is a fantastic neighborhood sushi bar. Nice atmosphere, very resonable prices and fantastic service (especially at the bar itself). Nice menu of other Japanese dishes. There's Valet parking now too! Our favorite spot in the valley! Pros: Valet Parking, Reasonable prices more

This is maybe the best sushi you can get in the Valley. Nice people seem to come to the restaurant so irrespective if you are alone or with friends you will feel comfortable. The sushi is somewhere between good and very good as well. The service is kind and attentative and because there are so many regulars it can become quite personal...Nice place Pros: Nice, Good value, Parking more

Iwata is by far my favorite sushi restaurant. The sushi is fresh, the service is excellent and the prices are low. Do yourself a favor and try the spicy tuna sushi on a rice cracker or the shrimp tempura rolls. I have to eat at Iwata once a week to get my fix!! Pros: inexpensive, great service, excellent sushi more