New Japanese concept at the former Yo! Pablo @ 122nd and Rockwell. https://www.facebook.com/awaji.izakaya.okc

I ate there Saturday during their soft opening.

The space is absolutely beautiful. They transformed the old Yo! Pablo location and really did a great job of giving it an authentic Japanese feel.

We sat at the bar and ordered an assortment of food items, along with a couple of $5 large cans of Sapporo, which is a great deal. We started with edamame and an order of Chicken Karaage. Both were really good. The edamame came in a garlic butter sauce and it definitely is not just plain old edamame. The chicken was perfectly cooked, seasoned well, and was very tender and tasty.

We then ordered a California Roll and a Spicy Tuna Roll. Both were tasty, but the rice in the roll was overcooked and a little mushy. I'm sure that was an oversight and it was a soft opening, so I won't hold that against them.

For entrees, we had an order of Pork Katsu and an order of Chicken Katsu. Both were cooked to perfection and came with a side of Asian coleslaw that I would have devoured if I wasn't already stuffed.

Chef Richard Ly was formerly the Executive Chef at Jimmy B's and he definitely knows what he's doing. Awaji is in a high traffic location and should do well here. The brick-and-mortar location for Taco Empire OKC is going in right around the corner too, so I will be out that way eating again very soon.

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^Good info - thanks for posting. Will have to try this out soon.

I saw the Taco Empire sign (which has initially was supposed to be a wing concept I think). Is Taco Empire a good truck?

^Good info - thanks for posting. Will have to try this out soon.

I saw the Taco Empire sign (which has initially was supposed to be a wing concept I think). Is Taco Empire a good truck?

Yeah, it's pretty good. I stopped one day when they were parked at May and Britton and had a taco plate. It was tasty!

OK! That is the one at May/Britton. Have seen it many times and looks busy. Glad they are coming in! Good info.

Yeah, it's pretty good. I stopped one day when they were parked at May and Britton and had a taco plate. It was tasty!

They're parked there most days, and I've had it several times. Pretty solid food truck for the north side, excited to see them expand their menu with a brick and mortar.

May want to check it out, pretty cool for this area of town! https://www.instagram.com/awaji_izakaya_okc/

Got takeout from here last night. As soon as I walked in, I regretted not dining in solely for the decor and atmosphere. It was amazing. Definitely didn’t feel like you were in OKC.

The food was FANTASTIC. Loved the sushi, the curry was to die for, and my picky wife was more than satisfied. They are going to expand the menu a bit more. Definitely a place being added to our rotation and a great get for the area and city in general!

they have pretty good happy hour specials. good prices on drinks and a few of the appetizers at good prices as well

+1 on this place. Enjoyed it a lot when we went about a week ago.

On their FB page, they said they'd stay open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays starting this week. Another late night option in OKC.

We've been three times now - it's a hidden gem!

We went about a month ago and it was good. But I hadn't thought about it since until the recent post.

On their FB page, they said they'd stay open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays starting this week. Another late night option in OKC.

That is music to my ears. My main issue with them was not being open late enough to be able to swing by when I want to. The service has been pretty meh the 4-5 times I have gone so far. The food has been consistently great. I would really like to see them hit that point of consistent business that they can attract or develop stronger service staff. I have enjoyed everything I have eaten; they just seem to churn bartenders since they opened.

The service has been pretty meh the 4-5 times I have gone so far. The food has been consistently great. I would really like to see them hit that point of consistent business that they can attract or develop stronger service staff. I have enjoyed everything I have eaten; they just seem to churn bartenders since they opened.

this has been my experience as well... amazing food, great atmosphere, the service has been acceptable, but not great

I've come three times so far, quite enjoyed it, noticed a new bartender each time as well. Their fish is pretty fresh, service was ok, but I wouldn't expect decent service at an izakaya, it's more like a fun hole in the wall to me.

Was told to try this place out for a while and finally made it. I thought it was pretty darn good, but I am not the biggest Sushi person. The service is a little spotty. Starts off fine, but when they get busy it starts to suffer. I would recommend it for Sushi lovers though.

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^Nice pictures and I agree the food is good (and also agree the service is a little iffy). We’ve been twice and enjoyed it both times.

Awaji Izakaya is doing a lunch trial run through the end of the year. I went for a business lunch last week and it was fantastic. First time visiting, but I will be adding it into the lunch rotation as long as they continue it next year. We split an appetizer and each got a lunch special consisting of six pieces of nigiri and one roll; lunch special was $20. Quality was great and service was attentive, although it wasn't very busy so the service should have been good.

Awaji Izakaya is doing a lunch trial run through the end of the year. I went for a business lunch last week and it was fantastic. First time visiting, but I will be adding it into the lunch rotation as long as they continue it next year. We split an appetizer and each got a lunch special consisting of six pieces of nigiri and one roll; lunch special was $20. Quality was great and service was attentive, although it wasn't very busy so the service should have been good.

I ordered takeout last Friday. I don't think they'll continue next year, that area doesn't generate enough lunch business. Restaurants around here are generally quiet during lunch, except for San Marcos and The Garage.

Honestly, I have been 6-8 times at this point. The food is consistently good. The service is consistently terrible. I will tolerate bad service for great food, but I will not tolerate bad service for just good food. I hope local spots succeed, but I am done giving them chances for 6 months to a year. I hope they make some actual steps to improve the quality of table service. The owner seems invested, but he does not come off as a very good manager/leader based on my personal experience. It is hard to hire these days, but it feels like they just don't retain staff at all.

Honestly, I have been 6-8 times at this point. The food is consistently good. The service is consistently terrible. I will tolerate bad service for great food, but I will not tolerate bad service for just good food. I hope local spots succeed, but I am done giving them chances for 6 months to a year. I hope they make some actual steps to improve the quality of table service. The owner seems invested, but he does not come off as a very good manager/leader based on my personal experience. It is hard to hire these days, but it feels like they just don't retain staff at all.

this is my experience in the 6 or so times i have been there too. food is good and good prices. but dear god the service is always awful. usually have to get up to go find someone to get our checks, and would have had a few more drinks had they actually come around and asked

Honestly, I have been 6-8 times at this point. The food is consistently good. The service is consistently terrible. I will tolerate bad service for great food, but I will not tolerate bad service for just good food. I hope local spots succeed, but I am done giving them chances for 6 months to a year. I hope they make some actual steps to improve the quality of table service. The owner seems invested, but he does not come off as a very good manager/leader based on my personal experience. It is hard to hire these days, but it feels like they just don't retain staff at all.Your comment is exactly why I don't worry too much when a local restaurant/bar closes. If the owner is in the back putting out great food and can't hire someone to run the front efficiently, they deserve the negative reviews.

Too many chefs/proprietors in OKC put out a good product on the plate but do not pay enough attention to the total guest experience, which is why I patronize so many Hal Smith establishments. It's very rare that I have an issue with service there.

this is my experience in the 6 or so times i have been there too. food is good and good prices. but dear god the service is always awful. usually have to get up to go find someone to get our checks, and would have had a few more drinks had they actually come around and asked

I have never understood slow drink service. It is one of the highest profit margin areas for business but is so neglected. Figure a round of drinks at $2o for two is an additional 3-5 dollars in tip for the waiter.

I have never understood slow drink service. It is one of the highest profit margin areas for business but is so neglected. Figure a round of drinks at $2o for two is an additional 3-5 dollars in tip for the waiter.

completely agree. the last time i was in there was for after work drinks, there were 4 of us, and we all planned on having 2-3 drinks each and share a few appetizers. our drinks were almost empty when the food came out, and they didn't ask about another round then, and then didn't come back by until we finally asked for the check some 40 minutes later. both the restaurant and the waiter would have made way more money from us had they just come back by

Honestly, I have been 6-8 times at this point. The food is consistently good. The service is consistently terrible. I will tolerate bad service for great food, but I will not tolerate bad service for just good food.

@citywokchinesefood: Can you please give your list of restaurants with great food? Eager to try them. Thanks!

@citywokchinesefood: Can you please give your list of restaurants with great food? Eager to try them. Thanks!

I eat out 10-12 times a week so here are some of the spots I frequent.

Favorites: Signature Grill, Birdie's Schwarma & Co., Edgecraft, Juan Del Fuegos, Patrono, Frida, R&J's Super Club and Lounge, Taqueria Desvelados, Taqueria Sanchez, Symmetry, Elemental, Arbolada, El Sabor de Baja, Krell's, Nonesuch, Sedalia's, Ma Der Lao, Pho Coung, Patty Wagon, Wheeze the Juice, Kao Mun Gai, Sheesh Mahal

Regular rotation: Oozie, All the numbers of Panag Thai restaurants, Tokyo, Tamashii, Goro, Empire, Pearl's Oyster Bar, Nic's, Kitchen 324, Paseo Grill, The Hutch, Metro, Cafe Kacao/Antigua, Lee's, Quac Bao Bakery, Pho Lien Hoa, Chow's, Golden Phoenix, Szechuan Story, VII Asian Bistro, Big Truck, Barrio's, Good Gravy, The Diner, Pizzeria Gusto, Guyutes, Power House, Sidecar, Thai House, Korean House, Bistro 38, Piatto, Chuanyu Fusion, Power house, Cocina Marin, Scratch Norman, Picasso Cafe, Nebu, Waffle Champion, Sweets N' Eats, Naylamp, Formosa, Los Corpus Mexican, San Marcos, Las Cocina De Nonas, Birrieria Diaz, El Patio

Less Regular rotation: Cafe Icon, Mt. Everest, The Patriarch, Sushi Bar, Tao Cha Cafe, Szechuan Bistro, Pizzeria Gusto, Cheever's, Redrock Canyon Grill, Vast, The Ranch, Red Prime, Symmetry, Whiskey Cake, Mickey's, The Mule, Lido, Oodles of Noodles & Dumplings, Broadway 10, Sushi Neko, Musashi's, McClintocks, La Baguette, Black Walnut, Grey Sweater, The Joinery, Jamil's, Hummus Medi Cuisine, OSO, Florence's, Power House, The Winston, Das Bootcamp/Royal Bavaria, Fassler Hall, Inkfire Ramen, Whispering Pine's Inn, Mickey Mantle's, Azteca, Taquitos Feliz, Spark, Mahogany, Micheal's, Tarahumara's

Guilty Pleasure: Junior's, Greek House, Pizza Shuttle, Victoria's, Sweet Basil, The Mont, Pepe Delgados, Coney Island, New York Pizza & Pasta, Sandro's, Benvenuti's


I was starting to repeat things, I have absolutely forgotten some really solid places on my lists, but here are some of my favorite restaurants in the metro. I bet you can guess where I went to college. Not everything is great food and service, sometime the vibe is perfect, but you get one or the other sometimes.

It seems like we all have the same opinion, just horrible service. We made reservations a couple months back, showed up and they stated that due to tables staying longer than anticipated that our space was moved to the bar which is not a problem for my wife and me. So we stand there for about 15 minutes waiting to be seated and the hostess comes back and says that unfortunatley a couple walked in a few minutes before our reservation time and helped themselves to our seats, and they werent sure how to handle the situation. We waited about 40 minutes to finally be sat, the food was good, but the service from start to finish was horrible.

Favorites: Signature Grill, Birdie's Schwarma & Co., Edgecraft, Juan Del Fuegos, Patrono, Frida, R&J's Super Club and Lounge, Taqueria Desvelados, Taqueria Sanchez, Symmetry, Elemental, Arbolada, El Sabor de Baja, Krell's, Nonesuch, Sedalia's, Ma Der Lao, Pho Coung, Patty Wagon, Wheeze the Juice, Kao Mun Gai, Sheesh Mahal

Regular rotation: Oozie, All the numbers of Panag Thai restaurants, Tokyo, Tamashii, Goro, Empire, Pearl's Oyster Bar, Nic's, Kitchen 324, Paseo Grill, The Hutch, Metro, Cafe Kacao/Antigua, Lee's, Quac Bao Bakery, Pho Lien Hoa, Chow's, Golden Phoenix, Szechuan Story, VII Asian Bistro, Big Truck, Barrio's, Good Gravy, The Diner, Pizzeria Gusto, Guyutes, Power House, Sidecar, Thai House, Korean House, Bistro 38, Piatto, Chuanyu Fusion, Power house, Cocina Marin, Scratch Norman, Picasso Cafe, Nebu, Waffle Champion, Sweets N' Eats, Naylamp, Formosa, Los Corpus Mexican, San Marcos, Las Cocina De Nonas, Birrieria Diaz, El Patio


Thank you for the list! I still need to check out a few of them. I’ve had some disappointing experiences with some of these places, whether it was the food, service, or both. I tend to be a bit picky with Asian restaurants, as I grew up eating Asian food, lived in cities known for their vibrant Asian food scenes, and still eat Asian cuisine daily. Although most if not all Asian restaurants in OKC have room for improvement, they’ve definitely gotten better over the past five years. Fortunately, there are many options now, with more on the way. Hopefully, we’ll see more unique concepts from local chefs who truly pour their hearts and souls into their restaurants, rather than simply viewing them as profit-driven ventures.

I eat out 10-12 times a week so here are some of the spots I frequent.

Favorites: Signature Grill, Birdie's Schwarma & Co., Edgecraft, Juan Del Fuegos, Patrono, Frida, R&J's Super Club and Lounge, Taqueria Desvelados, Taqueria Sanchez, Symmetry, Elemental, Arbolada, El Sabor de Baja, Krell's, Nonesuch, Sedalia's, Ma Der Lao, Pho Coung, Patty Wagon, Wheeze the Juice, Kao Mun Gai, Sheesh Mahal

Regular rotation: Oozie, All the numbers of Panag Thai restaurants, Tokyo, Tamashii, Goro, Empire, Pearl's Oyster Bar, Nic's, Kitchen 324, Paseo Grill, The Hutch, Metro, Cafe Kacao/Antigua, Lee's, Quac Bao Bakery, Pho Lien Hoa, Chow's, Golden Phoenix, Szechuan Story, VII Asian Bistro, Big Truck, Barrio's, Good Gravy, The Diner, Pizzeria Gusto, Guyutes, Power House, Sidecar, Thai House, Korean House, Bistro 38, Piatto, Chuanyu Fusion, Power house, Cocina Marin, Scratch Norman, Picasso Cafe, Nebu, Waffle Champion, Sweets N' Eats, Naylamp, Formosa, Los Corpus Mexican, San Marcos, Las Cocina De Nonas, Birrieria Diaz, El Patio

Less Regular rotation: Cafe Icon, Mt. Everest, The Patriarch, Sushi Bar, Tao Cha Cafe, Szechuan Bistro, Pizzeria Gusto, Cheever's, Redrock Canyon Grill, Vast, The Ranch, Red Prime, Symmetry, Whiskey Cake, Mickey's, The Mule, Lido, Oodles of Noodles & Dumplings, Broadway 10, Sushi Neko, Musashi's, McClintocks, La Baguette, Black Walnut, Grey Sweater, The Joinery, Jamil's, Hummus Medi Cuisine, OSO, Florence's, Power House, The Winston, Das Bootcamp/Royal Bavaria, Fassler Hall, Inkfire Ramen, Whispering Pine's Inn, Mickey Mantle's, Azteca, Taquitos Feliz, Spark, Mahogany, Micheal's, Tarahumara's

Guilty Pleasure: Junior's, Greek House, Pizza Shuttle, Victoria's, Sweet Basil, The Mont, Pepe Delgados, Coney Island, New York Pizza & Pasta, Sandro's, Benvenuti's


I was starting to repeat things, I have absolutely forgotten some really solid places on my lists, but here are some of my favorite restaurants in the metro. I bet you can guess where I went to college. Not everything is great food and service, sometime the vibe is perfect, but you get one or the other sometimes.

TY TY TY. I thought I was pretty cultured on OKC food but there's a few names on here that I am unfamiliar with!

Thank you for the list! I still need to check out a few of them. I’ve had some disappointing experiences with some of these places, whether it was the food, service, or both. I tend to be a bit picky with Asian restaurants, as I grew up eating Asian food, lived in cities known for their vibrant Asian food scenes, and still eat Asian cuisine daily. Although most if not all Asian restaurants in OKC have room for improvement, they’ve definitely gotten better over the past five years. Fortunately, there are many options now, with more on the way. Hopefully, we’ll see more unique concepts from local chefs who truly pour their hearts and souls into their restaurants, rather than simply viewing them as profit-driven ventures.

Some places the quality of food gets a pass given terrible service. Especially with some of the places on Classen that have great food the service is just awful.