Robataya OTON

This place was so cute! Need to make reservations next time so we can get the booth seats. My favorite was the garlic calamari! 😋

MAKE A RESERVATION! It is a small restaurant with only one sushi chef. Even if there is seating at the counter, the staff has to turn away customers due to the demand and timing of orders. My partner and I were there exactly at open and happened to be the first customers, so we were lucky enough to be seated/served without reservation, but we saw that everyone else without a reservation was turned away or warned of a very long wait time. Customers with reservations are seated in private rooms with traditional Japanese floor tables (chabudai). The food was extremely high quality. The karaage ($10) was piping hot, served straight from the fryer. The chirashi bowl ($30) had thick strips of sashimi carefully arranged in an order which maximized palette stimulation and visual presentation. It was served with real wasabi and a miso soup which tasted much better than anything I've had at other restaurants or bought at the store.

I was so very happy to see that this place was open again for dine-in that I had to do a review! Hands down my favorite place for authentic Japanese cuisine. It has the heart and soul of home cooking but yet subtly elevated. It is fine dining for sure without being pretentious. It has a cute and humble interior, with no fancy bells n whistles but the food definitely shines and speaks for itself! If you are not familiar with Japanese cuisine, I recommend going in with an open mind and just be adventurous; this is not the kinda place to get a California roll. If you don't like sushi before you don't like to eat raw fish then great news...so much stuff on the menu is cooked and to perfection! Speaking of cooking...the shabu shabu is the best I've ever had! You have to order at least 2 orders of the beef shabu shabu but it's a lot of food and totally worth it! All the other dishes are also very yummy and perfectly seasoned. I've ordered almost everything on the menu and there's not one thing I didn't like. The staff is also great and very friendly. We always get the same server and she's been so amazing! I do recommend making reservations as it can get pretty busy for dinner service. Each booth is its own little private room so it's perfect for social distancing during this pandemic. Great food takes time to prepare. Some dishes come out quickly but and some might take a bit longer. I recommend having some sake while you wait. I promise you it is well worth the wait! I can't wait to come back soon!

Wonderful dishes created by a true Japanese chief. A bit pricy but excellent food with one of kind sake selection from Japan. Best Japanese food served in Convoy area. Very unique seating atmosphere and private dining. Great for a wonderful dinner for a couple.

One of the most authentic Japanese restaurants in San Diego. Uses really good quality ingredients. I have never been disappointed with the quality of their sushi and they have amazing service. Even during Covid they offer the same rolls and specials such as beef tongue curry. I can’t wait to return to dine in to eat their hot pots, they had premium ones like crab, duck and kalbi pots and the broths are very flavorful. You can’t get this anywhere else in SD!

Tough to get an experience like this in San Diego. Kenji and team are exceptional in their craft and make you feel like you belong, unlike some other high-end sushi restaurants. Come for the food, stay for the hospitality.

This place is great I've had omakase and it was the best thing I could do. The chef was funny and cooked some really food.

This place was such a pleasant experience, the atmosphere was really nice. I felt like I was in Japan with the interior design. This place really cares about creating a nice clean atmosphere for their customers. Customer service was the best I could ask for, hostesses were kind and very helpful. The food was good and came out fast, we got the sukiyaki with udon noodles. Can't wait to try everything else on their menu. 10/10 would recommend to try this place instead of a regular chain.

Traditional Japanese food in an authentic Japanese setting. The fish is fresh, and there are several options for those who don't want to eat sushi. We had a family dinner with chosen ranging in age from 5 to 12. Although they lack a children's menu, there are a variety of appetizers to satisfy everybody. We left feeling satisfied and fulfilled. Kudos to the staff for a great experience. Top notch restaurant.

One of the best traditional Japanese restaurants in San Diego. They offer traditional Japanese seating in the booths where you take your shoes off and slide into a semi private room (tables are separated by a shade). One of the best dishes to order here is the Sukiyaki. It is delicious and well worth the visit alone. They also offer really fresh sushi that rotates based on what they get and also offer many traditional Japanese dishes that you can't find in a lot of competitor restaurants. You will need to make reservations as the restaurant is small and is always busy. This place is a gem and it's off the main Convoy strip which means finding parking is really easy.

Took me back to Japan instantly. The little alcove rooms where we got to sit no shoes, the friendly and amazing service from the three person troupe, down to the amazing food. If you want to step out of San Diego for a few hours and enjoy a really wonderful slice of Japanese dining, this is it.

Our favorite Japanese restaurant in San Diego area. Foods are so yummy and authentic. What a pity they have updated their menu recently and lots of items had been removed. The service is always excellent here. Japanese hot pots are their speciality. Don’t miss that. House wine is sweet and smooth enough for a date night. Chef’s selected sushi set is in great value And strongly recommended! Anyway this restaurant is a treasure. Try it try it.

Great little Japanese restaurant, very authentic, it's small but cozy. There's a bar area and a traditional small dining rooms. The food is amazing, there are many small dishes and some mains for individuals. We chose to order many small dishes and every dish was flavorful and so delicious. The service was amazing, polite, helpful and responsive. The only small complaint was since the restaurant is so small, it was packed with supplies and I can see shoes from all the diners in the rooms. Luckily they didn't stink but a slight eye sore. However the excellent food and service out weighs the eye sore as I was facing the chef and kitchen

This is a great hideaway Japanese restaurant. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. You step inside and it's like you are transported back to Japan. It brought back so many good memories of my visit to Japan. I got the Sukiyaki bowl. I have it every year on my birthday. It is getting harder to find restaurants that serve the dish as it is not a popular food. I am so happy to have found this place. I highly recommend Ronataya Oton for a great experience and meal. I am going to be visiting this place a lot more. As the food, staff, and atmosphere were all superb.

The food was fresh and good. Attentive service. The price for a family dinner is a little bit expensive.

Wow. My wife and I have traveled through Japan extensively and have eaten so many different types of food there. It's taken us 5 years since coming back to find a restaurant that was as good as the ones in Japan. Otons Chef understands flavors and balances them perfectly. The nabiyaki udon was amazing. The chirashi was amazing. The vanilla and sweet potato dessert was amazing. It's hard to find amazing and you can find it here at Robataya Oton. Thank you so much. See you again.

Another favorite Japanese restaurant. Seasonal fish throughout the year if you’re looking to try different fish other than tuna. One of the best tempuras I’ve ever had from their fish tempura (this is a must order) to their uni tempura. Uni is amazing here. If you by chance get to meet the owner, he might let you in on the secret. You also might get lucky & karaoke with him at the end of the night. Hot pot broth is delicious but only served when seated at a booth. Staff is friendly, knowledge & fun to talk with. Don’t forget to buy them a round. Have met lots of interesting people just sitting at the sushi bar itself but if you’re looking to sit in one of the booths, make a reservation a head of time.

The sushi is excellent. The chef prepared it with subtle finishes that created really interesting nuance - a light charring, a brush of simple marinade, a light salt, lemon, some other things I could not recognize, or a combination. I had the chef’s choice and each one stood alone, apart from the others in taste-experience. I will definitely be back! I want to try the sockeye salmon from a lake on Mount Fuji (sadly, they ran out before I arrived).

It was our first time at Robataya Oton and we all had a great time! I had the sukiyaki hot pot and it was delicious! Excellent quality veggies and meat. We had a private room that we loved and the staff was super friendly and attentive. It's a very small restaurant. Calling for reservation is a must.

Hidden gem, cozy Izakaya style Japanese restaurant. Food reminds me of Japan. Definitely go back to try out different menu items

Had an early dinner here on a Saturday. Reservations are a must and was easy to call ahead to arrange. I heard parking could be bad here, hence deciding to go early. When we arrived there was still a lot of parking, but was full when we left so plan accordingly. Despite arriving early we were seated promptly. Tried a few small dishes (Toro, tamago, kaarage) and shared sukiyaki. Raw egg is included with sukiyaki and worth trying for dipping. Overall food was very good and service was attentive. Sukiyaki needed to be ordered for two people, but came with a good amount of meat. Menu is quite large so would like to come back again to try other things.

What a cool spot they have dining areas which look exactly like you stepped into a Japanese restaurant. But they also have bar seating as well. All of the food was really solid. We got more than just sushi. Will definitely be coming back.

I have been thinking to try this restaurant out for a long time. And finally I made a phone call to book a reservation on Saturday night. It was so cool to sit in a private room, feeling like in Asia! We ordered two servings of sukiyaki, it was pretty authentic and delicious. The portion is good for two people, we order an appetizer and one udon noodle to put into the hotpot. The meat is a little bit too thick to my taste but all the others are nice. We might be back to try their uni items.

Went to this amazing Japanese establishment for one year anniversary with my wife. I was truly blown away with the service and quality of food. Beef tongue steak, grilled intestine and special yellow tail sushi were my favorites. I wish have more room for sushi haha I highly recommend if you like to explore more Japanese cuisine in San Diego. This is alittle different than most sushi place so be prepared for traditional decors and sit down style. Reservation is almost a must!

We came right at closing and had a beautiful and intimate experience trying the curated nigiri omakase with the sushi chef! The Blue fin and Halibut fin were our favorites+

Wow, what a cozy little izakaya with tasty, fresh dishes. The Udon, nigiri, and grilled fish is to die for. Highly recommend to reserve for a table in a private room. Otherwise the bar is nice too.

Authentic, delicious & intimate! We did my husband's birthday dinner here with a small group of friends. The service was fantastic and the food was delicious!! I grew up in Japan and this restaurant took me back. We weren't disappointed with a single item on the menu (and we ordered almost everything on the menu). Also, highly recommend the strawberry sake - even my non drinker friend enjoyed it. It's a small intimate setting so I recommend reservations. 5 STARS!

Lynette Walker

We came right at closing and had a beautiful and intimate experience trying the curated nigiri omakase with the sushi chef! The Blue fin and Halibut fin were our favorites+

Gavin Qu

Wow, what a cozy little izakaya with tasty, fresh dishes. The Udon, nigiri, and grilled fish is to die for. Highly recommend to reserve for a table in a private room. Otherwise the bar is nice too.

KM Phelps

Authentic, delicious & intimate! We did my husband's birthday dinner here with a small group of friends. The service was fantastic and the food was delicious!! I grew up in Japan and this restaurant took me back. We weren't disappointed with a single item on the menu (and we ordered almost everything on the menu). Also, highly recommend the strawberry sake - even my non drinker friend enjoyed it. It's a small intimate setting so I recommend reservations. 5 STARS!

BJ Kean

This is a great hideaway Japanese restaurant. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. You step inside and it's like you are transported back to Japan. It brought back so many good memories of my visit to Japan. I got the Sukiyaki bowl. I have it every year on my birthday. It is getting harder to find restaurants that serve the dish as it is not a popular food. I am so happy to have found this place. I highly recommend Ronataya Oton for a great experience and meal. I am going to be visiting this place a lot more. As the food, staff, and atmosphere were all superb.

Aven Liu

The food was fresh and good. Attentive service. The price for a family dinner is a little bit expensive.

Timothy Trun

Wow. My wife and I have traveled through Japan extensively and have eaten so many different types of food there. It's taken us 5 years since coming back to find a restaurant that was as good as the ones in Japan. Otons Chef understands flavors and balances them perfectly. The nabiyaki udon was amazing. The chirashi was amazing. The vanilla and sweet potato dessert was amazing. It's hard to find amazing and you can find it here at Robataya Oton. Thank you so much. See you again.

Niloofar Akhavan

The best Japanese experience ever! The ingredients were so fresh and the food was made to the perfection. It’s definitely a must go place. I thought that it was expensive but my friend who has been to other Japanese places thought that it was reasonable. We tried the hotpot, fried chicken and sea food, jellyfish sashimi, and salmon sushi which were all so tasty!!

T G

If you are looking for truly authentic heartwarming and delicious Japanese food, then look no further. This place will remind you of home. The quality for both the hot dishes and the sushi was absolutely amazing. It’s hard to find a restaurant that does everything well- and this place does. The Unagi Gohan is deliciously sweet and the rice is smothered with the rich unagi flavor and is served with green tea that can be poured at the end. They also serve some pickles that help increase the acidity and counterbalance the sweetness of the Uunagi. If you pair this dish with other hot options like the Makarel or Tamago, it’s become a combination of pure umami. In the words of Arnold Schwarzzeneger: I’ll be back !

Barry Evans

The sushi is excellent. The chef prepared it with subtle finishes that created really interesting nuance - a light charring, a brush of simple marinade, a light salt, lemon, some other things I could not recognize, or a combination. I had the chef’s choice and each one stood alone, apart from the others in taste-experience. I will definitely be back! I want to try the sockeye salmon from a lake on Mount Fuji (sadly, they ran out before I arrived).

Marli H

It was our first time at Robataya Oton and we all had a great time! I had the sukiyaki hot pot and it was delicious! Excellent quality veggies and meat. We had a private room that we loved and the staff was super friendly and attentive. It's a very small restaurant. Calling for reservation is a must.

Janice Y

Had an early dinner here on a Saturday. Reservations are a must and was easy to call ahead to arrange. I heard parking could be bad here, hence deciding to go early. When we arrived there was still a lot of parking, but was full when we left so plan accordingly. Despite arriving early we were seated promptly. Tried a few small dishes (Toro, tamago, kaarage) and shared sukiyaki. Raw egg is included with sukiyaki and worth trying for dipping. Overall food was very good and service was attentive. Sukiyaki needed to be ordered for two people, but came with a good amount of meat. Menu is quite large so would like to come back again to try other things.

go hoashi

Hidden gem, cozy Izakaya style Japanese restaurant. Food reminds me of Japan. Definitely go back to try out different menu items

Man Xue

Went to this amazing Japanese establishment for one year anniversary with my wife. I was truly blown away with the service and quality of food. Beef tongue steak, grilled intestine and special yellow tail sushi were my favorites. I wish have more room for sushi haha I highly recommend if you like to explore more Japanese cuisine in San Diego. This is alittle different than most sushi place so be prepared for traditional decors and sit down style. Reservation is almost a must!

Kristina Bolt

What a cool spot they have dining areas which look exactly like you stepped into a Japanese restaurant. But they also have bar seating as well. All of the food was really solid. We got more than just sushi. Will definitely be coming back.

LULU LIVE Art

I have been thinking to try this restaurant out for a long time. And finally I made a phone call to book a reservation on Saturday night. It was so cool to sit in a private room, feeling like in Asia! We ordered two servings of sukiyaki, it was pretty authentic and delicious. The portion is good for two people, we order an appetizer and one udon noodle to put into the hotpot. The meat is a little bit too thick to my taste but all the others are nice. We might be back to try their uni items.

An unforgettable night at Robataya Oton! We had such an amazing dinner, easily one of the best Japanese meals we’ve ever had in San Diego. Every dish was outstanding: the fish was unbelievably fresh, the uni was the best we’ve ever tasted, and since it’s monkfish liver season, that was an absolute standout, rich, silky, and perfectly prepared. The shabu shabu was insanely good, full of flavor and beautifully presented. OMG, the meat!!! We dined in one of their traditional horigotatsu rooms which was super cozy, private, and beautifully lit, which made the whole evening feel like we’d been transported to Japan. We were laughing, eating, and drinking nonstop, completely in the moment. We shut the place down, and the owner, Kenji, couldn’t have been more gracious and kind. Truly a gem of a restaurant, warm hospitality, incredible food, and an experience we’ll be talking about for a long time. Looking forward to going back soon. Thank you to Kenji and his wonderful staff!

Jennifer Jones

An unforgettable night at Robataya Oton! We had such an amazing dinner, easily one of the best Japanese meals we’ve ever had in San Diego. Every dish was outstanding: the fish was unbelievably fresh, the uni was the best we’ve ever tasted, and since it’s monkfish liver season, that was an absolute standout, rich, silky, and perfectly prepared. The shabu shabu was insanely good, full of flavor and beautifully presented. OMG, the meat!!! We dined in one of their traditional horigotatsu rooms which was super cozy, private, and beautifully lit, which made the whole evening feel like we’d been transported to Japan. We were laughing, eating, and drinking nonstop, completely in the moment. We shut the place down, and the owner, Kenji, couldn’t have been more gracious and kind. Truly a gem of a restaurant, warm hospitality, incredible food, and an experience we’ll be talking about for a long time. Looking forward to going back soon. Thank you to Kenji and his wonderful staff!

Brett B

Tough to get an experience like this in San Diego. Kenji and team are exceptional in their craft and make you feel like you belong, unlike some other high-end sushi restaurants. Come for the food, stay for the hospitality.

Yummmy sushi 🍣 here , just Crispy chicken not crispy 😅

Charming space, somewhat small menu but good salmon maki, cucumber salad, omelette, tempura seafood

The atmosphere and food at Robataya Oton are exceptionally good. All the ingredients and fresh and of high quality. We ordered the Chanko Nabe, a stew of meat, tofu, and vegetables that you cook right at your table. The broth was delicious and very well flavored. It was filling, but still healthy. My toddler son ate up everything immediately. I loved the private dining rooms; it creates a very authentic and intimate experience. Plus, it was a nice corral for my child! I only took one star off for the service. The first time we came here, the service was great, but this second time, one server came up to us after we had been finished for a while, and basically asked us if we could leave soon because people were waiting, and we had not even received our check yet. I found that to be pretty rude, we would have left a while ago if our check had been given to us. It's a small restaurant, so it's confusing that we were forgotten about. But nonetheless, the food and atmosphere are great, so we will be coming back.

Very good traditional food at very reasonable prices. My wife ordered the Sukiyaki and it was amazing. I had the beef intestines and it had good flavor but texture was a bit tough for my taste. The Green Tea Tiramisu and Japanese pudding were both amazing! A nice refreshment after dinner but not too sweet. Limited parking in the area.

Authentic Japanese food but it was a bit overpriced based on the quality of their food. Nothing really stood out as far as I remember. Don't get me wrong. The food was good. But for the price that they charge, I had much higher expectations.

Felicity

Authentic Japanese food but it was a bit overpriced based on the quality of their food. Nothing really stood out as far as I remember. Don't get me wrong. The food was good. But for the price that they charge, I had much higher expectations.

Allen H

Very good traditional food at very reasonable prices. My wife ordered the Sukiyaki and it was amazing. I had the beef intestines and it had good flavor but texture was a bit tough for my taste. The Green Tea Tiramisu and Japanese pudding were both amazing! A nice refreshment after dinner but not too sweet. Limited parking in the area.

Honestly pretty good. It was a lot better than so many other places. the grilled fish had nice flavor and decent cook, not perfect though. the fish they put in the sashimi salad was fresh. a bit heavy handed with the sauce though. if i have to take sometime to midtier japanese, i think i would try to take them here.

So expensive. Add Sukiyaki soup extra charge. Because you have to, they start a little bit soup. sukiyaki only have some slices beef, cabbage, mushroom….for $80. That’s horrible robbery.

Non-existent service, food is good. This place is hard to get a reservation so we were exited to try it. The food tastes good but the service is terrible. I guess there’s not a lot of good Japanese options in sd. Each time it took us 5 minutes to get the server’s attention and another 5 minutes to get the thing done - to order, to give us the wasabi that they forgot to add along with the sushi, to refill tea, to serve the rice we ordered, to add water to the sukiyaki (the sukiyaki was too salty to eat for more than 10 min towards the end and we just turned off the stove and waited), to get the check etc. They also had the 90 min limit which made us anxious. ~half of the fish menu was unavailable today. Perhaps it’s from the storm. Also the tip is calculated from after-tax amount, not pre-tax. We still tipped 18% after-tax since it’s a stormy day, but might not come back again.

Norikil

Non-existent service, food is good. This place is hard to get a reservation so we were exited to try it. The food tastes good but the service is terrible. I guess there’s not a lot of good Japanese options in sd. Each time it took us 5 minutes to get the server’s attention and another 5 minutes to get the thing done - to order, to give us the wasabi that they forgot to add along with the sushi, to refill tea, to serve the rice we ordered, to add water to the sukiyaki (the sukiyaki was too salty to eat for more than 10 min towards the end and we just turned off the stove and waited), to get the check etc. They also had the 90 min limit which made us anxious. ~half of the fish menu was unavailable today. Perhaps it’s from the storm. Also the tip is calculated from after-tax amount, not pre-tax. We still tipped 18% after-tax since it’s a stormy day, but might not come back again.

Used to go all the time, but now there is a new owner. New owner has changed the menu... Food is 50% more expensive, portion is 50% the size. I'm afraid I won't be going back. This shabu dish (photo) was 80 dollars not including tax and tip

Not worth the money for average tasting food. Whoever does the booking of reservations over the phone needs to be changed out. He does not know what customer service is and even by japanese custom standards. For you to ask for rice for a hot pot is pretty low then charging you $3 for a small bowl. Jeez, a chinese restaurant gives you far more and charges half the price for rice. Then no refills on anything besides hot tea. No thanks

Made a reservation on Wednesday 10/25 via phone for Saturday 10/28 to celebrate my friend's birthday and they said we had no reservation when we came in. We came in at 5:30pm when they open. We asked for the reservation at 5:30pm on Wednesday! They said they still couldn't take us and argued with my friend. Really bad service and disappointing as I really wanted to try this place and it's my third time attempting to do so. Choose another restaurant I guess.. left a bad taste in our mouths and ruined our appetite. My friend was not happy at all.

Saw their Instagram ad and reminded me to come and leave a review for a very unpleasant experience from last year. Honestly food was not bad but gosh that sushi chef/owner was rude as hell. We were 5 min late and I called ahead to the waitress telling her we were looking for parking. (We had a 6pm reservation) We arrived at 6:05 to an absolutely empty restaurant and he yelled at us saying we are late and need to return table on time. It was my husband’s birthday and we took his parents with us. And we were mortified by this level of greetings. And of course we left before they turned the table. Anyway. Again no complain about the food. Waitress was nice. But make sure you get there on time otherwise you’ll get yelled at even you called ahead and are apologetic.