Okan Diner

Wasn't expecting much, but the food is really great and the service is good. Tables and seating is cramped, but it wasn't crowded. I tried just about every tempura and fried dish they offer, excellent. We also had their specialty dish, I forget the name, my GF loved it. I tried it also and couldn't stop digging in her bowl. The drinks were great as well. Definitely going back.

The sashimi was very fresh and yummy. Cucumber salad was alright, as the skin was still fully on which gave the cucumber more bitterness than expected. I got the dinner set with the yaki salted salmon, which came with a side of rice, miso soup, and side salad. The salmon was very yummy and light, cooked perfectly. We also tried the sukiyaki udon, which was less soupy than expected, with a savory and a bit sweet sauce. The sauce is thick which adheres to the udon noodles well, and it is a very rich savory dish.

Food: 3.5/5 Service and Setting: 2.5/5 Value: 3/5 When I was younger, Okan Diner’s sister location, Wa Dining Okan, was a special treat. All these years later, the stars aligned and it was time for me to try their more casual concept. Located in a busy strip mall, parking is a bit tight but nothing too serious. It is a busy plaza so expect to wait around or park somewhere else. Going in, the restaurant had a design that embodies mid 2010 style. This sort of mix between modern and Japanese motifs with strangely dirty looking would checked all of the boxes. The restaurant felt a bit dingy and dirty but most people are coming here to eat and not enjoy a masterclass in interior design. We came right when they opened for their dinner hours and were seated right away. There were only 2 servers so service was kind, but it was very hard to ask for things as they only seemed to come out when bringing out food. It was just all pretty mid. Geso Kara: 3/5 Geso Kara are deep fried squid legs in a crispy batter. The coating was very dark and had a distinct oily flavor. It was served on top of some greens. The squid itself was not overly tough but did have a good bite and chew. The squeeze of lemon and I believe ponzu sauce that it was served with helped cut the oil. The biggest negative of the dish was that it was very salty. Not inedible, but definitely detracted from the experience. Karaage: 4/5 The Karaage was pretty good. More “traditional” karaage, from what I understand, has a softer coating with distinct blistering and a darker color. Okan Diner’s karaage seemed to be more gently fried and was more texturally similar to Taiwanese popcorn chicken. The flavors were strong and unique, I picked up on lemon, ginger, and sesame as the main points. The dipping sauce was also interesting and tasted like a cross between Japanese sesame and onion vinaigrettes with an extra kick of black pepper. For me, the texture could have been a bit crispier and the chicken pieces larger, but overall a solid dish to get. Oroshi Hamburg: 2.5/5 To start off, know that oroshi means that the dish is served with grated daikon radish to give it a refreshing taste. The hamburg patty itself was fine and was not phenomenal, but was juicy and well seasoned. The true travesties were the salad and rice. The salad was totally wilted and I am sure that they put the greens in the serving bowl to “prep” them. The rice was the greatest disappointment. Overcooked, clumpy, and just sad, Okan Diner surely served me and my family yesterday’s rice that was not even respectfully stored and reheated. Rice is the heart of the dish and the lack of respect shown to it made me feel not respected as a customer. The corn that came out on the same plate as the steak was mushy and not very sweet at all. The miso soup was good. I enjoyed the fried tofu and it truly is really hard to mess up miso soup. Wit hall things said, I really liked their broccoli. It absorbed so much butter and caramelized just a bit to make it one of the tastiest bites I had. Pudding: 4/5 This was a great way to end the meal. The pudding itself was not too sweet and had a luxurious silky texture. A bit eggy and milky, the pudding also gave me fresh tofu vibes. The brown sugar syrup they put on top makes it taste like Filipino Taho a bit. This was probably my favorite item from my meal.

Great food, service and experience. Very authentic Japanese food. We went right before 7 on a Thursday and it wasn’t terribly busy. We were able to get seated quickly. Their appetizer menu is huge and we ordered the beef tongue, the fried nankotsu (chicken cartilage), and the pan fried onigiri (rice ball) with miso, which were all fantastic. For our main courses, my wife ordered the fried kaki (oyster) and I had the chicken nanban, a fried chicken with a tartar sauce style topping. Everything was fantastic that we tried and I wanted to try more. Next time we’re in San Diego we will definitely be back.