irasshaimase!
this is one place where as soon as I took a look at the menu, I knew I should have looked up some reviews beforehand. so many little goodies, so hard to decide! but perhaps...it was a good thing that I didn't get deterred by the low ratings on here. the atmosphere is fantastic; I can't compare to Guu as I've never been, but they greet each group with a loud irasshaimase! and a boom on the Taiko drum when you get in. wasn't too loud to hold conversations - that is, until they crank up the grill and get the Taiko beating again. yes to the fire, yes to the drums! why don't we all celebrate grilled food this way? *note to self and this summer's barbeques*
as any legit izakaya, alcohol definitely dominated the menu. super saketastic! the hay-flame grilled BUTTERFISH was indeed buttery and smoky; the GINGER-FRIED CHICKEN was perfectly fried and served piping hot with what seemed like two types of aioli (though I couldn't differentiate the two).
I do agree with other Yelpers in that service was seriously lacking. we were very quick to get two seats on a Sunday evening but it took a while for the server to come back around to take our orders. even longer thereafter to accept our payment once the bill was already issued. seeing that the servers carry ipads ready for both taking orders and money, it seemed like an excessive wait (-0.5 stars).
but this is not a deal breaker. as I look at the website's menu to recall the items i ordered, i'm getting hungry all over again...i'll be back!