Izakaya Osen

Skilled artisans succeed in securing premium prices for their work when they can find enough customers who appreciate the difference between high-quality and merely satisfactory performance to sustain them. Izakaya Osen – the Irvine location of a Japanese eating and drinking establishment founded in Los Angeles’s Silver Lake neighborhood – is one of Orange County’s primary examples of this concept, operating within driving distance of dozens of other sushi restaurants yet delivering flavors and plating undeniably superior to most of them. While the price point is so eye-watering that we could overhear guests at a nearby table grousing over the value versus other local alternatives, Osen offers the sort of “if you know, you know” Tokyo-caliber sushi experience that has kept devoted fans coming back for as much as they can afford.

While a weekday lunch menu offers an iPad-sized digital page of lightly discounted options including $32 bento boxes, $38 chirashi, and a $21 bowl of udon – around twice what one might pay elsewhere, as our table neighbor loudly pointed out – the typical Izakaya Osen dinner or weekend lunch will likely run in multiples of $100 per person: That covers a set with 12 pieces of premium sushi, somewhere between 15 to 20 kushiyaki skewers, or one large beef intestine nabe bowl. Appetizers such as edamame, gyoza, soft shell crab, squid karaage, and rock shrimp tempura run from $7 to $28, with salads in the middle, rice bowls from $35 to $39, and a selection of cold and hot plates from $25 to $80. Befitting the izakaya’s “stay-drink-place” theme, beers, wines, sakes, shochu, cocktails, and soft drinks are available at a wide range of prices, as well.

Osen’s artistry is evident from a macro level in items such as their premium kaiseki box ($60), a six-compartment wooden box holding individually plated sushi and sashimi pieces, plus a cup of perfectly silky chawanmushi pudding topped with briny ikura and scallions. Black truffle slices, actual caviar, and gold foil are merely garnishes across flawless bites of sea urchin, shellfish, otoro tuna, and specialty fish that’s been expertly scored, delicately dusted with seasonings, and paired with bits of fresh or pickled fruit. On our visit, one pairing of seared scallop, monkfish liver, and a thin slice of crab meat offered alternatingly salty, bitter-umami, and sweet flavors across soft, firm, and chewy textures; every other item was equally delightful. The specific items in your keiseki box will vary between visits, with additional premium sushi and sashimi chef’s choice hachi mori sets ranging from eight ($60) to 24 pieces ($290).