We discovered this restaurant on Yelp and were excited to try their shareable appetizers. Oak Coal did not disappoint! We kicked off our meal with the spicy yellowtail and salmon hand rolls, which were both creamy and delicious. Next, we moved on to the salmon crudo, which we absolutely loved. We complemented our dishes with a bowl of steamed rice on the side. The seafood garlic noodles were fantastic; we enjoyed them so much that we could have kept eating more. To conclude our meal, we indulged in the Ube Banana Pudding—OMG! This dessert was extraordinary! As for the drinks, while they were quite pricey for the portion sizes, they were still very tasty. We will definitely be coming back!
The ambience is nice and modern, with a huge open fire grill but the food is somehow not as good as expected for grilled meat. We had lamb chops, pork sausage, wagyu beef, chicken and scallion, uni with crispy rice and tuna don. For Wagyu, the meat was kind of tough and the sauce is not necessary for high end meat but maybe it's not wagyu. Pork and chicken was also bit tough. Overall it is more of a fusion style vs traditional Yakitori. The sake is cloudy and very sweet.
We've visited this restaurant multiple times since it opened—sometimes just with family on weeknights and other times with friends on weekends. We really enjoy the food, the service, and the relaxed atmosphere. It can be a bit pricey, so we don’t go as often as we’d like, but we always look forward to our next visit.
They have a great menu served mostly in family style small plates, and they focus on craft cocktails for drinks with beer and wine options as well. Tip: if ordering the miso black cod, don't order the cucumber starter. We did that and had cucumbers coming out of our ears. Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner
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What a great atmosphere and the bartenders were great. Super tasty drinks and even one he made himself! Pretty good food but we only had 2 dishes (tapas style). This can easily become our fav place for a date night!
Delicious modern Japanese yakitori restaurant in Costa Mesa. Our waiter was friendly and provided good recommendations. The service was fast. The food was yummy if a little pricey.
Amazing flavors, both savory and sweet! I had the garlic noodles with vegetables, and they were fantastic. Even my picky eater son loved it. Food: 5/5.
One of my favorite spots. My favorites are the lemon grass dumplings, Wagu Bao buns, garlic noodles, and the Wagu skewers are a must
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The bartender was fantastic, and the food was delicious. Overall, I rate the food a 5, the service a 5, and the atmosphere a 5.
Service: Dine-in
Meal type: Dinner
Price per person: $20–30
Recommended dishes: Wild Seafood Garlic Noodles
