Izakaya Arata

For our starters we tried the bang bang prawn spring rolls which were delicious, the mains we went with Ramen and it was absolutely top notch! Will definitely be back to try more from the menu!

I left the place stuffed and happy ! The presentation and quality is outstanding. First time here and coming back again !

Ate here with the family during our holiday in PE. The service was great and they were very accommodating. We had sushi (Salmon was melting in my mouth, couldn't get enough of it!!!), ramen and the chicken katsu Don. The food was affordable, big servings and super yummy! Will definitely come back again to try the other dishes.

Japanese cuisine. Some really amazing dishes. We shared starters as tapas, so could taste the various dishes. I will definitely return. Prices weren't bad either. They had a seared tuna steak for R149. As a main meal. Unfortunately I never tried it. But definitely will the next time. If it's on the menu!! Look inside on the blackboard what's on the menu for the day. Presume a lot of it depends what is available. Tried eel for the first time and was pleasantly surprised!!!!

We came to dine on a Sunday evening, and the place was absolutely packed. Thankfully, our server was incredibly kind and figured out a solution that kept our wait to just under 40 minutes. We came specifically for the ramen but ended up ordering several other dishes and everything was great. The chicken karaage was crisp and flavorful, the sushi was fresh, the yakisoba stir fry was delicious, and both the miso and tonkotsu ramen hit the spot. A warm, satisfying meal all around. Reservations recommended if you are a bigger group and don’t want to wait.

This is a wonderful Japanese gem hidden away. Excellent food, prices, selection and staff. I love their ramen and pork on a skewer. You can enjoy some South African beverages as well as proper Japanese authentic beverages.

It may be against the rules to write about it now. Still, the memory is too vivid to ignore. My last visit was in late December 2019. It was a calm time, just before the world changed. I was living in Port Elizabeth then. Japanese faces were rare. So was familiarity. When a Japanese-owned izakaya opened, it felt like a small miracle. Quiet. Unexpected. Welcome. Without much thought, I began going there night after night. The food was always excellent. But the ramen stood above everything else. Deep. Comforting. Honest. Each bowl felt like a brief return home. Time moved on, as it always does. The business was sold. The owner moved north of Cape Town to start again. Before I left, I made a promise. I told him I would visit his new restaurant someday. On January 1, 2020, I left South Africa. The promise remains unfulfilled. Still, some places do not fade. They stay quietly in memory. Waiting. For the day a promise can finally be kept.

That was our first time in this place. We had a lunch. First of all, the vibe: it’s small but cozy, the neighborhood is quiet and nice. Then drinks: real drinks from Japan the quality is great! (We’ve been to Japan 3 times so we know what we’re saying).. we had beer and sake. Food: all was great! Fresh, authentic and delicious. We definitely coming back again to try something else, because the choice is big although the menu looks small. Definitely worth to come