Driving through Fullerton/Placentia last night, I noticed that Honda Ya has changed hands. The new name is Izakaya Takasei. The location is no longer on Honda Ya’s website, and there is an ad on CL for kitchen help there.
Was the new place open?
It looked like it. The parking lot was full-ish.
You can find it under the new name on Yelp but a 3-day-old review makes no mention of it not being Honda Ya. 11day-old review still calls it that. Isn’t it unusual for a seemingly overnight name only change?
That was my thought. I drive by there fairly often, and this was the first time I noticed any change in signage.
From a January Yelp review
P.S. This is a franchise!!! Due to the expiration of their franchise agreement, the name is going to change to TAKASEI in the next few weeks. All staffs will remain the same.
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So it’s basically the same joint with a different name.
Since its close to home we go here a couple times a year. We’ll try to drop by soon and provide feedback on the food, menu, kitchen, etc…
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Went tonight. Everything is essentially the same as the old Honda ya. Menu. Food. Waiters and waitresses. Prices. Plates and glasses.
We ordered our usual stuff. All of the good tasted good and the same as ever. Nothing to see here.
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Has anyone been to Izakaya Takasei recently? Going this month for a cousin’s bday dinner. Yelp reviews are a mixed bag - some good and some pretty sketchy.
We go there fairly regularly (quarterly) ever since they changed from Honda-ya. Our rotation is pretty solid so we stick to these and don’t stray too far. We generally don’t get much sushi or sashimi and stick to yakitori and fried foods. The sushi isn’t terrible but not the strong point.
Chawanmushi
Geso karage (been on and off the menu)
Deep fried chicken cartilage
Mixed tempura
Skewers - cartilage, beef tongue, gizzard, garlic pork belly
Sautéed spinach garlic
Some type of noodle combo
Blue crab hand rolls
One piece of advice is not to order everything at once. You’ll get slammed with all the food at once and it’s not a very enjoyable experience. They have good drink specials for draft pitchers and sake depending on the day/time you go. We miss the complimentary pickles they used to give out.
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Ok great. That list sounds exactly like what I had in mind… maybe except the cartilage. 
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But the cartilage is so good. Haha. Enjoy your meal.
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Okay, if it lands on the table I’ll try it lol. It’s going to be in the tatami room, so I think the food will be pre-ordered, family-style.
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