Robata Kiyota - Japanese restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City

This is a solid restaurant worth trying, especially for their omakase set. Fresh ingredients, elegant presentation, and well-balanced flavors make for a pleasant dining experience with good value. Highly recommended for travelers looking to enjoy Japanese style omakase.

Lovely experience. We fully enjoy the craftsmanship and storytelling ability of the chef. The dishes were very much enjoyable and defo worth any penny. 100% recommended.

Saw an IG post and decided to try this very affordable Omakase in HCM! .Their menu starts from 700k VND and up to 1.6mil... we got the 1mil one instead, which we managed our expectations due to the relatively good pricing. I was most impressed with the chopsticks... As I am a sucker for such fancy stuffs... It was so pretty that I wanted to buy a set for my own home! As for the food, the dishes in general were actually quite decent... So it's definitely better (and fresher) than those conveyor belt food in most countries... Except for Japan itself (where even their sushiro was good). However, there wasn't a single dish that really wow-ed us. Dont get me wrong .. it's still very good and value for money ... But as I am benchmarking it with what I have back in Singapore, and at similar price range (obviously everything in my country is alot more expensive), then I can only give a 4 stars. We also ordered their Hakkaisan sake at 1.6mil, which I thought could have been better priced, taking into account the food was cheaper. The staffs were friendly, attentive and we had one who specifically can speak decent English serving us. Just felt weird with their music choice, but it does make the place feel more "modern". Will I be back here? Honestly... Unlikely...not because it's not good enough, but there's too many other options for me to explore first... But if I do come back here again, I will have their 1.6mil one... As I was envious of the uni, abalone and a few other dishes that we were missing ... Call me "cheapo"!

Had an excellent omakase experience at Robata Kiyota. From what I can remember, they do have a nigiri-only omakase that starts at 7-800k VND, and their full omakase including other dishes starts at 1M VND, which is what we went for. The experience starts with choosing from a selection of beautifully crafted chopsticks. Our chef then took the time to explain each dish, and it was a very comfortable experience. He patiently waited for us to finish each course before moving on to the next. He was observant of our eating pace and we did not feel rushed at all. Food was excellent, and we got to experience certain dishes that we have never tasted before. Overall, it was a wonderfully pleasant experience. I am excited to be back to have the omakase again in the future.

We were recommended to try this omakase and made our reservation through messenger, which was confirmed promptly. We specifically requested counter seating because, in our experience with omakase in Japan and the US., sitting at the counter allows for interaction with the sushi chef and a chance to learn about the preparation and ingredients. This was our first omakase experience in Vietnam, so we were looking forward to something similar. We arrived about 10 minutes before our 6:00 pm reservation and were greeted immediately. Our names were already placed at the counter, which was a nice touch. However, once seated, there was no introduction of the chefs, and the first course began without much context or explanation. Overall, interaction was very limited. We believe this was largely due to a language barrier. The counter seats eight guests. On one side, two Vietnamese couples were conversing comfortably with the chef in Vietnamese. On the other side, two Japanese guests were chatting with the head chef in Japanese. The remaining four of us (two Americans and two Australians) had minimal engagement. The staff did provide brief explanations of each dish, but the descriptions were difficult to understand. If you are expecting an interactive counter omakase experience and do not speak Vietnamese or Japanese, you may find the interaction lacking. From a purely culinary standpoint, the food was good quality—but we have experienced stronger omakase elsewhere. It was not disappointing, but it did not stand out. The best part for us is that we chatted with the Aussies and that was their second omakase in Vietnam. They felt odd due to the silence and decided to eat as fast as possible so they can leave. We think the experience could be significantly improved with a simple menu or a brief rundown of the course progression—explaining how many courses there are and introducing each one clearly. Even a short introduction of the sushi chefs by name would make the experience feel more welcoming and engaging, particularly for English speaking guests. One additional point: the Australian couple mentioned that when they arrived at 5:30 pm, they were the only guests seated at the counter while several chefs stood behind it. They felt somewhat uncomfortable being watched without any introduction or interaction. While we personally did not feel uncomfortable, we did find the atmosphere slightly awkward due to the lack of communication. We were celebrating our 10th anniversary, and the restaurant kindly added a small celebratory touch with cocoa powder decoration on the dessert plate. Overall, if your priority is the food alone, this is a decent omakase option. However, if you are seeking the interactive omakase counter experience common in Japan or the U.S., expectations may need to be adjusted if you only speak English. Google translate helps but it's not the best.