Awaji Izakaya

Awaji Izakaya brings a Japanese gastropub approach to northwest Oklahoma City, where chef Richard Ly combines sushi with small plates and skewers grilled over binchōtan charcoal. The restaurant opened in 2023. Ly’s background includes training under Okinawan chef Kazuaki Miyagi in Texas beginning in 1999, followed by work in several restaurant kitchens before founding Awaji. That history helps explain a menu comfortable with both the sushi counter and a broader, contemporary bar-dining repertoire.

An izakaya-style order need not revolve around one large main course. Awaji’s menu offers house-made pork or vegetable gyoza, ginger-and-soy-marinated chicken karaage and agedashi tofu in a light soy-dashi broth. The skewers extend the choice across meat and vegetables. These preparations offer a way to move among grilled, fried and gently dressed dishes, giving a shared meal more variety than several similar rolls would provide. The restaurant’s dim lighting and Japanese-inspired setting support that small-plate format without requiring a formal tasting-menu commitment.

Sushi remains a substantial part of the kitchen’s identity. A Samurai roll combines tuna and albacore with avocado and wasabi mayonnaise, while the Awaji Dragon takes shrimp tempura, avocado and cream cheese beneath baked eel. The difference between those constructions is useful when a table is divided between raw-fish preferences and richer cooked fillings. Sake, shōchū, Japanese whisky and cocktails widen the drinks side of the meal. Awaji makes particular sense for a date or a gathering of curious friends who want to assemble a dinner gradually, alternating a few sushi choices with skewers and other warm dishes instead of expecting one uniform restaurant format.

Sources: Awaji Izakaya: concept and official links · Awaji Izakaya: chef, background and cooking techniques · Awaji Izakaya: location and lunch and dinner services · Awaji Izakaya: restaurant menu updated in September 2026 · Awaji Izakaya: Google Maps listing