Yatai

I am only writing this review because I want to people to experience the same joy that I get everytime I go to Yatai. This is the best kept secret in LA. By far my favorite restaurant! The food is phenomenal and unique, the sake great and the service makes you feel like you are in someone's home. It is soooo wonderful! If you go, you must get the spicy tuna on rice, cabbage, tuna with crispy onions and popcorn shrimp! more

I am posting this on one condition, whomever you take to Yatai must be worthy as this place is a gem! I have torn feelings about writing just how good because i don't want it to become that place that you need a reservation 3 weeks in advance. The service and food surly warrant 3 week advance reservations. And the warm welcome you get from Mr. Masa and the rest of the staff each and every time i go there. i have introduced friends who are now believers. Yatai has a cult like following. and yes the ""Mendy Roll"" is amazing Spicy Tuna roll with avocado topped with yelow tail, salmon and tuna, garnished with tempura flakes and eel sauce im getting hungry just thinking about it. and the pumpkin tempura is a must! Service is second to none, and the ambiance is intimate yet lively and decor takes you away to a beautiful Japanese garden. all this on sunset... cant be beat! Pros: overall amazing! Cons: there are none! more

Dear Customer,\r \r Firstly, I would like to apologize for any inconvenience and misunderstanding I have caused. Due to my lack of English I could not get my point across to you clearly, which resulted in what may have sounded like a lie. I would like to have this time to re-explain my self.\r \r All of our credit card transactions are processed through a third party credit processing company. All transactions with a zero dollar tip automatically have a 20% PENDING tip added for approximately 3 days. This process is done in case any changes are needed whether it be from the customers or the restaurant. The pending amount will then be changed and corrected after the few days. In this case a cash tip was left, which means the pending 20% added will be removed and the original amount will be charged once the company receives the finalization. We never intended this system to freeze or cause any problems for our customers and their credit cards.\r \r Again I would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. I have been in the restaurant industry for 10 years, starting off as a bus boy. Yatai is my dream restaurant which I have finally achieved. It is and never will be my intention to cause such inconvenience to my valued customers. But I do realize that this situation has and we are fixing the credit card pending system immediately.\r \r I do hope you will stop by soon and when you do please ask for me. I would like you to get to know me and see that I am not a liar and that I truly value and appreciate every single one of my customers.\r \r Sincerely,\r Yatai Asian Tapas Bar\r Owner Masa Sonobe more

I appreciate very much that you are fixing your credit card machine. Although you are located in a swank area, not all your customers have the money in their accounts to put up 20%, even if it is a few days. See you next time. more

This is by far my favorite restaurant in LA. I've only been for happy hour and the place is almost always empty, despite great reviews. I can't imagine why - the ambiance is great, service is attentive, and the prices are great during happy hour. There is also always street parking at that time, but bring quarters for the meters, which are checked into the wee hours of the morning. Another tip: you can buy a $25 gift certificate on restaurant-com for $10 so you'll save $15 on a $35 meal (have to spend $35 to use the gift certificate). Also restaurant-com often has specials so you can buy the gift certificates for as little as $4. ****UPDATE**** When I went back recently, they had significantly reduced their happy hour menu, so I'm taking this down to a 4 star - still a great value, but much more limited in selection! I'm very disappointed. Pros: Happy Hour, lots of street parking at meters, discount certificates available (see review), ambiance, service Cons: Might be a bit pricey if you don't have the certificate or don't go at happy hour, recently reduced their happy hour menu more

Soju cocktails, wonderful tapas - the best was the pumpkin tempura with curry salt. It's a nice twist on... more

Soju cocktails, wonderful tapas - the best was the pumpkin tempura with curry salt. It's a nice twist on old sushi favorites. more

I stopped at this place to pick up take out on my way home. I assumed it was small by the outside. Boy was I wrong! The small door opens up to a large room with dim lights, red velvet walls and spacious tables. Perfect for dates and group lunches. The crab eggrolls are awesome. If you're looking for reasonably priced, excellent food and great service. I would say check it out. Pros: Excellent Price and Ambience! more

We were SO disappointed with this restaurant. It had such high reviews and really had so little to offer. Food was very mediocre and the prices were unjustified. Friendly staff but no effort was made to create ambiance. I'd never go back. For the price you can get so much more in L.A. more

This place is so good i almost don't want to tell anyone about it.. The Pumpkin with curry powder TRUST ME IT'S AMAZING, there is the ""Mendy Roll"" Rainbow (no shrimp) with spicy tuna inside is the 2nd best thing! \r more

Yatai is a priceless Gem on the worlds famous Sunset Strip. As a respected Concierge at a high profile hotel; I can honestly say this is the best Asian Restaurant in Los Angeles. My first experience was an unannounced visit to test the quality of both the food and service. Yatai far exceeded my expectations and became the my #1 Asian restaurant of choice. It is rare for a concierge to have a single favorite, Yatai is my favorite. The service is impeccable and flawless. With the warm energy you feel so relaxed. I have never tasted such great dishes in my life. There is something about each dish that captivates the palate and brings great joy when I take each bite. It is an honor to be served by the most positive and most amazing staff at Yatai. \r \r Massa And Mishiko, the owners, are the most amazing and super positive people. After working a long stressful weekend, I visited my favorite spot tonight. The moment I crossed the threshold, my stress was lifted and I felt as though I was in a different world, a peaceful one. No negative energy is detected. This energy is hard to describe and should be experienced by everyone. I thank them for the best Massage ever, dining at their establishment. \r \r Thank you for another great experience, \r Christopher E. Bruno\r Beverly Hills, CA Pros: Everything there... more

What a wonderful neighborhood restuarant. A little gem---everything is perfect.\r -the food is exquisite--get the calamari and pumkin tempura.\r --the initimate ambiance --I love the courtyard with the trees \r -the service--always attentive and friendly, anticipating your every need\r This is a delightful place , I highly recommend it, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Pros: Everything! Cons: Nothing! more

The place deserves every bit of praise that people heap on it. It's a smart space that works for almost any type of occasion, the patio is a nice escape from the strip. Pros: Food, Service, Ambience, Drinks more

Was very impressed with the overall atmoshpere & elegance of this place. Place had a good vibe along with nice outdoor & indoor seating giving it a cozy feeling on Sunset of all places. As for the food, loved the tapas & they have an extensive list to choose from. The drinks made from either soju or Sake were quite potent & tasty. Service was quite nice & helpful. My wife & I went here for dinner & came away impressed. Would recommend to anyone & suggest the crispy rice with spicy tuna. We definitely are going back. Pros: excellent food, wonderful service, & cozy atmoshpere Cons: parking in underground garage - car scraped concrete (not leveled) on way in more

This place is really fantastic. It has a nice outdoor patio area and the inside is also tastefully designed. The food is great and reasonably priced as are the drinks, especially during happy hour. The staff is also very attentive and polite. A wonderful experience overall. more

Yatai is a tiny space with a cute courtyard right on Sunset. Blink and you'll miss it, which would be a shame since the food here is to die for. For two people, get six or seven small plates (about 5 bucks a pop -- very reasonable) and explore a world of Asian flavors. Each small plate is a tiny treasure, bursting with inventiveness, care and above all flavor. This chef intimately understands your taste buds and your brain! Asian ""tapas"" are a great way to sample different flavors of the region, and at these bargain prices you will eat yourself silly. Just one word of warning: most of the cocktails are made with rice wine or rice-based spirits and taste distinctly different from (let's say) vodka-based drinks. If you're not sure you like this stuff, order a nice Japanese beer instead. Pros: Intense and delicious flavors, reasonable prices Cons: Cocktails are geared more to an Asian palate more

Came in for happy hour and left very satisfied. Sakegria to drink and shishito peppers and calamari to munch on. Will definetly come back! Pros: patio more

I went to Yatai on a weekday after reading some reviews on citysearch. The restaurant was hidden and surprisingly quiet in the Sunset nightlife. The decor was mostly red and dressed up in asian furniture. They were playing hip Indie/house music. It was a cozy but trendy atmosphere. I cuddled with my girlfriend on the patio smoking a cigarette and lazily watched the black and white film (a Jim Jarmusch film!) reflecting on the wall. The food was memorable and the night was perfect. I am definitely hooked. Pros: Ambience, Food, Service Cons: N/A more

Yatai Asian Tapas Bar is a disappointment. I was expecting much more given the glowing reviews and the high ratings. I went with a party of about 10 people at 6:30 p.m. so the restaurant wasn't crowded at the time. We each had about a round of drinks (mojitos, martinis, beers). The only drink that wasn't watered down and tasteless was the beer--it was a Singha. The fried chicken tasted like tapioca express chicken. The spicy tuna rolls had barely any tuna but a lot of rice. The Albacore Sashima w/ crispy onion & ponzu sauce and the ceviche were probably the only decent dishes they had. Japanese style egg? It was just a fried egg. Thin sliced cucumbers.. was just that--although whoever did the slicing was good and cut them really thin. They had cold tofu.. which was also nothing special. The only redeeming aspect of the restaurant is the service--the staff is very polite. Oh and the restrooms are clean. But basically, you are paying through the nose for cheap asian food with crunchy onions on it. Go elsewhere.\r ------------\r Reponse to Business's response:\r (1) who said there were 16 dishes?\r (2) who said it was $150?\r (3) even assuming (1) and (2)--$150 for cucumbers, tofu and rice is expensive no matter where you are--even West Hollywood. We stopped ordering because it was no longer worth the trouble/wait/cost. Pros: Singha beer and service Cons: Price and quality of food more

This restaurant is just superb and stands out from the many places I?ve tried in LA. I am going again tonight, so my mouth is already watering :). Two things, I wasn?t really a fan of the Calamari, but they were very kind and saw that it did not seem to be my cup of tea and comp'd it off my bill. You do not see that much anymore it really impressed me. Second the stuffed mushrooms are TO DIE FOR. They have a really nice sake selection also. It's a great spot for a special date also, the atmosphere is great although it can be a little loud at times, but for me that?s part of the vibe. My only problem with this place is that I don?t live closer to go more then once in awhile. Pros: GREAT Ambience, Good Food, Superb Service, and Reasonable Prices Cons: Parking is NOT easy on the weekend more