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    Yabu Restaurant

    3.9 (521 reviews)
    ModerateSushi Bars, Japanese
    Open 12:00 pm - 2:00 PM, 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    YABU RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Yabu Restaurant

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    Sashimi platter (partially eaten)
    Sara K.

    YUM!! We ate here for the first time and absolutely enjoyed the cozy small vibe, delicious food and sweet and friendly staff!! The miso eggplant was insanely delicious and we were blown away by the absolutely exquisite sashimi assortment platter we ordered! I had forgotten what real sashimi tastes like.. Cant wait to come back and try more! Great green tea ice cream tea as well. Cheers!

    Tempura and sashimi combo
    Rumi R.

    I went there for dinner with a bunch of friends. It was close to the closing time, but they welcomed us and set the table quickly. My husband and I ordered beef tataki, tempura and sashimi combo, blue crab hand roll and halibut sushi. They were so good and fresh. We would definitely go back there to try some noodles next time.

    Maruko X.

    Ambiance: traditional Japanese restaurant, old fashioned indoor dining and very chic outdoor patio Service: friendly and patient with questions, served food and refilled water adequately Food: numerous items on the menu, with daily special available from time to time, combo items have the best value here Chirashi Sushi - **** Assorted sashimi over a bed of sushi rice, fresh raw fish, recommend Cold Soba - **** chewy noodles with dipping sauce, recommend Salmon Hand Roll - **** smooth texture, recommend Spicy Tuna Hand Roll - *** average Yellowtail Hand Roll - *** average Hot Udon Noodles - *** average taste Price: moderate portions and reasonable prices, 10% discount if paying cash, expect $25 per person

    chirashi bowl
    Skylar K.

    We went here for dinner and the food was absolutely delicious! I loved my chirashi bowl and the presentation was beautiful. The servers were very kind and always there if we needed anything. I have gone many times and would totally go again!!

    Yabu Soba Combination Plate
    Catie M.

    Love the food at this place. Such a classic the service is always fast and they always have the right game on. They do everything really good love the broth they have here and of course the sushi.

    Desiree M.

    Love this place for a celebration or special occasion. The sushi is always great quality and the outside patio has the best of vibes. Plants hanging from the over head awnings and scattered all around the corners of the space. This time around my date wanted soba so we embarked on their soba menu. It was refreshing and delicious. I got the duck soba while she got the shrimp tempura soba. We got the picked veggies as an appetizer and a bottle of their yabu hot sake. After we cleared our plates we wanted to try something else. She got the chawan mushi. An egg custard with white fish and ginko nuts. This was so light and flavorful. I would get this for myself next time I go. The texture was so soft. I wanted to try the uni from Japan. This was a beautiful bite of clean uni with a kick of wasabi. I love this place and decided it was time to write a review and share my thoughts.

    Tempura Hot Noodle Lunch
    Derek L.

    Yabu is like a neighborhood Japanese spot serving lots of hot and cold noodles - soba, udon as well as some raw fish. Overall I love soba so I wanted to like this place but it fell really short. This ambiance is a nice grungy Japanese eatery with nice wood paneling. I ordered the soba with tempura and felt that overall the flavor was fine but not special. Soba unfortunately doesn't taste fresh made but rather from a package and they're super soft with little chewiness. Tempura was nothing special to write home about. The tororo soba is interesting, it's inaccurately described as yam but is rather mashed up and stringy Japanese Mountain yam. I had a taste and it was solid but the dish lacked something due to the uninspiring nature of the noodles. The sad thing is that it took 40 minutes after ordering for our food to come and a ton of time after we put our cards down to pay. All in all a 40 minute meal turned into an almost 2 hour affair.

    Eileen F.

    Read great reviews and I live close by so I decided to come give it a try. My favorite soba I've had in West LA is at Takuma, and I was hoping Yabu would be a closer option. Although my tenzaru set was fairly good, the price wasn't worth it. The soba noodles didn't have that fresh buckwheat taste that people eat soba for, and the tempura, although quite tasty, was very oily and the taste coated my mouth. It's clear this place caters more to the people in the neighborhood, and isn't the freshest or most authentic Japanese restaurant I've been to. The prices are enough to scare me away from coming back.

    Chirashi lunch set with cold Soba Tanuki (dipping sauce is hidden under the plate of green onion)
    Michelle Z.

    I came here on a Saturday for lunch, after learning about their lunch special. It's a bit hard to see from the street, so definitely be careful if you're driving here. There is a small parking area in the back. We opted to sit outside, which has a covering so it isn't too bright. I ordered the Chirashi set, which is 20.5 as of February 2022. It comes with a bowl of sashimi and rice, and a bowl of noodles. I ordered cold Soba Tanuki. The food came out relatively quickly and is honestly so good for the price. The food taste so fresh and the portions are very filling. A bowl of Soba is at least $10 at any other restaurant, so for $10 more, you'll get a bowl of very fresh sashimi and rice. The server checked on us often even though we were the only one sitting outside. Sadly this place is pretty far from me, so I won't be coming by often. If you live nearby or in this area for lunch on Mondays to Saturdays (they're closed on Sundays), definitely give this place a try!

    Broiled Black Cod. Delicious!!
    Emily L.

    The black cod is awesome and I would highly recommend it! This place is very standard Japanese fare. It was good, not stand out great, but very solid overall. It's a small restaurant on a busy street. We were lucky to get a parking spot right out front. Unfortunately it had some leaks because of #larain. It was a bummer and I hope they fix it. The kake udon was great. I really liked the broth. I wish they had more than one fish cake but the udon was good. The sushi combination was pretty good and fresh. The black cod was hands down the star. It was mouth watering good. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. With the lemon, everything tasted perfect. I would come back for the black cod. Come early if you can though. The place is rather small and when we left there was a wait out the door. The food was good and maybe with a few upgrades to the interior they can step up the ambiance.

    Kevin S.

    I've been looking to find a good soba/udon place on the west side for a very long time and finally came across Yabu. They offer both hot and cold soba/udon which can be hard to find north of Torrance. Service here is fantastic and feels like you're really stepping into japan when you're dining here. They also have other food if you're not in the mood for noodles such as rice dishes and tempura. Honestly everything I've ever had here is fantastic and I've been her many times since I discovered this place. Highly recommend for anyone that enjoys authentic Japanese cuisine!

    Ten Zaru Cold Noodle

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    Best noodle and best sashimi place! I've been here almost 30 years and still one of best choice for udon!

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    Yabu Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Yabu Restaurant

    Can I bring my own wine? If so, how much is the corkage?

    Do you accept walk-ins or prefer reservations? Thinking of a party of 4-6 people

    Yes, we do accept walk-ins, but we recommend you make reservations to avoid waiting : )

    1) Is their patio dog-friendly? 2) Do they have a happy hour?

    Yes, we have dog-friendly patio : )

    Are there heat lamps outside?

    Yes

    Are there any vegan options?

    Are the udon/soba hand-made?

    Restaurant explicitly says they make soba in-house, nothing about udon.

    View All 10 Questions

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    4.3(1.8k reviews)
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    This has been on my bookmarks forever! My wife and I walked in, no reservations and they seated us…read morepretty quickly. Excited as I was, I'm glad we came here, Michelin star says it all. One of the best sushi spots I've had a in a while actually. We didn't really do any appetizers and went straight in for the fish. Started off with a couple of hand rolls, we did the crab hand roll and O toro hand roll. Crab hand roll wasn't as impressive, I've had better to be honest. I didn't let that experience ruin it for me because the toro hand roll was delicious. I think they add a piece of mint and it complimented the hand roll. Very crunchy nori wrapper and good rice to fish ratio. For our sushi we started with chu toro tuna, salmon belly, and halibut. Super fresh melt in your mouth quality. Halibut was interesting with the truffle, first time definitely won't be the last. We ended it with red snapper and black snapper. Absolutely amazing, I think the black snapper or the red snapper was slightly charred. It was so good. To say the least, this restaurant was worth it!

    I recently visited Sushi Enya with my husband- though I liked the experience and food I think there…read morecould be slight improvements there. When I made reservations on the phone I asked about the latest reservation and confirmed 10 pm - however I asked if I could sit at the bar and they said not at that time since they closed at 11. When we arrived, there was a couple coming in at 10 and sat at bar...maybe just miscommunication but tha could have prevented us from consuming our food quick and skipping on alcohol since the table we got was not the best. Sushi felt very fresh and there's something about the way they make the rolls that feels different about other places (not sure if in a good way) Great staff and sushi chefs- they were super fast moving from one course to the next one.

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    Sushi Enya - Los Angeles - Chef Jeff adding the truffle on our special handroll. Stop by Sushi Enya in Los Angeles for the freshest best tasting sushi!!

    Chef Jeff adding the truffle on our special handroll. Stop by Sushi Enya in Los Angeles for the freshest best tasting sushi!!

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    Bar Sawa

    4.6(125 reviews)
    11.9 miLittle Tokyo, Downtown

    A modern take on omakase that is Sushi Kaneyoshi's fun nightlife counterpart. Hosted in the same…read morebuilding (the same fishy smell permeates the space) at an intimate counter for about 10 guests, the decor of the space is less sterile and clean and more jazzy Tokyo hipster. While the fish quality here is great, you will get more bites that seem a lot more experimental with flavors and garnishes. I didn't like every single bite but I expected that. A lot more focus on creative cocktails and drink pairings instead of just sake or wine. This is a great place to try Japanese whiskey, they even have little lockers where regular patrons can store their expensive bottles they've bought for when they return, and you are welcome to grab an additional drink and chill in the space afterwards if you'd like. The chefs here were a lot more personable and fun with more of a bar vibe than a traditional omakase. Service was great, dedicated bartender was great, and though it's not the best sushi I've ever tasted, I would still bring someone back here for a unique experience. Brought my friend here for her bday and we left full and happy and a little drunk so I'd say it was a successful night!

    Great food! Great crew!…read more However, they allowed 2 obnoxious couples to just make it for an uncomfortably loud dinner. Thai is not how an omakase experience should unfold. Such a shame because otherwise it would have been a great experience. But I cannot excuse them for allowing these other guys to just behave so rudely, like Neanderthal, and not say a thing.

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    Bar Sawa - The beautifully lit alcohol selection

    The beautifully lit alcohol selection

    Bar Sawa - Blue Crystal Shrimp

    Blue Crystal Shrimp

    Bar Sawa - Sawa Highball

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    Hama Sushi - Assorted Sashimi (salmon, tuna, albacore, yellowtail)

    Hama Sushi

    4.1(1.8k reviews)
    11.9 miLittle Tokyo, Downtown
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    came here on a wednesday night with my bf for a date and... lowkey obsessed…read more first of all -- they don't take reservations. like at all. we got lucky because we went kinda late and there was no wait, but i can 100% see this place getting packed the space is TINY tiny. like true hole-in-the-wall vibes. but in a way that actually feels authentic, not curated. genuinely felt like we were in japan for a second -- nothing flashy, just simple, cozy, and real also pls know before you go -- this is NOT your california roll / teriyaki / noodles type of spot. it's straight sushi. very no-frills, very traditional they literally make each piece right in front of you, one by one, which makes the whole experience feel super intentional and fresh and that's exactly why it hits. the fish quality is so good, everything tasted super clean and fresh without trying too hard. no gimmicks, just really solid sushi it's also super lowkey which i loved for date night. not loud, not chaotic, just chill and intimate def one of those places you almost don't want to post about... go try it!!!

    Spent a lovely, relaxed evening at this sushi spot…read more The ambiance stood out right away--clean, calm, and just the right amount of atmosphere. It's the kind of place where you can slow down, enjoy your meal, and have a good conversation. The food was consistently good. Fresh ingredients, well-balanced flavors, and a few signature rolls that felt thoughtfully done without trying too hard. Service was another highlight--easygoing, attentive in a subtle way, and never intrusive. If I had to point out one thing, it would be that a few dishes didn't quite have that "wow" factor. But sometimes, I appreciate a place that simply gets everything right without overcomplicating it. Definitely somewhere I'd return to--and perhaps bring the right company next time.

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    Hama Sushi - Interior

    Interior

    Hama Sushi - Combination B

    Combination B

    Hama Sushi - Spicy tuna hand roll

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    Spicy tuna hand roll

    Yabu Restaurant - sushi - Updated May 2026

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