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Food and service was amazing. It was my first time dining here with a friend and we both enjoyed it. We tried out their Original Chef's Tasting Menu ($128pp). I think the highlight course for us was the A5 Wagyu pieces. It was my friend's birthday and they surprised us with a bone marrow shot.
I've dined at the Hacienda Heights multiple times before and wanted to check out the Pasadena location. I was disappointed of the value of the "original" set especially since they no longer offer the bone marrow fried rice (it's on the lower tier one though). For $128 set and you only get 5 pieces of grilled meat and they count the starter drink as a course is disappointing. Yes there's meat in the starter courses but when the restaurant is focused on grilled meats, it's kinda sad you only get 5 pieces (unless you order more). The food quality is good but the value isnt there like it used to be. The biggest disappointment was the service though. We were never asked if we wanted to order drinks and was not asked if we wanted to add anything else at any point of our meal. Could we have asked? Yes. But there's a level of expectation from the service with a restaurant like this where they're promoting an exceptional dining experience. The courses felt rushed at some points and then other times there was a longer wait in between. It wasn't consistent. Knowing how it is at the other location, the hospitality level was not on par. Also separate from the dining experience - one of the bidet toilets in the womens restroom wasn't working, but there was no out of order sign and BOTH stalls had no toilet paper for quite some time until we had to ask a worker to restock it.
Came to Yakiya in Pasadena with my friend to celebrate her birthday and try their Dine LA menu. The Dine LA menu was $78 per person, and after finishing the entire meal, I thought it was the perfect amount of food. I left satisfied without feeling overstuffed like I sometimes do at Chubby Cattle, but definitely wasn't hungry either. First piece of advice: make a reservation! This place gets busy, and I can see why. From the moment we checked in, the experience started off great. We were greeted at the front, our table was ready, and we were quickly introduced to our server, Jeffrey. I have to give Jeffrey a huge shout-out because he took our dining experience to another level. From his warm smile to his attentiveness and genuinely friendly personality, he was just an excellent human being. I would honestly come back just to chop it up with Jeffrey again. My water barely made it to half empty before he was already refilling it. More importantly, he paced every course perfectly so we never felt rushed or like dishes were piling up on the table. For drinks, I ordered the Imperial Palace made with Suntory Toki and yuzu, which was delicious and refreshing. My friend ordered the non-alcoholic yuzu lemonade, and that was really good too. Now for the food. The quality of the ingredients and meats here is no slouch. We started with the A5 Wagyu tartlet topped with caviar. This was one of those single bites where you immediately wish you had five more. So good. Next was the smoked ribeye tataki, which was another hit, followed by the chawanmushi with uni and okra. Everything was well balanced and beautifully presented. Then came the miso seabass, and I have to say it was right up there with Nobu's version. The fish was cooked perfectly and packed with flavor. For the main meat courses, we had USDA Prime ribeye, American Wagyu short ribs, and A5 Wagyu filet mignon. The Prime ribeye was incredibly flavorful and well seasoned, while the American Wagyu short ribs practically melted in your mouth. Pairing the meats with freshly grated wasabi made them even better. Another reason Jeffrey deserves recognition is that he actually cooked our meats for us. Even while taking care of multiple tables, every piece came out at a perfect medium rare. That level of attention and consistency was impressive. Jeffrey then prepared the bone marrow rice and cooked our A5 Wagyu filet mignon to pair with it. By this point in the meal, I was completely satisfied without feeling overly full, which is exactly what I want from a tasting-style experience. For dessert, we finished with the Miso Cappuccino ice cream. Since we were celebrating my friend's birthday, the restaurant added a really thoughtful personal touch to her dessert. They made a handwritten cracker with her name on it along with "Happy Birthday." It was a small detail, but it made the celebration feel much more personal and showed the level of attention Yakiya puts into the overall experience. The ambiance matches the food and service. Yakiya has a modern, elevated Japanese BBQ feel without being overly stuffy. The restaurant wasn't too loud, and the tables were spaced far enough apart that we could actually have a private conversation. For a birthday, date night, anniversary, or another special occasion, the setting works really well. Parking was surprisingly easy for Pasadena. They have a huge free parking lot, and we had no trouble finding a spot. Overall, the $78 Dine LA menu was a great introduction to Yakiya. The portions were just right, the meat quality was excellent, and every course felt thoughtfully put together. But what really made the night memorable was Jeffrey and all the little details the restaurant added to make my friend's birthday special. Great food can bring you into a restaurant, but service like this is what makes you want to come back. I'll definitely be returning with friends and family for future special occasions. And if I'm lucky, hopefully we'll get Jeffrey again!
Came here for their 10-course yakiniku experience and thought it was a great way to try a variety of dishes and wagyu cuts. The course featured both A5 Japanese and American wagyu and there was a lot of attention to detail throughout the meal. We started with the wagyu tartare and hamachi and both tasted super fresh. The steamed egg with abalone was silky smooth and comforting, while the cod was rich, buttery, and fatty in the best way. I also enjoyed the fresh crudité with the red miso dip as a lighter bite in between courses. The meats were definitely the highlight. The beef tongue was thick and flavorful, and I especially liked the scallion kosho because it balanced out some of the richness. The ribeye, short rib, and chuck were beautifully marbled, and the fresh wasabi was a nice touch that complemented the meat well instead of overpowering it. We also ordered the bone marrow rice on the side and I'm glad we did. It was rich, packed with flavor, and had chunks of meat mixed throughout. Our server also brought out birthday shots poured through the bone marrow which made the experience extra fun and memorable. Finished everything off with mandarin sorbet and vanilla ice cream which was refreshing after such a rich meal. Overall a fun dining experience with quality ingredients and good service.
Have had this place bookmarked on my list for a while and was super excited to hear that they partnered with DineLA. Made reservations on a Friday night at 5:30 PM. Parking was pretty easy as the lot was large enough. The interior was super sleek and modern, but it was quite dim since the colors were mainly black. Got seated right away and was presented the DineLA menu which was a 10-meal course, $78/person. Out of all the dishes we tried, my favorite was probably the A5 Wagyu Tartlette. Although I'm not a huge fan of raw meat, this was seasoned well and didn't taste raw at all, instead very fresh. Everything else was pretty basic in my opinion. The uni on the chawanmushi didn't taste too fresh and it was a bit hard. The meats were all grilled by the waitress but it was a bit too hard and not soft. The bone marrow rice I was really looking forward to it but because there was so much rice, I couldn't really taste the individual bone marrow which was disappointing. The miso sea bass was also slightly a bit salty for me, felt like the miso overpowered the fish. There was also way too much garlic in the rice so it was oily as well. While the experience itself felt very fancy as the waitress explained each course of the menu, I didn't think the price was worth it for the quality of the meal. Overall, it was okay but didn't really live up to my expectations. Probably won't come back because of the price.
Everything was so good! We really enjoyed the service and how all the meats just melted in your mouth. This is a great splurge place, and the ambiance was really nice. Thank you Yakiya team for everything last night.
Three for three, Yakiya has yet to disappoint. We celebrated our anniversary at Yakiya again, this year at the Pasadena location. It's good to know that the amazing quality is consistent between branches, both in terms of food and service. There is a lot more space between tables here, making the Pasadena location feel considerably more intimate than the Hacienda Heights location. The calm atmosphere at 8:30 on a Sunday evening was everything. Everyone who waited on us was incredible, but Jeffrey especially was an absolute delight.
Honestly, doing the 10-course menu at Yakiya is the move-every course came out super flavorful, and timed out perfectly so you don't even have to think about what to order. I was actually surprised it wasn't more crowded for how good the food is, especially with how welcoming and attentive the staff were the whole time. From the melt-in-your-mouth beef, everything hit the spot, and pairing it with a quick drink made for a great meal.
Yakiya are two words meaning grill store which sounds a bit stilted in Japanese. Yakinikuya is the usual default word for a grilled meat restaurant. I then found out this is the high-end restaurant for the Panda Express group using a Japanese format with all things Wagyū (wah ghee yu). Being in Los Ángeles, there are other culinary influences seeping in such as Korean, Argentinean, Indonesian, etc. and of course Chinese. Decor can be described as contemporary East Asian with touches of Japanese Wabi-Sabi understated minimalism & refined Chinese accoutrements such as the gold tone metal chop sticks at the table which continues the motif. There is a bar which was manned by Billy who is a polished, suave barman comfortable and capable enough to perform in a Guide Michelin Trois Étoiles restaurant. He entertained us showing us rare ultra premium Suntory Hibiki Whiskey aged 30 years and Yamazaki Single Malt aged 25 years. 1) Wagyū Smoked Tartare is plush, lush topped with a quail egg yolk and microgreens ceremonially mixed sur la table while there is a wafer of burning Hinoki Japanese Cypress to give off incense like smoke. Placed on a crispy square toast point. 2) Crudité of carrots, crispy cucumber, purple bell pepper with Aka Miso/ red Miso paste. Huge, airy, Indonesian Rengginang/crunchy fried rice chip. 2) Chawan Mushi: A more viscous version of Japanese egg custard soup garnished with woodsy Shītakè (shee tah keh) & what may be Chinese dried Abalone. 3) Miso Black Cod: Sweet white Miso caramelized and cod slightly burnt, sprinkling of Asatsuki/Japanese chives. 4) A5 Zabuton Nigiri: Wildly marbled Kagoshima Wagyū. Zabuton, meaning seat cushion, is the chuck area, located between the neck and the rib of a cow. Plush Zabuton wraps around a small Nigiri of Sushi Rice and topped with Kuki Wasabi/fermented, pickled Wasabi stems. Underlying flavoured soy sauce in the dish. 5) SRF American Wagyū Tongue: Thin disks with hash grill marks chewy yet soft eaten with a flavourful rough chiffonade of green onions, aromatic, toasty sesame oil, sea salt which seems to have Chinese sensibilities. 6) SRF American Wagyū Harami Skirt Steak: Harami means belly meat and it came out pleasantly chewy with good, fatty beefiness. Deliberately cooked to medium to emphasize the chaw. Excellent Chimichurri sauce of green herbs, aged garlic, thick olive oil that complemented the beef. 7) SRF American Wagyū Shortrib: Another wildly but not as marbled, thicker slice that had a pleasant chaw. Used the green onion chiffonade. 8) Wagyū Garlic Rice: Korean Bibimbap like crispy yet moist rice texture augmented with green onions, toasted ground garlic and fatty beefy Umami. Same flavoured soy sauce. Starchy and rich to finish off any hunger present. 1-8a) Kikusui Daiginjō Sakè (sah keh): Using the rare Kikisui Sakè rice, rich body with hints of acid, Kōji/rice earthiness, touch mushroomy, faintly fruity, dry apricot, Japanese Hachiya Persimmon. 8) Yuzu Sorbet with Basil oil: Refreshing mildly bitter sour citrus with slightly musky green herbal. All the staff is very accommodating, welcoming, service oriented. Since they do all the grilling, they instinctively know when to swoop in according to the customers' pace which is amazing. Christian was informative, food knowledgeable, savvy. He helps create a feeling of hospitality that goes a long way in enhancing the Yakiya experience. 4+ stars
Yakiya is a wonderful Japanese steakhouse specializing in yakiniku (Japanese grilled meats) in a center table grill with smoke free ventilation. We went during Dine LA and had the 8 course menu and every one was A+ delicious. It included premium cuts like Japanese A5 Wagyu, American Wagyu, Prime beef and a cod that was so buttery and flavorful it was as good as the beef. Jimmy our server made the whole visit such an enjoyable experience for our table of 4. He was a great storyteller and imparted a greater appreciation for the preparation and the quality of the beef. Some cuts are sourced directly from Japan. Billy took care of us at the bar and made some delicious cocktails notably the Mr. Miyagi whisky with puréed ginger and sweet fruit essence. Form the moment you gaze at the entrance adorned with colorful Japanese lanterns and step into the softly lit lobby, you can feel the amount of attention it took to create a harmonious space complete with comfortable seating, beautiful premium bar area and tastefully designed dining room. Definitely worth subsequent visits and a place to take your best friends and family.
This is my first at their new Pasadena location. I believe it was $128 per person and you are definitely satisfied by the end of the pre fixe. The beef is always tender and perfectly cooked by the staff. One thing to keep in mind is the bone marrow fried rice is no longer park of the omakase, but is available for an additional $24.
My aunt took me here for my birthday dinner. We came on a Sunday around 5:30 PM. The restaurant wasn't quite full yet, but it does get more busy as the night went on. We loved their decor. We got YAKINIKU TRADITIONAL CHEF'S TASTING MENU | 10 COURSE for $78 per person. All the food was really good, definitely high-quality. The food that needed to be cooked was prepared table side by our server. The timing of each course came was just right. This place is definitely an experience. But for people that don't eat as much, they didn't have a lot of selections for people that wanted to order à la carte. Other than that, the food was excellent.
Great service. Didn't have to really do much since the employees here cook for you and always come and check on you. Will come back to try their 11 course menu and see how it defer from the dine in LA special one. Got a few drinks as well to try them out. Their old fashion with the marshmallow was a nice touch and my girlfriend really enjoyed the fog drink. Nice decor inside very modern. Only problem is when I tried calling them to reschedule my reservation that I made a mistake on i didnt get a response when I emailed them and couldn't get through their phone number so I just had to let it go and make another reservation. Which someone would answer or pick up the phone
3 years ago
Woahhhh dont even hesitate to come here. This place was absolutely such an amazing experience. Loved every course that came out! Definitely a unique experience everyone should try at least once. My friend treated me out for a late birthday celebration and they have a cute surprise if you are celebrating. Our waiter was Angelo and he was probably one of the best servers Ive ever had. We came on a Thursday evening and it wasn't too busy. They also have convenient parking in the front. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
Amazing experience here at Yakiya! Probably some of the finest beef I have ever had in my entire life without breaking the bank. Set menu so there's nothing to fuss over - it's a full course guided meal. Thanks Jordan, our superb waiter/caretaker for taking care of us and explaining the intricacies of every dish. Beef heaven! And the bar is fully stocked great location and easy parking. It's worth it! read more
3 years ago
Shoutout to Ashtin, for snagging us a table at the new Yakiya Pasadena location. Michael our server for the evening was very sweet and kindly explained all menu items thoroughly. I had been to the Yakiya in Hacienda heights a few years back and this one just feels so much more calm and lush (the bathrooms are a whole experience in itself). Parking is quite easy too. The food has always been a home run but they changed up their menu items for this location, so you must come taste for yourself. Delicious is an understatement. You'll be delighted by every single thing that touches the table. My favorites were the crab, the beef tongue, and the highly anticipated A5 wagyu. They paired the wagyu this time with a poached egg and it just about sent me to heaven's gates. The wow factor, the service, and the taste are 10/10. Yakiya does it every time. 11/14/23 read more
10 months ago
We were looking for somewhere local to celebrate our anniversary and I am so happy we found Yakiya! Easily made a dinner reservation online the day before. I wasn't sure what to expect, but Yakiya exceeded our expectations. Since it's a prefix Chef's menu, all you need to do is show up and enjoy. Every dish was beautifully presented, and delicious. The pace of the dishes coming out was well timed, and the staff and servers are all very friendly and made us feel welcomed. Decor and atmosphere is casual but with a classy vibe. The servers all wear suits, so definitely dress it up when you come so you don't spoil the scenery lol. The price for the food quality and the amount of dishes is very reasonable. I look forward to my next visit! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
i consider yakiya to be fine dining and for the price you pay the service should be spectacular i've been to the yakiya in hacienda heights and the service and ambience was always 100/10 unfortunately this location falls short in multiple ways.. 1. im not sure if it's just because our server was new or something but there were many times where we were sitting for more than 10 minutes at a time wondering if we were going to be serviced or given the next course. 2. after making a comment asking where our next course is (after waiting so long) all of a sudden we were rushed with 3 different items, i don't remember it being like this at the other yakiya location i also think i was caught off guard by the entire vibe of the restaurant and the way the service was just eh. It is VERY LOUD in there which can be due to the fact that there r more tables, but it doesn't help that the servers also talk to other servers when they walk past the tables. overall food quality was good but was ruined by the bad service. if you want yakiya, skip this location and go to the hacienda heights location for a more intimate fine dining service rather than this location. read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
Best experience! Took my man here for his birthday dinner and we had the best time. Servers were all attentive and the food was amazing. Ambience was romantic Will definitely be back read more
Amazing service, amazing experience, amazing food. We are so impressed by Conrad and the team at YAKIYA. We came for my mom's birthday and she was WOW'd. If you're looking to spoil your loved ones with delicious drinks, food, and quality time. Come here!!! Another thank you to Melissa, Jordan, Christian, and Logan for the best time! read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
Hands down my favorite restaurant of all time. From management all the way down to front of the house, they go above and beyond each and every time. I can't stress enough on how down to earth all our servers have been. Me and my girlfriend have been to quite a handful of omakase wagyu style restaurants and they never ever meet our standards. However, Yakiya always goes above and beyond. Apart from the beautiful presentation, you'll leave this place feeling so satisfied and full. I can't wait for the next occasion to come visit this establishment. read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
2 years ago
Service: 5 stars+ superb. The server explained every dish when it placed on the table. Each dish was meticulously prepared, beautifully presented and delicious. Definitely will go back again. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Ammmazzzzing experience! We stopped here first for a drink at the bar while we waited for our reservations elsewhere. Conrad the bartender just made us feel instantly welcome, he learned our names and took the time to get to know us. I ordered the lychee Skytree drink and it was flavorful and delightful!! In our party we also had a generous pour of wine and the best old fashioned I've ever tried. Each drink was crafted to perfection in darling glassware, stamped ice and the attention to detail was spectacular! We had two rounds and didn't want to leave because we were having the best time sitting at the bar top meeting new friends. Christian was the manager and took the time to welcome us and we were again so impressed with how happy and sincerely kind everyone was! We felt VIP and I can't wait to come back. Ohhhh and we had an appetizer that looked like art, so gorgeous and insanely tasty! Can't say enough about how much fun we had and literally, I'll be dreaming about coming back! Thank you Conrad and Christian for the greatest evening. read more
2 years ago
We found our new favorite place to go to in our neighborhood. Finally made reservations and showed up. Such a nice dining experience in Pasadena. The food was delicious. All the meat was so tender, literally melt in your mouth. Kinda lost count of how many dishes were served. Our drinks were yummy too. We were waited on by so many great people. Our personal waiter was great, made our whole experience very enjoyable. Thank you! Make sure to make reservations, the restaurant filled up very quickly. Best to kick back and let everyone serve you! Can't wait to come back. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
Modern, minimalist decor. An amazing, fun and delicious experience. Service was great. It's pricey but worth it. read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
DEFINITELY A 5 star occasion restaurant! Only complaints... A little loud inside. Beautiful bar & great drinks, but should serve some small food items vs regular menu. I would certainly pop in there for an occasional drink. The food and service were excellent. This is a fairly new location and I saw it was owned by Panda Express. Easily $200 a person with drinks. They service one set dinner and I thought I would be picky, but everything was delicious. They even help out if there is food allergies. One of the more exciting birthday celebration restaurants. Highly recommend!!!! read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
This is a fixed course menu. Every dish was better than the last. The service and ambience were amazing! read more
3 years ago
What a great new restaurant! They offer a 12+ course omakase for a very reasonable $130 per person. We had all types of beef from Wagyu rib eye to tongue and filet along with some delicious fish options and veggies. Overall it was a great experience and I would highly recommend for a date night. The service was excellent. The attention to detail from the staff was top notch and the ambiance was a very modern dimly lit Japanese deco read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
This restaurant can be said to be one of my favorite restaurants. Their food is of high quality. Today Jordan is our server, he has a first-class service attitude read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
This was place was amazing! The food was excellent and the service was impeccable. Our server, Melissa, was the best and even gave us free drinks. The design and decor is very elegant, but I felt the ambiance was very casual. Most omakase places I've been to tend to be overly pretentious, but this place felt very chill. I think our server also kept things light hearted and didn't try to make the food more than what it was. Dont get me wrong -- the cuts of meat are excellent and accompanying dishes taste great. But our server didn't try to talk up the food , just let the flavor speak for itself. I will definitely be coming back here. Oh and the price is very good for what you get! read more
3 years ago
What a great experience at this new restaurant in Pasadena. It is located close to Hastings Ranch. When you walk into the restaurant, you are greeted and taken to a spacious booth. The server is with you through the whole experience and they explain the different dishes that comes to your table. The meats are so tender and so mouth watering as the server grills your meat to the right temperature. One must come back and have this great experience again. Each dish is so delicious and in the end the white chocolate ball is truly a surprise to the palate. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
This is Yakiya's new 2nd location in Pasadena. After having dined at their Hacienda Heights location, we felt like we had to try their new location just to compare the difference. We started off with their course meal with their Yuzu palette cleanser. Next on the list was their appetizers that consist of Wagyu w/ Ponzu Jelly, their Blue Fin Tuna w/ Caviar Tartelette, Smoked NY Steak Tataki and their Hamachi Passionfruit, which I believe is something new that they opted out their Beef Cheek Soup. I'm not sure what it is, but their palette cleansers are one of my favorite snacks from that rice cracker to their little vegetable assortment w/ that miso paste. I literally go to Yakiya just for that. One other palette cleanser I'm still on the fence about is that they replaced the whole marinated pickled tomatoes for their individual heirloom tomatoes with the same marination, but I felt like it didn't hold on to the flavor. It was still good though. The only thing I didn't care for which I know many of you would disagree with was the Melon Assortment with Matcha. It's refreshing, but I just don't care for fruits or sweets as much. That's also why I didn't have any pictures of their desserts. Then came the Chawanmushi w/ Crab. Let's move on to their grilled meats. First came their Angus Beef Tongue which was complimented with their lemony scallion kosho. Followed by a plate of 3 different cuts of meat. Their Koji aged Rib Eye inside, Rib Eye Cap, and Snake River Farm Short Rib. All three was great. Then came their USDA Prime Filet Mignon following with their Bone Marrow Rice w/ Garlic Miso and Kimchi. They also removed the garlic from sauce that they marinate the Filet Mignon which was another thing they changed. Apparently there was feed back prior that they didn't like the garlic. I actually loved that little slice of garlic, but it wasn't that dramatic of a difference. Lastly, for the bbq grill was the A5 Mizayaki and the Poached Egg, which has always been the main dish everyone looks forward to. As always, that was the star. read more
3 years ago
Super excited for another Yakiya location! Came here a few times with friends and my fiancé. Delicious courses and drinks. Glad seafood has been added to the menu for a mix of seafood and beef bites. Everything was amazing and I would definitely come back again! Cheers read more
2 years ago
Went for my husband's bday and loved it. Very attentive service and great food. Highly recommended. Only con is that the place is a bit noisy. They need something to absorb the sound more. read more
More info about Yakiya
3455 E Foothill Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91107
Chapman
Directions
(626) 514-2147
Call Now
Visit Website
https://yakiya-us.com
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Ask the Community - Yakiya
Hi. Anyone know the all month 10 course is mean August or till end of September ? I just saw the promotion in FB. Thanks. Aug 22. 2025
I think the end of Aug., but may extend it. Call the restaurant directly for confirmation!
What is the dress code for this restaurant? Are shorts okay?
No dress code. You can even choose to sit at a patio dining for less noise!
What is the difference of yakiniku dinning room with shabuya dinning room?
Yakiniku is BBQ, Shabuya is Hot pot
Are food allergies addressed and honored?
Not all the time. What restaurant put on their menu that they add MSG? I am highly allergic to MSG and trust me when somebody doesn't put it on their menu. I suffer from it.. I get the wonderful trip to the hospital.…
Do the guests cook the meals themselves or is someone cooking it for them table side?
They cook for you.
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
23 reviews that are not currently recommended
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