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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.
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.
Yakiya offers a refined and modern take on Japanese BBQ, with an atmosphere that feels intimate, elevated, and perfect for a special night out -- whether it's a date, a small gathering, or even a celebratory dinner. The highlight here is definitely the quality of the Wagyu. The experience leans more toward a curated meat tasting, with beautifully presented, juicy cuts that are satisfying without being overwhelming. Even with two 16-year-old boys at the table, everyone left full -- which says a lot. That said, I took one star off because the setup feels more like a traditional restaurant than a true omakase experience. Since you're seated at tables, there's a bit of passing plates and bowls back and forth with the server throughout the meal, which slightly interrupts the flow and intimacy you might expect from a classic omakase. If you're looking for a sashimi-focused experience, this isn't that -- it's much more Wagyu-forward. Service was a highlight. Jamie was attentive, warm, and made the experience feel smooth and well-paced. Overall, if you go in expecting a high-quality Wagyu tasting rather than a traditional omakase, this place really delivers. A great Pasadena spot when you want something a little more polished and indulgent.
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
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.
This is my second time at Yakiya, and I think it was better than the first time! I'm not sure how it's even possible. Food: AMAZING. The cuts were perfection. The first cold dish is so beautiful. I do not usually eat raw meat, but my experience is pretty pleasant here. The beef tartar tasted very fresh. The cooked cuts melt in your mouth! My favorite dish was actually the miso cod! It's sooooo flavorful. I dream about it still. It's comparable to the black cod dish from nobu. The bone marrow fried rice is just as great as the first time I had it! I want to come back everyday to eat it! Service: Our server is amazing! He cooked everything so well. He made small talk with us and was pretty attentive. Parking: FREE PARKING LOT OUTSIDE! Overall: Their restrooms bring me back to Japan. The seats automatically open up when you enter a stall. All the courses were definitely unforgettable. For the price, everything was unbeatable. It's a wonderful celebratory meal or a regular date night meal. I will definitely be back in the future!
Was in the area and decided to try due to the good reviews. Was worried it was going to be like Chubby Cattle which we didn't like. Thank goodness the food was good. Got the original set. Liked how they asked if we all eat raw meat because of the tartare. They were and to substitute for an extra piece of meat for the non raw meat eater. All the food and meats were well seasoned and spot on. The only negative was the rice was at the end was a like bit too sweet. Servers came around often refilling drinks and were friendly as well. If i lived in the area, I would come more often.
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
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.
Having visited both locations multiple times, I can confidently say the new spring menu is the best I've experienced at Yakiya. The focus on seasonality is fantastic, and at $128 for 15 courses, the value is unbeatable. Highly recommend!
Came for DineLA! We got the lunch set course for $68 which included tartare, chawanmushi, black cod, A5 zabuton nigiri, Wagyu skirt and short rib, crudités, garlic rice and yuzu sorbet. We added bone marrow to the garlic rice and a A5 ribeye with poached egg. We had reservations and for a set time, as the servers have to prepare some dishes tableside. Most tables seem to also do DineLA so the tables got served the courses together. Nine other dining parties came at the same time as us with three servers taking care which could be a little short staffed. Since we came late by five minutes we were seated last of the time slot and didn't get offered a drink menu. While the dishes seemed small, by the end of the meal we were quite full! The A5 dishes were quite tasty. The Wagyu ones in comparison were less rich but the chimichurri sauce helped. We got some extra dishes not on the menu (Wagyu ribeye and tomatoes) which were a pleasant add! Plenty of parking in the lot shared with Hook burger and various cooperate offices that are not open on weekends.
Came here for DineLA with two other friends. We each got a drink to pair with our dinner. FOOD I don't think there was a single dish I disliked. Definitely wished I had more of a few things. The miso black cod was delicious. The different meats were flavorful and rich. I really liked that there is a built-in fan for the grill so the smoke doesn't get on your clothes. INTERIOR Definitely trendy vibes. Great spot for date night or just cozy gathering with friends. They had stations that could seat up to 8 people comfortably. SERVICE Attentive! They refilled my water a few times without needing to ask. They also cook the meat for you too. PARKING They have a spacious parking lot so parking was not an issue for us. WOULD I COME BACK? Yessss
Great service and value for the Original Tasting Menu from the team that brought you the Panda Inn and Express! We went for dinner on a rainy Saturday, lured in by the exotic cuts of beef on a reasonably priced tasting menu. Was it worth it at this famous Japanese beef concept resto? Short answer is yes, and we will be back, having been sucked in by the sleek but classy casual luxe vibe with its gold and yellow hues contrasting with dark stone. But let's find out more about what we ate, if I can remember (it's 15 courses, but the menu doesn't quite match what you might actually get)... Amuse bouche. Right off the bat, a strong starter. If you dig raw meat tartare, this does not disappoint. The tartlet was a nice little bite, and the pastry was crunchy, pairing well with the sour beef. Running tandem with a more classic raw egg shooter wrapped in nori, and you got a winner with the creamy yolk enhancing the meat. Recommend even if you don't normally do raw meat dishes, and they will ask you up front if you can handle it. Wagyu tataki. Thin beef slice with nice sour vinegar dressing. Served with smoke jar, and so the flavor is very much infused with it. Maybe off putting to some since it is fairly pronounced. Chawanmushi. Might have crab flavor in it, but it was definitely the best chawanmushi I've ever had. Super silky smooth, this dish takes it next level with its superior texture. Served with the seafood broth, scallop, and mushroom, this is a treat between meat courses. Miso sea bass. We love sea bass, and we have had miso-glazed salmon before. But this sea bass is infused with it. Cooked perfectly with its flaky soft meat and with a sweet char caramelization on top, this a delicious seafood course that you don't want to miss. Wagyu "sushi". Think nigiri but with grilled beef. The server cooks this one for you before wrapping it around vinegared sushi rice with some real wasabi. Unlike common fake horseradish wasabi, this is not spicy harsh but pleasantly sweet with, wet, and only a hint of heat. Tasty and so fatty, a delicious course with rice, whetting the appetite for more cooked beef to come... Wagyu with onsen egg. A creamy luxury of a dish, the server cooks the meat and egg separately on the grill. When eating, you coat the meat with the runny egg mix for superb bite of creamy beef infused with soy sauce. Fruit palate cleanser. A small dish of wet candied yuzu, wakamomo (sweet picked baby pears), and yamamomo (sweet pickled Chinese bay berries). Delightfully sweet and sour trio. Side dish of veggies. Carrot sticks, cucumber, and lettuce served with a super tasty miso dip. Also comes with a giant rice cracker. Refillable! (We did.) Beef tongue. Server grilled and served it with a slightly sweet and slightly sour green Japanese chimichurri, this was very fatty tongue. Super soft because it's Wagyu. Wagyu platter. Three different meats, each one increasing into fattiness. Server grilled each one to your liking. The filet is left as the last piece to be served on the final meat course before dessert... The garlic miso bone marrow rice. A fantastic savory finisher. The server mixes the bone marrow and miso paste into the rice, and it comes out like fried rice. Then the server places the filet on top like a steak donburi. Meat is so soft you can just bite it with chopsticks as you pair each one with a mouthful of fatty rice. Best food combo, steak and rice, of course. Dessert. The yuzu sorbet (my fave) was sweet and sour with bitter notes, covered a sweet matcha sauce. But the matcha bomb, a white chocolate shell, explodes matcha in your mouth when you bite into it for a fantastic meal finish. Overall, definite recommend. Get the original tasting menu if you can spend the time and have the room for it. It's a great value for the experience and what you get. Until next time!
9 months ago
2 years ago
My first ever omakase of any sort, and it's at Yakiya! I came in with no expectations but came out with lots of rave about this place. First off, reservations were easy at resy.com. Came on a Friday night, and free parking - super easy to park in an open lot. You may miss the opening at night, so just drive slow. The ambiance was modern, classy yet smart casual. We looked at the menu and there were 2 options available. The hotpot or wagyu bbq, we opted for the bbq. We wanted to place drink orders but weren't asked until 2 courses later, which was weird but that can all be overlooked because we were in for a wonderful experience. I love from start to finish, they explained each course and Lester, our server, went above and beyond. He is very knowledgeable and very easy-going as a server. He was at the top of his game. Our favorite was the wagyu ribeye with the poached egg.. but we enjoyed all the courses, even the raw vegetables! If you have an allergy, they can also customize your course. We enjoyed the bone marrow shots and complimentary yuzu lemonade drinks! Also that sesame ice cream?? Icing on the cake. I would buy a pint to go home if they have it avail lol. Although the price is steep, it is worth every penny. I would love to come here again for a celebration or just to enjoy time with family or friends. read more
11 months ago
Recently I took my boyfriend here for his birthday dinner and we were blown away. I don't know if anyone else can relate, but at this point we are a little skeptical going to nicer restaurants that flaunt A5 Wagyu around. So many places are all marketing and completely lack quality or substance but this is not the case with Yakiya, and I'm so happy we gave it a try! From the moment we stepped into the restaurant we were greeted and quickly sat to our table. The ambiance is chic and perfect for a nice date night or special occasion. The food... absolute melt in your mouth perfection as you would expect with Japanese A5. Every meat was cooked just right for us by our server and paired with different accoutrements that accented the natural flavors of the meats nicely. We were also offered a bone marrow whisky shot for his birthday. Yes, we were confused a bit by that sentence too but it was a fun surprise that I won't ruin. My only nit picky criticisms would be that some items felt a little heavy/ rich like the bone marrow rice or the dish that came in the egg (sorry I can't remember what it was called). They were good but were a bit overwhelming towards the end. Otherwise everything else was perfect! We will be coming back for sure and recommending it to all of our friends. Although it may seem pricey, for the quality of the meal I think it's very worth it. Side note: Their bathrooms are so clean and fancy! The nice thick paper towels, toilet paper, and the fancy toilets from Japan. Ya girl appreciates the small things. read more
7 months ago
Decided to try the shabu menu for my mom's birthday and the food was incredible. The beef tartare in the beginning was amazing. The service was also really great, the waiter and waitress were very attentive. There was so much food we ended up cooking everything and taking home so much left overs. The restaurant was also really nice inside. read more
7 months ago
Came in without any reservations for early weekday dinner. Accommodated without any issues. Had the 10 course tasting menu. Quite impressed with the dishes. Meats were cooked by our attendants. Service was excellent. Atmosphere is quite cozy. Will definitely return. read more
2 months ago
2 years ago
Made a last minute reservation, literally 30 minutes before, for a 7:30 PM reservation on a Wednesday night, and boy am I glad I did. Brought my lady and my mom to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. To my surprise, we were the only diners. We were seated by Jason (one of the managers), who ended up doing almost EVERYTHING. I mean cocktails, cooking the meats, servicing drinks, this man was a jack of all trades. Hats off to you Jason for the amazing service and night to remember. The food was truly amazing. The drinks were spectacular. I really liked how they presented their dishes with the smoke/dry ice. You can tell a lot of thought and training goes into this. I really have nothing bad to say as I couldn't find a single flaw. I would strongly recommend anyone to come and celebrate something special.. Perhaps it was a bit odd that we were the only diners on a Wednesday Night. I truly hope this place makes it long term not only because they deserve it, but I can tell a lot of capital has been put in upfront. If you look at the decor or even the stacked bar, everything is luxury and high-end. I suspect it was empty because it is costly to dine like this frequently, maybe they'll come out with a really great happy hour. Complimentary Parking is available and plentiful within the back. I will surely be back. read more
1 year ago
Brought hubby for his birthday last year and ordered the prix fixe dinner. I highly recommend Yakiya for special occasions. The spacious interior is modern, dark, and brooding. We enjoyed all of the courses aside from the bone marrow luge cuz the complementary whiskey was a bit harsh. Would like to return to try the hotpot and also the bar or lunch tasting menu. read more
ive been to the rowland heights locations in 2021, lets see how this new location and menu changes are after 2 years! r e s t r o o m s : once you open a stall, you are greeted by a full stacked bidet! personally dont need all the features but its nice to see one. handsoap was very nice and lux! 10/10 bathroom. f o o d : original tasting menu $128 overall a very well rounded meal with great service. nice variety of lean and fatty meats to unique sides! perfect for a special occasion cause they do a little extra something for you if you let them know ;) s e r v i c e : very attentive and social :3 p a r k i n g : plenty of space so no need to worry about searching for one. contrast to the rowland location. read more
2 years ago
A solid 4.5 star! Made a reservation through Resy for lunch on a Sunday. They currently have the lunch menu set for $48 per person and they also have the dinner menu available during lunch as well at $128 per person. I got the lunch set and added chunk rib and hot green tea on the side. Out of all the dishes, I really like the bone marrow rice. The sauce they use has a super umami flavor and it goes so well with the mushroom and bone marrow. Every bite was perfect! The meats are pretty solid but it wasn't completely "melt in your mouth" experience that I hoped for. Presentation was amazing! Great atmosphere and service was on point! There's plenty of parking in the plaza. Overall a pretty solid spot to try! read more
1 year ago
We had a fantastic meal the food was excellent and the service was really good. Our top favorites were the uni with caviar (absolutely luxurious), the wagyu tartare, and the melt-in-your-mouth A5 Kagoshima Ribeye. Every dish was beautifully presented and full of flavor. The only reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 was the pacing of the experience. It felt a bit rushed, almost like we were on a timer. The bill was brought out before our desserts arrived, which came off as a bit impersonal and took away from an otherwise special meal. That said, we'd still come back, just hoping for a more relaxed pace next time to truly savor the food and the environment. read more
I visited Yakiya on a weekday for a work dinner and while reservations are recommended I think you could just walk in. The Menu is courses and it starts off with a raw tasting and cooked beef on the 2nd half. Each course ranges from a single bite to a few bites. You really get a wide variety of cuts and from lean to fatty meat. Each cut of meat is cooked by the staff and you get to just sit back and enjoy the experience. Interior is new and comfortable. Overall it's a great experience I would definitely recommend. read more
Excellent customer service. I was greeted by multiple people. I didn't have reservations. I heard about this restaurant and wanted to check it out. Everyone was so nice and tried to accommodate me. I ended up being seated at the bar and ordered a la carte. The ambiance was nice. Not too loud and not so quiet that you can hear a pin drop. The bartender and the host were both very attentive. They both explained every dish that was served. They provided their recommendations as well. The drinks were delicious. I had the Skytree and the Pagoda. Be careful not to drink too fast because you can't taste the alcohol at first. They gave me a tasting of Yakiya's very own Maker's Mark. It was very flavorful and I'm usually not a fan of Maker's Mark because I always thought that it was too sweet. This one paired with the bone marrow fried rice had an explosion of flavors. The sashimi was very fresh. I preferred my scallops touched or seared, but that's just my preference. There was nothing wrong with how the restaurant presented it. I got the prime ribeye. It's the perfect portion to taste and you can try another cut on the menu without being full off of one piece. The ribeye was very tender, juicy, and flavorful as well. The bone marrow fried rice was delicious! I couldn't finish it so I had to take it home. The sake sorbet with basil oil and white chocolate ball were perfect to end the meal. I would definitely return and make a reservation for the full tasting menu. read more
2 years ago
My ravenous is killing me! I must confess I still believe! When I think about it I lose my mind now that is a sign! So then Hit me Baby! One more Time! Yes, Yakiya has done it once again and the same elevated experience I had from the first location was duplicated here at their second spot. The chef's prefix menu came with grade freak-a-licious A cuts of beef from Japan. What I love about this experience is that they grill your cuts for you to ensure that you get the maximum flavor they want you to have. The ambiance is chill and the aesthetics have a luxurious feel with leather, wood and brass. The service was on point and I also forgot to mention the smoke free vents so you don't come out smelling like you were the one on the grill. And that's my take on this spot, Peace read more
2 years ago
就像夜空裡的星星，我們都有照亮別人的能力， 千萬別小看自己，而每一個微笑的背後， 藏著都是對生活的熱愛，即使這個世界再喧擾，也別忘了妳迷人的微笑～ 生日快到了，這次是我這輩子第一次生日，要請人家吃飯， 去年學姐生日她堅持請我，所以今年帶她來 Yakiya , Pasadena 新開的這家，那麼早來是因為他們8月份有折扣， 星期一到四 本來128 一個人的變成 88 一個人， 所以兩個人加稅加小費可以省100 元左右， Yakiya, 我來過很多很多很多次了， 東西還是一樣精緻，小巧， 有模有樣的一小道一小道的上，問題也是出在 東西就都一樣， 從他們開門2016， 2017到現在，菜單幾乎完全一樣，都沒變， 唯一不同的是好像加了道小小的生魚片， that's it, 以前帶小孩去吃， 他們沒吃飽， 吃完還去 對面85 C 買麵包， 上禮拜過去，我居然吃不完， 最後的牛骨髓炒飯 ， 跟幾塊肉我還帶回家了， 難道是老了， 胃口變小了， 吃不了這麼多了 最後要提一下， 只給四顆星是我們的服務員， 態度不是太好， 雖然都在幫我們烤肉， 可是明顯的感覺出， 不是太喜歡我們的感覺，唉， 不然其他的都沒啥好挑剔的了！ read more
Came back to try the new shabu menu and was definitely not disappointed. The broth was very mild and tame allowing the flavor of the beef to shine. The seafood palate was so delicious too. Shoutout to all the staff here for providing a spectacular experience. read more
2 years ago
Had the opportunity to send out kids to a camp for the night, so my wife and I went to Yakiya for dinner. This is a set menu for a set price, and the whole meal is very well orchestrated. They clearly have perfected all the dishes, and the presentation for each. Service was great, as should be expected for a restaurant like this. It is the same owners as Panda, but clearly a very elevated experience. All of the food was delicious, service was great, and the restaurant was very nice. The ambiance for the restaurant fit the food and style. For the volume of courses that they had, it was not overly full due to the small portions. It may have been better to have at least one dish that is almost just a "filler" so that diners are full when they leave. Glad that we tried it out, and I would recommend it for a special occasion. Until next time! read more
Finally got to have dinner here and it did not disappoint. The food was perfect and I really enjoyed the cadence in which the food was presented and served. The tasting menu had a great combination of hot and cold items, and the quality of the meat was such a happy experience. I personally loved the decor and it definitely created an environment that felt like I was enjoying a little more luxury for the night. The service was amazing and our waiter was really knowledge and really made us feel welcome. It's a pricey dinner but like my dad always says, if you think it's worth it then it is! read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
One of the best meals we've ever had, and we've had a lot! Every single course was excellent. Service was impeccable. Jason was so kind and informative about every course. Highly recommend the chef's tasting menu, $128pp. I can't wait to come back! read more
3 months ago
Business owner information
Panda E.
Hi Lars. Thank you for the kind words! We’re glad you had a great…
1 year ago
I am a loyal customer that will celebrate my son 's birthday or meet a client in Yakiya. Yesterday I bought my best friend in with our family to celebrate her belated birthday and the experience is bad. They are having an in room event for yelp and our service are definitely affected by it . We sat down and no water for us to drink . Our waiter jimmy show up and we ordered drink which we did not receive our drink when our main course arrive . Jimmy disappeared on our second round of meat service so my husband try to cook by himself and jimmy came back and ask why u took my job and comment my husband " this is stupid" . We were all shocked. The plate is missing for us to eat, he took a spoon away and we need to use the small spoon for rice . It is just awkward . I have to ask for a refill I have to ask for a plate ???? I am definitely not happy with the experience , tell me how can I eat my beef with the rice without a plate and knife ? Dear manager , I wish you reply to me . read more
1 year ago
One of my favorite restaurants! Service is absolutely incredible. Love that this location offers shabu, a la carte options, lunch on the weekends and yakiniku. Parking is easy, restaurant is spacious, and food is fireeeeeee! Definitely the place to bring a date, celebrate a special occasion, or even for a casual treat yourself night out. Shoutout to Lester, Jordan, and TJ for their outstanding service. Will definitely be back! read more
10 months ago
Jimmy made our experience here PHENOMENAL! We are so happy you got to celebrate our dad with us tonight. The food is spectacular but Jimmy makes it soar even more. We all laughed so much tonight! I could go on and on about Jimmy but I'm sure everyone wants to know about the food. :) Every dish is a melt-in-your-mouth orgasm. Nothing was average here and worth every penny. Ambience is beautiful. Silverware is luxurious. Staff is great! Jason even stopped by with some jokes too. Lol! We will definitely be coming back! Thank you, Jimmy, Jason, and staff. read more
Long overdue review! Boyfriend made reservations at Yakiya for our anniversary a few months ago and it was one of our favorite dining experiences together. Everything from start to finish was excellent, both food and service. We're provided with a personalized menu (which I still have) which helped so we could follow along the for the evening. Everything on the menu was delicious, but my favorites were the bluefin tuna tartelette, wagyu short rib, filet mignon board (various pieces), and bone marrow kimchi fried rice. Little things like wishing us happy anniversary, happy anniversary signage with our dessert, and even our names on the printed menu made this even more special! Would highly recommend if you're looking for a special place to celebrate or want a great dining experience. read more
8 months ago
2 years ago
The Pasadena location is beautiful! Having been to the Rowland location before I already know the food won't disappoint, but we were all impressed by the beautiful decor. We came here to celebrate both of my parents birthday, and the service was superb! They both got whiskey bone marrow shots as a surprise birthday treat, such a fun experience! Overall the food was amazing, and I think it's a good value for the quality of the meat!! Plenty of parking in the lot, the restaurant was pretty quiet on a Sunday night. read more
When in SoCal, I gotta hit the coolest food places... and I found Yakiya and knew I had to give it a try. It is a prefix 15-course Japanese tasting menu, ranging from raw fish/meat to grilled meat, including the tastiest desserts. The restaurant is a very low-light , intimate ambiance, perfect for a date night or special occasion. It was roughly around $150 pp. I appreciate the waitress also explaining each dish to me and also cooking our meat to perfection. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here and would love to go back. read more
What a top-notch, wonderful experience at Yakiya, in celebration of my parents' anniversary! Yakiya is a fine dining restaurant owned by the Panda Inn Company. They only offer a tasting menu of 16 small dishes and the entire experience takes about 1.5-2hrs. From beginning to end, it was a wonderful surprise on the palate; and we anticipated each upcoming dish with excitement. There were flavors that we had never tasted before. Even my picky father who complains most of the time gives this experience 5 stars! I won't go into detail about every dish, but like other tasting menus, there were some dishes that we enjoyed better than others. Our particular favorite was the bluefin tuna tartelette with ossetra caviar - we even ordered another round at the very end of our meal! In terms of the meats, we found the star of the show, the A5 miyazaki slightly too fatty. Perhaps it's a personal opinion and some might enjoy the fattier meat, but it was a bit too much for us. However before it was cooked, it looked like a clean slate of marble - it was beautiful! The experience ends with a white chocolate matcha ball - the pop of matcha was very fulfilling on the palate. The food is worth the $128 per person, however I found the drinks to be way too overpriced. We saw a flight of Japanese whiskey priced at $500, which in my opinion is a bit outrageous. We also found the music and ambiance a bit on the noisier side, would've been nice to turn it down just a notch. Service was wonderful. Melissa took good care of us and was very attentive. She was wonderful in cooking and explaining our meats, and even showed us the Yakiya Wagyu certificate. Even the bartender, Alfredo, was friendly and came to our table to greet us. It was a memorable dining experience to celebrate my parents' anniversary. Will come back again to try their summer menu! read more
2 months ago
I came here to try out their lunch menu with my best friend! By the end of the meal, we were at a good level of full. For dinner, I'm usually rolling out there but lunch was $48 for 5 courses whereas dinner is about $128 for 13 courses. We still got some of the same items during lunch that you would during dinner and they give you a choice for the main. I believe there were 3 choices to be made, the grilled meat, salmon, and something else. Regardless, we chose the beef. It also came with palette cleansers and the most amazing tuna tartar topped with caviar in a wonton shell. We were the only ones there and our server was amazing. I told her how much I loved the matcha balls and she was able to get me some even though it's not typically given at lunch. The vibes are super upscale and clean/modern. I love coming here for special events during dinner so it was amazing to hear that I could come here for lunch as well. Their lunch hours are weekends only at either 11:30 or 1pm. We came on a Sunday that was a little rainy and the parking lot was huge. We parked right at the front door. Overall, I will be back for their lunch menu again with my boyfriend. read more
2 years ago
Came here to celebrate Mother's Day and it was a very pleasant experience from beginning to end. Staff was very attentive, greeting us before we even walked in and escorting us out at the end, and they did a good job explaining what each dish was and what they thought was the best way to eat it. They took care of all the grilling and regularly checked in on us. They would clear all the plates after one dish and before bringing out the next one. We ended up finishing in 2 hours, and we felt taken care of the entire time. For $128/person, I really enjoyed the experience of trying high quality meat cuts. I enjoyed all of them, except the ribeye, which I thought was a little dry from being cooked too long, and the beef ball in the beef broth, which I thought was a little diluted. Everything else was for the most part, very tender and flavorful. I think my favorite would have to be the beef tongue, the bone marrow and filet mignon, and the beef tartare with truffle oil. The Dungeness crab over the silky steamed egg had a lot of umami flavor which I also enjoyed. Cocktails were alright. I really enjoyed the Matcha Man but it was really small. I'm a one cocktail a night kind of person and I finished it way before the course ended so I felt like I really had to pace myself over the 2 hours. I'd definitely come back but only on very special occasions. It is definitely a very unique experience but not a place where you pay a lot to eat a lot of meat because it's really a tasting menu, meaning one person gets one or twice slice of a beef cut. read more
Ambiance: as soon as you walk in, it feels like an upscale restaurant. Especially when you use their restrooms with their high tech toilets that automatically flush for you. You can see an open kitchen and nice bar setup with the lit-up whiskies! We found out from our server, Lester, this is the high end concept from the Panda group! Aka the owners of Panda Express. Parking: Ample Food was amazing! Guaranteed to have a good meal for your special occasion, or just a Monday night. Partner doesn't like raw. You can opt for raw option or get cooked alternatives. So both of us were so happy getting our preferences! Beef tartare, Egg custard and the meat dipping sauce were some standouts. The sorbet with the basil oil, what a treat! We ordered the crispy pig ear a la carte per recommendation by our server! Service was spectacular!! Lester and other staff were so accommodating. Due to the sick season, they happened to be understaffed that night. But you can see the servers working their butt off to give quality and timely service. We had such a pleasant experience mostly impart to Lester, the staff and the delicious food! read more
10 months ago
Fancy, elegant place. Service is amazing, all the staff is attentive and fast. They cook the food in front of you and there was a lot of new things for me to try. I liked all the details in this restaurant, from the gold accents all around to the smart toilet in the restroom. However, I was not impressed with the quality of the meat and did not like the "miso" stuff they have added to everything. Also the portions are very small and I was still hungry after my experience was over. If you're looking for a cute vibe place, this is it. If you're looking for unforgettably delicious food, pick something else. read more
2 years ago
We enjoyed an amazing multi course dinner on a Friday night. Every dish of the prix fixe menu was delicious down to the last delectable morsel. Angel was an excellent server who introduced each course in detail so we knew exactly what we were about to enjoy. The manager, Jason, was friendly and checked in an appropriate amount. The restaurant is spacious and I appreciated the space between the tables. I'd recommend reservations as this place gets very busy. read more
I've had quite a few beef omakase style restaurants and quite a few yakiniku restaurants. I heard some really amazing things about Yakiya, and my friend said she wanted to come here for her birthday, so we ended up going one night. From a restaurant like this, naturally the service was top notch. It had a classy vibe for sure. There was no menu, everyone got the omakase. I did not take pictures of everything I ate because I was too busy enjoying the food. I did like that not every single course was beef - beef tends to be quite heavy, and I liked that the starter courses were light, such as tuna and hamachi sashimi, pickled vegetables, a yuzu palate cleanser, and a few beef sashimi dishes. Some of the highlights of the night included the Miyazaki A5 wagyu steak, and also the beef that was served to us with a poached egg. I also loved the bone marrow fried rice with beef on top. The fried rice was very rich and flavorful, and bone marrow is an amazing accent for the fried rice. The price tag is quite high, so it's not a restaurant I would regularly visit. However, it was still amazing. read more
I had no idea what to expect coming into this experience, but it quickly became one of the best dining experiences I have ever had! We had a reservation and were shown to our table and walked through the courses we would encounter. The staff was super attentive and encouraged us to take pictures and videos to document our experience. This was actually my first encounter with a number of raw dishes, but I fell in love with each one in its own way. If you are weary of trying raw dishes, I would still encourage you to give these a try! Each component of the dishes mixed extremely well and left a lasting impression on me. Everything was so well thought out and prepared with careful attention to detail. The staff cooked the meat to our liking and prepared many of the dishes right in front of us, which was awesome to see. My favorites were bone marrow rice, egg dish, and wagyu varieties. The meat was so tender and flavorful. Many courses came with a few sauces on the side that complemented everything well. The Yuzu Cocktail is a perfect choice as a palate cleanser and something to sip on throughout the courses. It was easy to find parking and the ambiance was fairly quiet for a weekend. I would recommend coming in the late afternoon. The price is definitely on the higher side, but for the quality and service you are receiving, I think it is 100% worth it. Not only are you getting amazing food, you are also getting a great dining experience as a whole. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a high-quality and well-thought-out meal! read more
6 months ago
1 year ago
I have to admit that I was unprepared for the culinary experience we had. We stumbled onto this place accidentally and booked a table for the following evening. First, service, was outstanding. Every single employee was fantastic. Knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. If you are in any way a whiskey fan, you have to come here and check out the bar. Onto the food. Oh boy, a 15 course expedition of what Japans culinary bbq is all about. From the tuna tartare to the Wagyu beef, it was divine. The setting is open, casual and inviting. The two of us sat at an open table that could hold 4, 6 or 8. Do yourself a favor and experience this Pasadena treasure read more
More info about Yakiya
3455 E Foothill Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91107
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?
21 reviews that are not currently recommended
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Yakiya - bars - Updated August 2026
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