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Yaya's Cookbook

4.1 (588 reviews)
ModerateAsian Fusion, Thai
Open • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

Yaya's Cookbook Photos

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YAYA'S COOKBOOK ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Loud
Casual
Trendy
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Yaya's Cookbook

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Thai iced tea and water
Mike ..

We came here after the movies on a whim, and parking on a Saturday night is hit-or-miss, depending on the theatergoers. We walked in not expecting much, and we were amazed at the speed and efficiency of the staff. This place seems like a happening place for the night crowd, lots of young men and women congregating at the bar. Our server was shy and quiet, but she was quick and efficient at her job. We ordered the Thai Iced Tea (quite literally the best I have ever had in my life) and the Drunken Noodles. I am a pad kee mao aficionado, and theirs were fantastic. The atmosphere was interesting, eclectic if I had to sum it up in a word. There were multiple seating genres, if that makes sense. We sat at the small four-top in the lower area, and the view of the whole restaurant was great for people watching if you're into that sort of thing. We came here with no expectations, and we were blown away. What a hidden gem; we certainly got our money's worth. Whole-hearted recommendation from both of us. Recently, while driving down Main Street, we noticed there will soon be a new location downtown as well, so we've got that to look forward to.

Whole crispy fish - $38 portion
Lisa B.

It's very popular, I'll give it that. I'm not quite sure why. The food was, meh? We stopped in early on a Friday evening, and it's obviously popular for its happy hour. We got a table outside. The service was good, and our server did a good job. The best thing we had was the crispy brussels sprouts, which we got a second order of since it was our favorite. We shared a crispy bronzino fish, that did not look or taste like bronzino, and was not really large enough to share between people, despite being $38 for the largest portion. We also shared a dragon type sushi roll, where the sushi rice was way overcooked. Same thing for the Vegetable Gyoza, where it was over steamed, so soft and mushy. The rice that came with the crispy fish was also over done, and soft and mushy. That's pretty much a no-no in any kind of Asian cooking. We got an order of papaya salad, which though supposedly mild had quite a kick. All in all, the atmosphere was good, but we were three people, and none of us would be interested in going back. There seem to be a lot of Asian restaurants in this area, so I think you can find better.

Surf & Turf roll
Ashley W.

First of all Yayas never ever misses! This is my absolute favorite place to go in Short Pump.

Bulgogi and fried rice
Whitney B.

Yayas has always been great since the first time I've visited. They consistently have given me great service and great food!

Pork Gyoza
Hannah S.

Yaya's Cookbook is one of my absolute favorite local Thai restaurants. My daughter & I ventured out there for Lunch this week & per usual we were not disappointed. The food was delicious. The service welcoming & attentive & the ambiance was boisterous but not overwhelming. We were seated in the Back dining area, which was quieter than the main dining room & we found being seated in this area worked well for us as we just wanted to relax, hang & talk. Every dining experience I have had at Yaya's has been enjoyable & this experience was no exception. I definitely recommend checking them out if you like Thai food & Sushi options. Their menu is quite expansive and overall very budget friendly.

Dried beef
Kathleen D.

I really enjoyed my experience at Yaya's last Thursday. We popped in around dinnertime before a nearby comedy show and sat at the bar. It's well-decorated for the holidays and feels cozy. Do note you'll probably need to keep your coat on sitting at the bar, as the door opens right on it without a buffer. Bartenders were so nice. They were out of our first choice for a cookie shot, so we ordered the peppermint patty shot. Well-named, very good. We also ordered two of their holiday cocktails, the drunken beef app, and later, pork fried rice to go (me, on a whim ha). The fried rice lasted me three meals and was soooo good. Prices were reasonable given the quality. I'd definitely stop back sometime!

Vicky V.

The Thai food and cocktails are still really good! However, the quality of the sushi has went downhill

Orange Chicken and Yaya's Roll
Candace

I come here often (I love to stop in after a good movie). The YaYas roll is my absolute favorite. The Orange Chicken is also really good and when I recommended to a friend, they also really enjoyed it. This place is popular and can get very crowded. Ordering delivery will run you the risk of your order sitting out for an hour (happened to me twice, but I love that roll!) Don't order out, eat in and enjoy the ambiance.

Jambalaya Roll
Beau M.

Yaya's has always been a favorite when I travel through Richmond. Today I had a Sidecar cocktail and the Dumplings as an appetizer. I normally order the Drunken Noodles, but I wanted something lighter. I was going to do one of the basic sushi rolls, but my server, Sydney, recommended the Jambalaya Roll. I'm glad I followed her recommendation. Delicious and a beautiful presentation. Sydney was very attentive and kind with a contagious smile, which is hard to find in Richmond sometimes. The staff at Ya Ya's is great, and the food/drinks are incredible.

Candy cane shooter!
Rita R.

A few friends and I came here after the movies for drinks. This was my first time here and I really appreciate that they let us come in despite the fact they were about to close soon so thank you guys! First of all I love the Christmas decor adorable! I had the margarita which was just how I like it, and shout out to the bartender for not watering it down as some places do. They also have Christmas themed shooters I had the candy cane which was not only visually appealing but absolutely delicious! I hope to come back and try the food, I was spying on the table next to us and whatever they had looked and smelled amazing! I'll be back!

Sushi with a fun drink
Michele F.

I finally made it to Yaya's and I can't believe I waited so long to try it. Some friends and I met for dinner on a Saturday night. We arrived before 5pm and got seated right away. I got a Rainbow roll and a Philly roll, and washed it down with a delicious drink that had a flower in the ice cube, so cool! The server was friendly and even though the restaurant was busy, she checked in with us often. By the time we left, the amount of people waiting to be seated was huge so it's best to get there early like we did.

Yaya's Roll - 10/10
Wolf P.

Excellent choice for Thai classics and sushi options with a unique spin. We tried a variety of dishes and they were all delicious. The cocktails aren't too complex but complement the food extremely well.

Miss Me Mexico - mezcal cocktail - $11 during HH! SO GOOD.
P.K. S.

one of the best (asian) meals and cocktails i've had in rva! everything from the sushi to the brussel sprouts to the thai curry was fantastic. every dish we had was flavored extremely well and was served hot and fresh. the service was also excellent - malaya was attentive and super friendly! my only complaint was the space is super small and a bit crowded - i got there at 4:15 and by 5pm it was packed and people were waiting in line to be seated which made the already tight space feel even more claustrophobic. the wait staff kept eyeing our table and made us feel rushed. however, the food quality and taste made it all worth it!

Drunken Noodle sub flat noodle for rice noodle add chicken

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Reviews are generally positive. People highlight the flavorful Thai dishes, creative cocktails, and lively atmosphere. Most find the friendly staff, though some report mixed service.

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8 months ago

The best Thai fried rice I have ever had! The sushi is simply amazing as well .... Happy hour on the weekend as well

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1 month ago

The food staff and atmosphere is why we continue to come back. I love the popcorn chicken and crab fried rice WE LOVE YAYAS!

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4 months ago

Staff has knowledgeable about vegan options. Food is always good here and the service and ambience my family and I love.

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3 months ago

JT is the best, best recommendations, service, and person- he needs to run this place!!!!

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2 years ago

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6 months ago

I ordered the curry duck. The sauce was incredibly rich, fragrant, and delicious. The portion was also generous - highly recommend.

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2 months ago

Great food and atmosphere. One of our go-to spots for lunch and dinner. I like to try something new every time I go.

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3 months ago

I did not like the sushi. the sushi taste like fish like seriously fish!!!! who makes sushi that taste like fish completely gross.

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Thai Won On

Thai Won On

4.3(87 reviews)
1.1 mi
•$$

Thai Won On is an excellent Thai spot for dine-in and take-out, I have yet to find another local…read moreplace that can compete with them. I've been here on quite a few occasions and have been impressed with the excellent portions, particularly for the Pad Thai. Service is quick and attentive as well, which is a welcome change from most other spots these days. They are usually pretty quiet during the day for dine-in, and the lunch prices are quite good, with a little outside seating for nice days. Parking is easy since the shopping center has a large lot and it's a very relaxed atmosphere. If you're in the market for some good Thai, this should be one of your go-tos! Overall: 5.0 stars ---- Pros: - Excellent portions for great Pad Thai. - Great service. - Nice dine-in atmosphere with some outside seating available. - Accessible and easy to park by. Cons: - Best to hit during lunch hours, as the dinner prices are tougher to swallow.

I ordered the lunch special drunken noodle with pork ($12) for takeout and it was quite good. The…read more3/4 spice was indeed spicy, hot but still tolerable. The noodles and flavors were quite good. The pork was a little overcooked and dry, but was still tolerable with the noodles. Staff were very friendly. The interior is small with seating for about 15 total people. Since this was a takeout online order, there was a 5% service fees unfortunately. Overall it was a solid Thai restaurant with a good lunch special! I would definitely come back again! Food(50%): 7.5 Staff/service(25%): 8.0 Value(25%): 8.0 Overall: 7.8/10

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Oh yeah. The real deal…read more Got takeout here and it exceeded my expectations. Had tried these dishes before at Peter's Fredericksburg location years ago. I got these for the road: Dry-Fried Eggplant Crispy with a touch of savory spice plus cilantro, really good. Grandma Noodles Wavy noodles in a savory brown sauce with dried pepper and cilantro. Spicy but good spicy. Much better than the last time I had them, they hadn't congealed yet. When I mixed everything together it was great. Pork in Spicy Garlic Sauce Oh yeah. Even with just one spice pepper, this rocks. This is what I remember enjoying from years back. Tender shredded pork in a spicy sauce with garlic and multiple kinds of peppers. Would definitely go back if in the area. Parking was easy in the strip mall next to Walmart. Ordering online was easy and pickup was friendly and quick.

I haven't reviewed Peter Chang's in a while so decided I'd revisit and make a new assessment. I can…read moreconfirm this is the best Chinese food in the area. And it's not dumbed down American Chinese at all. My husband and I both work from home so we get to go have lunch at area restaurants from time to time. We have our regular places and we order Peter Chang's for takeout sometimes, but when we were deciding where to eat and knowing we were short on time, I suggested Peter Chang. For our meal we ordered dumplings, which were amazing. The dipping sauce was to die for...I need to research it and try to make it. We also got the scallion pancake, which came with a curry dipping sauce. Also very good. For lunch there is a menu that is typical of Chinese restaurants where you get a choice of soup (I chose hot and sour) and rice (I chose white rice). For my main I selected hot and numbing chicken from the lunch menu. My husband got three pepper steak. We also got jasmine tea, although if you prefer an adult beverage they have a bar. The food was excellent, service was attentive but not overbearing. It was a great meal and we both have lots of leftovers. The restaurant can be a bit noisy because it's just a big open room, but it's okay. The table next to use was loud talkers with no inside voice, so I got to hear all about their trip to Charlottesville for a concert. Sounds like they had a good time. I wish people were more self-aware about the volume of their voices in public but maybe his ears were wrecked from the concert. P.S. Peter Chang was the chef to a Chinese dignitary like an ambassador so he's the real deal.

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Yaya's Cookbook - asianfusion - Updated October 2026

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