- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Place Yuu
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
2101 Sawtelle BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90025
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
(310) 478-7450
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 2:30 pm
Mon-Sun 6 pm - 1 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
85 reviews for Place Yuu
Review Highlights
"Then we also ordered green tea ice cream for dessert."
(in 4 reviews)
"shabu shabu salad: delicious."
(in 4 reviews)
"they also offer osaka style pressed sushi here."
(in 56 reviews)
Loading...
85 reviews in English
-
Review from Aein H.
Los Angeles, CA
1/10/2012
I never got around to reviewing this place although it was one of my secret faves of Sawtelle and now it's gone. :( I loved it because it was open late, had delicious sushi (especially their spicy tuna on top of crispy rice) and service was always good.
Bye bye Place Yuu ;w; -
Review from Dominique M.
Beverly Hills, CA
My little heart was just crushed this week, when I took at friend there after giving it so much rave and saw that they had closed down for business :( I was just here two weeks prior and no said anthing to me. I feel betrayed, lost, and hungry for Yuu...
My favorite late night sushi spot in all of West LA... How can I ever recover from this terrible break up?!?
I had intended on writing a glorious review but what's the point now?
I'm going to go curl up in the fetal position and cry myself to sleep now....
:'''''( -
Review from Jim A.
Los Angeles, CA
11/26/2011
Good sushi and roll options. The price keeps me from coming back.
The other dishes are great though.
Get the roasted squid! -
Review from Christie K.
Los Angeles, CA
1/5/2012
I liked this place because of their prices and what you get for it. It's not top notch sushi but it's good for an izakaya. It's a nicer izakaya than furaibo if you're hoping to go to somewhere less rowdy. All their little dishes were pretty good. It's too bad they're closing down.
-
Review from Phil C.
Went here for late night sustenance and this place didn't disappoint. Located in a small plaza that's great for late night crowd. Parking can be tough at peek hours. Wasn't too bad around 9-10pm. There's complimentary valet which I don't get for this small plaza, I guess someone needs to make some money.
On to the food..
Everything we ordered was really good. Sashimi was of good to great quality. Albacore melted on ur mouth and the white fish had good flavor. I ordered the zaru soba which was enjoyable. Soft shell crab appetizer was crispy, tasty and meaty. Hamachi collar was grilled just right.
Service is friendly and attentive. Wasn't too busy on our latest visit.
I'd definitely come back for a late night meal. Love that they are open til 1am mon-sun. :)Listed in: Japanese Favorites!
-
Review from Lily J.
8/29/2011
Food is good, service is good and price is fair... but u are in West LA:)
Parking is a nightmare so be prepared to park fare. It's a good place to take friends or even a date (tho it isn't super romantic). I think they get a bad wrap, I have never had a bad meal here once. -
Review from Bill M.
Los Angeles, CA
12/11/2011
This place is tucked away in the Sawtelle shopping plaza across from the Nijaya supermarket plaza and doesn't have a sign or anything to make it stand out. The restaurant is usually empty during the week but gets really busy on the weekends.
The food is always fresh and clean but the service is subpar. Even when it's slow the servers sometimes ignore you. The menu is a bit pricey but the quality makes up for it. Would've been a better review if not for the service.
Green tea sundae is a must try! -
Review from Ned M.
Santa Monica, CA
8/31/2011
Workday Lunch Review.
I think Yuu is pretty new, replacing 2117 which I walked by a million times but never tried. After walking down all Sawtelle seeing that Tofu-ya and Sushi Stop was super busy, I decided to give this a try after seeing the outdoor sign advertising a two item meal for 8.95 and a three for 12.95.
Your choices include some fancy options like kurobuta sausage, saba shioyaki and buta kakuni, all fairly high on the difficulty scale to find good versions. All three passed the test quite nicely. The saba was actually not too salty, good for those watching their sodium intake. The kakuni was nearly perfect, a tiny bit dry on the second piece (minor, minor). And the sausage, though usually not a problem quality wise, it is difficult on the price side for what you get. You often order and get a very small amount for $6.
Portions. You got a dabble of salad, a small bowl of rice (refills FREE!), miso soup and your three items. The saba was about smaller than a typical order about a 1 inch by 3 inch or so cut. You get 3 sausages, about a breakfast sausage size. The kakuni, you get two nuggets. Get an extra side of rice and you should be fairly full.
Also, during lunch they offered 20% off sushi. I tried the spicy tuna roll just for fun at $5.99 regular price and found it quite satisfactory. If you are bored waiting at Sushi Stop, hop on over and try this place out for even sushi. However, in general, you should be here for the izakaya dishes more than the sushi.
The place was empty save one other customer group. Perhaps it gets busier at night. Otherwise this place is sunk. Service is good, though this could vary if they are perpetually understaffed.
Parking is valet or street. If you don't mind walking a block, you can find residential neighborhood 1 or 2 hour limit parking behind the strip mall. -
Review from Carrie U.
6/18/2011
Came here last night and it was pretty empty. I had the rainbow roll and the Philadelphia roll. The rainbow roll was pretty fresh. The Philadelphia roll had a barely discernible bit of cream cheese, so if you're expecting it to mask the taste of salmon, you are mistaken. Service from the sushi chefs was fast and decent. The prices here are higher than normal for the rolls by about 2 or 3 dollars. The regular sushi was about a dollar more expensive than usual.
The waiter pissed me off because I wanted to sit at the bar (which was empty) and he said it was only for people ordering sushi. No shit my friend. Also, he came to take my drink order but left while I was talking to him to sit someone else who just walked in. Rude. -
Review from Robin, Wendy L.
Los Angeles, CA
9/5/2011
More like 4.5 stars, but giving 4 is too low.
Quiet and nice atmosphere for dinner. We felt really relaxed at the place.
The food was good.
We ordered sushi platter (8 nigiris + cut rolls), blue crab cut rolls, chawanmushi(tea cup steam, steamed egg with assorted seafood), tsukune(chicken meatballs), and asparagus beef. We felt we ordered a bit too much because of the huge portion of the sushis.
We loved the blue crab cut rolls. We preferred the sushi here over Hide - really fresh and portion is big as well. Chawanmushi is good =D
Tsukune is not bad, but not as good compared to those in Nanbankan.
Asparagus beef is not that good. The sauce is too salty and the beef is not tender.
We'll definitely come again and try other dishes like grilled saba.
Service: It is not active at all. Some might feel the waiters are not attentive. But we don like waiters to be too active/annoying. So this restaurant is a fit for us : ). Good for dating - less distraction :P -
Review from Kent W.
Los Angeles, CA
11/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've eaten here a few times and have enjoyed the food and atmosphere with friends, usually with a bottle of shochu. Last night I took the time to look at the bill closely and noticed an additional $6 added to the price of the $40 bottle of shochu. Puzzled, we asked what it was, thinking maybe they charged us for an extra drink we didn't order. To our surprise, it turned out to be a charge for glasses and ice! We couldn't believe they had the audacity to charge an extra $6 on top of the $40 (a bottle of shochu that we could get across the street for $21 btw.) Additionally, no place on the beverage menu do they state that there will be this extra charge. To me, this is all rude business, no matter how nice the waitresses are.
-
Review from John L.
Los Angeles, CA
5/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
I want to give it a 3.5 but I can't. I've gone to Volcano countless times and never realized there was a sushi place next door. My friend and I decided to try a new place so we checked it out. The interior was really nice. The place was pretty empty but it was Monday night. There were about 3 other tables occupied and they were all couples it seemed.
What we ordered:
Toro (2 orders)
Uni (2 orders)
Hamachi (2 orders)
Chicken Teriyaki Plate
BBQ Plate
Assorted Sashimi Plate
The total came out to $100 but it will depend on how much the toro and uni cost since they are both MP (market price). The chicken teriyaki and the BBQ plate were "okay". Not the best I've had but decent enough (I would say the BBQ is better than the chicken). The sushi was a little above average, I would give it a 6 out of 10, 5 being okay. There are probably better places to get sushi but I liked the experience. The waiter was very polite and was quick to refill our water/tea and clear used plates.
While a bit pricey, I like the place! And its open late for those late night dates! -
Review from morgan v.
Los Angeles, CA
7/22/2011
Yumm.. Nabe Udon.
I come here at least once a month to enjoy an udon/sushi dinner with my roommate. Not the cheapest udon I've had, but I like that it comes in a hot pot and has all the essentials included - fish cake, chicken, egg, shrimp tempura. The only thing that it's missing is seaweed.. well I guess you could request it but I haven't tried.
You do have to flag down the waiters if you need something, they don't continually check on you, but they don't rush you out either. We have stayed probably up to an hour after finishing a meal and no one said anything. Also -- this place stays open really late which is awesome. Quiet and somewhat dim ambience.
Free valet in the parking lot if you're feeling lazy. -
Review from Andrew M.
2/9/2011
Um. I'd have to say the best thing about this place is that it's open late until 1 AM.
But if I want a better quality snack, I'd go to Hayama. It's only a few blocks away, but I'd be willing to spend a bit more for better food.
The spicy salmon hand roll I ordered looked like I had made it myself, and given my complete lack of experience rolling sushi rolls, that equates to something very.... crappy. Basically, I got a small uncut..cut roll. I thought hand rolls were supposed to be in the shape of an ice cream cone, like at Midori! So disappointing. Definitely not worth what I paid. Wasn't even spicy.
The waitress was nice? -
Review from mike j.
Los Angeles, CA
4/12/2011
I actually didn't know there was a Japanese restaurant in this small plaza. When I went to Manpuku last time, I accidentally found this spot.
The place was much better than it looked from outside. Little bit wired because of a big TV next to Sushi bar; however, it was clean, quiet and comfortable. Also drinks were little bit expensive compered to other places.
We ordered appetizers, Battera (Marckerel sushi), salad etc. I really liked all of them. Tempura we got was very crispy and delicious with fresh oil. Sushi was tasty, but sushi rice with less vinegar I think. I can tell some appetizers were homemade, and delicious.
All food is a good portion for small parties, and great service.
I'd give them 4.5 stars because of high price of drink. I'll definitely be back : ) -
Review from Angelina B.
Los Angeles, CA
3/13/2011
You have to understand this place to appreciate it. As far as the sushi goes, it is as authentic as it can get. Like any other restaurants, there are some items that are not so pleasing to the palette. There is a lot of negative reviews on their services. My personal thoughts on the service is that it is not bad. You just have to be proactive. It is not Denny's. They don't check on you every 5 minutes. They are like any other authentic Asian restaurants, you gotta call them over.
Chill out and enjoy the good food and patrons there. -
Review from Julie N.
Los Angeles, CA
4/2/2011
As far as variety and authenticity goes, this sushi restaurant has it all. It's in a not-so-hidden plaza, but this place often gets overlooked because of it's surrounding neighbors (e.g. Volcano Tea, Hurry Curry etc...)
The menu selection is VERY AUTHENTIC, with items that you would see on any IZAKAYA (a lot of little appetizers) menu in Japan. I absolutely LOVE THE AMBIENCE - quiet, intimate setting, dark walls with Japanese writing, paper lanterns, and dark furniture. A much older crowd dines here. You'll find all the college kids at the more budget-friendly restaurants. Unlike other reviews, I had GREAT SERVICE both times I've been here. Their waitresses have a lot of patience and made sure our waters were always filled.
The first time I came here was with my cousin. We shared the ASSORTED SUSHI PLATE ($22), which has assorted fish over rice. They even put wasabi in between the fish and rice. The Japanese consider it a SIN to mix wasabi in your soy sauce. The presentation was nice and the fish tasted fresh.
The second time, I took some of my sorority sisters here for some late-night sushi. They originally wanted Sushi Stop, but it was closed by the time we got there. I warned them that Yuu's prices were nowhere near the prices of Sushi Stop, but they still were down to go. So we went. They were shocked at the prices and it took them forever to order because they all wanted to get bang for their buck.
We ordered: Nabe Udon, Chicken Teriyaki, Unagi Don (Eel over rice), and a Salmon roll.
I was sad that they ended up not liking their food, but I understood for a couple of reasons. One, because I know this place was not within their budget, and 2. They're not used to eating traditional Japanese food, which is actually really bland. They're used to eating the Americanized sushi with tons of MSG. I'll admit, I wasn't crazy over my NABE UDON ($10.95), but I still like this place. I'll just stick to my raw sushi next time.
So if you're the type that loves creative/crazy/innovative sushi combinations on a budget, you will not find it here. Yuu's has much more to offer than just sushi, which I think separates itself from other competitors. This is as traditional as it gets. If you do decide to try this place, just keep an open mind. -
Review from Patrick H.
Oakland, CA
11/25/2010
The food is a little expensive, but the food is very delicious. The waitresses are very nice.
But anyway, my roommate Allen C. had something to say to me after we left:
"Patrick, you're so retarded for giving her that very generous tip. What was it, $15?"
I hope you enjoy your tip for Thanksgiving. I was just in the giving mood and seriously you people deserve it. Thanks for working so hard, even when its Thanksgiving, and coming to serve us with beautiful smiles =)
And to the waitress: damn. you're very pretty. enjoy your tip.
Sincerely, your friendly-neighborhood creeper... I MEAN. NO. Patrick H.
PS. Hope to see you again?
Allen C. "I swear you're going to get a restraining order from all restaurants if you keep saying people are cute."
Patrick H. "SORRY FOR MY HORMONES, GEEZ" -
Review from Jolene H.
Beverly Hills, CA
2/14/2011
Happened to be on Sawtelle on Saturday night and decided to grab something to eat since there are such good sushi joints in that area. Unfortunately, the wait at Hide was too long and after walking around forever we decided to go to Yuu since there was space at the bar. My husband liked the ambiance. Even though it was crowded it wasn't too loud and we could still engage in conversation.
I don't usually enjoy sitting at the bar, but it was chill and I enjoyed watching "Mori" the sushi chef.
Food was a little overpriced for what we got and the servers were way too busy to even pay attention to us, but it tasted good, which was what mattered. We ordered a few sushi rolls and salmon from the kitchen. All were good - spicy tuna was a little too creamy but my husband enjoyed his rolls and miso.
Wouldn't mind trying lunch sometime if we're in the area. -
Review from c e.
Los Angeles, CA
1/12/2011
This used to be one of those places that were too good to open for lunch and every day of the week. One night, we finally gathered enough courage and walked in the door. It was not as scary as we thought. We've been here a few times since. Sushi is good, but some of the small plate items can be too salty. Lunch menu seems like a good deal. Nabeyaki is also on the salty side. Boss lady is nice, but service at dinner time can be a little slow.
I'm worried about this place. Every time I go, it seems to have fewer and fewer customers. And their promotions seem to get more and more desperate. Something is not right. Overall, it's a good place, but it can use a little help. Instead of focusing on the cheap, perhaps the attention should be paid to improving the menu. I do like this place and I hope it will survive. -
Review from Robert B.
Culver City, CA
9/18/2010
Here are three great things about this restaurant: great food, open til 1am, their izakaya (small plates) menu.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles and I've been going here for eleven years now. Their sushi chef has talent and always features the best, top quality fish, the rest of the menu items are consistently good and, this is one of the few places that I've found in Los Angeles where I can grab a meal after ten o'clock at night. Recently, they added an izakaya dinner menu. If you're not familiar with izakaya think Japanese tapas. They feature a delicious and quality menu of Japanese dishes for 3.99 each. I'm telling you, it can't be beat! The calamari and scallop rolls are not to be missed, I recommend. -
Review from Sara I.
Los Angeles, CA
4/26/2011
I love this place, great service, great food, great lunch specials and walking distance from my office. I love their eggplant with miso sauce and can't resist it anytime I go. Their tempura is always amazing as well as their miso soup, def my fave lunch spot on sawtelle..
-
Review from Andrew T.
3/24/2011
the order.
sushi: tuna, ono, albacore, yellowtail, salmon, scallop
blue crab cut roll
chicken karaage
pork sausage
one of the best tasting fish assortments i have had to date! the best tasting assortment in this price range, for sure!
the sushi pieces are nicely portioned and more generous than some stingy places i've been to. the quality was undeniably good and unmistakable. I usually don't get tuna but decided on it as a last sushi order after having had the others. and the tuna was clean and not metally tasting as it in many other places in LA. the salmon wasn't as buttery as i have had it but definitely clean tasting. the ono really got me.--i call it chicken of the sea. great white meat that just tasted so good.
the blue crab cut roll was a nice alternative to a cali roll. wouldn't come back here for this, but it was nice filler food. had nice savory and slight salty flavor.
the karaage wasn't bad. overpriced but good dark meat.
the pork sausage was good. could only have one as, like most sausages, gets overwhelming and heavy easily.
come here for the sushi/sashimi.
they open til 1am which is awesome.
a great sushi bar that opens til late.
that's a winner. -
Review from William S.
Santa Monica, CA
2/3/2011
I've loved this place for a long time. Food has always been consistently good. Ambiance is modern izakaya, which also has a (small) sushi bar. Each of the small dishes on the recent lunchtime menu are $3.99. Each dish is not huge, but a good value. Love the monkfish liver.
Can't understand though why most times this place has relatively few customers. Maybe the fact that it's kinda of hidden in the corner of the Sawtelle strip mall and that you can't see in from the outside??
Still one of my favorite restaurants in LA. You can't go wrong with the food coming here. -
Review from Sil C.
Los Angeles, CA
6/11/2010
NO STAR.
Let's keep it short.
The waiter took our order and never came back to check on us. Waited for almost 45 minutes and no food to be seen. Still, NOBODY came by. The waiter who took our order was 'busy' serving other customers and bringing out food to them. Our next tables who came after us got their food but none of our food came out. ( Interestingly, nobody brought any soy sauce and wasabi to the next table until the customers tried so hard to get the attention of their waiter. Ridiculous, right?) So after another 15 minutes, the host lady came by, without any apology, asked us to re-order our food! Apparently they completely missed our order but didn't wanna admit the fault. That waiter NEVER came back to apologize neither. So we put in the order again, waited for another 15 minutes, still no food, we decided to LEAVE. This is THE WORST experience I had in a restaurant and all I can say is:
F**K Yuu.Listed in: Restaurant Deathwatch
-
Review from Amy C.
10/9/2008
Located behind a white curtain is this non-descript restaurant. It's hard to tell what the name is since the door just says "Place".
Came here tonight and it was an decent experience. The reason the service is so damn slow is cuz there is only one waiter! OK, so that's not an excuse, but he didn't seem that slow tonight.
I ordered the spicy Korean soup which came with tofu, napa cabbage, noodles, and beef. Freakin order was huge! It came in a huge stone pot along with a side of rice and pickled cucumbers.
Pretty damn tasty, although it made me sweat bullets. I think I lost a few ounces from all the perspiration this soup induced. Or was it due to a lack of AC?
My dining companion had a ton of sushi. I had a yellowtail sushi which was not bad. The unagi was burnt though. I abhor burnt unagi. Blech.
The bill for all this was $77. Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Not so sure.Listed in: My Neighborhood
-
Review from Emilie C.
Los Angeles, CA
11/24/2010
Love this place! Their spicy tuna crispy toast thingies haha are delicious! Service is friendly and nice and both the small dishes and sushi excellent!
Great place for a casual date or with friends. -
Review from Sascha O.
1/1/2009
I am a Japanese girl from Japan, and this is where my husband and I take our friends for yummy Japanese food and interesting Japanese cultural experience.
This restaurant targets clientelle of predominantly Japanese people that come in for some drinks and food after a long day of work, or Japanese businessmen bringing their clients for dinner late night. They are open pretty late and are serving pretty late... I've ordered food here as late as 11pm or so here in the past.
The interesting thing about this restaurant is that you can buy and keep a bottle of sake/shochu on their shelf, for the next time you return to continue drinking off of your bottle. They will give you a paper label and a marker to write your name on, and stick it on your choice of bottle. We tend to get a bottle of shochu (or Soju as it is more commonly pronounced here in USA) here. Then we order mixers to mix with the shochu. I tend to like it with Calpico or Ginger Ale. My husband likes it on the rocks with either lemon or sour plum with some water, or served with hot water on cold days. It has great entertainment value, and also we get to treat this place like "our hangout". Pretty cool if you ask me.
Now, for the food... I am actually surprised to hear "ok" reviews by some other yelpers... IMO the food here is also great. MUCH better than hundreds of other "sushi" restaurants in LA. Here is my tip for ordering here.
If you want to eat a variety of fish and you are hungry, ask for their Chirashi. Chirashi is basically assorted sashimi pieces laid out over a bed of sushi rice. You get to enjoy tuna, salmon, hamachi, some crab, sweet eggs, tobikko, etc, with a much more valuable price than ordering individual sushi pieces. Then, supplement the chirashi with sashimi or sushi of your choice if you want other types of fish than what comes with the Chirashi. Chirashi traditionally is "chef's choice" fish over rice, so the variety changes slightly everyday, but at Place Yuu, I find that it's relatively consistent. Also, sometimes in other sushi places, I order a chirashi and I sort of get assorted "leftover" looking fish pieces. At Yuu, that won't happen. You actually get good pieces of fish.
If you like miso soup. try their clam miso soup.
If you'd like some meat, try their bbq kalbi, or pork belly "kakuni". Kakuni is our favorite... sweet stewed, fatty melty pork meat. Obviously not for the health nut, but if you are a food lover, you probably would love this one.
If you'd like something hearty, and cozy, try their nabeyaki udons. These udons are cooked in an iron pot with assorted veggies, meats, egg, etc and is extremely delicious especially on a cold day. Nabeyaki udon at Yuu is actually quite popular amongst my native Japanese friends living in LA.
If you'd like dessert... try their chocolate parfeit! Their parfeit comes with frosted corn flakes, which is common in Japan but not commonly seen in a parfeit in USA. It adds an addicting texture and flavor to the dessert. If you are here on a birthday, they even bring it out with a little candle/sparkler! (just let them know when you order).
I've never left this restaurant dissatisfied.... and I am a pretty hard to please food critique. I've eaten here at least 25 times already. Still love it.Listed in: Top Restaurants
-
Review from Ravi M.
Los Angeles, CA
9/22/2010
I also wish that I could give this place 3.5 stars, but I couldn't bear to give a 3, so I had to go with a 4.
I've been here several times over the last year or so. I agree with all the reviews that say this is one of the least crowded restaurants in Little Osaka. I don't think that speaks to the quality of the food as much as the casual atmosphere and large seating area.
You don't have to be a sushi snob to know that the seafood here is fresh, and you can taste it. The head sushi chef (I wish I knew his name) looks like he's been preparing sushi for literally a lifetime. If you order sushi, you will notice that the fish is cut fresh. You can taste the difference.
The $4 "tapas" are an excellent deal. However, they are very small and the bill can easily add up to over $30/person if you're here for a full meal. I recommend coming here for a light meal and sake/tea.
There is valet parking but you can just as easily find street parking if you're willing to walk a block or two. -
Review from niki g.
North Hollywood, CA
8/9/2009
Throw down your restaurant of choice! scribble it down, crumble the paper up and throw it into this glass.
Mason, will draw the restaurant because he never says a word and he is the appointed group diplomat.
This place has a casual vibe. There were about 7 couples on a date, a family with 2 toddlers.
The menu was extensive. We ordered Hamachi, uni, freshwater eel, saltwater eel, salmon, asparagus wrapped with kobe, fried chicken, grilled mackral.
Service was a bit listless. Food was ok.
i might have to come back to this place to be able to form an opinion.
My dining companions made the night memorable!!!!! -
Review from Liz S.
New York, NY
10/14/2006
Hidden Gem! My favorite Japanese/Sushi Bar in Los Angeles. There is no sign on the outside so it can be difficult to find but once you find it you will definitely go back.
They have many small traditional dishes (grilled butterfish is my favorite) and simple sushi rolls. For a healthy Japanese dinner Place (I have heard it referred to as Place Yuu) is the best.
The decor is a bit of a paradox - mostly dark wood with Japanese accents and then on one side a big screen TV.
Best thing about Place is the hours - it is open past 1am. -
Review from Min T.
Los Angeles, CA
Updated - 1/20/2009
The $30 special isn't listed anymore. Instead, they have a $25 combo (this includes rice, pickles and soup-- $22 for just nigiri and the roll). For some reason, the dish of nigiri didn't look as much as it did before. Perhaps because the assortment that came wasn't terribly interesting.
The salmon was good though and surprisingly, the California roll with real crab and awesome avocado was tasty.
My friend had the $25 sashimi combo and was still hungry afterwards. I figured I could keep her company as she ordered more even though I was stuffed. I was glad to try a spicy scallop handroll. Oh wow, the scallops were so sweet and weren't chopped up. There were four medium sized scallops in that small hand roll.
Price wise, it's still a decent value but I don't think we'll be coming back anytime soon.Listed in: Damn Tasty Eats, Japanese Food!, Westside's Best
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
6/18/2007
Place Yuu can be described as a Japanese sports bar. They serve small dishes as well as sushi.… Read more »
-
-
Review from Linus L.
Westwood, CA
1/8/2007
A strange discordant mixture of angles- angles everywhere, from the ceiling with diagonal lines running through to a mega screen tv which made it difficult for a peaceful dinner since the LA game was on.
That for me a non-sports buff made it a terrible dining experience.
Add to the mix - indifferent service with a terrible waiter and waitress-
poor quality of rice and even worse green tea made this difficult to stomach. -
Review from Jenn L.
Los Angeles, CA
11/6/2009
It was 10:40pm and my friend and I had mad cravings for SUSHI.
10:30's not that late but most places have last call at 11. Luckily we came across this place - open until 1:30am!!
The place was VERY quiet. (I've walked by this restaurant on the Sawtelle strip many times and peered in and it's always been pretty quiet.) Good place to go for a quiet dinner.
We sat down at the sushi bar and ordered 3 rolls: spicy tuna roll $6.50, shrimp tempura crunch roll $11, and grilled scallop roll $12. (prices estimated) They were all plated nicely and were delicately made.
My favorite sushi roll spot of all time is still Cali Roll Factory cause it's cheap and tasty. But if I were looking for a quiet/romantic dinner setting, I would come back here. -
Review from Jennifer N.
Boston, MA
5/21/2010
While everything else on Sawtelle had a line at 9 pm on Saturday night.. Place Yuu sat us right away.
Good service- fairly quick to bring us waters and teas. Can't really go wrong with 3.99 tapas. House dressing on the salad has a good mix of spicey and sweet. Edamame are a bit salty.. But well steamed to not be mushy. Vegetable tempura is also good.. Though an uneven amount of onion was served.
Hubby liked the sushi.. Especially the crispy rice. They also have hand rolls which are cheap for a true sushi lover!
Place Yuu is more 3.5 - rounded up for the selection and potential! -
Review from Helen Y.
Scottsdale, AZ
1/6/2007 1 photo
Where else can you get awesome authentic sushi after 10pm? Don't be put off by the huge big screen TV or the forgettable furnishing
If you go here, ask the sushi chef to grate you some real wasabi (lighter in color with a milder & more complex taste than the fake neon green horseradish imitation that is served at most sushi places). Also try the monk fish liver. Don't forget to peruse the selection on the sake menu.
There is hard to see sign out front that say "Yuu." Parking is difficult, but valet is available. Moderately priced given quality of food. Late night dinner for 2, including sake was about $80. -
Review from Kevin C.
Los Angeles, CA
5/29/2007
I think Place used to be hidden in curtains, but now it looks a bit more open for the public eye... I would have never found this place if my Japanese-American buddy didn't show it to me. Where else can you get legit sushi at 1 am on a weekday? This was the first place I tried toro and salmon skin... couldn't get enough of the yellowtail and unagi either. When you're at the bar, be sure to ask the waitresses for the beef-wrapped asparagus... It's a pretty tasty combination.
It was interesting taking a buddy here for his birthday one evening... the big screen's always on ESPN, but we were here after midnight and it was "Competitive Eating" programming. How weird is it to eat hand rolls and sashimi, while all these people on a big screen are scarfing down plates of chili fries in under five minutes? This older Japanese couple at the bar kept looking at us and getting grossed out whenever Kobayashi lifted his head from each plate (yeah, I guess the hot dog guys are on an entire food-eating circuit... how do they keep in shape? Bicep curls with Twinkies? Drinking protein shakes on a treadmill?). The sushi chefs were unfazed... professionals do not get distracted. -
Review from Alex R.
Sylmar, CA
5/12/2011
I look at all these other reviews and really hope this was just an off night. Regardless, I did have bad service and got sick from the fish. I had yellow tail, albacore, and a spicy tuna roll, all of which were about average. There are plenty of better sushi places nearby that are similarly priced. You're probably better off there.
-
Review from Laura S.
Los Angeles, CA
6/3/2011
I've never had fresher tasting sushi!!! I loved the ambiance, quiet with some nice background music, extremely friendly staff and very authentic/inviting decor. We were the second table to sit down around 5:30pm on a Thursday, but as we left an hour later 5 or 6 more were walking in. In addition to the amazing sushi (yes, a little more pricey than other places, but it was so fresh and delicious that I, the salt fiend, almost didn't need soy sauce!), we got fried oysters, chicken meatballs (I forget the Japanese word for them), tempura shrimp and miso soup with clams. All fantastic, the standouts for me were the miso and the oysters. After dining here I feel like I'll never be able to eat cheap, previously frozen sushi again... So good!
-
Review from Lee S.
Los Angeles, CA
1/6/2009
I think it's because I usually go early--and this place is known as a late-night hang--but the Yuu has never once been crowded when I've eaten there.
Which is a shame... but also, for me, part of the charm. It's library-quiet, but not in an uncomfortable sort of way. These people just know how to create a vibe--thoughtful, understated, exclusive (without the budget-busting prices that usually accompany those adjectives).
If you want to take your palate in an exotic direction, the Yuu delivers--sea urchin, monkfish liver and the like--but they'll also make you a tasty spicy tuna roll if that's your pleasure. The food is solid and authentic; no gimmicky, syrupy trickery going on here. Sake and wine selection is solid.
Other reviewers have cited the slow-ish service, but without a crowd I've found it to be just about right: attentive but not hover-y. I listed this as a $$ place--just know that it's on the high side of those dollar signs, and might be more if you linger over drinks.
I'm curious to try this place during peak hours... but I probably won't. The charm for me lies in being one of a handful of people who *know*, sitting quietly and sharing a sly smile over an impeccable meal. My car should find its way up Sawtelle more often.
