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Categories: Sushi Bars, Lounges, Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: HollywoodMon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Ate here a while ago when I was back in high school. From what I remember, the sushi wasn't really that great in that most place I've been to before could have made the same dish but a far cheaper price. The atmosphere was nice though and it was a great place to take a date. The only problem was that date ended up costing me 130 bucks with tip and valet.
My opinion is that Yamishiro is much like Ivy. The stars occasionally choose to eat here and so people do the same. The price and the quality you get are just not worth it. I'm going to have to second the "OVERRATED" that the previous post put up.
2.5 to be exact, but I'll round up since the bathroom was very clean and nicely decorated. ('',)
5 STARS for the beautiful view of the city & the pretty ambiance (both inside and outside the restaurant)
2 STARS for the FOOD. Ordered a bunch of different rolls, and they ranged from "Oh hell no, I did not just spend $15+ bucks for that" to "Another 'not so great' roll, but at least it was a bit better than the other ones" to "finally, a decent one." So yeah, SUSHI here is definitely OVERRATED and overpriced.
Bottom line: Yamishiro is a nice place to celebrate a birthday or to go on a date (FYI to my future BF or 'guy date' please do not take me here---i'm a sucker for romantic scenery & nice ambiance but i also love GOOD food to go along w/ it. thank you, come again! :)
The first time I dined there was about 8 years ago to celebrate my BFF's birthday. I remember not being too impressed with the food and said to myself that I probably wouldn't be going back.
Again, celebrated another BFF's b-day last Saturday. Confirmed: things haven't changed here---overpriced and overrated.
A few more BFFs to go---please spare me from having to go back!
PROS
- Sushi was YUM!
- View to die for
- Restaurant is so pretty by the indoor garden
CONS
- The bathrooms were nasty - so dirty only 1 wasn't blocked. I still dry reach thinking about it.
- EXPENSIVE!
We ordered drinks and sushi and sat by the window, enjoying the lights of Los Angeles. The sushi was delicious. We kept ordering more and more. a must if you have people from out of town/country.
The food was absolutely delicious!
Be sure to make reservations for weekend evening dining. If you happen to arrive and your table isn't ready, grab a drink at the bar, take it for a walk and enjoy the spectacular view of the city lights below.
came by with my mates before a show at the magic castle (we 're comedians}Anyone who tells you they come here for the food or service ... well ... I dunno that I'd want to delve too deeply into any other food recommendations they have. The food isn't bad or anything, it's just nothing worth twirling a pen cap over.
That said, I don't know of a better "special event" or "second date" or "impress out of town friends" place in town. The view from the top of the Hollywood Hills is pure GA-GA! I was dumbstruck, and its not like I've never seen the citylights before. But from that vantage point? I needed diapers! We had a window table, too, and I honestly couldn't make conversation because I kept staring dumbly out the window and thinking about how great life is.
Weird to see any praising of the service here, they made me feel like a sucker tourist. "What, you recommend the $70 surf and turf over everything else on the asian menu? I bet you do!" Our server was ready to sell us mudflaps and floormats, extra trim, the 12-speaker german stereo system, and heated seats to go along with our dinner choices. I was turned off by it and was always glad when she left the tableside.
I'll be back for the hilltop views though.
Great views. Food is ok. I've gone there three times, and food has been so-so, but the views are great.
Excellent for a date, especially if you go there just for desert.
I THINK I'M A FAN OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT AND VIEWS RATHER THAN THEIR FOOD.
Pros:
-It would have been a 5 if the food was more up to par. But 4 stars because of the view all around!
-When you walk in... no matter how rowdy you and your guest were outside, everything just becomes calm and relaxing (slow paced).
-I'm a light lover so the city was just foots steps away because the restaurant is located at the top of the "mountain/hill". You were able to over look the city as you where dinning (assuming you were having dinner).
-They have an indoor garden/coy pond... beautiful! I can't explain the beauty of it. It's almost like your dinning in the backyard of some oriental garden that's lite by accent lighting and white christmas lights.
-Service was great, very friendly.
-Their drink list seem extensive or at least it seemed like they had more drinks than food.
Cons:
-Seats were a little too hard. I was a bit uncomfortable the whole night trying to "catch up" with friends.
-I ordered the Crisp roll (aka-shrimp tempura roll). Sadly... it was nothing special. I was really disappointed because the flavors of the roll didn't stand out. Thank goodness for soy sauce and extra wasabi. The calamari wasn't too bad. =)
If you're a sucker for views... you should check this place out!
Great for birthday parties and business meals. A little TOO pricey for dates and such.
Went here for a friend's birthday party. It's a bit of a trek to drive up to the location (it's past The Magic Castle tucked deep in the Hollywood hills) but once I got there everything was smooth sailing.
$8 valet parking (+$2 tip-out = $10). Not bad all things considered.
I had the Wagyu steak ($39) which was excellent. The beef was on par with a solid Filet Mignon from a place like Morton's or Ruth's Chris, but the sides really made it exceptional.
Next time I come here I'm thinking of trying out their entree-sized sushi platter. One of the other people in our group got it and it looked delish.
My boyfriend took me there for my birthday. all I have to say is WOW!!!!!
Fantastic!
Breathtaking!
Food melts in your mouth!
Recommend to everyone!
Magical!
This place has the VIEW of entire city. In clear day you can even see ocean side. The food is all right nothing too great to brag about but this place has the great cocktail drinks and great service.
It is a very touristic place but lots of locals are seen here too.
"Eek! Methinks not." This basically sums up our Friday night at Yamashiro CalAsian Restaurant. If you're expecting mediocre fusion food with Hollywood fake-Asian, pseudo-Disneyland settings, then you might like this place.
Our group went here after eating at a less expensive restaurant with more authentic sushi. But our birthday girl wanted to grab some drinks and check out this place, as the "Memoirs of a Geisha" movie was filmed here. I carefully drove up the narrow, dark, twisting path uphill to the valet parking, while being tailgated by a woman in a Volkswagen. Already a bad sign. When we got out, the woman yelled at me, "You ladies need to learn how to drive!" My goodness, is this the kind of people this restaurant attracts? She could use a lesson or two on safety and manners!! I ignored her and joined up with my party at the steps of the restaurant. The main entrance is impressive, but clearly "fake", vaguely resembling a Japanese temple. A crowd of dressed-up diners were smoking in front.
We went inside and it looked just like any other modern fusion-food restaurant. We were seated near the bar and menus/water arrived quickly. We did not have reservations. A small group of us decided to look around and we walked to the central open area with the pond/garden. It wasn't very impressive and it was so dark that we could hardly tell what we were looking at. We spent about a minute trying to figure that out, when someone came up to us and asked us to leave. "This is a private party." She didn't look like she worked there, perhaps it was her party? There wasn't anyone in the section we were standing in (which was on the way to the bathroom) and there were no signs to indicate that we couldn't be there. Anyway, we left without a fuss. What use is paying top dollar for the ambiance when we couldn't even check it out?
Our group's table did not have a view, so we moved across the street to the Pagoda Bar. This is an open seating area with comfy lounge chairs and illuminated by candlelight. It faces the pool and an artificial looking Pagoda. We did have a good view of the LA skyline, complete with a billboard saying "Trailer Park". (insert sarcasm here) Perfect!
Service was so-so. This area has limited resources and a VERY limited drink menu. Drinks are expensive ($12 each, before tax & tip) and watered down. We're all lightweights and none of us got drunk. LOL! Maybe that is a good thing.
Waitress brought us plastic plates, forks, and a knife so we could serve the cake we brought along. She did not inform us that there is a service fee of $2 per person. It was added to the bill at the end of the evening. After breathing in cigarette smoke for about 2 hours, we had enough. We walked up the stairs to the valet parking area, paid the $8 fee, and retrieved our car. Thankfully, that was quick, as the front of the restaurant was filled with smokers. Someone even smoked in the bathroom. I drove down the hill vowing never to return to this restaurant again.
In summary, if you are looking for authentic or have been to Japan, do NOT go here. If you like Vegas/Disneyland and want a pseudo-Asian experience, and you don't mind paying a lot of $, inhaling a lot of smoke, encountering a lot of snobbery, then you might want to check it out.
For Yamashiro's 452nd review, i'll simply point out that their outdoor square patio surrounding the beautifully tailored Japanese garden is a choice spot for their new Wednesday night Movie Night events. Why they started this so late in the summer beats me, but the weather was excellent last night as we sat and watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off on the large projection screen. Kinda nice having dinner with Rooney (http://static.px.yelp....) and Abe Frohman, the Sausage King of Chicago (http://static.px.yelp....).
Food was nothing at all spectacular but there are 400+ other reviews that speak about that more, so I won't go into detail. Overpriced? Yep. But that's standard 'round these parts.
I enjoyed my evening with some chilled nigori (http://static.px.yelp....), under the moonlight, and with good company.
With sweeping views of the city and and several distinct dining areas each with their own feel this restaurant certainly has ambiance down pat. Unfortunately the food is lackluster. Nothing I had was bad just nothing particularly good. The fish was fresh, the food forgettable.
The same goes for their cocktails. Nothing great, but not bad.
Fantastic. I've been twice now, and I'm not a sushi lover. But I loved a couple of the rolls here -- the Crunchy and the Hawaii Five-O. Delicious. Of the two teas I've tried, the Velvet was the more unique and interesting. Also had the strawberry-filled donuts, the signature dessert of Yamashiro -- our waitress during my first visit told us that at one time Yamashiro had taken the dessert off the menu, but so many customers requested it be brought back that it was.
Both times, a Thursday night one week and a Wednesday evening the following week, the crowd was light and we were easily able to find a seat around the large Japanese garden and koi pond on the inside. Service was spot-on and had just the right amount of attentiveness. During my first visit, our waitress refilled our teas roughly four times apiece, though I got the impression that wasn't the norm (certainly wasn't the case in my subsequent visit with a different server on a slightly busier night).
Valet is $8 and mandatory. The view outside is great -- Yamashiro is a restaurant atop its own big hill, kind of a Japanese oasis in the heart of Hollywood -- and, being on a big hill, has an expansive view of the rest of LA. There's also a little outdoors bar complete with tables and seating, down a flight of stairs, and a gazebo as well.
My only complaint is the lack of traditional-ness... it certainly LOOKS traditional (the big Japanese building atop its own hill, Japanese architecture, the big Japanese garden and koi pond... so nice), but the music playing is very modern and American, and the servers are very American. There are several Japanese employees, though they seem more Westernized than anything. And I mean, they had a movie night on Wednesday, and the movie played was "Caddyshack", haha. Still, the people here are wonderful, and maybe, just maybe, the lack of tradition makes it a little less stuffy and a little more accessible.
Definitely a can't miss the next time you're in Hollywood, even if you don't like sushi -- like me.
Four stars for allowing guys that know nothing about anything to fake like they know something.
I am here to save you from your life of action figures and late lonely weekend nights of World of Warcraft.
You're game is seriously lacking. You're crushin' all over this girl, but can't seal the deal. You want to hit dem skizzins' and do the EW-CHEE-WALLEE-WALLEE-SHABANG-BANG, but she's showin' you NO love and you're not getting any play. You're basically like a Tuesday, you have no game scheduled. Bring her to Yamashiro. You can fake the funk here and fool the low rent Holly Madison wannabe you've been wanting to make your Mrs. Smith.
Ok, I'm all for authenticity and not for trendiness. This place is definitely the latter. Lots of smoke and mirrors here, but that's ok. It didn't really bother me. I enjoyed myself here. Really that's all that matters. Their sign outside read Cal Asian Cuisine (whatever that is) and it did not claim to be a sushi, teppan grill, izakaya etc etc. (keepin' it real, +1 star). The name Yamashiro may indicate otherwise, but whatever, I'm not going to split hairs today. I have a feeling this place has never been Japanese owned.
At first glance, the architecture kinda reminded me of my relatives house back in Kyoto http://www.yelp.com/us... . The inside did too, with the trailer home wood paneling (classy). Before you walk inside, slow your role turn your @ss around and enjoy the view from the hill. Though not the prettiest of cities, the sight is still something to be enjoyed. http://www.yelp.com/us... Ok stop wasting time, go inside now. Show the girly girl the Koi garden. Score some much needed points here. You are now on your way to having her unleash *cough* moisture *cough*.
You hostess will lead you though what seemed like a maze me to your table depending on if you requested a view or not. Go with the view http://www.yelp.com/us.... Show your date that you're not all about staring at her overly exposed chest. Let others do that for you.
You will be handed a wine list. Bypass that and head straight to the Sake list. They did astound me a bit with their selection. Order a bottle of this http://www.yelp.com/us... and after she has a couple of glasses, you will go from Kevin Federline to David Beckham in no time.
Order the Wagyu beef http://www.yelp.com/us.... It's not really Wagyu, but more like Wagyu style. But hey, neither you nor her know the difference. Just explain that it isn't Kobe beef if it isn't solely from Kobe, Japan. She will be smitten with your knowledge and be ready to National Geographic you. Keep going. Tell her Wagyu is the cattle they raise for Kobe beef (you can thank me for that tidbit later). I liked it my meal, so you will too. Recommend the broiled seafood plate to her http://www.yelp.com/us... This will show to her that you care for her well being.
Both of you will be impressed with the attention and service you get from your server. You don't get this type of treatment at the Coco's you frequent.
After a night of wining and dining her, hopefully you've fooled her into thinking that your some cultured sensitive man of the world, that is unlike the rest of the Ed Hardy wearing scumbags she's gone out with. Remember to talk about all the things she's into like puppies and sunshine. Do not, I REPEAT DO NOT bring up your collection of Teletubbies memorabilia while conversating.
If you've done everything correctly, she will fall in love with you. You will marry, have sub-standard children, and share many of these with her http://www.yelp.com/us...
Cue the music: http://www.youtube.com...
So I forgot to update my review, well here goes. What can I say? The food is average at best. Calamari was overcooked and fried in old oil. Im not sure if the pan fried it because it was soaked into the batter which should not happen.
The Truffle Hamachi was fantastic! I would definatley recommend it. The ponzu and garlic fuse very well together and are accentuated well with Ginjo sake. Soup was good and I like the use of lemon grass sparingly. Darth Vader roll looks interesting and makes a fun show piece and taste good. We also ordered the seafood plate, I would love to give this a good rating but I cant. I had to send it back to the kitchen because they brought our appetizer, soup, and sushi within 3 minutes of each other. Then right after the soup we received the main course.
For $200, they should at least get the timing right. The seafood btw was not good, please dont waste your time or money. Half of a main lobster tail, 2 large shrimp, and dried gumball like scallops, lol.
The decor is nice and it was a good learning experience. I wont go back.
I will be here Saturday for my 3 year anniversary. I just called to clarify a couple of things and… Read more »
I gave it a four star, but I can't say I'm a big fan of this place.
Was here for their Dine and Dash program for Hollywood bowl.
Told that I need to order from the bar, waiter and waitress are too "busy" serving their table and the bartender is chatting with a guy in the bar, I had to wait at least ten minute before I get to see the menu.
I went with their dine and dash menu which comes with 2 rolls and a large beer or a half bottle of wine for $25. It's a good deal.
I've ordered 2 sets, and had the crunchy roll, darth vader roll, hawaii 5-0 roll and the californication roll, which I can't say I like it too too much, simply because I wasn't a big fan of fusion food. I don't think it taste bad, just not my thing.
Nice view, but service is only as good as a low 3 star restaurant, I think I had better service in Black Angus.
Price was OK, consider its location.
Will I be back for the food, probably not. The view? Maybe, if I want to have a romantic date with my future girl friend regardless of the food.
Otherwise I think I can find better japanese food elsewhere.
It's Kylie, japanese food and wine, the night can't be too bad afterall.
At least I had a great time "with" Kylie Minogue. LOL
Came last Sunday night. Food was not spectacular. Not bad, but for the price you pay you should get food that knocks your socks off. My bf and I stuck with the sushi and roll list. The rolls were stupid in my opinion. We had a spicy tuna roll that they put grapefruit on. Why?! The rolls are limited in selection and all unusual for no reason. The sashimi IS INCREDIBLE. Tuna and salmon. For 2 sashimi, 2 rolls, 2 drinks, a bottle of sake, and edamame= about 85.00.
TOURISTS ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT SHOULD BE BROUGHT HERE! FOR FREE THE GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY CAN OFFER BETTER VIEWS!
I rarely give 5 stars but this place has awesome sushi, seafood, steak, decor, and view!! Love it.. Had the seafood combo, lobster, scallops and shrimps! Sooooo gaawwddd!!! Make reservation on weekends. Awesome place very memorable!
As one can see from the photos the view here is extremely nice but that is as far is it goes. You are coming here for the view since the food here is decent but not worth the price. For example the sushi here is really small so one must order many times to be satisfied. The service is great especially if you call in advance they ask if there is a special occasion that is bringing you to the restaurant and when you are being seated they say Happy special occasion.
Stunning views, beautiful gardens and amazing sushi/sashimi. Yamashiro doesn't fall short of the immense hype.
The restaurant itself is simply stunning and the food matches that. The presentation, flavors and variety are incredible. It is hands down, the best sushi I've ever had. If you want to celebrate an anniversary, a girlfriend's birthday, or if you're trying to impress a girl, Yamashiro will definitely do it.
beautiful view
beautiful restaurant
beautiful sexy lady servers
but
food suck!!
I really like this place for the asian fusion cuisine, if you are looking for great sushi, then go to a great sushi bar. This place used to be OK, now with the new chefs in charge, the cuisine has take a step up which is why I give it 4 stars from an original 3 star rating it would have. I've been here countless times and I never wanted to eat sushi, the real cuisine on the menu is what draws me to this restaurant.
With a full bar and dancing room, to the gorgeous exteriors and interiors, this is a great place to celebrate special occasions. It isn't on the cheap side of things, so be warned and don't scoff at the price.
One of the best times to be had is the New Year's celebration dinners that they have and for a price-fixe menu, it's a great value for a full 4 course meal including champagne.
DON'T get a MAI TAI here!~!!!! make sure you check for nats~~
thats right NATS (little FRUIT BUGS) because both my drink and my date's drink had all these nats inside....
Worst part about it is that..........we told them to take the drinks back. Then they came back with the drinks again and asked us whats wrong with the drinks somehow all the nats were gone gone!!!!!! Gross .... we weren't even making a scene about it...
CHARGING 15 bucks for a mai tai......already its not that much of a lost to replace the drink!
SUSHI is totally over priced.....i rather eat in a hole in the wall and get more for my money.... You're paying for location and scenery not quality food....
The price is overpriced for what you get. But then again, i doubt people come here for the food. I thought i was getting delerious just circling up to the restaurant. The scenery is amazing!! The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous. But the food sucks. I think its a perfect spot to grab a drink and enjoy the spectacular view.
I really don't think that 3 $$$ describes the pricing acurately! This is the just about the most that I've ever spent on a meal. 7 people (3 couples + 1 child) bill was over $1,000 for dinner! Well, sure we may have gotten alittle carried away for a special occassion... but still, that's alot of snaps to throw down for one meal! The food was good, but alittle disappointing. Ambiance is nice and what you would expect from a place like this. The property is spectacular with the well manicured Japanese gardens and a great view of the LA from the Hollywood Hill. Service was excellent with a very attentive wait staff.
I don't mind spending the money warranted by a great meal... this was not one of them. I probably won't be returning, even if it's on someone else's dime. Some of the other reviews suggest Yamashiro for a date place, I would have to agree. However, I would suggest taking your date to Pink's for dinner and then take the climb up the hill for dessert at Yamashiro! Try the Souffle or the Creme Brule Trio.
Good service always makes the food taste better and in this case, Tanya might as well have cooked everything cuz she was amazing! We had a group of 9 people, most of which got sushi, and these are our recommendations:
1- Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice- spicy and delicious
2- Truffle Hamachi- can really taste the truffle oil
3- Seared Ahi- fantastic cuts of tuna
4- Reclining Buddha- amazing!
5- Darth Vader
6- Hawaii Five-O- interesting flavors, not our favorite
7-Californication- we weren't gonna order this, but at Tanya's reco, we did and it was a great call!
I do NOT recommend ordering Crabby Pants- was not very good.
One person at the table ordered the Miso Salmon entree and it was AMAZING!
For dessert, we got the Ice cream cookie sandwich and the Strawberry Preserve-filled donuts. THEY WERE BOTH DELICIOUS!
As a whole, we went through 6 bottles of wine, and with all the above mentioned food, the bill wasn't overly expensive. Seems that going as a group is almost cheaper than going with one or 2 people.
What an unexpected lovely time!!
I know good fish as a result of researching the best sushi restaurants in tons of cities and experiencing hundreds of sushi bars. I had a rainbow roll, albacore sushi, and two other rolls. I went with rolls over sushi and sashimi as a safer option. The fish was below average and even the rolls with tons of sauce (a good idea with subpar fish) was mediocre. Decent atmosphere and great view. I'll take the great fish with bad atmosphere over this place any day.
Yamashiro's use to be one of my favorate restaurant / lounges but, over the years their service has gone down hill.
I was there one saturday evening (like have have been many times in the past) and the lounge seating was reserved for "diners only". I asked what happened to the lounge seating and "The Manager" pointed me towards the Bar (which had 2 tables and the seats at the bar) and said, have a good evening...
We left and went to The Peninsula
i took my ex girlfriend here for our 2 year anniversary and they really treated us well.
we got a window table overlooking the city which was awesome.
The food is pricey but i expected that. It came out to about $150(without tip) for two people, but we mainly ordered sushi(which was really good).
Its definitely a nice place to take a significant other to. Very dim lit, and the location is amazing(in the hollywood hills).
The food was really great, but not cheap at all. Come to this place expecting to pay a lot. But its worth every penny!
I agree that 80% of your money is going to the scenery and "mood" of the restaurant. Fair enough, the restaurant WAS really pretty. However, I was quite disappointed as I SPECIFICALLY asked for the outdoor area upon my reservation, AND even CALLED TWO MORE TIMES on two separate days to make sure the place would REMAIN available .. like they had suggested.
YET somehow, I was told "yes, no problem" all the way until we got there.. " Oh, sorry our outdoor area is reserved for a wedding party tonight and It will not available. May I suggest the indoor?" Wow, I was speechless, and HOW much I wanted to say NO and just leave.
Really? I only called 3 times to make sure that it WOULD be. AND a wedding party? Aren't those reserved months before? AND They didn't know because.. why? They could've told me and I would've come on another day. I wanted the outdoor area because my boyfriend and I are into photography and we wanted to take pictures of the great outdoor scenery. Oh yeah and I ONLY spent an extra 30 dollars to rent him a special lens for this very reason. NO BIGGIE!
The inside area is "nice" but that's as far as it goes. It's nothing special and the.. darkness, OH! how awkward and uncomfortable must we have felt flashing from time to time? URG, I'm sorry but I just couldn't get over the fact that they didn't have the outdoor available and they just never seemed to redeem themselves in anyway.
The food was mediocre. The miso-soup was whatever. The dessert was alright.. Service.. was great, I suppose.. nothing to rave about. I forgot what we got, but I would say two appetizers.. two main courses, two miso soups and one desert.. the bill was almost 200 dollars. Oh and valet parking.. forgot how much that was.
I had a great time here because I wanted to make it special for my boyfriend. But.. will I come back? No.. probably not, maybe if it was free and the outdoor was available, HAH.
Honestly, the only good thing about this place is its decoration and location; it's on top of a hill with a gorgeous view of the city.
I had been wanting to visit this restaurant just because of its gorgeous view. I went on a date here as a belated birthday event, and our table was ready when I arrived. The table was right by the window with a beautiful view that overlooked LA's city lights.
For an appetizer I had the Darth Vader Roll (vegetables, spicy tuna, and black rice). The black rice gives away its "Darth Vader" look. Any way, it was okay but not anything special. For my entree I had the Loch Duart Miso Salmon, worse decision I ever made. The salmon was drenched with lemon sauce as well as the mashed potatoes. There was so much lemon, that I didn't even finish it, and left the restaurant with an almost empty tummy. As a nice birthday treat, they came out with a small petite dessert of a wafer with cream and a dark chocolate stick with "Happy Birthday" written with white chocolate, (candle too). For dessert we ordered the White Chocolate-Mint Ice Cream Profiterole, which was probably the best thing I ate there.
Overall, I give one star for service, and another for the beautiful view. Other than that, I don't recommend coming here for a meal. If anything, come here for a drink and dessert.
So, I wrote a review before but- WOW. What great service! I just treated myself to watching Halloween in the Garden with some excellent sushi. No one was there. I don't like crowds, but I don't want them to stop movie night on Wednesdays so... Go! What a gorgeous setting to watch a great old film and have delicious food and themed cocktails! They even have trivia about the films and you can win a shot if you get the main trivia question right (what is Michael Myers' middle name?)
AND- David (the general manager) took us on a tour of the "haunted cellar" (after spooking the hell out of us with some stories about the property's past). There is so much history in this building and history brings haunts. They have dressed up some of the corridors below the restaurant with real antiques from storage to go along with the ghost stories and the underground prohibition tunnel. I don't think this is an advertised special. I think you have to get someone who works there talking to find out that they do this. I asked David if he does these tours often, and he said that if people are interested- he'd be open to it. So, I think any of you other Yelpers that read this may have an inside track? Everyone there seems to really love where they work. How nice is that?
This is one of the most beautiful places to dine, inside and out. The outdoor courtyard with koi… Read more »
how it looks is great. 5star. its wow, its definetely worth going.
but food there is ok. not so great.
and the customer service was not great either.
just like a lot of people told me, as a restaurant they are ok overall.
but like i said the place is worth visiting, the outside view, the inside garden, the architecture... looks really cool, and it makes you feel little special.
I love cheese but this place is just out of control. Yes, the views are pretty. Yes, the garden area of the restaurant is cool. NO... the food is absolutely one thousand percent NOT good. The food here is aaaaaawful. It tastes very much like "tourist food" to me. I've been here twice. Both times were on dates with dudes who didn't know me well enough to know that I'm a pretty huge foodie. DO NOT order the sushi. If you are even somewhat of a sushi person you will be disappointed. You MIGHT be able to get away with their uninnovative steak and wasabitatoes, but that's about it.
There are soooo many other better restaurants in LA. Don't waste your time friends.
Up, Up, Up and away. Yamashiro is such a wonderful place to see and visit. Valet is super easy, hosts are very friendly, food is wonderful and bar area is quite nice. I'm not much of a sushi person but the more "traditional meals" are great.
At the end of a day or season where I've produced beauty events all week, it's a great way to unwind, enjoy a drink, nice meal & chat. A must for tourists or travelers especially for the view. Yamashiro is up in the Hollywood hills w/ the most amazing views, and view points by the valet.
Thank you Yamashiro.
I previously dined at Yamashiro about 2 years ago and hadn't gone back sine recently. The first time i went, i could honestly say the food was not good at all. It was so sad i had to send the calamari back because i literally couldn't eat it - and I'm not a picky eater. I recall having the dark vader rolls and a few other- nothing that really stuck out as tasty.
On my recent visit for a birthday dinner i would definitely say i had a much tastier experience! The food here can be good and bad - it really just depends on what you order. I was not curious so retry the calamari- but i did have the crab cake. The flavor were interesting and not in a good way. I ordered the seafood plate which had lobster yum), shrimp (yummy), prawns(yum), and scallops (eh). With that came with a large portabello mushroom hidden under a pile of couscous. In general, i'm not a fan of couscous, but the sides did not pair at all with the seafood. My friend had the black cod - WOW melts in your mouth!!! my other friend had the salmon- even though salmon to me is nothing special, i thought yamashiro sure cooked an amazing fish and served it perfectly with delicious garlic mash potatoes!
Lastly, how can i forget the warm chocolate cake! its honestly to die for if your sweet tooth is as big as mine!
4.5
Great view and great date place.
It's a great place to take a first date, it has a authentic Japanese feel with a panoramic view of Los Angles. The Sushi isn't great but the rolls are not too bad. I would order the cooked food vs the fish. It is valet only and I would suggest that you have a reservation.
The only reason I can see someone giving this a good review is for the view. Yes, the view is beautiful but the food just 'aint that great. I mean, yeah the food is tasty but it is nothing special--especially for the price. Also, the overall ambiance is dreary and it like you're in an old theme park. This location already has one too many theme restaurants with The Magic Castle and don't get me started on that place!
Hollywood history and one of the best views of Hollywood!!! To die for! It's one of my favorite places to show out-of-towners/visitors from all over the world. Everybody loves it and thinks it is the icing on their trip when overlooking the illuminated city. The site, architecture, and the inner Japanese garden courtyard adorned by ponds with colorful Koi fish and bonsai trees are an experience and the perfect setting for al fresco dining. I fondly remember a full moon birthday celebration of one a my friends visiting from Germany and so do all our friends. We also spent a New Year's Eve there with friends, a wedding but not a funeral yet... The food is not an affair to remember though - only that it's not the best and not the worst either. It's "so la-la..."
Girls, they offer low-sodium soy sauce...
I always keep it simple and real - miso soup, green tea, avocado rolls, and they have always been ok and keep me in tip-top shape also. :-)
All of my international friends have splurged and - unanimously - LOVED E V E R Y T H I N G. It is us locals who are pickier...
We always go at the spur of the moment and we never had to wait nor to make reservations.
Come prepared for the $8.00 Valet Parking Fee!
All in all still a very special place. (And I am a foodie, vegan, picky and complicated as they come - kidding - but seriously - I always love to go there). Always have, always will...
Neighborhood: Hollywood
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
Category: French
Neighborhood: Hollywood
Category: Bars
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