Yamayu Santatsu — Restaurant in Ixelles - Elsene

Having lived in Japan for two years and developed a taste for authentic Japanese cuisine, I was excited to try out this restaurant. The atmosphere, reminiscent of an izakaya, and the predominantly Japanese staff initially reassured me of the quality and the politeness I was imagining. I was expexting a nostalgic throwback to what was one of the most amazing experience I had but, honestly, I walked out pretty disappointed. If you’ve been to Japan, forget about the typical politness of Japanese hospitality. I ordered in Japanese, hoping for a pleasant surprise or perhaps a chance for small talk (given it's unusual for a European to speak Japanese), but to my disappointment, it was treated as routine. The staff seemed solely focused on our orders and the amount we were spending. The food (not taking into account the sushi) was ok, even though I find it absurd charging 6 € for a small miso soup. However, the sushi was quite disappointing. The quality of the rice was not apporiate as it was too chewy. While I'm curious about other items on the menu, the overall experience has left me uncertain about returning. If you've experienced genuine Japanese hospitality and cuisine, you may find this restaurant falls short of...

A place I’ve tried to visit several times, but even though there always seem to be free tables and enough space (despite the restaurant appearing small at first glance), you can only get a table with a reservation.

Unfortunately, the table we got was very cramped — it was hard to pass by, and to pull out a chair, we had to move the entire table. So, while the atmosphere and interior are authentic, the overall feeling was rushed and uncomfortable.

Despite that, I was expecting the food to be wow! — but sadly, it wasn’t. You can have a decent meal, but nothing special. I don’t drink alcohol, yet instead of the tea I ordered, I was brought sake.

I understand that many people enjoy salty flavors and soy sauce is used generously here, but I wish they would also consider those who need to limit their salt intake.

Overall — it was a long-awaited place I really wanted to visit, but it turned out to be a...

I'd say it's absolutely true about what people write about this very rude aged lady, who to my knowledge is actually the wife of the boss on top of it. Her behaviour is quite unacceptable, and it doesn't matter how much you order, how much tips you'd leave or how many times you've eaten there. You just feel very unwelcome and uncomfortable every time, and it's also true about what people write - it visibly has a lot to do with whether you are Japanese or not (to them she looks to be always nice and smiley). A shame, as it all looks to be a lack of her integration, respect and mere understanding where she actually lives. Food is good (that's why 2 stars and not 1), but I doubt I will be back anymore. Especially with this pricing I am not...