Yokozuna — Restaurant in Edmonton

YOKOZUNA is the BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT in EDMONTON. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It is the most authentic, locally owned and unique Japanese dining experience in Edmonton. Keep Reading to know more and recommendations to eat here

THE REASON WHY I LOVE THIS PLACE…

Yokozuna is the reason why I love Japanese food, because of this place. This is a long over due review, I been coming here at Yokozuna since 2011 and a decade later the quality of the food has been been consistently amazing.

THE OUTSIDE.

From the Outside it's an unassuming building, simple in design, brick and rather dated and it’s located on the edge of a commercial district. However the beauty lies on the Inside, once you enter the entrance doors your are immediately transported to a whole new place! Most people who’ve visited this place would say “Authentic”and “Atmospheric”… To me It has it on unique vibe, the owners choose a very comfortable, relaxed, chill and intimate scene to place all it patrons.

THE INSIDE.

Now the bar take center stage, it’s also commands the entire flow of the place. Being central to everything, the vantage point from the bar is the best if you are dining alone. Don’t be afraid to hop at the bar - it’s the best view and best way to get to know how alive this place is during lunch and dinner. You feel the entire place come alive and see everyone dining say their goodbyes ~ sitting at the bar showed me how much people love coming here, how much the owners (Nana, Tats and Roy) love to give back to the community they built. I can see that most people who dine here are “family”. I feel like I am family eveytime I come here for a meal.

THE SERVICE.

Once you are inside, you are in for a treat. You are greet and seated, you are cared for the moment you are here. The staff are highly trained and everyone just cares. The service is attentive and inviting with great recommendations.

THE FOOD.

This is why we are here, the food. If you read the reviews you will see why people come here, across the board people love the food and this is true, YOKOZUNA IS THE BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT IN EDMONTON because they are of the few locally owned places in Edmonton that still F*CKING cares about the FOOD they put out. You will notice the quality and freshness of each dish. It is made FRESH. I’ve seen them close for lunch and dinner and the level of attention they have to cleaning and shutting down the place is the same when they are open. This level of attention to detail does not escape the food, this is the reason why they are consistently amazing. Good restaurants aim to deliver consistently great food. Their menu may not change that often but each item has been carefully selected and purposely placed for everyone to try. I encourage you to explore the Menü, ask about something you’ve never had before. BE BOLD. BE DARING. You will NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

THE RECOMMENDATIONS.

Lunch time: Bento Box 🍱- chicken bento box. I ask to have salmon sashimi and veggie tempura extra broccoli 🥦 (OMG deep friend tempura broccoli is the best!)

Dinner time: Here are my top picks ➡️ TAKOYAKI ➡️ TAT'S TUNA TACOS ➡️ YOKOZUNA ABURI ROLL CRISPY ➡️ NARUTO MAKI ➡️ MATCHA BROWNIE (Dessert) ➡️ BLACK SESAME ICE CREAM (Dessert) ➡️ Ask about the “KRIS ROLL”

THE FINAL COMMENTS.

This is an excellent place to hangout with friends and family while eating a satisfying meal.

If you have a chance to become a regular they will remember you and your orders and they will take the time to get to know you, and treat you like people… to some of the staff member you aren’t just a person passing through, you are someone that’s worth knowing. I’ve had so much wonderful conversations, interactions and I spent the time listening and enjoy all their stories. All the staff here are brilliant, sophisticated, caring and wonderful humans who are trying make an honest living… I am gonna truly miss this place once I leave Edmonton. I will miss the food and staff.

Thank you for making me feel like I was part of the YOKOZUNA FAMILY, it was a privilege dining here all these...

It’s been a while since I’ve been to this restaurant. My friend suggested that we order here tonight. Our order was a fairly good size for 6 people. I called for take out and the wait time to for pick up was reasonable.

While going to the restaurant for pick up, be prepared to find very limited parking spots. The parking lot isn’t very big. Walking in, I got greeted by a waitress and was shown where to grab our pick up order. My friend paid for the bill while I grabbed the food. Now with the bag charge, I opted out and brought my own bag to pack the food in. The counter was so tall and also small that there’s no space to pack. I had to put my bag aside to a seat and pack all the containers. While packing, the walkway is so tight, these waitresses don’t care if you’re trying to pack your food or waiting for the bill, they will run you over literally, I had to keep dodging. I get you are in a service business and need to serve and get orders in. You do not need to rush like you’re in the emergency room of a hospital. There were about 3-4 of them that did that within the short time we were there. What made me angry was the last waitress that saw me pack the food. As she walked by me, she snatched the order receipt right out of my bag as if the receipt didn’t belong with me walking by. She goes behind the counter and tells my friend again, I’ll ring you up, while she still has the bill she paid in her hand. Very unprofessional to first assume we didn’t pay, secondly to be so rude while someone is packing and just rip off their order receipt in their bag and not ask or clarify if this order is taken care of. I get back home, open all the boxes to double check all ordered items to find out I’m missing an item. Don’t even bother to call and waste your time, no one picks up. If you’re close by, go back and tell them and get your item or accept it as your loss. I tried to call a handful of time and keeps going to a voicemail. I ended up going back, the girl that ripped the receipt off my bag saw me standing at the entrance, made eye contact and just rushes off. There’s nothing of someone will be with you shortly or I’ll be back to help you. I stood there and had to flag a waitress. Told her I’m missing the item and they need a better system of knowing who’s paid or who needs to pay. It is very unorganized compared to a lot of places I’ve been to. All I see is a bunch of people running around.

If you’re looking for a place that will give you service, this isn’t the place to go. If you don’t care and want some average sushi, I would say their food is ok but portions of the udon and bento box is not worth it.

After this experience, I don’t know if I’d return back. It would be one of my last...

Yokozuna was recommended to us by one of our Japanese friends as one of the few authentic Japanese sushi places in Edmonton, and it did not disappoint! We have been coming here for more than two years now, and it continues to be one of our favorite spots for authentic Japanese food.

The menu is large, fairly priced, and designed in izakaya style, so you can order multiple dishes and share. Over time, we’ve had a chance to try a variety of items and keep coming back for more. The skewers, sushi, and sashimi are standouts — always fresh and flavorful. The miso soup is comforting, and the clear soup is light and pleasant. Their teas pair perfectly with the meal and are a must when dining in.

For dessert, the sesame ice cream is a true highlight — nutty, rich, and memorable. The mango ice cream was also a pleasant surprise, with a fresh and natural taste that rounded out the meal beautifully.

On rare occasions, the rice hasn’t had the same fresh texture we usually enjoy — perhaps depending on the timing of our visit. Most of the time it’s spot-on, but once in a while it can be less than ideal. That said, the overall consistency of the food has kept us returning regularly.

The restaurant itself has plenty of seating options — booths, tables, bar seating, and even room-style sections with tall walls for added privacy. Service has always been fast and attentive, even when busy, and the calm, unhurried atmosphere makes it a comfortable place to enjoy a meal.

Our only wish is that one day they start offering fatty salmon sashimi or sushi. It would be a perfect addition to an already excellent menu.

Overall, Yokozuna offers consistently great food, attentive service, and a peaceful atmosphere. A wonderful choice for anyone looking for a quality Japanese dining experience...