Yamamori Izakaya - Japas & Sake — Restaurant in Dublin

We had high hopes for this Japanese restaurant in Dublin, but unfortunately, our experience was disappointing. The low quality of service detracted from our experience. While the menu suggests that the dishes are Japanese tapas and that guests should order 3-4 dishes each, the portions are quite small. To try a variety of dishes, we ordered 9 in total, including sashimi. We had hoped that the dishes would arrive at different times so that we could appreciate each one, but unfortunately everything arrived at once. This caused confusion as we struggled to find space for all the plates on our small table, and some of the dishes became cold before we could enjoy them fully.

Additionally, we were disappointed to find that the sashimi plates of both tuna (19 Euro for 5 pieces) and salmon (10 Euro for 5 pieces) were completely covered with cucumber. As someone who does not enjoy cucumber, this ruined the taste of an otherwise expensive dish. When we spoke with the waitress about our concerns, they were initially reluctant to replace the dishes with cucumber-free versions. Even when they eventually agreed, they only brought back three pieces of sashimi (discounting the two that we had already tried and disliked). This was a letdown for a restaurant that charges these prices.

Furthermore, we were unable to enjoy our sushi for more than 20 minutes because we had to repeatedly request a saucer for the soy sauce. The food itself was not bad, but the cost did not justify the experience. The wagyu, in particular, was not the quality one would expect from a Japanese restaurant; it was just a simple small slice of sirloin. We also caution against ordering the hot stone, as the tables are quite cramped, and it can be challenging to cook the meat without splattering sauce on one's clothes. Overall, while the food was decent, the service and portion sizes left something to be desired.

Since I can't answer back:

We would just like to clarify that while it may have appeared as though we were complimenting you (which is not true) we were actually trying to be respectful despite our disappointment. The picture we provided clearly shows a table full of food, and we did not receive any assistance or solutions. Additionally, we had to send temporary back some food, making us also feel guilty (ex. the waitress telling us that the beef hot stone had to be cooked quickly after there was no more space on the table)

As Japanese food enthusiasts, we were really surprised to see cucumber served with the sashimi. We suggest that if a dish is served differently from its traditional presentation, it should be noted on the menu to prevent any confusion, especially for expensive dishes.

We hope that in the future, you can take these issues into consideration to ensure a more enjoyable experience for your...

I took my sister out for dinner here as a treat as we love sushi. It's my favourite food and we love trying different places in various countries. Overall we had a great time there and the food was fantastic. We ordered the Kaizen Ebi roll, California Dream roll, Gunkan selection, a portion of Ikura nigiri which the chef kindly accommodated, miso soup, 2 portions of "ootoro" (alleged fatty tuna) and takoyaki (Octopus balls).

There are a few things to note. While the location and interior of the restaurant is great, lined with booths and a view of the chef, the atmosphere felt more pub-like in some aspects. I thought we were in the wrong place at first since the first thing you see is a bar and the interior is laid out like a bistro rather than a Japanese restaurant. Very comfortable seating. The staff were very friendly and took great care of us but there was a good bit of confusion with the waiter and waitress with our order as they informed us they weren't familiar with the menu yet. The chef was kind enough to allow me to have nigiri portion of the gunkan (ikura) as I am not a fan of the rest of the Gunkan selection personally but my sister really enjoyed it 😊

The wait for the food was not long and it was presented beautifully. No complaints at all with the taste which is expected given the prices. The only thing I would say is the menu can be misleading as it listed "Wagyu" beef but underneath it says Irish Wagyu which is not possible since Wagyu grade must be from Japan. The "ootoro" tasted amazing but given I'm very familiar with sushi, it did not have the colour, taste nor texture of ootoro (fatty tuna), it seemed more like chutoro (medium fatty tuna). Fatty tuna is a very light pink colour. Considering the price of one portion for ootoro is €16.50 I expected to have ootoro not chutoro. That being said, those are the only things I would point out that was "wrong" with our experience. I think they should change it to chutoro on the menu, as that is what it seemed liked and change the price as I'm sure it will still be quite popular.

Would love to come back as the food and service...

I uploaded a lot of photos since we sampled a LOT from their menu. I have to admit, all of them impressed me. All of the food we tried were exquisite, umami bombs prepared by extremely skilled chefs. We got a view of the kitchen and we were impressed by how the teams in the kitchen acted professionally and it reflected on the high calibre of food that came out of the kitchen. All waiting staff were super attentive too which is amazing considering how busy Yamamori Izakaya can be. In terms of atmosphere, it’s a fantastic take on fusing Irish and Japanese.

Now back to the food, my top 7 from their menu are: 7 – Salmon teriyaki; 6 – Yakitori (chicken skewers); 5 - Scallop nigiri; 4 - Duck soba; 3 - Hot stone wagyu beef; 2 - Takoyaki (octopus balls) and 1 - eel foie gras. The eel foie gras gets the top spot for having a melt-in-your-mouth texture and the super delicious octopus balls comes very close at second place. Make sure to get the takikomi gohan on the side too! The dessert, white choc and miso cheesecake, gets a special mention for being absolutely delicious. Good drinks are to be expected from an izakaya. So the fact that they make excellent gin and tonic too was a major plus for us. Money well-spent and an interesting and delicious take on fusing Irish...