Yakunaj Cocina Mexicana — Restaurant in Valladolid

I contacted the establishment at 8 PM to inquire whether reservations were necessary. I was reassured that due to the abundance of available tables, a reservation was not required. However, upon our arrival at 8:30 PM, we were informed that no seating was available in the garden area, which is notably more appealing, and were asked to wait in a less desirable section of the restaurant, where the ambiance was marred by excessively loud music. We were told the wait would be approximately 20 minutes. Regrettably, the promise of a table never materialized. The entire experience was marked by significant delays, from the moment we requested menus to the time our orders were taken and eventually served. The pace was excruciatingly slow. While the food was passable, the overall experience had already diminished my ability to enjoy the meal. The staff's handling of the situation left me feeling misled, particularly when they justified not seating us outside due to the possibility of rain—a circumstance that did not occur.

In summary, I recommend exploring other dining options in Valladolid, where you may find superior service, better pricing, and a more enjoyable...

Wonderful service! The entire staff from the waiters to the kitchen were very professional and eager to make sure guests have an amazing experience.

And the food didn't disappoint either. We started with the nachos which had an amazing creamy black bean sauce as the base layer. Then we had fish tacos which each had their own colored tortilla to represent the colors of the Mexican flag. We also had the red mole chicken dish that had a nice subtle flavor profile that let each ingredient shine with nothing too overpowering.

We finished the meal with not one, but two desserts. The tangerine cheesecake presentation is world class, flavor is great with the crumble crust, and the texture, although not what you might expect in a cheesecake actually works well. The corn pie was equally impressive in visual presentation, texture dynamic, temperature contrast, and flavor complexity! And washed it down with a mug of grandma's coffee.

All the above cost ~800 pesos total for two people, including tip. We left very full and very satisfied. Certainly worth a visit during one of your nights...

This place was a delight at the end of a long day traveling from Playa Del Carmen to Chichen Itzá. We started with some of the best spicy margaritas we have had in our trip, beautifully garnished with a dehydrated lime and chili pepper. My daughter had a frappe that was equally good. The ceviche was fresh and flavorful, as was the complimentary chips with four sauces (habenero, garlic aioli, potato, and perhaps avocado—I can’t recall at this time but they were all good!) street corn was a little chewy but the flavor was so good we were all okay with that. We shared tempura shrimp tacos, fish tacos, and a pasta with pesto made with local pepitas. Every bite was wonderful. Our waiter was also a great part of the experience, teaching us a little about the Mayan culture and history. To top it off, our table was outside in the back patio, overlooked by a beautiful blooming Ceiba tree, believed by the Mayans to be the connection between heaven and earth. Go enjoy this place when traveling...