I’ve been a frequent visitor to this Yabu branch since they first opened. I haven’t been back in 3 years (due to Covid) so I wanted to make sure that on this short trip back, I would drop by for a visit.

The good 👍🏻: Their food is still very good. A friend recommended getting the Furikake Fries, which were delicious on their own or paired with the aioli dip. I usually get the Hire Katsu, and I still like that they have good breading and consistency. Cabbage and miso soup were good too.

When asking for a refill, they made sure to include new ice as well.

The Not-so-good 👎: Service is inconsistent. We went on a weekday so the place wasn’t very full, and we did get seated right away. But after ordering (initially just) appetisers, and a drink, the server gave us water and then forgot about us for about 20-30 minutes. Nowhere in that time was my iced tea served (this is usually served right away), and neither were the 2 appetisers. Had to follow up about 2-3 times for the fries, and only then did they say “it’s almost ready to be served”. I think the server who took our order forgot about us, which is weird because we were sitting out on a table, with no orders on our table, for 30 minutes. Even the katsu meals are served within that time. When we were finally ready to order our katsu meals, those didn’t take long to arrive.

I also noticed that unlike before (or at least in this experience), they no longer approach tables asking if people want cabbage or rice refills. And it’s not always easy to catch their attention.

Overall, would I still go back? Yes, because I love the food. But have to say that their service isn’t as good as it was before, even on days when the restaurant is not as busy.