OK YAKI — Restaurant in Atlanta

We ordered the entire small plates menu. So so good. Very interesting flavors and a unique menu. I've been to Japan once so im basically am expert on Japanese cuisine and this seemed pretty authentic. Very unpretentious laid back chill vibe. Bartenders were very knowledgeable, friendly and were making sure we had a good time.

Now for the food. Small plates

Pickles $3 good little whistle wetter if you like pickles.

Daikon Salad $5 dressing was good, texture on salad was more Cabbage potatoe carrot like texture so it had a solid crunch and mouth feel. We got it with the sardines but they didn't come through much.

Potato Salad $5 not your mama's potato salad but potato salad all the same. Had Cucumbers which was interesting, definitely worth a try but not the highlight.

Yaki mochi $7 I don't know what I was expecting, maybe something like mochi shaped balls, but this was more like lasagna, very deep flavors and filling. Very unique and you should try it.

Goyza $9 4 pieces, we got the pork and chive, chive was so fresh and came through strong, in a good was. Highly suggest.

Karaage $8 if you're not into trying new things this is an easy go to. Delicious fried chicken pieces. More delicate and delicious than the chicken nuggets you're thinking of.. Need I say more? Nom nom nom get them.

Tonkatsu $8 it's like a pork schnitzel which is like a country fried steak. This one is the pork Schnitzels interesting cousin that moved to Japan for a while. To me this had the most varied flavor Profile that played out over a beautiful ballet in a 25 second performance in your mouth with each bite. I got pork, maple syrup, panko, deep fried deliciousness, a little tang and a little smile with each bite. So good!

By then my friends we were 2 cocktails and 2 karrafes of sake deep and my ability to be objective was lost. However we finished with the ice cream and if you only get one thing here, get the ice cream. Coffee, toffee, vanilla, Carmel, nutty flavors that fell from heaven. The bartender treated us to a bottle of the chocolate sake which paired so nice.

Great place, go...

So let me hip you to our awesome Foodie Friday yesterday. We visited @okyakiatl in the East Atlanta Village area on a whim.... and absolutely fell in love.

We loved the seating, the chill vibes, the great food, and the awesome customer service we received.

What you really want to know about is what we ate, so here goes:

STARTERS Karaage- Japanese Fried Chicken (Pic 2) ❤️❤️❤️❤️ This was well cooked, but didn't dazzle us.

Okonomiyaki- (Pic 3) Savory veggie pancake fried on both sides, topped with shrimp flakes and steak. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Also amazing!!

Age Onigiri-(Pic 4) Panko Crusted cheese triangle filled with rice. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ This tasted sooo good. The cheese was gooey inside and the rice was still nice and fluffy. It was an awesome texture contrast to the fried panko outside.

Onigiri of The Day- (Pic 5 & 6) Salmon and another I can't remember currently A rice triangle filled with meat and wrapped in seaweed. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ This was awesome!!! Glad we ordered two of them.

MEALS: Yaki Udon with shrimp (Pic 7) ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Japanese Curry (Pic 8) ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

DRINK: Yaki Club (Pic 9) Strawberry gin, strawberry quina, coconut cream, lemon, and egg white. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Probably the best gin based drink we have ever had!! So nice we had to drink it twice!!

Do yourself a favor and visit this little restaurant with big flavor, amazing staff, and great outdoor seating. Maybe we will meet you there for round two.

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I'm a 25-year-old Black male, and my recent experience at OK YAKI was troubling. I was unexpectedly removed from the premises by the staff and manager in front of other diners. The stated reason was that I allegedly made a waitress cry and feel uncomfortable. However, when I sought clarification on what I had done, I was met with the response, "It doesn't matter."

Despite my attempts to understand the situation, I received inconsistent explanations. Initially, I was told I made one waitress uncomfortable. Later, another staff member said it was two, and eventually, the manager claimed it was three. My interactions with the staff were limited to brief conversations about living in Atlanta, film, and career, along with basic pleasantries like "hello," "excuse me," and "thank you."

What was particularly concerning was a white male staff member telling me I "looked like the type" to cause such problems. This comment seemed racially charged and unfair, as the only noticeable difference between me and other patrons was my race and the fact that I frequent the gym.

I was also disheartened that the female staff members, who are minorities themselves, did not intervene. Instead, four white male staff members confronted me with hostility, failing to provide any specific reasons for their actions.

This experience was distressing and felt reminiscent of historical injustices, where false accusations can have serious consequences. I was treated unfairly, seemingly due to racial bias.

I urge OK YAKI to reflect on this incident and consider improving their approach to handling such situations. No one should face unfair treatment based on unverified claims or prejudice. I hope the establishment can learn from this experience and make positive changes...