Yazawa Japanese BBQ — Restaurant in Beverly Hills

Allow me to preface this review by stating that I know Japanese meat. I grew up partially in Japan and have traveled throughout the country extensively. I’ve eaten yakiniku more times than I could count. My meal at Yazawa was an absolute disaster.

I was in LA for a few days for a show and decided to seek out yakiniku, as there aren’t too many places outside of Japan where you can get Japanese beef. A quick Yelp search revealed that my relatively-nearby options were Yazawa and Manpuku. It looked like Manpuku only served US “wagyu”, so I opted for Yazawa, as my entire quest originated from the desire to have Japanese beef.

While Yazawa did serve Japanese A4/A5 wagyu (and the meat itself was good), the chef/restaurant/owners absolutely destroyed the meat with sickening amounts of non-optional sauce (the meat - ALL cuts of the wagyu - arrived pre-soaked in the stuff). The omakase began with a 3-dish appetizer, and from the very first bite, I knew I was doomed. The tartare may as well have been tofu or ground beef from Ralph’s, because you literally could taste nothing but their nauseatingly sweet sauce - 2 out of 3 appetizer dishes were just hosed down with this stuff - they were indiscernible. An initial bite sets the tone of the meal, but whatever, maybe things would improve.

No, no they would not. The first pieces of meat were inexplicably USDA cuts. Nothing special, but not offensive, either. These unremarkable pieces were salted and peppered with no sauce, which is absolutely ridiculous - they overpower the prized wagyu with sauce, yet serve the cheap USDA cuts with an understated salt and pepper, when it’s brutally obvious that this should be the inverse. Then came our $200 meager platter of Japanese wagyu for two. And it was positively DRENCHED in Yazawa’s Signature Sauce (TM). My partner and I each tried a single bite to give it a chance, and it was terrible. All we could taste was sugar, ginger, and garlic. The sauce was cloying, the meat was woefully undersalted (and quite literally untasteable), and the experience was just depressing. Wanting to salvage something out of this meal, we asked our server to explain this saucing decision and ask if we could perhaps replace the remainder of our meat with pieces that were simply salted and peppered. We were offered nothing more than a trite, bored response of “that’s how the omakase comes”. We were never informed, via the menu or the server, that our meat would be sauced to oblivion, and never even given the option to opt for salt instead.

We explained that we are well-versed in yakiniku, and the meat was being ruined by this sauce (which we were never informed of), and Yazawa absolutely REFUSED to do anything about it - they wouldn’t replace our meat, offer us supplemental cuts, NOTHING. I honestly wished I had just walked out, but I stoically choked down the maple-syrup-coated meat and got the $300 check, whereupon they couldn’t be bothered to do so much as remove our drinks from the bill, when we clearly had a horrific experience. They were so unapologetic, it was remarkable.

Considering the price and my expectations, this may have been the worst dining experience of my entire life. Only dine here if you like the idea of a business that takes exquisite, difficult-to-acquire Japanese beef and absolutely saturates it in a foul, saccharine sugar-garlic-ginger-shoyu glaze, COMPLETELY obliterating and masking the flavor of the prized meat itself, and then selling it to rich people with no taste or palate, from a Rodeo Drive storefront. Oh, yeah, and they also soak the appetizers in the sauce. They must have buckets of the stuff in the kitchen and apply it to everything in sight with a fire hose.

Between the food and service, for what they charge and promise, this was a...

Enjoyed Yazawa Omakase. Simply put, I had great time enjoying delicious slices of A5 Wagyu beef in the beautiful luxurious place. All the slices of beef were extremely juicy and delightfully melting in the mouth. I also immediately felt the place was reliable when I got into the place, so I didn't hesitate at all to eat their raw beef slices that were served as appetizer. It was very fresh and tasty! One of the slices was mixed with sesame oil and another was very creative food (made with eggs). The course consists of four plates of several different body parts of cow meat. Overall, 2+1 different sauces were provided. The first dish included round beef. The next plate included sirloin (Yazawa Yaki) that I was told to dip into their egg sauce. The egg sauce tasted surprisingly totally new. And it was like eating Sukiyaki beef. Four slices of beef were served next, each of which included lean beef, brisket, leg & rib. The last piece of beef was fillet and yes, it was best of the best Wagyu beef that I had here and there. By the way, the servers explained about each dish whenever it was delivered to my table and answered all my questions kindly. It seems that they usually grill the beef for the customers. Once you get to know how to properly grill the beef in their suggested way, I think it's okay to do it yourself. Fantastic & very delicious high quality Wagyu beef I had for sure!

Next visit, I will also order side dishes from the beginning as soup, rice and deserts are not included in the omakase.

위치는 베벌리힐즈. 입에서 녹는 A5 와규! 특히 필레부위 맛은 매우 감동적이다. 필레는 입에서 순식간에 녹는듯한 느낌. 한편, 다른 부위 고기맛은 한마디로 매우 부드럽고 육즙이 장난아니다라고 느껴진다. 식사는 따로 추가하는 것이 좋을 듯 싶고 1인 오마카제도 가능함. 양은 적다고 할 수 있으나 고기 퀄리티는 최고이며 따져보면 한우 최상급과 비교할 수 있겠는데 일본식 혹은 이곳 특유의 음식에 대한 터치가 있으므로 그 이유만으로도 가볼만한 곳인듯. 소스는 폰즈소스와 자체개발소스가 (고기양념소스같은 것) 베이스인데 다소 신선한 계란소스가 서로인 나올 때 별도로 나옴. 계란소스는 맛이 담백하며 익숙한 스타일은 아니고 맛에 특이성이 있음. 일요일에는...

We recently had dinner at a Japanese yakiniku restaurant, and the entire evening felt truly special. From the moment we stepped in, the ambiance was sophisticated and elegant, creating the perfect atmosphere for a refined dining experience. While the prices are on the higher side, the quality of both the food and service made it absolutely worthwhile. The meat was exceptional—tender, flavorful, and of a standard completely comparable to yakiniku in Japan.

The service was attentive and polished. The staff were courteous, refilled drinks promptly, and offered us the choice of grilling the meat ourselves or having it prepared for us. We chose to have the staff handle the grilling, and their careful preparation allowed us to sit back, relax, and savor each dish slowly, which added to the sense of luxury.

Beyond the grilled meat, the menu included a variety of creative dishes such as beef nigiri, yukhoe, and a beautifully arranged kimchi sampler the yam kimchi was especially memorable. The cold noodles were refreshing, and even the rice was impressive, cooked to a perfect chewy texture that showed real attention to detail.

The interior was stylish, modern, and clearly designed with an upscale clientele in mind. Although we dined with children, the overall atmosphere leaned strongly toward adults, making it ideal for dates, anniversaries, or other special occasions. One unexpected highlight was the restroom it featured a Japanese-style toilet, spotless and refined, which left a lasting impression.

Overall, this restaurant offers not just a meal but a complete dining experience. It is a place where excellent food, thoughtful service, and an elegant atmosphere come together. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy a sophisticated night out or to celebrate a...