Yama Loso — Restaurant in Charlotte

Yama LoSo is Charlotte's latest addition to the sushi dining scene, situated in the rejuvenated Lower South End, affectionately known as LoSo.

Parking in LoSo can be a bit of a puzzle, but there is a nearby garage when street parking eludes you.

As you walk in, you're greeted with options for where to settle: to your right, a friendly bar awaits the cocktail lovers, while to your left, a sushi bar offers the perfect spot for those who enjoy their seafood with a dash of conversation from the chef. Nestled between the two, booths and tables offer a cozy middle ground. The interior design balances a modern and traditional sushi bar aesthetic.

Let's dive into the welcome part, or should I say, the lack thereof. It felt a bit like I was invisible for a moment there at the host stand, just waiting for someone to notice. It wasn't until a waiter, quickly followed by the manager, came to my rescue and showed me to my booth. And honestly, given the choice, who wouldn't go for the booth over a chair, right?

Nicole, my waitress, was the epitome of hospitality. Her warm welcome, paired with insightful recommendations, made for a promising start. Despite her enthusiasm, the ambiance took a slight detour with a playlist that seemed to confuse "sushi night" with "teen birthday party.” From Ed Sheeran's "Bad Habits" setting a rather lively tone, we transitioned into Tori Kelly's vocal gymnastics, and just when I thought we'd pivot to something more fitting, Miley Cyrus's "Flowers" bloomed through the speakers. It felt like they were navigating through a teenager's Spotify playlist rather than curating a vibe for sushi diners. I began my meal with harumaki, Japanese vegetable spring rolls(2) served with a sweet chili dipping sauce. They arrived hot and crispy from the fryer, though they didn't leave a lasting impression. Good, but not groundbreaking.

For my entrée, I ordered the Lobster Roll(8 pieces), a visual delight featuring fried lobster and asparagus, wrapped in seaweed and sushi rice, then topped with poached lobster, avocado, yuzu cream sauce, and black tobiko. Despite the promising description, the texture of the poached lobster was a letdown, leaning towards the overdone side. While the sushi rice and yuzu cream sauce hit the mark, the roll seemed to be missing a spark. Soy sauce provided the needed flavor boost but couldn't fully redeem the dish.

Hunger still lingering, I opted for Chicken Negi from the Kushiyaki menu. These skewered chicken teriyaki bites(2), paired with spring onions, were the highlight of my meal. Juicy chicken lavished in a teriyaki glaze that hit all the right notes—this dish alone merits a return visit.

While Yama LoSo might not top my list of Charlotte sushi spots, it's certainly worth a visit. The blend of traditional and modern Japanese cuisine, makes it a noteworthy addition to the LoSo dining landscape. Back at Yama LoSo for round two and wow, what a game-changer!

UPDATE: After hearing the buzz on everyone's recent visits and their sushi snapshots, I had to give it another go, focusing on their sushi offerings this time. Starting off, the salmon belly sushi (2 pieces) was an absolute dream. It literally melted in my mouth. The blend of torched salmon belly with sweet soy, yuzu crème, and yuzu tobiko was fantastic. Hands down, the star of the show!

Next up, the sablefish was prepared to perfection at a medium temperature, served as two filets. The presentation was beautiful, showcasing the sablefish on a tasty bed of garlic bok choy, surrounded by a skillfully drizzled miso glaze.

The Totoro Roll took fresh to a new level, with spicy negi toro and cucumber, topped with salmon, spring onions, eel sauce, and a hint of truffle oil. It's clear why this roll comes so highly recommended by the staff. Trust me, you'll want to make this a staple in your order.

And let's not forget about the kushiyaki tiger shrimp (4 skewers). These came out sizzling, accompanied by a spicy sesame ginger, garlic, cilantro dipping sauce that was so good, I contemplated drinking it if only there...

Long read but a must read! This is only like my 2nd or 3rd review ever, but when something moves your soul the way that Yama Loso just did mine, you feel an obligation to share it with the world.

If you are in the Charlotte area, heck, if you are anywhere in the world, stop what you are doing immediately and go to Yama Loso at 3535 Dewitt Ln, Charlotte, NC. If they are closed when you arrive, take a nap in the parking lot till they open the next day.

The experience that my friend and I just had while on a business trip to the area, was mind blowing, and we’ve eaten a lot of sushi together. Before deciding to go there, much like any normal human, I searched for sushi places in the area and assessed all the reviews. I came across this gem of a restaurant and it said it had 5 stars on Yelp, and was open till 10:30 PM - at that time it was 8:17 PM on a Tuesday night. I said, “yeah right… what kind of sushi place truly has 5 stars.. not a single complaint?!”

By 8:30 we were at the doors of the restaurant, and it looked elegant, modern, and clean from the outside. I was feeling excited about our decision already. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by a very pleasant and professional young lady, who very quickly escorted us to a table that would soon steal a piece of my soul.

Miss Avery, the hospitality and sushi Angel that came down from Yama Loso (YL) heaven soon greeted us. She was brilliant, attentive, and passionate about the restaurant. She was fun, witty, and truly cared about our experience. She knew the menu inside and out, and made the absolute perfect recommendations. The world would be a better place if we had a whole lot more of Avery in it… and Yama Loso..

We ordered a lot of food for two people. Please see the attached receipt.. you will want to order these same things at a minimum! Literally from start to finish, it was out of this world. Every single bite.. I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life. The service was lightning fast.. Yama Loso heaven is tapas style dining (small dishes meant for sharing), but their portions were fantastic! Multiple times throughout the meal, my buddy and I were moved, spiritually and emotionally. I kept asking him “how is this place real?! Is this just me?! Am I over exaggerating?! Are we being Punk’d…? Where is Ashton?!” He agreed with every sentiment I had and was tearing up with each bite as well.

Miss Avery continued to represent the pinnacle of the hospitality industry with every interaction… it’s not fair to anyone that has not experienced her level of customer service. The team of angels that supported her when running food or clearing the mass devastation and chaos of empty plates that was ensuing, was also top-notch. I’m pretty certain that there is no place else in this world that has these type of people or prepares food to this level of quality.

I’m not a depressed person, but not being able to eat here once or twice a week may send me into a spiral. I’m still in disbelief. You have not truly lived life until you have been to Yama Loso. As you know, we all have an expiration date, so don’t wait another moment because you may not ever get the chance to go again.

Below ratings, 1-10, 10 being UNBELIEVABLY PERFECT. Avery - 20/10 Small Hot Dishes- 15/10 Kushiyaki - 15/10 Cold Dishes - 15/10 Nigiri - 15/10 Specialty Rolls - 15/10 Specialty Entree - 15/10

To make everything even that much better, the prices are so incredibly fair. No one else could compete with them in service and quality of food, yet, those same places would charge double and triple for far less.

Without a doubt, the best restaurant experience I have ever had and I have traveled around the world trying to find exactly what we experienced tonight at the heavenly Yama Loso, with the one and only...

We dined late on Friday and were told we needed to order within about 20 minutes before the kitchen closed, which was fine.

We ordered sushi rolls, miso soup, oysters, a side of chicken, and chicken teriyaki to go. After our sushi arrived, they told us the miso soup was out. We asked to replace it with another roll, but another staff member- maybe a manager?, not our server, said the kitchen was closed and they could not do it. So we were bummed and left hungrier than expected. The side of chicken came out as a large plain chicken breast and my to-go order had white rice instead of fried rice as requested- which I didn’t mention due to it being late. When the bill came, I was charged for TWO chicken teriyaki entrées at $24 each because they made three chicken breasts, even though we only wanted one extra side of protein. They refused to fully adjust the bill and only took $6 off, making the side of chicken $18. After asking again, the manager offered to reduce it to $12. This seemed sneaky & just wrong to have originally charged that in the first place.

The situation was poorly handled with no communication and an unwillingness to make it right. As someone who has been in the industry, this should have been comped or fairly discounted without the back and forth.

Our server was sweet and the food was good, but the customer service and management ruined the experience. We will not be back or recommend...