Yunta — Restaurant in Charlotte

What FUN! I spotted this place while shopping at west elm across the street, it had a very lively, young vibe so I looked up the menu & being a lover of both Peruvian & Japanese food knew I’d have to try it. Stopped by on a Friday night, solo around 6 pm. It was already packed! Tables, and bar already full, but the hostesses were really sweet & let me know who was about to be sat so that I could grab a seat at the bar. I thought I would be there for a quick bite and ended up there for 3 delightful hours!! They had a DJ spinning keeping the energy super high - people (including me lol) were dancing in their seats, the cooks were dancing in the open kitchen, & I loved how fun it felt in there. Josh at the bar took care of me & I can not sing his praises enough. The drinks (smoky melon being my favorite) were flavorful, interesting & strong. His service was excellent & he handled the bar with charisma & speed.

I ate:

Octopus Tiradito - incredible, bursting with flavors & textures. Loved the super thin tortilla chips, the aioli, while delicious was perhaps a little heavy handed. The octopus was perfectly cooked & tender. Would absolutely order again with light aioli. 8/10.

Jalea - everything was perfectly & lightly fried & the seafood was treated with love. I didn’t realize the portion would be so big (great for sharing) & I was really really pleased with the fact that the tempura batter stayed crispy even though it took me forever to finish lol. 10/10

Portobello mushrooms - simple, perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked, refreshing on the palette. They made a perfect side to the fried jalea 10/10

Chocolate Bomba - a MUST HAVE. I am not a lover of sweets, and I usually find straight up chocolate desserts too rich, but people seemed to be enjoying this so much, and Josh said it was his favorite so I tried it. WOW - a masterclass in balance & texture. The middle layer had almost a flan like texture, I ate the whole dessert & at no point found it overwhelmingly sweet. 11/10.

I can not wait to come back & try some of the nigiris, makis, and the paella.

This experience was worth every penny to me! Don’t be scared to stop in solo, you’ll find people at the bar to chat with in this lively environment. I can’t wait to bring a friend, or date here.

A restaurant vet myself I like to be realistic about who would enjoy places - while I think there’s something for everyone on this menu - this is probably not somewhere I would bring someone who prefers large portions, standard domestic beers, or who doesn’t like music...

I had the pleasure of checking this spot out over the weekend. My sister and I were in the area and both of us were starving. After browsing a little on Yelp we landed on Yunta( means Friend) . My sister told me she had been a few times and the food was amazing!

We were greeted as soon as we walked in the door. However , the staff did step away to seat other patrons. While she was gone another staff approached us to ask if we had been helped! This first impression of recommendable service was impressive! The original staff returned to the host stand. After confirming we did not have reservations she advised we could sit at the bar or there was one table available but it was directly across from the restroom. She said she wanted to be completely honest and transparent about the table. We took the table next to the restrooms (it really was not a bad table).

Our wait staff came to the table shortly after we were seated. He asked us about our water choice and also dropped off the complimentary fried corn ( somewhat addictive).

My sister and I both opted for mocktails. I ordered the Dirty Chai Martino. Admittedly, it lacked flavor. I took one sip and realized it was not for me. The wait staff was kind enough to ask if I wanted to try something else. What he suggested was amazing, but I don’t recall the name of the drinks it had a hint of smokiness to it.

To start, I ordered the sesame salad and my sister opted for the edamame. My salad was a win! It was basic ingredients but put together created something special! I honestly could have made a meal out of the salad with a side of salmon! For an entree I had the Peruvian Seafood Risotto and my sister ordered the Ramen Chicken Soup. The risotto was flavorful and had a decent amount of protein in it. I did not try my sister’s ramen, but she said it was good.

I do want to mention again that the service at this restaurant is giving Michelin star quality! It is clear that the staff works together as a team to ensure that the guests needs are always met.

Last, but not least, the aesthetic of this restaurant is a vibe! From the vibrant wall paper contrasted against the stone wall and light wood table and chairs to the entrance with faux moss and gold letters! The design is nice!

Overall- this spot is a win...

I went out to celebrate my cousin’s birthday, and while the food and atmosphere were top-notch—as they’ve been on my previous visits—this experience was incredibly disappointing.

I had come here before and loved it, which is why I recommended it to my cousin. Sadly, that turned out to be one of my worst mistakes. Our server, Kenneth T., was extremely rude and unprofessional. Keep in mind that I’ve worked in the service industry my entire life, so I know what good service looks like—and this wasn’t even close.

From the beginning, we felt rushed. Kenneth came over and told us we had to be out by 7 PM. Our reservation was at 4 PM, and although we were about 10 minutes late, there was no reason for us to be treated like we were on a timer. We were seated at a cramped table meant for eight people—even though there were nine of us. Not ideal for a birthday dinner.

To make things worse, we were charged a $15 cake fee that no one mentioned. We were told they had to take the cake away instead of letting us keep it at the table, and not once were we informed that we would be charged for it. That kind of lack of communication is unacceptable.

The server also pressured my cousin into ordering another bottle of wine and repeatedly asked my aunt if she wanted to order—over five times—despite her clearly saying no. It felt like we were being upsold and not actually cared for. Throughout the dinner, we were largely ignored. Kenneth would come by, stare at us awkwardly, but wouldn’t ask if we needed anything else.

On top of all that, the heat was unbearable. We were seated next to a window with direct sun, and there was clearly a more comfortable table available in the shade that we weren’t offered. For a place that calls itself fine dining, not having proper air conditioning or even being mindful of guest comfort is unacceptable.

Overall, this dinner felt rushed, uncomfortable, and stressful—when it should have been a celebration. I genuinely regret recommending this place to my family. Management should really take a closer look at the service and hospitality being provided, because this was far from a quality...