Yoshino Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Fresno

My family has been going here since 1987, when we first moved here it was absolutely amazing. But I have noticed the last few years the quality has deteriorated. We normally go by ourselves, my wife and I, but sometimes we meet another couple at the table, just the 4 of us and I will buy them dinner because they become friends and since being retired, we can afford to do nice things for people. Last night, 2/18/25 we brought some friends of ours to also celebrate their birthday with mine. Big mistake and super embarrassing.

Normally the chefs at the teppanyaki are amazing and very engaging. Our chef was boring and made many mistakes throughout the evening, mixing up orders and overcooking the New York steaks which were also tuff. Easy on the seafood...remember it's not a steak to be cooked rare, medium or well.

I normally tip the chef's $100 for such a great performance but my wife saw me peel $40 from the wallet and said "no", I still gave it to the chef for the benefit of the doubt. Although I probably should have kept it because as we were getting ready to leave, we saw another table getting prepared and that chef was super amazing, flipping, tossing laughing and totally engaging his patrons...wish my table had him because he deserved a $100 tip.

BTW...They used to take pictures of the birthday folks...what happened to that?

Also...back in the day it used to be super packed. Now there's three or four teppanyaki tables with four or six people and so many empty...

I had an absolutely terrible experience when we went in for teppanyaki last night. From the moment we arrived, it felt like we were being treated as an afterthought. We arrived when it wasn’t busy, but at least two parties who walked in after us were seated first. I don’t usually feel like my treatment is because of my skin color, but this time, it truly felt that way.

The cook was shockingly grumpy and unprofessional. He teased my 8-year-old stepdaughter in a mean-spirited way until I had to step in and say something. After that, he noticeably gave everyone at the table more food than me. To top it off, he undercooked my daughter’s food, which is unacceptable and unsafe.

The service was disorganized as well. They usually serve sauces before the food, but this time, the food kept coming out with no sauces until I asked. When I brought it up, the cook rudely suggested I must have been “busy playing or talking to the kids” and didn’t hear him. Excuse me? That level of disrespect is appalling.

To make matters worse, the staff all looked absolutely miserable. The atmosphere was uncomfortable, and it was clear no one wanted to be there—not the workers, and definitely not me or my family. This ruined my daughter’s birthday and have to celebrate again elsewhere. This used to be our go to place but I’ve recently had two other similar experiences here recently but I’m done. This was an all-around bad experience, and I will never return. I wouldn’t recommend this...

So, I can't speak for the Tepanyaki or traditional dining experience at Yoshinos. This review is strictly for the Shabu Shabu bar. Let's break it down. Broth: Seasoned and perfected by your chef based on your preferences. I prefer a more savory broth with a nice kick. It was delicious. Noodles: I opted to try both the udon and rice noodles just so I could get a feel for them. Both were delicious, but I preferred the glass/rice noodles. Meat: Thin sliced rare beef (similar to pho) Hearty portion, cooked in the broth to perfection. Toppings/Vegetables: mushroom, cabbage, green onion, etc. Very fresh and large portions. Extras: Salad, Calamari appetizer, sauces, etc. All unique in flavor, adding something special to each bite. It's like making your own soup in each spoonful. This bite might have a more tangy ponzu accent, while the next has the warm burn of hot mustard. I loved the variety. Service: This is where the Shabu Shabu really shined. Our chef, Lucky, was the friendliest, most attentive guy. From the very start, he reiterated how he was there to serve us, and went above and beyond to make the dining experience a memorable one. We were there celebrating our anniversary, and Lucky just added so much fun and cheer to the night. We will definitely be...