UKA — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I have to say - this was not an experience worthy of $1k and I’m extremely disappointed with how the meal turned out.

We were a little frazzled because while we arrived on time - we couldn’t find the entrance to the restaurant. We received a pre-meal text with a number to call with can questions/issues, but there was no answer to our multiple calls - we finally got a call back about 15 min later just as we had finally located the restaurant. That being said - the team was very gracious about our tardiness and we sat down at 5:15pm.

The meal and service started on a good note and by the second course we were caught up to the other two tables. But course by course and as a few additional seatings arrived, the experience went downhill. Overall the majority of the food was great and we were so impressed with the chef’s talent, but the pacing of the meal got slower and slower to the point that by the 3rd dish every plate was delivered with an apology and the server thanking us for our patience because each one took longer than the last. Descriptions and instruction of how to enjoy each dish were unclear. And What started as a calm, buttoned-up experience turned into servers rushing around, and having side conversations because there was a complete lack of coordination. Overall - dinner lasted almost 3.5 hours. We booked a 5pm reservation thinking that would be more than enough time to get to our other concert engagement which started at 8pm but we did not leave the restaurant until 8:45pm and arrive at our engagement until 9:20pm.

More frustrating that that though we paid for the pairing and not one but TWO of the pairings were forgotten three pairing to be out of order. At one point - we had 3 differently sakes in front of us. It began right before the off-menu course. The gentleman delivered our sake pairing followed by the course. About 5 min after we finished that course he came out with a different sake and apologized because it was supposed to be served with the previous course which he has forgotten so we were essentially asked us imagine what it would have tasted like with the previous plate. As a result - that meant we also drank the original sake we received (which was intended for the upcoming course) with the previous course leading to two incorrect pairings. This was frustrating but mistakes happen so we accepted the apology and carried on. THEN - 2 courses later it happened again! We received our Wagyu course and no pairing was delivered. Something told me that was wrong but I assumed there was no way that could happen again. Sure enough - about 10 minutes after finished that course - our plates were cleared and we were given the green tea. Right after that - the gentleman came rushing out and realized that we were beyond that course and one again apologized that he missed another one of our pairings - but once again - “imagine” how it would have tasted with the wagyu. Three pairings not paired. Honestly - entirely unacceptable.

And lastly - I chose UKA as a surprise for my partner to celebrate our 5-year anniversary and provided that information when booking my reservation. I expected this to be a very special night and was quite disappointed that there was not even an acknowledgment of the special occasion for our visit. I am not looking for any sort of freebies - I just don’t understand why you would ask if we are celebrating a special occasion if that information is going to be ignored.

I reached out and emailed the restaurant directly about these issues before posting my review and have heard nothing in response after both of my emails. Sadly, I do not feel I was provided the product or experience I paid premium price for and would...

The Best and Most Genuine Authentic Japanese Cuisine in All of Los Angeles!

I don’t want to ruin the surprise for you, but I will guarantee you it is absolutely worth every dollar here!

The Chef is friendly so don’t be scared to sit in that cushy chair at the chef’s table and enjoy him cooking in front of you. But if you’re shy, don’t worry, I’ve dined sitting at one of their super comfy spacious and cushy booth tables too and you can still see the chef cooking.

The chef is genuinely impressive with his skills! He is Not one of those knock off Japanese restaurants that try to live off of gimmicks to trick naive customers who don’t know real Japanese cuisine. And I’ve tried all of the Japanese restaurants in LA and UKA is the real deal.

I’m very tough at giving high remarks as I am trained by Cordon Bleu Paris. Trust me when I say I rarely give a full score. You can see my other reviews and verify that I am super tough with compliments.

The service here is spectacular! Yes Spectacular! Similar to what you get at a super high end restaurant in Tokyo!

The sommelier is extremely knowledgeable and professional!

Decor and ambience is modern, beautiful and Zen!

I took a lot of pictures and videos of the beautiful cooking and food! But like I said I don’t want to ruin the surprise for you! So I will not be posting food pics, let’s leave some mystery to the imagination. The chef rotates his menu to use the best seasonal ingredients! So yes the two times I have dined here the menus were entirely different! That’s the best surprise!

Parking in the basement is super convenient with plentiful self parking space in the complex . I drive a nice car so the spaciousness and width and convenience of the individual parking spaces matter to me too lol you just hate when the parking is inconvenient is cramped, but don’t have to worry here. Take your date here without having to hand the keys of your sports car to valet, just simply park it yourself. And getting to the restaurant is just as easy as going up the elevator that easy.

If a Japanese restaurant deserves to earn a three star Michelin rating, then I will vouch and tell you that...

Hidden behind the Japan House in LA is a traditional kaiseki experience that feels like you were transported to Japan. UKA embodies fine dining. The seating consists of a set of tables with views of the LA skyline and a chef's counter. We had reservations at the chef's counter.

The entire meal was astounding. The food was some of the best I have ever had and the way that the chef played with flavors was spectacular. The first dish, the dashi, showed a depth of knowledge on flavor that blew me away. The chef also delighted us with a surprise course that was not on the 9 course menu. There was so much though and attention to detail in each course.

I also particularly want to commend the hospitality, ambience, and staff. I truly believe that at the highest levels of fine dining, where I would put UKA, one experience elevates itself above others by the small, almost unnoticeable, attention to details for the staff. Everyone was so polite and communicated information about the guests to one another so that each member of the staff was aware of what the patrons likes. For example, when we finished our meal, we were offered a citrus drink, a flavor my girlfriend had mentioned she enjoyed in the first sake she tried. It was that level of hospitality and the extremely magnificent flavors that distinguished UKA from some of the other fine dining meals I have had.

I also had the absolute pleasure of talking with the chefs after the meal. The head chef was so friendly and informative, and I could go on, but I could really rave about UKA forever. I am very excited about following the progression of the restaurant and plan on recommending the place to everyone I speak to. I can't...