Yoshiya Umami Beef Bowl — Restaurant in San Antonio

We decided to try a new place for Father's Day lunch, and my husband picked a gem! The anime and decor felt like we were in Japan! This place is INCREDIBLE! We all ordered (family of 6) something different since we have never been before. EVERYTHING we ordered was so delicious!!

You order at the counter, and they bring the food to your table when it is ready. The guy who took our order was very attentive, patient and offered great suggestions. He also remembered what each of us ordered and brought all of the things to us that we would need (plates for my boys to share their entree, 6 sets of chopsticks AND forks, sauces, chili powder). I really loved that it wasn't assumed that my kids wouldn't use chopsticks. They are little but still embrace the experience when we go out to eat. One of the workers even commented on my boys (5 and 6 years old) opting for using chopsticks over a fork. This was simply amazing as we didn't need to ask for anything. As a mom, I can appreciate those details, especially when having hungry littles in tow!

None of the menu items are spicy, but you have the option to customize spice level from 1-5. You can also use the Japanese chili powder (highly recommended) if you like a little zip but are a bit of a control freak like me.

Their health score is A/100 which is VERY impressive and a testament to the pride and attention given to serving their customers!

If I haven't convinced you yet to try this place, this may just tip the scale...we loved it so much that we ordered some takoyaki to go AND had to return for a pick-up order for dinner! 🫣 The guy at the counter was the same one that took our order earlier that day and told my daughter to "say hi to everyone" as he walked her out with the order.

I can honestly say we have never EVER eaten at a new place TWICE in one day, but this is a place we will be craving and...

On my first visit, I was pretty certain Yoshiya sat in my top 5 favorite restaurants. By my third? It was cemented as my #1, which I'm still wrapping my head around. For context, Via313 and The Shack are #2 and #3 now respectively.

I first went here expecting nothing but decent food. I instead left having achieved a life-goal (more on that later) and meeting some stand out individuals. The warmth and friendliness they bring really makes being there a most comfortable time. Everytime I've been there since, they're full of smiles, jokes, and good vibes. They're symbols of their phrase "Good Food, Good Mood."

As far as the life-goal is concerned, it's a rather small one. Take-out noodles. Great takeout noodles, in fact. I've wanted to find a place that satisfied my craving in a way that would throw me into memories of my childhood, watching that one scene in the vampire movie The Lost Boys. Mission accomplished.

It does really bring me joy knowing I'm going to get some of their food. It brings me joy eating it. It brings me joy having had it.

If I had to levy any kind of criticisms, they'd be as follows: The reliance of plastic serving dishes, to-go and dine in. If the waxed cardboard is at all possible, I'd much prefer that. Closed Mondays. This one is more of a joke because I want them to have their days off. It's just so good that, if I could afford it in calories and dollars, I'd have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.

Kudos to the staff of Yoshiya. Y'all truly have something special and I appreciate y'all sharing that something special with San Antonio. Our city has one more bright spot in it with y'all's presence.

I'll see y'all...

Great food, service, and atmosphere. It leans toward the expensive side especially if you get a few appetizers, but the Yoshiya Set offers good value (donburi + gyoza/egg roll + miso soup for $15/16 before tax).

Their donburi (rice bowls) are tasty. They offer extra topping options such as adding an extra egg to your donburi, but they are just fine by default as well. You can switch out the default steamed white rice for fried rice or noodle, but I went with the default and more authentic option of steamed white rice. The amount of rice is noticeably less compared to other places I've tried, but that isn't a problem because the ratio of protein to rice is good. This way, you aren't stuck with a load of plain white rice with nothing to eat it with. For reference, the Yoshiya Set in the photo I've attached is the Yoshiya Beef Bowl with gyoza option.

I would recommend their Unagidon -it is a limited-time item so I would encourage you to try it while you still can. I've been told it's popular so I hope it becomes a permanent addition to the menu. Unagidon consists of filleted, broiled unagi (eel) brushed with a sweet soy-based sauce laid on a bed of rice. The eel is super tender and the sauce complements it perfectly. The word eel might throw off some people but I urge you to try it before you knock it. Wholeheartedly recommend if you are a fan of Japanese cuisine or even if you are a newcomer to it.

Also, melon cream soda is like...