Yamaya | Japanese Seafood Restaurant
$$ • Seafood, Japanese, VegetarianAbout Yamaya | Japanese Seafood Restaurant
Customers' Favorites
Recent Reviews
Share your opinion about Yamaya | Japanese Seafood Restaurant
Very very special place. Run and solely operated by veteran chef-San who makes a delicious miso soup and some of the best rice I’ve had outside of Japan. The chirashi bowl was delicious!! Also, as others say it’s a very friendly atmosphere and found myself briefly sitting at the table of nearby diners just chatting before returning to the sushi bar for my meal.
No frills place + no nonsense chef owner totally focused on preparing amazing outstanding dishes one at a time. It'll take awhile and be all the better if you invite him to help you choose. This is a recommended favorite of local family Anchorites and they're right.
This is as authentic as Japanese cuisine outside of Japan can get. Highly recommend and it’s worth the wait as the owner cooks everything from scratch.
Hours
| Monday | 5 - 9:30PM |
| Tuesday | 5 - 9:30PM |
| Wednesday | 5 - 9:30PM |
| Thursday | 5 - 9:30PM |
| Friday | 5 - 9:30PM |
| Saturday | 5 - 9:30PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
Yamaya is a small, hole-in-the-wall Japanese seafood restaurant that feels like stepping through a portal into an authentic izakaya in Japan. The owner is a very friendly and talented chef, a master of his craft who runs the entire operation alone—taking orders, cooking, and serving. The atmosphere is laid back and feels like a family restaurant in the homeland of Japan.
The cuisine is great tasting, with fresh, delicious fish that is well presented in decent portions. The karage (fried chicken) is pretty good and well seasoned, and the eel roll is good as well. The hot sake and special sake with salmon fin are awesome and a must-try. Each dish is made with quality, care, and heart, offering the kind of comfort Japanese food that is worth the wait.
While the wait for food and service can be very long, it is absolutely worth the patience. For parties of 3 or more, a reservation is recommended. Yamaya does not offer takeout, but dining in is a pleasant experience. Highly recommended for date night, and definitely worth trying the ramen menu next time.