Yozora Japanese Kissa Restaurant

Make sure you get an actual table here, reservations don’t count btw lol you might get put in the reject lower bar area. It’s bright, you don’t enjoy the mood lighting at the tables you are looking at the back of a stainless steel cooler. The food was alright, but the crappy seats really ruined the whole thing for me. I won’t go back for fear of getting placed in that seat. Asked to move to a good seat & was denied. Multiple tables stayed empty while we sat at the reject lower bar. Awkward when waiter comes up behind you & you have to turn around or they talk behind your back. Just very meh. Other cool options to go to. This ain’t it.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 3

Get the octopus ???

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Ceviche, Pepper Fin

The best culinary experience I’ve ever had since living in San Antonio. Everything was delicious, fresh, and perfectly prepared. 10/10

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We were disappointed to receive a regular cut of tuna instead of the toro advertised in the “crispy toro” dish. This fell short of our expectations and was quite disappointing.

Google isn't allowing me to upload photos, but I'll check back in to try again.
I debated whether or not to post this review because I absolutely want to gatekeep Yozora. However, I also want Chef Emanuel and his team to succeed, so whatever. Just as long as you leave me a table, I’ll let you in on the secret.
The interior is mid-century modern with a chill vibe. The clean lines and no-frills interior didn’t feel sparse but instead gave me Mad Men vibes. The vinyl set up to the left of our table screamed 70s basement party in all the right ways. The music was kept at an acceptable level—not too loud that it kept us from hearing our conversation but loud enough to tempt me into shaking my hips when a slammin’ Bossa Nova came on.
**Be advised: we ordered damn near everything on the menu, and our bill reflected as much. Don’t think too hard; just donate some plasma next month.**
It’s not hard to go a little menu crazy with the izakaya-inspired menu.
Lucky Chicken is a red ale IPA from Kyoto, Japan. I had the yuzu sake high ball, which was crisp and refreshing.
The Asian pear cucumber salad was addicting. The floral pear and the mildly sweet cucumber cleansed the palate in anticipation of the meal. The Shiro Wrap (which I assume is named for Yozora’s predecessor) is a spicy avocado and panko-fried soft-shell crab filling surrounded by a soy wrap, masago, and chives. It’s one of those dishes you think of occasionally and wonder if it misses you as much as you miss it.
The Charcoal Grilled Chasu had a unique combination of fatty braised pork belly scented with charcoal that highlighted the salty creaminess of Reggiano cheese. The scallion kimchi that accompanied it mixed spicy with the herbaceous punch of the scallion tops.
The Garlic Edamame is like a toxic relationship: it hurts you but is so addictive and lovely that you can’t help but keep coming back to it. I spent the rest of the meal slurping soybeans from their pods while I conquered the rest of our meal. These have moderate spiciness, so if you’re sensitive to heat, I would skip them.
Hot Line Crispy Gyoza is a fried pork dumpling tossed in 911 sauce (it was more urgent care to us) and topped with parm-Reggiano cheese. These weren’t our favorite, but we’d demolish them after a night of drinking.
We moved on to the Yakitori section of the menu and enjoyed the Negima (chicken thigh and Japanese leek) and Waygu. Both were grilled exceptionally and remained juicy and tender.
We chugged on over to the “Crudo and Battera” section and ordered the Toro Tartare (I wished the lotus chip was thicker to accommodate the weight of the rich tartare), the Pepper Fin (I could drink the citrus soy/chili oil situation), and the Crispy Toro (we loved the juxtaposition of the creamy, fatty toro and the hidden crispy rice).
You might think we were ready to tap out by now… and we were, but we had ordered the Waygu Teriyaki, and we’re no quitters. The Wagyu was cooked perfectly, a gorgeous medium-rare, and the soy beurre blanc sat in was nothing short of seductive.
Our final push was the Yuzu Japanese Citrus Pie. I don’t know if they have an in-house pastry chef, but whoever created this dessert knows what the hell they’re doing. The yuzu offered the right amount of pucker factor, and the crisp, buttery crust added just enough sweetness to balance it.
Our server (I want to say his name was Ray or Roy) was exceptional in his attentiveness, engagement, and hospitality.
I wholeheartedly recommend Yozora as I think it should be on everyone’s list of must-eat places in the San Antonio area.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Wagyu Yakitori, Pepper Fin

If you're looking at pictures wanting to try it you should! Service is amazing and friendly. The food is just perfect down to the temperature and size. Definitely also recommend trying the beer selection even though saki menu is impressive. We ordered from the treat menu at the time of dining, highly recommend!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Wasabi grated freshly right at your table, a delicious seasonal menu smartly presented, and a delight to the taste buds. Wonderful servers that are engaging and attentive, oh and do you like music, well bask in the ambiance of a high-end turntable stereo system playing relaxing Japanese Jazz, you can even pick which album will play next! If any of this sounds intriguing to you then a dinner at Yozora should be on your list of places to try! I do recommend making a reservation especially around the weekend, oh and they have Asahi on draft!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Yuzo Japanese Citrus Pie, Wagyu Yakitori, Pepper Fin, Creamy Miso Soup

Really pleasantly surprised by the experience at Yozora. The space itself is a bit odd, with tables scattered about a cavernous single room. But all doubts were put to rest as every part of the $45 tasting menu knocked it out of the park. Toro, scallops, wagyu, and salmon were all excellent. Service was attentive and knowledgeable. Highly recommend you stop in for dinner.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Food was amazing, serving sizes were just right, not too small and not to large.

The atmosphere was perfect for a date night with amazing records playing. It had a nostalgic Japan vibe without overdoing it.

Service was perfect, every dish that was brought out was explained to us and presented to perfection.

10/10 will be coming back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Ceviche

My wife and I always love this place. The music selection perfectly compliments the food and drinks and the service is always spectacular. Especially Victor ??

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Yuzo Japanese Citrus Pie, Pepper Fin, Creamy Miso Soup, Vegetable Tempura

Came here Sunday night 7:30pm with a reservation. Service was extremely slow. There were dirty tables surrounding us. People who came after us were served before us. We didn’t leave until 9:20pm after we were finally served our 2nd entree at 9pm. The food was underwhelming and dissatisfying. Small portions for what they charge. The wagyu was tough they give you 4 slivers for $40. Overall very disappointed with this place from the service to the food. The chasu was good. Paid $120 and left hungry.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 1

Ambience, service, and food were fantastic - especially the matcha soba noodles!! Will for sure revisit and spread the word.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Yuzo Japanese Citrus Pie, Creamy Miso Soup

Great service and delicious food. It was such a unique dining experience with a really cool atmosphere. Loved the Asahi beer on draft and the creamy miso soup. The crispy toro and yellowtail hamachi were also delicious. We will be back! Great date evening.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Creamy Miso Soup

The easiest 5 stars I've ever given. Indubitably my new f[L]avorite restaurant.

The meal came out to about $300 with tip. We had the Elouan pinot noir from southwestern Oregon, which paired well with the pepper fin dish I chose.

My boyfriend had the lobster dish, and both dishes were an essential experience. All dishes had a goooood spice to them, and the ceviche came with the best wasabi I've tasted in my life. That's noteworthy because, as a person who's never noticed the wasabi on her plate, this one stood out as being a crucial component that would have diminished the dish had it been missing.

I didn't photograph the chicken dish we chose, but as my boyfriend expertly remarked, "This is the best chicken I've had. The only downside is that there isn't more of it!"

Next time we'll make an earlier reservation so that we may enjoy the desserts, they had run out by the time of our 8pm reservation.

The crowd is very stylish, rich, and friendly.

The ambiance is similar to, but more refined than, the vibe of Shiro, it's sister property.

Parking: The parking lot was nearly full, but Chase bank had plenty for the overflow.

Wheelchair accessibility: Equipped with a ramp, as is regulation.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Lotus Chips, Ceviche, Pepper Fin

Really good quality food and service we love coming here! It’s always sooo good definitely recommend!