Yakuza Reviews

I would go back to Yakuza just for the cold kale salad with edamame. That may sound weird but the food is memorable. The pink martini with peppercorns was superb - each of us had three. Every dish was excellent, unusual, homemade. The restaurant has a private lodging in the back, with Japanese garden and soaking tub.

The cocktails were pretty good We order some sushi ,sashimi and tuna poke ,all very fresh and delicious I am not a meat person ,and if there is some kind of fish ,I normally stay away from meat but I did try their burger,because it was highly recommended and OMG !! That is probably the best burger I had in a long time The combination of truffle arugula ,goat cheese ...just blends in perfectly I will definitely go back

This place won't be for everyone. Look at the menu on-line to make sure that its your kind of place. Now that I said that, the food is good and the service friendly and helpful - that's why we went back. ...and we'll probably go back again. I hope that you like it too..

Great atmosphere, casual, easy to have a conversation, right off a side street, on street parking. Great full bar, limited wine menu, but a really good margarita and our friends loved the available beers. Sushi and sashimi options really good: a wonderful hamburger available for those not excited about the Japanese menu. I'd definitely go back.

Dinner for 4. excellent cocktails as I like beets and vodka and beet infused vodka was nice! Oicho-Kabu Old Fashioned was also clever and enjoyed. Had a few smaller plates for starters- Edamame, Radicchio were typical and good. standard fare. Pickles had a nice assortment and the little onions were nice. Mains - had Japanese Eggplant which was best item of the night. Shrimp Tempura was very very lightly battered, but not all that tasty. Yakuza roll is good as was the Green Goddess roll. Again, nothing outstand, but good. Pear Jalapeno was the most unique roll, best of the rolls we had. Noise level was a bit high and it wasn't overly packed on a weeknight. A capacity crowd might be too loud for me. Park and walk a block or two- not too hard an area for parking. We made a reservation, but probably wasn't needed that night. If you are in the area and need Japanese, you can't go wrong.

The scallops are a must have!!!

My daughter and her girlfriend took us here when we visited Portland. A fun menu with lots of small plates - think of it sort of like tapas or dim sum. I would categorize the food as Asian fusion, but I'm no expert. By the end of the night we had each ordered 3 plates. We ordered one at a time and shared the food family style. From noodles to sushi to ceviche, everything was beautiful, tasty and fresh. My husband is not a seafood fan and enjoyed the burger very much. The service was great, we never felt rushed. The server checked on drinks often and was always available when we were ready to order again. There is both indoor and outdoor seating - we sat outside in the back. The decor and outdoor area was average, but comfortable. This was a great place to hang out for the evening and enjoy family and good food.

I guess it's a matter of taste. My 23 year old grandson chose it for his birthday and gobbled up the food. I had the worst hamburger of my life-- undercooked and way too spicy. They may have great drinks, but i don't indulge

We met family here for burgers and it did not disappoint. Their regular burger prepared normally is very tasty. I would return again on our next visit to Portland.

We thoroughly enjoyed this isakaya restaurant near the Alberta Arts district of Portland. I started with a beet martini (sic!!), The waitress assured me that if I didn't like it they would take it back. I found it to be perfectly balanced between savory and just enough sweetness. You couldn't taste the alcohol, but they assured us that there was 2 1/2 ounces of vodka in there. My favorite dish was the donburi, a rice bowl that included a "crispy poached egg." My guess is that they coated a raw egg with panko and deep fried it for just the right amount of time. Our dungeness crab sushi roll was excellent too! I would definitely return to this restaurant. In fact , my husband is going to be away for a few days, and I might just go back by myself on Wednesday night. They said they would take good care of me, and I'm sure they would!!

If you are interested in burgers that leave you wanting more and ones that you've never tasted anything like them, you have to visit Yakuza for their excellent burger! We also had the Steel Tataki and Proscuitto which were good, but the burger was the star. Inside the place is low lit and quite trendy and was a bit of a distance from where we were staying (had to bus there).

We were greeted & seated immediately for happy hour, & then waited over 10 minutes for our waitress to give us menus. There were only two other couples in the lounge & they were together. Our waitress spent most of her time chatting with other staff members. I had the $12 burger & my husband had kale salad & a sushi roll. The food was only ok & not worth the price or the long wait. We won't return.

All across the board: excellent experience. The atmosphere is relaxed and hip with rustic & minimalist design/decor. The menu offers great range of options without overwhelming you with choices. It demonstrates a focus on quality over quantity while maintaining diversity of tastes, styles of preparation, textures, etc. The drinks are well done & balanced. Service staff was courteous, knowledgable, & on point. Cheers!

Service was okay, but we went when there was barely anyone else there and things still took a lot longer than I would expect. Portions are really small, but tasted great. We just had the sushi and sashimi so I'm not sure about other dishes.

I am not hip enough to have heard of Yakuza until a friend got their groupon and suggested we go. Apparently it was all the rage a couple years ago, so we were excited to check it out. Unfortunately, it did not hold up to expectations in a couple very important ways. The restaurant itself is rather nice, with big, blocky tables and benches, drapery which can be drawn between tables for privacy (I assume), and a small bar area. The bar has an extensive selection of whiskeys, and turned out a couple very flavorful cocktails for us. The kitchen is open to the dining room - it is small, barely accommodating the three guys who were constantly in motion. The first thing that nearly drove us out was the noise. The stereo was very loud. Certainly the loudest I have ever heard in a restaurant. And it was rap. Rap. Really? Most of the clientele seemed mature enough to want to eat with that noise. After something like an hour, they put on some instrumental piece, but by then I had been trying to ignore it long enough that I could not identify the music. We very nearly left just after sitting down but decided to stick it out, which left our nerves a bit raw by the end of the evening. The second big issue was timing. We ordered a sushi roll for the table and each got a selection off the entree menu. We were advised that most portions are small and they normally expect you to eat family style as the food arrives. I think they do this because they put no effort into timing the food preparation and delivery. We ate our $10 roll (and it was small for the price), then a "steak" arrived: it weighed in between two and three ounces, on a bed of mashed cauliflower (more on that later), then we waited. Forty minutes later our burgers arrived. This was twenty minutes after one of us had finished her steak, and was perusing the menu for something filling. When the burgers arrived I asked if it was normal for them to take an hour and the server immediately apologized and gave us a couple free beers. What I think happened was they lost track of burger orders and ours fell through the cracks. We were told the burger were resting fifteen minutes before they arrived. That would be quite a nap for those tired little patties. Okay, the food was good. In my opinion, and compared to similar quality in Portland, it was overpriced. But it was pretty tasty. The burgers stood a good six inches and were dressed to kill with homemade ketchup and mayonnaise. It was filling, but might work better if they reduced the patty from eight ounces to six and include some fries or something on the side. The sushi was unusual and flavorful -- asian pear and jalapeno. And the steak was well seasoned, cooked perfectly, and minuscule. It was served on a bed of cauliflower that was mashed like a potato with seasoning and probably cheese. I will replicate it at home, and I anticipate a long and happy affair. In short, I can't see myself returning, but they did turn out some tasty food.

This is a trendy place for couples and young groups to hang out and have fun. The food is actually pretty good, but way overpriced for what you are getting. But, if you want to impress your date and have lots of disposable income- and want a nice atmosphere to have a few drinks and good quality food, then this would be a good place. If you want to bring your family with young kids - wrong place.

We went as a group and were seated in the private room. We tried a selection of dishes, the kale salad was amazing, not to be missed. Make sure to order multiple things, we loved the cod, the mushrooms, the sushi rolls, the tofu, etc. The kids had fun with their special menu and also tried some of the grown up dishes. Thank you for a very special night.

The server was great but the food just ok. We had 6 friends celebrating group birthdays. Those who ordered the burgers liked it. I would definitely plan on HH . Fellow diners loved the burger..other dishes ok. With all the good food in Portland we probably won't return.

We went here for an event, our party was approximately 12 people. We had the back room which was very nice. A very cool hipster ambiance, service was also good. We had a kale salad, jicama salad, fennel salad, ribs, tartare, tuna rolls, salmon rolls, carpaccio, and Yakuza burgers. The food was most excellent. The drink selection was also pretty good. A nice place, we would definitely go back.

Got there at opening, a party of 3. They were not sure they could seat us, (not sure why the place had one other party already seated, the place was empty). They sat us at the high table in the window, we were hungry and grateful. The food is good, fennel salad, the avocado salad, the steak tartar portion was particularly minuscule. The server told us the burger was 'huge' and would easily fill one person and in some cases 2, well that case must have been 2 three year olds because a burger with 2 starters is probably right for 1 adult. So the price tots up, my glass of wine was a little on the small side too for 9 dollars. Anyway, the burger was absolutely delicious, truffle chips, chèvre cheese, cooked medium rare - I would go back for that and that only. Cool dining space, good for a group of mates but I've said it before and I'll keep saying it, I'm sick of the small sharing plate concept as much as I am queuing for dinner, when I go out I want to be fed. Simple.

This is a trendy (and noisy) little restaurant in the Concordia neighborhood. The on-street parking was challenging due to the narrow streets in the area. We had no reservations but since the place was not yet full (before 6 pm on a Friday evening), we were seated first at the bar, then later on at a table after some patrons (with reservations) had decided to sit on the patio rather than in the dining room. We had heard their gourmet burgers ($12 a piece) were the best in town so we went ahead and ordered two of these, along with a cucumber salad and some hot tea. Service was friendly and very laid back, but somewhat uncoordinated. The salad (which was just OK) was served almost immediately, along with 2 glasses of water, but it took the kitchen 25 minutes to make the burgers (medium rare) which came out at the same time with the tea. The burgers were thick and juicy but there were no fries on the side like we expected. An interesting dining experience overall which was made affordable through a Google offer. I probably will not return however due to the location, the noise and the high prices.

This garage door opens up type of place is always busy with couples & groups drinking, chatting & enjoying designer sushi. It is fun, with some great murals on the walls & unique japanese food. We went for a birthday celebration & the food felt celebratory, as did the special sake we enjoyed, but the noise level was completely out of control. We couldn't hear each other talk & we were seated somewhat intimately around a small table. It ultimately urged us to leave rather than linger, which is maybe the point? No dessert or after dinner coffee for us, no thank you! It was a combination of loud talking & laughter bouncing off the walls & some kind of music over some speakers somewhere & overall, it was awful. Some tapestries along with their murals or rugs on walls or ceiling might help absorb some of the noise & I think it behooves them to figure something out. It ruins the wonderful food.

I loved the Oregon Roll and the Crunchy Cali Roll - real crab and the tuna was amazing. I would skip the purple potato salad- under seasoned. But aside from that loved the food. It’s a small place with picnic tables outside on a closed off part of the block for Covid outdoor dining.

The burger rules over the Japanese and sushi at this restaurant. A friend told me I had to try this burger and was confused at the offerings, but glad I did. It's not everyday that you can savor a great burger, followed by some good sushi. While I didn't find the sushi to be exceptional, the burger alone is worth the trip to Yakuza.

There is nothing bad you can say about this place, it is a family favorite. We try and go at least once a month to Yakuza and we are never disappointed. My husband always gets the burger, one of the best that we or anyone we've taken there have ever had! I am a sucker for the Sashimi Trio and the Tuna Poke. The Kale Salad and Cucumber Salad are so light and refreshing (sometimes Jicama instead of cucumber but just as delicious!). We recently tried the Agedashi Tofu and the flavor is ridiculous. I am not a fan of tofu at all, but I will eat this all day long. We go so often that we are known by all the staff now, it feels like we are going to dinner at a distant relatives house. Whenever we have friends or family from out of town visiting, Yakuza is always a must.

My wife and I visited Yakuza Lounge with our daughter and her partner. Great Japanese based US fusion tapas in a modern setting.

I had done some extensive research on the Yakuza Lounge and felt confident that it was time to drop in and sample the wares. I also had some weird sort of Deja Vu feeling that some personal mystery would be resolved. I was in a dark mood and to steal a catch phrase from my old college roommate describing his stressful wedding night that I think should definitely be trademarked, "I was angry, horny, and hungry!"(tm) I entered through the rather large door and instantly requested the corner table in the first room so I could objectively observe the surroundings and report my findings. I would say the ambience of this particular restaurant is provocative, seductive, and above all peaceful. I had read this is a small plate type restaurant I decided to order 3 items off the menu. Every item on the menu is pricey and I was definitely hoping my luck would change and everything would taste great so I would not feel ripped off. My first item was the Radicchio Salad and I must say it was fantastic. It was not on the small side either. There was no bitter aftertaste. It was $11.00, then I had the Spicy Albacore Roll and it tasted great as well for $14.00, then the grand finale was the Yakuza Burger which lived up to its review reputation as a great burger. It was 15.00. I had a diet coke and they hit me for a few more dollars on that. The meal is expensive, but since I enjoyed it and the atmosphere I did not mind paying for it. You are also charged an additional 5% to cover health insurance for their employees. I do not have a problem with that. I think everyone should be entitled to health insurance. My server was non invasive, but efficient. One suggestion I have is that management should make all the servers wear pin stripe business suits with hats like in the old Yakuza movies. Like I heard in a movie, "There is something about a woman in a business suit that just drives me wild. It's as if they are all tied up in this neat little package just waiting for someone to come along and pull the chord that sets everything free. A woman in a business suit is my idea of art!" Jesus could not have said that better. I think my "Rip City Woman" would look fantastic in a business suit. I wish I had the nerve to ask her out to this place. I feel as shy as Old Moses. Old Moses was so tongue tied and stagestruck before his fellow Israelites he had to have his brother Aaron speak on his behalf, but old Moses did not have any trouble talking to God alone and neither do I but I digress. My other suggestion is they add a new menu item called "Spicy Tuna Pizza" which is spicy tuna on deep fried rice. Most excellent. To wrap this up I highly recommend The Yakuza Lounge for dinner. To paraphrase an old movie line if you don't take my advice you will regret it, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life. I was no longer angry or hungry so two out of three made for a pretty good night. No place is perfect.

Delish burger, delish brussel sprouts and yakuza roll. It is like Japanese tapas and can set you back quite a bit if you are really hungry. Worth a visit for some good eats if you are not ravenous and don't mind $30 per person

My wife and I went to Yakuza with another couple. We were handed menus and proceeded to look through. As we were getting ready to order, the waitress finally mentions that this is small plates restaurant and that they recommend eating family style. That would have been great to know when we had received the menus. Maybe it said so on the menus, but if it did then it wasn't noticeable as none of the four in our group noticed. When I hear small plates I think of about 2 plates per person should do the trick. Unless you get the burger, you will most likely need 3 plates to feel any semblance of full here. I got the lamb and the spicy tuna roll. The lamb was 4 nearly paper thin bite sized pieces of lamb. So if you do family style then everyone gets just a single bite. The ribs that my wife got were nearly as miniscule. The only thing that will even come close to filling you up is the burger and the sushi rolls. Speaking of the sushi roll, I got the spicy tuna and I saw they also had a "really spicy" tuna roll. With two levels of heat, I assumed that the spicy tuna would have a little bit of kick, but no it completely overpowers the fresh sushi flavors. The food was fairly decent, but not amazing and for having to buy three small plates at $14 a plate, the food should have been perfect. The atmosphere was kind of loud but I can get over that and it was dim, which I can also get over. Overall, this place was not worth it, especially considering the many other great restaurants Portland has.

It was my 1st time visit because George Mitchell Duo was playing jazz. They have surprising delicious food! They're known for the Yakuza Burger that looked very appetizing... tender, generous portions. I had the Chicken Karaage and it was out of this world! Fresh ginger spiced breading and squeezed lemon were a flavorful combo, plus the crispy fried exterior was the perfect complement to the juicy and tender meat inside! Knowledgeable, friendly and attentive service. Highly recommend!!

Had drinks @ yakuza in late July (waiting for dinner seating @ another restaurant). Really cool atmosphere; drinks were great. Very innovative cocktails. Did not eat but saw some food being served (mostly a sushi bar, but has a few other items)--food looked good would like to return & dine.

The votes are in this definitely the best burger in town ! What nobody tells you is happy hour it's less $$ and the other items on the happy hour menu are exceptional!

Flying through Portland after visiting family and decided to stay over 2 nights and do some sightseeing before returning home. This great little restaurant was close to my airbnb that I had found in the NE area of Portland. I did some online research based on my host's recommendations and thought that I would eat at Yakuza after visiting some shops in the neighborhood. I walked right past Yakuza on my way to the Alberta Ave. shops so I went in and made a reservation. Such a great decision! An eclectic array of food and drink. I do not recall ever seeing a Bosnian wine on a menu before so felt like I had to try it - very nice. My meal was very tasty and my dessert was delicious. I would return here

Our visit to Yakusa was quite seredipitous. We had made reservations for the second seating at Beast next door and were told we could wait at Yakusa until called for dinner. Our first engry into Beast was at best bad so when we entered the light and casual atmosphere of Yakusa our spirits rose and we decided to cancel Beast and dine at Yakusa. The gracious host sat us at a quiet table on the patio and the friendly waitress brought the menus, took our drink orders and suggested several items for our meal. The simple one page menu belies the depth of flavors, textures and gastronomic subtilties that lie in the food. The first taste of almost evey dish brought out the "Oh my God this is Sooo good!" statement as we relished each new presentation. Since this was our first visit we relied primarlily on recommendations from the waitress with a few selections of our own. We ordered in stages to allow a better appreciation of the full range of dishes which included the Zucchini squash carpaccio, Kobe beef tartar (yum-yum), Hawaiian amberjack sashimi, Dungeness crab maki, Minced Hawaiian yellowtail maki and apple and avocado and sweet pepper maki (heavenly). Our only disappointment was that they had run out of all of their desserts because of our late reservation at Beast. Beast had done us in a second time. Nevertheless we now have one additional thing to look forward to on our next visit. The beverage list is a bit light on wines but has a nice selection of Sake, beer and ale. Unfortunately one of our party disliked Sake so we ordered a bottle of Chardonnay. We will try Sake on our next visit. The staff was friendly, helpful, knowledgeable about the food and just real nice. What started as a terrible evening ended up a total pleasure. Mnay thanks to the staff.

I went with a girlfriend who had.been here a year ago. They have changed their menu, fewer items and a lot less interesting selection. The pricing is ridiculous compared to the quality and quantity of what you get. We arrived at 4:58pm and with all the doors open, we walked right in and were rudely told it would be a few minute and to waist outside. They could have said it in a much nicer manner. The hostess, throughout the evening seemed surely and unhappy which reflected in her dealings with customers. Our waitress was vary nice, though. It was happy hour, so I ended up having two of their drink specials and they were very good...a Union gin and cucumber cocktail with an Asian spice on the rim @ $6 each. The ribs and fish hand roll were part of the happy hour menu. Ribs were good and we each had four ribs. The spicy tuna fish roll was very average and, sadly, didn't taste very fresh. Then, off the main menu, we had the tuna prosciutto because it sounded interesting. The tuna is cured/dried so a bit on the chewy side and the Asian pear was twice as big as the tuna. This dish had five pieces for $16. The yellowtail sashimi was by far the best dish with a ginger vinaigrette and shiso. Six pieces but still very small in size @ $14. Our bill was over $80 for the two of us and it just wasn't worth it. Then the final straw is their policy on charging the customer 5% of the bill for a 'health and wellness charge' so they can provide health insurance for all employees. Raise your rates to cover your employee health plan...DO NOT EXPECT US TO FOOT YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM AS A SEPARATE CHARGE. Food was average, service ran hot and cold, and the pricing for what you get is way off. I wouldn't recommend and I won't be going back.

Excellent scallops and pork! Also interesting cocktails, many being infused with ingredients you wouldn't expect (e.g. carrot juice). The crab sushi was delicious, but I will bypass the shrimp sushi next time I'm there.

We didn't have any expectations which I think always helps but all the dishes were highly flavored and delicious, not over flavored for the sake of being exotic or different. We had the kale, fennel and jicama salad and they were all delicious (small plate for $6 each), the ribs were so fall off the bones good, the kids asked for a 2nd plate of them, we shared the burger which is 1/2 of lb of goodness (one of the best burgers in town) on brioche bread but although it talks about shoe string fries, it had a few crunchy bits as a topping on the burger, not fries on the side like I expected (the usual American over feeding expectation), and a donburi which is rice topped w/ mushrooms, a soft cooked egg w/ deep fried crispy coating and a few kimchee daikon pieces which minus the mushroom and kimchee, the kids like very much. The ambience of very nice (beautiful wood, pretty mural) but the garden is the place to be if you can snag a spot. It was casual e/f for kids, esp w/ the side garage type doors pulled all the way open, the kids just walked out between courses to hang out. The service was a tad slow but I think that's the point in a place like this where they're trying to get you to buy drinks. Overall, it was a good experience but at over $60, not an everyday place.

When we arrived we're informed that it was a 5 course set menu for $60/head, wine and sake pairings for an extra $30/head. We went with just the meal, as we didn't feel like blowing almost $200 on one meal. At these prices I had pretty high expectations, and we had heard some decent reviews. Unfortunately, the food was ok, at best. Service was average. Servings were very small with loooong waits in between courses. It took almost 2 and a half hours to get through the entire meal... Needless to say, we wont be going back.

great space, creative dining, cool palce to enjoy with friends, happy hours plates were tasty and recession proof. backyard dining looked fresh for hot summer nites.

Just went to Yakuza and left disappointed. The place was packed and we took a seat at the bar. the bartender was nice enough and took our drink and food orders. This turned into an hour long affair. I understand that they were busy, but we should not have waited an hour for a sushi, maybe he just forgot to put the order in. In any case, the food and ambiance were not worth the cost.

We stopped in at Yakuza for cocktails before our dinner at Beast next door. The cocktails have unusual ingredients such as beet infused vodka and rhubarb simple syrup. I had the Elderflower, which was a grapefruit vodka cocktail. All of the other cocktails I saw made looked delicious, and the other patrons at the bar seemed to be enjoying them. For more information about the other restaurants we ate at on our trip, feel free to visit my blog at http://katherinebelarmino.blogspot.com/2013/06/portlands-10-best-restaurants.html

We saw the burger on a food show special and it looked great so we decided to drive from Seattle to Portland just to try it. The restaurant has a great atmosphere. We sampled a few items off the menu and all were fantastic but when that burger arrived there was a lot of moaning and groaning with the first few bites. Definately worth the trip! we would have traveled twice that far and so glad we did.

We were told this place was amazing, so we were pretty excited, but I found it to be so-so. If you are going for sushi, I would skip it. There is not a lot to choose from and the rolls aren't very interesting. The spicy tuna roll had little flavor and the wasabi is very different - more fluffy with little kick to it. We ordered the sashimi trip and I was actually surprised by the amount of fish. There was a lot, but the slices were more like slabs and I cut mine into several more delicate pieces. When eating nigiri or sashimi, there is an art to creating a delicate piece to nibble on and I just felt like they were huge, unappealing hunks of meat. I will, however, commend the Kobe beef burger. It was delicious. If I return, I will go for that. The ribs were pretty good too, but again the flavor was missing for me. Service was nice and the atmosphere is lovely.

I was looking for a Japanese restaurant near the airport in Portland Oregon. Wanted to have a great meal before our flight back east. I fortunately stumbled upon Yakuza. The menu was really interesting, and had several of the tuna specialties including the tartare, the tuna roll, and several of the sushi rolls. The food was really excellent, well-prepared, and they used absolutely fresh wasabe from the actual root and not the reconstituted powder. He also ordered their hamburger which was a really interesting fusion burger that was absolutely delicious served on brioche type bun. The service was quite good, and I would highly recommend this place to locals and travelers alike.

I went here with a family member recently and enjoyed our experience. The service here is top notch. They are very attentive and helpful. The atmosphere was great as well. We happened to dine during happy hour and took advantage of the reduced price burgers, though note they are slightly smaller in size than if you were to get the one on the regular menu. We also had the Oregon roll with real crab and a hand roll. The burgers were really good, though the bread was a little thick and a little dry for our taste. Not a deal breaker at all, just our observation. Overall a really good burger, but not groundbreaking or anything. The sushi was really good. We really enjoyed the Oregon roll, but when it costs $17, not sure if it was worth it. Overall a very solid place and I believe people will enjoy eating here, just not sure it is worth the extra cost for what you get to dine here regularly.

In the five years or so, since we *discovered* Yakuza (mere blocks from our home), it's become a favorite that we've visited several dozen times. Over the years the menu has been twisted and turned frequently, both to reflect the seasons or the whims of the chefs. That's a good thing, I guess (despite occasionally 'losing' a crave-worthy dish) - it keeps things fresh and interesting. One big reason to visit Yakuza is their chevre and potato-strip laden burger, a juicy handful (that may require utensils!) and a relative bargain at $12 (as of mid-2011). Paired with an appetizer of cucumber/avocado salad or a side of spikey-haired tempura-battered scallops and the meal could be considered complete. Some emphasis on sushi -both in maki rolls and nigiri slivers- has returned to the menu, always with a Northwest 'fusion' twist. For example, a recent yellowtail/avocado/pear handroll was so excellent that we had FOUR at one sitting! They have a small but pleasant patio at the back of the restaurant (almost zen-like, but for the occasional raucous party or rambunctious children) and a wide garage door facing NE 30th - both make Yakuza a great choice in nice weather. But even when the weather is foul, the sleek and oddly cozy (albeit sometimes loud) dining room is inviting. Service can be slow at times, as the kitchen can get backed up during busy times. When that happens, we just order another cocktail (some fine recipes making use of the likes of beets or cilantro), a beer (a couple local taps, plus several Japanese lagers) or a sake (a couple dozen to seklect from) and go with it. Regardless of the server (and we've gotten to know several fine ones over the years), he or she will be friendly, forthright with recommendations and will keep the pace going as seamlessly as possible. A night at Yakuza may set you back a few bucks but should be an enjoyable respite and will leave your taste buds enlightened.

Been here twice - once 3 years ago, once last night. Both spectacular food. Lots of small plates, good service, cool ambiance with picnic style tables.

My daughter was in town and off she dragged me to Yakuza. I was in the mood for French food, but she was not. I was skeptical as the place was not that busy and it was a warm summer night, filled with folks walking around and looking for way to enjoy the evening. My fears were replace with great food and I am now a fan of Yakuza. The service had something to be desired, there were six of us altogether and most of them professional servers themselves, but we managed by snagging servers that happened to be cruising by. In the defense of Yakuza, all the servers but ours seemed to be fairly adept. They have a lovely outside seating area with a gas lit fire pit that was very inviting but alas full. Some of our favorite dishes were the cucumber avo salad, shaved kale and edamame salad, the donburi and the butter-like black cod. (Yum!) The dish that stole the show though, was the scalloped tempura. It looked like scallops with a bad hair day but were beyond delicious! One at our table got the highly applauded burger and were very happy with it. I might have to try that next time. I will be back another day, perhaps another warm summer night, abducted from french cuisine by my free spirited daughter.

Everyone really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food was delicious. We had sushi, tools and pieces, as well as other delightful dishes. Great place for 2 or for a group.

My wife and I decided to do a date night for a burger and beers and had seen Yakuza Lounge had a killer burger. Yakuza does not use OpenTable, but does accept reservations through the Yelp app. The place has very nice Asian feel and vibe. We walked in at our reservation time and were seated right away! Hour hour was still going on and I recommend HH, as the Yakuza burger is $9, instead of $15. We stuck to the HH menu and were not disappointed. We had the fish hand roll, the kale salad, the yakisoba noddles and the burger. All were excellent! My wife had a drink called the "bow & arrow" and I had the "one cup" saki. Our server was great, but not excellent. The place had moderate noise and the background music was VERY fitting (Tycho, Boards of Canada, etc - airy and light) I would have gave it a five, but a certain "health & wellness" tax really rubbed me wrong. If you want to offer/provided insurance for your workers , do it and incorporate it into your prices line most all other businesses do. I didn't have a "choice" so I took 5% out the servers tip. Since this was not known until getting there I feel obligated to let you know via this review. [I attached pictures for you to see] The food is really good! Out server was really good and answered our questions.

Out of a party of 6 I was the only one not happy with this place, so take that into consideration. As a vegan, there were not many choices. Only two salads were actually vegan. Anyway, others loved their burgers and sushi. We tried the popcorn and it was interesting. Full bar and good beer list. Nice informal atmosphere.