Araiya

I came for dinner. The services were amazing and friendly. Food is amazing. I believe most of people come for the beef. Definitely worth a visit. Came at around 6pm and no wait. Special set seems to be provided for lunch. Will visit again if having chances.

Front desk to server was very welcoming and friendly. Food was very delicious. Menu was easy to order even in japanese. Service was superb and attentive. We didn't speak japanese, but they were very polite. Our waitress spoke English. I do not agree with previous comments that they are rude to foreigner. We did not get rushed to order or eat our meals. They seated us 40 minutes before their closing time.

Nestled in the heart of Yokohama, with 3 outlets in Yokohama, Arayia has been serving exquisite gyunabe since the late 19th century. This restaurant stands out as one of the earliest restaurants of this Yokohama-style beef dish, which delicately cooks the meat in a sweet soy sauce rather than searing it, alike to sukiyaki. Our nine-course meal was a journey through culinary artistry. Each dish was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor, showcasing the meticulous attention to detail. The main dish was particularly memorable, the beef is melting in the mouth, leaving a lasting impression that calls for a return visit. The service struck the perfect balance—attentive without being overwhelming, allowing us to savor each course at our own pace. Overall, Arayia is a must-visit for anyone seeking an authentic Japanese dining experience. Its rich history and dedication to perfection make it a true culinary treasure.

This is a gem of a traditional gyunabe restaurant in Yokohama. Not only is the beef of the highest quality, but the attentive and excellent service from the staff truly enhances the dining experience. It's situated close to Yokohama World Porters and is easily accessible from Bashamichi Station (Minatomirai Line), Exit 6. If you want to enjoy fantastic gyunabe with top-notch service in Yokohama, this is the place to be!

The lunch specials were good value for the quality of food. The Sukiyaki was preferrable than the Gyunabe, with stronger flavour and better meat taste. Service was really good, with the servers wearing kimonos.

We came to have lunch here with reservation because this place was famous and popular. The place was very nice and cozy. The service was great. We order beef sukiyaki (which called Beef nabe here), tempura and chawamushi. All dishes tastes very delicious. However the price was rather expensive but compare to the quality of food and service. This is acceptable.

Better come for lunch if you are looking for a deal. The difference is serve yourselves vs. the staff cook the hotpot for you.

Nice sukiyaki restaurant, well known with good quality meat and attentive service. We ordered the lunch set for around ¥3200 which seemed to be the most popular and were served very quickly. Did not appear to have an English menu. This location also seemed very popular, a reservation seems to be pretty necessary if you want a standard table with chairs. Showing up 15 minutes after they opened at 11:15am for lunch with a party of three barely got us in without a wait and it was one of the traditional floor seating tables.

The outside building is very humble and plain. The asymmetrical entry corridor is light birch color wooden slates, artistically simple and gives suspends to what is to come. Upon formal reception area, we remove shoes to walk on raised tatami mats. The decoration inside continues with theme of clean simplicity. There were on western chairs and tables to dining. We ordered the lunch special of Kaiseki, multi course Japanese meal. All the dishes were beautiful to look at and delicious to eat. The sample size of each dish was small enough so we do not fill up too much and can expand our tasting experience. We ordered cold green tea and it was served from a flask that looks like a chemistry beaker. Some of the small appetizers are: large dry shrimps, broad beans, jellied beef, 4 different sashimi, various pickled vegetables with cooked shrimp, grilled ayu fish with ginger, savory steam egg custard. The main course and highlight of the meal was gyunabe, Yokohama style beef sukiyaki.(I am not sure what distinguishes it as Yokohama style.) An individual shallow cast iron hot pot over flame is brought out to cook raw beef and vegetables (green onion, tofu, mushroom, shungiku leafs, and noodles in special sauce. The server suggested to stir the raw contents to cook evenly after the sauce comes to boil. A raw egg in a bowl is provided to dip the meat for a slimy texture. (sorry description is crude and not refined) Personally, I felt the cooking sauce was too salty but eaten with rice, it was perfect. Last dish was sorbet dessert. This was truly a fancy traditional Japanese experience for us to treasure forever in our memories. I highly recommend this place to represent fine Japanese dining.