The Yasai: Vegan Japanese Experience at Little Italy

Quaint restaurant that interestingly houses both their vegan and omnivore restaurants in the same location/space. When being seated, they will ask what menu you prefer. When selecting the vegan option, they'll asked if we wanted to be seated in the vegan only section or if we were okay with whatever table was available first. My partner really enjoyed his rolls. I thought the Little Italy roll was very different than "sushi" we've had elsewhere. Also enjoyed the roll with the fried tofu. I was appreciative that accommodated my dietary restrictions and were able to make the brussel sprouts without wasabi. Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience.

Delicious & unique vegan Japanese! My spouse had the non-veg ramen & loved it. The vegan bao buns were excellent. Delicious and unexpected food-find.

The food is really pretty, the sushi was great, the curry was really good, I don’t think I’d order the corn again personally but that’s just me, the server could have paid a little more attention, they were over there watching tables but it took quite a while for them to actually come over and take the order and then we had to motion to them to bring the check. I would probably go back for the sushi alone though.

I wasn’t super impressed with the my curry, and my daughter’s sushi looked better than it tasted. My other two sons order the ramen, and they really enjoyed it. Overall we enjoyed the atmosphere, the planes flying overhead, and the neighborhood.

Amazing food with a nice cozy ambience with hanging plants. We went on a busy weekend evening and waited for 20 minutes to get a table. The wait was worth it. We had the nigiri, amakara rolls and tanten ramen. Everything was excellent. I would highly recommend a reservation. I can’t wait to be back to this place on my next visit to San Diego. There was a vegan icecream on the menu, but any other vegan Japanese inspired dessert would be a great addition. I was craving mochi.

best vegan Japanese food we’ve ever had by far Love the quaint, comfortable atmosphere Service was really quick and friendly Really appreciated that they had a separate vegan menu Honestly, my wife had an issue ordering because there were so many choices I went with the dream come true platter, and my wife chose the little Italy It was clear that someone put a lot of thought and pride into providing an amazing culinary vegan experience. This team really love what they’re doing in the kitchen. Everything we were served was delicious with an extra bonus of the amazing presentation . food quantity was generous and I felt pricing was reasonable For sure, we’re going to come back We sat inside, which was super comfortable, but I would agree with the earlier review that if you sat outside, you should be aware that the planes are flying overhead … frequently !!

Delicious! I wanted to try everything on the vegan menu. Got the Little Italy and one order of vegan sashimi. It is SO MUCH MORE than just veg sushi you can get most places. Such thoughtful, creative, amazing food. I feel like I finally 'get' sushi for the first time since I never had it before becoming vegetarian many years ago. Will make a point to come back if I travel here again.

Vegan at it‘s best. So much umami, even for a meat lover no need to look at the regular menu.

We found this Japanese vegan cuisine restaurant in San Diego & fell in love! The inside decor was very modern & well-thought out, & the staff was beyond welcoming & attentive. We almost ordered the entire menu because everything sounded so good, but finally narrowed it down to a few things. We ordered: Misoshiru: essentially miso soup -- very yummy! Stuffed Jalapeño Tempura: farm fresh jalapeño stuffed with Tofutti vegan cream cheese, scasoned impossible meat, topped with spicy Japanese mayo, custom eel sauce, diced green onion Neon Gravestones: Inside - spicy tuna, panko shrimp, & cucumbers Top - an assortment of fermented bell peppers, fermented jalapeños, eggplant, avocado, finished with a spicy ponzu & green onions Stressed Out: Inside - smoked tofu, cream cheese, avocado Top - drizzled in a sweet shoyu & spicy aioli, & pickled, & smoked jalapeños Vegan Bao Buns: miso shiitake mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, chimichurri mayo, eel sauce, pickled red onions, & cilantro SO DANG GOOD!

If you were looking for a proper vegan sushi restaurant, this is the place to visit. Located in Little Italy is The Yasai Vegan Izakaya and it was worth every dollar. It was between Amakari roll and Stressed Out roll. I ordered the stressed out roll not because I was feeling any particular kind of way. The waiter highly suggested the roll and it sounded delicious. It was nice, no actually, it was lovely. It was warm and wickedly delightful. There was avocado, no-cream cheese, and smoked tofu in the inside. On top was a spicy aioli pickled smoked jalapeño and sweet shoyu drizzled. Sushi is great on any day ending in "Y"! I would absolutely order that again! I also have my eyes on the Amakari roll next time and to try one of their signature ramen dishes. The feel of the place was nice overall. Tip: Street parking

SO GOOD. During my research for San Diego, I saw that they do sushi really well. GF loves sushi so I asked her to pick a place out. I'm vegetarian so I am limited to the sweet potato, cucumber, avocado, etc bullshit rolls but I knew she would find something she could enjoy. Much to my surprise, she picked out a VEGAN place! I couldn't believe that this existed. For my seafood eating friends, it is my understanding that they also have a regular menu so everyone can get something they like. We were seated immediately without a reservation. I did have a reservation at another location with a similar name. I don't know if they are owned by the same people but it is very confusing. The other place is much further away from downtown SD and that was not going to work. They have all of your japanese favorites in vegan form: gyoza, tempura, bao buns, karaage. We ordered the gyoza which were HUGE and absolutely piping hot. We had to wait a good 5 minutes minimum to even be able to eat this without burning the shit out of our mouths. The wrapping was incredible and the filling was even better. It was a great start to the meal. We shared two rolls. I can't say with completely certainty what we ordered but upon review of their menu, I believe that it was the lucky jade (avocado, vegan cream cheese, asparagus, cucumber) and queen dragon rolls (no shrimp tempura, avocado, no crab, cucumber). Besides the fact that they were absolute works of art, they tasted amazing. The texture was next level. Everything about the meal was fantastic. I love that they have soju as well.

If your taste is for a Japanese Restaurant with a California accent, this is the spot. Every dish we ordered was well presented and favor was very good. Proportions were good as well. Service was good considering how busy the restaurant was. The two hostesses were amazing sweet and worked very hard. Both young ladies had to greet, seat, take orders, and process the bills. I give them high praise for working so hard and keeping such a pleasant demeanor. Time from ordering was fair with the sushi taking a bit longer than usual from other Japanese restaurants I've visited. Prices are fair but maybe a bit on the higher side. Ambiance is where the 4 star rating comes from. We were sat at a big table which would accommodate a party of 10. But even though we had reservations, we were sat at this table to share with another party of 4. Space / Exiting on one side of the table is limited due to walls so when the other party needed to leave, one must stop eating to either scoot up or stand up for them to leave. Lastly, being in the flight path of SD Airport where planes are only maybe 100 feet above you is a bit unnerving. Lastly, would I go there again !? Honestly, yes I definitely would but insist on another table unless I had a party of 10 !

Little Italy doesn't have to just be Italian food. In fact it doesn't even have to just be about the meats! This vegan restaurant has some unbelievable flavors and textures. I can tell you as someone who is not a vegan, I thoroughly enjoyed their food. They have some sushi rolls that could totally fool you, as well as some delicious ramen that will knock your socks off! And believe it or not, they also serve food that is not vegan at that location as well. With a cool chic interior, this trendy eats is the place to be. There's plenty of room for seating for at least a dozen people so don't be shy to bring some friends. The service is very prompt. Parking can be a little difficult due to the location, so you may need to make a few laps around the neighborhood to find a good spot. Or you can cough up some money and hit a local pay for parking lot.

Solid vegan food option in SD. We had reservations which is highly recommended. The place is cute- trendy but not super fancy. We were seated right away after arriving on time. Our service was lacking. A few things never came out and we got tired of having to flag down our server to make a request. Our server seemed unhappy at any simple request and rarely checked on us. Food was good. A few things like the mushroom bao buns stole the show. Vegetable gyoza were good but too oily. Edamame was enjoyed by all. Stressed out roll was yummy. Little Italy was ok. The eye of the veggie was not very good, I think the radish was overpowering the other flavors. Everyone seemed to like their ramen. I tried the tomato and it was good but nothing amazing. I enjoyed the pumpkin slices and other veggies but felt the broth needed a flavor punch?

This place is amazing. My husband and I were really blown away the first time we came and we were in town and visited again tonight. Incredible food and we will always come back when we're in town! We were greeted by a very friendly and smiley hostess who sat us at the bar which is really cool for a small group because you get to watch the chef prep sushi and other dishes. We also didn't wait long at all for all the food to come out so that was a plus. What we ordered: Garlic edamame - I'm an edamame lover and this place has one of the best! The crunchy bits of garlic is so good I was licking my fingers after each piece. It's my favorite part of this dish which is why I was a bit disappointed the second time around because I could probably count on one hand how many pieces of garlic I found... Hopefully in the future, they'll stay true to the name and keep the garlic in there. Vegan jumbo gyoza - Such good flavor! Love the crisp edges, filling, and sauce that sits at the bottom of the plate. Vegan karaage - Oh my gosh this was soo yummy. The chicken texture inside is great and the overall taste is so enjoyable. Amakara roll and Queen dragon roll - Grouping these together because they were both good, but nothing that wow'd me. I've had better (and less pricy) sushi. I had high hopes for these, but I'm still open to trying other rolls the next time I come! The classic - Wow. The broth is excellent! All the ingredients pair perfectly together and the noodles are so creamy. The classic (ramen, red edition) - I definitely underestimated how spicy this was going to be. I have met my match. I was able to eat most of it until I got full, but wow, I was sweating. If you like spicy, go for red edition! Besides the spice, it was very tasty.

Try the oxtail ramen. Super tender and fresh noodles. So many menu options available for vegan and gluten free

I was excited to try this place after all the reviews I read. Unfortunately, the food made me really sick. I wasn't sure at first if it was the ramen I got, but I got sick when I ate the leftovers too. I got The Classic ramen Black Edition sub bok choy for pumpkin. First off, I didn't like the tofu at all. It was a weird texture and added nothing to the dish. The broth was flavorful because of the black garlic edition. I tried my date's broth who didn't add anything to it and it was incredibly bland. Good broth is important for ramen to be good. The veggies were fresh so that's pretty much the only thing I enjoyed tastewise. I have no idea why I got sick considering I eat vegan food pretty consistently. It could have been a one-off, but I won't be risking it by coming back here again.

Interesting spot good food. Only vegan sushi place I've ever seen. It's connected with other Asian cuisine restaurants so if you don't want the vegan menu you can order off of any of the other restaurant menus. Staff was casual and helpful, was kind of small but otherwise it was a good time.

I came here with my parents for a early dinner and they did not disappoint. The triple tomato ramen is mouthwateringly delicious, and is my go to. My parents enjoyed the corn baby back ribs, agedashi tofu, and plant based chicken karaage. This place had some of the best vegan food I've ever tasted. I personally love the ramen, but every appetizer I've ordered was phenomenal. The garlic edamame is also to die for.

Love love love this place!!! Wow. Really lives up to its name as per what I've heard from those who've been. Firstly, love the space. It's simple, sleek and elegant. Great ambiance and music. The server we had so absolutely superb. Her recommendations and energy on point! High and positive and bright, very much appreciated. The food was fantastic. Very imaginative and out of the box use of ingredient. Cleaver, creative ... food art. Cooked perfectly, flavors paired beautiful and enjoyable from start to finish. We even ended up taking home some extra ice cream for late. Highly recommend.

The food here is 5/5! So delicious and the presentation is really nice. Bonus points that they have solid vegan options. Minus one star for the service. My cup was clearly dirty when we arrived, and I asked several times for a new glass. Our server also rarely checked in on us, which would have been nice so that we could have ordered more sushi. The restaurant feels a little cramped with the setup, but it's overall nice and clean. Even with the hiccups, the food really makes it worthwhile.

RakiRaki and yasai used to be THE best place for Ramen and vegan Sushi. But from the last couple of times we have always come back disappointed. The Ramen broth has lost its flavours. they are more on the tangy side and the taste is actually missing. The sushi are weirdly much bigger in size and falling apart, and lacking flavours too. Sad to see this place fall to this level. Service is weird - we have waited for Ramen after ordering for about 30mins and were told they ran out of broth. They have also done the same thing with sushi. Even then didn't mind the service so much since we really like the food so it felt like it was worth it. Trust me they once had the best Ramen!!! I am sad, but i hope they do something about it and I can come back to give them 5 stars again!

One of the best Japanese food spots I have ever been to! Our party had some folks who were vegan and some who weren't -- and everyone was obsessed with the food they got! We didn't make a reservation since there is a no show/cancellation fee so we put our name down (on a Saturday evening) and just went to grab beers next door. It was understandably busy but the service was incredible -- they were pretty quick for just how busy they were (my friend's order accidentally got messed up but they handled it so kindly!). The place is absolutely gorgeous and there are so many options for delicious choices on the menu, whether you're vegan or not -- this is THE place to go!!! So impressed!!!

TLDR - delightful and worth the price I came here for my birthday and was pleasantly surprised. Because they have a full vegan menu and a meet Venue I was able to bring a group, and everyone could find what they wanted. Hands-down, my favorite thing was the vegan bao buns and it was fun to try vegan nigiri. It is definitely on the pricier side but I would say worth the money for a special occasion.

Tried the agedashi tofu and it was light but flavorful. The Lucky Jade sushi roll was very unique and a great introduction to vegan Japanese food. The miso soup was a light but tasty appetizer as well. The servers there were so kind and the ambiance of the place was pleasant and calming.

Reservations recommended as I understand this place can get quite busy. Service is attentive and friendly. Quite a few menu items, as well as a large vegan menu. Lots of things we wanted to try and decided on the following: 1) Karaage - large pieces of chicken and the meat was moist. 2) Hanamatsu - if I remember correctly, there's spicy tuna on the inside and topped with fried scallops. Good sushi roll. These 2 appetizers were plenty to share and filling, but we had to try the ramen. 3 and 4) Tonkotsu miso tsukemen and Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen - good sized bowl of noodles. Best thing about them were those noodles - something about the consistency and/or flavor of them. So good! As for the broth, at first taste, very flavorful. However, hubs and I both noted that it seemed to taste salty the more we drank the broth. We both also ordered the underbelly - fatty and tender. We were stuffed! Glad to have given this place a try.

As our short vacation, we visited San Diego, California. This place was our first choice for an early dinner after cycling and walking all day. I am not a vegan and am a big ramen fan since I was a child. I was a little suspicious about vegan ramen, but very interested in what it is like. As a result, I am happy we chose it. No regret and highly recommended trying it out! Our order: Ramen - The Classic Vegan Bao Buns Ramen - The Classic 4.5 stars. Only minus point was Tofu for me. A little dry and chewy. But the broth was a little spicy and surprisingly rich and smoky, could not believe it was a vegan ramen. Quite a punch of the flavor woke up my sugarless brain. Other ingredients provide different textures. I enjoyed it very much. I just cannot eat pumpkins, but my wife loved it. I wish I could try different flavors, but need to wait for the next trip someday. Please come to Chicago suburbs..... T_T Vegan Bao Buns - 5 stars This was my favorite dish during our whole stay in San Diego. No complaint. Very creative, perfect combination of flavors and proper cooking. Totally recommend it for your first visit! Mushroom was the center of all other ingredients. They were marinated so well and I was just eating it without thinking what it is. And their Mexican inspired sauce made it so different from regular Bao buns I can get in Chicago Area or Japan. Surprise value was very high and I loved everything in it! One thing I did not like here was lack of training of our waitress. Low energy, no smile, she seemed just doing her job. As you can see the photo of our Bao buns plate, I believe chefs are trying to make happy atmosphere here, but the young girl was not a match with it. So my total score was 4 stars. I loved the foods here. I think it would be a great place to try some unique Japanese-inspired foods or Southern - Asian fusion dishes. It is in the corner of Little Italy, so it will be a nice snack after your long sightseeing walk.

WOW. WOW. AND WOW. The best vegan sushi rolls we've ever had. The best ramen we've ever had. Really amazing fresh and creative vegan dishes. The bento box was bomb and the sauces alone were to die for! The only thing I would recommend is to include some kind of clue as to what sauces go with what dishes. PLEASE open up a location in South OC!!!!! In the meantime, any and every time we're in SD, we will be eating here!

Lovely restaurant. Even though there was one main server was very knowledgeable and efficient. They seemed understaffed on Saturday evening but the hostess (on March 9) was very attentive. She answered all my questions about the food and flavor, spice levels, popular items and taste profiles. We got the garlic edamame (spicy and burnt garlic flavor) caterpillar roll and classic ramen The classic ramen was very good (9/10) caterpillar roll didn't have much of a flavor profile. (I'm spoiled because we are lucky enough to have an awesome vegan sushi place in Los Angeles so I'd order a different one next time to try the other sushi rolls on the menu.) I always appreciate vegan places for vegetarians like me so I'm grateful vegan sushi restaurants like this exist. It's busy so try to make reservations, also parking on the street is hard to find and private parking lot was $25 for 2 hours. We ended up looking for parking for 15 mins but that's just a busy area with lots of nice restaurants and bars/breweries.

I was craving for soup and as always, Downtown is always my go-to place to Dine in. We went to RAKIRAKI last week in their location in Little Italy . It isn't our first time at Raki-Raki, we've been to their other location before, mostly we go to Convoy, but at this location it is our first time. We were 4th in Line, but it was quick. We Got seated and was handed a menu. We Ordered: *TONKOTSU RAMEN *SHOYU RAMEN *CRISPY UNDERBELLY At first I was craving for SOUP, but when I saw their CRISPY UNDER BELLY on their Menu, I ordered that instead. My husband and Son Ordered their Soup. From my picture it looks like a small portion, but if you look at the Bowl it goes deep and it's really just the right amount. Both of son's and husband's soup were really good, the meats were tender,and the noodles are cooked nice, not soggy and the noodles themself were flavorful. But my CRISPY UNDERBELLY bowl was so Flavorful! The Marinate sauce they use is so amazing. I can taste a bit of the sweetness in my Meat, but it wasn't an overpowering sweetness. The place is not as Big as the other Locations, but the wait time here is at least not as long as the other branch they have. The parking is on the side of the street, but in front of their Restaurant across the street is actually a Paid Parking. We will definitely be back to this location.

I love it here! The food was amazing!! Im definitely coming back Presentation was beautiful, the food tasted so good, the ambiance was cute and the service was great.

My partner and I are self-proclaimed vegan sushi and ramen connoisseurs and this place was amazing. The tantanmen ramen was the best I've ever had - the broth, the noodles, and toppings were all absolutely delicious. We also had the queen dragon and the king minato rolls. The king minato was our favorite and had a perfect smoky flavor. The ramen is a must and I wish we had this place near where we live!

My first Vegan Japanese experience and it was all worth it ! Starting with the ambiance a calm hug roofed interior with vegan and non vegan customers seated in different sections! The service was as such the menu was explained and even suggestion were given! We needed that because wanted an assurance that even if it's named eel sauce in a vegan menu was it vegan based? Yes it was The best part was the food! Crispy and yummy apps and mouth full sushi was a mind-blowing experience I can't forget!

Their vegan menu is amazing, and this was one of the best meals I've had in San Diego. I tried the streamed buns, spicy ramen, and "million dollar chick'n" ... Ramen was a 4 out of 5 for me, as I think it's like a tofu version better than the one with impossible meat. Still, it was v very good. The faux chickn app was incredibly good and a nice big portion that was filling. The steamed buns were one of the best bites of food I've eaten. The soft pillowy buns, marinated filling, crunchy pickled onions... perfection. I'd eat a platter of those any day. Looking forward to going back for some of their vegan sushi and more buns!

You get like 5 menus when you walk in because it's a bunch of restaurants in one. It gets a bit overwhelming and confusing. That being said, I recommend sticking to ramen and sushi. The popcorn chicken is really good as a starter. The kimchee ramen is unique and delicious; the other ramens are just okay. We ordered everything at once and the chicken and ramen came out quickly. The dream box of nigiri took a super long time to arrive. I appreciate the chef taking time in making sure his creation looks perfect but we had already finished eating and waited on this item for 40 minutes after.. we asked for it to go at that point, so that was kind of sad, since the chef had JUST finished it and had to transfer it over to a box. It was beautifully presented, even in a to go box, and delicious too. Docking a star for how slow it was.

Great food, service, and ambiance. The fried chicken curry is delicious!! Highly recommend!

The food was great! We ordered the vegan scallops and I am still shocked, I don't know how they made mushrooms taste like that. The ramen was also really great! The servers are so sweet and helpful with food restrictions. The restaurant is very cute with plants all around, very pretty.

So my trip to San Diego was with a few other girls and between us, we had ALL the religious dietary restrictions. Two vegetarians, a chicketarian, and a no piggies please. One thing that we could all agree on, surprisingly, was sushi. This was the first time I realized how vegetarian friendly most sushi restaurants were. This one in particular was VEGAN. yes. The other V word. It still turned out to be some of the best food I've had and one of the most memorable meals from the trip! And also - aren't they too pretty to eat?!

Stressed out rolls - oh so good!! Vegan chicken karaage - wouldn't recommend. Wish I lived in San Diego to try out the vegan ramen!

We felt that the food was very good overall. We had the caterpillar roll (tasty), and the tomato ramen (hearty, as well as the bao buns (kind of bland, frankly). Service was actually terrible, however, and would make me reconsider heavily before coming back. Took forever to get drinks, we asked for condiments many times, despite being new to the restaurant we were recommended popular items by the server that weren't even available tonight, so I'm not sure what the utility of those comments were. Disappo

Food was great, service was good and love the atmosphere was nice. I would definitely go again!

Delicious vegan sushi! Everything we tried was delicious and fresh. Only wish they had more options for liquor.

It's been a long time since I've been to a sushi restaurant and the rolls came out looking like art. Rolls normally come out of the kitchen looking no better than if I had attempted it myself. I ordered exclusively off the vegetarian/vegan menu and was absolutely shocked at not only how good everything looked but how it tasted as well. I still can't wrap my head around how how the veggie dishes cost more than the meat/fish menu items but it is what it is. Only thing I would NOT order again is the veggie non-chicken karrage...way too salty as most fake meats are. Definitely going to add this place into my routine restaurant rotation.

Great spot for dinner. The food is delicious and very flavorful. Perfect spot for vegans and non vegans. Great sushi bar! All the workers are very friendly and knowledgeable about the food. Plan for parking as it can be difficult.

Every dish was amazing! Not a single dud in any of the items we ordered. Everything was delicious in their own unique way. I called same day to make a dinner reservation for 4 outside. I was surprised they let me do that in the first place. When I got there, they said they had the reservation down for 2 not 4 so there would be a 20-30 min wait for a table for 4. But they were able to seat us after only a 15-20 min wait. Though the seating was a little awkward, I really appreciate how accommodating they were! We started with the super jumbo karaage. The no-chicken was so crispy good and the sauces that it was drizzled with were a delicious complement. MUST HAVE! Next we split the caterpillar roll, stressed out roll, amakara roll, and the original ramen (+black edition). The rolls were so unique in presentation, ingredients, and flavor, it was hard to pick a favorite out of all three. The ramen was chewy and bouncy and the fermented garlic added a nice depth to the flavor. Everything was a hit with everyone! The only thing is sitting outside means you're right underneath a flight path for San Diego airport and it can get loud and annoying (and a little scary). I'm not sure if this is something folks just get used to being in downtown SD more often but it feels like the planes are SO CLOSE!

Love the aesthetics of the place and the staff are so friendly and engaging! We ordered a hakata tonkatsu ramen as well as some rolls. Omg I didn't believe how delicious the vegan rolls were!!! Very flavorful and the ride was filling but didn't feel like it was just sitting in your tummy. There's parking on the street as well as paid parking lots so, there's no problem finding parking

We stumbled upon this hidden gem in the neighborhood on a rainy day, and our craving for ramen led us to a delightful discovery! The vegan menu was a pleasant surprise, and we opted for The Classic (with gluten-free noodles), agedashi tofu, and karaage. The diverse array of vegetables in the ramen and the flavorful broth truly impressed us. The karaage, though not chicken, mimicked the flavor and texture perfectly, and the tofu, bathed in a delightful soy broth, was a pleasant revelation. The addition of a soju, beer, and wine menu complemented the meal superbly. The friendly and attentive staff, including a hands-on chef who mingled with diners, added a personal touch to the experience. Thank you! We're eagerly looking forward to exploring more of your dishes!

Loved the ambience and the service , the food is sooooo delicious and the portion size are good for the price paid We can watch the airplanes flying , plenty of paid parking and loved the vibe . Definitely coming back again soon

So we didn't come here for the Vegan food but we came for the Ramen. First, the service was slow- so slow we had to go in multiple times to ask to order or even get our check. The place isn't that big and it wasn't busy. As for the food, I have to admit my husband is a bit of a ramen snob after spending a long time in Japan. He has some high expectations and I have come to understand good ramen vs not because of him. This was not great ramen- not the worst but not great. The flavor lacked depth and seemed like a homecook style. I would even say it tasted kind of strange for ramen. I got the classic ramen and my husband got the tantan. He did enjoy the spice level but said it would have been spicier. I thought the noodles were a bit thick for traditional ramen and didn't have enough of them. We also got the gyoza. The menu does say they are jumbo but I would say more like elephant sized. Gyoza should be eaten in 1-3 bites, these took 10-12 each. It was like one and done, way to much filling and way to big. I won't be coming back as there are so many other ramen places that are superior.

As a vegetarian married to a vegan, I can't even recall the last time we had sushi that were not just some cucumbers and avocados wrapped in nori. The Yasai made it possible for both of us to try a variety of vegan sushi and ramen that were creative and tasty. This place offers both a vegan and non-vegan menu so something for everyone. We loved eating here so much that we came to dinner two nights in a row. Our faves are the Kyoto Shoyu and Classic ramens, Vegan Bao Buns, Eye of the Veggie roll, and Little Italy roll. Their 2-piece Nigiri were meh so probably wouldn't order that again. Can't wait to come back again when we are back in town!

Yasai Vegan Sushi is amazing!! So so delicious! Terrific service Truly Art work on a plate! Beautiful, melt in your mouth delicious!! We could have eaten here every meal, everyday and been in heaven and completely satisfied and happy!! Cannot wait to come back to San Diego and hit Little Italy where this gem, Yasai is!!!! Wonderful!!!!!

I'm so torn writing this review. There were several reasons why I could give a horrible review, yet redeeming qualities to write an excellent one. Let me start with the feel of the restaurant which was great. Cool, downtown sushi feel with a great vibe. Okay, first the negative and then the positive. Once seated we didn't even get a hello or a glass of water for 15 minutes. While sitting outside with the planes flying over every few minutes (got a little overbearing at times with the noise) we also saw an extremely bold mouse walk up to our table and my wife's feet. Lol! When you're outside and downtown, things like that can happen, so I won't hold it against anyone. Now the positive, which is why I was so torn writing this review. The reason why it took so long to even get a glass of water is because there was only one waiter for everyone outside and we found out that he was fairly new. Thankfully, when we finally did get his attention, he was an incredibly nice guy who you could tell was doing the best he could. Once he found out we were gluten-free, he was very attentive to that need and I appreciated that. Although he was stretched thin, it took him long to do anything, when he was with us he was really personable and I liked that. We went to this place because we are vegan and we're always looking for good vegan sushi and straight up, this was the best I've had to date in San Diego. I had their Believer roll and I can tell you I am officially a "believer". You can look at my pictures for everything we ordered, but I can tell you from the sushi, the noodles, and the brussels sprouts, all of it was amazing. If it wasn't for the good attitude of the overwhelmed waiter and this incredible food, this review would've been completely different, but I'm happy to report I would definitely go back.

My partner and I go to Sushi whenever we are visiting the San Diego! Highly recommend the stressed out roll and the believer. Ramen is bomb af too! If you're in town you don't want to pass on this place.

Excellent food! My Vegan Truffle Ramen was the best I've ever had! My husband's Vegan Kyoto Shoyu Ramen was also good! The chef made something simple yet special off the menu for my daughter which we appreciate so much! Customer service was 3/5 Restrooms need more attention Parking is hard but there's a public parking right across the restaurant for $25. Yikes! Are we coming back? Absolutely!!!

Yasss...sai! See what I did there? ;) I luvvv me some vegan sushi and Yasai was totally worth the visit! Every single dish we ordered was ::chef's kiss!:: Let's get right to the food photos: Brussels Sprouts Skillet https://bit.ly/3hYABF0 These had a perfect crisp on the outside layers. The wasabi mayo and chili threads added a nice kick. Eggplant No-Tuna Bites https://bit.ly/2UGlQOY Tempura-fried slices of eggplants topped with "tuna" and "caviar. Little Italy https://bit.ly/3yOaVSo Tempura enoki, miso-glazed shiitake, and eryngii mushrooms topped with aioli, avocado, and tomatoes. Neon Gravestones https://bit.ly/2UK8dyA spicy "tuna", panko "shrimp", bell peppers, jalapeno, eggplant, and avocado. These works of art were not only beautiful to look at but super delicious as well. I can't really pick a favorite and would absolutely order each dish again. Though dinner and service was totally worth 5-stars, I'm giving this place 4-stars. Without getting into too much detail, the cleanliness of the restroom was not exactly up to par. That said, I'll give this place the benefit of the doubt. Looking back, what I witnessed was most likely bad timing after a previous occupant. Other than that one snafu, we had a great experience and will likely come back next time we are in San Diego.

This was my second visit to Yasai, and neither visit has disappointed. I was hesitant on my first trip. While I enjoy vegan cuisine, I'm not a big fan when they try to make vegan food taste like meat. There was no need for concern here. The rolls are so tasty, the texture so gratifying, you do not even miss the seafood! They do have a regular sushi menu that includes seafood, however, I still order off of the vegan menu... it's just that good. And of vegan sushi really isn't your thing, they do have a regular sushi menu as I mentioned. I recommend the Karaag chicken "nuggets". I put nuggets in quotes as they're huge! Bring people to share this appetizer with you. Thoroughly enjoyed my experience and will definitely be back.

This restaurant was amazing! The food was incredible, the place itself was beautiful and the service was incredible. We had these mushroom buns and the were unbelievably good. They even made my date fall in love with mushrooms! Amazing. I will definitely visit again when I go back to San Diego

Sushi is top notch in this trendy San Diego spot. Love that they offer vegan and no-meat options for sushi rolls as well. I would give this place 5 stars just for that soft shelled crab roll alone! The presentation and taste was very well above many rolls I've had. I knocked down a star because I tried the pork chashu and it lacked both taste and texture . The pork needed to be cooked down longer to achieve soft fall of the fork tenderness. This made the ramen a bit of a disappointment for me especially when I've had soft chashu in the past and it makes all the difference. The broth was well done but lacked some flavor for me. Other than that, the service and the sushi was spectacular, I would totally recommend this establishment to both meat eaters and vegans alike.