YAKUN

Yakun is an amazing fine dining and Yakitori omakase experience with incredible attention to detail. Everything from the food, cocktails, and decor was carefully chosen and perfectly prepared. Since Yakun only opened a couple weeks ago, we didn't know what to expect given the small number of reviews, but we were very glad we chose to visit. The food was fantastic and extremely fresh. They had a strong emphasis for same-day freshness. The skewers were grilled perfectly, and there was a lot of variety (all the way from beef tongue to chicken gizzards and livers too). Appetizers were very delicious and beautifully plated. The crab in particular blew my mind with how fresh and balanced it was. The cocktails were beautiful and masterfully mixed. I highly recommend the Japanese Old Fashioned as it's easily the best I’ve ever had. Yakun has a hard liquor license which allows them to import rare Japanese whisky. We'll definitely visit again.

Amazing experience! The food was absolutely delicious, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. The service was warm, attentive, and made us feel very welcome. The atmosphere was cozy yet elegant — perfect for a relaxed meal or a special occasion. Everything exceeded expectations, and I’ll definitely be coming back. The crab they offered tonight was impressive, we got lucky to have that because everyday’s course could be different. Highly recommend!

Had a great experience at Yakun. The omakase flowed really well from start to finish. The Hassun set a strong opening, the bigfin reef squid, saba sushi, abalone, and uni were all very fresh. The sashimi course with hirame was clean and delicate, and the warm dishes really stood out, especially the starchy sauce crab, A5 wagyu, and the tamago tofu. The yakitori and chicken soboro gohan with red miso soup were a comforting and satisfying finish. Also want to give a shoutout to Jerome, every cocktail he recommended was excellent. My favorite was a melon cocktail that was refreshing and perfectly balanced. Overall, great food, great drinks, and attentive service. Would definitely come back.

Such a unique experience. The food is presented beautifully, tastes amazing and it's all super fresh. Definitely more than a regular yakitori spot. The sashimi courses are outstanding and the drinks are great too.

Jerome is a rockstar host. The yakitori is the best we’ve head by far. You definitely need to try at least 2 cocktails per person ~ the Japanese gin cocktails are we balanced yet unique at the same time

Yakun just opened on Sawtelle and they’re not easing into things — they went straight for a 22-course tasting menu, broken into four parts. Bold move. Mostly paid off. The meal kicked off strong with appetizers: bigfin reef squid, abalone with its liver (rich and briny in the best way), uni, saba sushi, and komochi kombu. Honestly, this was one of the best opening sequences I’ve had in a while — a confident start that set the bar high. Next came the sashimi: bluefin tuna and hirame, served with fresh wasabi. Super clean, very fresh, no complaints here. This was followed by the atsumono — crab with its roe in a starchy sauce. This dish was a standout. Absolutely delicious. My only wish? A little finishing salt to push it over the edge. Same thought carried over to the A5 wagyu — beautiful meat, perfectly cooked, just begging for a pinch of salt. Then came tamago tofu in a matsutake mushroom broth, which was deeply comforting and earthy — simple, but done right. By the time the yakitori rolled around, I was already full (and I’m a light eater). I did try every skewer. They were good, but if I’m being real, they didn’t blow my mind. I was spoiled by Chef Toshi from Yakitoriya (RIP — still not over it), and I couldn’t help but compare. That said, with Yakitoriya gone, this is still a solid substitute in the yakitori department. Shoutout to their very good-looking manager Jerone, who wisely suggested boxing up what we couldn’t finish. Bless him. Because the gohan course? Freaking amazing. I had one bite, boxed it up, and devoured it at home wishing I had twice as much. Comforting, flavorful, and paired with a killer chicken soup — easily one of my favorite parts of the entire meal. Dessert was Japanese melon, and wow — insanely sweet, juicy, and refreshing. I could’ve eaten the whole thing without blinking. Now let’s talk about one of Yakun’s biggest strengths: the cocktails. Jason, their mixologist, is doing wizard-level work. The Old Fashioned might honestly be one of the best I’ve had. The clarified melon Yakult mojito was creative and balanced, and the ube colada float was just plain fun. Every drink hit. No misses. The restaurant only seats 8 guests at a time, so service felt very personal. Kun, the owner, was hands-on, and since we were the first group to dine there, the attention to detail was obvious. You really do get a unique, intimate dining experience. Let’s not sugarcoat it though — this is not cheap. This is a special-occasion place, not a casual night out. Worth it for the experience, but your wallet will feel it. Final thought: I genuinely hope they open the bar to the public, because those cocktails deserve a life beyond the tasting menu. Overall: memorable, indulgent, and thoughtfully executed — with a few tiny tweaks away from being truly next-level. Definitely a spot to save for something worth celebrating.

The team at Yakun was amazing. From food to drinks everything was spot on. From intro with Jerome to drinks with Jason everyone was accommodating and kind.

Absolutely perfect dining experience. Everything was perfect, from the drinks to the food. New favorite place in Sawtelle.

Yakun is such a treat. The meal was excellent, and I enjoyed every item. The appetizer course, with uni, snow crabs, etc were as good as I'd expect, and the yakitori was the best I've had at any Izakaya place in LA. The only criticism I have is the chairs that are too low for the counter, I think they wanted to provide comfortable chairs but it inadvertently creates very uncomfortable seating situation since the counter ends up being too high. Service was very friendly, they try to make your experience very personal, and I appreciate that. I think it might be a little too much, but that is personal preference. Their cocktails are delicious! I'm not a big fan of cocktails, usually it ends up being either too sweet or too strong/not strong enough, so I stick to wine, but I'm glad I ventured out and decided to get their cocktails. Overall, I had a very enjoyable meal here, first time in a long time I thought it was worth the money. I was surprisingly full afterwards too, I sometimes need more food after a tasting menu (I have a big appetite, what can I say), but I was pleasantly full. Not sure if things will change since they're so new, but I was pretty impressed with our experience.

Yakun just opened on Sawtelle and they're not easing into things -- they went straight for a 22-course tasting menu, broken into four parts. Bold move. Mostly paid off. The meal kicked off strong with appetizers: bigfin reef squid, abalone with its liver (rich and briny in the best way), uni, saba sushi, and komochi kombu. Honestly, this was one of the best opening sequences I've had in a while -- a confident start that set the bar high. Next came the sashimi: bluefin tuna and hirame, served with fresh wasabi. Super clean, very fresh, no complaints here. This was followed by the atsumono -- crab with its roe in a starchy sauce. This dish was a standout. Absolutely delicious. My only wish? A little finishing salt to push it over the edge. Same thought carried over to the A5 wagyu -- beautiful meat, perfectly cooked, just begging for a pinch of salt. Then came tamago tofu in a matsutake mushroom broth, which was deeply comforting and earthy -- simple, but done right. By the time the yakitori rolled around, I was already full (and I'm a light eater). I did try every skewer. They were good, but if I'm being real, they didn't blow my mind. I was spoiled by Chef Toshi from Yakitoriya (RIP -- still not over it), and I couldn't help but compare. That said, with Yakitoriya gone, this is still a solid substitute in the yakitori department. Shoutout to their very good-looking manager Jerone, who wisely suggested boxing up what we couldn't finish. Bless him. Because the gohan course? Freaking amazing. I had one bite, boxed it up, and devoured it at home wishing I had twice as much. Comforting, flavorful, and paired with a killer chicken soup -- easily one of my favorite parts of the entire meal. Dessert was Japanese melon, and wow -- insanely sweet, juicy, and refreshing. I could've eaten the whole thing without blinking. Now let's talk about one of Yakun's biggest strengths: the cocktails. Jason, their mixologist, is doing wizard-level work. The Old Fashioned might honestly be one of the best I've had. The clarified melon Yakult mojito was creative and balanced, and the ube colada float was just plain fun. Every drink hit. No misses. The restaurant only seats 8 guests at a time, so service felt very personal. Kun, the owner, was hands-on, and since we were the first group to dine there, the attention to detail was obvious. You really do get a unique, intimate dining experience. Let's not sugarcoat it though -- this is not cheap. This is a special-occasion place, not a casual night out. Worth it for the experience, but your wallet will feel it. I want to add that they have a special surprise after the meal! Final thought: I genuinely hope they open the bar to the public, because those cocktails deserve a life beyond the tasting menu. Overall: memorable, indulgent, and thoughtfully executed -- with a few tiny tweaks away from being truly next-level. Definitely a spot to save for something worth celebrating.

Yakun's build out is gorgeous, there's no question they spent a ton of money on making this place look great, using high end ceramics, toto, decor, etc. That being said, the chairs are way too deep and wide and low for the height of the counter. Not a big deal to me, but it's worth pointing out. Service. I could tell everyone was trying to do their best to provide a Michelin style service, but I can't help but wonder if something is lost in translation when it comes to LA dining culture and what Angelenos expect vs what the operators of this restaurant believe is "high end dining". Food was not at the quality it should be at this price point. Honestly, worst yakitori I've had in LA. Breast was overcooked and dry. Bonjiri and Kawa were undercooked, chewy, and rubbery. Abalone had zero flavor to it, liver was overcooked to hell. Chawanmushi wasn't the right consistency. No use of tare on any of the skewers throughout the evening. I found a hair in my wagyu soboro as well, and nothing was done to remedy the situation other than a quick apology.