Yakuza

Everything in the small intimate restaurant was great except the dumplings. The soup wonderful, beef carpacio wonderful, sushi rolls excellent even though they had cream cheese. And desserts were 5 stars. Our server was helpful. Would highly recommend.

It’s probably the better “Japanese” in Merida in terms of taste but it’s not really Japanese, it misses the mark completely in terms of authenticity. The Karaage chicken was more American-Chinese style sweet & sour topped with chilies and sesame seeds. Typically in Japan the Karaage chicken is battered with a specifically seasoned batter which is very different to this and accompanied with some lemon and mayonnaise (Japanese mayo is often referred to as yum yum sauce). The chicken was nice, but it wasn’t Karaage. Shabu Shabu is one of my favourite dishes of all time, of any cuisine. It’s something that signifies winter season in Japan and I’d eat a lot after a day snowboarding in Hokkaido. I was excited to see Shabu Shabu on the menu because it’s not common to see outside of Japan but again, it really wasn’t correct. This version has a miso based broth, which sometimes you’ll see as an optional flavour at a Shabu Shabu restaurant but it’s more traditional to have a dashi base, which is more of an umami taste. The beef was also the wrong cut, there wasn’t enough fat to render when cooking and it was sliced FAR too thick. Typically the beef should be cut to less than a millimetre so that it can cook in the time it takes to say “Shabu Shabu” which is what kids like to say out loud when eating it in Japan, but this beef took a really long time to cook to the point I was waiting so long without eating that the waiter thought I was finished and came to take the plate away. The sauce was also wrong, it should be a sesame sauce but what I was given was a weird paste with a nutty flavour, maybe it was sesame but more something you’d spread on toast .. but it wasn’t the right sauce which makes Shabu Shabu so delicious. It was a complete fail. The Sushi, like every Sushi I’ve had in Merida, the rice was cooked in too much water and was stodgy. While the Sushi also wasn’t authentic, it was more American style, it was pretty good. I’d say the best sushi I’ve tried in Merida. If this were bigger urban city like cdmx I’d have given this probably 1 star but I think for a small city being so far from the pacific it’s ok. What really bothers me is that restaurants Instagram pictures are actually pretty authentic looking but the reality is so far from what they present themselves as. Literally Google Shabu Shabu or look at the Yakuza instagram where they show proper Japanese beef and then see what they serve you and it’s worlds apart.

I’ve tried many Japanese/Asian restaurants in Merida and thought there was no good Asian food here so I didn’t hope up. But this place surprised me at the moment I walked in. Very peaceful and pretty. And as an Asian I can say this is the best Asian food I have had in Merida. It makes me feel like home. Maybe the owner made adaptions for the market, such as adding cream cheese to the rolls, but I think he/she understands the food. As for the price - there are two things you can’t get for cheap: tattoo and Japanese food. In my opinion the price is acceptable for the quality and experience it provides.

AVOID TAKEOUT. It’s too bad my first experience here was takeout. The takeout containers and the sauce containers all smell like they were made from recycled trash bags that had fragrance. At first it wasn’t bad, but then it was clear it seeped into all the food and the soy sauce. I had to throw out my sushi after a while because it was starting to make me gag. I’m not exaggerating. Other than that… the rolls looked fine and I’m sure in the restaurant they are amazing. That’s why I gave 2 stars. I hope management sees this and takes a smell of their takeout containers. For $200-400 per sushi roll, you can afford a container that doesn’t smell like toilet paper.

The place is very nicely decorated. Food is a fusion Japanese- Mex. However, food is delicious. Service was very rude. I left a 15% Tip. And the waiter came to not only claim but to force me to leave more tips. For a Japanese Restaurant where service must be at the center of the heart of the customer satisfaction. The waiter should have questioned himself why he received a low tip. This deserves a 1 star in service. In this case me and my family who just came from a 20 years living in Asia, this will be a no return for sure. Management should look into it to correct and improve the service as there are other japanese restaurants around to compete with and for us to choose from.

Goofy, baffling experience, go to Miura instead if you’re already at this strip mall TL;DR: Mall Sushi tier pasty rice + This restaurant’s strategy is to neg customers with rude service to bait them into visiting again to see if this time they will get it “right”, like this is the late 80s in NYC. Perhaps it was my mistake for not reading past reviews and how they mostly agree that the staff is kinda rude, so the fact that they are indeed took me by surprise, considering the overall experiences I’ve had in Merida establishments throughout the years. You have to knock the door to get in, which is ok, whatever; from the get-go the guy that opens it greets you with a disdainful look. That’s whatever, still, everyone can have a bad day. Upon our “no” as an answer to “Do you have a reservation?”, they delegated us to the bar, even when the restaurant was empty. Judging by the other reviews of this place, this seems to be the daily bread at this place. Fresh off the beach my husband was wearing shorts too, maybe this was why (but they don’t have a dress code disclaimer anywhere, not even their socials) but other reviews mention that their clothes were not a determinating factor to still be sent to the bar gulag. The service overall is from indifferent to disdainful, so much that it seems like a deliberate decision by the corporate management to be able to replicate lame PUA tactics to neg the customers into liking this place through a faux sense of exclusivity. And the food…I do appreciate the effort of having a big menu + I’m sure the chef worked hard on creating every dish, but the rolls we got were mediocre, the rice was pasty and a little gummy, very similar to the average sushi you can find at any mall food court. The proteins didn’t feel particularly fresh either, that salmon is definitely from Costco. All and all, just go to Miura, the restaurant next to this one.Funnily enough, they’re both owned by the same company, I wonder if Yakuza sticks around just to make Miura seem like the best one.

It is very good Japanese food and wanna back again , food make Japanese , also so drink saka is different ideas

Delicious, well prepared food. High prices but it shows in the care of food and ambiance.

I arrived to Yakuza for my dinner reservations and I was immediately greeted by the staff. When I walked inside, I was instantly in awe by how beautiful the restaurant inside was. It was like I took a step into Japan, seeing the cherry blossom tree, and how detailed the decor was. The staff gave excellent recommendations, and they were very attentive to my party. The staff made sure our drinks were filled, plates were cleared off the tables, etc. Easy to say we were given the best service I have ever experienced in my life. I tried a number of plates, each very different from another. But all had so much detail in the presentation and the flavor! We started with sake, followed by shishito peppers, spicy edamame, sashimi Ayarot, sashimi trufado, mini hamburger trio, wagyu sandwiches, signature nigiris. The fish is very fresh, paired with excellent ingredients. My favorite order was the signature nigiris- when served, the waiter uses a blow torch to melt in each unique ingredient into the sashimi. For example, some of the sashimi were topped with foie gras and truffle. After such an amazing dinner, we had to check out their dessert menu. We ordered the Banana madness, and the KJ Cake. The desserts flavors were very unique and not too sweet. The banana madness was my favorite because it reminded me of Biscoff cookies. Needless to say there is a large variety of menu options to please everyone in your party. Yakuza is the most authentic Japanese and sushi restaurant in all of Yucatán. No other restaurant comes close to how delicious and exquisite the food and experience is, and how well the service staff treats you.