YAYOI Palo Alto

I ordered Ton Katsu. It’s $26. I was hoping to get a thick cut Ton Katsu, like the tasty one in Japan or Hawaii, but no. It took a while to get my food and the Ton Katsu wasn’t even hot. It felt like it’s been sitting there for a while. The food didn’t taste good either. The tableware they used was plastic. This place is definitely way overpriced. We’ll never come back!

Every meal is a kid meal here. And no this is not normal even in Japan. You have to order 2 sets per person to be full because the portion is so tiny. In that sense the food here is way over priced. We went straight to another restaurant after finishing here because of the portion here. Food tastes okay.

My go-to spot! I absolutely love the concept of ordering from an iPad—it's super quick and efficient, making the whole dining experience seamless. It’s also in a great location in downtown Palo alto, so you can walk around after your meal! I can proudly say this place has the best chicken karaage I've ever tasted; it's perfectly crispy and packed with flavor. The service is outstanding, with quick and friendly staff always ready to assist. Beyond the karaage, all the food is fantastic. I also highly recommend the ramen and sushi bites; both are consistently delicious and satisfying. Whether you’re looking for a quick meal or a leisurely dining experience, this place never disappoints. Highly recommend!

Not sure what happened to this restaurant. We come here at least once a month whenever we visit Palo Alto. We love the food and they play nice background music which makes me feel like I’m in the restaurant in Japan. The service used to be really good before, and last time we visited and today left me a little bad taste. I dined in around 2:30-4:00pm today, it is when usually staffs take the break since it is quiet. I used to work in restaurants many years, so I know how it works during this hour. one staff in white collar and black sweater was taking a break behind the register, blasting her TV on her phone on a phone stand, I was sitting at table by the window, I was able to hear her TV across the restaurant. She couldn’t put her damn headphones to watch TV? I almost feel like the owner changed because the restaurant has changed so much in terms of service. No checking in with customers, no topping the waters, letting the people cutting the lines to be serviced first even though they know I came first, blasting non-japanese music from the kitchen and now this.

We were happy to know there is no need to wait on Saturday night, however most of the tables were occupied. The ordering process helps to focus on carefully choosing what you want without being rushed, there are tablets near each table to go through the menu and order more when needed. The food is good overall, a good choice for different Japanese dishes, snacks and drinks, feels authentic. Staff is good and polite.

Love this cute restaurant in Palo Alto! It’s a chain so you can find the same menu in their other locations. You can order food digitally from the table and get paid with the iPad. The menu offers wide range of dishes at economic price.

Good ramen with great soup base. Loved the matcha drink. Besides the ramen, the rest of the menu is quite pricy.

I love this place! I like all their Japanese offerings. It’s a solid place to get Japanese food. I usually get the salmon ikura don or the stir-fried pork belly and both are good. Their raw fish can be a little pricey but I feel that is expected for Japanese food. The service is fast. I don’t feel like we ever wait too long for our food. You can order on the iPad, which I appreciate, and see your order move through here queue. For payment you pay at the counter. The interior is nice. There’s table and booth seating. It’s decorated in warm wood panels and feels clean and new, and warm and friendly. Parking: There are many parking garages in Palo Alto so it’s not too hard for us to find parking