Yoichi's

Yoichi absolutely blew me away—this was hands down one of the best Japanese meals I’ve ever had. Every dish was deeply flavorful and clearly made with serious care and intention. The two servers were kind, attentive, and impressively knowledgeable about the food and sake pairings, which made the whole experience feel really special. When we went, the restaurant was surprisingly quiet—which honestly felt like we had a hidden gem moment. I don’t know how more people aren’t talking about this place. If you love authentic Japanese food, it’s a must try. It completely outshines anything I’ve had in Seattle (and I’ve eaten a lot of Japanese food there). Yoichi deserves a full house every night!

So happy somehow I came across Yoichi's! I practically came here on a whim but made reservations in the morning on Friday. Always recommended to set up reservations anywhere pretty much especially Yoichi's is on the smaller side and has table side intimate service. The menu is pretty set with seasonal and hand selected ingredients. I was amazed at the detail of little garnishes and ingredients I've never had in my life. The service between the couple was awesome very thorough and informative. I felt like I was at home and it was a nice private course dinner basically so well worth the price for the amount of food and information I felt full!

High end Japanese dining that never fails to feel like a special event. Food is inventive, beautifully and artfully arranged, and so incredibly delicious. Service is attentive and the handmade dishes (plates, bowls, cups) are incredible.

Please allow me to add to the chorus of voices praising Yoichi’s. We had just been to eat at Michelin-starred Caruso’s the night before… Yoichi’s was not only half as expensive but twice as good. Food courses absolutely gorgeous, cohesive, delicate, delicious… enough in quantity to really enjoy it but not so much that you feel overstuffed by the end. The variety of dishes was incredible and the tastes exquisite. There were two people serving the dining room when we were there - I’m sorry I don’t remember their names but they were both so kind, knowledgable, and attentive. Bonus points for jazzy versions of Studio Ghibli tunes playing as atmospheric music ❤️ You won’t regret coming here. You will only regret that you can’t eat here every night. We will be sure to come back when we are in Santa Barbara.

What a wonderful experience. This was truly a unique dining experience and while it is expensive it's a rare experience making it worth the cost. We had the opportunity to try several different entres and learn about the culture. The food was exquisite and definitely left us full. The staff is very kind and polite. It was a great way to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary!

The most amazing set course meal we have ever had. The meal left us feeling satiated, inspired, and well taken care of. Chef served us a special glass of sake for our anniversary. We will be back.

Had a great dinning experience. Some dishes are too salty for my preference but overall very happy with the quality of food. I also noticed that a few ingredients/items are the same as last year. Would recommend if you want to splurge on fine dining.

On par with some of the nicest omakase experiences I’ve ever had in NYC. A real gem. Thanks be to Reddit for putting me onto this lovely evening. I was heading to loquita and randomly checked Reddit and found Yoichi’s. The service was excellent and so very knowledgeable (and kind), and the food was exquisite.

My husband and I came here for our anniversary and it did not disappoint. We just came back from Japan and were longing for experiences and food reminiscent of our time there. We had reservations and upon walking in, we were seated right away. It felt warm and inviting as they were expecting us. The place is quaint, the design is simple, clean, elegant which which matches perfectly with Japanese touches. The place seating was set up great and the pieces were art itself. The chopsticks were the best chop sticks I've ever used. Very much like our experience in Japan, this restaurant anticipates everything and provide everything for a smooth experience. The service was impeccable. The staff waited on us attentively and our server explained the menu, provided knowledge about the sake brewing process which helped inform our decisions. The server was also upfront about the pricing which we very much appreciated. The food was phenomenal from top to bottom. The dishes were amazing and each course was crafted with such a carful balance that would enhance certain flavors. Our server continued to provide us knowledge as she presented each visual stunning piece. She also answered our questions with ease and told us how best to enjoy our course. I'm not usually a red meat eater, but I ate this plate as part of the appetizer. To not have tried this dish which absolutely melts in your mouth would be a crime! All the fish was fresh. I've our grilled fish was red snapper and was light, flaky and grilled to perfection. The tuna sashimi REALLY stood out to me and was the best tuna I've ever had in my life! So buttery, fresh, and flavorful. The desserts with drink pairings were so unique, light & lively and well-balanced. We absolutely loved our experience at Yoichi's and will come back in heart beat next time we are in the Santa Barbara area. Worth every penny!

The food and waitstaff are AMAZING. This is not only a quality restaurant but a phenomenal experience. I went for my birthday with my wife and we had the absolute best time! You must get the sake paring!! I can't wait to go back! Each plate has a story!

Now I've been to a couple of Omakase experiences, and you're paying quite a hefty sum of money for these type of experiences. So you're expecting a bougie meal experience with tested flavor profiles, this wasn't my impression of Yoichi's. To start we really enjoyed the Chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg custard), the nigiri selection (scallop, sweet shrimp, mackerel), and the sashimi (Blue fin chu-toro, akami, and hamachi), a dashi based soup (fish+crab cake, topped with snow crab and egg ribbons) and the dessert (a orange jelly over a matcha custard topped with red bean). All these dishes were great, fresh seafood, none of the flavors overpowering. Dessert was unique, flavors surprisingly worked well! But this is only half the meal, the appetizer dishes we started with were all just okay, nothing special. Now the grilled dish and the simmered dish were the ones we were most excited for because that's the bulk of the meal, but they all had issues. The grilled dish was overly salty from the scallion sauce, the seaweed, to the marinade of the fish, they were all strong flavors that clashed hard with each other. For the simmered dish, the sea bream and shrimp in the dish were all rubbery and dry sitting in an overly salty broth. That being said though, the service was very good, the servers were kind, and happily provided us with descriptions of each dish as they arrived, even going as far as walking us out after our meal. The ambiance is quiet, good for a date or anniversary celebration. But overall for the price tag, I would say you can find better places for omakase with a drive to LA. But if you aren't willing to go that far, have money to spend, and just want an adventurous experience, this place could do it.

Where to start .. amazing home made Japanese style food !! very fresh, very traditional, very authentic.. the chef goes above and beyond with the presentation and ingredients brought from Japan itself ( real wasabi, real soy sauce, real ginger ..etc). The service again very upscale relax ambiance.. listen it is pricey but a top quality food and top service it is worth it.. thank you for such an amazing food to celebrate our birthday!

DIVINE! Hard to find a traditional kaiseki restaurant in Southern California, so definitely wanted to try this place. Service was amazing and thoughtful. We came here to celebrate my husband's birthday and they offered a yuzu sake on the house. Each dish was flavorful, delicate, and unique. The restaurant was intimate and the dining experience itself lasted 2 hours. Costs $180/person but well worth it!

(Overall: 89% | B) - Overall, this $150/pp Kaieski experience was definitely a worthwhile first experience for me. I love the atmosphere in that its very cute and upscale, and most of the food was natural and very upliftingly tasty. The service was pretty nice for the most part, although I was actually pretty bummed when they neglected to ask if it was a special occasion, unlike the rest of the tables, because it was indeed a special occasion. (Zensai Appetizers: 97.5% | A) - The first course consisted of an assortment of appetizers including washugyu beef, miso squid, yuba tofu, and pickled root vegetables. The washugyu was intensely marinated in a soy and pepper-forward marinade that started the meal on a high bar. The squid paired with a sweet miso that highlighted tenderness and pureness of Japanese flavor. The tofu was silky smooth and held texture which was pleasant to eat as sashimi. Finally, the pickled daikon and carrot is always a favorite of mine and helped clear the palette between appetizers! (Owan: 92.5% | A) - The second course is a soup course, featuring a clear broth containing a large sweet fish cake full of fresh crab. The dish looks very majestic with natural colors derived from the pumpkin and spinach. Personally though, despite the high quality ingredients, I do not find that fish cake is a very good way to highlight the ingredients as it hides the beauty of the crab. (Mukouzuke: 102.5% | A+) - Course three is the sashimi cours! The selection I had included fresh hokkaido uni that highlights the sweetness of the sea. Not expecting anything less, the hamachi belly, maguro, and otoro were all cream of the crop, and expressed the luscious butteriness in highly desired sashimi. The red snapper was also fresh and delightful with the skin on, and all of the freshly grated wasabi root in abundance added a fantastic zing to lift this set. Finally, I felt that the ume was a great palette ender for this set of fish! To complement this meal, we got this sweet sparkling yuzu wine that was low in alcohol content and extremely pleasant to drink! (Mushimono: 97.5% | A) - The steamed dish is an egg custard with eel and mushrooms, topped with an abundance of ikura. The salmon roe is a magical addition to the custard that adds sweetness and an umami burst, as well as a beautiful presentational feel! I love the mild yet soothing flavors. (Yakimono: 105% | A+) - The grilled dish consists of a miso marinated Chilean sea bass served on a bed of scallion puree and topped with trumpet mushrooms and a spoon of caviar. The sweet miso marinated for the sea bass is endearing and adds fantastic flavor to carry the dish. The pairing of the scallion puree is smart in that it adds fragrance to complement the earthiness of the shrooms. Finally, the caviar and edible flower really elevates the presentation to the next level. (Shiizakana: 70% | C) - This simmered dish involves sea bream, shrimp, mushroom, and chive? in a sweet dashi-like broth. I love the natural colors and simplicity of the presentation, but unfortunately found the broth to be a bit too sweet and the fish to be a bit too dry. (Shokuji: 97.5% | A) - The sushi course contained three pieces: hokkaido scallop, sweet shrimp, and mackerel with a generous serving of fresh wasabi root to give the sushi a zingy sweet kick. The scallop was naturally sweet and very silky. The sweet shrimp was tender and bursting with sweet freshness from the sea. Finally, the saba was flavored well and incredibly tender. I loved this pairing of sushi to highlight the best of what Japanese cuisine has to offer. (Kanmi: 67.5% | D) - The dessert course featured a red bean and orange jelly, which I personally found strange as the tangerine had a stark contrast to the red bean in flavor and texture that was quite jarring. The matcha jello had better flavor, but similarly had unappealingly coarse texture.

A little bit different than your typical omakase. This place serves a bit of the different types of way to cook ingredients. Overall, I feel like the price tag $150 is quite hefty for the service and menu items. The restaurant has several tables, so the service is not a 1:1 intimate setting with the chef. The food is served from the back kitchen. The food was alright overall (3.5/5). The raw fish was fresh, but I think the appetizer and dessert is quite lacking in terms of flavor. The best dish would probably be the sashimi and the steamed egg dish. TL; DR Overall, if this was a little cheaper, I think that would be closer to what this place is worth. Service was standard for a sit-down restaurant. Won't be coming back but it's an experience :)

Everyt time we go to Santa Barbara we try our best to visit Yoichi's! We just ate there for our 4th or 5th time and it has never disappointed. The food is always amazing and the service is beyond reproach.

Delighted, what a wonderful memorable experience and 8 course meal . Highly recommend you treat yourself to Yoichi Make sure you have a reservation, they don't take walk ins and it's easy to understand why.

築石料理 Kaiseki Eight course for $150 Service was great, portion sizes were decent, and the pacing of the courses was perfect. 前英zensai (Assorted appetizers) -Washugyu no Sansho yaki (Sansho pepper marinated grilled Washugyu) -Namasu (Pickled vegetables) Konbu Maki to Hime Ebi (Konbu Seaweed roll and Baby shrimps simmered in sweet broth) -Japanese sardine with miso paste Owan (Soup) Kani Shinio no Hakuhyo jitate (Clear soup with Crab fish cake, Freshwater eel, picked cherry blossom, Fava bean Mukouzuke (Sashimi) Uni from Hokkaido Bluefin toro from Spain Local Goldeneye Snapper Japanese Striped Jackfish Chawanmushi (Savory Egg custard w/Hokkaido Ikura) 烧物Vakimono (Grilled dish) trumpet mushroom, Sturgeon fish caviar, ships flower stem) Ginmutsu no Saikyo Yaki (Saikyo miso marinated Chilean Sea bass, koji, green onion, seaweed paste) 強考 Shiizakana (Simmered dish) Tai no Kaburamushi (Sea Bream with grated turnip) Baby chives , shiitake mushroom 食事Shokuji (Sushi) Spanish Mackerel, Hokkaido scallop, sweet shrimp Kanmi (Citrus jelly and mochi Dessert)

Such a spectacular dinner and overall dining experience! The service was phenomenal and so kind and the food was simply delicious. Everything is quite simple and the flavors and quality of the food really speak for themselves. Yoichi is such a gem of a place near downtown SB! Very unassuming exterior but their kaiseki is truly delicious. Will definitely dream about coming back one day.

I have had Yoichi's on my radar for a few years and finally went for dinner last weekend. It is STUNNING! I've been to Japan and live in LA where we have no shortage of amazing Japanese restaurants, from sushi to omakase, izakaya to kaiseki, and Yoichi's is up there with the very best of them. Each course of this seasonal tasting menu (aka kaiseki) was unique, incredibly well conceived, detailed, and utterly delicious. If we could've licked every plate without looking like total heathens, we would have. Service was attentive and warm and the chef's wife is the main server. Sake and wine list is wonderful (we had the Dassai 23) and some unique Japanese beers are available too. We loved every bite (and sip) and will be back soon. Don't overlook this little gem-- make a reservation and go. It's a set menu but they were very accommodating about dietary restrictions and aversions which is a refreshing change from some other spots. Highly recommend!! Arigato Yoichi-San for the very special and oishi dinner.

I had the pleasure of experiencing a traditional omakase tasting at Yoichis for my birthday over the weekend, and it was an absolute delight from start to finish. We began with an assortment of appetizers that set the stage for the culinary journey we were about to embark on. My favorite, was a steak bite that was perfectly marinated and melt in your mouth. Next came the soup course, featuring a delightful fish cake. The flavors were beautifully balanced, and the broth was simply divine - tasted like it could heal you! The Sashimi course stole the show for me. The selection of fresh fish was delicious. Each slice was a testament to Yoichis' dedication to sourcing the finest ingredients. The experience at Yoichis was not only about the food; it was elevated by the service. The servers took their time to explain each dish, they went above and beyond to recommend the perfect sake pairings we especially enjoyed the the Dassai 39. To add to the ambiance, Yoichis boasted custom-made dishware that added a personal touch to the dining experience. Each piece was a work of art, I only wish I could purchase the pieces myself! If you're seeking a lovely and authentic omakase tasting, Yoichis is an absolute must-visit in Santa Barbara!

If you're looking for a phenomenal traditional Japanese multi-course experience, unquestionably come down to Yoichi's. This high quality eight course meal experience will blow you away. I came here for my friends birthday dinner. There were four of us total and I would recommend not to exceed that, because it can take away from the experience. This place is reservation only, they do not accept walk ins. They have street parking which makes it convenient.

Our first experience with kaiseki - it was a unique experience. Food all prepared with great attention and delicious. Service was impeccable. Ambiance is also good. Selections were made by the chef. However, we had an option to pick between meat or fish on a couple of courses. Good experience but not for someone who doesn't have a wide ranging taste bud.

Great service! Server explains everything they bring out even where the fish comes from how it's cooked. It's a set menu, an eight course dinner. Every dish is nicely presented in beautiful ceramic bowls and plates. The food is pure. There's not one fried item in those courses.

I can not even begin. It was the literal best meal I've ever had. Every bite was amazing. The service was incredible. The food was incredible. I think it ruined all food for me after.

This was an amazing dining experience, great ambience. Yoichi's also has a great Sake selection and very knowledgeable staff. The menu is seasonal, we will be back!

Delicious food, carefully curated dishes, and thoughtful menu! The service was excellent and the experience was delightful.

Few dining experiences will compare to the Kaiseki you will experience at Yoichi's. If you are adventurous with food and you consider yourself a "lover of omakase", this place will not disappoint. The familial service, attention to the little details, and the taste of every dish is methodically planned out to ensure that you leave satisfied and wanting to come back. My wife, infant son, and I had a wonderful experience dining at your establishment, Yoichi-san. Thank you. We hope to be back soon, as my wife requested dining here again for her birthday dinner!

Delicious, creative and one of the best dining experiences in Santa Barbara. Not to be missed! Thank you to Yoichi and his wonderful staff. We loved our Kaiseki eight-course meal and drinks recently. It was our first time, but won't be our last.

Low key venue HIGH QUALITY FOOD! Only kaiseki spot in Santa Barbara, $150pp and 1000% worth the cost for the 8 course meal. We were very very full by the end of the meal. Most courses are chef's choice but you do get to pick a meat/fish option for both the grilled and simmered dishes. I went with a friend and we picked a different each so we could try both. Best recommendation - always pick the fish dish! The meat dishes were also delicious but fish choices were spectacular! Even something simple like the pickled radish was incredibly delicious. Black CodCourse TastingEgg Cake SoupGrilled CourseKaiseki DinnerKing CrabNigiriSweet ShrimpYellowtail

Very creative dishes!!!!! Authentic, and delicious :) The chef's of Yoichi's clearly put passion and skill into every thing prepared there.

Absolutely incredible! Went with my boyfriend for his birthday and we were treated like VIPs food was amazing. Every course was perfectly timed at our table. I can't wait to go back.

Hands down my favorite restaurant in Santa Barbara. You can't go wrong! The flavors are so delicate and truly amazing! Every time I eat here, by the time I'm paying the bill I already can't wait to go back again!

Quick Summary Cozy Japanese restaurant that offers Kaiseki (prix fixe) with excellent service. Try to book reservations a few weeks in advance. The service and atmosphere were excellent. Appetizers were excellent. But the entrees and dessert were average. Was very excited to try this restaurant, but was disappointed, probably due to high expectations Food- 4 stars The Kaiseki was 7 courses. Started out well with the appetizers but flounded towards the finish line The appetizers prior to sashimi were all very good and thought out. I would give it 5 stars to start The sashimi and sushi that came before and after the grilled and steamed dish were good and fresh. Slight compliant that the fish was slightly colder than desired The grilled and steamed dishes (which you have 3 options each) was when things began to somewhat unravel -Grilled lobster with tama miso sauce- the lobster was cooked perfectly, but the miso sauce was overly sweet. The balance was pretty off, which was disappointing because the lobster tail was cooked perfectly -Wagyu- I can see why a few reviewers mentioned it tasted like sausage. It was pretty disappointing -Seafood steamed in citrus bowl with miso bechamel sauce- it was interesting seeing this plate served in an orange bowl. However, the sauce was so gelatinous and heavy that it was not an enjoyable experience -Fresh water eel and monkfish liver- was really disappointed that there was bones in the eel and that the monkfish liver lacked any flavor. The whole dish was overly sweet Dessert- it was a mochi crepe with fruit sort of dessert. It was good, but would've better if served hot or warm Service- 5 stars Phenomenal service. Very accommodating without being too overbearing. Ambiance/Value- 5 stars It's a small neighborhood restaurant that makes for a great date night Bottom Line Perhaps Yoichi's catered too much to Western tastes, as the food ventured towards Fusion Japanese and didn't satisfy. The appetizers were great, but it went downhill when it got to the grilled and steamed dishes. Will add an extra star for their service and ambiance

If ever, there was a restaurant that deserved 5+ stars it is this one. The husband is the chef and the wife runs the restaurant with some help. Everybody is extraordinarily kind and the seven course prefixed meal is curated with awe inspiring taste, purity, naturalism, and attention to detail. This is truly an incredible food experience and an experience of being treated with love and kindness.

You wouldn't know it from the front door but the food is absolutely amazing. My wife is Japanese over the top. Authentic Japanese style. It's eight courses so come hungry. You won't be disappointed.

Awesome! This place will make any occasion very special. All 7 courses are carefully,thoughtfully crafted. Each course is introduced in detail by server.

Yoichi's was a delightful experience. From start to finish it was pure joy. The sashimi course was a standout, along with the black cod entree with roasted fig and mango. There was so much detail - even to the pottery which is made from a local artist and pottery instructor. Don't miss it!

Came for the Kaiseki a few weeks ago, and overall had a really great meal for two. Service is very attentive as it should be, and the explanations the waitresses give for each dish helps to appreciate and understand what you're eating next. Every dish was well made, my personal favorites were the Black Cod Soup and Sashimi course. The portion of the full course is well planned out - we were both nicely full after dessert. Though some courses are smaller, the steamed and grilled dishes tend to be larger. Still, I would say they left space to improve purely in the sense that for charging 135/person, people expect to be mindblown. I thought the oysters inside an orange was the most creative dish of the night but nothing particularly surprised me. I will be back in the future when they change up the menu for seasonality again!

My go to spot during covid. Their bento boxes were my absolute favorite. There is not one bad thing in each box. Fresh sashimi, miso salmon and black cod, and duck and Wagyu beef. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

We really enjoyed our meal tonight. Delicious, delicate dishes with well balanced flavors. The service was excellent as well.

An amazing dining experience at Yoichi's. We had been wanting to dine here for a while and finally visited last Saturday. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable and the food was coursed our perfectly. My favorites were the Chilean sea bass and the sushimi course - which had probably one of the best pieces of toro I've ever tasted. Fish offerings rotate seasonally. We will definitely be back! Worth every penny.

Why did this place not exist during my UCSB days? We had an amazing kaiseki experience here! So glad we tried this place on a spontaneous trip back to Santa Barbara earlier this year. They keep their website updated with the current courses so you know exactly what you're getting. I love that there are multiple grilled & steamed dishes for you to choose from. Our party of 3 selected different options in both categories. Everything was high quality and the owner/server made our experience very enjoyable. We were impressed with the amount of thought in every dish. My favorites were the sea urchin & sweet shrimp. Looking forward to go back once they reopen!

Traditional Japanese multi courses dinner. Menu is mostly preset with 2 of the 7 courses offering choices. The food was excellent, and the service very attentive. A great restaurant for a special occasion. We will be back.

Their bento is delicious! The fish was so fresh. Highly recommend doing their takeout bento during COVID. The rice balls were just ok for me (personal preference). We're already planning our next order. Call in advance to order your bento for pickup. They sell out!

Amazing meal and experience! The staff were so friendly and were incredibly patient and nice in explaining the menu. The food is simply amazing!

A wonderful experience with great service and innovative dishes. My husband and I had been wanting to try a traditional Japanese kaiseki meal, so we were pretty excited to visit Yoichi's. It was our first and only kaiseki experience, so we don't have much to compare it to, but we did enjoy almost everything we ordered. I won't list every dish, just the ones that stood out to us. Our favorites were the matcha-marinated sweet fish, and Japanese top shell, both of which were items from the grilled course. We also enjoyed the sushi trio at the end (ikura, Santa Barbara uni, and toro). Our least favorite would be the sashimi as I'm sure they were extremely fresh, but were served too cold..to the point where it almost tasted like frozen fish that you may have at a less fancy sushi spot. Overall, our experience was memorable and we enjoyed our meal. The only minor drawback was perhaps that I expected a little more for what the meal cost. Especially from the dessert round, as well as sashimi. But, it's a minor issue, as almost everything was created and presented so thoughtfully. Yoichi's has definitely opened up our curiosity and desire to try more kaiseki-style cuisine. Next up, n/naka!

I'm a fan of Japanese food and had the pleasure of trying a few Kaiseki meal. This meal is pretty authentic and for the price, it was definitely worth it. $100/person is pretty good for Kaiseki meal. Usually Kaiseki meal just gives you what the chef prepares but this meal actually lets you pick from 2-4 options for each category: soups, grilled dish, and steamed dishes. My favorite was the soup. I got the sea eel and egg cake soup and my husband got the momotaro tomato soup. Both provided a refreshing light flavor. While the food was good, I had a few dislike in terms of flavor. The grilled top shell was way too salty but grilled king crab was tasty. The oyster in orange bowl was beautiful but the orange peel bitterness leaked into the dashi broth giving a moderately bitter after taste. I was not a big fan of this. Another dislike was the poor choice of Sake. The moderately dry sake was recommended to us by the waiter but I find it very bitter and hard to drink. I ended up avoiding the sake all night. The desert was green tea custard with a plum. This was very good and provided a great finish taste to the meal. Service was attentive and detailed. We constantly had refill of tea and dishes were clear at the right timing. We were given very detailed explanation of each dish. I would recommend trying this if you haven't try a Kaiseki meal. This is probably the cheapest decent Kaiseki meal you can find.

Follows the template for a traditional Kaiseki. Our favorite was the fresh raw fish, the quality was very good though the sashimi was unusually very cold. I could have skipped dessert.

This was not only a meal but one of those dining experiences. Each course was presented beautifully and with such care. There were 5 of us and we tried to order various things to be able to fully experience a wide variety of delicacies. 2 of us ordered the 7 courses while 3 of us ordered the smaller $65 option (which I must tell you is plenty enough). If the intestine is on the menu, order it. It is so unique and tasty and I still can't believe it has the flavor it does and is as tender as it is. The various sashimis and sushis were perfect - of note - trout! Something I had never tried. The service was so attentive without being obtrusive. Restaurant is quite small, in an unassuming neighborhood and we passed it up without even realizing it. If you are ready for an evening that you will remember, this is for you.

12/11/18 UPDATE: We continue to be impressed by this extraordinary Japanese restaurant in Santa Barbara. Each time we visit we are amazed by the attention to detail, the outstanding service, and the exceptional quality of the food. It's a great place for anniversaries, significant dates, or other special dinners. ----- World class cuisine in Santa Barbara! Prepare yourself for a relaxed, absolutely delicious, perfectly proportioned, expertly prepared, and pleasantly served dining experience. With a $100 per person prix-fixe menu (the only option) you receive a great 7 course meal with excellent choices that make it well worth it! The sake is excellent and the staff observes classic Japanese hospitality traditions. This was a fantastic dining experience!!

If you are into traditional japanese pleasures - this is a MUST experience. Attention to detail. Impeccable service and pacing. Food as both art and nourishment. Definitely one of my top experiences (not just one of my best dining experiences) of 2018. Most of the ingredients are traditional and the food preparation does not bend to americanized tastes. Thus if your idea of japanese food is a California Roll and some green tea ice cream this is probably not the place for you. Quality of ingredients and thoughtful preparation is evident in every dish. Everything from scratch. Our seven course kaiseki dinner included items such as black cod, duck breast, japanese oysters, grilled scallop, blue fin, and sazae (a japanese mollusk). We spent almost two hours at Yoichi's and enjoyed and savored every minute. The sazae was removed from it's shell, diced, and then placed back inside the shell with tiny mushrooms and a light sauce and then grilled and eventually plated on a bed of (I think) hijiki (japanese black pickled seaweed). The oysters were served poached inside a hollowed-out tangerine in a very delicate broth I can only describe as tangerine water - superb. Fish quality for sushi and sashimi courses was excellent. Though kaiseki is usually mostly pre-fixe - there were several options for many of the courses, and thus most folks can customize an evening to their personal tastes. Go here! Your next-best option is to fly to Japan... We certainly will be returning.

We called a week in advance to book a reservation to eat here. They took my partners's name, phone number, credit card information, and everything. We don't live in the Santa Barabara area and drove all the way down here just to have a meal at this place. When we called, the woman who answered the phone all of a sudden says that we don't have a reservation?! We have the call history of us making the reservation a week prior. We spent the entire day at Santa Barbara walking around just waiting to have this meal. I don't think you can imagine how disappointed we are right now. A waste of our time and gas. For a restaurant that's so highly rated and highly priced, you'd think they would be organized enough not to mess a reservation up. This is HIGHLY UNPROFESSIONAL.

Last time trying Kaiseki was in Kyoto Japan and I enjoyed it tremendously. I was glad to find out that Yoichi's offers Kaiseki and I don't have to fly across the Pacific. As a fan of authentic Japanese traditional cuisine, I could not pass up on this opportunity. It was a great find during my visit in the lovely city of Santa Barbara. There is definitely a difference when using all five senses of touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing. The presentation and simplicity says plenty. The main ingredient of each dish were never overpowered but accentuated. Each course is presented with an introduction. The staff is friendly just like the service you get in Japan. The experience was unforgettable. Thank you Yoichi's!

I have had more than fair share of kaiseki in Japan and in the US. I found the kaiseki I had at Yoichi's to be solid. It's very authentic. Their presentation of the food was nice, and so was the taste. However, none of the dishes really impressed me in terms of the taste, unfortunately. There are a couple of specific issues that I would like to bring up to provide an informative review for my fellow Yelpers and constructive feedback to the restaurant. 1. You can order their sake (or wine) only by the bottle. This is a significant issue because it makes it impossible to pair different sake with different courses. Different sake brings out or complements different courses. With that said, I would like to see a sake pairing option. 2. Some reviewers talked about their interior design. While I am not a specialist, I agree that simplicity is an important concept in Japanese culture. However, I felt it's more accurate to describe their interior design to be "bare" rather than "simple." I think it's such a shame that the interior design takes away from the beautiful presentation of their food. I understand that whatever the decision they made, it has financial consequences. So, it's easier to say than done, but I wanted to share my two cents. ****************************** If you found something useful in my review, please hit "useful" so that I can improve my reviews. If you love food and traveling, follow me! Thank you and happy yelping!

100% would go again. Amazing. Very impressed. I've been to Japan and tried many restaurants and home cooking there. This is traditional Japanese cooking with a cozy hole in the wall vibe. Food includes sushi but they have a variety of traditional Japanese courses. Best part is that you don't have to order and they bring you the best of what they have to offer. Such polite and amazing service. Cannot say more. Thank you for a wonderful time and we will be back!!! Arigato! :)

This place was amazing This really is a hidden treasure. Found in a quiet residential street in the heart of Santa Barbara this restaurant aims to please Service was outstanding I would say on par with a Michelin star restaurant VE course meal was very filling considering that these were about seven small plates containing various fresh offerings and items that have been cooked for three days to perfection And the unbelievable part is the price considering this meal should probably have been close to $600 we paid less than half of that here in Santa Barbara for an outstanding meal The first course was a variety of seafood offering with the next being sushi then a grilled lobster and then very tasty broth soups sashimi desert omg it was amazing

For the special occasion I can't think of a better place. Artful and delicious food prepared and served by thoughtful and enthusiastic people. We had an amazing experience.