Yuwa Japanese Cuisine

Small but elegant restaurant, with very polite and well informed staff. When having trouble trying to narrow down our choices, our waitress was very helpful in describing the portion sizes and flavours of the dishes. We wanted to try a wide array of different dishes here, as the menu has many different sections, and all of them were exceptional.

Having dined at several Michelin-listed restaurants, I can confidently say that this Restaurant stands out as a true culinary gem. From the moment you step through the doors, you're transported to a world of culinary excellence and Japanese hospitality. The ambiance is refined yet inviting, setting the stage for an unforgettable dining experience. The staff are knowledgeable, attentive, and passionate about sharing their love for Japanese cuisine with every guest. Whether you're a seasoned food enthusiast or new to Japanese cuisine, you'll feel welcomed and well taken care of from start to finish. Thank you for the BD cake 🎂

My Fiancé brought me here for a surprise birthday dinner. We had the Kaiseki menu, and we loved it! From reception, to the service, the staff brought forward their best performance and enhanced the experience. It was a multi course dinner that was designed to play with your senses and create an unique experience that harmonizes with each course that came before and will come after. Being seated at the bar only made the experience even better. The staff were so friendly, explaining each course and the meaning behind them, and were very attentive without being overbearing. After the spectacular dinner, we had the chance to sip at some tea while chatting it up with the chefs and servers when they had a few seconds.

Thinning out the truth… I have heard both the good and the bad about this place, therefore, decided to check it out myself. This place is located on the NE corner of W.16th ave and Macdonald in Vancouver. There is free street parking available around the restaurant area. It has an outside patio setup, I assume it’s open during the warmer weather season? Inside is quite compact but enough space separation among tables to dine comfortably. The sushi bar and kitchen is located on the back center so it’s quite visible to all diners. I do suggest a reservation is recommended during peak dining hours especially on the weekends. Here were the food I ordered; 1. Miso soup. Nice and hot, it was okay but pretty basic. 2. Anago tempura. Nicely done with a light thin layer of crisp tempura batter. 3. Wagyu striploin steak toban-yaki. The sweetness of the sauce was too much and strong, overpowering the flavour of the steak. Plus the steak had a little powdery texture when chewing it. 4. 7 kind of sashimi selection. All the specialty fishes were fresh although the Hokkaido scallops could be sweeter. The slices on some of the fishes were a bit rough and choppy, could be cleaner to give it that quality presentation. Lastly, the portions were too small and thin. I don’t mind bite size but have to be adult bite size not kiddo bite size or sample size. 5. BC Dungeness crab California roll. It was okay, I would say it was quite lacking in presentation and evenly rolling it. Had a better version of this at a few other places. 6. Local uni, Hokkaido uni, Akami, chu-toro nigiris. They were fresh and tasty. The sushi rice was nicely cooked and seasoned. 7. Tamago. Always like house made tamago. Nice texture, nice balance of sweetness and taste with the rice. Overall, the dining experience here was okay. It had a nice little vibe and somewhat of a simple elegance even due to its compact size. The service here was quite applauding from all the staffs. They were very informative on the menu and the food being served, empty dishes were cleared promptly and assuring the table was cleaned at all time, plates were changed in between different courses of the meal, and our server was very professional and attentive. Lastly, all the staffs (I really mean all the staffs) said thank you and good bye when leaving. The service here really put a lot of the fine dining restaurants especially the downtown area to shame. As for the food, they quite a nice selection of fishes here you don’t find at most Japanese restaurants. However, they are on the pricey side, definitely have room for both improvement and a bit of adjustment. The pricey side I don’t mind but it has to be on an acknowledging level, meaning it needs a good reason to justify itself. For example, the sashimis not so thin? As always I am keeping my reviews real and only the truth…

Always looking for new restaurants, I stumbled upon this restaurant while driving around one day. I brought my friend along to catch up, who is a big fan of Japanese food (especially Sushi). Forgot to consider the pricing of this restaurant, but it's definitely an upscale place to enjoy once in a while. For what we paid, I would say that the food was really tasty, from the Sablefish to the Duck Udon, everything was a hit. A restaurant to dress up, the service is top-notch with no error in sight. Would love to go again once I save up for another lovely night

Had Christmas eve dinner here. Service was great, the restaurant had a good ambience. Quality of the food was very inconsistent though. Sockeye salmon tartar and tori hot pot are great but not mind-blown. The tempura is a disaster. The coating is thick, oily and soggy. The wagyu striploin doesn’t taste like wagyu at all. The flavor and texture are more like the grass fed beef you can get from supermarkets. These ingredient and cooking technique flaws are not what we would expect from an upscale Japanese restaurant.

Great food, decent service, and neighbourhood street parking. Parking is free neighbourhood street parking since the small parking lot in front has been converted into an outdoor patio. This neighbourhood has plenty of that. The food was great. I had to adjust my perception of the dishes as they were all tapas-style small dishes. This post-pandemic era of pricing makes most prices a little high but worth it still if you value great food. We had two servers, the first one was fine as he only took our order. I saw he later was serving the tables on the patio. The second server was fine, too, but his presence was missed a couple of times when we desired something. This could be due to the location of our table being tucked around a corner and didn't have visibility from the main part of the dining room. Both were professional, friendly, and accommodating of my companions' requests for recommendations. I first ate here at Zest and now at Yuwa. I will definitely be back.

Yuwa is a neighbourhood staple. From the food, the service, and the ambience, everything was great. The menu offered a variety of delicious dishes, the ingredients were fresh, the food was plated nicely - and most importantly, it was delicious. All the items we got that were fried, we could not taste the oil nor did it feel greasy, which was great. The service was also fantastic: friendly and hospitable. Would come again.