We got to this cafe around 11:30am or so. There was not a lot of customers. We could pick our seats and table randomly. We spent some time to look at the menu and decided what we wanted. We ordered a cup of matcha latte, a cup of chai latte and a very pork belly teri combo. It took a while for the chef to cook the food. It was worth the wait though! We got the latte first. The matcha latte could be unsweetened or sweetened. We chose the unsweetened but it was so good! We were sure the sweetened one must be good! The chai latte was very unique and had some cinnamon flavour but it was not too strong to cover the latte. Excellent! And their cups were having a Japanese style with their special design. The very pork belly teri combo was with rice, some salad, miso soup, some sour veggies as appetizers and a mini dessert. Oh my Goodness!!! The presentation was very pretty! We could definitely tell that the chef spent time and effort to cook the food and presented it on the dishes. It was unbelievable delicious! The pork belly was very tendered that it melt in our mouth right away. The sauce that went with the pork belly and rice was very unique that we had never tried anywhere else. The veggies, soup and everything were so good that we literally wanted to eat more and more. We could choose a mini dessert, so we had picked a small chocolate cupcake. It was not just a normal mini cupcake. It was crispy outside and chewy inside. It was so good and delicious. The Japanese servers were very friendly and polite. We had al those compliments about this cafe especially the food. I could eat it every day!! This cafe is right on East Hastings. You can find street parking. We love to come back here in the near future!! read more

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After learning that Basho Cafe had closed its doors, I was devastated. Where would I get my authentic matcha pastry fix now? Where else could I find indulgent matcha brownies, aromatic sesame shortbread cookies, and red bean mochi muffins to satisfy my craving on short notice? So you can imagine how elated I was to find out that Yama had opened up shop, with essentially the same menu and dessert offerings. Curious about how similar it was to its predecessor, I ventured out to Yama for lunch on a weekday last week. My companion and I shared a tuna tataki rice bowl and upgraded to a lunch set (accompanied by the soup of the day, desserts, and small side dishes) for a small surcharge. Portion wise, the lunch set was the same as Basho's. The tuna was nicely prepared and they clearly put a lot of thought into the presentation of the side dishes, with homemade Japanese pickles and veggies as the accompaniments. The cauliflower soup was the feature that day and it was aromatic and light, with some sunflower seeds as a garnish. On our way out, we grabbed chai and matcha lattes to go with some baked goods. The chai was on the watery side but the matcha was every bit as full-bodied and delicious as I had remembered it. However, neither compared to the white chocolate matcha brownie I demolished upon returning to the car. I'll definitely be back. read more

Yama Cafe - Tuna tataki lunch set - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Yuzu ponzu salsa tuna tataki their use of strawberries instead of tomatoes in their salsa! Very refreshing and tasty summer rice bowl! Hidden gem strictly enforced social distancing! Love their bakery! read more

Yama Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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My coworker recommended this place for their tea drinks and desserts. So, I have been trying to find time to visit this place for a while now. Yama Cafe is a small gluten free cafe featuring a limited lunch menu and some tea flavoured desserts. We came here for lunch so if you are in a hurry, I would not recommend picking this place for a quick lunch. We ordered: - 4.5/5 - Tuna Tataki salad bowl for $12.95 + lunch set add on for $4. Tuna tataki salad bowl is light and delicious. The lunch set included a small side, soup and a moffin. Portion seems a bit small and was not filling but I did enjoy it. -4/5 - Very Pork Belly salad/rice bowl for $12.95. Pork belly was very tender coated in a teriyaki sauce. Overall good. I also picked up some gluten free desserts to go: matcha almond cookies, lavender earl grey cookies, matcha moffin, hojicha moffin and earl grey moffin. The desserts were nice. The earl grey moffin was the most flavorful of the moffins. Moffin = mochi muffin. 4/5 We will have to return back and try the afternoon dessert set so I can try the matcha and hojicha lattes. As mentioned earlier, this cafe is small. The kitchen is small and the counter space is limited. One complaint is the trays for the set lunch are placed by the cashier where customers placed their orders. The trays are placed by the cashiers while the lunch is being prepared and this can be a food safety concern since customers can unintended cough on the food while placing their order. read more

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Had a chance to visit this cafe on Monday (Nov 12) - cafe was so cute. The staff were super friendly and the cafe felt cozy! I got the matcha latte and a bunch of pastries. Everything tasted amazing - my favourite had to be the matcha brownie. Usually places don't put enough matcha (I personally love a distinctive/strong matcha taste), but this brownie had the perfect amount of matcha which I LOVED. I will definitely be coming back! read more

Yama Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This cafe is an adorable, hidden gem. The decor is lovely inside and the staff was really welcoming and friendly! We arrived at around 12:30 pm on a Thursday and it was pretty packed, although there was one table open. You order and pay up at the counter and then take a number with you to your seat. This place is really kid friendly and busy, so maybe not the place if you are looking for a quiet lunch. I got the pork belly bowl while my friend got the tuna tataki bowl with the lunch set. I really enjoyed the pork belly, it was thick and had some fat but didn't feel overly greasy or heavy. I had a piece of my friend's tuna which was fresh and had the right texture and taste. It's kind of out of the way for me but I'm definitely going to come back! read more

Yama Cafe - Matcha muffin, earl grey muffin - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Can this place be more perfect? It's a beautiful cafe, the employees are so sweet and patient. It seems the family's kiddos were playing board games. It feels so homey and comfortable. I always seek out anything I find a connection to regarding my identity (hafu). This was really comforting for me. I ordered the breakfast set with salad, perfect size and every bite was delicious. I recommend getting rice instead, or both the salad & rice. I like the corn in the salad. Everything was cut into small bites, which I liked. Partner ordered the black sesame latte with almond (no coffee in it), and it was PERFECT. I don't like sweets and this was light and creamy. We also ordered manju and moffins, I recommend trying anything you're interested in. The quality, care and love is apparent in every bite. And it warms my heart to see the pieces of their family decorating the cafe, like the kiddos artwork or the doraemon kakigori machine. Will return read more

If you are ever looking for cafes to satisfy your matcha crave, Yama Cafe would be the go-to place. Formerly known as Basho Cafe, Yama Cafe is a cozy Japanese cafe, which retained almost the same menu and atmosphere from before. It serves breakfast and lunch sets, afternoon sweets, and a large selection of beverages. And more importantly, they are ALL gluten-free and made in-house. I love studying and grabbing a snack or two from here. Though the cafe can get pretty busy, it is never too loud to a point that I would get distracted. I was back again for a media event to discover more on the menu and this cozy cafe itself. To read more, please visit: https://pigoutyvr.com/2018/03/24/yama-cafe read more

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It really sucks that I have to write this, because I gave them 4 stars before, but then I ate the dorayaki and it was completely stale. I took one bite and immediately gagged. It tasted rotten and sour, and as a result I have to change my rating to a 1 star rating because serving customers stale food is completely unacceptable. Hopefully this is just a one off thing, because their other items are quite good, but unfortunately this experience left a ~sour~ taste in my mouth. read more

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Transport you to a magical place with the sweetest family! We ordered basically everything and enjoyed it all so much! You can really tell how much they care about the details! The latte art was so cute and endearing! The moffins, strawberry mochi daifuku, matcha brownies were delicious. Kids meal was so special. Loved everything and really cant wait to be back! read more

One of my favourite dessert cafe's in Vancity. Though they do lunch too, I usually go there for the matcha latte's and the desserts. All the desserts I've tried here are amazing. Light and not too sugary. The matcha latte's here are great and the latte art is awesome. I tried the Yama cake, which is their take on the strawberry short cake. It is really really good. I'd like to try out their lunch options someday Food : Great Service :Friendly Ambiance : Cozy Worth the price : Aww yisss read more

Yama Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I haven't been here since Basho closed, but am I glad to say that Yama is a worthy successor of the business! Interior looked identical, pretty much. The food is slightly different as well. I ordered the vegetable bowl lunch set while my friend ordered the tuna tataki. It blew my mind, from the presentation to the flavor. Everything tasted wonderful and it was really filling as well. The soy black sesame latte was one of the best coffees I've ever had. I couldn't even tell it was made with soy milk! The flavor was bold, nutty, and went perfect with the food. Kinda reminded me of Chinese tangyuan. The two reasons why I couldn't give it 5 stars though: 1) the matcha moffin was dry and bland. I wasn't a huge fan of it, compared to how Basho's was in the past. 2) my friend's miso soup was just flat out gross. It was so salty that she was chugging water after a couple of sips. Overall, very good. Just avoid the miso soup! read more

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Heartwarming, authentic, delicious traditional Japanese breakfast. We had the mackerel and the salmon options - loved the family atmosphere and energy! read more

UPDATE** Came back to try their pork belly rice lunch set - it was really yummy! Japanese rice topped with flavourful pork belly with salad on the side - it was a good portion. Also tried their forest drink which was matcha latte with coffee jelly and it was quite refreshing! Ordered half sweet and it was perfect for me. Customer service is always so friendly and I can't get over how much I ADORE the ambiance here. It's so cozy and feels like home. Of course I bought a to-go box of treats to nibble on at home as well. I was really bummed out when I heard that Basho had closed.. their hours were only open during my work hours, and the one day I took a day off to visit - they were closed. Recently my friend told me that Yama cafe had took its place and we decided to check it out. So glad that we did because I'm sure their menu is similar to Basho, and I was very impressed. There isn't much seating, but the interior is cute, cozy & bright. I decided to get their lunch set and a box of desserts to take home. The tuna tataki salad was delicious and my friend and I both cleaned our plates. The carrot soup was served nice and hot. You can tell that everything here is fresh and the quality is all there. Moving on to the desserts - what I would have originally came for! Everything was what I had imagined to be, the desserts were not sickeningly sweet and the flavours of the matcha and hochija were outstanding. Will definitely be back to try everything on their menu. This would be a great place to study/work and enjoy a few treats and a coffee. Can't wait to come back! read more

Good place to hangout and enjoy healthy light Japanese dish/desserts/coffee/tea. There are mix of small and large tables to support different party sizes. I noticed very few people would actually come to study or do their work here. I'd say this is one of the best Japanese cafe around in the area. Ordered several light sweets and their matcha latte. Their matcha is very good. Many matcha dessert nowadays are very sweet and artifically flavored. But not theirs. Very condensed, has a real matcha taste and not too sweet. read more

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Came here with my friend for afternoon tea and desserts. I got the matcha with no sugar and a slice of strawberry cake. The matcha was handmade in front of me. It tasted really authentic too; similar to Tsujiri in Toronto (probably Kyoto matcha)--bitter and delicious. The strawberry cake was super soft as well and layered with different ingredients. My friend got the matcha latte and it had a very pretty looking pour. The matcha cupcake had lots of mochi / sticky rice filling inside of it, giving it a really interesting (in a good way) taste. I used to come here when it was Sansho. Even though it's Yama now, it's still just as delicious and aesthetic as it was before. The decor was super cute and eye catching and the waiters were friendly. I will definitely come back again. read more

Yama Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Sooooo good!! Healthy simple food! Matcha tea without sugar and additives, very tasty tuna tataki, gluten free light dessert options, nice staff,... Love it! read more

This is a darling little Japanese cafe with bowls, breakfast sets, desserts and various teas and coffees. It is a bit of a wait for the food but it is worth it. The tuna tataki bowl was delicate yet so flavourful. The almost silky black sesame latte just warms your soul on a rainy day. Excellent meal, friendly service in peaceful, rustic surroundings. read more

Yama Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I love this place. The staff are very kind, and the food is really tasty. The latte art is cute, too! Also the prices are cheap. read more

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Great place to eat alone! No escaping the fact that this is the 'new basho' which is entirely a good thing. Had the tuna tataki lunch set with rice bowl, an iced americano, and an extra matcha muffin thing. Delish side dishes though I wished the pickled items were more pickled. Rice was too hot for the rice bowl which partially cooked the tuna. Otherwise, a great lunch. Coffee is nice and strong. Baked goods will not disappoint. Sit, relax, and watch the world go by. read more

Yama Cafe - Tuna Tataki Lunch set - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I went here because a friend recommended it to me. The neighborhood is kind of unexciting, but the cafe itself is cozy and comfortable. The food was very good, I had the vegan bowl. I also had the matcha cafe latte, which was unique to me and delicious. The workers there were very friendly and made me feel welcomed. It will definitely return read more

I was sad to hear that Basho Cafe was closing. It was one of the cutest cafes ive ever been to. When i saw that they were re opening as Yama cafe; i was happy again! Nothing has changed except for minor decor and small change to their menu. I had the tuna tataki, which was my usual go to. Same taste as before. I cant remember what Basho served with it, but they added some grape fruit to it. They had a black seasme dressing for the veggies on the side. My fiance had the very belly pork teri. He said it was really good, the mustard was good. We didnt come hungry but we cleaned our plates. read more

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Last call for dine in is at 2:30. The food is good, and the staff are friendly! Loved the tuna tataki bowl the most. There's hand sanitizer and staff are taking necessary measures to keep the restaurant clean. Just remember to bring a jacket though - they keep the front door open and I happened to go on an extremely windy day. read more

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Former Basho cafe spot, finally get to try. Price range around the same, drinks and sweets it's awesome. Ordered pull pork and vegeterian lunch set (vegeterian dish not as good as basho, vegetables are fresh but no taste on the sauce. I do feel like i am a cow chewing on grass lol) lunch set comes with soup 2 cold appy and 2 sweets. I will sure return next time. Just love their sweets. read more

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This is an interesting warm family own Japanese cafe, feels like home. Order a Tuna tataki salad bowl and a london fog. I have no complaints about my order. They are great, I definitely will come back for other dish. They have some nice Japanese dessert too. read more

Yama Cafe - Tuna takaki salad and a london fog - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Bought some of the baked goods, and they were good. Mochi strawberry and the cakes were very soft. They also have food menu there, but I didn't get to try. read more

Yama Cafe - Mochi strawberry - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Cute set lunch with such a great variety of food. It included the main, two veggie side dishes, a soup and desserts. Everything in the set lunch was really good especially the mochi brownies. read more

This place feels like a lovely little Cafe in Kichijoji. The daily morning set menu seems to change constantly, so that's exciting. I had a salmon morning set and it was delicious. The matcha latte was excellent. read more

Yama Cafe - Morning salmon set and matcha latte - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

amazing experience! first off-- the entire cafe has got such a cozy, warm ambience. the mismatched decor, the artisan plates... just from those you can tell there's a lot of love. the employees are extremely friendly: A+ service! they have a great selection of loose-leaf teas, with jars of tea leaves you can smell as a sample. pair it with any of their pastries. i recommend the matcha "brownie". it's not overly sweet at all and the matcha flavour is nice and pronounced, with walnuts adding an awesome texture. you can taste the love!!! read more

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This place has a real family vibe. Always greeted with a smile by the staff. The food that they make is always very fresh and they use many organic products. I have never been disappointed here even thou I have been here over 20 times in the past 2 years. Absolutely 2 thumbs up. Also I think their Toro is the best in town for the price. Their gomae is out of this world with their unique sesami sauce. Last but not least they have the best royal milk tea ! You will not be disappointed ! read more

Yama Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Just like I remember from Basho. It's got the same decor, same seating and even the same food. I love coming here because the food is always so good (Tuna tataki ftw!) and the service is always good. There is a bit of a language barrier but they work hard and always have a ready smile. When our meals took a bit longer than normal to come out, they have us an extra piece of mochi as part of our lunch set. This place is really popular so it can be hard to get a seat. Don't be one of those people taking up a seat when you're finished your meal! read more

I absolutely LOVE this place. Where do I even start? During my visit here, I added to my order 3 times. Now, that sounds excessive, but I couldn't stop eating the little treats that they sold. In fact, after I had finished my desserts, I went up to the counter to buy my parents a pack of treats - then my grandparents - and then another pack to take away for myself. The decor is adorable. I was able to get a seat right up against the window and it was incredibly comfortable and they even had some games there for us to play. We had lunch and lattes before the treats and both were fantastic. I hadn't been to this location since it was Basho so this was definitely a pleasant surprise. The service is great and everything was reasonably priced. It's too bad that I don't live closer to the area or else I'd be back in a heartbeat! read more

If you have a little one, this is the place for you. There are toys to play with and the cutest kid lunch set for $7.95. Great family atmosphere. September 9, 2021. read more

I can't stop coming here! The atmosphere is wonderful and the staff are all very friendly and welcoming. Every drink I've had so far has been amazing! I really like the Macha Latte. I've had the lunch combo three times now and it's always good. The Pork Teri falls apart in my mouth! Since it is a Cafe, it's a bit pricey if you're on a budget. But Yama Cafe is the perfect place to treat yourself! read more

Yama Cafe - The Chai Latte! (a Yama Cafe original) 4 bucks - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Lunch combo: $19 *Appetizer: carrot and potatoe soup-3.5/5* It was pretty good, but it was also very, very thick, as if there was too much corn/potatoe starch. *Main dish: Half toro, half tuni tataki bowl on white rice-2/5* My bf and I are both tuna tataki aficionados. The one we received looked nice, but also very different from what we usually have in other places, with thinner and longer slices. A real close up to the fish was required to barely distinguish the toro from the regular tuna. We actually and sadly weren't able to taste any difference once in the mouth. The chili flakes on top (mentioned nowhere on the menu), didn't do much to help. The fish was also lukewarm, probably due to the fact that is was on the warm rice. *Desert: moffin-1/5* It was chewy, and rather bland. I wouldn't recommend it. *Desert set: $6,80* Strawberry sponge cake-4/5 Barely sweet, great and generous amount of whipping cream, fresh strawberries and with a good portion size. This is was a winner. *Almond Milk Chai Latte- 2/5* I honestly make it better myself. It was simply not good. *Butter cooky: $0.50?*-4/5 A bit to greasy, but tasted very good. Service: 4/5 Staff seemed nice. They brought us our food every time, drinks included. They said "hi" upon our arrival and also when we left, which is so uncommon that I really feel the need to mention it. Atmosphere: 4/5 We were in the front window: the best spot for lots of light even on a rainy day like it was. There was a game on the table and so we spent the entire time discovering it and playing at it: we liked it. Going back? Yes, but not for a meal, that my bf found disappointing. However, the Dessert set convinced the both us, as well as the nice environment and rather friendly staff. We had a good time. read more

Had a variety of tiny cakes and lattes. Nothing special but cute little cafe. I would say it's worth walking into if you're in that area. read more

Yama Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I had lunch here at Yama Cafe, a cute Japanese eatery in East Van. Ordered their special of the day which was the seafood Dorian and made it a meal which included a soup, salad and desserts. The soup was really tasty. It was butternut squash and had the right level of sweetness. The seafood Dorian was comfort food to me - a thick creamy sauce with a variety of seafood over rice. It was tasty but could have used a bit more flavour. My favorite is the desserts here as I love the mochi cupcakes and mini pastries! read more

Yama Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Kind service, cozy atmosphere, jazzy unobtrusive tunes, and quality food lovingly presented. Had the morning set (weekdays only until 11 am): 2 rice balls, daily soup and pickles. Got $1 off my matcha latte for ordering with the set. Was pleasantly surprised to have some very tasty filling in the rice balls. Love that they serve the matcha in a beautiful authentic pottery bowl. The only disruption was the super loud blender that they use in the open kitchen. Went on a few too many times during our otherwise peaceful breakfast. read more

Yama Cafe - Moffin matcha (taste different than Basho's recipe), matcha latte unsweetened, morning set - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

- So cozy and warm inside, there are not many seats but it each table area is unique and homey - Hand made items for sale - Desserts on display are about 1.5$ each, quite small, delicate and flavorful, perfect as gifts or a snack read more

This quaint and cozy family run Japanese cafe has plenty of delightful sweets and a huge array of specialty teas. They also serve simple yet hearty lunches and seasonal special set courses throughout the year. We got their popular seared tuna and pork belly, which totally satisfied our hungry kids, though wish their protein portions were slightly more generous for its price. I very much enjoyed my afternoon cake with matcha latte. Their moffins (muffin and mochi ball fusion) are definitely worth trying. You won't be disappointed. There's also a small play area for toddlers, so diners can relax and enjoy while watching the tots. Yama cafe is pretty far from my neck of the woods, but will love to pop in should we visit the area. read more