Worm in Edemame. Yuck Food was ok, except for the WORM thing. Service is good. Always quiet when we go. I'll most likely NOT be returning in the future. read more

This is a great Irvine hidden gem close to Sand Canyon and Barranca. The sushi is fresh and delicious, tempura appetizer is great for sharing, and they have the best sashimi salad! read more

Yasai Japanese Grill - Sashimi Salad - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

My workplace had a free lunch outing here. I got a chicken katsu curry plate and spicy tuna roll. My first impressions of the food were that the portion sizes were huge. My katsu curry came with a giant side of salad too. Thick cuts of katsu were on top of a bed of rice with a cup of curry on the side. The curry taste was above average but also kind of bland. The katsu was fried crispy and not dry. The spicy tuna roll was also packed with spicy tuna. Overall, the food was pretty good. I think my meal came out to be around $20 but I didn't have to pay for it. For a choice as a company lunch, this was one of the better picks. read more

Yasai Japanese Grill - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Went to pick up an order for California rolls(same order as always) when we got there the order was incorrect. I notified the server and she said since it is sushi and she already made it, I would have to pay for it. I declined and asked for my original order and she said no. Very rude service and she was not willing to correct her mistake. Will not be going back there again read more

Had a great experience here at lunch today. Ordered their spicy salmon roll and Hawaiian roll. My friend ordered the spicy tuna roll and rainbow roll. Let me just tell you the sushi here is made fresh and they are big rolls. Each order comes with a side of salad and hot miso soup. Friendly staff. Didn't wait too long for the food. Nice atmosphere. Will definitely come back again soon read more

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Delicious and fresh. We got the spicy chicken and salmon bowls. Both really good. About $15 each. Service very friendly. Would definitely recommend. read more

Yasai Japanese Grill - Spicy Chicken Breast Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Casual mom and pop sushi spot! This was our weekly go-to during the pandemic and recently returned. The sweet worker recognized my husband's voice over the phone and even remembered our order! Of course prices have gone up since then but pricing is still pretty standard / in line with the other sushi spots in the area. We love the Washington Roll and sushi combo C (6 piece nigiri, crunch roll, salad, miso soup)! read more

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Found this place thanks to Yelp! Nothing fancy, just fresh-cooked traditional Japanese food. Called ahead and picked up our order. We got salmon bowl ($14) and salmon plate ($16). There was a big piece of salmon, lightly covered in sauce, served with rice and coleslaw. It felt pretty healthy. If you get the plate, you'll get a salad, but less coleslaw, and a veggie kabob for the extra $2 more than the bowl (I'd stick with the bowl, unless you really want that veggie kabob). My daughter got a California roll ($10.95), which came with coleslaw and miso soup. It came with a side of teriyaki sauce, which I thought was kind of odd, but she put it on her roll. Sigh. Plenty of parking since it's in an office park. read more

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So my company provides month-end close lunches for our staff. Working hard & having yummy food is of a huge matter to me. After we did some yelp digging we found Yasai! This mom & pop shop does not disappoint. There is such variety that could accommodate pretty much anyone & those with vegetarian or dietary restrictions. Just earlier this month we called in for a special order for a colleague cuz her order was pretty strict & Yasai was able to make it! Teriyaki tofu plate w/ no rice & salad dressing on the side. She said it was delish! We couldn't be more happier to give them any business they can get. We have ordered lunch from them twice now with 15-20 orders each time. What makes it convenient for us was that we were able to place the order online & ahead of time! In the comment of each order we placed my colleague's name & any notes needed. We did call Yasai to inform them of a huge order coming through for what day & to please make sure each order has a name on it. They were very accommodating! They have gotten every order right & nothing was missed. My colleagues were very happy with their food selection. They claim the beef & chicken were tender & well seasoned. Some said additional sauces isn't even needed. All was fresh tasting too. I truly do love how their plates comes with veggie skewers too! What I have had so far was all very yummy! What I have had & : [5.0/5.0] Yaki Udon Beef -- [4.5/5.0] Sashimi Salad w/ Ponzu Sauce [5.0/5.0] Salmon + Tempura + Crunch Roll Combo [4.5/5.0] Udon Soup [5.0/5.0] Oriental & Sumi Salad If you guys are looking for individual ordering or even group/office ordering Yasai is a great spot to get food & humbling service from! I can't wait to come back here for their food :) read more

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So good that I forgot to take a photo before I start eating... and that says everything read more

Yasai Japanese Grill - Beef Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

This place is good. I come here about once a week with my coworker. I've never had a bad experience. I do recommend ordering ahead and picking up during lunch hours. The rolls come with salad and miso. I'm basic so I usually get a California roll, but I've had the unagi dragon roll and it was very good. Place is clean and staff is very friendly. I would recommend this location! read more

I come here at least 3x a month! It is located in a business complex with tons of corporate offices so expect that parking lot to be jam packed / the wait pretty long during the lunch rush hours. Luckily, I only ever come after work hours when I'm craving a Hot Night roll for dinner (shrimp tempura and spicy tuna? Yum!!!) so the lot is practically empty by then. The owner is the sweetest woman ever so yes, the service is a ten. There are tables to eat at inside but I typically take my food to go. Love this place! read more

I had food here while catching up with an old friend. I haven't seen her for 2 years but management let us talk for an hour. This restaurant is your typical Asian fast food place! It is literally next to Blizzard but on the Laguna Canyon street side. read more

Yasai Japanese Grill - Amanda 3 - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Haven't been here in so long, forgot how good the food is. I went hiking down the street and placed my order over the phone. Fast service. read more

Yasai Japanese Grill - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Great teriyaki chicken lunch! They call it the Chicken Breast Plate. It comes with 2 scoops of rice, a vegetable skewer, mixed green salad, and coleslaw. It is plenty to make you feel full. Be sure to ask for a side of spicy mayo as it goes great with the salad and coleslaw, and even goes good with the rice. They also have bowls which simply come with less stuff, like no veggie skewer. And of course they have sushi, which I'll have to try next time. I must say it is freezing cold inside the restaurant as they blast the AC. read more

Hidden sushi spot by the Kaiser and Hoag hospital structures in Irvine. Small restaurant. Looks unassuming. The food is quite good though. The sushi really stands out - tastes fresh, flavorful, and the rolls aren't drenched in sauces / random fillings. We didn't try any of the plates / bowls but they also looked tasty. Nice outdoor seating. Very friendly service. If you go in a group order ahead. read more

Really great little out of the way, casual Japanese restaurant. Rolls are good, service is great and prices are reasonable. Recommend calling ahead as some orders can take a little longer. Ordering online = limited menu + increased price, so calling is the way to go. read more

Yasai Japanese Grill - Crunch roll combo (included miso soup) - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Pretty good place! Solid mom and pop shop with really good sushi portions. Given the area, this place provides the most affordable option for a cheap sushi bite. :) read more

Stopped here because I had some time to kill before heading into work, and was craving sushi. Decided not to read reviews for some reason but I'm glad I didn't because I went in with an open mind. I was immediately greeted by a very sweet lady who took my order. I ordered a spicy tuna roll and a side crunch roll. I had planned on not eating it all and just saving it for later but the rolls were soooo good that I just downed it all in one sitting. That is probably one of the best spicy tuna rolls I have had. It had a little bit of sweet to it which was an interesting change for that roll but made sense and was super tasty! Great quality of food for a pick up place! I was pleasantly surprised! will definitely come back if I'm in the area!! read more

I like spicy port bowl and salmon bowl. They're really tasty! The restauran't vibe is not like fancy, but the taste is awesome

The food is delicious and doesn't disappoint. All items are made fresh and wonderful. I ordered the chicken plate and loved it. We also ordered the salmon plate which was beyond delicious! Cant wait to go again. We also love their ginger. Thank you for a great experience. Location does get busy at lunch time. And the ambiance is good. read more

The front counter person needs better training I ordered sushi but instead of soy sauce for my wasabi she gave me teriyaki sauce

Second time to visit this restaurant. We order a salmon bowl, beef and chicken combo. The salmon bowl is very delicious but the size is a little bit small. read more

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Yasai is now my favorite Japanese restaurant, their food especially the rolls are fabulous; there is NO competition. Service is excellent and has a great ambiance. Thank you! read more

This restaurant is very good service & taste place. Staff is very kind! Best place for Lunch and to go with friends read more

So good and great prices. Anytime I'm in the area I have to stop by. Hope these places are not suffering too much because of Covid. I try to support them as much as possible. Food is always fresh and delicious. Support local business and give this place a shot. The number 19 is killer and way too much food. Staff is always friendly and dining area is always clean. read more

Yasai Japanese Grill - Number 19 combo great deal and fresh - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

I made online order at 12 for 12:45 pick up, i showed up at 12:55 and order was not ready , i waited and waited while about 5 customers came in and out, i went up Nd asked again and the lady said it was coming soon. Waited another 10 and asked for a refund instead, the cook came up because it had been done, it had been sitting there since i arrived but the lady in front never checked. Took my whole lunch time read more

Great Japanese food! Small establishment, but the food is great! Great service and the prices are very reasonable.

Wanted to try this spot out of curiosity. I got the spicy chicken with rice plate. The salad that came with the plate actually tasted more flavorful than the chicken. Portion : good size Price : value Flavor : the food tasted pretty bland read more

A lovely chicken breast plate that is rather healthy and great portioned for a lunch. The side salads were great too

Been comming to Irvine for some review courses on the weekends. Ordered the Sashimi Bowl as usual. The service is great, friendly and quick! The inside is clean. Yes, other places will have better quality sashimi bowls, but as a fast food place and for the price, I can't complain. Salad, greens, cucumbers, avacado, rice, assortments of sashimi in big slices, yummy ponzu sauce all nicely presented in a black plastic bowl... so full Definetely will come back again read more

Yasai Japanese Grill - Sashimi Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

I've been coming here for over 10 years. It's reasonably priced can get super busy with the business center lunch rush so come before noon or after 1:30pm. Food is good, sushi is surprisingly good for a none sit down sushi restaurant. Spicy tuna cut roll is my favorite. The miso soup is also done right. The staff is friendly. Convenient. Good place for lunch. Should try it out. read more

I'm really mad at this place. I used to come here frequently when I lived in the area. Today, my spouse was there and offered to bring me something home for lunch. On the menu, on Yelp, it was listed as being $7.30. The thing I ordered, exactly what was listed on the menu as costing $7.30, ending up costing $16. They don't have a website with up to date info. They just rely on you using out of date Yelp menu info so you go there, and overspend, even when you do your research. Food is fine for $5-$8, but it is fast food quality. The idea of them charging more than I would pay at a nice sit down place for what is grocery store level sushi, and then falsely advertising a low price is insulting. My spouse is now going to be in the area a lot due to an office move. We aren't going back. Super skeezy move Yasai. read more

Notice to Management: The young girls at the front should probably keep in mind that they aren't the only people who speak Korean and that if they decide to talk shit and giggle about customers, they should do it out of ear shot. Just because someone doesn't look Korean (or even Asian), that doesn't mean they can't speak your language. Just saying. Prices are kind of high for what you get, but the portions are large since this is a Korean owned "Japanese" restaurant. You feel full but that's only because there's a lot of rice. Quality of the meat is not really great, but the vegetables are always fresh. Put it this way: If you live in the Irvine bubble and don't know any better, or if you have no other options but to eat here since you work in this megalopolis that is the corporate hub of Irvine, then yeah, it's good. But if you understand that Japanese food is far from what's served here, then judge accordingly. Is it bad? No. Is it good? Sort of. Is it worth the money and the wait? Depends on who you ask. I've ordered from here a handful of times only because I work nearby, but after consistently hearing the girls making rude comments about their loyal customers, I don't think I'll be returning. Quality shouldn't only apply to food; it should also apply to people. Next. read more

Yasai Japanese Grill - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Called at 7:30 am to see if I could hear a recording of their store hours and somebody picked up! They didn't open until 10:30 am but that was impressive that they were there so early to prepare for the day. For $9 +tax, I was able to enjoy the salmon and tempura combo that came with a decent sized piece of salmon with Teri sauce, a bowl of white rice, 2 side salads (garden and coleslaw-ish), veggie kabob, and 4pc Cali rolls. Very good flavor with a healthy and fresh quality to it. I was able to eat twice with the amount of food given. This place was along the lines of Fuji Grill. For a quick and delicious meal, Yasai was perfect. read more

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Food quality is okay and I will likely continue to return for food but the ladies that work here should focus less on their phones and more on when people walk in the door! Two women here both entertained by their cellphones didn't realize I was standing in front of them for at least a minute not including my walk from the door.. the problem isn't so much the wait but rather that they're somehow getting paid to act that way. read more

I'm Asian and I always always crave for Asian food. Particularly Japanese. I was introduced to this place during a lunch outing with my firm. Surprisingly this Japanese place is behind my firm (walking distance!). This place is located in a small plaza with only 1 or two other restaurants surrounding it. The place looks clean. It is a Japanese food restaurant; however Korean people own and operate it. By no means am I racist. But would you really go to a Pho restaurant owned by white people? My example was a bit extreme but you catch my drift. Anyways, regardless of the ethnicity of the place, the people here are extremely nice! The older women working there are a little more difficult to understand but they also have younger cashiers. Previous yelp reviews noted that this place always has fresh food. Well, it tasted someone fresh. I had better. But for a place out of the blue and right behind my work, why the heck not! The first time I came here to eat, I ordered a combination: fried tempura and chicken salad. They gave you a side of white rice with it. I was trying to be safe and ordered food that wasn't hard to mess up and indeed it satisfied my Japanese craving for the week. The second time I came here, I ordered the sashimi salad because other yelp reviewers recommended it. That was pretty good! I recommend it! Perfect portion and the dressing isn't too strong. For those of you that love tea, they have that tea dispenser that has green sweetened tea, black sweetened tea, etc. MY FAVORITE! Drinks are like $1.69. Free refills! If you love wasabi, you might have to ask for 2 packets. Their wasabi isn't as strong as your typical Japanese restaurants but it will do the trick. Their wasabi comes in those packets like how ketchup packets come in. Be careful, they aren't that easy to open (like how it says "tear anywhere to open!"). I would definitely come back. How can I not? It is so conveniently located so close. I can literally walk the riverbed to lunch and back! Worthy of 4 stars! read more

Yasai Japanese Grill - Sashimi salad - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Incredible food made for your personal taste. Warm service. Order the food ahead because it will take time. Good tasting food always takes time. You won't go wrong with any choice on the menu. read more

Cheap, fast and good ? Very rare to find all of these three qualities in Irvine. You know what I mean by that - it's a cookie cutter city, not really very many mom and pop or hole in the wall places so this one is a great one conveniently located less than a mile from work. Stay away from 12-1pm because its a zoo, all the Blizzard folk are out as well as all the people who work in the surrounding offices. I have had their sushi rolls, bowls and salads and have never been disappointed. My fave ? Spicy chicken plate with comes with chicken breast (2) drenched in a spicy sauce, side of rice and 2 salads (one cabbage and one greens). Under $9 ? That's less than disgusting Flame Broiler for real chicken. Call in your order for pick up and you'll be in and out under 10 minutes. read more

Yasai Japanese Grill - Spicy chicken breast plate. Not pictured - side salads included. - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

This place is tiny but has great prices for a great amount of food. I work at the hospital right down the street and we often get it for lunch which is such a treat. The service is always great and the food is very refreshing, with a double side salad offered with many meals and some meals even California rolls as well. read more