Finally got to try this place after so long! I'm still getting used to the concept of ordering almost everything on a tablet, from food, drinks, utensils, refills + togo boxes, but it does make it efficient for the workers, but a bit harder on the customers who aren't so tech savvy. I enjoyed the items we got to try: - Tamago (I wish this erred on the oo-ey side and was a bit less salty) - Chicken Kaarage (the pieces were HUGE and juicy!) - Taiyaki (A bit doughy but it wasn't bad) - Mixed Toji (Sauce was good but the cutlet that was on the bottom was soggy) - Chicken Katsu Curry (Always good, the cutlet was so crispy) If you're looking for good Japanese comfort food, this is the place! read more

See all

Updated review with pictures. Great food, excellent service, and the best steamed rice around! I always enjoy eating here. read more

See all

Yayoi never fails to be tasty. As many mentioned, ordering is completely through a tablet, so this place is an introvert's dream! I got the salmon rice bowl set that featured egg, salmon, natto, seaweed, and other goodies that you mix with the rice. It was quite good considering I haven't tried natto in over 20 years. The interior is modern Japanese style and the staff are all quick and patient. They do their job well. I'll be back! read more

YAYOI - Salmon carpaccio free with Yelp check in! - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

ambiance was ok when we walked in had to wait even though there were clearly open seats no water/drinks were given or even offered until we flagged down a waiter to ask food was incredibly disappointing especially for the price ordered the wagyu sukiyaki the noodles were incredibly overcooked to the point of falling apart the beef tasted like cheap grocery store meat with zero marbling like wagyu. I feel a little scammed with the Wagyu label. we also got the eel set and the portion was very small especially for the price and the service would definitely not recommend or come back read more

YAYOI - Wagyu sukiyaki - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

See all

Food was decent as usual, but their service was really bad today. After serving us, they ignored us for an hour, ignoring all our requests we made using the tablet screen (water refill, ready for desert) and avoiding eye contact. The resteraunt wasn't even half full, and the staff didn't seem to be in a hurry at all. We've been coming to Yayoi for years but after an experience like this we'll have to think twice before returning. Pretty disappointing. read more

The good is really good, we have been coming back since the first time we tried. Yoyoi replaced our always go to Japanese family style restaurant now. The only thing I really unhappy is that, the staffs always spray the Lysol to clean the table, last time it was during our meal, they spray that next to our table, all I can smell is the Lysol not my food. This time happens again. It was very bad to taste and smell the strong Lysol cleaner instead of your food. Please don't do that again. read more

Such a great dining experience at Yayoi. Every bite was great. We loved the hitsumabushi, which had eel on top of rice served with dash, along with the chicken nanban, which had the most delicious tartar sauce. Japanese Western food is among my favorite cuisines. Service was efficient and ordering was as well. read more

YAYOI - Chicken nanban - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

Everything comes with a bowl of miso soup which was quite filling. The katsu was fried with a lot of layers for a super crisp bite. The moment your teeth sink through the crispy outer layer you get to enjoy the juicy chicken underneath. The sauce for the katsu is quite interesting. Yayoi provides a bowl of sesame and a grinder for you to blend fresh seasame powder into the katsu sauce. Definitely tasted a bit more fresh sesame although not sure how much this mattered. The salmon was quite fatty and fresh. Each piece was deceptively thick. The service was speedy and the price was quite reasonable for the quality. Unfortunately, they were out of omaze don when I went and that looked absolutely beautiful so I will have to come back to try that. read more

YAYOI - Chicken Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

See all

All the foods we ordered were very good and portions are good. Place is pretty roomy. Parking is good. We will be back to try other items. I do recommend this place. read more

See all

My friend and I visited this restaurant during lunch on Monday and it's a nice quiet restaurant. The servers are very nice and accommodating. My friend and I both go the Tonkotsu Ramen And Mini Don and it's a lot of food! This is definitely not the place if you want super authentic Japanese food but I think the price and portions are worth the visit. I did find soup for the ramen a bit heavy after a few bites and the salmon on the salmon don is almost completely cooked through. read more

See all

Had a pleasant experience at Yayoi San Mateo, but it's been awhile. I was happy to have learned they have a location at Cupertino! Tonkatsu Curry was simple and prepared exactly to my expectations. I've added an egg and a two piece chicken karaage. I appreciate their karaage recipe as it had a significant garlic flavor. The Yayoi Gozen has great presentation with attention to detail. Very similar to what you can get back in Japan. Orders are made through their app on their provided tablet. Some orders can be missed which was the case for us. However, we opted to not pursue it. I'm sure they would've corrected the discrepancy. read more

See all

*First time review* Got this order via takeout and it was good. I ordered the chicken katsu curry and I liked the curry. I am also glad they put the curry on the side or else it would be a big mess. The flavor of the curry was great like I mentioned but the chicken was definitely soggy. Granted I got this order to go, maybe if eating there it would be much crispier? The chicken was sitting in streamy rice so the bottom was very soggy and breading fell off. Willing to try this place in person! Will update my review when I go. read more

See all

The process of ordering food is the way to go! You have the option of looking through the menu and placing your order on the iPad. We ordered: - Chicken Katsu - Salmon Carpaccio - Tamago Yaki - Ikageso Kara Age All the appetizers were good! I liked the tamago yaki and salmon carpaccio. The chicken katsu came with rice, miso soup, salad, sauces, and other sides. I recommend ordering some pickles!! Overall, I'd come back! We were so full and it was the perfect food for the gloomy weather. I want to try the Katsu Tojo again since I don't remember what it tasted like during my first visit. read more

YAYOI - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

I'm not sure why the reviews here are not the best... I love this place. It's perfect for Japanese comfort food. And that's coming from a Japanese girl herself. This place specializes in Teishoku, meaning the set lunches. If u like eating many little dishes, this is the place for u! I tried the katsudon and sukiyaki dishes. Katsudon chicken was sooooo crispy and delicious. Sukiyaki was full of flavor. Love the side dishes too. They give u japanese pickles, seaweed salad, miso soup, udon noodles, rice, etc. The ambience of this place is nice!! Looks modern and beautiful. I like that u can order on the ipad bc it reminds me of the restaurants in Japan. Overall--would recommend this place and come again :) read more

YAYOI - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

See all

The food is great and I love the decor inside the restaurant. Only after leaving place that I realized this is actually a chain from Japan. No wonder the service was also very nice. It's a nice feature where you have a tablet on the table to place orders and ask for service. On top of the katsu don and hitsumabushi, we also ordered their ramen, sake salmon don, and a kids meal. Everything was good. The pork katsu was not only tender but very well seasoned. The hitsumabushi had eel and eggs over rice that was also delightful and very authentic. As the pictures show, the presentation of the meal was highly emphasized. Highly recommended. Go try it! read more

YAYOI - Hitsumabushi set - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

See all

1. Salmon carpaccio -Fresh salmon has a firm texture, and the flesh should spring back when pressed. The texture of the salmon carpaccio was mushy, easily falling apart when picked up by the chopsticks. This is a sign that the fish is old and going bad. As an appetizer, this is not the way to please the guest. 2. Yayoi gozen - this one is a sampler of the other main entrees, so I expected all the items in this combo to be representative of the other full size dishes. Unfortunately I was disappointed. The salmon teriyaki was good, well-flavored sauce and tender meat, but the others such as chicken katsu, salmon salad, and beef sukiyaki were unremarkable. After sampling these items in the combo, I do not feel confident order them as an entree. $30 for basic (&small quantity) of food. 3. Tonkotsu ramen with mini salmon don - would not get again. The broth tasted artificial and resembled instant ramen seasoning packets. The salmon don came with 3x pcs of salmon which was inadequate to the rice ratio. Should provide at least 5x pcs to match the ratio. read more

I got the katsu toji and it was unlike any dish I ever tried before. It was katsu but cooked in a soup/sauce type of liquid with egg so the flavor soaks into the katsu. I loved the flavor but the fact that it was so watery ruined the texture of the katsu for me. Overall was a great experience and my friends also enjoyed the variety of dishes they ordered. read more

YAYOI - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

I made a reservation ahead of time and came. Right away, we were seated. You order on the ipad and get a free 6 piece gyoza with a yelp check-in. We ordered these items: Ikageso Kara Age: deep fried squid legs were super crispy and delicious. Went well with the mayo sauce, definitely scrapped the plate with this one. Gyoza: They are your average steamed gyoza. Saba shio: It came with the fish, a side of eggplant porkbelly, seaweed, rice, and miso soup. Was very delicious and flavorful. Fills you up! Sukiyaki: sukiyaki had thick udon noodes in a soupy broth with beef. If you like udon and something sweet, give this one a try. Karage : karage was fried to perfection and was crispy as well! It was really good. Miso katsu: it came with an onsen egg and the regular set items. Wish the katsu was a bit crunchier but nevertheless still amazing! read more

See all

The food was good. My Japanese mother feels like it is very authentic, so that's a vote in their favor. She said it's the best agedashi tofu she's had in years. The beef sukiyaki in the YAYOI Gozen plate was really flavorful as well. A recent review cites the "all iPad" service order as being a bit difficult for those who aren't so tech-savvy. It's not just difficult for those who aren't tech-savvy... it's difficult for anyone as the basics aren't explained well. Ordering is clear and simple enough, and the host explained how to order refills of water through the app (which honestly seemed like an excessive requirement...why not just periodically go around with water like the rest of the world?). The frustrating things about this process were that there wasn't a way to request someone clear your trays, it was hard to find that you had to "order" extra napkins, and shocking that there was a button for "ready for dessert" that was buried in the interface. And worst was that there were no directions given about having to check out on the iPad. We ended up sitting at dinner for an extra 20-30 minutes because of the confusion around these issues (even had to say "ready for dessert" twice because the signal was cleared without being delivered". Because of the tech-driven service approach, the wait staff were all cold and essentially just an extension of the machine. I ended up giving one of the lowest percentage tips in recent history as a result. read more

If you check in on Yelp, you get a free Salmon Sashimi dish (based on my experience) I got the bento set - YAYOI Gozen. It was good with lots of variety! The matcha green tea mochi were also good. Rich matcha flavor full of personality. Last time, I also got the Omaze Don and that one is another good dish with lots of flavors and textures I also created a video on Instagram and TikTok (@colorful.eats)~ https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyHC_tqvtLk/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8rMGHsf/ read more

See all

Amazing place for Japanese comfort food! Decided to have a late lunch here and opted for the Hitsumabushi (BBQ eel over rice served with a side of dashi broth. Nagoya style​.) and Mix Toji (Pork cutlet, fried shrimp, and beef simmered in sauce and egg). The Hitsumabushi was a whole experience complete with instructions on how to best enjoy it! If you love eel, definitely treat yourself to this. The Mix Toji was really comforting. It had familiar Japanese flavors and you got to try a bit of each protein. Both meals came with a side of ride, soup/broth, and some pickles/veggie side dishes. Very well balanced with a homey feel to it. Also ordered the Agedashi Tofu which is some of the best I've ever had! Note: They have a sweet check-in deal for a 6 piece gyoza! read more

YAYOI - 913. Gyoza 6pcs - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

See all

Pork katsu curry here is fire! I have eaten katsu curry at many restaurants in the Bay Area, and this is one of the best! The pork is juicy and crispy. The curry is flavorful. I've been back here a couple times specifically for the katsu curry. I like that this restaurant does their best to honor authentic Japanese cuisine. They serve the meals on trays, and offer many side dishes as they do in Japan. read more

YAYOI - 925. Pork Katsu Curry Sashimi salmon over rice, served with udon - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

See all

I haven't been to Yayoi for maybe over 5 years and thought maybe I'd give it another go. I think the main drawback for me with the food was that it was more on the sweet side of savory. Everything tasted like sukiyaki flavor which to me, gets pretty sickening. I prefer my food to be savory and spicy. We got here around 7PM on a Friday. A good amount of people were dining though there was no wait. I believe Yayoi always had iPads at every table for your own convenience when it comes to ordering and tracking the status of your items. If only all restaurants could implement something like this. Mix toji - I love how each entree comes with miso soup, a palette cleanser side (lotus root seaweed salad), and a generous portion of rice. The mix toji is similar to the katsu toji except has one fried shrimp and a few beef pieces. The beef was chewy but very flavorful. I was a bit hesitant with how the shrimp would be but it was delicious! The pork katsu was not the best quality.. I feel like it was really hard to bite into and chew. The entire dish is very sweet just as I expected which felt heavy quickly. The side lotus root seaweed salad was nice to have in between so it didn't get as sickening. Overall, I think Yayoi is good place to grab Japanese comfort food that feels and tastes homemade; but I definitely feel like there are better options in terms of flavor (unless you like sweet sukiyaki flavor) and quality. read more

See all

You have to be trolling if you don't like this place. Top tier melt in your mouth katsu. Sauce, motor pestle sesame. So fun! They even have metal mesh that holds up the katsu. Upleveled katsudon in the katsu toji dish. Salad was good. Rice was made really well with attention to detail. Great decor and vibes. Instantaneous service and food to your mouth. Literal 5 minutes. At least in the karsu world. If you don't want katsu curry (i would do demiya because of they have nuts curry) then this place is goated. It used to be a better value proposition when it was no tip, but Holy shit it's good. I read more

$16 for basic ramen with heavy MSG , only 1 sliced pork , no other topping other than green onion . A rip off , not much service but expect tips ... won't be coming back read more

Was very excited to go here to try their Teishoku. The restaurant itself is elegant and modern. You're able to order on a tablet at your table, which is nice. Their menu has pictures of almost every item (a big plus for us visual learners). We had the sake flight which was awesome. Love how they had a chart to identify it and what to expect before giving it a taste. Overall I really enjoyed the meal. I like how there's decent portions in the teishoku so you try a lot of different flavors and textures in your meal without being overwhelmed and over-stuffed. I feel like the salmon sashimi quality could definitely be improved though. I would come again to try more of their food! read more

See all

My husband used to frequent this establishment several times a month when he lived in San Jose. That was a few years ago. He wanted to take me because they have a few things on their menu He knew I am very fond of. He called and made a reservation. He specifically asked if the menu was limited in any way verifying that the items he knew I would want to order would be available. We stopped in on a Wednesday night on our way to San Francisco to see a Play. They do the screen ordering system. Almost immediately we noticed that everything I had planned to order was 'sold out'. My husband inquired if this was a mistake as he had called that day to verify the menu was limited and if they could perhaps make at least one of the items I had wanted to order. They said no exceptions and that 'perhaps' they had a rush earlier and it all got sold out then before we arrived. I found this a bit unlikely. We ordered the items on the menu that were available... not many options and submitted on the little screen. Almost immediately they came out saying the items I did order were partially sold out and could I pick yet again something else. The food came out randomly though it was relatively ordered all at same time. My entree came out 15 minutes after everyone else's and Our appetizers came out after we had all received our entrees. My fish was woefully overcooked but tasty and everything a bit cold not warm at all ... which was odd. My husband liked his entree but the pork was tough. The food I had was tasty... the seaweed salad thing that accompanied my entree was supper yummy ... the veggies tasty, fresh, and perfectly cooked. When we finished they cleaned up our plates snd we waited ... and waited... and waited. We flagged someone down and requested our check. And once again waited and waited... and waited. It took nearly as much time to get our bill as it did to eat the whole ill timed meal! Poor hubby was so crestfallen. He wanted me to experience a restaurant he used to love, and they had preformed abysmally. If there were half stars ... I'd give 2.5 stars. The food was on the whole tasty and as it is, I will round up charitably... for the sake of my dear hubby's nostalgia... if nothing else. read more

See all

Love this place for quality Japanese food. Always super clean. You order everything through a tablet which is at each table and you pay at the end of your meal. You can see all the status updates for each of your items (prep/cooking/delivered/etc.). I have thoroughly enjoyed every dish I have ordered here. Presentation is very nice too as everything is separated nicely on a tray. I really love the toji, sukiyaki, and the salmon don here. Large parking lot is available since it is located in a plaza and the service is very friendly. read more

See all

Good ambiance and service but crappy food Just very basic and over seasoned Japanese dishes , which is fine if they are cheap but this is a bit overpriced. For example, you get $5 of eel on this $30 eel over rice dish... read more

This restaurant has such great ambiance. We went on a Wednesday night and there was no line but it can get crowded on the weekend. The staffs are so polite and friendly. I think they were understaffed when we visited so had to wait a bit to get our check. I usually get udon here we but we decided to get mixed toji teishoku and tonkatsu curry this time. They are both decent. I love how there are complementary miso soup and seaweed salad for the toji teishoku, the meal overall was really filling. Giving it 3.5 rounded to 4 as there are better options at this price point. read more

YAYOI - Pork Katsu Curry - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

See all

The good: You can make reservations in advance online! This is a Japanese comfort food restaurant with a modern/sleek interior and with food that comes in pretty presentations. I liked that you could order on the iPad provided on each table. I tried the mixed toji with comes with pork cutlet, fried shrimp and beef simmered in egg. It came with a side of pickles and sesame lotus root. There were other optional add ons for extra costs. I opted to add the clam miso soup. I like how the food was nicely presented in individual small bowls on a larger tray. The tamago was sweet and tasty. I had the matcha tea and thought it was sweet and tasty. I thought it would come without sweetener but it was a nice surprise that it was slightly sweetened already. The bad: They don't have outdoor seating. I would have liked for the clam soup to come hotter in temperature. The squid karage was also at room temperature and our tamago appetizer came after our main dishes. The squid karage wasn't very crispy. It didn't seem freshly fried. The prices here are steep for comfort food. Though this stuff isn't advertised as a bento box, you could put all of the components into a bento box and expect a price of around $15 but the dishes here are in the $20-30 range. The interesting: They have cool TOTO brand Japanese toilets with bidet functions. They have 3 locations in the bay area. Your entire party has to be present before you can be seated (even if you're in a group of 2). read more

See all

Salmon bowl: 3/5. The fish wasn't the freshest but really enjoyed the shaved egg that was under the fish. The wasabi was really good! I think it's the grated wasabi and the side pickles were also so important to elevating the dish. Chicken kaarage: 4/5. The pieces were big and the meat was juicy! We shared this dish as a group but honestly the big pieces made us all full before our actual dishes came out! Overall, the other dishes were really big portions and filling but none of the dishes really stood out especially for the price. Recommend coming here for larger groups though because you can make a reservation and you order using their tablet at the tables. Tip! They have free barley tea that was so so good with the meal! Also! If you check in on Yelp they give you a free salmon carpaccio! read more

YAYOI - Chicken karaage - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

See all

Great place for lunch! I had a half up udon and katsu combo. I love that gratuity is not expected and if received they will be donated to a local charity. read more

YAYOI - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

Great service food was good . Portion was average . Would come back . Lots of parking read more

YAYOI - 925. Pork Katsu Curry - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

See all

I absolutely adore teishoku and used to eagerly anticipate dining out in Japan while I was living there. I was thrilled to discover that Yayoi opened right when I moved back from Japan, and it's fantastic to see several more locations popping up on the peninsula around the same time. Thank you, Yayoi, for bringing a piece of Japan back to me and making my dining experiences so enjoyable! read more

YAYOI - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

See all

The pine wood slat design reminds me of visiting Yokohama. Also, I love the earthy style dishwares. Food is quite pricey but it is not just Japanese food but rather a bit of experiencing modern Japan. Littleneck clams steamed in sake $12 - I was good as an appetizer but not filling. Deep fried pork, egg, and onions simmered together in a sauce and served on top of a bowl of rice $19 - I loved it. Eggplant, pork belly, and vegetables with miso sauce, served with grilled mackerel $24 - Pretty and fun to have a little servings of a variety of dishes. read more

YAYOI - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

I have visited Yayoi in person and have also ordered takeout. Tonight, I ordered takeout and chose the Shoga Yaki, which consisted of stir-fried pork belly with ginger soy sauce and a side of spring mix. It was absolutely amazing! The pork belly had just the right amount of tenderness, and the ginger soy sauce added a delicious depth of flavor. I ordered it with rice and miso soup, which completed the meal perfectly. It was $20.80 for the set (with rice and miso soup) but you could also choose to order it a la carte for $16.80. Another one of my favorite dishes here is the Una Ju, which is BBQ eel over rice, and miso soup on the side. I love how the eel has a nice smoky flavor and delicate texture. Eel is one of my favorite foods and I am never disappointed when ordering this dish from Yayoi. I'm always able to finish the entire meal because it is just SO good! After visiting in person and ordering takeout, I can say that the quality and taste of the takeout food is just as great as dining in person. Yayoi is an excellent restaurant with delicious Japanese food, and I am so glad to have discovered it. I can't recommend it enough and look forward to eating here again soon! read more

YAYOI - Shoga Yaki - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

See all

Noelle's Yelp Notebook 2021 The Quarantine Chronicles Recommend: Highly January 8, 2021 Dear Yelp Fam, Happy Friday! Sometimes trying to figure out what to have for lunch is not as easy as it seems. My second grade son has today off from school as it's a teacher inservice day. Feeling like I barely survived the first week back from a relaxing two week vacation I decided to turn to Uber Eats. We order the following from Yayoi and it did not disappoint. The food was hot and delicious. I ordered two Tonkatsu meals that came with salad, rice and soup. I loved how the sauces were separated so the salad or the Tonkatsu wasn't soggy. They make the most delicious pork fried cutlet. I also ordered their gyoza and it was super tasty. It should be noted that their miso soup was delicious too. During this time of quarantine it's nice to have the option of food being delivered to your home or office. Happy New Year to my Yelp Family! If you're in the area Yayoi is an excellent choice. I just noticed you can also order via Yelp :) Hugs, Noelle Noelle's Notes Highly recommended Super delicious food You may order via Yelp or Uber Eats read more

See all

Food is so-so, service were fine but there weren't much they need to do because everything is ordered through a tablet. And now they started charging tips with the previous tip-included price, making it way overpriced for the same quality of food. read more

Came here again at the advice of a friend who noted that this place had very authentic Japanese food. She also said that they take the desserts very seriously. Of course, I trust her judgment because she lived in Japan for many years. We came here later in the evening close to closing time. They were still pretty busy. I liked their ordering system, but for certain customizations/preferences, you have to actually talk to the staff (e.g., asking about sauces on the side, etc.). There are tables assigned to each table and you are able to add drinks and food as you go. There are also statuses of the things you order (e.g., Ordered, Preparing, Cooking, Finished...). When you are done, you push a button that says you are done and then you pay at the host stand before you leave. We ordered Salmon Carpaccio (you actually get this for free at your first Yelp check in - score!) and Takoyaki as appetizers. Those were both incredible. The Takoyaki was especially delicious and had a wonderful crust. For my entree, I had the Katsu Toji Ju and had a wonderful, perfectly cooked lightly scrambled egg mixed in with the pork cutlet. We later ordered dorayaki with matcha ice cream for dessert. Because of the wait (I think they actually forgot about our dessert), they included it on the house. That was very lovely and kind of them. They also apologized for the wait because they had only 2 chefs on staff that night. Only rating 4 stars because of the prices. I feel like you end up spending a lot for not ~that much~ food. However, I did enjoy the experience and would come here again for a splurgy meal. read more

YAYOI - Dorayaki with matcha ice cream - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California