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| - Yuzu kitchen started the evening as my second choice, but when my first choice closed for business a half hour before we arrived...Yuzu was the happy ending I DESERVED.
There was not one negative. I don't know that the food was so good I'd categorize it as five star ordinarily...but...it WAS good. Really good. And because it was well-prepared, graciously and quickly served, inexpensive, and delicious...man, I'm hard-pressed to argue myself into a four star review.
The cocktail menu is a high point. There are some delicious drinks on there. We made it about four deep in our sampling before cutting our losses, and three out of four were worth returning for in and of themselves.
The food was flavorful comfort food with nice portion sizes. We ordered a robata sampler appetizer (marinated grilled meats and vegetables on skewers) that was delicious and more than enough for two as an app. The Da Shoyu Mein entree (ramen / pulled pork / korean pickled bean sprouts shoda shoyu tare / 30 min egg / scallions sauteed mushrooms) I ordered cost $12. $12.
Server was quick/attentive/knowledgeable. Laughed at our jokes. That's important...you know...to me.
Didn't cost an arm and a leg. Though the cocktail menu prices were consistent with a downtown restaurant (read: high) the food was inexpensive. Your bar bill WILL end up costing more than your food. But...in downtown Pittsburgh, the price point of the cocktails is right there with surrounding venues.
With Pittsburgh's restaurant-rich vibe, the true test of a restaurant for me is whether or not I'd return. There are just too many great new untried restaurants to go back to a mediocre visit. I will definitely be back!
Food: 4.5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4 (it's clean, pretty, dark marble, polished fixtures...but nothing extraordinary)
Price point: 6 (whatever. I can do what I want in the text of the review)
Overall combination: 5
Great for dates, happy hours, Asian comfort food, relax and have a drink
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