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| - Being huge fans of omakase and kaiseki, a friend and I, along with her family, came specifically to Yonaka to experience their kaiseki menu, and it did not disappoint. The 11-course meal (yes, 11-course) consisted of beautifully prepared, plentiful quality food. It was a great value for $125.00/pp. In fact, having enjoyed most of the popular omakase restaurants in San Francisco, I can tell you for a fact, that this place provides unsurpassed value in kaiseki dining! We paid $250/pp at Sushi Hashiri for their Omakase/Kaiseki menu, and I literally came home and snacked on kettle corn later that night. By San Francisco standards, if you appreciate kaiseki-style dining, you'll find this to be a worthy bargain!
Stellar standouts were the Foie Gras sushi (if you like foie gras, this is for you!), bluefin toro, the Mizumono, a chirashi-like dish topped with a creamy sauce, and the A5 Kobe beef. I also really enjoyed both the desserts (yes, it came with two desserts) which were a lychee/pear sorbet-like dish and a strawberries and cream dish, similar to a pavlova with bits of meringue. My least favorite was the Dobin Mushi, a soup with sea bass, which seemed dry and overcooked.
They are currently serving their seasonal Spring menu, but was told the menu would be changing soon. However, if you return before the release of their new menu, just let them know, and they will substitute a few of the dishes with newer items, so you won't get exact duplicates of the dishes.
The decor is modern and simple, but lacked a sense of coziness.
Service was attentive, helpful, and the chef greeted us at the end of our dinner, which was a nice touch.
Only downside, but a significant one for me, was the lack of any real vibe in the restaurant. Outside of our party of 5, along with a few customers seated at the sushi bar, the restaurant was completely EMPTY, from the start of our meal last Saturday evening at 8:00pm, until we left, more than two hours later. I have no idea how this restaurant can financially turn a profit if this was exemplary of a typical evening.
The lack of business, at least on the evening of our dine, truly puzzles me, because we all enjoyed the food and found it really worth what we paid. My suspicions are two-fold. Firstly, it may be due to the lack of demand for kaiseki-type dining in Las Vegas, outside of the strip. Being from San Francisco, omakase/kaiseki dining is extremely popular these days, and folks don't blink an eye at dropping down $175.00+/pp for this style of dining. However, I've noticed that in Las Vegas, AYCE sushi is the cuisine du jour, can be found all over Las Vegas, and is typically only about $35/pp. In all fairness, though, these are two completely different types of dining experiences. It's like buying a Hyundai vs. a Bentley.
Secondly, I suspect that they may have lost a good amount of their clientele, after switching over to a kaiseki-only menu format, meaning there are absolutely no other options than the $125.00/pp kaiseki dinner. No rolls, no a la carte items, no entrees to order separately, etc. It's kaiseki or bust. As much as I thoroughly enjoyed our meal, it's just not something I'm going to get on a weekly basis anywhere, so this format alone significantly limits their customer base. It looks like from previous Yelp reviews, that they did have a good following, but being that this was my first time there, I have no true comparator.
If you're familiar with Shang Artisan Noodle, a popular hand pulled noodle restaurant, you'll find this place easily, as it's next door to Shang. Parking is also easy.
If you enjoy omakase/kaiseki-style dining, I think you'll enjoy the food served here. It's a nice local, off-the-strip experience with off-the-strip prices.
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