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| - I'm an izakaya novice and ignoramus. In fact, Yama was only the second restaurant I've ever been to that labels itself as such. The first was one that the wife and I visited a few years back in Vancouver, and that was one of the better restaurant experiences we've had in the last several years. So Yama had a lot to live up to, and given Vancouver's status as an Asian-food mecca, I wasn't expecting all that much out of an "izakaya" in a strip center in Charlotte, at least by comparison.
But Yama was not bad. Not bad at all.
First off, the centerpiece of the meal, tonkatsu ramen, wasn't the greatest. I'm also a relative ramen novice. I've seen the on-line arguments about whether ramen or pho is better, and as somebody's who's had boatloads of pho over the years, I'd vote for the latter. Yama's ramen didn't do anything to tilt the balance in my mind. The broth in Yama's tonkatsu was a little lackluster, but it was still a hearty, satisfying bowl of soup. (All that said, I'm confident I've yet to experience great examples of ramen.)
Yama scored higher points on the izakaya stuff: For instance, cumin lamb skewers from the yakitori menu were robustly seasoned and just about perfectly cooked. Wasabi tako, which is small bits of raw octopus in a light wasabi sauce, had a delicious balance of salt, vinegar, and heat. I feel like we had a third thing, but can't remember--either way, those first two were worthwhile enough!
Yama has a dark and cavernous feel--and as you might expect, its decor tends toward the slick, modern, and urbane--but it was comfortable with not-annoying noise levels. Service was fine on this not-very-busy evening.
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