Starting my evening off at the Bellagio's Baccarat Bar with some business friends seemed like a good idea. Other then the very loud pianist it was. Then the subject of dinner came up and I was all for relocating to another venue due to the amount of people we had and the certainty of me having to pay the bill.
A quick trip to the men's room and the subject of dinner will be decided. When I got back it was unanimously decided (without my vote) - YELLOWTAIL JAPANESE RESTAURANT & LOUNGE.
Ouch, this was going to be expensive!
The fact is, this is really good Japanese cuisine. The best ingredients, great preparation, beautifully done and very delicious. The menu offered so many variations of what I'm used to on my Ventura Blvd. niche environs that each dish as a pleasant surprise. This was, flat out, a wonderful dinner with fantastic service. Everyone including myself enjoyed the hell out of it, and I will definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting this cuisine.
Was it very expensive - a resounding YES! It's not a hole-in-the-wall place with hole-in-the-wall prices. It's a "Real Deal" place with "Real Deal" prices. Was I shocked when I got the bill - No. Did I feel I got my money's worth - Yes. So why the four stars and why am I crying; It was one months car payment and I still have to write the car payment check.