Yamashiro Hollywood

GORGEOUS VIEW/​RESTAURANT Came here for my birthday it was breathtaking! From the moment you enter is another world up there. It is located high in the middle of Hollywood. The hostess was super friendly and had great taste (may I add) …she loved my dress :) our waiter was superb as well, always on top of everything.
We mainly came for sushi… it was soooooo delicious.
We tried mostly all the sushi in the menu. While you eating we were so relax by our view… right next to the window where you can see the whole city of Los Angeles/​Hollywood. We finally order dessert, a delicious sorbet ice cream .
After dinner we went outside to enjoy the scenery since they have benches and you can take pics in the Japanese garden. The whole atmosphere is gorgeous definitely one of my favorite memories for my birthday. Did not want to leave but had to continue the birthday plans.

One of my favorite restaurants. Definitely a place to try out! Such a beautiful view. It is perfect for any special occasion. Food is very delicious. Everything I tried was great.

Good spot for a huge view! Bring your phones out… better view than Castaways for me!
Food…meeehhhh! Definitely not the best sushi I’ve ever had. Salmon sashimi was thin on the cuts, tables are WAY too close to one another. I can hear the couple behind my girlfriend and i, conversation. I witnessed a horrible first date. Everything they spoke of, was heard. Definitely not an intimate seating arrangements setting. The Garden dining was a lot smaller than the pictures on Unilocal so then we opted out on sitting in the dining room.
You pay for the views and service for sure. Valet is $ 10 …service was impeccable. Inconvenient bathroom that’s downstairs.
Our table was at the corner which wiggled and was tip sideways. Our food did not spill or anything but the table was slanted! Our waitress was late so we sat down 10−15mins later than my reservations.
Go for the views. Food and an intimate dinner can be found somewhere else. Tables and chairs are out dated. I felt like I stepped into an 80s film and they played 80s music.
Sorry but this was a 2 stars location for me.

My review is based solely on my experience at Yamashiro Hollywood for Valentine’s Day only. They offered a special menu for this day: a 4 course meal, at $ 125 per person (before tax and tip). Valet was $ 10.
I have to admit, I had high expectations for such a renowned restaurant, but my overall experience here was an average of 3 out of 5.
AMBIANCE: Located atop of the Hollywood mountain, the restaurant oversees beautiful spread of Los Angeles and afar, even the downtown skyscrapers. Yamashiro means «castle» in Japanese, hence the restaurant was HUGE. Smacked down in the middle of the restaurant is a beautiful indoor garden/​pond. My boyfriend had to make special request to sit right by the window. The view was beautiful. The lighting was weird for me. They had red lighting in the area we were sitting, and this was offsetting for me. I do not know if this was JUST for Valentine ‘s Day, but it made my food look not so appetizing, moreover, I could barely see what was on my plate. ⁴⁄₅
SERVICE: Our server was very friendly and accommodating. He always had a smile on his face, and had good recommendation for wine selection. Service was prompt and in a good timely manner. ⁵⁄₅
FOOD — 1^st COURSE: He ordered the Roasted Tomato Soup, which came with a toast. This came in a small bowl. It looked poorly made, and tasted just like it, also. The soup was already cooled down. Taste was okay — nothing special. ¹⁄₅ I ordered the two oysters. I can taste the freshness and ocean in each oyster. I personally am a sucker for good oysters. The oysters came on top of a bed of salt. ⁴⁄₅
2ND COURSE: He ordered the Kurobuta Pork Carnitas, which came on top of a bed of scallion risotto. The carnitas were super soft and rich in flavor, which was the perfectly complimentary for the risotto. ⁴⁄₅ I ordered the Dueling Spicy on Crispy Rice. It came out in two pieces of crispy rice, one topped with spicy tuna, and the other with spicy hamachi. This was also yummy, but once again, nothing special ³⁄₅
3^rd COURSE: For main entrée, I ordered the Sushi Entrée, which came with 7 pieces of sushi and California rolls. I was not impressed. First, the sushi LOOKED like something one would get from a fast food sushi place. And the taste confirmed my impression. The fish was not fresh, but rather dry and lacked in color. ¹⁄₅ My bf ordered the filet mignon with Cabernet reduction, which came with twiced baked potato and roasted broccolini. The steak was cooked perfectly medium-​rare. It was juicy and tender. The Broccolini was slightly burnt at the edges. The potato was nicely seasoned, but a little dry. ³⁄₅
4TH COURSE: I ordered the sorbets, which was yummy and tangy. It came in three different flavors. ⁴⁄₅ My bf ordered the warm chocolate soufflé cake, which came with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce. This was also yummy.4/5
Overall, I have mixed feelings about my experience here. The ambiance and service were excellent, while the food was average or below average. And because we had to pay so much $$$ for the mediocre food, we left with a little bitterness. I can find better fine-​dining food elsewhere for the same price, or even cheaper.

Brought my GF and a friend here on Saturday. I figured the $ 99 prix fixe meant «Hey, we’re only cooking a few different things today, so you can expect them to be awesome!» I was sorely mistaken. Here’s how my meal went:
Course 1: roasted tomato soup
Tasted like it came from a can. (Store brand, not the good $ 4 ones.)
Course 2: Tuna something on crispy rice
Best thing I ate all night. By «best», I really mean «least sucky.» I’ve had better at those cheesy $ 25 all-​you-​can-​eat sushi houses.
Course 3: Filet mignon w/​twice baked potato & broccolini
Whole plate was bland, except for the sauce — a nice red wine reduction. Beef was dry. Starch was a gutted baked potato with dry mashed potatoes inside. Broccolini was near the threshold for acceptable use of the term «al dente.»
Course 4: Sorbet trio
Fresh fruit was great! Sorbet was melting and gross by the time it reached our table though.
I tasted my girlfriend’s Rosemary chicken teriyaki and it was horrible. Her rice was dry as heck and the sauce tasted utterly generic — basically like you mixed soy sauce and syrup. Zero creativity or skill in execution. Her entrée was an absolute joke. I should’ve gotten her a chicken teriyaki bowl from Jack in the Box for $ 6. Same thing.
At the end of the day I realized something: I should’ve bought my GF an iPad mini and used the extra money to order all of us a pizza. We would’ve ALL been more satisfied. As for the plush location, there are better views from the Griffith Observatory and that place is free.
After tax & tip, I paid $ 380 for the three of us to have a mediocre meal. Service was adequate and slightly inattentive. I believe in getting what you pay for. Yamashiro grossly under delivered on that end. 2 stars instead of 1 because the décor and building add a level of value that’s hard to get elsewhere in LA.
PS: at $ 100/​person, why are they still using disposable chopsticks in paper packaging? Felt that was kinda tacky for the big awesome Japanese restaurant that Yamashiro likes to imagine itself being.

Today is Valentine’s Day so this place was pretty packed. The view was breathtaking and romantic. The restaurant itself is like a majestic palace on a hill overlooking the world.
The menu was prefixed with three courses for $ 125 each person. I had tomato soup for course one, the spicy crispy rice for course two, and the sushi entrée for course three; and the chocolate soufflé for dessert. I loved course two and course three was fresh but not anything unique. The chocolate soufflé and vanilla ice cream was delightful with champagne. The portions were just right for me. However, my 6fooft plus boyfriend felt that the portions were too small. He was still hungry when we left the restaurant.
Yamashiro is a great place to have a romantic date but for the price, the food could have at least been a little bit more! Overall, we had a lovely Valentine’s experience.

This place is awesome, came here for valentine’s day and I was not disappointed. Sat in the garden room with a great view and great atmosphere. The food was excellent and very refreshing. Service was prompt and easy to work work you. Highly recommended this place, I’m looking to come back with a non fixed menu to try more things. Oh and an excellent view if Los Angeles, what more can you ask for.

I came here on Valentine’s Day dinner.
The food were terrible and the service was slow. Nonetheless, the view was good. But the food was so-​so, not worth the money.

I was wondering why the rating of Yamashiro was kind of low for a place as well established as this one, but I can understand why now. Upon arriving, the service we received was great. It was when we got seated where it went downhill. We waited 20 minutes at our table for someone to take our order. We weren’t even offered water or anything yet either. Supposedly, our assigned waiter forgot about us so we had someone else serve us when they finally realized it (a couple that sat 15 mins after us already had their order taken). I can understand mistakes happen, but I don’t think it’s acceptable from a place like this that gives off the high end vibe. However, our new waiter (which was the only waiter I observed in that area, so maybe he was the one forgot about us and just made up an excuse to save himself from my death stare) was kind and accommodating. The glass of wine I ordered was made on the house which I thought was thoughtful and he checked in with us multiple times. Overall, the service we received was smoothed over.
As for the food, it was mediocre. I can see from a lot of other reviews that others felt the same as well. It was pretty disappointing. We ordered their Spicy Yellowtail and Toasted Macadamia house roll for a starter. It completely lacked in the spicy department. I think if we weren’t hungry as hell it would have tasted a lot more bland than it did. I ordered the Glazed Black Cod. The cod was fluffy and flakey, but it didn’t have much flavor. It also came with wasabi mashed potatoes, but I was disappointed that it didn’t have a bigger kick. My boyfriend ordered their Himalayan Salt Rock Steak. It was the only dish that we fully enjoyed (good because it costs like $ 60). You can’t really go wrong since you’re essentially cooking it yourself. It was rich in flavor down to the potatoes and salad that came with it.
Overall, we both said there’s nothing that will draw us back to Yamashiro. I really wanted to love this place because of the beautiful architecture, their garden, the breathtaking view, and it’s history… but oh well, on to the next!

Yamashiro is one of those out-​of-​the-​ordinary, quintessential must-​go LA spots. I used to live on Franklin and Highland many moons ago, so would always find an occasion to go up for a cocktail in the lounge. The food, from last I remember (it’s been a few years now), is nothing remarkable but what really makes this place SO incredibly special is the view. Do yourself a favor, find an excuse to head up there at sunset with some friends or your significant other and prepare for a memorable evening!

Better come quickly, this place is up for sale, and everyone will miss it!
I’ve always had a great time here and it is a must visit for guests who love sushi/​sashimi and who need to see our views of Hollywood. I had a birthday here a few years ago and it was a great experience in that they had a table set up just for us and really made me and my guests feel special. There is a cake cutting fee, but it’s only two dollars.
I had gone once before that with a group of friends who knew one of the owners and so we got great service that night too but I didn’t know it was the standard.
Just thought of this place because a friend had a birthday here recently and oh my gosh! The staff was pretty tolerant. It was supposed to be a 12 person affair but people kept trickling in super late, they brought out not one but two cakes and were very nice about taking a million pictures and also about the singing happy birthday twice: once for real, and once for a video. I was so embarrassed, I would have hid in the bonsai trees if they weren’t so well maintained. Thank you Yamashiro for great food and seriously great hospitality.
Speaking of, this would also be a great place to go during the day, because the Japanese gardens and pagoda by the pool are often missed features and these are beautiful but get here fast because this beautiful place which has been with the same family for 66 years is up for sale.

Loved it! I’ve been wanting to come for awhile. My family, best friend, & I went after watching Mama Mia. The road up was very narrow, but the view was WOW! The food was delicious. I will defiantly be back again.

Yamashiro is about a 15 minute walk from the Chinese Theatre/​Madame Tussauds Wax Museum on Hollywood Boulevard. Being a big fan of Japanese food and culture, I had already made a reservation to eat here a month in advance.
As the restaurant is on a slight mountain, it is a bit of a trek uphill. We arrived around 7 PM and got a great view of the city from where we were seated. If you can, ask for the seats with the view of LA and the Japanese Pagoda in the restaurant gardens. I wish I had taken more photos, but it was pretty dark out by that time.
I had the Seafood Tempura, Dessert Sushi, green tea and warm sake. When I ordered the warm sake, I thought it was just going to be a shot which I was going to down quickly and leave but they bought a small bottle over and I ended up staying a further 30 minutes. In all honesty, it wasn’t the best Japanese food that I’ve ever had. It didn’t have that authentic Japanese taste that I was looking for and definitely not worth the price you’re paying. I would say that dessert was very nice and the staff were pleasant. Well, consider it a holiday treat!
I would recommend visiting this place for the views and Japanese aesthetic. If you’re just visiting to try Japanese food, there are several places along Hollywood Blvd that prepare sushi and are way cheaper.

Hello my Unilocalies,
Majestic Majestic and Majestic. Seriously. What can I say about Yamashiro? I freaking love this place. But this is definitely a special occasions kind of place because it is pretty expensive. Parking here is valet only with a flat rate of $ 9, so be sure to bring some cash on you.
I came here last year for my Birthday and again this year, my extremely thoughtful boyfriend know it is a tradition that I come here for my Birthday so he was kind enough to make a reservation for us today at 7:30pm. Traffic was insane coming from Pasadena but luckily we got there in time. The service was great, they walked us to our seats and sat us down right next to the window where we can enjoy the beautiful view, unfortunately it was raining today so the sky was mainly cloudy and misty, but it was still very beautiful definitely a different kind of feeling. The outside of the restaurant has lights all around the building, you feel like you step into Japan when you drive up the hill, I love how it is on the top of the hill so you can see the whole downtown LA and definitely create some memorable photos.
Today we decided to get 2 different appetizer and 1 entrée. We order the Asian Babyback Ribs ($ 6) and Spicy Lobster Roll ($ 18) for our appetizer, the ribs was the best choice ever, the meat falls right off the bone, it was seasoned perfectly not too salty because if you know me I can’t stand my food when it’s too salty because of how high the sodium is. The ribs are placed under some delicious mushed yams, and comes with a side of light bbq sauce. I personally don’t like ribs but this is one of the best ribs I’ve ever had and it kung fu pow the crap out of my taste bud. As for the Spicy Lobster Roll, it was decent, I wouldn’t say the best and for the price I would have rather get 3 portion of the ribs. I did like how they use rice paper to wrap the rolls which was very interesting but I still prefer just plain rice because it does add a strong taste to the rolls.
For the entrée, of course we order the Himalayan Salt Plate ($ 60), OH MAN!!! If you come here you have to try this, it’s a must! Yes it’s very expensive but it’s totally worth it. The whole meal comes on a 400 degree burning hot salt plate, with sliced beef and potato. First you rub the garlic (that’s if you like garlic) all over the salt plate and then cook your meat to your own personal preference and you can either eat their side salad on it’s own or even cook it on the salt plate too. I personally prefer my meat medium rare so I put cook each side about 10 seconds and then it’s definitely cooked to perfection. One little tip, make sure you don’t press down the meat too much because it can get pretty salty which was a little mistake that I did. One tiny little downside is that I do wish their portion could be a little bigger because after all 3 orders my boyfriend and I were still a little hungry, but overall, it is definitely worth the money.
Thank you Yamashiro for a wonderful service and again for celebrating my Birthday. Overall, 5 stars for service, 5 stars for food and drinks, 5 stars for environment and decoration and 5 stars for cleanliness. See you again next year for my Birthday!!!

I came with my friends to celebrate a birthday. It’s a strange drive (up a hill, going almost full circle behind the Magic Castle). But that’s why the view at night was gorgeous. Plus, our waiter was great (full of good humor). The mini Japanese garden in the middle of the restaurant is oddly placed, though beautiful. I can imagine eating by it could supposedly imitate the real royal Japanese experience of the old days, though the chairs and tables are all modern.
Anyway, the food was delicious and well done. The calamari was great! Loved all of it. For my entrée, I had the Black Cod, which was cooked perfectly– soft, delicate, meshed well with the sauce drizzled around it and the potatoes underneath. The sauce did get too salty by the time I finished the dish though. The Darth Vader roll was OK. Maybe my expectations were too high because I feel like I am more satisfied by rolls at other sushi places (that specialize in it). FYI They charge $ 2/​person for cake– cutting service (we brought our own large cake).
For the price you pay for the food, I feel you’re paying more for the history and experience. If you don’t know the history of the restaurant, I highly suggest you go to their website to check it out. I found it cool to know. Then you can wander to the pagoda and buddha outside. :)
This is likely a one-​time experience for me, but it’s worth it. For the experience.

This was a weird experience especially with the service. The whole atmosphere is pseudo chic. The restaurant is above average, but the quality doesn’t justify the ritzy price.
I came here with friends for my birthday. The first thing the waitress asked was if she knew us. We told her probably not. Then she dug herself a hole by saying that she thought she might have served us… maybe 15 years before. As my friends and I are in our early to mid twenties, that’s highly unlikely and very odd suggestion.
We looked at the menu and went with two orders of the sushi entrée. That was fairly good sushi. But at three times the price of sushi at typical restaurants, the quality was not three times greater as well. Also, the wait time for our order was excessive.
Since we were unfortunately still hungry, albeit out $ 60+ at this point, we ordered the black forbidden rice roll. We didn’t know that that was the famous Darth Vader roll, but there wasn’t anything spectacular about it. It was pretty standard.
Then came time for dessert. The waitress missed my friend commenting that it was my birthday, which happened at the start of the meal when we ordered drinks and she checked ids, so we wound up buying desserts. She became confused when we were ordering and started asking about each item and she thought we wanted two desserts, when we only asked for one. At this point, we conceded and just split the two desserts, resigning to the realization that the additional price would only be a drop in the bucket on this expensive check.
The view, though nice, is at a distance from the restaurant and I think this experience will be a one time thing.

Came here for New Years Eve with my family this past year. Definitely a great place to go for NYE.
I had read some reviews from people who were seated outside in past years and complained about how cold it was so I had called to request a table inside. They gave me the standard answer that they would put the request in the reservation but couldn’t guarantee anything.
We arrived for our reservation (9pm — we went for the second seating, the only way to do it) and checked in with the hostess who let us know that we did indeed have a table inside. When we were shown to our table, not only did we have a table inside, but one right at the front windows with the most incredible view!
We ordered our drinks and took a look at the NYE set menu (again as we had looked at it many times at home!). We placed our order and settled in with our wine.
The food was delicious, although the first two courses were rather small, especially the short rib, which was more of a tiny braised beef on polenta. As there were 6 of us, we managed to order almost all of the items on the menu.
Butternut squash soup: was a hit at the table. Smooth, creamy, and tasty (if you like butternut squash)
Farmers market salad: my husband enjoyed it, but it was basic
Cobia ceviche: DELICIOUS! Definitely the best of the three. Fresh, acidic, and creamy from the avocado. I would order this again. Wish there had been more on the plate.
Spicy duo: the best of the second courses. Flavor and spice was fabulous and the crispy rice was perfectly cooked.
Spicy lobster roll: it was a nice idea to do a spicy lobster sushi roll, but the execution could have been better. The bacon was a chewy lardon placed on top of the slice of roll and the flavor was overpowering. Also, many of the rolls were missing the bacon.
Braised beef short rib: we were expecting an actual short rib with some sides. What ended up coming was a dollop of polenta with a few tiny shredded bits of beef on top. Tasty, but not what anyone was expecting.
Sushi entrée: I had this one and it was delicious and excellently executed. This is clearly what they are good at. Perfectly prepared and fresh flavorful fish.
Filet mignon: this was a popular choice at the table. Steak was cooked and seasoned very well. The twice baked wasabi potato filling was tasty but didn’t taste too much of wasabi, but the potato it was stuffed in was almost raw.
Shoyu glazed black cod: this was probably the favorite at the table. Cod was seasoned and cooked beautifully, flaking away perfectly. One person asked for it without wasabi mashed potatoes and the server immediately offered plain mashed potatoes without question.
Rosemary chicken teriyaki: the biggest portion at the table. All elements were tasty and filling.
Asian BBQ baby back ribs: my husband said this was good but not great. Ribs were falling off the bone and the sauce was tasty. Cornbread was a bit dry.
Chocolate soufflé cake: this was decadent and divine. Almost everyone at the table ordered this and all plates were cleaned!
Trio of sorbets: a lighter dessert for those with less room left after a big dinner. All served in one small bowl so as you start to eat they mix together, but the two who ordered were happy with the flavors.
Around 11:30pm the servers started handing out party favors — hats, necklaces, horns — to celebrate the new year. Around 11:45pm the DJ started up in one of the areas. We stayed at our table as we would have the best view of Ny fireworks. Sadly, there really aren’t any too near Yamashiro (don’t be fooled into thinking you will see them going off right outside the windows). We saw fireworks at the coastal cities and around downtown but you had to look hard to see them, binoculars would have been handy.
All in all, it was a good night and worth it. They should add $ 50 – 60 to the total per person and include an open bar and gratuity in that cost to be comparable to other Los Angeles NYE dinners though.

This place was definitely a must-​visit in Los Angeles, as I’m such a big fan of traditional Asian culture and so into the ancient architecture. Yamashiro has a perfect combination of above everything!
We arrived a bit early, so we were walking inside the garden attached to the restaurant. They had a couple of benches alongside and a golden Buddha sitting in the center. Nice view, with the help of sunset.
In terms of food, Yamashiro did not let me down either. Crab cake to kick off, forbidden rice (sushi) and prawn as entrée, and fruit sushi to happily end. Must say the forbidden rice caught my heart completely — loved the black fish roe sitting on top! The fruit sushi dessert, however, was a bit too ricey given the fact that we were already pretty full by the end. Nice try!
View was the king!

Ok I went to here last friday night having celebrate my wife’s birthday. Be careful when you driving up to the restaurant the road is really narrow and have a lots of curve. When you get to the restaurant, the view is super nice ! It was perfect to celebrate my wife’s birthday until we found out that food here is really sucks…
Pros: NICE VIEW e
Cons: valet is $ 9 and well food here is sucks. Ordered spicy lobster roll, wasn’t taste fresh all and really dry ! Sushi deluxe combo ($ 35) fish and rice was really dry !!! You can pick up some sushi plates or combination box from the trader joes with good price and that’s better than yamshiro !

I’m on top of the WORLD literally !!!
One of the best views of LA I have ever seen and I have been to a couple in my day. Moving on to the main attraction, the FOOD !
Food:
Winner for entrée course :
Best deal in my opinion would have to be the Asian baby back ribs !
Highlights :
–big portions
–sweet potato mash was smooth and buttery
— meat was super flavorful and tender
Winner ups :
1. crunchy roll & spicy tuna roll. I know these may not be the actual names but it’s the last two items on the menu !
2. Cod entrée
Things to remember for the entrees:
— the mash potatoes included with the salmon entrée has lemon rind in it… A little too much in my opinion because it tasted somewhat bitter. Maybe tell the server to add less.
Dessert :
Winner:
the hardened sugar cone with fruits and cream on the sushi dessert platter. Other pieces of sushi just consisted of sweetened rice and slices of fruit on top.
Things to remember for desserts :
My friends also opted for the banana crêpe. The chocolate ice cream that came on the side had a very STRONG alcohol taste to it !! Just an FYI!
Final verdict :
Food earned this place a solid 3.5 rating, but .5 bump up for the amazing view !

Went here for my 21^st birthday and have to say it’s worth the drive! The food was delicious, the service was great. We ordered a hot pot and some sushi (could’ve gone for even more!)
I think because I went on a weekday the atmosphere was a little quiet but I will definitely be making a trip back during the weekend!

Fantastic place!!!
i ordered truffle hamachi
Wagyu himalayan salt
Crab cake
It was delicious
But only disappointment was the dessert

My first fine dining experience in Hollywood was at Yamashiro and it was amazing! We had a reservation for a Sunday night although it was probably not needed. It was the first time sitting in the corner facing the wall. but the 2 walls were glass and we had a breathtaking view of the city!
What we ordered (I recommend all of them!):
1. kurobuta pork carnitas (2 portions) Highly recommended by our waitress and it did not disappoint! Very tender slightly sweet pork over a crispy rice cake
2. Asian BBQ baby back ribs w/​mashed yams, and kale: there’s the appetizer (2 ribs) or entrée. I recommend getting the appetizer if you just want to try it (they’re actually big ribs). The pork fell right off the bone :)
3. Pistachio salmon (sashimi): **highly recommend** if you love sashimi! The crunch of the pistachio added the perfect touch
note: house specials (truffle hamachi, charred albacore and pistachio salmon) are all sashimi
4.Spicy lobster roll: Very unique because of the diced bacon (more like ham) and basil-​artichoke sauce and it’s wrapped with soy paper!
5. spicy tuna and soy-​roasted shisito: Pretty standard California roll with spicy tuna on top. For me, this was the least impressive but still very good!
They bring out the food as it’s ready instead of all at once which is good so you can focus on each dish. it’s all about the experience! Very good service, too. Our waitress was very respectful and didn’t push us to finish/​leave.
Highly recommend for a special occasion :). There’s valet parking as well and even a garden outside although I recommend checking out the garden BEFORE you eat dinner… unfortunately it was closed off after we ate :(

Beautiful view
Bad food /​service
Eat in Kabuki before going there
Had to ask twice for stuff before the brought them

If you want to have a truly LA experience (feel exclusive by paying too much for sushi) — you couldn’t pick a better place.
All kidding aside, the building is beautiful and the view is spectacular. It’s definitely not the kind of place you’d go every day…
I took my wife for her birthday and it was nice. We got dressed up (there is no dress-​code) and reserved a table next to the window. We each ordered a few rolls and a drink or two and took our time. The wait staff was great and never made us feel rushed.
The sushi was better than gas station or grocery store sushi… but not any better than anything you could get at a cheap Japanese place… but was not priced accordingly.
If you go here, between the mandatory valet and the tuna roll that starts at 11 bucks — be prepared to spend at least 60/​person before tip and leave hungry.

Quite the view, indeed.
Rumors are that Yamashiro will no longer be in business, but rumors around this town are often just that. However, in case these rumors are
, I’m so glad I got to enjoy a lovely night perched high on top of the glittering lights of Hollywood and beyond before it’s wiped from existence.
Not sure why it never dawned on me to dine at Yamashiro before, but I assume it’s probably because it’s not shiny and new, and sadly, iconic LA restaurants are a dying a breed often forgotten about by its grubbing class of diners always on the hunt for the next culinary thrill.
While a little banquet looking at first, your focus is quickly turned to the beautiful cityscape laid out before you on a clear night. A corner table overlooking the never ending town that is illuminated every which way and a glass of wine will instantly transport you to another world.
The menu is easy to navigate and you’re not weighed down with an overwhelming number of options. Depending on the size of the dinner party, an appetizer, a roll or the like, and an entrée are plenty… not to mention another glass of wine or cocktail to indulge in.
Our order consisted of the truffle hamachi, because, truffle and hamachi; the spicy tuna on crispy rice, because spicy tuna on crispy rice; and the Himalayan salt steak, because who doesn’t love to sizzle their own steak and watch the smoke sweep over your view of the city like a light fog rolling in and the intoxicating smell invade both nostrals well into the wee hours of the evening (there was a heaping bed of arugula and some potatoes served with it; the greens were refreshing and a nice balance to the meat, but the potatoes were clearly an afterthought and should have been left out entirely).
The prices aren’t too off from any other restaurants’ these days, but the bonus here is that the food and bill come with a spectacular backdrop you surely won’t forget!

When my LA Unilocal friend, Stevo, said that he had earned a gift card for this fine restaurant and asked for help in using it, I immediately came to his aid!
Ever since LA Unilocaler Steve M. suggested that I watch documentaries by Huell Howser about noteworthy Los Angeles sites, one of my goals was to visit the Yamashiro Castle. Many old time movie stars used to socialize here back in the day… When I first visited LA in May 2015, my coworker and I stopped by with tour guide, Tim C., but it was closed. Like a good tourist, I took a couple of photos and saw the swimming pool and 600 year old pagoda from a distance.
It wasn’t until October of 2015 that I got a chance to dine at this exclusive establishment and walk around the unique grounds. We passed by the koi pond, bonsai plants, and Golden Buddha! It’s amazing that this building has been around since 1914! It survived much and has been renovated over the years…
We drove up the hill and utilized the convenient valet service. After we got seated, our dinner started with high quality Truffle Hamachi sashimi and the complex Darth Vader Roll sushi. Wow. I was blown away already, and then came the Black Cod main entrée with its beautiful presentation! It’s just overwhelming when you’re at a landmark place with the best view of Los Angeles and an exquisite meal with outstanding companions. Stevo and his wife, Jennifer, are such gracious hosts! They even played chauffeur! It was the perfect tourist dream come true!
Mahalo nui loa for a fabulous experience! It felt like a once in a lifetime adventure! I truly appreciate your generosity, Stevo, and I hope I can return the favor some day!

I have had this place bookmarked for years and we happen to pass by it on our way to the Hollywood Bowl. I had completely forgotten about it but my husband booked it for my birthday.
As other Unilocalers have stated, the location and view are quite possibly the best part of this restaurant. On top of the Hollywood hills, you get to see all of Hollywood all the way to DTLA and the Observatory. It’s stunning but better at night when all the lights are sparkling.
We were a little disappointed in the quality of food, service and the clientele. Kind of expected people to dress a bit fancy or dress up at least, as it’s a nice restaurant. But we saw people in flip flops, baseball caps, regular T-​shirts. Kind of devalues the location. We were seated in the indoor garden area which was gorgeous! The indoor garden had a little koi pond which was lovely. It was like being transported to Kyoto or something, it really felt quiet and serene. Props for really nice decorations and interior design. However, service was slow and spotty, and had to ask to have our drinks refilled.
**Asian BBQ Ribs — 2 pieces, slightly sweet and spicy. The ribs were super tender and fall off the bone but the sauce was interesting. It was like a mix of stewed tomatoes with maybe spicy hoisin or something like that. Pretty good.
**Yuzu Avocado Prawn & Scallop — for $ 32, this was a huge rip off! First of all, not prawns, they were average size shrimp. You got two pieces of each with a side of deliciously creamy orzo. I would say the orzo was the highlight of the dish. It was flavorful and creamy and complimented the seafood well. The yuzu sauce did not come through much.
**Salmon & Albacore sushi — $ 9 for 2 pieces each. Salmon was sweet and smooth, delicious. Nothing too mindblowing.
**Spicy Lobster Roll — $ 18 for a roll, this was a joke. There could’ve been imitation crab in there and I wouldn’t of know the difference because you could hardly taste the lobster. In fact, you can hardly taste anything with that cilantro/​basil dressing they put on the sushi. I didn’t like how it was not wrapped in nori too. And there was a funny piece of bacon on top of the sushi. Weird flavors, not spicy at all.
Surprisingly, for a Japanese sounding restaurant, there was not that many Japanese choices. Everything was basically fusion style dishes. My review for this place is a solid 3.5 stars but generously rounding it up to 4 stars for the view and location.

I have never had a problem with this place but today will most likely be the LAST time I dine here. This establishment needs a change in customer service fast.
My waitress was wonderful and the food was great but hygiene is a really big thing for me and there was a giant cockroach crawling all over the walls next to my boyfriend. Our waitress told her manager and the best thing that he could do was offer us a free meal for two the next time we came…
I’m sorry but what Scott SHOULD have done was comp our meal… Seriously?! You think I want to come back after that? Also, there was a dead mosquito on our table. The manager didn’t even express any form of concern. He had this look of confusion on his face as if we were lying. That roach was massive and fast. Bugs scare the hell out of me. They’re my biggest fear. I couldn’t even touch my dessert.
I’ve been to this place several times. I’ve also been to their farmer’s market… This dinner was a total failure and that manager needs to learn how to empathize with his guests. Also, the towel guy in the restroom was kicked back leaning back on his chair and on his phone while it was charging. Really professional…

Good entrées, good drinks, good view