UYE @ Yonaka with Christina W and Arvin C

Mahalos too Christina and Arvin for awesome UYE at Yonaka. Also Happy Birthday shout out again too Vanessa N. Talk about Unilocal domination night fellow Unilocalers took over half of Yonaka. I have been too Yonaka before for HH and loved it. I was really looking forward too try more stuff off the menu and see omakase was going too be. I was not disappointed. Nine course meal. No need too explaining the food being everyone done fab job of it. The presentations were just as amazing for omakase as the regular menu. Each course was really on point for me. The whole staff of Yonaka was so friendly and helpful because going too UYE or events with large group has hiccups but all around wonderful. Thank Christina with the name tags it really made life easier meeting new Unilocalers. I sat on table with Tien and Chris and got too meet bunch of new Unilocalers (for me) that filled out rest of the table. Or should say I was running pinch late so filled it out. Lol! It fun night hanging out with Unilocalers seeing familiar faces and new ones.
Too Duchess and Duke not thank you enough! =)))))))))))))))))))))

First off, I like to thank Tony T. and Christina W. for having us at this great event. If it wasn’t for you guys, we would be dining with all the tourists. Thank you!
When I heard that this was a hot new restaurant in Vegas and with Omakase for $ 30, I was like, «Hell Yeah! Sign me up!»
This was my first Vegas UYE. Met a few new Unilocalers from Vegas and SoCal. Everyone seemed to know each other like one big happy family. I can tell that they all love to eat just like me. Yeah!
Restaurant was off the Strip. It was in a strip mall. I definitely did not expect a 9 course meal at this place. Yes I said 9 course meal for the huge party we had. I am sure there were many dietary restrictions that the restaurant had to accommodate. kudos to them!
Some of the highlights are
1) Murugai (mussels, tomato water, celery, basil blossoms)
2) Iroha (atlantic salmon, asian pear, golden tomato, candied quinoa, mizuna)
3) Uni (sea urchin, kabocha, salmon roe, scallops, mushroom)
4) Kama!
I think the disappointing courses were the Kinoko (mushrooms were bland and overcooked. At our table alone, there were at least 2 different colors of mushrooms), Gyu (wagyu was sliced too early and the plate was covered with blood), and the Kanmi (It was WAY tooooooo tart for me. It was like sticking a bag of sourpatch in my mouth).
I also thought the meal took a little longer than expected. I’ve had 10+ courses at Michelin Star restaurants and it did not take as long as this place did. However, I understand that there were many of us and many with dietary restrictions. There was a lot of downtime in between the courses. Well, at least we had great company and I was able to catch up with a friend.
If I come back, I definitely will try other things on their menu.

I showed up but I forgot I didn’t click I’m In so I left! i kid i kid.
I crashed in to say Happy Birthday to Vanessa and meet her husband, I had a hot date with Ms. Work so I took off right afterwards!
Thanks Christina and Arvin!

Excellent 9 course fixed meal for a set price.
Props to the Chef and the management as well as serving and busing staff for their outstanding efforts managing a bunch of hungry Unilocalers.
Also good job everyone being sneaky talking about Vanessa’s birthday the next day without tipping her off and ruining the surprise.
Around the 5^th course i was considering hitting up another place for some after eats on the cheap, maybe Custom Built Pizza or Wing King or Kaba but once the Gyu came out some of us at the table started to get filled up. There was a lot of talk about how the portion sizes were getting smaller. Then the Gyu came and was impressive.
If the Duke and Duchess ever decide to make this a monthly thing *hint hint* that would be just friggin awesome.
I would do a play by play on how everything was but that’d be unproductive for everyone that’s gonna be reading this has been here and knows what’s going on.
Unilocal 100 — 019 of 100

Wow. Wow. Wowzie Wowzie wow. Holy mofo wow!!! I’ve learned that if Christina W likes a place, I will. As a fellow pescetarian, I trust her fabulous palate implicitly with my tastebuds! We are both persnickety foodies and being with her & Arv is always a treat. They are Royalty in this house and it showed! The Omakase 9 course journey was merely $ 30 + 18% autograt & some of us added on dishes and drinks to share.
Fellow Unilocalerazzi have already broken down the menu: my standouts were the Kinoko: a variety of Earthy, meaty mushrooms with sesame foam which tantalized my tummy; love shrooms! Kama: a true delicacy, Yellow Tail Collar was simple & divine. Much lauded, must have crispy Brussels Sprouts — thanks to my lil bro, Tien; and the company. Was glad to meet Unilocalers I was already friends with through the site in person and several new friends.
Shout out to Jax & Ashlee and all of the staff who really worked hard for their *Autograt* and more! Another memorable culinary event for the record books.
Can’t wait to return, they live up to the hype & beyond it! Yonaka is creating (and compressing!) unique and beautiful dishes. The unexpected combinations of tastes, textures and techniques really made each item shine.
Happy 40^th Birthday to my beautiful, sweet friend Vanessa N. Love my NY homegirl & it was great to meet Tony N: he IS real & a delight :))
Note: my charger died en route to this event, so Tien was kind enough to photograph my pescetarian menu selections.
Special shout out to the Unilocalers who helped finish the unfiltered sake!
Unilocal 100 Challenge

Happy Birthday Vanessa N./Welcome Home Tony/​Lets all grub out at Yonaka party! Woohoo!
After seeing all of Christina W.‘s tempting pictures of Yonakas’ food, I was so excited when this event was posted. Yonaka did not disappoint. There were a few hiccups with service but all of the staff was friendly and helpful.
Each course had a beautiful presentation. I loved the first 3 courses we had Suika, Murugai, and Iroha. 4^th course was Kinoko which is all mushrooms, I am not a fan of mushrooms, I did try them but I wasn’t getting the appeal so I willingly shared the rest of my plate with Anthony M. 5^th course, Kaki was really good too. They then brought out a large dish of assorted fruit to share and cleanse our palates. The 6^th course was Gyu, a nice serving of wagyu beef, it was tasty but some of the pieces of meat were a little hard to chew. 7^th course was Uni, which was good. 8^th course was Kama, I love Kama, and this made me happy, grilled with a little lemon squeezed over, yum! 9^th was dessert and our chance to sing Happy Birthday to Vanessa. A lemon gelato, with apple purée and pistachio crumble. I was fat and happy.
I am looking forward to going back and now have some musts to order again.

UYE hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Yonaka + celebrating Vanessa N.‘s special birthday + cool Unilocalers + Yonaka food = WINNING! What a great night of food, laughter, more food, fun, and even more food. Even with all my special needs, culinary-​wise, Yonaka was able to accommodate and I was full after the 3+ hours we spent there. With the amount of Unilocalers who attended, some from LA and San Francisco, I vote for Christina and Arvin hosting UYEs on a monthly basis. Thank you to Jax, Tiffany, and all the wonderful staff at Yonaka for letting us practically take over the joint – they were all so gracious and helpful to us. And, it was another wonderful opportunity to meet some other Unilocalers in real life and chat for a few. I look forward to spending more quality time with y’all soon – domo arigato!

WOW! Christina and Arvin did a kick ass job! SO MUCH FUN!
We pretty much had the entire restaurant for our dinner. There were 36 of us. We had lots of regulars, as well some LA’ers, and I think a SF’er too. And, my husband was there! YAAAAAY!
He finally got to come out and see how much fun it is going to UYE’s and how great everyone is!
The restaurant is a favorite of Arvin and Christina’s. They are very well known here. They literally come here at least 2x a week. The chef’s and managers know them and worked with them to create not only a delicious menu, but also a memorable night.
Everyone had a 9 piece tasting menu. Yonaka worked with everyone dietary needs. Each menu was designed with that person in mind. The menu was printed on beautiful paper which I noticed immediately. First was the name of the dish, and under was what the dish consisted of.
It took a little time for the first course to come out, but once the ball got rolling, the food pace was terrific. In the middle of the courses, they came out and brought a platter of fruit for everyone to cleanse the palate with. Very cool! I took pictures of all the dishes, and you can see that the presentation was beautiful. Everything tasted fantastic. I enjoyed the oyster which is shocking! I think it was the cucumberness on top that really did it for me.
We had the middle round table and 3 huge tables, with 10 people at each one. At every table, people were enjoying the company and the food and drinks. Some tables got bottles of saki to share, I also saw bottles of wine going around. It was a really great night and I think everyone had a fantastic time. I know I did!
Thanks Christina and Arvin. You have set the bar HIGH! When is the next one? Wendy’s, next week? :)

What an amazing treat!
Thank you, Christina W and Arvin C for hosting such an awesome UYE. To experience this place was great in itself, but it was SO MUCH more fun to do with fellow Unilocalers! This event definitely had many that made this night a blast!
I was impressed with the printed menus, even listing a pescatarian course for us non-​meat eaters. The 9-​course omakase was a steal for $ 30/​person. We loved the innovative creative dishes that was served. I’m sure it was a big job to serve our large group, but the Yonaka staff did a great job. My boyfriend and I are planning our return visit already.
Happy Birthday again to Vanessa N, and a job well done to Christina and Arvin. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening!

This was one of the biggest Unilocal takeovers in UYE history! The Duchess, Christina W. and Duke, Arvin C. of Yonaka invited Unilocalers to come out to Yonaka and partake in a special 9-​course Omakase created by Chef Ramil and the Yonaka brigade in Celebration of Vanessa N.‘s birthday. This was our first time here as well. I love the modern vibe as you step inside accented with wood and brick, the service staff dressed in black accented with green ties, and the kitchen crew rockin the chocolate brown aprons against their chef’s whites… all these details make Yonaka very comforting and inviting at the same time.
A total of 32 diners occupied at least 50% of the total dining space, and our 4-​hour dining adventure consisted of the following:
SUIKA-​While the trend now is watermelon and feta, chef Ramil replaces the saltiness of feta and fish sauce makes its first appearance of three, adding a nice saltiness against the fragrant Thai basil and the crunch of the dehydrated starfruit.
MURUGAI-​The slight smokiness of the mussels complemented the fresh vegetables and the refreshing tomato water in this course.
IROHA-​This course was one of the standouts for me. The fresh salmon, sweet Asian pear and yellow tomato with the intense heat of the Serranos and the sweet crunch of the candied quinoa was a symphony of flavors. I could’ve easily had 2 – 3 more plates of this, even though my mouth was ON FIYAH!!!
KINOKO-​Presented in its purest form, an assortment of mushrooms were almost unadulterated and accented with a sesame foam, when in most cases, you would usually expect to see mushrooms sauteed with olive, sesame, or truffle oil. I liked tasting each mushroom’s distinct earthiness in this course.
KAKI-​This one slurp course showcased the brininess of the Shigoku Oyster with the refreshing cucumber and watermelon… Always a winner when raw oysters are involved.
We were than given a «palate cleanser» of assorted berries which were lightly coated with fish oil, fish sauce, and micro greens. Very interesting combination.
another addicting smell permeated the dining room from the very talked about Brussels Sprouts. Not part of the Omakase, but a few Unilocalers had to have it, because as Arvin said, «This is one of the dishes you just GOTTA have when you come here!» Tien was nice enough to offer a bite to a few of us, and yes, I will glady devour one whole plate on my next visit.
GYU-​Another star of the night, Sous-​Vide Wagyu, perfectly medium rare with the sweetness of the peach herb purée and orange supreme, and yet again the saltiness of the fish sauce, this time in gelee form, another successful combination.
Props to Patis! That’s all I gotta say…:p
UNI-​I will devour all things Uni, and this was a mix of the ocean’s treasures-​uni, scallops, and salmon roe, the kabocha purée and the mushroom chip tied everything up nicely. Could’ve had 10 of those…
KAMA-​Simply grilled sevred with grilled veggies and a squeeze of lemon, sometimes less is more, and this is a perfect example. Meaty, fatty goodness-​YUM!
KANMI-​The finale tasted like a deconstructed lemon bar-​tangy lemon sorbet and sweet pistachio crumble ended our culinary journey. We also sang Happy Birthday to Vanessa and got a Kodak moment with all of those who attended.
A great big MAHALO to Team Yonaka-Jax,(our interactive menu) our waitress Ashlee, and the rest of the service staff, for attending to our every need throughout the evening, and Chef Ramil and your team of culinary trailblazers for introducing
Vegas to textures, flavors, ingredients, and combinations unimaginable… ALOHA!!!
Unilocal 100 CHALLENGE 2013−(53÷100) «Dining with Yonaka Royalty»

For a mere $ 30, we were treated to a modern Japanese journey fit for an emperor. Course after course featured brilliant combinations of ingredients that, despite only dining there once before, I’ve come to expect from the masters at Yonaka. My only complaint would be that the entire meal went over three hours long. But that’s really not a complaint. I honestly didn’t even notice the time.
Thanks to Christina and Arvin for organizing a fantastic UYE.

This UYE @ Yonaka with Christina W and Arvin C event is almost a mini West Coast Unilocal elites convention. We have Unilocalers from SoCal, San Francisco, and obviously a strong attendance of local Las Vegas Unilocalers. It lasted at least as long as the Hobbits movie. But with a 9-​course Omakase, and the chefs making special accommodations for individual dietary restrictions, and only charging $ 30+tip and tax, it was a great deal and loads of fun.
With such a large group, service was good. The staff were very courteous and our glasses were always refilled without being prompted. I enjoyed just about every course that was served (not a fan of the Kinoko mushroom course).
My top two favorite courses are:
Uni: Sea Urchin, Kabocha Purée, Salmon Roe, Scallop, Mushroom.
Gyu: Wagyu Beef, Orange Supreme, Peach Herb Purée, Fish Sauce Gelee.
Thank you Duchess Christina W and Duke Arvin C, the chefs and staff of Yonaka for this evening of fabulous food and socializing. And Molly and Eric for spending an evening from their Vegas vacation to hang out and have dinner.

How can you not give Christina and Arvin’s UYE at Yonaka 5 Stars?
5 Reasons for 5 Stars;
1. To celebrate Vanessa N’s Birthday and Tony N’s welcome back. Happy Birthday to Vanessa and it was nice to finally meet Tony. You guys are awesome.
2. To attend Yonaka Royalty’s UYE. Arvin C. is the current Duke, Christina W. is 2^nd, and Teri C. is 3^rd. All three members of royalty in attendance. If this place is good enough for them, it’s good enough for everyone.
3. Great food shared with great people
4. Met some Unilocalers that I haven’t met before.
5. It’s Yonaka, need I say more?
We each received a 9-​Course Meal Omakase Style. The chef selected 9 dishes that began with the lightest dish and proceeding to the heaviest. Of course, dessert was last. Our specific table had to be a handful for the chef due to all the restrictions. I felt that Yonaka handled it well and even hooked us up with a few extra dishes. My 9-​course meal consisted of Suika, Muragai, Iroha, Kinoko, Kaki, Hotate, Uni, Kama, and Kanmi (see pictures for details). Overall, the food was great and the price for all of this was a little over $ 30 before tip. This was a ton of food so this eating experience took over 3 hours. 3 hour dining experience at this UYE equals more time to share stories and laughs with some of my favorite Unilocalers, which I can consider also my friends. To me, a UYE is about hanging out with friends and doing what we all love to do… that’s eat.
Thank You Christina and Arvin for putting this together. Thank You Tiffany, Jax, and the chefs of Yonaka for another great experience here. Last but not least, Happy Birthday Vanessa!!!