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Yamato Japanese Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
18 Bellair StToronto, ON M4W 1A7
Neighbourhood: Yorkville
(416) 927-0077
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
32 reviews for Yamato Japanese Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"The service is excellent." In 3 reviews -
"The onion soup comes with the combo is very nice, and I..." In 3 reviews -
"The meal was 35$, I loved the fried rice and soup, but was..." In 4 reviews
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32 reviews in English
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Review from Isaac E.
North York, ON
4/27/2012
I'd list this place as a 5-star listing if it weren't for 2 things.
But first the Pros
This is something that I feel everyone must try. Teppanyaki is definitely something worth taking a nice night out for. The chef we had was great and courteous. He did the Onion Volcano and scrambled an egg with just his spatula. Amazing just to see someone do something great while cooking your food. My fiancee and I loved it, definitely going to come back with a set of friends.
The Cons
The issue with this place is that the prices are high. Definitely racked up a lot for the meal. The waitresses don't really express when something is extra and they're great at up-selling. It's an extra $5 but I'd recommend ordering the fried rice just for the heck of it. It's delicious and watching the chef flip the rice while it's in the bowl is pretty cool. Drinks can also add to the bill and before you know it you've got a whopping large bill in front of you.
The other problem I can see with this place is that the novelty can rub off quickly. Once you've seen it, it's not as entertaining the next time. I'd still recommend to check it out.
Definitely worth it though despite those cons. The food is great, so is the service and it's different for the odd night. -
Review from Jiao S.
10/22/2011 2 photos
It is actually between "a OK" and " I am a fan". Actually, it should be the food is a "OK" but I am still a fan.
Must try :teppanyaki.
Although, some times it is to the too salty side, although the lobster tend to be a little bit over cooked, the cooking process!! it is like a performance you just have to try it.
For people who work downtown, it is good to try the Lunch menu, although with less choices, but half price. I love the steak, like the dipping sauce too ( creamy mustard). The chicken is nice too, just I am not a Huge fan of chicken.
Dinner, I recommend dish with both steak and lobster and other sea food.
I never tried the Kobe beef, didn't think there is a need to eat Kobe beef here, but if you are a fan, why not.
The onion soup comes with the combo is very nice, and I LOVE the fried rice. They chef use a special kind of garlic butter to cook it ( stop thinking about the calorie fact). It was definitely delicious (although sometime they tend to put too much soy sauce in)
This restaurant is the sister restaurant of FUNE , the sushi place. I tried their butter fish sashimi once, very very good. Some other choice other than Teppanyaki -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
7/16/2011 5 photos
Strolling around Yorkville looking for food, Yamato is like a magnet!! I got suck in when I saw the 3 sushi chefs working so busy at the sushi bar.
Sushi Sampler ($11) and Tempura Udon ($14) were both nicely done!! Especially the Udon which has a tasty Dashi broth, udon cooked to perfection soft and chewy at the same time!
Service was polite and a little distant.
I would definitely drop by Yamato again when I am in the area for their lunch specials....Listed in: Japanese Restaurants in the…, A Day in Yorkville!
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Review from Trudy M.
Toronto, ON
6/6/2011
I know everyone is talking about Guu these days (and the 3 hour queues), but my favourite Japanese Restaurant in Toronto is Yamato. Their website does not do the restaurant justice at all. The food is so fresh and beautifully presented and the service is consistently polite and efficient. I love the set up of the restaurant too with one side dedicated to teppanyaki grills (great for groups and special occasions) while the other side is smaller and intimate for a nice sushi dinner or to watch the sushi chefs at work. You can also order from the sushi menu at the teppanyaki grills.
So what's on the menu? Prices range from $5 for hand rolls to $60 for teppanyaki dinners. I highly recommend the sushi pizza (I have cravings for it), any of the maki and the plum wine, mmm plum wine. From the teppanyaki menu I tried the Imperial ($35) with fillet mignon, shrimps and teriyaki chicken, it was all delicious and came with miso, salad and grilled vegetables. Well worth the price and the chef was highly skilled and entertaining to watch. Enjoy the flaming onion ring castle :) -
Review from Brenn S.
12/5/2011
I've always loved Yamato. I haven't been in a very long time but as I recall, excellent service and the sashimi is always served at the perfect temperature, (I consider this a very important factor with sashimi, as one should)!
Listed in: Best Sushi
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Review from Bill T.
8/8/2011
I've always wanted to try Yamato since I always pass by it. Having recently had an exceptional teppanyaki experience in Mongolia (odd place to have Japanese food!), I was determined to give it a try.
I ordered a "Daimyo" with fried rice (+$5), which included ribeye, lobster, scallops and veggies.
The chef/cook was a pleasant Japanese man, joking around with all of the customers around the grill. There was a lot of showmanship involved while he worked the grill: spinning and cracking eggs, lighting various things on fire, tossing and banging random objects at hand... It wasn't exactly my thing, but I didn't mind it either.
The food didn't come out amazing, it lacked the intricacies that made Japanese food world-renown. Most items came out charred, and tasted burnt; the quality of the ingredients were average at best, and the seasoning was very one dimensional.
I probably wouldn't go back for a long while. -
Review from Kristy P.
Toronto, ON
1/20/2011
I went here last night to celebrate my birthday with the boyfriend. We were greeted by a bunch of waitresses (good first impression!). She took us to the teppanyaki area and we got a private table while the table across from us was jam-packed (yay for privacy!). Our waitress was very attentive. We ordered two green tea and she always came by to check on us and see if we needed a refill (yay for attentiveness!).
Move on to the dinner part. I ordered the teriyaki special (sirloin AND chicken) for $26 and the boyfriend got the sirloin for $29. And boy, the portions were pretty big, especially for mine. All teppanyaki dinners come with a side of onion soup, house salad, grilled veggies (cooked together with the meat of your choice), and steamed rice. You can order fried rice (pay extra, of course) and the chef will make it in front of you (that's when you get the egg-and-spatula action!). The food was good, except it got cold very fast. My sirloin strips hardened after 15 minutes, so I had to soak them with the sauce. But the taste wasn't bad at all. Besides, I went there for the experience, not so much the food :p
Speaking of experience, it all depends on the chef you get. We got a fairly young chef (perhaps a newbie?) and he was very quiet throughout the cooking process. I came in and expected a chatty, entertaining chef. You know, like the ones you see on Food Network :p Our chef was very quiet, he didn't explain about the different dipping sauces and he almost screwed up the onion volcano trick. That's the most disappointing part of the night. The chef at the next table was much older (probably in his 50s). He was very chatty and made jokes every now and then. And he nailed the onion volcano ;)
We also ordered Urajiro (mushroom tempura with fillings) as our appetizer. I expected it to be awesome (because I love mushroom) but the fillings were a bit undercooked (IMO), especially the shrimps. Not sure if they meant it to be that way, but it's definitely not my cup of tea.
So anyway, our bill came out to about $80 (incl. taxes & tips). Not bad for a birthday dinner at Yorkville :) -
Review from Raymond W.
Toronto, ON
1/28/2011
Behold, a Toronto sushi restaurant where the wait staff are actually Japanese! I can't quite believe it myself either.
I don't know what the deal is with this place, it seems to have two levels, I've only been to the lower one. It's a tight space downstairs, but neat. Table being only slightly wobbly, hardly noticeable.
The waitresses were all very short, but that's not how I came to the conclusion that they were from Japan. I made that observation when I overheard them speaking Japanese. Nobody can wag the finger at me for that one.
There's not much to say about Yamato, other than the sushi itself. Bloody delicious. I don't even know what the names of the rolls I ordered, all I know is that it was worth every penny. The avocado melted in my mouth, the shrimp and crab were fresh and crispy, you can't taste the fatal mercury in the fish at all, the Sake was just the right temperature. You can almost taste the ten year hard achieved diploma of the sushi chef.
The crowd here weren't bad either, one of those environments where you won't lose your voice from talking to the person in front of you.
I almost wanted to bow to our waitresses on my way out. -
Review from Renata R.
11/30/2010 1 Check-in Here
I was having a great dinner, and awesome service. They even suggested the best sake I've ever tried (Takara). Then I mentioned I was ordering chocolate cake because I needed chocolate because it was my birthday. My server asked my name, said happy birthday.
She came back with the full staff with a fully decorated slice of cake, with happy birthday written in chocolate sauce, singing happy birthday, Renata, and a candle on the cake. AWESOME is not enough to describe. I didn't ask for this and got the full birthday package.
I should mention that the sashimi was perfect, delicious and fresh. Thank you for making my first birthday celebration a great night!Listed in: Sushi & Cia
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Review from Lauren M.
12/7/2010 3 Check-ins Here
4 stars for lunch, 3 otherwise.
Yamato has some pretty cool teppenyaki lunch specials, most will cost no more than $15 including tax and tip. Not bad. We often take new hires at my company here for a "welcome" lunch, mainly because it will satisfy even picky eaters. (You can't go wrong with grilled meat, veggies and rice)
Service at lunch is fast, you can definitely order, dine, pay and be outta there within an hour.
I don't find the teppenyaki chefs that entertaining. I've seen much better, but not in Toronto. I suppose if it's your first visit, it will likely impress. After numerous visits, it becomes boring.
They do have really good sushi here too. The rainbow roll is freaking amazing. -
Review from Phatty G.
Toronto, ON
9/18/2010
Everything is extremely fresh and tasty. The sashimi is amazing.
The decor is not fancy, but the employees are extremely pleasant and professional. I didn't have the teppenyaki so i wouldn't be able to advise.
It was a little on the pricier end, but you get what you pay for.
I highly recommend! -
Review from Thomas H.
10/4/2010
This is a review for the Lunch menu only.
This place has a fantastic lunch special. For under $15 you can have a Teppanyaki meal cooked right in front of you by a chef. The food itself is great, and it's a fun experience on top of that.
The service is excellent. All servers are Japanese. Some have accents, but they are very friendly so you just have to be patient -
Review from Jeffrey W.
Toronto, ON
4/5/2011 2 photos
After looking up Yamato's online lunch menu and noticing how affordable the lunches were for a university student, a friend and I went to indulge on $11 ribeye steaks for lunch.
The waitresses, clad in kimonos, were ninja-like in their ability to keep our teacups filled. It was pretty cool.
Our chef, Romeo, went ballistic on the teppan board with his tricks, and did both of our steaks perfectly (medium-rare for me, medium for my friend). The steaks themselves were of a pretty high quality as well from what I could see, being well-marbled and delicious. Romeo made small talk with us as he did his work with ease.
My friend and I are probably going to come back and try the sushi, since other Yelpers have been saying how good it is! Seems a little on the pricey side though. Alas!
For a full review, please visit my blog, located conveniently in my profile. Cheers! :) -
Review from Moritz H.
Great show. (But it depends on the chef you get!) Lots of food. Nice staff. Reasonable prices...
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Review from Alicia A.
Toronto, ON
10/12/2009
My family and I went for my niece's 15th birthday. It was what we were looking for, something more fun than the average sit-down dinner. I called for a reservation on the way there on a Saturday night and our table was ready when we got there. Prices were what I thought they would be for Yorkville and the food was good but average. There are two halves to this restaurant, sushi bar and steakhouse (which is nice if you want sushi and dont want to smell like fried food). We had a few rolls too and the sushi was very fresh.
The service was great and they brought my niece's cake out with sparklers and a singing waitstaff, they even asked her name ahead of time. I was dissapointed the desserts weren't more authentic or homemade, like a bananas tempura. Mostly premade cheescakes. But the banana crepe was yummy.
We sat next to a handful of Torono Raptors, which is always fun. And afterwards took a stroll around the area, great location you can walk to lots of fun places for an after dinner drink or dancing.
Overall a very good experience. -
Review from Christian P.
Toronto, ON
9/4/2011
very good and fresh sushi (though could be served a little bit colder). good staff, but the waiter was a different one at each time (so not an individualized experience). classy (much more than the usual Japanese street restaurant) and quiet, and with good and reasonnable prices. Dessert menu must be improved.
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Review from Nicole A.
Etobicoke, ON
8/9/2010
I've been a few times, it "wowed" me the first time because I had never seen anyone play with there food like that!
However, it is the same thing every time , and this last visit, we had a late reservation. I guess because it was the end of the night the chef was board or tired or something, so he did a really half ass job. The food tastes good but there was no WOW factor. We went for my best friends birthday so I was kinda Disappointed.
Also I ordered the imperial, it came with a really good onion soup and steak and chicken, it came with jumbo shrimp that in the end were not so jumbo. The meal was 35$, I loved the fried rice and soup, but was Disappointed with the size of the shrimp.
one thing that was really nice of them thou,they gave us side plates and forks for the cupcakes we brought for our friend, which was very much appreciated!! -
Review from Vince A.
7/22/2011
Considering it's easy to find bad Japanese/Teppanyaki, this place is solid. It didn't blow my mind, but everything I tried was good, and the service was excellent. The miso soup, shrimp and vegetable tempura, beef kushiyaki, sushi, and teppanyaki dinner were all up to par. O yeah, and the green tea ice cream hits the spot : ).
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Review from Reagan G.
Toronto, ON
8/31/2011
I don't know why many people said this place is awesome . I tried their teppanyaki the meats were dry and tasteless and I wasn't impressed with their sushi.I rather go to Nami at Adelaide st any-day or go to the cheap japanese joint at Bloor st. Rather than going to this overpriced and lack of quality japanese restaurant.
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Review from Karen S.
2/14/2010
I came here for lunch, during a weekday, and the experience here was all positive. The service was fantastically attentive. My tea was always filled without being asked. I had the sushi lunch which came with soup and salad. While the salad was standard, the soup was very fragrant and delicious. I don't usually drink miso soup, and this one saw me slurping it all up. The sushi was fresh and I enjoyed every bite!
I was actually pretty surprised upon seeing other reviewers' ratings for this place, but then I didn't come during dinner. On a sunny afternoon on a weekday, this is a very nice and quiet place to have lunch in the middle of Yorkville without breaking your wallet. -
Review from Secyw W.
Richmond Hill, ON
2/17/2011
I went to Yamato for a goodbye lunch because it was near our work place. It is a teppankyi type of Japanese restaurant located in Yorkville area. I ordered tori which is tender boneless chicken leg meat glazed with teriyaki sauce. With each order, there is always the typical salad and miso soup, and fresh vegetables. I thought my chicken dish was very salty and did not like it at all. I had better teppankyi elsewhere that was less salty. My co-workers had the shrimp and scallop and they mentioned it was very salty.
Service was good though. Fast, and we had a big group so we had 2 people cooking for us and taking our orders. But one side of the table got their food a lot quicker than the other side, and we ate at different times. Would be better if everyone ate at the same time rather than watching each other eat. -
Review from Tina N.
Toronto, ON
12/4/2010
I was visiting this restaurant for the first time and all I can say is that the food is just OK (nothing special). It's not the cheapest place to eat nor do they give you a portion worth its price. I've had better sushi and teppanyakis at other Japanese restaurants at a more reasonable cost. As for staff, communication skills are very low - they should hire a new staff that can actually understand/speak English. So if you do decide to dine here, make sure they understand your order otherwise you are going to pay for something extra.
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Review from Lori L.
Toronto, ON
12/16/2010
I had the grilled vegetable teppanyaki, and I thought it was OK, nothing particularly special. The service was excellent though -- the waitresses were very stealthy (you barely noticed them clearing your table, etc), the atmosphere is very quiet and calm, and the decor is nice. Good for groups!
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Review from Lauren C.
Scarborough, ON
5/19/2011
This place gives so many plates and saucers to you from soy sause pallets to shrimp tale holders. Warm Sake sure hits the spot after some bean sprout tea. The booths have a single pillow for my square rear-end on either side. The family spoon is rather long so serving the party won't be hard. TOFU with sweet chili sauce on the house was delicious though. The menu is very heavy and they have an item called "NIGRI'.
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Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
8/29/2008 1 photo
I went to Yamato for the going away party of a friend of a friend who is going to Korea to teach English. Her friends decided that the best place to take her was a Japanese restaurant. I don't really understand, but it certainly was worth the trip. Yamato is a cheaper version of Beni-hana, the Japanese restaurant where guys with sharp knives make your food on a large griddle in the table. The food at Yamato is ok, there were no surprises but neither were there any disappointments. I went with the Teriyaki Special which included both chicken and beef and while it was a bit on the expensive side for me (but I'm a cheap bastard) it was definitely worth the money for the show. Our table side chef did all the things I'd seen done on TV like the flaming onion and lots of salt an pepper banging and it was fun to watch. While I was confused as to why her friends took her to a Japanese restaurant it really was the ideal place to gather in a large group to have dinner. Everyone watched the show and watched each others food being prepared and the fact that there was a group made the experience all the more fun. I wouldn't recommend going to Yamato on a whim, this is the kind of place you want to look forward to and to bring as many people as you can to join you, and if you can get the numbers I think that this is a great place to congregate.
Like the review? Check out the link to my blog on my profile. -
Review from Ailin K.
Toronto, ON
2/22/2010
Place is so-so. It is in a great location with nice decor, and service was good. The food was alright, got the Niku Udon...was a bit greasy and lacked flavor.
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Review from Lauren W.
Toronto, ON
5/11/2010
I've eaten at a tonne of Teppanyaki places all over the city, and although this is probably one of the most expensive, it is definitely one of the best. I usually go here for birthdays, or with a large group of friends, but have also gone for dinner with my boyfriend, or in a smaller group. Whether being with a large group, or just one other person, the service is always great, and I don't have anything to complain about. I've never tried the sushi, but everything else I've ever eaten here has been delicious. I always leave here stuffed, as the portions are huge.
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Review from John G.
East York, ON
8/15/2009
Although is advertises itself as a Japanese Steak House, if that is all you want you might have a problem finding it on the menu.
I only have had the Sushi & Tempura platters which are very fresh and quite filling. Am not into the sharp-knives display and group table thing. They have a small bar, sushi bar & summer patio. Service was very prompt.
Only downside are that all the desserts obviously come in from outside i.e. cheese cake and the like.
A little pricy, and when you ask for some sliced ginger that want to charge you extra - very cheap as well as a turn-off.
Steps from Bay Street TTC Subway Bellaire Exit -
Review from Hlynur G.
6/6/2010
I've been coming here regularly for years. Consistently the best sushi in Toronto (although pricy) and authentic service.
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Review from Jody C.
3/8/2010
Love the service, fresh fish, sushi, authentic japanese food, and teppanyaki at Yamato!
Try the Urajiro appetizer (deep fried mushroom and shrimp, breaded)
Spicy Maki's are tops in the city, firm, great fish, avocado and the right amount of spicy.
Sitting at the sushi bar is also great experience to talk with the chefs.
Have fun! Sapporo on draft! -
Review from Troy E.
Toronto, ON
11/22/2010
We went for dinner to Yamato to celebrate my sisters birthday and although the food as good, the service was not on the friendly side. The most disappointing part and a bummer from fully enjoying this place was the cheapness - they charged for hot sauce, ginger and even for the sparkler on the birthday cake (no free cake for the bday girl either!) After spending close to $500, you would expect a little bit of generosity! Would I go back? Not really.
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Review from Vanessa V.
8/7/2008
as far as hibachi goes, this is pretty low on the spectrum. the quality of the food is not where it should be for such an expensive, pretentious place. it's right in yorkville so you can expect the clientele to be a bunch of dicks, but i don't need attitude from the waiters too. food is below average and very expensive. masa a few blocks east is better but still not good.
Listed in: i'm not your friend, guy
