Four Ways Yamashiro Los Angeles Is Reinventing Tradition This Summer

With over five decades of serving breathtaking views and mouth-watering cuisine, Yamashiro has earned its place as a staple of Los Angeles’ eats. Modeled after a palace in the mountains near Kyoto, Japan, Yamashiro is a traditional Japanese restaurant that sits 250 feet above Hollywood Boulevard. The restaurant overlooks Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and Mid-Wilshire, some of the city’s most exclusive hubs for fine dining. Before it was a restaurant, Yamashiro was home to a vast collection of priceless Asian treasures; some of these treasures still remain in the establishment today, such as the 100-year-old bicycle. From its 600-year-old pagoda to its remodeled wooden cherry designs adorning its walls, Yamashiro has made it clear that it will prioritize sticking to its roots by nurturing its tradition and history. Alongside the new chef, Jaehee Lee, Yamashiro intends to present its new carefully crafted menus, which preserve authenticity but do not leave behind its past fan favorites.

1. New Spring Menu

This spring, guests can expect an entirely new hand-roll section in the menu with options like Blue Crab, Baked Lobster, Yellowtail, Red Snapper, Vegetable, and more. The Tsukune Skewer, a must-try starter option, is a Japanese chicken meatball with egg yolk sauce and yakitori sauce. Two particularly new favorite appetizers on the menu are the Lobster Karaage and Wagyu Gyoza, which is composed of A5 and American Wagyu. Some hot new main dishes that made their way onto the menu are the 10 oz. Bone-in Tonkatsu and Wagyu Sukiyaki. Love Noodles? A refreshingly new noodle option for the summer is the Matcha Soba Noodles, which is made up of green tea noodles, onsen egg, tempura crisps, scallions, kizami nori, radish sprouts, and wasabi. On Yamashiro’s ‘Karaage + Tempura’ section, guests can find a wonderful new vegan plate: the Agedashi Tofu, a dish that includes oroshi daikon, wasabi, scallions, and kizami nori. Another exceptionally exciting new dish presented in the Seafood section is the Sakamushi, which are sake-steamed clams with garlic, soy sauce, shallots, butter, and mizuna.

However, wildly popular fan-favorite dishes such as Sashimi Tacos, Sashimi Pizza, and Sushi Boats are here to stay.

2. The Bar

While sipping a unique cocktail and admiring the beautiful Hollywood Hills, guests can now enjoy new barside food options. Reservations for the bar will not be required, making it the perfect spot for last-minute quality eats from Yamashiro’s menu that is sure to become a weekly ritual! The barside food menu is composed of fan-favorite picks from the restaurant as well as barside-only menu items. The Bar food menu consists of Lobster Karaage, Spicy Tuna,

Crispy Rice, Sashimi Taco, Oyster Shooter, Crispy Albacore Tataki, Yellowtail Serrano Sashimi, Yamashiro Burger, and Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice. The Yamashiro Burger is crafted with wagyu beef and a miso sauce.

3. The Revamped Cocktail Menu + More Alcohol

Yamashiro’s new cocktails are nothing like what it’s presented before! These new alcoholic concoctions include a variety of flavors and aromatic ingredients that are sure to leave guests absolutely charmed. Four especially exciting cocktails to look out for are the Zen Oasis, Electric Ocean, Purple Dragon, and Yellow Dragon. The Zen Oasis is a fun mix of green apple and green tea-infused Roku gin, Lillet Blanc, lemongrass-infused sunny vodka, and elderflower syrup with a zest of Suze. With such a shockingly interesting title, the Electric Ocean cocktail sure lives up to its name with ingredients like pisco, green sake, italicus, lime juice, and aquafaba. Made of Tanqueray gin, house-made violet cordial, fresh lemon, and lavender bitters, the Purple Dragon will make for the perfect cocktail to bless your Instagram’s summer aesthetic feed. The most fascinating of the four is the Yellow Dragon cocktail, which includes Hibiki Harmony Japanese whiskey, benedictine, passion fruit puree, fresh lime juice, and allspice. Yamashiro will also offer the Yellow Dragon Special, which is a combination of the Yellow Dragon cocktail and an upgraded version of the Yellow Dragon Sushi Roll that comes with Kaluga Caviar. Aside from its complex cocktail menu, the restaurant also offers wine, sake, and beer. Yamashiro has also made a noticeable expansion to its sake and wine list to include only the finest options to offer to guests.

4. The Steaks

Another component that Yamashiro is known for is its steaks, especially its Wagyu beef. Its selection of traditional steaks includes four options: the 10 oz. Ribeye, the 10 oz. Bone-in filet, the 10 oz. London Broil, and the Tomahawk. A fast fan-favorite to keep an eye out for is the Tomahawk, which can be shared between two to three people, and includes miso steak sauce, lobster tail, octopus tail, shrimp, and shiso vinaigrette. Yamashiro’s mouth-watering Wagyu steak can also be found in other dishes throughout its menu, such as the Wagyu Sukiyaki, Wagyu Gyoza, and A5 Wagyu Nigiri.