We were very blessed to be gifted a super special meal from Yatai in Palmerston North this evening. It was absolutely lovely. Sashimi probably fave but then shrimp and asparagus and then the gyoza..... so good thank you.
Came to dinner to celebrate my daughters 13th Birthday. It's the special touches here. Rosie loved the hand printed birthday card from Yatai on the table when we arrived. The food was great - as always .We very much enjoyed a variety of dishes - Sashimi a first for the girls. My girls felt really special - that made it special for me. Barbara is a wonderful host & the staff accommodating. Highly recommend.
Our experience at Yatai was definitely made exceptional thanks to the great service offered by the FOH Team. In particular, the waiter called Shona looked after us really well. 10/10 Would recommend!
The food was quite flavourful but not as authentic as I would've liked. The beef tataki had a bit too much spring onions on it but it was well seasoned and thinly sliced. The sashimi was quite normal, however to replace the tuna, there was smoked salmon and salmon roe which were both quite good. There was a sweetness to the rice in the sushi which accompanied the fillings well. The takoyaki was pretty standard, it could've been crisper on the outside. The tempura was made nicely, the batter was thin enough and it wasn't overfried. However, the pumpkin was a bit undercooked and hard. As for the dons, the rice was a bit too mushy and there was not enough sauce, however the toppings were good, the fish roe Don was probably my favourite. Both the egg and chicken in the oyakodon was a bit dry.
We spent almost $300 for 5 people, a bit much to come back regularly.
We had a lovely family dining experience at the Yatai this evening, We decided to enjoy the shared platter style of dining, which was a wonderful way to sample lots of different tastes, The flavours, without exception, were delicious! The service was friendly and helpful, yet unobtrusive. I was particularly impressed with how Barbara and the team catered to our need to be finished by a particular time, because of other commitments. I rang ahead to discuss our needs and was delighted at how helpful and welcoming they were. We will definitely be back!
Love this place staff are polite and friendly and answer any question about the food explain what it is
Very filling and an ample amount so you don’t leave hungry
Great atmosphere, felt very authentic. Food was great and service was attentive. Had about 7 dishes between 4 people and we were definitely full. Even received a beautiful card as we were dining here as a celebration.
Best way to review a Japanese restaurant is by ordering their sashimi. Yatai didn't disappoint with the spread of salmon, mahimahi, and tuna. The other dishes and rice bowls were delicious too.
Beautiful fresh food. I have been here numerous times and I have never been disappointed.
This has got to be one of my favourite places to eat in Palmy, I highly recommend it!
Have been here a couple times, and loved it ! If you don't know if you like Japanese food or not this place will definitely help you make up your mind ! As a group We hired out the private room, the experience was great and most newbies enjoyed the food, it is quite pricey so be good for a special occasion, there is other places in Palmerston North that you can get similar food for cheaper. Overall deeelish :)
My wife and I have been coming here more and more frequently. I'd now rate Yatai as one of my favorite restaurants in Palmy - certainly the best Japanese restaurant. Great service and even better tasting food. The menu is geared towards ordering many dishes and sharing with your table. I was uncertain of this approach on my first visit but found it to be a brilliant way of sampling many different courses in one meal. If you're really into one dish and want more, you can always order seconds! I find it difficult not to do this every time with the Shiitage Age (deep fried crumbed mushrooms with sauce or lemon+salt) - delicious! I recommend finishing with the chicken curry - very tasty and hearty, but not hot.
Another rave review here. Yatai really wins out in all areas. The venue is intimate, welcoming, and authentic. The staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful, and the food is amazing. The dishes we chose were served promptly and beautifully presented. The taste and texture were just superb. This is top class ethnic food at it's very best. We will be going back soon to try some of the other dishes on the extensive menu. For a restaurant of this quality, the prices are very reasonable. A word of advice - have a look at the menu at home on line before you go. Needless to say we would recommend Yatai to anyone.
A fabulous place for a family dinner, service was great and the food was outstanding. The flavours all worked really well.
The style of Japanese shared dishes was really nice and added to the vibe of the restaurant.
The varied desserts were nice and the portions were perfect for sharing.
This is the best scallop dish we have in NZ. And the grilled beef is juice and good. But we waste more than one and half hour to wait my food, it seems so crazy. Just like other clients said, food is fantastic, but...
Very expensive with small portions but the food is absolutely delicious. The service is very bad and often don't bring water or deliver your meal to another table or just outright forget. The food makes it worth it so I still recommend it if you love Japanese food!
Fantastic dining experience, as per usual, last night. The food is always delicious, fresh and prepared perfectly. There is an extensive selection of drinks that satisfies everyone. No chocolate brownie on the menu but the desserts are delicious too! The staff are considerate, friendly, and efficient. The atmosphere is lovely and authentic. My favourite place to dine in Palmerston North.
wonderful wee restaurant. The queue at the door was an indication of the quality dining experience on offer. superb service. v fresh fish and good pricing. #tinastip sashimi was quiveringly fresh.
We dropped in without a reservation on a busy night and the staff were excellent and found us a table with no fuss. Very friendly and efficient and that continued the rest of the evening. The food was beautifully presented and tasted fantastic. Highly recommended…
We went for dinner today and loved the food. The place was too busy and congested - otherwise all good.
Probably the best restaurant we dined at in New Zealand. Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious, service was excellent and the atmosphere was great. Catered well for our plant-based diet with a large variety of vegan dishes.
Jayden Fairbairn-Lowe (Jayden)
+5
Beautiful, awesome and amazing experience. Amazing traditional Japanese food, with lovely customer service. Felt like a little slice straight from Japan.
The food is just fabulous and their Katsuya (spelt correctly?) Is really mouth watering. I also love their fritter dish (about the size of a bread and butter plate. I'm not even going to try and spell it.)
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