YAYOI Palo Alto -Food CA (Near Palo Alto)

Xavier Sanchez Wow. Just wow. Service was above 10/10 Hands down the best experience I’ve had within a 30 mile radius. I travel a lot throughout California and this place stands above others by a large margin. First let’s begin with the entrance. Very homey, the art on the wall simple and nice, the style is great, nice bonsai decor. Noise level was low. As soon as I walked in I was seated, offered multiple tables. Once seated I was asked for my drink per usual but got it within 2 minutes. I couldn’t decide on what to order. And took recommendations instead, I got the Karaage chicken appetizer & Kati roll. I was asked if I needed anything multiple times and checked on multiple times, the perfect amount not too many and not while I was chewing. The waiters were very tentative only asked if looked around or wasn’t eating. The chicken was great and smelled similar to Oaxaca Mole. But tasted unique like a spicy orange chicken. Not very hot IMO but very flavorful spice level probably a 5/10 heat for an average person. The Kari roll was loaded, and the pricing compared to restaurants in San Jose were fairly less, about $9-$15. My only regret was eating breakfast.

Sarah Highlights: Incredible vegan dishes packed with bold, balanced seasoning. The rice stands out as some of the most flavorful around. The carne asada tacos were bursting with taste. The spot has a charming vibe with plenty of seating and a laid-back, open setup. Theyve consistently earned top local recognition for excellence over the years. Drawbacks: Parking isn’t the most convenient, especially with its location right next to the transit line. Despite being the only customer at the time, my order of the taco trio with rice took quite a while to come out. The pollo tacos didn’t quite deliver on flavor. The building felt warm and stuffy as if the air conditioning either wasn’t working or was barely noticeable.

Karina Great Armenian restaurant with some Russian and Uzbek specialties. Everything was really great. We had borsch, plov, lamb, beef koobideh, chicken filet, dolma, khachspuri. Everything was fantastic. I wish Borsch was warmer, but the taste was good as well as the spread and the brioche. There was my favorite Georgian lemonade Dyushes. Some of the food was left dye to large order and we took it away. Hopefully eggplant rolls will be added to the menu soon. The Georgian Kharcho soup would be amazing, too.

Kirby Aasen Our cribbage club meets here weekly. The staff takes very good care of us. Friendly, attentive, courteous always a pleasure.

Bobbie Kostos The ambiance & romance this venue provides is beautiful. Hearing the Beatles music performed by violins & cello was amazing. We only had wine at the venue, no food. The musicians are wonderful. The setting extraordinary! We cannot wait to see another Candlelight performance, but will purchase tickets earlier. Unfortunately we were in C section due to ordering late. There were, however, a good 12-14 empty seats in front of us which makes me wonder. Next time we will move up once we see no one showing up.

Lorenzo Warfel BELIEVE THE 5-STAR REVIEWS! OMG... Toasted Gastrobrunch is definitely on my regular restaurant rotation now. Its highly recommended by Yelpers far and wide, as a brunch enthusiast I can verify this is a phenomenal place. I heard great things about the A-B-C Hash (Shoutout to our friend Audrey the Yelp CM who recommended this dish) so I had to try it! I ordered it with a side of rosemary sourdough and oof, it was an other-worldly experience. The avocado was perfect, I typically dont eat avo but this place changed my mind. Everything from the potatoes, meat, and eggs was fresh and premium quality. We tried a flight of mimosas (pear, lavender, etc.) and they had a good amount of alcohol. The flight glasses were mini-size, so we got some extra soft drinks just in case. Service was a little wonky, we didnt have too many check-ins from our waitress. Our drinks didnt get refilled regularly, that was a little troubling. We just got a lazy vibe from some of the staff. Thankfully, this didnt ruin the experience, but wed appreciate better service next time! I WILL give kudos to a gentleman from the staff who sent away a homeless dude who was about to start stuff. He tactfully handled the situation, and called security without causing a disruption for guests. The restaurant was trendy, but it never felt like it was trying too hard. It was a cool place, I enjoyed the outdoor patio ALOT! I definitely like the comfortable brunch atmosphere. Oh, and their kitchen is stunning, I love getting to see the chefs in action! Note: I checked on their Yelp page, they have a Yelp waitlist!! Be sure to secure your slot!