YABU Restaurant West LA

Since I started my chronicles of LA finds, friends have suggested good eats, good places, and good things to do around town. And it's been a lot of fun, trying new things and getting out of the house.

Anyway...a couple weeks ago, MS and I heard that Yabu in West LA had pretty good food and headed out for a dinner after work. We passed the unassuming neon green sign, had to make a quick U-turn on busy Pico Blvd, and found some parking on a side street.

The Japanese restaurant was quite busy inside, with chefs moving back and forth - cooking and serving customers at the bar. We were seated at a table for two by the window which gave me a pretty nice view of the open kitchen area. Daily specials were written on a neon lighted blackboard and printed on a daily menu as well. Special items included Blue Fin Chu-Toro Sashimi, which we had the half-order. Fresh and tender tuna pieces melted in our mouths. After asking the friendly serving staff for their recommendations, we also placed orders for the Renkon Shinjo: lightly fried minced lotus roots with shrimp, mountain yam and a special sauce; thin slices of seared niku (beef) in a pepper, garlic, shoyu, balsamic vinegar sauce with sprouts and lime; blackened cod with vegetables in a ponzu sauce; deep fried oysters; and ended with the dungeness crab hand rolls.



All *but* the hand rolls were tasty and great samples of Yabu's various dishes. The hand rolls had a weird after-taste and was a horrible way to end our meal. Thankfully the service and most of all, the company, made up for the entire experience. Overall, the meal was on the light side so we weren't really full but didn't want to spend more $$ on any other dishes. Somehow, I think we should have went with the noodle dishes as I saw that there were many noodle dishes toward the back of the menu but ah well...there's always next time.

Yabu in West LA
Street: 11820 Pico Boulevard (E of Bundy)
T: 310.473.9757