Yakko Bistro

Miami has the kind of upscale Japanese restaurants where dinner will cost you the equivalent of a used 2001 Toyota RAV4. But we have painfully few options when it comes to the opposite. That’s why our love for Yakko Bistro runs deep. Japanese food this delicious (and for less money than a tank of gas for that RAV4) is rare in our Japanese restaurant universe.  

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc

But Yakko’s food makes it unique too. The menu extends well beyond sushi—which is more than we can say for all those upscale options around town. We come here to eat through our own personal list of dishes we’ve been trying to manifest more of in Miami: tsukune, okonomiyaki, and tonkatsu. The dress code is who cares and the long menu allows you to order a single filling entree like the chicken omurice, or so many kushiyaki skewers that your server will have to drag over another table.

If the name Yakko sounds familiar, it’s because this place used to be called Yakko San, and was located a couple miles away in a bigger space. When that closed, those who knew its value mourned the loss. But those people can celebrate now, because Yakko Bistro is back, still open late, and might be better than ever. 

Food Rundown

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc

Okonomiyaki

To our delight, Yakko goes hard on the sauces (especially the Kewpie) with its okonomiyaki. The savory pancake is a good size to split with a friend, and you can get it filled with vegetables, shrimp, pork belly, or all of the above if you want to go absolutely wild.

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc

Salmon Kama Miso

If you are not yet acquainted with the joys of fish collars—the most delicious part of the fish—yakko’s fatty salmon collar is here to change that. If you’re already a collar convert, you’ve probably already ordered this.

Pork Belly Rice Dog

This is our favorite dish from Yakko’s kushiyaki skewer options. It’s a hot dog-shaped tube of rice held in place by a thin ribbon of pork belly they crisp up on the grill. It’s like a delicious pork belly rice bowl that wanted to be a hot dog when it grew up.

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc

Omurice

If you’re a little sick of small plates and just want a single plate, go for the omurice. Yakko’s is a big portion with a rich sauce and chunks of chicken you can actually taste. It’s not one of those dramatic versions of omurice that flows like a waterfall when it’s sliced open, but it tastes great so who cares.