Yoichi's - Santa Barbara

Please allow me to add to the chorus of voices praising Yoichi’s. We had just been to eat at Michelin starred Caruso’s the night before… Yoichi’s was not only half as expensive but twice as good. Food courses absolutely gorgeous, cohesive, delicate, delicious… enough in quantity to really enjoy it but not so much that you feel overstuffed by the end. The variety of dishes was incredible and the tastes exquisite. There were two people serving the dining room when we were there I’m sorry I don’t remember their names but they were both so kind, knowledgable, and attentive. Bonus points for jazzy versions of Studio Ghibli tunes playing as atmospheric music You won’t regret coming here. You will only regret that you can’t eat here every night. We will be sure to come back when we are in Santa Barbara.

I love their Kaiseki. We went there 2 times and both times were “there is nothing to compare” experiences. I have worked as a chef in Japan, assisted a pro and learned about traditional Japanese seafood preparation. The course meal dishes the waiter brought to our table were authentic yet well adjusted to the culture. The waiter Daisuke who is also very professional would take his time to explain the dish, from origin of the ingredients, how they were prepped, and the best order to eat each piece. The restaurant is open only Thursday-Sunday, that I can sense the chef’s effort of taking his time to search for the best ingredients from the different places and serve them at the best. I think I will make a reservation soon for the 3rd time. :

So happy to find a great kaiseki in Santa Barbara. If you really love food, this is one of the most fun and exciting places you could eat in town. Everyone that works there is nice and very passionate. Will be back soon!

It’s a pre-fix high price place. A small amount of food I am used to with Japanese, but it just didn’t seem that high quality unfortunately. The dishes weren’t very tasty, and I went in really wanting to like it. The ambiance and service are really solid, unfortunately the food just wasn’t there, ESPECIALLY for the price.

Outstanding food and service!!! Every little detail of the dishes was PERFECT.