Yamaya Seafood - Anchorage

Little patience is not enough, you need a lot of patience to dine here. It took me 1.5 hours to get the first dish. And reservation is needed. The food is nice, very authentic traditional Japanese food. Chef prepares every dish with his heart. Feel like I’m in Japan, lots of traditional Japanese decorations. Recommend to try if you are not in a hurry.

Never have I ever had a culinary experience like I had here. I was recommended to come here by a local and wow was I impressed with the overall experience. The location is small and located in the heart of Anchorage making it easily accessible. This is a one person shop as Sam is the host, server, order taker, chef, dish washer, cashier, and on top of it all he sings karaoke. Make sure to plan a good chunk of your evening. Plan to sit, enjoy the quaint little place, making new acquaintances, and eating authentic Japanese food that is not catered to the Americanized pallet. I will forever be grateful for experience I had here and I hope to return soon. I 100% recommend. Also, please call in advance if you are planning a party of 3 or more. You will be turned away as he will not be able to accommodate.

If you’re looking for an authentic Japanese dining experience, you found it in Anchorage! I’ve been to Japan many times and this compares in so many ways. Very limited seating and reservations are required (While there, I witnessed two groups of walk-ins get denied). The food comes out as it’s cooked so don’t expect to get everything at once. They don’t time anything. My suggestion is to order a bunch of items and eat everything as a group. This experience also takes a chuck of time so if you’re on a time crunch, this might not be a good idea. Give yourself at least 2 hours, if not more. This visit, there was one guy doing everything (host, bar tender, cook, cleanup) so be nice and treat him well!

We had the Gyoza, Katsudon and Katsu Curry aside from the wait, everything was made to perfection! Our reservation was for 6 pm and they opened at 5 so we waited an easy hour half (till about 7:30 pm) before our food arrived there was a group before us. Worth the wait!

Dining here is the most precious experience for my winter Alaska trip. For sure, the space is limited and if you do not want to spend more than one hour for having dinner, this is not a choice for you. The food here is very authentic (I am Asian and a Japanese food explorer, much more affordable cuisine than most Seattle Japanese restaurants having the same-quality food) and I really love the hot sake here. I visited twice during my stay in Anchorage. The owner is super nice, highly recommended.