Ya-Ya’s Chophouse & Seafood

"Amazing experience! The food and the service was on point! To drink I had the pink Cadillac which tastes great! We started with a wedge salad, crab cakes, shrimp cocktail and the fried rice. Our entrees were the lobster pan roast, prime rib petite filet with taro dinner rolls. We ended the meal with the taro bread pudding and ice cream which paired well together. So I highly recommend getting the 2. All in all 5 ⭐️ meal!"

"I’m going to start this review off with… its never a bad idea to give a restaurant a second chance, even if the first experience was horrible.. We visited YA-YA’s in December 2023 and had one of our worst dining experiences (And we dine out a lot).. you can read that review on Everyday Eats.. After reading our review the management team at YA-YA’s reached out and insisted that next time we were on island that we must come back and give them another shot.. well here we are 3months later and we decided to stop in for dinner.. We were met at the door and sat right away, we were given food meus, the cocktail and wine list which was pleasant after our last experience.. Our Front and back servers both introduced themselves and were all over the table, again a complete 180 from the last time we were here! We ordered a few cocktails and a bottle of wine. My wife ordered the Pink Cadillac ($14) and our son ordered the “One for the road” ($16). I ordered a bottle of Robert Hall Cabernet ($50). We started with the Crab Cakes ($28), the Shrimp Cocktail ($25), and the Fat Fried Rice ($17).. The Crab Cakes were served two to the plate and were not very large in size but what they were was all Crab Meat.. No Fillers, No Binders, no Bread Crumbs… Just perfectly seasoned crab meat! The Shrimp Cocktail being a mainstream app was also surprising, the dish boasted 5pc U10 Jumbo Prawns.. again.. served with simple accoutrement just well done… Now if you have visited any island you’ll find 1000 different takes on Fried Rice.. but the Chef here cooks his with rendered Wagyu Tallow which sets the bar for fried rice in my opinion. Moving onto to entrees… My Wife ordered the Fillet topped with Foie Gras ($119), our son ordered the Lobster Pan Roast ($85), and I….Well I ordered the Prime Rib because the last time we were here I really feel that I was not able to get the true experience on the plate since they forgot to ring it in and I sat plateless across my wife as she ate her meal… But we wont dwell on that! The Filet was huge.. easily sharable between two people and the Foie was cooked perfectly! The Lobster Pan Roast was essentially a whole lobster poached in a creamy tomato sauce.. Definitely on the heavier side, and can be shared… ahh and the Prime Rib.. 12oz of perfectly cooked well seasoned beef goodness… Not one thing bad about it.. We ordered the Truffle Mac N Cheese and the Creamed Spinach as shared sides… the MNC was very good and that’s a bold statement since you can now get gourmet Mac N Cheese just about anywhere. The Creamed Spinach was on the bland side, this is one of those sides that you need to put more effort into it to make it stand out these days. The biggest take away here is that the portions are well sized.. a couple could easily order an app, a salad, one entrée and a dessert to share and have a great dinner and still not break the bank here… we are a family of Foodies and we enjoy trying what looks interesting or trying what might be just another “Shrimp Cocktail” only to be blown away… Lastly.. the Sweet Finale.. We ordered the Taro Bread Pudding with vanilla ice Cream ($12), this was a perfect end… Not too sweet and a great portion to share. The Real takeaway here is that the Food and Beverage team here cares…they read my first review and immediately reached out and wanted us to give them another shot.. We did and we were blown away.. this time around it was like a completely different restaurant… a full 180deg turn around which goes to show that they are doing it right and they were worth the second shot! We’ll be back in the future.. until then…"

"It was my second time here and this time I had to try the Ya-Yakiniku Wagyu from Nagasaki. The meat was super marbled and tender I was absolutely in love with this dish! The service was amazing as well. Marie was very kind and hospitable and checked on our table often to make sure we had everything we needed. Also the music choice at this restaurant was on point! We had a lot of fun overall. I recommend trying the hamachi crudo and the fat fried rice as well."

"Service was awesome! Best dry aged steak I've had in hawaii. Just can't put my finger on it something was off as far as the atmosphere. Bar looked great maybe it was the more modern feeling, from the high ceilings, cement floors not at all a bad thing just different. We will definitely be back."

"Amazing atmosphere, beyond phenomenal drinks and food... cozy place that's spaced out well. Perfect lighting... great choice for romantic private dates or hanging with friends and sharing incredible apps. The wine list is extensive. I love the way everyone pitches in and makes sure to stop by your table and ask a little about you, including management. Had a blast and definitely highly recommended!"