Yu Me Ya – Sake House

You won’t be disappointed. Make reservations though.

I love this place and have been several times over the years. Excellent service, sake, food. Always consistent and authentic.

I visit Encinitas from Seattle 3 times per year.
Seattle has fantastic sushi.
However, I consider Sake House my favorite in Seattle and San Diego county… Be sure to arrive 20 minutes before opening if you want a seat in this delicious and intimate family owned Sake house, yummy!

One of the most authentic, entertaining and delicious dining spots we’ve had the pleasure of enjoying. They don’t take reservations on weekends, but we had a party of two and walked-​in; they had two spots at the end of the bar, and we couldn’t have been happier. The service was exemplary, and we had a great time discovering some of the most delicious Japanese dishes we’ve ever tried. We shared a sake, which was poured to overflow on a small dish for abundance and good fortune. Our neighbors were enjoying the restaurant just as much as we were, and kept recommended the dishes they were having to us. Definitely one of the top dining experiences in the San Diego area and a local gem.

In my opinion the best restaurant in San Diego. Every time I eat here I get something different and love everything. So bomb, and a good place to take a date.

We have seen this restaurant and have been very excited to go there for sometime. Is very small and requires reservations only and you cannot just drop in at the last minute. Tonight we finally went there. Quite honestly, this restaurant was well below my expectations. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate it about a six. It is extremely dark and everyone was using their cell phone to see to get around and to see the menu. We ordered about six dishes off the menu and everything was mediocre at best. The scallops were the size of an eraser head. They were fishy tasting like they were frozen. The calamari was tough. Quite honestly it wouldn’t go back there again.

Family owned. Dad is in the kitchen. Daughters are serving. Wanted to go here for a long time. Always a line and reservations are highly recommended. Rolls were mediocre. Udon Noodle Soup was excellent. Octopus Balls were super good. Calamari was tough but tasty. Scallops were very small but tasty. Atmosphere could be described as super dark. Everyone was using flashlights. This has a local Leucadia appeal and you should give it a shot but compared to the «big picture» of all the Japanese restaurants in the area, I’d say this one ranks near the middle of the list. Just ok. Fairly unique. Not outstanding.

Not easy to find an authentic Japanese home made style food in North county.
This place never let me down. I memorized their menu. That much I love this place’s food, casual atmosphere and always warm welcoming by Yuka & Fumika, the Japanese sisters who explains Sake to the customer in very entertain ways!

After a disappointing start to a much needed date night my husband and I ended up here
Best decision ever
We’ve wanted to try this place forever but rarely have a sitter
Immediately upon walking in I knew this was definitely our type of place
And I was right
We decided to share a sake which was perfect because of the traditional way to drink it that the waitress reminds you of each time. To the descriptions of the sake you’re about to drink
The prices on the food are incredible and you can slowly enjoy tapas after tapas. Next time we have to try the homemade noodles that we didn’t find out about until we were heading out
Will definitely be back hopefully sooner than later

If you are in the area, this is a must stop. I recommend making reservations though, as it is very tiny inside,. We were lucky that the owner made room for us when we arrived without a reservation.
This is definitely a local find that not many know about, but those that do, return. The noodles are made from scratch in the back and melt in your mouth. Since we had never eaten there before, the waitress made recommendations. Every single one of them was wonderful. There isn’t anything on the menu that you won’t like.
The music in the background completes the ambiance, as it reminds me of Hawaii or another island-​type location. Definitely try the Carpaccio, as it was all of our favorites. And don’t forget to take home your little origami chopstick holder. Too cute!

I’ve been here twice and it’s AH-​MAZING!!! If you go on the weekend, they don’t take reservations and you can expect to wait 30 – 45 mins for a table. It’s completely worth it though! Probably one of my top 3 restaurants in San Diego. it’s that good!
Must Try…
Udon Noodles
Black Cod
BBQ Beef Salad
Spicy Tuna Carpaccio

This is easily my favorite restaurant in all of San Diego. With it’s intimate setting, and friendly staff, and not to mention the incredible food, Yu Me Ya will have me returning for as long as they are in business. I have yet to have one item on the menu that I have not loved, and I think I have probably had close to everything by now. The staff is friendly and remembers my name when I come back, which is rare to find these days, and greatly appreciated.
My favorite item on the menu is the Broiled Black Cod, which I could eat nothing but until I was keeling over. If you havent tried Yu Me Ya yet, it is an absolute must!

Truly a hidden gem! Words can NOT even begin to explain! I’ll just say that this place is A-​MAZING… I’ll just leave it at that!
Definite MUST try:
Carpaccio
Potato croquettes with curry vegetable
Broiled black cod — this is like butter in your mouth!!!
Baked bay scallops
Sansai Japanese wild vegetable
If you pass this place up, your loss — literally!!!

Came in and asked whether I can order to go since our kid is asleep and we need to wait 30mins to sit in. Answered yes and then I wait for my turn to order. They are just too busy and I stood up wishing she can notice me. Then she came and I asked to order to go, while she said they didn’t take to go order. And even didn’t say sorry.
Wtf, I waited there for such long time because you said you took to go order.
Then I wish to ask how long we can wait to sit in, she just disappeared.
I can understand you are busy (only me waiting there actually), but could you please show some respect to your customers???

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this place and everytime I drive by, I get a little intimidated on how small it is! Which can only mean that it can get packed during busy nights and I might have to make a reservation. I finally braved through the fear and here I was on a Saturday night, without a reservation, waiting almost an hour for a table for two. They served us a cute little bowl of edamame outside to satiate the hunger until we were finally called.
Guess what? The wait was WORTH IT! We were seated by the cute little bar and our Japanese waitresses were so awesome, quick, funny, and very welcoming. We ordered the BBQ Beef Salad, Scallop & Mushrooms, and the Takoyaki Balls (Octopus) to start. Everything was delicious, tasty, and filling regardless of the tapas being small. For the main dishes, we got the Unagi (Eel) Rice Bowl and the Sukiyaki Udon Bowl. I don’t understand why people said the Sukiyaki was undercooked when it was excellent. I could drink that sweet broth till it’s gone! It was so good that if it weren’t served too hot, I would’ve finished it in less than 5 minutes! The Unagi was also great and the rice was –mmm! — perfect.
We also ordered the top of the line — Junmai Dai Ginjyo — Sake Tasting. It comes in three 2oz glasses and it is preferably shared with someone (if you’re driving, haha) or enjoyed by yourself. Everything was smooth and accompanied our Oishi (delicious) meal very well.
We spent about $ 60 aka $ 30/​person. It was worth every dollar spent. The service and the food is top-​notch and I will definitely be coming back and maybe make a reservation ahead of time. :)

I really liked this place.
Driven by countless times, was even turned away due to no reservation.
Finally planned ahead, and my daughter & I just enjoyed a terrific experience.
It’s a tapas type of place,…Japanese style.
Yuka was our server (reddish hair), she was great!
She made wonderful sake recommendations, with historical and technical distilling information.
We had scallops, calamari, eggplant, spicy tuna, salmon, eel, and so much more.
It was all great.
One of my favorite dining experiences in a while.

Japanese tapas and sake house! –MAKE A RESERVATION!- This place is small and you’ll want to make a reservation. Even for a weeknight!
Tried a bunch of their tapas and for the most part the food was a hit with some dishes being misses.
We tried:
COLD TAPAS:
1. Japanese Wild Veggies with Squid, $ 3.95. This is a bit sweet in the marinade/​sauce, but tastes light. Not bad.
HOT TAPAS:
1. Broiled black cod with Kyoto miso flavor, $ 5.95. This is delicious. It’s quite a small piece, but the fish was buttery and soft. Flavor was delicate and not too overpowering.
2. Tofu steak, $ 6.95. This was probably my favorite dish since i’m a tofu fiend. Comes on a sizzling plate surrounded by an egg soufflé thingy.
3. Bake bay scallop and Shimeji mushrooms, $ 5.95. This was not bad, but got a bit too rich for me towards the end. Lots of cream/​mayo sauce.
BOWL:
1. Ginger beef teriyaki bowl over rice, $ 7.95. This was a complete miss. The thin slices of beef were tough and this is a dish I can easily make at home. Pass on it.
UDON:
1. Tempura udon, $ 10.95. Pretty standard udon. Nothing mind blowing or anything. Stick to the tapas since you’ll probably be able to get udon at any Japanese restaurant.
All of the above + 1 beer = about $ 50. Really adds up here! But you get to try a lot of dishes.

Waiting time:15−20min on Saturday
Love Tofu steak. ponzu, eggs bedding under Tofu
Sukiyaki is sweet, but it’s regulator taste of sukiyaki, beef was chewy. $ 13.95, comes with rice
Assorted tempura-​sweet batter, serve with green tea salt (impressed this)
Sat at the bar, waitress was sweet. But she was so busy, it took 10min to order drinks.
It was pretty busy, there were only two servers.
If you wanna relax at this restaurant, you’ll enjoy.
If it’s not, you’ll kill yourself.
Foods was great, but most foods was sweet.
I wanna try more menu next time.

The Sake House in Leucadia is absolutely a top notch dining experience, especially for those craving authentic Japanese cuisine. Having been all over the country of Japan several times, this place pretty much nails the atmosphere and food in nearly all facets. I have not had a bad experience here at any given stage. Yes, this place is tiny, so expect a bit of wait, especially on a Friday or Saturday night… I have eaten several items here from the octopus balls, to the fried yams, to the shrimp, spicy tuna carpaccio all the way to the udon and everything is delicious! My recommendation to everyone is to explore the menu, go a bit out of your comfort zone and wash it down with some Sapporo, you will not regret it!
Pros–
Location
Service
Food
Authenticity
Ambiance
Quaintness
Ice cold beer mugs
Experience
Sake selection
Beer
Cons–
Parking
Small seating area
Crowded

This place is unbelievable! It literally gets 5 stars for all categories.
FOOD– Very authentic Japanese. The wait staff are the sisters, and their parents are the cooks. Everything i’ve tried here has been so delicious, and i always try something new every time i go. Must haves…
— black cod
— octopus balls
— Udon Noodle soup
— Sake (there are a lot to choose from, and they really catch up with you!)
SERVICE– Like i said, it’s family owned and everyone is so friendly. They are awesome about telling you about the Japanese culture and about all of the sakes they have. Very traditional, even though they play reggae music the whole time.
ATMOSPHERE– Very relaxed and cozy. This place may look a little rough from the outside, but inside it’s adorable. Perfect date spot, but get their early, it fills up quick!