Yakitori Jinbei

Solid Ramen. Came for lunch and tried the Tonkatsu. The broth is subtle but complex. We are 3 weeks back from a trip to Japan and this finally scratched the ramen itch.

this place is good for lunch. The ramen is good but not the best in ATL. You can get much better ramen in midtown.

Well, my second time here and my husband’s first. I really really really wanted this place to be good because it’s much closer to us than Shoya on Peachtree industrial.
We ordered Yaki Soba, Spicy pork ramen, 10 piece chicken, young chicken, chicken wing, chicken meat ball combo, and grilled eggplant and grilled Japanese pepper.
Yaki soba was under done, noodles were tough to chew. Spicy pork ramen soup base was good, but the noodles were also under done, with no pork slices in it at all, just the broth I guess, and it was $ 12. The good part was all of their chicken yakitori were delicious, especially chicken meat balls, but the whole combo wasn’t cheap either.
We had all of above and a cold sake, our bill was $ 60 something dollars.
My husband was a bit disappointed at the quantity and the quality of the food, and said we should have gone to Shoya and pay $ 80 but with much more food and not to mention higher quality. I completely agree.
I mean we give it a try, and probably won’t be back for the price, nor the quality.

I had high hopes for this business, but with the understanding that it’s a small «mom and pop» type business. So, with that in mind, we went in and ordered. We were told they don’t have a coke fountain. This means each drink you order costs money. So, fine, we got tea, expecting to get a pot at the table, but that didn’t happen. The green tea was good, but it took a while to get them to refill the small cups.
Next, several of the items we ordered they didn’t have in stock. Ok, not a huge deal.
After eating, I tried to pay, and we were told they don’t take American Express because it costs them too much money. Really? So, for that 1% extra fee they pay, they’ll never see me again. I realize not everyone goes to business school, but 1% loss is certainly a bit lower than a 100% loss.
Overall, for their very high price, I was disappointed. The food was good, but I expect much for the price. The shopping center is very run down, the restaurant looks old, but I can overlook those issues. Refusing to take AMEX, and not having a regular soda fountain? Not at this price point.

I’ve been here twice now and I am hooked. This became one of my favorite restaurants in the area overnight. This is the only authentic Japanese food place in the area and the quality of the food really shows. Cobb county has an absolute ton of Japanese hibachi restaurants and they are all mediocre and a far cry from authentic Japanese food.
Yakitori Jinbei’s ramen’s are excellent and I enjoyed both of the ones I have had. The egg noddles were a particular stand out for me. The teriyaki beef yakitori skewer was an amazing steak and definitely a side order I will be adding on every time I come in.
My wife is a vegetarian and she was happy with the vegetarian options as well.
Overall its a little pricey but worth it in my opinion. I wish they were open on Monday’s because we tried to go one Monday night and they were closed.

Absolutely delicious, and I’m a very picky eater. I would definitely eat here again! I’ve been looking for great ramen and found this place after being in Atlanta for only a few weeks.

This place is OK. The food is not horrible, but nothing exceptional. They only have one server and we had to wait a while for simple dishes like edamame.
Spicy tonkotsu ramen
–It was quite blind compared to tonkotsu ramens I’ve had in the past. I grew up in Japan, so I guess I am a little more picky then a regular customer.
We also tried the yakitori. The sauce was very good. Chicken was a tad overly cooked.
Not sure if I will be back…

This is a very authentic Japanese restaurant with typical Japanese fare. You’ll see many Japanese people here at lunch, and the signs on the wall are in kanji. They have rice bowls with toppings (some hot, some cold), lunch plates (try the pork, it’s called tonkatsu), and noodles. Their ramen is very good. Their tempura is especially delicious, and I don’t typically love tempura. They also have some combos but I have not tried them. I almost always get the chirashi bowl, which is a variety of raw fish slices over rice. A very nice lunch spot!

Must try their «young fresh chicken» on the menu, 4 dollars for two sticks.

service is ok… but the food is so good! i come here for lunch all the time. Advice, come early because they are under staffed.

Giving Yakitori another star for their superb service the last time we were here. My friend called ahead and mentioned that there were going to be two toddlers and a baby plus the four of us. I didn’t expect them to do anything special but when we got there, they already set up the front of the restaurant for us complete with high chairs. They treated my son like an individual (most places skip over him when it comes to the free asian appetizers) and gave him some appetizers of his own. I never would have thought of Yakitori as a family friendly place, especially with it’s small size, but I was blown away but how well they treated our family. That being said, I felt the ramen did taste better than the first time I came here and I would probably come back!

Been there twice and I will continue to go for their ramen!
First trip was during weekday lunch time. It was pretty packed, but that’s because there aren’t that many seats. A handful of two person tables, and a few larger ones. I ordered the spicy tonkatsu ramen. Came out in a little over 5 minutes. It was hot (temperature wise), but not scorching. Spice was, I would say it definitely registers, maybe ⁴⁄₁₀. Again, right amount, and not going to get in the way of being able to eat it. Broth is flavorful, the noodles were tender but maybe just a tad rubbery feeling. Serving bowl is pretty large. If you eat the whole thing, you’re going to be stuffed. I got a water as my drink, so I spent less than $ 10.
Next trip was dinner time on a Sunday. Hardly anyone in there, just another couple on a date and another gentleman by himself. I noticed that most of the people were not eating the sushi, so I guess they keep coming back for the cooked dishes too. This time I got a yakitori 5 piece appetizer– chicken cooked on skewers, 3 were regular and 2 had grilled veggies. I would recommend the veggie one because the extra crunch and flavors were a nice addition. The chicken itself was tender, and the sauce was delicious. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite seep into the meat and you were left with the flavor mostly on the surface of the meat.
Decided to get the regular pork tonkatsu this time, and it too was really good. Flavor was savory and balanced, not too salty. It made you want to keep taking slurp after slurp.
The service was decent, nothing outstanding in either direction. I believe the staff there is genuinely Japanese, which is always a plus if you’re wanting Japanese food.
It’s quite unassuming from the outside, and there’s not really a whole lot in that shopping center. But if you make your way down Cobb Parkway, definitely stop on by for some tasty eats!

The ramen is decent here. I liked the broth and the portion size is reasonable. The yakitori’s tasted good, but the amount given for the price paid was not a lot. Overall I was pretty satisfied with my meal. It came with some appetizers, like soup or edamame for my son. The waitress was attentive for the most part. Not blown away or anything, but it’s worth a try if you’re in the mood for some ramen.

I came here since the bf craved ramen! And it was near my office so why not. Funny thing is, I didn’t realize this place was right next to my favorite taco spot. HA. I am blind.
Parking — definitely plenty. YJ is in a strip mall, so you’ll find a lot of parking. I come to this lot during lunch time often during the week day and I ALWAYS find parking.
Space — I did see a decent amount of seating. Mainly for 2 man tables. But maybe also like 3 four man tables. I have a feeling if this place gets crowded the wait can be long…
Service — When we went, there was only ONE server doing everything — meaning seating everyone & getting orders from all tables & delivering all the food. He was BUSY. I’m surprised there was only 1 of him. I felt super bad for him. He had around 5 tables. :/​So safe to say, the service was ok. I think if they had more people, a lot of things would have run smoother.
Food —
Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen — Kimchi in this soup was NOT good at all. It had no taste. It was as if they cooked unripened Kimchi — it for sure did not absorb any of the spices that usual Kimchi has. The ramen itself was lukewarm & soggy. (I think since there was only 1 server, the food may have been waiting to get served). The broth was ok — very lukewarm and greasy. :(
My bf had the spicy chicken bowl — this was actually decent. I had a few bites of it and I wish I ordered this! This was way better than the ramen. Although the salad that came with this bowl tasted sour. Meh. The Miso Soup wasn’t bad at all though. So yep — avoid the salad, get the Miso Soup.
The young & fresh chicken — Yep, once this was cooked — I saw the chef ring the bell, but the server didn’t hear it so, the chicken sat out for like 5 – 8 mins. When we got our other dishes, he finally saw the chicken and gave it to us. Tasted ok. Not a huge fan. I think it should have had a sauce added to it. And it should have been warmer. :/​
Overall — I am not sure if I’d come back. If I were in the area around dinner time, then sure. But I’d eat the spicy chicken bowl rather than the ramen.

Everyone’s Unilocal profile includes a field for ‘My Last Meal on Earth’. Mine says lasagna, but it could just as well be spicy noodle soup and Yakitori Jinbei’s ramen version would do just fine, thanks.
Their spicy tonkotsu ramen has just the right velvety consistency to the broth, the right texture to the noodles and is spiced right where I like, which might not be for everyone but it isn’t the spiciest soup town either.
I’ve been here three times now although not in a while. They have never disappointed. Not only is there ramen stellar — and getting better, I think? — but I really like the teriyaki yakitori.
Always good service here.

At first glance, you may pass up this gem hidden in a strip mall. The interior is quite simple and nothing special, but you’re coming here for the food anyway… right?
The owner formerly ran a restaurant in Tokyo, so the food is authentic.
You start the meal with pickled veggies of some sort. They often change it up, so you never know exactly what you will get. I enjoy the pickled veggies that have a little spicy kick.
The ginger salad is as expected, and the miso is not what you typically find in Asian restaurants, it is MUCH better. The miso has a unique, made-​from-​actual-​miso-​paste flavor (vs. the packaged/​powder variety you may be familiar with).
The yakitori (think mini kebabs but BETTER) is delicious and definitely on-​par with yakitori we tried in Kyoto, Japan. We always order the salted variety instead of the teriyaki option so that we can really taste the meat or veggies — both have an amazing off-​the-​grill flavor. We typically order the 5 piece veggie and 5 piece meat yakitori combos to share while also ordering a main dish. Yakitori takes a while to cook, so it will probably arrive after your main dish instead of as an appetizer.
Unless the policy recently changed, yakitori is not served during lunch.
All the bowl dishes we’ve tried have been great, but we love the ramen. We’ve eaten at the top rated ramen restaurant in Tokyo and that one is still the winner, but the ramen here is delicious and on-​par with some we tried in Japan.
The service is great and the atmosphere is casual. You will not be disappointed with Yakitori Jinbei.

Sunday Night: Dinner
I drove 25 miles to Smyrna to try out the Ramen on a rainy day in Atlanta. I am not an expert… but if eating ramen was a video game, my Experience Level would be 45%. This is the 7^th restaurant I have eaten at.
What I ordered:
2.5 stars: Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen ($ 12.00)
3 stars Beef Bowl ($ 12.00)
Yakitori Jinbei is a work in progress, good for a restaurant outside the perimeter of Atlanta. Have I eaten better noodles?.. Yes, but was the tonkatsu ramen worth it, somewhat. I think this place will get better with time. They still have a lot of work to do.
What they need to work on:
My soup didn’t have chashu pork belly (meat pieces looked identical to the one in my beef bowl), no marinated soft boiled egg (Ajitsuke Tamago). I also found pieces of napa cabbage in my soup, similar to a Koren (Kimchi) versus a Japanese tonkatsu ramen soup.
Citation:

Yakitoris were good, but their attitude was kinda rude. I’m Japanese and I understood what they were talking about other customers. They assumed customers didn’t understand Japanese. That was sad.
Plus, their Asahi draft beer tasted weird. It was sour… My husband and his boss also had Asahi draft beers, and they had the same opinions as mine. We ended up with switching to bottled beers.
Again, Yakitoris were good.

Back in the Smyrna area, I was fortunate to be able to cross off another of my Unilocal bookmarks. This time, I was in an Asian mood and Yakitori Jinbei was in my crosshairs. They are a noodle and sushi spot, tonight’s choice was for their eponymous Yakitori bowl.
Yakitori is a grilled and skewered chicken and as in most places it is served over a bowl of white rice. There isn’t a tremendous amount of food here, but it’s delicious, very tasty and very filling. And probably loaded with more sodium than I could shake one of these sticks at. The very nice waitress had to refill my glass of water at least five times!
Simply decorated and without a lot of frills, they pass the savings on to you! My meal, with tip, was under $ 20 and I was stuffed. Yum!

Let me start by saying that I love a good bowl of ramen and have had my share of it over the years. I really appreciate the time it takes to make a broth that is creamy and flavorful and has pork in it that is so tender that it will fall apart with a pull of chopsticks and a spoon.
A good chef will put his/​her love into this dish, the broth alone will simmer for eight to fourteen hours and will be slurped & destroyed in ten minutes flat the chef will nod in approval, everyone is happy.
This is not the case here.
Before ordering I had asked the server «does the restaurant make the broth» she answered «yes.» I then asked «how long is it cooked for,» she replied with «just a few hours» & could not get her to answer any other questions, this left me to pause for a moment not being given a straight answer I shouldn’t have ordered it but did it anyway tsk, tsk, tsk.
The broth while being the right color was a complete disappointment it tasted like Water and Sesame Seeds it had no other flavor whatsoever tried adding pepper didn’t help, a touch of salt nope, a dash of soy nothing.
The pork in the ramen here is «loin» it is dry & overcooked, after taking one bite of the meat pushed the entire dish away disappointed.
I hope the Yakitori is what YJ is making their money on I spent $ 15.00 (w/​tip) on eight bites of ramen and left feeling a bit gypped.