Skip to main contentFrom his front-of-house open kitchen, chef and owner Micah Camden prepares local fare with Asian flair like tempura-fried Cypress Grove chèvre and fried shoelace potatoes with truffle oil and togarashi chile. The sushi, prepared at the back bar, is as fresh as can be, with pretty-penny cuts of everything from Spanish mackerel to Japanese shad. Yakuza serves wine, beer and several sakes, along with a tasty wasabi martini that shakes together Aviation gin, fresh local wasabi (don't worry—it's just a pinch), muddled cucumber and citrus. For the ideal dinner here, pair cocktails with several candlelit small-plate dishes—in other words, take a date. Just-under-a-year-old Yakuza has one of the prettiest garden patios in town. If you can't get a table out back (there aren't many), this hip, low-lit restaurant has roll-up doors that let the moonlight in on nice evenings. (LC)
Signature dish: Paper-thin, ribboned zucchini dressed with Meyer lemon oil and studded with manchego and pistachios.
Standouts: Fresh-caught amberjack sashimi.
Regrets: The peach martini looks and tastes like baby food.
WWeek 2015