Yakko falls short of great expectations

By Andrew Hardenbrook

I had wanted sushi all week and after reading the Metro's review entitled "Better than sex" in reference to the Yakko Japanese restaurant in Mountain View, I decided this was just the place to satisfy my craving. However, I am saddened to say that it did not meet the expectations caused by their rave review.

Upon first sight, Yakko seems like an excellent choice for Japanese dining. The restaurant is nicely decorated with bamboo plants lining the front entrance and its location just off the main strip made parking a breeze. The interior is nicely laid out with three separate sections: a sushi bar, regular dining seating and raised tatami rooms.

Although we arrived at 7 p.m. on a Friday, it took almost no time to be seated and the service was both friendly and quick. However, when it comes to the most important part of any restaurant, the food, Yakko falls short.

I started my meal with two rather large pieces of tuna sushi ($3.25), which I found to have little to no taste. I followed this selection with a bowl of soup that consisted of rice, vegetables and crab ($7.25).

I was impressed by the size of the dish, however my happiness quickly disappeared when I tasted it. The soup was bland with little flavor and contained only a small amount of crab. However, the lack of flavor in my meal paled in compared to my companion's dish.

She tried the Teriyaki Chicken ($11.25), which was a large meal including rice, miso soup and a salad. Both the miso soup and salad were good, however, the chicken ruined the meal. It was dry, tough and cooked so poorly that even the teriyaki sauce could not fix it.

In essence, Yakko is a restaurant to visit if you value atmosphere and price over taste and quality. They are not afraid to give you a lot of food for your dollar, but this does not equal a deal when you have no desire to eat what is placed in front of you.

$ *

LOCATION

Yakko Japanese Restaurant

975 W. Dana Street

Mountain View

(650) 960-0626