Lee Yakiniku 李苑烧肉

I visited Lee Yakiniku last month for their late night special menu. I live extremely close by and had been looking forward to trying it for a long time. The late night menu was of particular interest due to the low a la carte prices, which would allow me to try a smaller selection of items before I decided to take the plunge and dine AYCE. Unfortunately there weren't many highlights to the items we ordered. We ordered a mix of meats and appetizers, which were all reasonably priced around $2-6. I thought, for $2, how could I ever be mad about what I'm getting? Unfortunately, I was proven wrong... For example, the $2 corn cream soup was flavourless and reminiscent of blended corn. The $3 Japanese Oden had the saddest fish tofu ball. Both these items are starred on the menu (assuming this means recommended). The meat could have been worth it ($3.95), but the quality was not consistent. Some of the meat was so chewy I could not finish it. Besides the food quality, my main problem was that it took well over an hour to bring over all our a la carte items - of which there weren't many. When we asked to follow-up on the order, they asked us to point out which items on our receipt we had not gotten yet. So it seems like our order was totally mishandled. Overall, I likely will not give it another try. Our total bill ended at $36, as we were so dejected after the first round that we didn't make a second order.

December 13, 2024 on Google

I had an amazing dining experience at this yakiniku restaurant! The ambience was cozy and inviting, creating the perfect setting for a great meal. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, making us feel welcome from start to finish. The highlight, of course, was the meat—it was unbelievably fresh and cooked to perfection, with flavors that truly stood out. Every bite was worth every penny. I’ll definitely be coming back for more 👅💯

November 22, 2024 on Google

I recently visited Lee Yakiniku for their night menu, and it was an experience to remember! The ambiance is warm and inviting, with a lovely interior design that combines modern Japanese aesthetics with comfortable seating. It’s the perfect spot for a late-night meal with friends or a cozy date night. The night menu offers a great selection of items, and I was especially impressed with the variety of cuts available for grilling. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive, making sure everything was just right. For $20, I got a set of 6 sake shots, each offering unique flavors and perfectly complementing the BBQ flavors. The presentation was beautiful, and it added a fun twist to the dining experience. Everything we ordered was packed with flavor and cooked to perfection on the grill. Highlights included the prime kalbi, brisket, and chicken wings. The quality of the ingredients truly stood out, and each bite was juicy and tender. The service was prompt, and the staff was more than happy to offer recommendations based on our preferences. Overall, Lee Yakiniku is a fantastic spot for Japanese BBQ lovers. With its delicious food, friendly service, and chic ambiance, it’s easily a place I’d revisit. Highly recommend for anyone looking to enjoy great Japanese BBQ with an impressive selection of sake!

November 11, 2024 on Google

Me and my friends recently dined here and was thoroughly impressed. The variety of options allowed for a delightful experience, whether you’re a meat lover or a vegetarian. I really love that a meat sample plate was offered to us right before we order so that we could pick our favorite. The service was equally great!! Our server, Elsa, was attentive and knowledgeable, ensuring that we had everything we needed and offering great recommendations. Her friendly demeanor made our meal even more enjoyable. I highly recommend this spot for anyone craving delicious JBBQ!

November 3, 2024 on Google

This place is such a fun find! They have frequent events and super friendly staff. The dishes are fresh with a great variety, and unlike those huge BBQ spots, it has a cozy vibe perfect for a late-night chill and chew. Highly recommend for a relaxed night out!

October 28, 2024 on Google

I had high expectations as this place’s grand opening was decorated with flowers and the interior looked quite aesthetic but that was just about it for this place. 1. Poor quality meats/food. - Some of the meats are hit or miss, very thin and mostly just fat. We sent them back/cancelled these orders. One of the staff was nice enough to offer a new platter of what we had ordered though. - I really could only recommend the lamb, but even then it’s served with onions mixed in. The onions cook faster than the meat so they get burnt, which required frequent grill changes. -The “special” fried rice is just a sour kimchi fried rice. Their kimchi as a side dish tasted amazing though. -Their ice cream options are strawberry, vanilla and chocolate. It comes in a styrofoam container. Only the chocolate tasted good, I wouldn’t bother with the other flavours. -Their cheese corn is better than the butter corn, there’s barely any butter. 2. Unsatisfactory equipment. - The grill took a long time to heat up and was quite small. Once it did heat up, because the meats were so thin at least half of what we ate ended up getting burnt. 3. Poor ordering system. - You have to order with the staff and they’re ordering on iPads. I got the vibe it was part of their technique to maybe get you to order less, because it can be hard to get their attention to order more. It would have been nice to just have the iPads to order ourselves. 4. Understaffed? - The staff were quite nice, hard-working and accommodating. However, we felt bad for them they looked quite stressed. There were also several times we were brought the wrong items or meats were not brought with vegetables/timing was off. 5. Overlooked seating area. - We were literally first on their reservation list but got maybe the worst spot in the restaurant. It’s in the corner of the restaurant by the window but there’s a pillar that separates you from the next table. It also blocks the staffs view of the table because there were many times our attempts to get their attention went unnoticed. We didn’t even have water for maybe the first 30 minutes we were eating. We were hoping this would be our new go-to AYCE BBQ but that sadly will not be the case. I wouldn’t eat here again or recommend.

August 11, 2024 on Google

The staffs were polite and friendly. We ordered the All You Can Eat lunch which was a very good price. The food was delicious. The beef and pork are tender and soft. We will definitely come back again.

August 8, 2024 on Google

We've been waiting for this restaurant to open for half a year now and finally got a chance to try lunch. Overall I thought the value for money was great - $29 for lunch from Monday to Thursday. The quality of the meat felt better than other places. Definitely recommend the beef brisket and the rib strips. The side dishes are okay. Personally we liked the takoyaki, the udon, and the miso soup. We were also fortunate that we were the first customers so the staff were very attentive and service was very good. Occasionally the staff would come over to help cook the meat for us, or would pour water for us. The atmosphere is also very nice. Open and spacious, you don't feel like you're packed in. Some cute two-person stoves at the bar as well. I will say I don't love when restaurants offer free stuff for 5 star ratings. The restaurant is asking you if you will give a 5 star for free all you can drink non-alcoholic which is normally $6 a person. I personally chose not to take that offer as i enjoy giving honest reviews of places, but I'm happy that this place gave me an authentic five star experience anyway. We will definitely be back and happy that this restaurant is in our neighborhood!

July 31, 2024 on Google