A couple of buddies and I stopped by here last night for a meal and some drinks and had a wonderful time. We made a reservation but it seemed since they had just opened for the evening that it wasn't too busy. Our server Moses was phenomenal, he gave us a full rundown of some of the types of Sake and the menu and checked in on us the perfect amount of time throughout the evening. I opted for the Ube Orange Vodka Highball. Pretty good, very subtle orange flavor. For my meal I went with the Bao (1 pork belly, 1 chicken katsu) and the cheesy kimchi tots. Both were delicious! The Bao came out hot and the flavor was pretty good, I can agree with some of the other reviews in that I wish there was a little more filling. The tots were awesome, the gochujang queso and shredded kimchi were a great combo on top and not overly spicy. I myself like spice, but am not one that likes it to be overpowering to where nothing else can be tasted, so these were perfect. Overall a great evening and will be coming back to try a few other menu items and cocktails!

This place is solid! As our meal, we split the mixed bao buns (pork belly and chicken katsu), the Brussels sprouts, and the KFC. The buns were good? If a little overcooked. The brussels were soaked in a sauce that pooled at the bottom making them soggy. We wished the sauce was thicker so it glazes rather than soaks them. The KFC was very crunchy and delicious! Our only complaint on the savory food was that the buns and the brussels could have benefited from a bit more salt. For dessert we got the donut ice cream sando with sesame ice cream and this was absolutely the highlight! Though the portion of ice cream left us wanting, the flavor of everything together really worked! This is a must! Food aside, the decor is fun even though we felt the music inside was a bit loud. The service was great and attentive. We appreciated the recommendations and the friendliness. Definitely plan to come back!

This is my 2nd time checking out Yokai and this was WAY better than my 1st time. In the beginning, I went w/ friends during the month of their grand opening last year and I had mixed reviews of the place. Though, the ambiance of the restaurant is super cool -- lots of bright open natural lighting and the decor was pretty spot on for it to be an Izakaya bar. Some of the food was just meh to me, like their ramen, cheesy kimchi tots, and KFC. They all lacked flavor BUT we loved their waffle okonomiyaki (sadly not on the menu anymore) and their pandan coconut doughnuts! This time I was pleased with what I ordered -- spicy tuna tacos, Philly chicken fried rice, and the mix bao buns (pork belly/chicken katsu). The spicy tuna tacos are $2 off on Tuesdays and it was fresh and tasty. The Philly chicken fried rice is a fun fusion appetizer and it was full of cheesy goodness! As for the bao buns it was pretty good size portion and quite flavorful, too. Finally tried their cocktails and they were amazing and creative! Tried 2 cocktails: - Biron | Salty Dog: gin, matcha, yuzu, grapefruit, black salt - Shukaku | Bee's Knees: gin, earl grey, ginger, lemon, orange blossom They have a great selection of drinks and next time I'm def going back here to try more of their cocktails and the others w/ friends!

Came here for a date night with my boyfriend after he saw it as a recent new restaurant and wanted to try it out. Hip and modern place - great for a date spot, drinks or casual dinner with friends, or pregaming. Colorful and clean inside. Not a huge space indoors but also has a nice outdoor space. We sat at the bar and had good service from a friendly bartender. Started with a couple shooters and then ordered cucumber salad (nice and refreshing), chicken karage (very juicy and loved the lemony dip) and Philly fried rice (good but too much cheese for us). Really wanted the pork belly bao buns but they were out, so we added pork belly to our fried rice. Finished our meal with the pandan ice cream donut sando! If you like pandan and coconut, this is definitely for you! All of the staff were very welcoming and friendly, and the prices are very reasonable. 4.5/5 but rounding up and definitely looking forward to coming back again!

Was very excited about Yokai for a couple reasons. One- love Machete. Two- walking distance from home. Three- on the other side of The Idiot Box (amazing comedy club if never been) where I often frequent. Four- love ramen/Japanese food. I've enjoyed watching them transform the old dry cleaners into this cool looking restaurant. I love all the cool artwork, neon lights, and sweet concealed outdoor patio (will enjoy that in warmer times). I am also a sucker for an open kitchen concept (I like to see the magic happen) and the stools around that area for a kind of sushi bar feel was very cool. Not a huge place by any means, but they have some booths and high top tables. My husband and I sat at the bar. They were doing a deal on their highball cocktails so we figured why not. Their tagline is "strange, powerful spirits" and they definitely have unique stuff. Yuzu Honey Gin was our favorite. For food we ordered a few things off the "smalls" section to share. First thing we got was the Bao buns. You get 2 per order and we did one with the fried chicken katsu and other pork belly. We love bao buns and had high hopes for these, but sadly they were the biggest disappointment of the night. They were just fine. Too much bun and a bit dry, and not enough filling. Next came the Spicy Tuna Tacos. Now we are talking! These were our favorite. You get 2 per order. Loved the use of a fried wonton for the shell. The sushi grade tuna was fresh and liked the spicy kewpie sauce whatever that is (guessing like a spicy Mayo). Last of this group was the Philly Chicken Fried Rice. This chicken fried rice has mushrooms, peppers, onions, and cheese just like the sandwich. Such an original and creative take, which reminded me of what makes Tal's restaurants so great. It was also delicious. We finished our meal off by splitting a "Bigs" bowl of Ramen (curly, chewy wheat noodles in a rich chicken broth with a soft egg). It was indeed a big bowl. Great size for sharing if you order other stuff too. Liked the presentation, it looked like a face when it arrived which was cute. All the ingredients were cooked well. The soft egg was great. We selected pork belly as the protein. But the ramen experience all together just didn't sing. I think their broth could use a little more salt/flavor to help bring all the elements home. All in all we had a great date night here. It is a fun atmosphere. I will absolutely be back and see other things on the menu I want to try. My husband loves sake and there is a lot of that to try as well. I do kind of wish they stayed open later cause this food would be great after visiting some neighboring downtown bars. But food stops at 10pm on weekends. Be sure to check out their weekly specials on food and drink. Think I'll come back for a spicy tuna taco Tuesday!

I was excited to finally get a chance to try out Yokai for a celebratory anniversary dinner with my boyfriend. After enjoying their food during a pop-up at Machete, I was eager to see how it translated into their own space. They've done a great job with curating the space to make it feel very whimsical. Even the bathrooms are a fun adventure!  To begin we ordered some celebratory drinks! I got the Melon Lime highball, which was essentially a more flavorful vodka soda (which is my go-to). My boyfriend got the Rokurokubi, and he enjoyed it as it reminded him of a margarita. We also got a couple of shots of tequila but were a little disappointed with the selection.  With our anniversary falling on a Thursday, they were running a special on kimchi tots and the KFC (Korean fried chicken). Tots are one of my favorite fried potatoes, so that was a no-brainer for me. They were deliciously saucy from the kimchi queso. The chicken was well seasoned, and the skin had the perfect crispy texture.  With the amount of food we had as appetizers, we decided to split a bowl of the ramen with pork belly. As ramen is one of the dishes Yokai is known for, we were a little disappointed with the flavor of the broth. It seemed as though all the seasoning fell out of solution and sunk to the bottom, and no one stirred the pot before serving it. It tasted flat until we got closer to the bottom of the bowl. However, the soft boiled egg was deliciously jammy, and the pork belly was a juicy meat candy accompaniment.  We also ordered some Pandan coconut donuts to go. We were too full to eat them at the restaurant, but we still wanted something sweet for later. They were tasty even though we don't love coconut and would have liked more powdered sugar. Overall, we enjoyed the experience, and our server was great. We will certainly be back.

This was almost a 3-star or non-review. We were thankful to be invited to the soft opening and went a few more times afterward. What struck us each time was the service was not to the standards that Yokai management strives for. I think the growing pains hurt both the food and the service. Fast forward a few weeks and this is my Sunday early supper spot. The Egg Salad sandwiches (reminiscent of 7-11 in Tokyo) are superb and beer and sake along with the Sunday-loaded Duros have become a staple. The location is super convenient to my home and it will become part of my regular location - especially as it feels so fun and welcoming, especially as one who has traveled extensively in Japan. Love the murals, seating, and yes, even the bathrooms. Recommended.

Our first visit, but definitely not our last. Finally a place with good Ramen and other really great choices. The restaurant is just so freaking cool. Love the vibe, service was on point and we're ready for a return trip soon! We went with another couple and ordered a ton of different plates and all shared. Their drinks are really good, excellent Saki menu, and the food flies out of the kitchen. Top picks for us were the tuna tacos (my pick!), rhe Bao buns were a hit, and that Ramen. Yum!! I'm picky when it comes to Asian flavors but the best part is there were plenty of options that I could enjoy and my hubby could have all his favs (kimchis, vinegar based veggies, etc). A win for us both!

I have been patiently awaiting Yokai to open since I heard they were in the works! Sister restaurant to Greensboro staple Machete, we were super excited about this new restaurant with a unique concept. We popped into Yokai right after they opened on a Saturday afternoon around 4:15. The restaurant was already nearly full with folks who had the same idea as we did! We were told to go ahead and seat ourselves wherever. We opted to sit outside on the patio, since it was a beautiful sunny day! They were super busy, but it wasn't too long before we were greeted and handed menus to look over. A few minutes later, we had our drink and appetizer order in! We opted to try the Kalbi and Kimchi tots to start. The Kalbi is a very thin and small portion of short rib. It was not big enough to share among 4 people, maybe for 2, but it was tiny.... It was very tasty though! The kimchi tots were just regular frozen tater tots smothered in the kimchi. I loved the kimchi, but that was the only special thing about them. For entrees, we ordered 3 ramens with chicken and the chicken Sando. All the fried chicken consisted of chicken thighs, no white meat. On the side of my ramen, I ordered a side of the kimchi and the house made hot sauce. I will say the kimchi and hot sauce really made the ramen. Both sides gave the ramen a delightful kick and if you can stand the heat, I would highly recommend adding them. Otherwise the broth was a little bland, unfortunately. I am assuming because they literally JUST opened, they are still working out kinks. I will definitely give Yokai another shot down the road after they have been open longer and had a chance to settle into their groove.