•Japan •
Yukiyama
October Showcase
Yukiyama Japanese restaurant, located in Squirrel Hill, offers authentic, high-quality Japanese food, and the menu consists of dishes such as ramen, sushi, hibachi, and tempura. Named after the owner, Oyama Yuki, Yukiyama strives to offer guests traditional Japanese cuisine and showcase the uniqueness of Japanese culture.
Owner
Yukiyama’s owner, Oyama Yuki, immigrated to America from Japan, seeking more opportunities and less competition to open up his own restaurant. He learned how to cook from his family and expressed that he had a passion for cooking early in his life. Yuki has now been cooking for over 25 years!
Before moving to Pittsburgh, Yuki worked and trained in a Michelin 3-star restaurant in Manhattan, New York. He originally settled in New York due to the lively restaurant scene and endless opportunities in the city. Yuki found it challenging to adjust to New York due to cultural differences and intense competition with other restaurant owners. Therefore, he opted to move to Pittsburgh and establish a new restaurant here. In Pittsburgh, he hoped to pursue more culinary opportunities and less grueling competition. After settling in Pittsburgh around 2 years ago, Yuki established Yukiyama in a relaxed neighborhood within Pittsburgh. He hopes to connect with the small Japanese population in Pittsburgh through his unique culinary creations.
The owner, Yuki, puts extensive thought and effort into his culinary creations. When making sushi from scratch, he uses fresh bluefin tuna and other high quality ingredients. He orders the tuna from a fish company in Japan that offers 3-day delivery services. After preparing the fish, Yuki adds colorful garnishes and other finishing touches that contribute to the overall appearance of the dish. He developed superb plating and presentation skills during his time at a Michelin 3-star restaurant, and enjoys adding his own creative flair to dishes at Yukiyama.
Food
Below are reviews of some of the dishes featured in Yukiyama from our Eat @ Pitt members!
Chicken Hibachi Dinner, Miso Soup, and Spicy Tuna Roll
I can speak for most people when I say we’ve all had good Japanese food. It’s go-to comfort food, whether it’s take-out or a sit down restaurant. When placing my order, I was just expecting some good food. Boy, was I wrong. I am not exaggerating when I say this is the BEST Japanese food I’ve ever had! Yuki used to work at a 3 Michelin Star restaurant, and it shows in his creations. Even though I wasn’t able to eat the food fresh out of the kitchen due to Covid, it was still incredible. You can tell the miso soup was homemade; exactly what a college student needs at this point in the semester! The rice, chicken, and veggies were cooked to perfection, and the sweet sauce the chicken was cooked in paired perfectly with both sauces. Being a sushi fan, it was my favorite part of the meal. You could tell all the ingredients were top tier and incredibly fresh. I could honestly eat it every day. Another thing to mention is the price! It is incredibly affordable for the quality of food you’re getting. The hibachi dinner was enough for me, my roommate, AND leftovers. I can't wait to take my friends and family to eat here.
Spicy Tuna Roll and Salmon Roll
Both rolls that I ordered were delicious and ended up complementing each other very well. Any customer will definitely be able to tell that the sushi is made with high quality ingredients. It’s clear through the quality of the food that the chefs who prepared it care a lot about their food and it’s preparation. While I only got the sushi, I would imagine the rest of the food on the menu is made with just as high quality ingredients and have the same authentic flavor as the sushi. I definitely plan on trying more items from their menu!
Eel Avocado Roll and Yellowtail Roll
The eel avocado roll was rather enjoyable. Although it seemed as if there was a disproportionate amount of avocado at first, it did not seem to matter because the fat content of The eel and avocado blended very well with one another, and I was still able to get a hint of smokiness as I ate the rolls because of the eel. After biting into the first yellowtail roll, it became rather evident as to why yellowtail was Chef Yuki’s personal favourite. The yellowtail had a somewhat salty taste which almost reminded me of the ocean, likely because only a mere 72 hours ago, it was still being cut and packaged at the fish distributor in Japan. The other components of my yellowtail roll were able to complement this flavour beautifully. The nori was moist enough to hold a significant amount of fish, and the rice, which was cooked to perfection, was able to balance out the flavor of the fish. The roll was already salty enough as is, so I found that dipping it in soy sauce really wasn’t necessary, as it just overpowered the flavor of the roll entirely. Overall, I’d say that the sushi tasted great!! And for just under eleven dollars, it was very filling and well worth the money!!
We had a great time learning more about Yukiyama and trying out the food! If you're ever looking for a cozy spot to enjoy Japanese classics and fresh sushi, Yukiyama is the spot to go!
Owner
Yukiyama’s owner, Oyama Yuki, immigrated to America from Japan, seeking more opportunities and less competition to open up his own restaurant. He learned how to cook from his family and expressed that he had a passion for cooking early in his life. Yuki has now been cooking for over 25 years!
Before moving to Pittsburgh, Yuki worked and trained in a Michelin 3-star restaurant in Manhattan, New York. He originally settled in New York due to the lively restaurant scene and endless opportunities in the city. Yuki found it challenging to adjust to New York due to cultural differences and intense competition with other restaurant owners. Therefore, he opted to move to Pittsburgh and establish a new restaurant here. In Pittsburgh, he hoped to pursue more culinary opportunities and less grueling competition. After settling in Pittsburgh around 2 years ago, Yuki established Yukiyama in a relaxed neighborhood within Pittsburgh. He hopes to connect with the small Japanese population in Pittsburgh through his unique culinary creations.
The owner, Yuki, puts extensive thought and effort into his culinary creations. When making sushi from scratch, he uses fresh bluefin tuna and other high quality ingredients. He orders the tuna from a fish company in Japan that offers 3-day delivery services. After preparing the fish, Yuki adds colorful garnishes and other finishing touches that contribute to the overall appearance of the dish. He developed superb plating and presentation skills during his time at a Michelin 3-star restaurant, and enjoys adding his own creative flair to dishes at Yukiyama.
Food
Below are reviews of some of the dishes featured in Yukiyama from our Eat @ Pitt members!
Chicken Hibachi Dinner, Miso Soup, and Spicy Tuna Roll
I can speak for most people when I say we’ve all had good Japanese food. It’s go-to comfort food, whether it’s take-out or a sit down restaurant. When placing my order, I was just expecting some good food. Boy, was I wrong. I am not exaggerating when I say this is the BEST Japanese food I’ve ever had! Yuki used to work at a 3 Michelin Star restaurant, and it shows in his creations. Even though I wasn’t able to eat the food fresh out of the kitchen due to Covid, it was still incredible. You can tell the miso soup was homemade; exactly what a college student needs at this point in the semester! The rice, chicken, and veggies were cooked to perfection, and the sweet sauce the chicken was cooked in paired perfectly with both sauces. Being a sushi fan, it was my favorite part of the meal. You could tell all the ingredients were top tier and incredibly fresh. I could honestly eat it every day. Another thing to mention is the price! It is incredibly affordable for the quality of food you’re getting. The hibachi dinner was enough for me, my roommate, AND leftovers. I can't wait to take my friends and family to eat here.
Spicy Tuna Roll and Salmon Roll
Both rolls that I ordered were delicious and ended up complementing each other very well. Any customer will definitely be able to tell that the sushi is made with high quality ingredients. It’s clear through the quality of the food that the chefs who prepared it care a lot about their food and it’s preparation. While I only got the sushi, I would imagine the rest of the food on the menu is made with just as high quality ingredients and have the same authentic flavor as the sushi. I definitely plan on trying more items from their menu!
Eel Avocado Roll and Yellowtail Roll
The eel avocado roll was rather enjoyable. Although it seemed as if there was a disproportionate amount of avocado at first, it did not seem to matter because the fat content of The eel and avocado blended very well with one another, and I was still able to get a hint of smokiness as I ate the rolls because of the eel. After biting into the first yellowtail roll, it became rather evident as to why yellowtail was Chef Yuki’s personal favourite. The yellowtail had a somewhat salty taste which almost reminded me of the ocean, likely because only a mere 72 hours ago, it was still being cut and packaged at the fish distributor in Japan. The other components of my yellowtail roll were able to complement this flavour beautifully. The nori was moist enough to hold a significant amount of fish, and the rice, which was cooked to perfection, was able to balance out the flavor of the fish. The roll was already salty enough as is, so I found that dipping it in soy sauce really wasn’t necessary, as it just overpowered the flavor of the roll entirely. Overall, I’d say that the sushi tasted great!! And for just under eleven dollars, it was very filling and well worth the money!!
We had a great time learning more about Yukiyama and trying out the food! If you're ever looking for a cozy spot to enjoy Japanese classics and fresh sushi, Yukiyama is the spot to go!