Yamashiro means “Mountain Palace” in Japanese.

And the historic LA restaurant of the same name (built in 1914 originally as a private residence) certainly is. And certainly has one of the best views in the entire city.

From the moment I moved to LA all those years ago, I knew Yamashiro was super, duper touristy. So I kind of stayed away.

With the emergence of the Thursday night Farmers Market located in Yamashiro’s parking lot, it appears the locals (myself included) are ready to give this old, kitschy standby another shot.

First of all, the views are pretty incredible. If you don’t want to commit to a full on dinner, the Pagoda Bar is an outdoor patio bar to sip and swoon the night away.

The restaurant itself is pretty ginormous, with a very pretty inside garden courtyard.

What I was not expecting was for the food to blow me away.

Seriously, it blew me away! How can this be??

Food snobs beware! Everything we ordered was unique, perfectly cooked/seasoned and aesthetically pleasing.

Standouts were…Everything!

The Ahi Poke was better than I’ve had in Hawaii (plus it had macadamia nuts in it!!).

The signature Pork Carnitas on Risotto cake was super tasty and rich (good for sharing).

The Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice was what you’d expect but delicious all the same.

Ribs were AMAZING! Fall of the bone, fatless meat. Sweet potato puree, kale and five spice cornbread made for the perfect bite.

My least favorite but still very tasty Forbidden Rice spicy tuna roll was gorgeously presented. Why aren’t more sushi rolls made with black rice, people??

Turn your nose up at this undeniable piece of Hollywood, locals. But you’re missing out on great views and even better food.

Plus, tourists are kinda fun to poke fun at, be honest.

1999 N Sycamore Ave
Hollywood, CA 90068
(323) 466-5125
http://www.YamashiroHollywood.com