Yakini Q Sj - San Jose

Let me start by saying: the miso pork belly alone is probably worth trying this place.Just be ready though. When I went, the staff was mostly dismissive, the eating area was loud, the table was too small and the seating was very crowded.For a Wednesday evening at opening, that was pretty disappointing.Imo, if you've never had KBBQ, I wouldn't say this is the best place to start.

The food is good if it ever gets to your table. Don’t go hear for “unlimited” meats it’s not and even if it is they run out quick. The place is also hot no good air circulation so you be sweating real good.

I enjoyed the food, but the overall experience was not worth coming back to. The main problem was the lack of cleanliness at this restaurant. Our grill had hair in it when we were seated, and some of the meat we had also had hair in it. I should not be surprised though, because the Santa Clara Health Department didn't even give this restaurant a complete pass on their health inspection. Also, whenever we would order through the QR code, a lot of the items we ordered never came out. Even if I told the server, they still wouldn't bring it out. Overall not the best experience here.

Great spot for all you can eat KBBQ. The premium option is well worth it, and the sides are all great. My only gripe is seating can feel a bit cramped.

I would ONLY recommend coming BEFORE 4pm.First time went very well. We came early so there were not that many people.The meats were of really good quality, banchan (sides) are awesome, and the atmosphere feels authentic. Plus some popular side dishes were also included in the AYCE, like seaweed soup, kimchi jjigae, steamed egg, and more. They also offer ice cream (free). Price point is good, 30.99/person.On a negative note, the second visit our last 4 meat dishes were delivered to the wrong table and we had to see the host a few times to see where our dishes went. We were waiting for about 20 minutes until we finally got one of the orders of meat, then the last three orders took another 5 or so minutes. We sat around 4:45 on a Sunday and were sat directly next to another group. Their grills took a long time to be changed and I guess their vent was weak/not working so we got a lot of their smoke.Overall, good food but horrible service when busy. So only go early.