Yee: Yori Modern Japanese Tasting

Delicious food? Check!
Great company? Check!
Great service? Check!
Awesome swag? Check!
Easy parking? You bet!
Great event? YUP!
This restaurant is a fusion of Japanese food. It was so unique to try and the food… was amazing. Very interesting twist to the food too.
Shall we begin…
MANGO CEVICHE– Omg… yes. This was delicious. We each (6 of us) had some. The mango in the ceviche made it POP!
SHRIMP DUMPLING W/​CREAM SAUCE– I’m a HUGE fan of shrimp. So when we got this… delicious.
Grilled Asparagus, Fried egg, garlic chips and Parmesan cheese — … this speaks for itself… everyone fought for the egg.
HEARTATTACK– I’m BIG on rolls. This was spicy. I loved it. I didn’t feel like it was a heart attack — but I’m Thai, so I’m immune to spice.
UDON SALAD– Oh shoot. This was addicting and I’m not suppose to eat carbs… OHHHH WELL! Order this.
TOFU BURGER– Ehhh…
SEAFOODYAKI ROLL– Yes. Rolls are BOMB: D
COD MISOYAKI W/​SPICY RISOTTO– This was alright. I think I was too full by this time to appreciate it.
Green Tea — mmmm
SERVICE:
Excellent!
Owner is a hottie.
PARKING:
Tons
SWAG:
Unilocal Socks… WIN!
And Ryan was mingling with everyone! Such an awesome CM.
The people I was with:
LOVE EM!
Ambiance:
It looks like a fast food place, but it’s actually not. It’s gourmet food and I was impressed!
OVERALL:
Nom Nom… my new Go to place in Brea (my bro lives here)
THANK YOUS:
Thank you to Yori Modern! It was delicious! I’ll be Back!
Ryan: Thank you for letting me come!!! :D See you at Comic-​Con, maybe?

So this was the first time I went to a Brea Unilocal Event. Hmmm. I’ve been to Brea many times but I could never figure out if Brea/​Fullerton is in the OC or LA County. Oh well who cares? This is what I love about Unilocal Elite Events. Elites get to try out new restaurants and we get to uncover hide gems and new locations before they become played out a overcrowded. Only the super VIP Elites get in to events… aka the super lucky. This time I got the email that made my Monday! Thanks Ryan for letting me attend such a fun Event! I like how Ryan mixed up the tables that way we get to meet new Unilocal Elites. It always great to see new and familiar faces.
Yori Modern is Brand New! This restaurant opened just weeks before the YEE Event. It was exciting to try a modern twist on Japanese food. I swear there are way more Japanese restaurants than McDonald’s. It was nice to try something different.
Menu:
MANGO CEVICHE– Very interesting. I was expecting shrimp and Mexican food, but instead it was a delicious onion strings with seafood. This is perfect sports bar food.
SHRIMP DUMPLING W/​CREAM SAUCE– I’m not a big cream cheese fan but I like the presentation and the uniqueness of this item.
Grilled Asparagus– Fried egg, garlic chips and Parmesan cheese. Yum! I wish I could eat this for breakfast daily.
HEARTATTACK– Once again not a fan of cream cheese. I’m not sure how to describe this item so please check out the picture. It’s like roll with everything on it and the kitchen sink. I like the spicy lobster on top.
UDON SALAD– Call my crazy, but I loved this one. It was a cold salad with a udon. Strange but it works. It tasted cool and refreshing.
TOFU BURGER– Not a big fan of this item, but I never had a burger with a tofu bun so that’s awesome.
SEAFOODYAKI ROLL– by this point it was man verse food, because I was running out of stomach space.
COD MISOYAKI W/​SPICY RISOTTO– Save the best for last! I have never had Risotto before, but this was delicious it was spicy with a buttery piece of fish on top :).
This was another great dinner event. Thanks Unilocal and Yori Modern for such a great event! I can’t wait to try Yori again next time I’m in the Brea area.
(Sorry for the late review Event happened on 5÷13÷13. It’s not too late right?)

Ryan Rocks!
I already knew that, but it’s the first thing that came to mind when I started this review.
Well there I was, driving to Brea to the YEE: Yori Modern Japanese Tasting when my phone decided to die and yes Ladies and Gents, I got lost! Grrrrr
Well I finally made it but yes sadly my sense of direction and my phone were not cooperating.
Yori is a nice Japanese place in a strip mall, neat and nicely decorated, and recently opened.
Sooo what did I have? and yes I must talk in first person since my evil allergies didn’t allow me to try some delicious food. Bummer!
— Mango ceviche: delicious and refreshing, it was a pleasant surprise made me miss home since my dad always make it like that.
–Shrimp Dumplings: nice and creamy
— Grilled Asparagus: crunchy and tasty, nice touch with an egg on top.
–Tofu Burgers: great idea!
–Udon Salad, first time for me, very refreshing perfect for a hot day (or night)
Couldn’t try the Heartattack and the risotto =(due to my allergies but they looked exquisite. Super Ryan to the rescue! he got me some nice California Rolls so I could eat more stuff. Thanks darling you are the best!
Bottom line great event in a new cool Japanese place.
Yes I’ll be back to try their delicious food, hopefully next time I won’t get lost =)
Thanks Ryan, and Yori crew for such a fun night.

Yup Unilocal,another reason why Ryan C.‘s parties are the hardiest to get in. I was really surprised that I got into this event because I know how difficult it is to get into OC events. Hat off to you, Ryan, for another great party!
I was expecting traditional Japanese food, but this was just quit the opposite. It’s American Japanese fusion, I think? Why would I saw American? because there’s LOADED of mayo on everything, which is also the reason they’re so delicious. The best dish of the night was the asparagus with fried egg! Everything taste great with an egg on it ^^
Oh, almost forgot to mention the socks~ Thanks for the Unilocal Socks~ I’ll definitely be wearing this with my hello kitty vans now. WooHooo.
«Heart» everyone at my table too~ Hello Kitty gives you a mmmuuaahh… oh, forgot, she doesn’t have a mouth.

Everything was delicious, but I believe the consensus was that the less-​saucy items (especially the mango ceviche!!) were the best! I think it’s tough for some people to remember that they wouldn’t normally have the awesome opportunity to try such a wide variety of items, and I think the richness of a taste of everything was a bit overwhelming for some.
But with that said, I’d totally come back to Yori! I like the uniqueness of the dishes. I wonder if they’re always that massive? I guess I’ll find out on my next visit.
Yay for the return coupon, Unilocal ELITE SOCKS (!!!), and for taking pictures of Unilocalers taking pictures:
Thank you Yori and Ryan! Also, thanks to my 5 dinner dates (Laura S., Lili H., Rose T., Katrina N., and Danielle B.). Sigh. Unilocalin’ ain’t easy!
SYOY!

UnilocalTASTIC as usual! Great job Ryan C. for always doing a great job with these events and giving away all that Unilocal Swag!
This was my 3^rd Elite Event, and I honestly enjoyed meeting some really cool new people! Shout outs to Caitlin H, Robin W, and Sammy B. for making our table super enjoyable!
The food on the other hand wasn’t as great as it could have been. As a Japanese-​American Fusion sort of restaurant, I think you need to be careful about preserving what is great about both. For example, the Seafoodyaki Roll, a good representative of what needs to be improved, was way too over the top. As much as there was that initial «ohhhh» factor from knowing how many ingredients there were, when it came out it just looked way tooo packed. I honestly didn’t know what was what, and the presentation did not make it look appetizing. I feel like this dish lost out on what makes good Japanese food so good, the simplicity and design of bringing the fish out. But this dish blends so much together that there is no focus.
However, there were things I personally appreciated, that others may not agree with, but I’m okay with that. The Mango Ceviche was probably a brilliant dish that showcased what a true Japanese-​American dish should look like. It looked amazing, and properly utilized the salmon and tuna along with the fruit to make it a wonderful dish. Even though it looked complicated, this dish wasn’t so confusing, but the ingredients simply complemented each other well. Also I liked the Grilled Asparagus for similar reasoning, as well as the Udon Salad (but people may dislike this due to how creamy it is, I personally like that sort of stuff).
This event was great, and I look forward to more stuff like this! Here’s to hoping that this restaurant finds a solid balance between traditional Japanese food and the modern style they are trying to incorporate!

What an honor!
To be included in Yori Restaurant’s imaginatively creative, 8-​course Elite Tasting and to furthermore be surrounded by such an awesome group of Unilocalers is a gift. My «thank you’s» not only extend themselves to Yori’s and Ryan C., but to my table buddies and to my surrounding friends as well. =]
Yori’s, your servers were amazing. Honestly, if you can maintain this exceptional level of service, you’re golden. Thank you, again.
**** Mango Ceviche:
.
*** Shrimp Dumplings:
.
**** Grilled Asparagus:
.
**** Heart Attack:
.
**** Udon Salad (My Favorite):
.
***** Tofu Burger (Another Favorite):
.
**** Seafoodyaki Roll:
.
*** Cod Misoyaki:
.
To my table buddies: Trina D., Linda D., and Steve S., I had a great time getting to know you all. Being in your company shaped the evening. =]
But wait! The night got even better! Cool celebrity sightings:
Laurence T.
Joyce A.
Joe P.
Ryan C.
Felicia D.
Quynh Tran P.
Nancy M.
Rodney S.
Katrina N.
Irene Y.
Priscilla Y.
Minerva T.
Thanks all! See you again soon!

My first elite event went so we’ll so I thought I would give this another try and I’m so glad I did!
First off, going to an event where no +1 are allowed is extremely intimidating but I’m so happy that I always get to meet the nicest people.
Now onto the food…
Mango Ceviche — one of my favorite dishes of the night. It was light and refreshing, prefect for this hot summer day. The fish was fresh and the salad had a great complex flavor.
Shrimp Dumpling with Cream Sauce — fried wonton skin filled with cream cheese, shrimp and pineapple topped with mushrooms in a cream sauce. Call me crazy but this tasted just like walnut shrimp at chinese restaurants. The pineapple really cuts through the richness of the cream cheese and cream sauce giving the whole dish a great balance of flavors.
Grilled Asparagus — seasoned and grilled asparagus topped with grilled tomato, fried egg garlic chips and cheese. This dish is very refreshing and flavorful. I loved the Asparagus. It was so tender and seasoned perfectly. I thought that the garlic chips and cheese really complemented the light flavors of the Asparagus but the egg and tomato were more of an afterthought. They were nice to look and and I ate them but the dish would have been just as good without them.
Heart Attack — I can see how this dish would be the star of the menu. It has everything the cult foodie looks for. jalapeño stuffed with cream cheese crab and tuna that has been fried and smothered in more crab and crawfish plus a spicy mayo sauce. Just incase you’re worried about getting an actual heart attack, they put this monster on a bed of leafy greens to balance out your diet. Just a hint, eat the veges. They might just save your life. With all the frying and cream stuffing goodness, it is easy to see this become a drunk foodie’s dream. The product lives up to its name and there is high potential for stardom here.
Udon Salad — the name, as well as the presentation, was really misleading in that I was expecting a salad. Turns out, this is more of a cold noodle. It has a very rich dressing that overpowers the whole idea of a cold noodle. I can’t really see this being a popular dish because it is just plain confusing. It is too heavy for a salad eater and too light for a noodle lover. I would want to see this dish with a different sauce, perhaps a lighter, non cream based sauce would suit this dish better.
Tofu burger — After the heavy udon salad, I was hoping for something refreshing to cleanse my palate. Tofu burger definitely did it’s job. However, as a stand alone dish, I wanted more flavor. The tofu «bun» was very bland so i took a second bite with the filling and still nothing. There was simply not enough seasoning. It is a nice idea but the flavors need a little tweaking.
Seafoodyaki roll — It is what it says it is. Sautéed seafood on a California roll. At this point, I was way too full to rightfully judge the taste of this dish but I can say that the idea is very original. I’m not too sure that this will become as popular as the famous dynamite roll but it is not bad.
Black cod misoyaki with spicy risotto — I was told by my table-​mate Laurence T. that this was his favorite dish so I went in with pretty high expectations. I have had some really good Black cod miso in the past and risotto is one of my favorite things to order at italian restaurants. Needless to say, I built myself up for failure because the risotto was a little too salty for my taste and the black cod misoyaki was too sweet. I’ll have to say that the dish was not completely bad because the texture of the dish from the risotto to the fish were all perfectly cooked.
Overall, I enjoyed my meal and I’m happy to have been apart of this elite event. There are some real potential in the menu and with a little tweaking, I’m sure it’ll attract lots of people. Being a Modern Japanese restaurant, I can see how easily it is to go heavy on the cream crease, mayo, and deep fryer. I just hope that they can lighten things up a bit and realize that modern doesn’t always have to mean thousands of calories. Sometimes less is more.
Most importantly, the owner and staff were really attentive and friendly.

Another WOOHOO Unilocal!event!
Soft opening and Unilocal Tasting menu consisted of eight different courses.
These were my faves:
Mango Ceviche — mango, red onion, crisp shredded cabbage with salmon and tuna cubes and a sesame seed dressing.
Udon Salad — Udon noodles with a creamy sweet tangy dressing, over finely shredded cabbage, with Fukujinzuke (those red pickled daikon that often is served with curry).
Grilled Asparagus — simply prepared and cooked to its tender perfection. Came topped with a sunny side egg and the smooth runny yolk that became its sauce. (It seemed like a nod to classic Hollandaise sauce, no?) No extraneous or superfluous bacon bits or sauce here thank goodness! Simplicity is often the best.
Heartattack: basically a Sushi roll with no rice, where the seafood is stuffed into mild Jalapeño wedges, with cream cheese, «lobster» was really peeled crawfish. Seafood was certainly plentiful on this dish but I felt there might have been a tad too much sauce on it. A nice contrast of textures and flavors.
Tonight’s winner definitely was COD MISOYAKI with RISOTTO: a good sized portion of miso marinated Cod, tender, resting on a bed of creamy «risotto» — It was not Arborio rice but a combination of what appeared to be Pearl Barley with some rice — I liked that firmer chewiness of the grain, and the level of spiciness was definitely exciting but not over-​reaching.
I also appreciated our waitress Julie — she was attentive and took the time to talk about each dish as she served. I got my green tea refilled throughout the night. Plates were cleared quickly and utensils provided as we requested them. Considering the number of people at this event, I think the Restaurant performed very well. Sadly, they had to turn paying patrons away tonight. I hope their business picks up!
They are almost hidden away on one side of this plaza — more on the Buca di Beppo side, next to the PinkBerry.
Simple minimal décor, multiple fourtops, simple tableware that highlights food. I cannot think of any improvements to the menu we were served, other than maybe to be very aware of the overall presentation. Most of the dishes came out too au naturel for me — a lot of beige. Maybe a few less white on white presentations (example: tofu, mushrooms, onions on white plate) would boost the appeal of the dishes.
Kudos once more to Ryan C. and everyone else who is part of organizing these Unilocal events.
Had a very well organized event, with swag again — this time got Unilocal!Socks to remember the event. Other giveaways were likewise appreciated and in time for the heat wave that hit So Cal — fans and sunglasses.
I was glad to meet other Unilocalers! — hello to Moises M., Jo-​ann D., Cindy T., and Rodney S. Hello again to Craig F.
(BTW I feel like everyone’s Auntie or Mom at these events — is it just me or is everyone really less than half my age anymore?)

Thanks Ryan C for setting up another successful event. And thank you Yori for hosting and sharing your food with us. This event was a short 5 minute drive away from home, so that was an added bonus. The night started with checking in and getting Unilocal swag of course. Since I already have my Unilocal socks, I picked up a pair of sunglasses which I didn’t have. As a person in the eyeball business, this was very exciting for me. I got to meet and dine with more Unilocal friends, shout-​out to Aaron, Rose, Katrina, Laura, and Lily :]
On to the food. We started with a mango ceviche. A combination of salmon, tuna, avocado, etc. this was a hit all around the table. I liked the freshness to it. Only thing is that I don’t know if it had the «sourness» of a ceviche, so I’d prefer to call it a salad.
7 down. Next came the shrimp dumpling with cream sauce. This was deep fried with cream cheese and shrimp inside and pineapple sauce atop. I’m not a big fan of cream cheese in my dishes (only if I’m at home eating salami and cream cheese, weird. yes). So overall I found the dumpling a bit heavy and creamy for me.
We were all pretty excited about the grilled asparagus coming as it was advertised with a fried egg on top. «Anything with a fried egg is amazing» according to Ryan C. By the way, glad I finally got the chance to chat with Ryan. So when the asparagus arrived we realized our dilemma of splitting one fried egg between 6 people. It was accomplished and everyone got their fair share of the dish. The garlic chips on top were a nice touch, but I would have liked the asparagus better if there was a bit of crunch to it.
5 down. Now we’re getting to the main stuff. The heart attack was a roll with jalapenos, crab meat, spicy tuna, lobster, and cream cheese (again). My first bite was pure jalapeño and therefore a big kick to my mouth, but the second bite was much better and balanced. Again for me, probably wouldn’t order this because of the cream cheese.
Then the udon salad. Similar to the ceviche, I found this dish refreshing and its something I would order again. Probably because of the large tomato chunks, avocado, and the noodles were good.
The tofu burger was definitely an interesting dish. I was expecting a burger with the tofu as the patty, but instead the tofu became the buns. The patty was a mix of mushrooms and onions. I am a tofu fan, so despite being a bit bland, I was still a fan of these cute tofu sliders.
Okay, at this point I was actually getting pretty darn full. So the seafoodyaki looked pretty daunting to me, especially with all that brown stuff on top of it. Well, the brown stuff was a mix of mussels, shrimp, scallops and calamari. The mussels definitely made this dish for me because where else can you order mussels on a roll?
Lastly, the cod misoyaki with spicy risotto. The spice was a nice kick, but the risotto was too creamy for my liking. The theme for Yori seems to be a lot of heavy, cream-​based dishes. This could be good for dining because it means ordering less, spending less, but when I’m craving Japanese I’m usually craving something more fresh.
Timing between plates was spaced out, but not too spacey. Service was great! I think with some minor tweaks, Yori could be great, especially with some innovative dishes. But for now I will call it good.

Can you you say VIP!!!
An 8 course meal with some of Unilocal’s finest, and no they definitely did not skimp on the portions. I came in on an empty stomach and was full by item #6, though I was able to sneak a bite of the last two dishes. What a great event to kick off the summer!
My favorite dish of the night had to be the Mango Ceviche as the vibrant colors and fresh fish tantalized my mouth. This is a definite must-​try dish! But following a close second is the Udon Salad. The service here was outstanding and I cannot stress enough how attentive and friendly the staff was here. All restaurants should train their employees to be this awesome.
This certainty was one of the smaller more intimate Elite events that I’ve attended but what a great way to interact with other like-​minded foodies. It was good to meet Minh D, Sarah S, and Quynh P and catch up with a few familiar faces-​Minerva, Rodney, Steve, and Craig. Thanks Ryan for putting this event together and a HUGE thank you to Yori for hosting this amazing event. Cheers!

Thank You Ryan C for popping my cherry! Awesome first time Elite event. It was well organized, located at an awesome venue, great food, prizes: Socks and Chapsticks, and got to meet some new/​fellow Unilocalers.
Speaking of cherries, nice to meet you Laura S, and Aaron. Laura I’d like to apologize, you ARE good kisser. Aaron, well… you need to work on that kissing thing. Nice to meet your acquaintance Joe P, Craig F. and Trina D. It’s nice to put a name with the face. Also my lovely table mates, Danielle B and Lily
For this event, we got to try a plethora of delicious samplers and the one that left a good imprint on my memory was the Mango ceviche. I got a cube of fresh tuna, sweet ripe mangoes, and delicious mixture of sauces and veggies. Definitely not your typical ceviche, Joe P don’t pout, but I thought it had good flavors. The other dishes to me seemed like they tried very hard to stand out and be unique, but I felt it sort of fell flat. The heart attack was like the nerdy kid trying hard to be a cool kid but all he ended up doing was playing dress-​up. I really wanted to enjoy the udon salad, but it was heavy handed with the sauce. Overall I would give the food 3 stars.
Our server, Alex did a good job in meeting our needs, although he did seem a bit rushed at times and disappeared like the Flash. Service 3.5, so I rounded the tally up to 4 stars. I will be back to try more dishes though, even if its just for the Mango ceviche.

This is my 2^nd elite event. I thought it was much more awesome than the last. I finally got a pair of Unilocal Socks that I seen everyone with. Now all I need is the watch and a lunch box? 8 course meal and great company, what more can a girl ask for?
Mango Ceviche– Everyone’s favorite
Shrimp dumpling w/​cream sauce– I liked it. It remind me of cream cheese wonton and I love cream cheese wonton. However, it could be a bit crispier.
Grilled Asparagus– Not a big fan. I thought it was an interesting twist but the Asparagus was a bit too soft for me. I felt it was missing something. Probably bacon! Bacon makes everything taste better right?
Heart Attack– Had a lot going on, It reminded me of a dynamite roll with salad and jalapenos poppers. It was interesting, had a bit of a kick to it.
Udon Salad– I liked the udon noodles, I like noodles…
Tofu Burger– for some reason I was thinking of tofu sliders. But it was more of 2 pieces of tofu used as buns. This was probably my least favorite.
Seafoodyaki Roll. for some reason this reminded me of the heart attack but without the kick.
Cod Misoyaki w/​spicy risotto– I thought this tasted like spicy nachos sauce over rice and salty fish.
I am still on the fence about this place. I just felt that the dishes were kind of redundant. The service was good though. Everyone was so nice.
Thanks Ryan for another awesome event and for taking us out of our comfort zone by sitting us with random people.

Mango Ceviche: I wish they would change the name. We all expected fish cured in citrus juice… As a sashimi salad though, it was quite good. The fish was fresh and I loved the flavors when paired with raw and fried onions and the mango.
Shrimp Dumplings: My least favorite, it was overall a bit bland and nothing about it really worked for me…
Grilled Asparagus: This was yummy. Perfectly tender, sweet asparagus topped with garlic chips and runny egg — I don’t think I can eat it any other way now! Even without the egg, the asparagus was well seasoned.
Heart Attack: We all anticipated this dish, but I thought it was just ‘okay’. I expected savory, spicy and fatty — but it was kind of bland.
Udon Salad: Really good. This was one item that I thought was genuinely unique to this restaurant and I liked it. I think it could do without the avocado though.
Tofu Burger: This didn’t really work for me, it was messy and on the bland side. It’s a good idea though, as most places use tofu as the patty and not the buns… Needs to be better executed though.
Seafoodyaki Roll: My favorite. It did not look appetizing at all… But the sprouts and mussels really gave this roll good, unique flavor and texture.
Cod Risotto: The most flavorful dish of the night, it was creamy and you could taste the miso followed by a nice little kick! I wish they were able to incorporate this kind of intense flavor into the other dishes! The fish was cooked well and although I cant take too much creamy/​mushroomy stuff, this was good.
The restaurant is modern and clean, I thought the tables were spaced out well and the service was amazing. Alex was extremely attentive and friendly. I like the concept of trying to be ‘different’ but honestly, it came off as another typical Korean-​owned sushi joint; Especially how they decorated everything with orange slices and maraschino cherries.
I think they have a great location, staff and concept — but they should work on bolder flavors, less on cheesy presentation and they would have a hit. I think this restaurant will do well with just a few minor changes…
I had a great time and will bring some friends by for the seafoodyaki roll and some beers! Thanks Ryan for putting this together and thank you Yori for a fantastic evening! I loved my tablemates and hope to make it out to more Unilocal events!

This is my first YEE and it was super fun. Thank you Ryan C for making this event and running it so smoothly! The waitstaff were very attentive and my iced tea was never more than half empty. The brought us extra utensils as well.
Mango Ceviche: this was really yummy and the bits of fish that I had were really fresh.
Shrimp dumpling with cream sauce: this was very good and not too creamy.
Grilled asparagus: who thought something so simple would be so good. It was a healthy follow up after the creamy dumplings though. I like who this dish was prepared. It was very healthy and the contrasting taste with the egg was really interesting.
Heartattack: I like this roll better than the seafoodyaki roll. It was less of a heartattack than what the name makes it sounds like. The lobster and crab meat was well flavored. I really like the bed of veggies at the bottom since the sauce would be a little bit overpowering without the veggies.
Udon salad: I think the order of when this dish came out was interesting. I wish it would have came in after the tofu burger which is more subtle and healthier. I like the alternating of healthy and creamy dishes. But I guess this dish was kind of healthy since it was full of veggies, but the udon mayo sauce was a little bit too creamy for my liking.
Tofu burger: unlike my tablemates, I think I really like this dish. It was very simple, but the mushroom was sauteed to perfection. The vegan in me loved this dish! I would definitely recommend this dish!
Seafoodyaki roll: there was definitely a lot of seafood on this dish so you would definitely get your money’s worth, but maybe because it just came near the end and I was full, but this dish was the least eventful. It did not have the contrasting flavors like the other dishes had.
*Cod misoyaki with spicy risotto: definitely hands down the BEST DISH of the night. I’m kind of sad that it came out at the end when I was kind of full already. But it goes to show you that even when I am full, I think this dish is amazing. I love the contrasting flavor of the spicy risotto and the sweet cod misoyaki. It was a really interesting combination. All the prior Unilocal reviews swear by this dish and they are right! This is AMAZING!
I have a feeling that this restaurant will do well. I felt bad that they had to turn down paying customers that night become of us since I sat next to the door and saw a lot of customers passing by. However, hopefully the glowing reviews and large crowd from last night will get more customers to stop by the restaurants and try the dishes.

Thanks Ryan for another great event.
Thank you to Yori Modern for hosting us Unilocal Elites to an 8 course tasting menu.
Good food, good company, what else is there.
Here’s the rundown:
Mango Ceviche: my favorite dish of the night. Mango was sweet. Tuna & salmon were fresh. Fried onion was so good. Japanese mustard & sesame sauce worked well with everything.
Shrimp dumpling w/​cream sauce: these were fried wantons stuffed with cream cheese, crab, shrimp, pineapple w/​a cream sauce. Not a fan of this one. Couldn’t taste too much of the ingredients except cream cheese.
Grilled Asparagus: I love fried egg, but that didn’t do anything for the asparagus. The garlic chips were very good though.
Heart Attack: this was good, but it was just over sauced. And is it a salad or a roll? both? All the ingredients were good but maybe less is more would apply to this dish. Cream cheese again dominated this dish and kills everything else.
Udon Salad: the mayo based dressing was too much, the salad was drenched in it. The udon itself was really good, just too much salad dressing.
Tofu Burger: a mushroom filling between fried tofu. It was hard to eat, you had to eat each component separately. The tofu was fried perfectly and good. The shitake mushrooms were good. Concept just didn’t work for me.
Seafoodyaki Roll: basically a california roll topped by mussels, shrimp, scallops & calamari. I tried the mussels and shrimp and they were both good. Again, you would have to eat the components separately because it just falls apart when you try to get the california rolls underneath.
Cod Misoyaki w/​spicy risotto: My second favorite dish of the night. The risotto was the way I like my risotto. It was creamy and the rice was cooked perfectly (for me). It was not spicy though. The cod was also very good. I would order this again.
The food was 3.5 stars. A couple of good dishes, but they just need to control the saucing (or over saucing IMO). Oh and less cream cheese dishes.
The service was 5 stars all the way. Thanks Jeannie!!!
The company was 5+ stars. Shared the table with Craig, Trina & Linda and we had a great time at our table.
Other Unilocalers I got to see and talk to: Rodney (my BFF), Irene (very cool, thanks for coming to my table & saying hi), Quynh (finally got to meet you) and new friends Nancy, Felicia & Laurence.
Unilocal Swag: Got a pair of Unilocal Elite Socks. Awesome (wife took it immediately, lol)
The food was good, but the company was even better.
See you at the next event.

I really like the small intimate vibe of these events. Kudos to Ryan C. and Yori Modern Japanese for making this happen! We were treated to an 8-​course meal showcasing Yori’s take on modern Japanese cuisine. The food was 3 stars but the service was 5 stars. We were really impressed with Jeanine’s stellar attentiveness. Thanks!
I was stuffed by the 5^th course so I didn’t eat much of the rest but rather had a bite here and there. My favorites were the mango ceviche which should be more of a sashimi salad, the grilled asparagus with fried egg, and the udon salad. I did find that there was a lot of sauce and I’m not that much of a fan of mayo to begin with so to have most of the courses drenched in it kind of turned me off. That being said, I’d order sashimi or nigiri here any day. The fish was FRESH and delicious. The service was amazing. So, THANK YOU from the bottom of my Unilocal-​y heart. It was so nice to converse with my fellow tablemates: Craig F., Steve S., and Linda D. I hope to see you guys at another event! Until then, SYOY!

This was my first Elite event. I was eager to try food from a new restaurant, meet new peep, finally meet some Unilocal friends in person and of course see Ryan C. again: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!
We were treated to 8 courses:
Mango ceviche: Tuna, salmon, shrimp, snapper, mango, avocado w. Japanese mustard and sesame sauce.
Shrimp dumpling w/​cream sauce: Fried wonton stuffed w/​cream cheese, crab, shrimp, pineapple w/​cream sauce
Grilled asparagus: With fried egg, garlic chips & parmesan cheese
Heart attack: Cream cheese, crab meat, spicy tuna, jalapeño inside and deep fried, spicy crab meat and spicy lobster on top of a bed of green vegetables.
Udon salad w/​mayonnaise dressing
Tofu burger
Seafoodyaki roll: Basically a CA Roll w/​green mussel, shrimp, scallop and calamari on top
Cod misoyaki w/​spicy risotto.
Rather than rate each dish separately, I will rate the food as a whole. Unfortunately, the food did now WOW me. The ceviche did not have that much seafood, the fried wonton was kinda boring as was the asparagus. The heart attack looked sloppy. The udon salad, tofu burger and seafoodyaki were all ho hum. My fave dish of the night was the cod misoyaki. Usually the cod is more fatty, but I didn’t mind. The sweetness of the cod contrasted well with the slight saltiness of the risotto.
The service was OK. We had to keep on asking for wasabi and ginger. In addition, we never received a plate change. A tasting with this many dishes and sauces should have at least two to three plate changes. Nonetheless, the waiter was not rude.
The ambiance was fantastic primarily due to the attendees (the décor itself is nothing special). At my table were some of the nicest people: Preston A., Christine and Jenny H. We exchanged fave and non-​fave restaurants, and all friended afterwards. I also met Craig F. and Katrina N. in person after conversing via Unilocal.Lastly, I also met Rosemary T. one of my yfs in person, and I saw Lili H. again. Lili seems to know everyone which is cool.
5−5−3−3: 5 Stars on the event (Mahalo nui loa Ryan!); 5 Stars on the ambiance and the attendees; 3 Stars on the food and 3 Stars on the service. In all fairness, I would return here to give Yori a fair shake. However, I recommend the chef and owner do something to jazz up the dishes other than the last one.

Don’t hate me but this event was definitely just ‘meh’. Don’t get me wrong, the execution of the event was superb! Kudos to Ryan C. for putting together another successful elite event. However, it was the food that didn’t make me wanting to come back again. Our server, Julie, was nice. But nothing was outstanding. Now on to the food:
Mango Ceviche-​this is probably my fave, out of the 8 courses. I really liked the small pieces of salmon & tuna sashimi. The presentation was also very nice.
Shrimp Dumplings w/​Cream Sauce-​very hard to pick up with chopsticks. Everything just kept falling apart. Too creamy.
Grilled Asparagus-​this is my second fave. The tomato and asparagus was cooked well. I didn’t try the fried egg.
Heartattack-​too much stuff on one plate. The ‘lobster’ is actually langoustine and it was overcooked. Too much sauce smothered everywhere.
Udon Salad-​interesting concept but just doesn’t work. Again, drenched in sauce.
Tofu Burger-​bleh
Seafoodyaki Roll-​this roll was not pretty to look at and just look busy in general. It had way too much stuff going on atop the California roll. The mushroom just made everything look grayish brown.
Cod Misoyaki w/​Spicy Risotto-​the cod was actually tasty, some portions were saltier. Maybe it was overseasoned on one side. The risotto was undercooked.
I think Yori is trying too hard to ‘modernize’ Japanese food. I didn’t realize the definition of ‘modern’ was: load a bunch of sauce in the food. Just use the ingredients you have and don’t complicate things too much. Japanese food is supposed to be simple and clean. Everything was too convoluted and confusing, mostly drenched in cream sauce. Japanese food is never meant to be creamy, rather light and healthy.
However, I did get full out of a free dinner, met some new Unilocal friends and had good conversation. I guess it wasn’t a complete disaster.

Modern Japanese Tasting w/​my Unilocal Modern Family
YEE: Yori Modern Japanese Tasting
Newly opened 3 weeks ago, Grand Opening Celebration
Sean, the owner & the server that just came back from Korea, Julie
The waitstaff was great, making sure drinks were flowing & plates were cleared
Jeanine, you can take care of me anytime you want ;p
Rundown of the menu–
Edamame–
Mango ceviche-​the fish was fresh & the mangoes were perfectly sweet/​sour
Shrimp dumpling w/​cream sauce–
Grilled asparagus-​Very nice, especially with the runny egg
Heartattack roll–
Udon salad-​Quite filling. Caused my Full meter to reach ¾ capacity
Tofu burger-​the buns were tofu. Mushrooms were a nice touch.
Seafoodyaki roll-​My favorite roll of the 2, because of the mussels.
Cod misoyaki w/​spicy risotto-​the risotto tasted like nachos ;p
Nice seeing everyone again.
My BFF Steve–
My BFF Irene–
My BFF’s Minerva & Lili–
My tablebuddies & new BFF’s–
Teddy–
Priscilla–
Felicia, I forgot to take a pic of you
Look who was happy about getting Unilocal socks
Not bad for a point-​n-​shoot camera, don’t you agree?
I had good food, washed it down with some iced green tea on this scorcher of a day & mingled with Unilocal buddies, old & new. Fun times!
Shoutouts — Steve, Craig, Quynh, Katrina, Joe, Jason, Teddy, Priscilla, Felicia, Minerva, Elise, Moises, Joanne, Irene, Nancy, Lili & others.
Grattitude, Ryan & Yori Modern Japanese Cuisine for hosting a terrific event.
SYOY