Looking for something new to try? Craving for some Japanese cuisine? Yayoi’s your restaurant.

With one step into the restaurant, the aroma of fried pork cutlet and wagyu beef simmered in sauce and egg permeate the room. Topped off with a combination of steamed rice, miso soup and pickled vegetables on the side, the Teishoku cuisine offers a traditional Japanese experience at Yayoi.

Emily Chen

At first glance, Yayoi is just like any other restaurant — classic bento boxes filled with traditional japanese food sit on wooden tables that occupy the room. However, the serving style, food preparation and original roots of Yayoi prove this restaurant’s uniqueness.

Located in the Homestead Square Shopping Center, Yayoi is surrounded by several other popular restaurants and stores, providing a convenient and favorable location.

Wooden lights hang from the charcoal black ceiling, as each overhanging light is geometrically designed and personalized with four rectangles perfectly connected to one another. Along the sides, accents of grey, white and beige complement the floor to ceiling walls which allow in sunlight that brighten up the restaurant. Rows of wooden tables align across the room, each set with custom black leather chairs.

From upon entering the restaurant, the Yayoi experience is completely customer-based and customer-friendly. Instead of the conventional methods of having a waiter take your order, everything is communicated electronically. On top of every table, an iPad with the menu is set, along with the desserts, drinks and specials featured on different tabs. After ordering, the iPad provides updates on the meal’s progress, such as “ordered,” “cooking,” “finishing” and “served.”

Emily Chen

The most popular of their options is the combination meal, which comes with a meal of your choice, miso soup, steamed rice, salad and side dishes. Options include various types of udon, fish, and meat, such as noodle soup, teriyaki salmon, and pork and chicken cutlet with side dishes of stir-fried vegetables.

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Emily Chen

On average, most meals range from $13.00 to $18.00. Yayoi’s specialty is the way they make rice, a process they call the “kinme-mai.” By milling rice, this method removes the bran and wax layers, while still leaving the important fiber, protein and nutrients.

Yayoi has two locations in the Bay Area, one in Cupertino and one in Palo Alto. If you’re having a lazy day and are not in the mood to go out and eat, Yayoi also offers delivery and takeaway, which makes it an effortless experience.