Atlanta is a tough city to sell ramen-naive friends on the concept of ramen not made from a Maruchan packet. I really, really wanted to like the ramen here so I could bring all my friends. The broth was delicious, but there weren't enough goodies. The tonkatsu ramen literally had maybe an ounce of pork protein. The chicken yakitori skewers were pretty tasty and not too expensive and they supplemented the ramen pretty well. I did not try the sushi but it did look better than, say, Rusan's. Servers were very friendly and not rushed, probably because it was 6pm on a Sunday night.
(3)
Jeff M.
The ramen scene isn't exactly bustling in Atlanta like it is is New York. I did my research and the one name that came up consistently in reviews and on blogs was this place. I had one thing in mind: tonkotsu (pork) ramen. It was the must-have dish for lunch. Delicious! The temperature, consistency of the soup, the noodles, the pork (oh, the pork was yummy!), and seaweed: excellent. Plus salad and rice for $10? A win all-around. Better than Ippudo in NYC? Well ... I wish there was an egg in there. I wish there was a little more pork (oh, the pork was yummy!). Plus, the ambiance: Ippudo is right near Union Square and my brother, sister-in-law, and I waited two hours (it was worth it) to even get seated; Yakitori Jinbei is in a strip mall in Smyrna. That being said, and without even having had the yakitori, this place gets **** from me based on the ramen alone. I'll be back, several times probably. Especially come wintertime.
(4)
Tamago L.
This is the best ramen place in Atlanta. Also try minced chicken bowl it's also very good.
(4)
brian l.
Food is very good - excellent tonkatsu ramen and katsu bowls. Also had the very good negitoro bowl. All were lunches but can't comment on dinner. Service is usually terrible as they only have one server for lunch. I am always reluctant to return as it seems I cant ever order my food. It makes me hesitant to go for lunch as it takes too long.
(3)
Luan N.
Not the best yakitori I've had but it's reasonably priced and I give it props for setting a niche for itself among the all of Japanese restaurants. But, one thing I was delighted to see was they had torisoborodon, which is ground chicken and scrambled egg over a bowl of rice. My mom would pack this for lunch when I went to elementary school. This is a dish that's pretty easy to make but I thank Yakitori Jinbei for taking me back many years.
(3)
James B.
This is in my top 2 for Japanese restaurants in Atlanta. I usually order whatever they have on special and it is always wonderful. If you want real Japanese food then you need to try this place. If you are the type that tends to just order California rolls then this may not be the place for you.
(5)
Anthony R.
My favorite spot for yakitori in Atlanta. It's so good, I haven't explored anything else on the menu. Look forward to trying some of the dishes everyone else is raving about.
(5)
mary j.
We were looking for sushi and interested in trying something new and relatively close by. I was a little hesitant to suggest this place but I did as everyone seemed opened minded to try something new. It is located in a drab strip mall with Office Depot and a Olive Garden. I have lived in Smyrna for 12 years and I had never noticed this restaurant (neither had the other 3 ppl). I was very excited to glare through the window and see that there were several tables of Japanese people...so I knew something here must be authentic. We were very happy to walk right in and get a table for 4 on a Friday night without a wait. We started with Yakatori Chicken which was very delicious and cooked perfectly. Additionally, we had the fried Gyozas which I believe were a little bland but still pretty good. My biggest complaint was that my boyfriend's meal of Pork Rice bowl came out with our appetizers along side his soup and salad. For my dinner I ordered eel roll and rainbow rolls. I thought the sushi was really good, tasted very fresh. I was a little upset that my food came out about the time that everyone else at the table was finishing up. All in all the service was a little slow and the timing of food not so perfect but was delicious enough for me to have the desire to go back again. I was happy to find such a hidden treasure on the depressing Cobb parkway of Chain Restaurant Crap.
(4)
K W.
Every once in a while, I stop in here on my way home from work. I've yet to be disappointed with the food or service, though you may wish to call ahead to confirm that they're open.
(4)
Michelle R.
This place had been recommended to me so I stopped over my lunch to get sushi takeout. The sushi was way too salty (soy salt unnecessary) and there was so much rice that I couldn't taste what I was eating. Will not be going back.
(1)
Dan N.
Delicious food I must say. You can tell they use fresh ingredients and the fact that the clientele mainly comprises of Japanese folk should give indication to it's authenticity. After spending time in NYC where we had some great Yakitori, I've been having a craving ever since. I had the Tonkatsu Ramen that was great. I loved the flavor in this broth as well as the texture of the noodles. If you do not like "egg-y" type noodles than you will not like this(which my wife didn't). I had the 5 piece yakitori combo(3 young chickens and 2 negima) that were great. My only gripe with this is that the Yakitori on the menu is not as diverse as I hoped it to be and that the food is on the high end side considering what you get. In conclusion, I would not go here if you live across town(as did I) but if you are in the neighborhood and don't mind splurging then give it a go.
(4)
Kevin W.
I have had home made ramen before that was filled with meat, vegetables, oyster sauce, and a plethora of other things. So I may be a little bias on store ramen. The ramen was good but I would have wanted plenty more meat and some more vegetables. It tasted ok. I also had the chicken meatball. These were very good but small. $6 for 6 small meatballs? Come on. This is a nice place to have a casual date. I wouldn't recommend it for groups since the place is pretty small. There was only one waitress there when I went and she was all over the place serving everyone. Food and service were aight. My company had a group lunch here and it was a great lunch. The service was fast, prompt, and courteous. The lunch menu is much better than the weekend menu and the dinner menu. I got the lunch special which was fried pork, steamed rice, and curry. The pork was tender, perfectly battered, and a nice portion. The curry was sweet and filling. The lunch special even came with misou soup and salad. This was nice misou soup (not that watered down crap). I gave this place an extra star from this experience.
(4)
Dio S.
I'm a fan of the pork ramen here--probably the best in town. The broth is lovely. Great texture and taste of the noodles and a variety of good toppings. Actually, Sakana Ya (now closed) used to have great ramen as well and this reminds me of the ramen I used to have there a bit. On the other hand I wasn't so impressed with the yakitori offerings. It was nicely cooked and fresh and tasted fine. My qualm was about the selections and price. Selections are limited, though I understand that they are concerned about business. If they were to offer all the exciting yakitori options like chicken skin, butt, entrails of all varieties (I particularly favor intestines, but heart/liver/gizzard all fine), and the rooster's crown among other things (see the Osaka episode on No Reservation for reference), then I would be very happy, but probably they would lose money. Let's not even get into what pork yakitoris options are possible...a yakitori stand in Japan can easily offer a dozen things not found here! Price was also (not THAT surprisingly) rather steep for what it is. Bottom line is, good quality, but hard to fall in love with. I'll stick with the noodles. There's other dishes and sushi is also available although not the focus. This is in a strange location and now I don't live in Vinings anymore it's hard to make the trip just to come here (I would be distracted by the proximity of Tasty China to this place and go there instead). If you enjoy Japanese food and especially ramen, definitely give this place a try.
(4)
Julia M.
The best Japanese noodle that I have ever eat. Very touching tase
(4)
Ethan V.
So over priced, spicy tonkitsi soup is kimchi, beacon and instant noodle, for this price no way!!!!!!
(2)
Amaryllia L.
As someone who has never heard of yakitori, I was excited to try this place after seeing all the positive reviews. At 8:30 on a Wednesday night, my friend and I were the only people in the restaurant, which I didn't mind. Nothing too impressive about the interior, just clean and simple. We ordered pork katsu on rice, a 5-pc yakitori combo, and some sort of bento box meal that came with a little bit of everything (yakitori, sashimi, california rolls, japanese pickles, assorted tempura, miso soup, and salad). All of this, with tax and tip, came to about $60. * Pork katsu was pretty average based on my limited experience. I also found the rice underneath to be a teeny bit too saucy and wet. * All of the yakitori skewers were definitely tender as everyone said, but unfortunately, I found them to be more charcoal-y than smoky...and that burnt flavor wasn't my favorite, even with the sauce. * Super fresh sashimi, best miso soup in town, and then all average again for the remainder of the bento box. A little after I got home, I started to get a stomach ache. And about an hour later, it all came back out (I'll spare you the details)...I'm thinking it could be because of some undercooked egg on the katsu. If I do come back next time, I'll probably try the much talked about tonkotsu ramen.
(3)
Ryan D.
Very good but two ramen bowls and a drink ran me forty bucks! Be aware.
(3)
Lindze M.
What a refreshing change of pace from Umezono's down the road! Here the waitstaff was almost borderline hovering over us, they were so ready to take our order or refill our glasses. I had the most amazing dish, and now I cant remmeber the name, but I will be having it again. It was a big bowl of rice, with fatty tuna mashed up and piled high on top, with a raw quail egg in the center and seaweed flakes on top. It was like the KFC sadness bowl for sushi! I want to be buried with a bowl of this stuff when I die. I saw lots of yakitori on the menu, but Im not a connoisseur of the item. My husband had a couple of their rolls and was very happy with them, and their miso soup was amazing---giant chunks of meat and all sorts of goodies. almost more like a nabe stew than the usual watery miso you get at places! We also had the geso karage, which came with the spicy mayo I fell in love with in Japan. I cant wait to get back here and bury myself in fatty tuna again.
(5)
Gabrielle J.
I had the S...u Ramen bowl, sans pork but plus the tofu. Baby, this ain't yo Cousin Ray-Rays ramen! It was so flavorful and put together with such character and grace... I WILL be going back and getting the yakitori!
(5)
Scott S.
Spicy Ramen Excellent, sushi and all other dishs excellent. I eat at alot of traditional japanese food places, but so far in ATL this is the best place by far I have ever eaten at. Most customers are Japanese or asian, and they do have a Japanese menu printed in Japanese. Service is just ok, but the food well worth it! The Yakatori is great
(4)
Robert C.
A little pricey for what you get, but a solid pick for some hearty and authentic Japanese food. I went with the tonkatsu ramen, which runs for $12.95 at dinner, if I'm remembering correctly. It comes with a reasonable portion of noodles, sitting in a thick, savory, but not-too-salty broth, all topped with two slices of pork. Maybe it wasn't worth the $12.95, but the flavors and textures were definitely right. My friend went with a similarly priced salmon roe rice bowl, served with miso soup and a side salad; again, solid all around. Our meals were prefaced with a small but complimentary serving of edamame. The restaurant itself, located in a strip mall off Cobb Parkway, is fairly small, but tastefully decorated. It's in a narrow space, with room for only a few tables at the front. The rest are packed together and lined up against the wall, so you'll be sitting pretty closely to other guests. There's also a bar area with room for another half dozen diners or so. A number of daily specials are posted on the board just inside the entrance. Beer and wine -- Asahi, sake, and the like -- are available, as well. Service was almost painfully slow at times. Reading through previous reviews, it seems that it's a bit hit or miss.
(4)
Jennie C.
Seriously. One of the best ramen in the South. Once you walk in, it looks like you traveled to Tokyo -- a small, nice restaurant. I ordered their tonkotsu ramen and their chicken yakitori (a must since, obviously because for their name!). The ramen was out of this world delicious. The broth is good enough to just eat alone! My only criticism is I wish they added more sides, like corn and egg. Also, two pieces of pork (although it melts in your mouth) doesn't cut it. At least 3 would have been better. Yakitori was wonderful! I loved the option of a soy glaze and sea salt. Perfectly grilled! I would definitely be back!
(4)
Sean L.
A Haiku for You Tonkotsu Ramen, So Tasty, But Why the Fuck Are You OTP? you can get it at lunch, and it's good. but the drive. makes me cry.
(4)
Tara O.
I came to Atlanta to visit my sisters. They told me we were going to get Ramen. I was in disbelief because I came to the south to eat catfish, hush puupies and collard greens. However, since I could eat Ramen with egg in it everyday for the rest of my life I had to try. This has been the best Tonkatsu Ramen I've ever had. Of course I have tried Ramen in Japan Town in San Fran and there are plenty of places in Seattle. Here's what I liked: the pork slices had the right amount of fat marbling to go with it, the broth is out of this world. I sipped it trying to figure out how it tasted like pork but also had a flavor of egg yolk. Yet, the base had no sign of egg scramble in it. The combination of the yolk flavor balanced with pork is nothing like I've had before. Smooth, silky and pronounced. The noodles were wonderful. Not the kind you think of when you go to the grocery store and buy instant Ramen noodles. They were yellow, al dente and so tasty. If you've had authentic Ramen, you know what I mean. The soup was garnished with green onion, sesame and generous amounts of tender wakame seaweed. I still can't believe I found the best Tonkatu Ramen in Atlanta of all places. You've got to go try the broth and tell me...what do you think? It's simply a balanced work of art.
(5)
Jeanna B.
Since moving back from Japan oh so many years ago, it seems like I've spent every given opportunity to find a restaurant that could match the food from my former home. That's TEN YEARS of searching. And I found the place tonight in Yakitori Jinbei (well, with Yelp's help!) I'm often skeptical of "Japanese" style restaurants, because they never deliver. This place did not disappoint in the least bit. Choosing wasn't easy, I'll give you that much. There's udon, yakitori, sushi and an appetizer list that made me want to pull a OFE (one of everything). Eventually I narrowed it down and opted for the yakitori over rice. Four different kinds of yakitori, with homemade secret sauce. Holy WOW. The chicken meatballs are delish, the rice was perfect, the pickled cucumber & cauliflower was a great pair as well. I noticed on the menu that it said they only buy local young chickens, which is why their yakitori is so great. The other thing I loved was that the miso soup was hearty. Not in a chili hearty, but a good broth. Most places, miso soup is so clear and has a small hunk of tofu floating in it. Jinbei's had seaweed, onions, some tofu and if I'm not mistaken, pork. The gyoza was homemade and stuffed with a veggie mix. I could literally drink a bowl of the sauce they served with it (as well as the sauce that came on the chicken). I brought along my Mom, in hopes that I could show her a glimpse of the foods I was introduced to overseas and she couldn't believe how tasty delicious everything was either. For the two of us to eat, we dropped $43 bucks, but it was worth it. Especially to eat homemade Japanese food. We walked away stuffed, but without that heavy feeling after a great meal. The place is small and I know some of you might be put off by the fact it's in a strip mall, but don't be. I'm going back and I'm taking my friends. And maybe a wheelbarrow so I can eat more and then be wheeled out to my car. SCORE!
(5)
Chen L.
Came here for lunch and had their ramen soup. Not anything special at all. The noodles were okay, the soup was okay, and there were only two slices of pork. But there was no egg or any seaweed. Boo...I was actually craving the egg, actually, so when it came and I couldn't find it, I was sad. =( They actually substituted chopped lettuce for seaweed. First time I've seen a ramen place do that, but I prefer the seaweed. The waiter was friendly, and it was a small and nice restaurant. Not a lot of places that can sit a a huge crowd. I think the largest group that can gather at once there would be a party of 6...unless you plan to hog up the entire restaurant, then I'm sure they can put more tables together to fit a bigger party, but then block out the rest of the people.
(2)
Chris W.
We were actually looking for Sushi tonight but all of our favorite spots were closed. My gf found this place on yelp and the reviews looked good, I've never had this type of food and I'm always up to trying something new. We almost missed it because the sign is not light (they might want to fix this), inside is basic but comfortable and we were seated and waited on promptly by the one waitress that was there. I ordered the 10 piece Yakitori and the gf got the soup in pork broth. Both were awesome! I loved the grilled, crunchy yet moist chicken parts and the broth on the soup was delicious. We will definitely be going back again to sample other things on the menu.
(5)
Ivan S.
I accidentally ate at Yakitori Jinbei today. OK, I didn't trip and fall mouth first into a plate of grilled chicken but when I'd meant to get a salad at Soup Garden, my hands turned right when they should've turned left. I found myself driving in the wrong direction so rather than attempt an ill-advised U-Turn on Cobb Parkway, I continued in the direction I was traveling. This took me to Yakitori Jinbei. Yakitori Jinbei is everything that RuSan's isn't. RuSan's plays either elevator techno or a happy happy joy joy mix of 80s one-hit wonders while Yakitori Jinbei's soundtrack are nothing but soothing acoustic guitar covers of old standards, songs I recognized entirely as the pre-programmed self-play selections from my parents' old Yamaha keyboard. Apparently the Japanese have a thing for "Some Enchanted Evening" and the song "More." Speaking of Japanese, you'd be hard pressed to find any at RuSan's. Here, however, almost the entire staff is Japanese. While I found this comforting in a Japanese restaurant, it made the name of the free Japanese publication "Axis Atlanta" placed next to the stack of Creative Loafing most unfortunate. Despite its historical inappropriateness, Yakitori is both utilitarian and hospitable. OK, so most of the signage is in Japanese and the default utensil are chop sticks, it's still far from intimidating. I've enjoyed my visits here, even though today I was subjected to a 40 minute monologue by some put-upon office worker sitting next to me detailing the atrocities committed upon him by his company. The bigger injustice here is his poor lunchmate whose responses were limited entirely to "Uh-huh" and "Wow." But other than being sat next to unfunny Dilbert, the meal went splendidly. For the uninitiated, yakitori are basically Japanese shish kebobs, but the meat is cut much smaller and thinner and grilled at a very high temperature. As good as they are, I ordered the ramen soup instead, a large bowl of ramen noodles and broth, topped with roast pork and seaweed. The noodles have the bite of those freshly made; it's pleasantly disconcerting considering where my ramen is normally sourced. So what did I learn today? First, ramen is best eaten when it's not bought six for a dollar. Second, sometimes you have to trust your auto-pilot even when it steers you in the wrong direction. Finally, and perhaps most important to at least one guy in the city of Smyrna, work sucks and Kevin in Accounts Receivable is a real big dick.
(4)
Liz H.
Tonkotsu Ramen. Yum. This place has an authentic Japanese feel to it. The guy talking to the waitress in Japanese helps as well. Came during the evening and it was about half full. Note, the place is pretty small, seats about 20 people? 15 people, comfortably. The restaurant is like a long rectangle, with the tables on one side and the kitchen and suishi bar on the other. Sat down and my friend and I both ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen, which I had heard great things about. We got a small dish of pickled radish, which were ok to my naive Japanese taste buds. Food took awhile to come out, but when it didn, the wait was worth it. Imagine chicken noodle soup + ramen + yummy. The actual dish looked nothing like Blissful G's pic, so I was slightly disappointed. This was my first time having tonkotsu, but I thought it was awesome. Dish was actually $12, not the $9 I had read in a prior review, but maybe that's cuz it was dinnertime? Staff was friendly; I was impressed by the waitress, who handled all the tables solo. Overall, good ambience and service + great food, which makes this place a 5-star and warrants itself a future visit. Hoo-yah! PS - Unfortunately, this place is not opened for lunch on Sunday. I've tried to go here twice, forgetting this fact.
(4)
Carrie T.
I had been craving Ramen for a few weeks, but seeing as my husband and I are of the vegetarian sort, finding traditional Ramen we could eat was a bit of a problem. I explored menu's and called places. Yakitori Jinbei was the only place I could find that didn't have a menu made of only meat based broths! They had a wonderful dish of Ramen made with a flavorful soysauce based broth and when we got our order they'd piled extra vegetables on top just for us! The veggies were bean sprouts, cabbage, small bits of radish, squash and zucchini. While it may be a bit overly salty for some, it hit the spot on a cold night AND it was super filling. My husband and I joked that we couldn't imagine how rich the meat varieties were. For the meat-lovers out there, I'd seriously suggest the Ramen with the pork slices. The pork just smelled so good and they fell apart when our neighbors touched them (bad vegetarian I know). The atmosphere is understated, simple and laid back. We went on a Saturday night and thought we'd have to fight crowds, but this little place while having a steady stream of customers, never filled more than 3 or 4 tables at a time. I'm deducting a star for two reasons: 1. When I asked if I could replace tofu or an egg for the pork the waitress said they could only substitute chicken (is it so hard to put a few slices of tofu on top, really?). 2. The website menu didn't work so I had to call and ask. The website may not be that big a deal for most, but as a professional artist it's a pet peeve when I can't see the menu. Otherwise this place is great and would make for an awesome and private date night. Quiet, cozy and full of wonderful food my husband and I have definitely found a new favorite!
(4)
Kim N.
I came here specifically for the ramen after reading a glowing review in Creative Loafing, and the bowl I recieved was TREMENDOUS. They served up a wonderfully comforting bowl of noodles steeped in a delicate broth, topped with sliced pork belly. I'm super-American so I usually wrinkle my nose at meats with fat clinging to them, but I did eat a bit of the pork with gusto. Again, TREMENDOUS. I came here for a late lunch on my day off, so I also had an Asahi beer with the ramen, and waddled out- stuffed, cheerful, and filled with food-love. Why 4 stars instead of five? The staff was friendly without hovering, but I did feel a tad rushed through my meal. Also, it's a small space, so if there's a noisy lunch party in the room- you hear ALL of their gossip. Overall, it's well worth the short-ish trip OTP for good quality ramen.
(4)
jimmy s.
This past Saturday afternoon I ate at Yakitori Jenbei, which was right over by the Galleria, across from the Best Buy on Cobb Pkwy. It was funny because I had just read about this place on Yelp the other day and wasn't planning on going here. Unfortunately, they don't offer yakitori (think grilled meat kabobs) for lunch. They did have some great lunch specials. For $8.50 I got a salad, soup, two sushi rolls, steamed vegetables with rice, and teriyaki salmon. The soup was awesome miso soup. It wasn't thin/watery and had great fresh miso flavor. I love ginger salad dressings and theirs was definitely worthwhile. No complaints about the sushi, and my teriyaki salmon was yummy. Definitely worth it, but I want to try out the yakitori for sure. One complaint - they brought out everything at the same time (soup, salad, rolls, etc). There wasn't room on the table for everything.
(4)
Patricia L.
This was my Sunday takeout..Actually I had gone to Thompson Bro Barbq, but alas they were closed on Sundays, so I told my husband I had been wanting to try this place based on it's excellant reviews... Hmmmm..Maybe it was an off day , but at 13.95 for Ramen soup entree,it was a very bitter disappointment.. First, this was a to go order..My Ramen came in two separate containers.One dry Ramen and the other the brothe..I was told to mix them when I got home..Now I don't know about you, but el Denta is not what I expect from Ramen..This ramen did not live up to hipe..It tasted like badly prepared ramen from a 25cent bag...There were two tiny pieces of pork, that were more a garnish then food...The broth was an ok miso type, that did not redeem this dish.. The portions were very small..Less than what I get in bag ramen..I will not be back..
(1)
Blissful G.
Ever since I returned from Japan, I have been craving Japanese food all the time. I have been making my rounds at the many Japanese restaurants of Atlanta in search of Japanese homestyle dishes--there is so much more to the cuisine than sushi. Yakitori Jinbei had been on my list of places to try after a reader recommended it a while back. I finally got the chance to stop in today for lunch. The restaurant specializes in yakitori, which is pieces of chicken (and other items like quail eggs or Japanese vegetables) grilled on a stick and topped with your choice of sea salt or a sauce. Yakitori Jinbei only serves yakitori at dinner, but the lunch menu has plenty of delicious items like soba noodles and donburi to choose from. Since it was so cold outside, I opted for the bowl of ramen noodles swimming in pork stock and topped with roasted pork slices, seaweed, and green onions ($9 for the soup, salad, and small bowl of fried sticky rice). I rarely see ramen served in Atlanta so I took advantage of the opportunity. The soup was absolute heaven. I think I may have actually made some yummy noises out loud. The noodles had the right amount of bite and the bright bursts of green onion and ribbons of seaweed contrasted the rich stock perfectly. That has to be the best ramen I have had in quite some time--it was silky, creamy, and complex...insane. The pork was very tender and sliced into little thin rounds. An overall great soup that is worth the trip. I also spotted a tonkatsu platter passing me by that looked scrumptious. I'll get it next time. And, trust me, there will be a next time.
(4)
Sam T.
Went here yesterday with my family. 67 dollars for trash. Yakitori was bland, especially the salted. The chicken ball yakitori was flavorless and looked like it was frozen first. Both the shoyu and tonkotsu at this place are terrible. The tonkotosu was so flavorless and boring it tasted like nothing. I've lived in Japan for 15 years, I know ramen and this was by far the worst I've tasted. No depth, some fried cabbage that was horrible, the sliced pork had no flavor and was like rubber. Just horrible on all levels. The noodles was straight packaged garbage. The shoyu was too salty and had this strong sesame oil flavor running through it. It was gross and so unbalanced. 12 dollars!!! That's all we ate. I recommend avoiding this place at all cost unless you like throwing away money.
(1)
Steven L.
To me, ramen is the perfect comfort food on a cold winter's night. After reading the reviews about supposedly the best ramen in the A, I decided to make the long drive from the other side of town. It's located in an old shopping center right off of Cobb Parkway near 285 which can be hard to miss. Walked in at about 7 pm on a Friday night and we were the only ones there... hmm. I was dead set on the Tonkotsu ramen but decided to put in an order of the young chickcen yakitori for good measure. The ramen was pretty solid... the broth had a nice creamy consistency and the pork was tender and delicious. Can't say it's the best I've ever had, but I'm happy with basically any ramen place I can find around here! The yakitori was a nice side dish but a little bit pricey for what you get. Might have to try some of their other yakitori offerings in the future. Service was slow and overall not so great, considering we were the only ones there for a good portion of the meal. Since I am a sucker for authentic Japanese places, I'll probably have to give this place another try.
(3)
Ivan C.
Best ramen in Atlanta, also try the okonomiyaki
(4)
Phillip C.
Tonkotsu Ramen is why I come here. I have had this in other places but this is the best. Worth the trip OTP. The yakitori is great here too. I don't really have anything to compare it to but who doesn't love charcoal grilled meat on stick. Cons: They're in the same plaza as Thompson Bros BBQ so it sometimes hard to make a decision.
(5)
Andi W.
All of the naysayers can suck it, in my opinion. I've been here 5-6 times, and I have never been disappointed! This is a place for people seeking the authentic experience- not some shmoe who's expecting Denny's Grand Slam-size portions. The sushi is always fresh, the service is unobtrusive and polite, and I don't care who you're talking to, the ramen bowls are large and delicious, even after being re-heated for leftovers the next day. If you're looking for the run-of-the-mill Americanized experience, pollute some other restaurant. If you're looking for fresh, nutritious, and excellent quality, come here.
(5)
Chris N.
I'm a Ramen fiend. Had all types in Japan: Tonkotsu in Kyushu, Shoyu in Honshu, and Miso in Hokkaido. So I tend to be pretty picky when it comes to Ramen here in the states. It was nice to see that Yakitori Jinbei has some pretty good Tonkotsu Ramen that I can say is just as good as some places in Japan. Oh and the yakitori is pretty good too.
(5)
Charles F.
All I can say is it's the best place to get Ramen Noodles in Attlanta. I tried other "great ramen" places around Atlanta but Yakitori Jinbei is the only place where the noodles can compete with the authenic Ramen restaruants in Japan. They owner of the restuarant supposedly started out with a restaurant in Tokyo. I lived in Japan for 18 years and this place does remind me of the type of restaurant you find in Japan. A good home cooked meal without trying so hard to cater to the American palette. I go mostly during lunch and usually get their daily specials.
(5)
Mishy B.
One day in Cobb County, after unsuccessfully trying to purchase a CD at Best Buy (who buys CDs anymore??--ME!) I caught, in the corner of my eye, the glowing word "Yakitori" in the shopping complex across the street. I drove by to investigate, and scrutinized the humble storefront. Once I got home, I went on Yelp and searched the name. I'm very picky about my Japanese food, as most Japanese folks are. There are way too many Korean-owned impostor restaurants that serve spoons with the miso soup in Atlanta for me to just wander into a Japanese restaurant without doing sufficient research. Reviews were good! I saw two things I needed to try: Tonkotsu ramen noodles, and the yakitori (duh). I dragged my brother there for dinner that night. I ordered the Tonkotsu and a few yakitoris, as suggested. The Tonkotsu ramen noodles came out so fast! This is where I am going to get serious. I am obsessed with tonkotsu ramen noodles. It's my favorite thing, ever! Every summer when I go to Yokohama to visit family, I make my aunt drive me to the nearest Tonkotsu ramen noodle spot and I bury my face in what would be my last meal on earth. The tonkotsu shops always had a distinct, putrid smell that I have come to associate with the broth, which is made from boiling bits of pork fat and bone for hours upon hours, until the marrow becomes one with the broth and only the most sturdy part of the bones are left to be discarded. Yakitori Jinbei had a pleasant, lemony aroma and did not smell like rotting meat, so I was a bit skeptical about the authenticity of the ramen noodles that I hold so close to my heart. However, after the first bite into the slightly chewy noodles followed by the salty, buttery burst of broth, I knew I had found it--AUTHENTIC tonkotsu noodles in Atlanta! So for those of you that don't know: Bring your own boiled egg if you want it in this tonkotsu--this isn't your 39 cent packaged ramen that needs to be spruced up with a little ball of protein. And the noodles are supposed to be that chewy. I'm telling you, many may find the $13 price high, but I would pay that in a heartbeat for that stuff. Anyways, I'm writing this review while waiting for them to re-open for dinner. It's making me really hungry and I have to stop myself before I drive myself crazy! However, if you have a penchant for "authentic" Japanese food (aka, you don't eat miso soup with a spoon) I strongly suggest you make the hike out here to Yakitori Jinbei, my new favorite restaurant! Oh, and by the way, it doesn't say anywhere on the website or on Yelp but THEY ARE CLOSED ON MONDAYS. I REPEAT: CLOSED ALL DAY MONDAYS.
(5)
Adam T.
If you get past the strip mall welcome (aka dive), the cramped interior and the spotty service (esp. for gaijin), you'll find an Atlanta ramen heavyweight. The tonkotsu is a must.
(4)
Marina T.
I have to write another review on this restaurant since I come here all the time. The food is consistently good. I still love this place. And even though it's not a ramen restaurant, it has the best tonkatsu ramen ever!! Even better than Santa Ramen in San mateo! Be careful not to come on a Monday. I have made the mistake of showing up hungry only to realize it was closed.
(5)
M T.
This place was just ok. The service was just ok, the place is pretty small and there was only one waitress on duty from what I could I tell. The miso soup is pretty good, but salty as are all miso soups I have ever had. I ordered the soup based noodles with fried tofu. The tofu wasn't very good and it honestly just tasted like packaged ramen with a small amount of strangely textured tofu in it. My husband had the yakitori chicken and when asked how it was said "it's chicken", so it was nothing special. The sushi tasted find but it wasn't very well rolled, it fell apart with minimal handling. If this place were cheaper I would go back, but for the price, the quality of food isn't as good as it should be.
(2)
Eva T.
I'm glad I've found a place in the Atlanta area that sells tonkotsu ramen. Granted they don't give you a huge bowl, but it tasted good enough for me... especially for around here since there are no ramen houses in the area. We ordered the young chicken yakitori and pork yakitori with sauce (vs. salt). The grilled chicken was nice and tender. The pork was actually fatty pork. I'm not a fan of fatty pork so I can't comment on it. These would go really good with rice. Service was so-so, even though there were only two tables occupied when we were there at 5:30pm. Our water never got refilled. I'm definitely coming back to try their other menu items.
(5)
Peter Y.
I went looking for yakitori one night because I wanted Japanese but was tired of sushi/sashimi. There is so much more to the cuisine than raw fish but it's always overlooked. Unfortunately, you'd be hard pressed to find yakitori at sushi houses, mostly because it is not in keeping with the theme. It would be as odd as a fancy French place serving cheese fries and wings. Me and my dinner mates pretty much just ordered yakitori tonight, after all this place is "Yakitori Jinbei". In hindsight, I should've also gotten udon or some rice dish. It seemed from other reviews that people enjoyed those more. After tasting the assorted selection of mostly chicken, my craving was satisfied. You get a choice of your order to be grilled with marinade (similar to teriyaki sauce) or with sea salt. The yakitori here is good but overpriced. I suppose you can do that when you're the only game in town. I am definitely going back to try the other rice and udon dishes though. Just my two cents, but I 'd like to see them take off their sushi items. First of all, the selection isn't impressive, it's not even passable...bottom line, it's unnecessary. Second, add more of the hot foods.....maybe something like okonomiyaki.
(3)
Lee M.
Meh. Mediocre ramen. Mediocre rice. Mediocre service. Ugh, doling out just 2 stars on my first review. Wanted to go with the Yelp majority... But, read ALL reviews. I have not give up on Yakitori Jindei. There were other items flying from the sushi bar and the kitchen that looked rather delicious. Japanese was spoken freely(kudos) which breaths an air of authenticity that warrants another visit.
(2)
John A.
Visited this place as my first outing with the Cobb Yelpers. Great group of people... sadly, as the stars state, the food wasn't. Before I begin this short review, please know that I don't judge a restaurant solely on a lunch visit (unless of course that's their main business) only because for many restaurants this isn't their best time. Also, some places like to train new staff (servers, cooks) during the middle of the week during lunch hours. But anyways, enough of that. The staff was nice, and i immediately overheard another table as being Regulars to the establishment. Always a small plus. I ended up ordering the Ramen, as I remember reading somewhere that people raved about it. Meh. I'm not raving. It was $9.90 for about 16 fl oz of broth with noodles and about 1 oz of sliced pork. Some of the other Yelpers ordered the lunch sushi plates... presentation-wise I've seen better, but as for the taste? Not sure yet... maybe they'll write some reviews on theirs. Saw two 'bowls' of curry omelets. Looked questionable, and the presentation wasn't all that exciting. Ah, but onto the 'sushi pizza' which one person ventured into. It was a round patty of rice, pan fried, then topped with sushi ingredients. Think, 'open-faced sushi'. Interesting concept. I'll probably never order it, seeing how I could easily make it at home. To be honest, if I wanted something like what I ordered, I'll just go to a Saigon Cafe ( yelp.com/biz/saigon-cafe… ) order a Pho for $8 for 3x the amount of food. I may venture back during their dinner hours and give them another chance, as the food is usually better during then side note: My sweet iced tea had a hint of a caramel taste to it. Did they cook their simple syrup before mixing it in?
(2)
Ibad K.
This is an excellent addition to the Cobb county food scene (is there such a thing now?!). I have been there 3 times now and the first thing I want to get out of the way is that dinner is waaay better than lunch. They do NOT serve yakitori during lunch. Yet. Hopefully this will change soon. The best dishes here are certainly the yakitori (especially the young chicken with the Japanese jalapeno is the deal maker). The other recommendation is the Tonkatsu Ramen which is as good as what you'll get in Nagoya. Highly recommended (for dinner but NOT lunch)
(4)
Stacey G.
An unpretentious hidden gem in a nondescript strip mall. Yummy sushi, great rice bowls. Must try all the yakitori- especially the chicken meat balls. Sooo good. For the most part you'll have to rely on pictures: most of the menu and the specials board is in Japanese. Love it!
(4)
June C.
This place is a cute and quiet Japanese restaurant located in the Smyrna area. When I first saw their web site I was expecting this restaurant to be the size of Happy Sumo or another Japanese restaurant that is similar. But, the food here is delicious and sizable. They do have a good variety and the prices are kinda pricey. The service is warm, friendly, quick, and great. I enjoyed my time and the service that I received here as well.
(4)
Owen R.
After reading a couple of reviews, and realizing I have never tried much yakitori, I convinced some friends who are also fans of Japanese cuisine to meet me up there for dinner last night. I tried the pork ramen as depicted above in the photographs, and with the creamy broth it was really delicious, the pork was very tender as well, unfortunately the rain and cooler weather has finally ended so eating ramen in 70 degree Atlanta spring may not have been the best time to try it but it was definitely worth trying. The yakitori was good but unfortunately my number one complaint about this place is the price vs. what I am getting, between a beverage (non-alcoholic) one order of yakitori, and a bowl of ramen -- leaving a modest tip put me past what I would have expected to pay for the meal. Do not get me wrong, it was delicious and I do not regret going however, I would expect a little bit more in terms of flavor and ingenuity for the price I was paying. One side note here at the end, it is totally unrelated to the food so don't let this alter your decisions on this place but there was one employee staffed as hostess and waitress for the entire restaurant at dinner on Friday night and I think I counted 5 or 6 people in the kitchen working. Needless to say this made locating her, or getting her attention a little challenging at times, I wanted to try more however wasn't ever really able to find her when I needed to. Hopefully they are not always so understaffed.
(3)
Jason S.
Not worth the price... I've heard so much about the pork ramen that I decided to give it a try. I was so surprised to see how pricey their menu is (i.e. seaweed salad $7 and veg tempura app $13). The ramen was good, but I definitely think it's overrated. We tried two yakitori's (which were $5 - $12) - I really liked the shiitake meatballs. Our bill totaled nearly $60 for two people. The restaurant was completely empty on a Friday night around 9pm... wonder if it had to do with the price.
(2)
Gloria M.
I finally made it to Yakitori Jinbei!! YAAAY! The best ramen place I ever ate at was at the ramen place in LA in tokyo plaza but this was pretty decent as well. The tonktasu ramen is pure comfort food. I ordered the chicken yakitori as well and it really DID live up to its name. Never have I had yakitori so yummy. I wanna come back to taste some of the other dishes...and the other ramen.
(4)
Keith L.
This is one of the best Yakitori place i have visited in the area. The restaurant is clean, the waitress is friendly and the good is awesome. I will definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone who love Japanese BBQ.
(4)
Michael W.
Yakitori Jinbei is one of the four "authentic" Japanese restaurants I know of in ATL. It's stashed away in the corner of a dismal shopping center on Cobb Pkwy just south of Dobbins AFB, and it's not much to look at inside either. But if you love authentic yakitori this is the place to be (since Yakitori Den-Chan closed down, years ago)... The only Japanese cuisine most Americans know is sushi, but yakitori is pretty dang tasty, and more palatable to those who won't eat bait. Yakitori is essentially Japanese shish-kebab, and it's only available for dinner here.... that's because they grill over special Japanese charcoal ('binchotan") and the grill therefore takes a while to prepare. I've had it each time I've had dinner there - tender, marinaded morsels of chicken and pork goodness on a skewer. Add some onigiri (rice balls) and wash it down with a cold Asahi, and you're turnin' Japanese. Lunch is pretty good as well, but the menu is very limited - a few sushi specials, some rice bowls and that's it. And I can't get away with Asahi at lunch anyway. But if you love authentic Japanese, give this one a try.
(4)
Heather D.
Worst sushi ever on the planet. Poor quality of salmon. Rolls were too big. We have found that in our ventures for sushi the bigger the roll the less quality of the fish!! Will never go back and won't recommend this place to anyone!!!
(1)
Krystle W.
After reading some rave reviews on this restaurant I decided to go check it out with my sister and our significant others. We ordered the several orders of the tonkotsu ramen, spicy tuna crunch roll, tempura shrimp roll and an assorted sashimi platter amongst ourselves. Let me first say that the tonkotsu broth and egg noodles were nothing short of spectacular. However, the amount of actual pork they gave us left a lot to be desired. The menu said that the ramen is supposed to come with an egg as well, but all we got was a ton of noodles and about 3 small pieces of pork each. Really disappointed with that since it was about 13 dollars for a bowl of ramen. The sushi was disappointing to say the least...the rice was soggy and the spicy tuna was not fresh. The sashimi platter was decent with the exception of the salmon which wasn't fresh either. Overall, I think it was a tad bit overpriced for what we got...the ramen has huge potential if they actually served more than 2 or 3 bits of pork. I would also definitely go elsewhere if you are looking to get decent sushi. Meh.
(3)
Allicia S.
Been a while since I actually went, but as I am in the neighborhood trying a new Mexican spot thought I would add a review. My neighbor brought me here for lunch about a year and a half ago. Had been to the Office Depot several times, but never explored the eateries in the plaza before. I was pleasantly surprised and vowed to return. The sushi was good, but the soup/noodle bowls were fabulous. Good service also. Plan to return again and can elaborate at that time. Worth the trip though
(4)
Kaung S.
Been there twice and I will continue to go for their ramen! First trip was during weekday lunch time. It was pretty packed, but that's because there aren't that many seats. A handful of two person tables, and a few larger ones. I ordered the spicy tonkatsu ramen. Came out in a little over 5 minutes. It was hot (temperature wise), but not scorching. Spice was, I would say it definitely registers, maybe 4/10. Again, right amount, and not going to get in the way of being able to eat it. Broth is flavorful, the noodles were tender but maybe just a tad rubbery feeling. Serving bowl is pretty large. If you eat the whole thing, you're going to be stuffed. I got a water as my drink, so I spent less than $10. Next trip was dinner time on a Sunday. Hardly anyone in there, just another couple on a date and another gentleman by himself. I noticed that most of the people were not eating the sushi, so I guess they keep coming back for the cooked dishes too. This time I got a yakitori 5 piece appetizer-- chicken cooked on skewers, 3 were regular and 2 had grilled veggies. I would recommend the veggie one because the extra crunch and flavors were a nice addition. The chicken itself was tender, and the sauce was delicious. Unfortunately, it didn't quite seep into the meat and you were left with the flavor mostly on the surface of the meat. Decided to get the regular pork tonkatsu this time, and it too was really good. Flavor was savory and balanced, not too salty. It made you want to keep taking slurp after slurp. The service was decent, nothing outstanding in either direction. I believe the staff there is genuinely Japanese, which is always a plus if you're wanting Japanese food. It's quite unassuming from the outside, and there's not really a whole lot in that shopping center. But if you make your way down Cobb Parkway, definitely stop on by for some tasty eats!
(4)
Daniel S.
Great ramen during lunch time. Service can be a bit slacking but overall refreshing broth and fresh food. I'd recommend any of their noodle dishes, they're all fresh and tasty. Also to come during lunch time because you'll get the same quantity of food during dinner for half the price.
(4)
Phoebe T.
Giving Yakitori another star for their superb service the last time we were here. My friend called ahead and mentioned that there were going to be two toddlers and a baby plus the four of us. I didn't expect them to do anything special but when we got there, they already set up the front of the restaurant for us complete with high chairs. They treated my son like an individual (most places skip over him when it comes to the free asian appetizers) and gave him some appetizers of his own. I never would have thought of Yakitori as a family friendly place, especially with it's small size, but I was blown away but how well they treated our family. That being said, I felt the ramen did taste better than the first time I came here and I would probably come back!
I came here since the bf craved ramen! And it was near my office so why not. Funny thing is, I didn't realize this place was right next to my favorite taco spot. HA. I am blind. Parking - definitely plenty. YJ is in a strip mall, so you'll find a lot of parking. I come to this lot during lunch time often during the week day and I ALWAYS find parking. Space - I did see a decent amount of seating. Mainly for 2 man tables. But maybe also like 3 four man tables. I have a feeling if this place gets crowded the wait can be long... Service - When we went, there was only ONE server doing everything - meaning seating everyone & getting orders from all tables & delivering all the food. He was BUSY. I'm surprised there was only 1 of him.. I felt super bad for him. He had around 5 tables. :/ So safe to say, the service was ok. I think if they had more people, a lot of things would have run smoother. Food - Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen - Kimchi in this soup was NOT good at all. It had no taste. It was as if they cooked unripened Kimchi - it for sure did not absorb any of the spices that usual Kimchi has. The ramen itself was lukewarm & soggy. (I think since there was only 1 server, the food may have been waiting to get served). The broth was ok - very lukewarm and greasy. :( My bf had the spicy chicken bowl - this was actually decent. I had a few bites of it and I wish I ordered this! This was way better than the ramen. Although the salad that came with this bowl tasted sour. Meh. The Miso Soup wasn't bad at all though. So yep - avoid the salad, get the Miso Soup. The young & fresh chicken - Yep, once this was cooked - I saw the chef ring the bell, but the server didn't hear it so, the chicken sat out for like 5-8 mins. When we got our other dishes, he finally saw the chicken and gave it to us. Tasted ok. Not a huge fan. I think it should have had a sauce added to it. And it should have been warmer. :/ Overall - I am not sure if I'd come back. If I were in the area around dinner time, then sure. But I'd eat the spicy chicken bowl rather than the ramen.
(3)
Robin S.
Everyone's Yelp profile includes a field for 'My Last Meal on Earth'. Mine says lasagna, but it could just as well be spicy noodle soup and Yakitori Jinbei's ramen version would do just fine, thanks. Their spicy tonkatsu ramen has just the right velvety consistency to the broth, the right texture to the noodles and is spiced right where I like, which might not be for everyone but it isn't the spiciest soup town either. I've been here three times now although not in a while. They have never disappointed. Not only is there ramen stellar - and getting better, I think? - but I really like the teriyaki yakitori. Always good service here.
(4)
Henry T.
The ramen is decent here. I liked the broth and the portion size is reasonable. The yakitori's tasted good, but the amount given for the price paid was not a lot. Overall I was pretty satisfied with my meal. It came with some appetizers, like soup or edamame for my son. The waitress was attentive for the most part. Not blown away or anything, but it's worth a try if you're in the mood for some ramen.
(3)
Luna E.
Yakitoris were good, but their attitude was kinda rude.. I'm Japanese and I understood what they were talking about other customers. They assumed customers didn't understand Japanese. That was sad.. Plus, their Asahi draft beer tasted weird. It was sour... My husband and his boss also had Asahi draft beers, and they had the same opinions as mine. We ended up with switching to bottled beers. Again, Yakitoris were good.
(2)
Andy S.
Sunday Night: Dinner I drove 25 miles to Smyrna to try out the Ramen on a rainy day in Atlanta. I am not an expert...but if eating ramen was a video game, my Experience Level would be 45%. This is the 7th restaurant I have eaten at. What I ordered: 2.5 stars: Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen ($12.00) 3 stars Beef Bowl ($12.00) Yakitori Jinbei is a work in progress, good for a restaurant outside the perimeter of Atlanta. Have I eaten better noodles?.. Yes, but was the tonkatsu ramen worth it, somewhat. I think this place will get better with time. They still have a lot of work to do. What they need to work on: My soup didn't have chashu pork belly (meat pieces looked identical to the one in my beef bowl), no marinated soft boiled egg (Ajitsuke Tamago). I also found pieces of napa cabbage in my soup, similar to a Koren (Kimchi) versus a Japanese tonkatsu ramen soup. Citation: seriouseats.com/2012/02/…
(3)
Nicki K.
So I've been on a ramen eating tasting adventure. I decided to try Yakitori Jinbei because one of my friends love it. We met at Umaido the prior week and she told me Yakitori Jinbei is her favorite and used to eat there all the time when she worked near Cumberland Mall. Since I work out that way, I thought I would give it a try. I met another friend of mine for lunch. She has been to Yakitori Jinbei before and told me her favorite ramen place is Haru Ichiban. Since Cobb is limited to Asian restaurants, we will get what we can. Like most Japanese restaurants, it is narrow and has limited seating. I ordered the spicy ramen. Honestly, when I got the ramen, it looked really plain. The noodles were swirvy, like instant ones. I was a little disappointed with the taste too because I wanted spicy but it tastsed more sour. The small batches of cabbage and very few slices of pork in the bowl didn't help either. Overall, I'm really disappointed. I only ate half and I was hungry. The staff is really friendly and attentive. However, I will not go back for the ramen. I don't know if I want to come back and try anything else.
(2)
Bruce K.
Back in the Smyrna area, I was fortunate to be able to cross off another of my Yelp bookmarks. This time, I was in an Asian mood and Yakitori Jinbei was in my crosshairs. They are a noodle and sushi spot, tonight's choice was for their eponymous Yakitori bowl. Yakitori is a grilled and skewered chicken and as in most places it is served over a bowl of white rice. There isn't a tremendous amount of food here, but it's delicious, very tasty and very filling. And probably loaded with more sodium than I could shake one of these sticks at. The very nice waitress had to refill my glass of water at least five times! Simply decorated and without a lot of frills, they pass the savings on to you! My meal, with tip, was under $20 and I was stuffed. Yum!
(4)
Fiona F.
I think the ramen has msg in it that I feel very thirsty after having it. Ramen flavor is better than ' I love sushi' Despite the msg - this place is good
(3)
Licca K.
Yakitori Jinbei was a long time favorite, and while I used to end up dragging a buncha friends here for really good yakitori and ramen or their sushi I hadn't been in some time until a friend proposed we go. A little background for those unfamiliar, Jinbei is more a traditional Japanese restaurant vs. Atlanta's more hip sushi & Americanized Japanese eateries. The menu is small. They have a few dinner items, but I'd say the Yakitori is what they do best. It's in their name so one would hope. They don't have a dessert menu as well in case you have to have that serving of matcha ice cream. So, our party ordered the spicy ramen, yakisoba, katsu curry, a tempura bowl, edamame, & several orders of yakitori--- negima & shiitake. I normally wouldn't get katsu curry, but since I couldn't decide and didn't want anything else, but veggie yakitori and salad... I oddly opted for a meat laced item. Yea, don't ask for my logic. It had just been one of those weekends. *cough* 3 day convention. While the katsu curry was delicious, picking out most of my meat since just wasn't feeling it, I loved the shiitake yakitori and the green onion plus japanese jalapeño on the negima. The smoke was perfect, the seasoning perfect. Everything else was quickly devoured as well with no complaints. The spicy ramen was the right level of spice, tempura nicely prepared, soba seemed well done too. The katsu curry was slightly sweet and salty. Anyways, it's great to see Yakitori Jinbei still strong, and for next time I'll just go with my gut and order a lot of vegetable yakitori.... or mostly fungus.
(4)
Stephanie M.
Let me start by saying that I love a good bowl of ramen and have had my share of it over the years. I really appreciate the time it takes to make a broth that is creamy and flavorful and has pork in it that is so tender that it will fall apart with a pull of chopsticks and a spoon. A good chef will put his/her love into this dish, the broth alone will simmer for eight to fourteen hours and will be slurped & destroyed in ten minutes flat the chef will nod in approval, everyone is happy. This is not the case here. Before ordering I had asked the server "does the restaurant make the broth" she answered "yes." I then asked "how long is it cooked for," she replied with "just a few hours" & could not get her to answer any other questions, this left me to pause for a moment not being given a straight answer I shouldn't have ordered it but did it anyway tsk, tsk, tsk. The broth while being the right color was a complete disappointment it tasted like Water and Sesame Seeds it had no other flavor whatsoever tried adding pepper didn't help, a touch of salt nope, a dash of soy nothing. The pork in the ramen here is "loin" it is dry & overcooked, after taking one bite of the meat pushed the entire dish away disappointed. I hope the Yakitori is what YJ is making their money on I spent $15.00 (w/ tip) on eight bites of ramen and left feeling a bit gypped.
(2)
Edward L.
I am a huge fan of good Ramen and I'm usually pretty disappointment at the fact that I have to drive all the way to Suwanne/Duluth to get it. Luckily, I discovered Yakitori Jinbei. Yakitori isn't a ramen shop, but more so a Japanese restaurant. They have a huge selection of food as well as a Japanese restaurant. They also have forks, although you might have to ask for them... The ramen here is pretty good. Don't be afraid to order the spicy option, it's not that spicy.
(4)
Sumit C.
I love this place for well. Unlike Trattoria 13 Gobbi, I love the food. We go here all the time. They have a sushi menu and I always get rice and natto and chicken katsu. We will continue to go here forever. I love it's location because it is near Suntrust park. My dad always gets steak and asahi beer. My mom gets tempura and sushi and other Japanese things. Do not listen to haters on this place. I recommend you go to this place and you will come out with a smile on your face
(5)
Carolina M.
I should've known that the yakitori here is where it's at. The thing about cold fall/winter nights is that sometimes I want a good noodle soup. Since I've been venturing to the Cobb/Smyrna area lately, I checked out Yakitori Jinbei. Located in a shopping center, Yakitori Jinbei takes up a small space a few doors down from Tacos La Villa and the Supermercado La Villa. Walking into the restaurant, it felt promising with the simple decor: small, narrow space, bright lights and wood booth benches. My date and I each ordered a bowl of ramen. I had the regular tonkatsu broth while he had the spicy tonkatsu broth. We also decided to share the 5-serving yakitori combo of the two types of chicken. Everything came out at once. At first glance, the yakitori hardly looked like it was grilled. Let's just say that it tastes better than it looks as it did have that charcoal flavor. Strangely, the chicken was very moist and flavorful but not quite what I was expecting for something that should be grilled. Where's the char? Where are the grill marks? I did enjoy the chicken yakitori with the "Japanese jalepenos." As for the ramen I ordered, they were very generous with the noodles. The ramen is actually chewy and I do prefer it more than Umaido's ramen. I'm pretty sure Yakitori Jinbei doesn't make their own ramen, so maybe it's the consistency of how the noodles were cooked to be a bit al dente. The soup was delicate and not so salty as Umaido's. I had a sip of the spicy tonkatsu, and well, call me a purist, I think the regular tonkatsu broth is just fine. I would've liked it some other vegetable in the ramen besides shredded cabbage and perhaps a little more meats besides the 2 slices of pork and half of a hardboiled egg. On a cold day, this definitely hit the spot. I'm not sure if I'd come back. Maybe if I'm craving ramen or if I wanted just yakitori. I definitely missed out on the okonomiyaki, so I'll probably come back to try it. However, I think there should be other Japanese places that serve hotter and more charred skewered meat.
(3)
Steve B.
Ok, the service was terrible. You might have better service if you are Japanese. The tongatsu ramen was flavorless. The spicy tongatsu was the other dish with some kimchi thrown in, but there was barely any pork. I do love kim chi so this dish was tolerable. It was overpriced ($12) for what you got. But the service compares to a school cafeteria. The bright spots were the miso soup, and the gyoza, crispy skin, flavorful filling, I might actually come back and get that to go
(3)
Paul J.
I've seen this place on a few lists of best ramen in the Atlanta area, so I knew I had to drive up to Cobb to try it out. We tried to come after a morning hike on the Chattahoochee without checking the hours first (oops) and found they're closed for lunch on weekends. But we ended up at Tacos La Villa next door (which turned out to be a much better option). We came back to Jinbei a few weeks later for dinner. I had the spicy tonkotsu ramen. The broth was solid. Not amazing, but a good spicy kick, a decent pork flavor, and not over-the-top salty. The noodles were great - perfectly cooked. The cabbage had a nice slightly ferment-y zing, almost like a ramyun kimchi flavor. I was looking for juicy chashu or char siu on top, and instead got a sad little piece of gristly bacon. Also missing was an egg. For $12, it's fairly over-priced. We also had a couple of skewers of pork and chicken yakitori. They tasted fine, but took a really long time to come out (served after we were halfway done with our ramen). So the ramen was fine, but I strongly prefer Umaido and even Raku for a more traditional ramen and ramyun, and Bocca Lupo for a fusion ramen. Yakitori Jinbei would do in a pinch if you get a ramen hankering.
(3)
Maria G.
This is one of those restaurants you can always rely on. I guarantee you'll visit regularly after you try it. The ramen is exquisite and filling, so you definitely get some bang for your buck. The sushi is also very good: I suggest the eel roll and spicy tuna crunch roll. Writing this review is even making me salivate. The ambiance could use a little more liveliness, but I think they purposefully went for a Japanese tranquility scene. Either way, yakitori jinbei has never let me down.
(5)
Jamie T.
At first glance, you may pass up this gem hidden in a strip mall. The interior is quite simple and nothing special, but you're coming here for the food anyway... right? The owner formerly ran a restaurant in Tokyo, so the food is authentic. You start the meal with pickled veggies of some sort. They often change it up, so you never know exactly what you will get. I enjoy the pickled veggies that have a little spicy kick. The ginger salad is as expected, and the miso is not what you typically find in Asian restaurants, it is MUCH better. The miso has a unique, made-from-actual-miso-paste flavor (vs. the packaged/powder variety you may be familiar with). The yakitori (think mini kebabs but BETTER) is delicious and definitely on-par with yakitori we tried in Kyoto, Japan. We always order the salted variety instead of the teriyaki option so that we can really taste the meat or veggies - both have an amazing off-the-grill flavor. We typically order the 5 piece veggie and 5 piece meat yakitori combos to share while also ordering a main dish. Yakitori takes a while to cook, so it will probably arrive after your main dish instead of as an appetizer. Unless the policy recently changed, yakitori is not served during lunch. All the bowl dishes we've tried have been great, but we love the ramen. We've eaten at the top rated ramen restaurant in Tokyo and that one is still the winner, but the ramen here is delicious and on-par with some we tried in Japan. The service is great and the atmosphere is casual. You will not be disappointed with Yakitori Jinbei.
(5)
Brooke C.
This is easily THE best ramen house in all of Atlanta! They offer a variety of ramen noodle options and have lunch specials during the week. The noodle bowls are large with too many noodles to finish in one sitting and the broth is so yummy that you want to slurp it down straight from the bowl!! The restaurant is very clean and the service is respectable. However, this restaurant is supposedly notable for their yakitori as well. Unfortunately they do not offer their yakitori menu options for lunch, only dinner (which is the only reason why I held back from giving it 5 stars!... oh yeah, they also need to dbl the meat portion in their ramen bowls too.. can't get enough of it!!) They are holding out on their lunch customers who may work but not live in the area and therefore unlikely to pay a visit for the yakitori for dinner!
(4)
Scott B.
We had the Tonkotsu Ramen and Beef Bowl. Both were really good. There are a number of places that serve ramen, but I have not found that many that serve beef bowl. Lots of them have katsudon. The beef bowl did not disappoint nor did the ramen. Highly recommend Jinbei.
(4)
Jang C.
Yakitori Jinbei used to be my favorite Japanese restaurant in Atlanta. They had authentic Japanese food, atmosphere, and staff. If majority of their costumers were Japanese, you know it's a good Japanese place. Then their owner died. So the wife ran the place by herself for a while. It was probably tough on her. And the food quality did go down. Also, they stopped serving sushi. The last time I went, I noticed the quality slipped even further. The quality of ramen is sad. They used to have the best ramen in Atlanta. Now they don't give you real chashu pork in the ramen. It's just a plain pork tenderloin. The noodles aren't good and the broth is okay.
(2)
Alex C.
YJ hasn't quite impressed me yet. The preparation isn't quite what I'm used to, which is fine, but it seems more like lazy concoctions than a different style or take on the food. The ramen I had was pretty subpar, I'll need to try it one more time to be fair. But the meat in it this time around wasn't even slow cooked pork. It was just slices of pork thrown in the broth. WHAAAAT? Again, maybe this is normal, or... it's a bad take on Japanese pho?
(3)
Teresa R.
I have been on a Ramen hunt and so far this place is my number one in my area. It's all about the broth and I love their spicy ramen. The only down fall to it is I wish I had more pork but u can add extra so problem diverted. My first experience there was awesome not only for my ramen order but because everything sounded so good. The table next to me was new too and they literally could not stop talking about how delicious their rice bowls were. I can't wait to try those and their lunch version of the ramen!!! Definite recommendation.
(5)
Daniel B.
Update #4 for one of Cobb's better Japanese restaurants. I keep trying more things on the menu here. The latest include: Noodles: Zaru Soba ($7.90) Sushi: Sea Scallop nigiri Surf Clam nigiri I love soba noodles. This simple dish is one of my favorite Japanese comfort foods. These are buckwheat noodles, brownish-green in appearance. They're thin, slippery, and have a slightly chewy consistency. They're normally served cold with a few garnishes and a dipping sauce. The dipping sauce is a light brown sauce called tsuyu. It's made out of dashi (Japanese cooking stock), sweetened soy sauce, and mirin (rice wine). I like to dip my noodles all the way into the sauce and then suck them up. Yakitori Jinbei's version was delicious. The dish is called "Zaru Soba" because the soba noodles are served on a zaru, a sieved bamboo tray. Jinbei also served the soba with chopped scallion and wasabi. Surprisingly, no shredded nori seaweed came on top. Chef Kondo came out from the kitchen to check on us and noticed, so he brought me out a small plate of nori. He's the man. My only complaint with the Zaru Soba is the portion size is small, so you'll need to order other dishes to fill up. On this last visit, we came late on a Friday night, just before closing (10:30pm) and I was surprised to see that we were only 1 of 2 parties in the entire restaurant. The Sea Scallop nigiri was fresh. It was smooth and buttery with melt-in-your-mouth-like qualities. Unfortunately, the Surf Clam didn't seem as fresh. Its texture was too soft and limp and the flavor wasn't all that great. Oh well, it could've been the particular night we went. Be sure to check out my previous reviews (specifically, the 12/15/2011 review) below for my thoughts on many of Jinbei's other authentic Japanese dishes including the yakitori and several of the restaurant's specials. One note I'm surprised I didn't mention in any of my other reviews for this place is the ramen is $3 more expensive at dinner. At lunchtime, ramen is only $10. At dinner, it's $13. Something to consider.
(4)
Melissa B.
Beef bowl was made by Jesus. Perfect balance of salty sweet delicious. Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen was spicy, was good but I wasn't in the mood for that level of spice today. Definitely coming back.
(4)
Mahtab R.
This review is based solely on the tonkotsu ramen- I think if Atlanta is lacking something more than good ramen, it'd be good yakitori. The noodles are obviously store bought, which is fine if theyre cooked properly, but they were actually undercooked, so instead of being chewy they were just dense; I still prefer that to overcooked noodles though. The broth is clean, but like all other ramen places in this city, it's lacking flavor. Perhaps I should just sprinkle msg on it, and see if that helps. My other issue with the broth is that the napa cabbage they put in just waters it down further. The pork, I'm guessing either shoulder or butt, was actually flavored well superficially, but so so dry, and not in the its absorbed a bunch of flavor into the meat, but in the "we didnt cook it slowly" way. Service here was good and prompt, but I was also the only person at 12:15PM. I've pretty much given up on ramen in Atlanta. I thought the ramen I cooked at home was mediocre, but it's miles above what I can get without a plane trip, so I guess I'll stick to one of those.
(2)
Aaron L.
Ramen's decent but I'm not sure if it's worth nearly $10. The broth wasn't all that memorable and the piece of pork that came out was just a plain piece of pork loin without much flavor or texture. I think I would've been ok with it if it was around $7-8... I know it's only a dollar here and there but still... Yakitori was pretty good. We had chicken and it was well cooked and tasty. My wife loved her Oyakudon. I tried some and it was pretty good but once again, I didn't think it was worth $12 (pretty sure). This may be a great lunch spot. We liked the food.. just not as much as the owner, I guess.
(3)
Ricki K.
My boyfriend and I dined here for the first time this evening. We were referred by a friend of a friend. So going in we were pretty excited. The shopping center it's located in wasn't very appealing, but upon entering the restaurant it was very cozy. My boyfriend ordered the young chicken yakatori and the pork, he said the chicken was unbelievably delicious. The sauce was perfect. We both ordered the spicy ramen, which was the best noodle soup I have ever put in my mouth. Hands down, I would prefer their spicy ramen over any Vietnamese pho any day! I also ordered a spicy tuna crunchy roll, which was decent. But if you visit, I would suggest sticking to the noodles. We will definitely be visiting yakatori often!!
(5)
Felix C.
Summary: Still a great restaurant that is worth a trip. Update to my review from 2011. Naturally, the yakitori here is the strength. I recommend the sea salt. The tonkatsu ramen was good but the competition has gotten better. The day after eating at Yakitori Jinbei, I went to Shoya Izakaya and prefer the tonkatsu ramen there. If you're getting ramen at Yakitori Jinbei, I recommend getting the Spicy Tonkatsu. That had much better flavor.
(4)
Wei Y.
Hands down, best Ramen in the entire area. Dinner can be a bit pricey for essentially the same thing, so I'd recommend going during lunch.
(4)
Joe D.
The ramen tasted bland and was a small portion for $9.50. They forgot to mention for 30 minutes after we had placed our orders that they were out of sushi rice, which caused an individual in our lunch party not to receive his lunch order. Customer service and attentiveness seemed to be lacking. Can't comment on the quality of the sushi, but this place is not worth going out of the way for in order to get ramen.
(1)
Jeff H.
Simply Outstanding. Tonkotsu spicy ramen, sushi and salmon were all outstanding. Fantastic.
(5)
Chau L.
The rice bowls are delicious! Sushi is decent too but pricey for what you get in a dive place. My favorite is the spicy ramen! Oh my Buddha! I live for it and crave it. Best ramen noodle soups around! So lucky we can get something like this here in Smyrna, GA area.
(3)
Min Y.
Have to update this review because of recent experiences. The quality of the food has gone down significantly since my first time here. The Tonkatsu Ramen, once by far the best ramen dish I've had in Atlanta, has tasted pretty mediocre and almost out-of-the-package quality the last two times. And this last time I ate here, the Yakitori was pretty awful. We also requested hot tea, and were served COLD TEA. Finally, the service, although super friendly, has never been attentive. Everyone has a smile on their face and is super nice, but once the order goes in, they never check on you again. I would give them one-star for these things (bad service, bad food), but my previous good experiences will bump them up to two stars. Hopefully they pick it up and I'll be able to change my opinion of them again, this time for the better.
(2)
Ed C.
Just a quick definition for those who don't know what yakitori is. In Japanese, tori means chicken, and yaki means grill. So now you know that their specialty is grilled chicken and it seriously is their best dish. They skewer chicken breast along with a variety of other meats; yakitori has become a little more general in the U.S. to include skewering other meats and vegetables. You can have it two ways: with just their special salt or with more of a soy sauce glaze. My preference was the special salt. yakitori - 5 stars ramen - 2.5 stars A few other notes about the restaurant: - owner is japanese - chef during my meal today spoke chinese to the waiters and japanese to the owner. - the yakitori with jinbei's salt was delicious. - like Daniel B said, ramen is $10 for lunch $13 for dinner. I personally was not impressed by the ramen at all, especially at this price point. I have never had napa cabbage in ramen before, but I didn't think that it was a good choice due to how watery napa usually is and the crunch isn't something I like with my ramen. - i haven't had their sushi or sashimi so i can't speak to that.
(4)
Michael L.
We FINALLY got a chance to try this spot with old friends this past weekend. Tonkotsu ramen- the roast pork was good (but only 2 slices)- At $13 a bowl, it's rather steep- the bowl wasn't that big to begin with either. The broth was ok, but not super special. The texture of the noodles were spot on for me, but a bit too firm for the wifey. Yakitori mixed combo- chargrill flavor was pretty strong- again, decent, but nothing crazy good. I had a bite of a spicy salmon roll- not bad...but again...not great. (you notice a trend?) In short- kind of a let-down, but at least it wasn't bad.
(3)
Lucy W.
Tried the famous Tonkatsu ramen...while nice and cloudy as ramen broth should be, it was pretty salty. The noodles were good and chewy, the crunchy cabbage & veggies complimenting the noodles and broth, two rolled piece of pork that i dunked into the broth. No egg though. Very much a no-frills joint that you expect when you pull into a strip mall parking lot that houses an Office Depot, a cigar store/bar, a salon, a taco joint, and a BBQ place. The dining area is long and narrow, with no more 10 tables. Service was quick and friendly. Who knew that a great little Japanese ramen place is just 5 minutes from my office?
(4)
Kevin C.
Haven't written a review in a while, and this will probably be the last one of 2011 (and for another few months, if history is any indicator), so let's make it count. I've been to Jinbei about five times for lunch, but last night was my first dinner there. A big group of us was there for one of Jang C's famous Cobb County UYEs. As others have mentioned, the restaurant is not large and there was some pre-UYE trepidation of them not being able to handle our group, but everything went swimmingly. I arrived about 15 minutes early, and they were there waiting and ready for us. For my dinner, I stuck to my usual tonkotsu ramen, but I did branch out a little bit and ordered the "fresh young chicken" yakitori (with sauce) and 2 pieces of ikura (salmon roe) nigiri sushi. The (already widely written about) ramen tasted just as it does at lunch - that is to say...creamy, delicious and filling. [A bowl of ramen should be plenty for a meal, but it was a UYE...overeating is the name of the game.] I don't often order yakitori so I don't have a basis for comparison, but I thought the chicken was was cooked well and was nice and tasty. Finally, the ikura, with just a dash of wasabi (prepared by the famous Chef Kondo), was perfect. I get ikura almost everywhere, but I can't remember the last time it was brought out with wasabi already on top; all the flavors balanced out really well. In addition to the food, the service was top notch last night as well. They constantly topped off my cup of green tea, rarely leaving it empty. They accommodated our split checks request. Chef Kondo even came out from behind the sushi bar to say hello and talk to us, and not just because we were a big group. He's come up to my table of 3 at lunch before and been just as cordial. Overall, YJ is just a great place to eat. I wish it weren't tucked up in Cobb kind of in the middle of nowhere (it'd probably do well, if not better, somewhere on Buford Hwy), but it's worth the trip from pretty much anywhere.
(5)
Amanda G.
I headed here for lunch w/ a co-worker. The restaurant is small but clean. Service was great! The food was ok -- more on the authentic side (Japanese were having lunch here too!) --- I ordered the teriyaki bowl to play it safe, since this was my first time. The bowl had a lot of food-- the chicken was overcooked or maybe not even fresh? The rice was sticky cooked sushi rice, veggies on the side (not fresh but from a mixed veg bag probably), and a raw ism scrambled egg omelette (turn off). The owner was nice enough to make me a new plate. Overall, I think I ordered the wrong plate, so the food did not impress me. I will go back again and probably order sushi.
(2)
Stephanie F.
.
(5)
Anthony C.
The tonkatsu ramen and katsu are so great !
(4)
TS W.
Saw such great reviews went there and omg all my Yakitori that I had ordered shio instead of tare came out very salty! My rahmen that I ordered which I thought was going to be awesome and would have been since the broth was great but some of the noodles were clumped together. I had to drink so much water after dinner thanks to the yakitori! I should have ordered them all with tare sauce instead!
(2)
Yisi L.
I should have checked the ramen... totally my bad. I ordered lunch special: veggie salad, rolls and teriyaki chicken or something? Well, the chicken was tasteless. Based on the specific visit only, I would never go there. But for ramen, I will certainly return. I did notice that the Japanese chef (not so many Japanese restaurants have Japanese chefs in ATL). The bi-racial waiter was cute too.
(3)
Gunn V.
I'm not into writing a long review. Here's the summary:- - Good yakitori - So-so ramen - Good services although a bit too slow All in all, recommend (for yakitori)!
(4)
Karen Z.
The young Yakitori skewers did not have any charred marks the second time I visited this restaurant. The broth for the Tonkotsu tasted watery and full of sodium, even though the color of the broth itself looks perfect. The Teriyaki Chicken tasted like it has been marinated in the sauce and not simply glazed.
(3)
Ari W.
I had the spicy tonkatsu ramen, it is decent. The broth is good, but something about the noodle is off... Not as good as I hope it would be, but still great enough to suffice my cravings for ramen. I would encourage you to at least give it a try. The yakitori's are great, you can get a 10pc combo and share it as an appetizer. Get it in half sea salt, half yakitori sauce, so you can have the best of both worlds.
(4)
Matthew J.
I work in the area around Yakitori Jinbei, and decided to give it a try. I had the Tonkatsu Ramen ($9), which was good, but nothing to write home about. The place has a good atmosphere, and the service was pretty good as well. The restaurant itself is fairly compact, but I never felt too squeezed while I was in there, although larger parties bigger than 4 will probably have to be split up into different tables. Overall, there are slightly better Japanese restaurants in the vicinity for the money, but I will go back again to satisfy my curiosity.
(3)
Lisa H.
Great place for lunch if you want some good ramen in the Cobb area! Service is good, but could be slow as they usually have just that one waiter during lunch. Their rice bowls are good also, but I would definitely go for their noodles.
(4)
Kelly H.
Food: -Yakitori - all sauced: chicken (great), meatball (excellent), liver (excellent if you like liver) -Spicy Ramen - big serving, good broth, very little meat Service: We went on a Saturday night. It was full but no wait. There was only one waitress but she was helpful especially since we put in several separate orders. Overall: It's a hidden spot that serves something different and good.
(4)
Addy C.
Ha - two days later and I came back to Yakitori Jinbei tonight to get my yakitori fix. I'd been to a yakitori restaurant in LA but had no idea we had one right here in Atlanta - thanks again to Yelp for letting me know! Tonight I had the perfect company - two other Yelpers who were more experienced with yakitori, and more adventuresome than me. Their menu says they only use fresh young chickens from local farms, and the meats are grilled on special charcoal called "Binchoutan." The menu also mentioned two different ways to enjoy yakitori - with their house recipe sauce (soy sauce based), or with naturally evaporated sea salt. We went the house recipe which tasted like teriyaki sauce (yummy by the way). We started with the "Sunomono Assortment" which is a vinegar-ish salad with cucumbers, imitation crabmeat, squid, & seaweed. I enjoyed this one, and would order it again. Price $7.80. Next we got the "Yakitori 15-pc. Combo" which included 5 skewers of Negima (chicken with green onions & Japanese jalapenos), 5 skewers of just chicken, 3 skewers of chicken wings, and 2 skewers of chicken meatballs. I loved them all but thought the $35 price was a little steep. Chicken was very tender, loved the charcoal grilled taste, and well, we were still hungry and decided to order more. So next we tried the "Shiitake Mushroom Stuffed with Meatballs" (2 skewers) for $7. Very tasty, and mushrooms were nice & juicy. Also ordered the "Jinbei Pork Roll Combo" which included 1 skewer of asparagus rolled in sliced pork, 1 skewer of green onion rolled in sliced pork, 1 skewer of Shiso rolled in sliced pork, and 1 skewer of Japanese jalapenos rolled in sliced pork. This cost $10 and seemed more reasonable. I would definitely order this one again. Check this place out - it's worth the drive.
(5)
David C.
One of the reasons I like going into Japanese restaurants is because the interiors are nice and cozy, having nice lighting, wood panels, and some media playing. I know this is not as important as the food (for some it is), but the overhead lighting was a bit much, and there was no music playing, so surroundings for me were slightly uncomfortable, but not a deterrent. The food was okay for the price. It was expensive for a small plate. Not amazing, but not a let down either. The charred veggie yakitori were tasty, the shaved Daikon with salmon roe was a nice appetizer. It was kind of watery though, and I'm not sure if it's just like that or not supposed to be. The grilled rice balls with miso flavor were alright, not perfect. I want to say it could've used more flavor. As I only ordered appetizers and drinks, I can't judge their entrees or their sushi. Server was attentive though, and had no problems with service.
(3)
Rob P.
I'm so desparate for real ramen I will drive anywhere. Finally made it out here and the verdict is...good ramen for Atlanta, but not really a substitute if you know what ramen can be. The broth was delicious and filling, but the pork was very fatty and tough to eat. My friend had the sushi and wasn't impressed. It didn't look all that great. But I would probably never order anything that wasn't ramen. The restaurant itself was average, minimal decor and served its purpose. There were actual Japanese working there, which is kind of rare for the Southeast. The ramen was among the best I've had in Atlanta...so 4 stars.
(4)
Kouyo Y.
We went in and were seated and that was it. We had to get our menus then went on to be ignored for the remainder of the time we were there. I even went and asked for service and still nothing. Worst experience I have ever had.
(1)
Ana G.
OK... after dining at Yakitori, I believe I have had my first authentic Japanese dining experience and it was unlike anything that I was expecting, as I am used to the whole Habachi and sushi experience, which is great, but not always authentic. I went with a couple of Yelper friends who were talking this place up, so I had to check it out. Through their recommendations I ordered the salmon Ochazuke, which is steamed rice with salmon, seaweed, and then steeped in hot red tea. Despite the dish's simplicity it was delicious and all the flavors melded together in a beautiful symphony, in other words it was DELISH!! And for less then $9, you can't go wrong with that! I also had a taste of the plum Ochazuke, which actually surprised me, as I was expecting the plum to provide a sweet flavor, but it actually was somewhat of a tangy flavor which was a really nice surprise. It was amazing to me how one ingredient can change a dish so substantially. I also tasted one of their specialties, Tonkatsu Ramen, and I will say that this ramen was not like the ramen I had in college. This ramen was excellent, I just wish I had ordered it too! Maybe the next time I head out there.... We also ordered some meat on a stick as my friends called it, but man... this meat on a stick was sublime! We had the squid and chicken yakitori. The taste was something that I had not experienced before, it had a smoky kind of taste that complimented the protein's natural flavors, its something to experience! For the grand finale, we ordered some sushi rolls with "gushers" as Jang and Hannah C. called it. "Gushers" being the big fish roe, I think it was salmon roe.... Anyway, that was really really good as well!! Overall I had an outstanding experience at Yakitori and I can't wait to come back!! The food was delicious, the service was great, and the atmosphere was pretty awesome and screamed authentic! I will come back!
(5)
Mari K.
First of all, I am from Tokyo, so I know where and what the REAL Japanese restaurants in Atlanta are. I must say this is my favorite Japanese restaurant to eat! This restauant is owned by Japanese, (The owner told me she used to have Japanese Izakaya restaurant in center of Tokyo for 30 years.). This place is not a fake Japanese restaurant (like Hibachi or Chinese, so do not ask them for fried rice or Fortune Cookies. We were 5 people today, started had Gyoza (Dumpling), Kabocha-ni (seasoned pumpkin), Atsuyaki Tamago (Japanese Style plain egg omelet), Horenso Gomaae (Sesame Seasoned Spinach) and Yakitori 10 pieces with sauce. Everything is home-made and it was so good! (I think English menu and Japanese menu are slightly different..) For our entrees, I had fatty tune bowl (Negitoro Bowl), my bf had Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen and my friends had Oyako bowl (chicken and egg over rice) and Minched Chicken bowl. My bf never had real ramen before, but now he is in love with this. He even goes there for lunch. I see reviews saying their ramen is from package, but I really do not think so. The packaged ramen really cannot make that taste of broth. Ramen does not have to have seaweed or soy sprouts. Every ramen places in Japan has their own style. Plus this restaurant is NOT ramen only restaurant. I want you to try the real home-made Japanese food. This is the place for it!! Tthe service was little slow. I think it was because we went there on Sunday night around 7 and it looked so busy, most tables are taken. Only 1 waitress was there, but she still gave us very friendly service, recommendations and had nice smile. I would make a reservations next time when I am going there with big group.
(5)
Rebecca A.
Gee willikers, what a disappointment this place was! I must admit I did read the reviews before I cautiously visited this place. Being from Hawaii and having eaten at some of the terrific ramen lunch counter bars there, phrases like "best ramen in Atlanta" and "exceptional ramen" caught my eye. Visions of a bowl of ramen noodles steaming with chau siu pork, fish cake, and green onions appealed to my comfort food yearnings and indeed I chose to not heed the warnings of other reviewers attesting to the poor service and mediocrity of the place. I won't address the service except to say that it was severely lacking as the waiter single-handedly tended to all tables in the restaurant. And alas, my spicy tonkotsu ramen noodles sported overcooked napa cabbage and a few sorry pieces of pork at the bottom of the bowl. Even though the noodles and broth were good I'd have to say that some flavor was lost in the presentation. My husband ordered udon noodles and the meatball yakitori (kind of pricy, about $5 for 6 very small meatballs) which he liked. Spent about $40 on dinner (with tax and tip).
(2)
Stacy W.
I would review the food, but we never even got a chance to try it. As soon as we walked in, the waiter pointed to a table. And that was it! The menus were nearby so we grabbed one and waited. We waited 15 minutes before another man walked in and he was served before us. No one even came to talk to us! I asked the couple next to us if it took them this long and they said yes. We then got our things and left. We tried to tell someone that the service was horrible, but he just pretended to not understand us.
(1)
Derek S.
Decent food....slow service. Only 1 server working on a Friday night. The place was slammed so it took awhile but the lone server was very friendly.
(3)
Chieu L.
The best best best Yakitori I have found thus far....I'm drooling just thinking about them....still looking for some here in DC.....I know they must have it....just haven't looked hard enough....as for the ramen it's pretty good but not for that price and they don't hardly give you enough toppings....but sadly the only place in atl that will satisfy my ramen craving....
(5)
Mitchy B.
I love Ramen and this place definitely hit the spot. Nothing beats a delicious bowl of hot soup on a rainy, lazy Sunday evening. Me and my bf went here and the first thing I noticed were the 2 cute little anime looking Japanese girls serving us. They were so friendly and accommodating. My BF doesn't eat pork so they made sure no pork came in contact with his food whatsoever. Have I mentioned how cute they are? I wanted to take them home! haha Food was fantastic, although one little complain was that I wish there was a bit more meat on the Tonkotsu Ramen, 2 little smidgen of pork is just not cutting it. And i just thought that the meal over all was a little bit pricey. My bf got a yakitori plate which he enjoyed. We ended up paying almost 40$ for a meal that wasn't all that substantial, but def. delicious. I will def. come back, as a matter of fact, I might come back tonight! :)
Obviously, these guys came to US but forgot to bring their Ramen tradition with them. There should be seaweeds and soy sprouts in Ramen. Their noodle soup is too salty, the meat on top of the noodle is cold, the noodle is just instant noodle. And there are too much cabbage there! People who think this Ramen shop is good should definitely go to Japan.
(1)
K S.
Fairly good food, but over all dishes are really over priced for the quality of food you get. $14+ for Tonkotsu Ramen? I was expecting AWESOME Ramen for this price... Not... Other dishes are "ok," nothing memorable other than the high price tag. 2 people, 2 beers and food ended up being $140 including tip.
(3)
Erika G.
The owner(the lady) was such a rude person! I was born and raised in Japan. She was talking trash about me when I asked the server for some sauce for soba noodles because it was to watery. I'm from Tokyo, so I needed the soup to be more salty. I can hear her talking trash about me in Japanese because obviously she didn't know I am Japanese. I've been to the restaurant at least 20 times. She shouldn't have said anything bad about customers sitting right in front of her. Another thing, I ordered eel sushi and she forgot to make it, so she told the waitress to tell me that they don't have it because they are about to close. My husband ordered negitoro roll and it has California roll inside, it wasn't good at all and cost $15. I'm never going back again.
(1)
Steven H.
Yakitori Jinbei was an ok experience, but overall, slightly disappointing. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad place, but I won't make the drive from Gwinnett to Smyrna for this place again. Main reason for coming was because of the yakitori. It was disappointing. Selection was not great, and the meat was over salted. Their other dishes were respectable, but again, if you're experienced in real Japanese food, this place probably isn't the place for you, as it wasn't for me. If the name of your restaurant is the name of a particular type of food, it should be the star of the menu, and their yakitori fell well short of my expectations.
(3)
Marcus O.
ramen: great! yakotori: yummy! sushi: so-so. health rating? wonk-wonk-wonk-wooooooonk. i don't think you can score lower and still remain open. be cautious.
(3)
Orrin A.
My boys (13 and 10) and I had a tasty meal here. Unfortunately, I would not call this a high value meal. Some sake, a bowl of ramen, 3 yakitori skewers, and sushi for one totalled $90+ after tip! I'm all for paying more for high quality, but I didn't feel the high price tag was justified. Again, everything meal-wise was great, but I'm not sure I'll drive the half-hour again for these prices. A quick meal with my boys should cost less IMHO. I can find better and cheaper sushi closer. The skewers were 6 to 9 dollars each for 3 morsels of animal flesh. The sushi nigiri was $3 dollar per piece! Service was warm and friendly. If I just had to have a bowl of ramen with pork broth again and I didn't care about pricing, I suppose I'd come back.
(3)
jessica B.
Very authentic. When I first walked in, there were two young Japanese guys sitting there. It was such a relaxed atmosphere definitely not a fast food restaurant. Seemed like the young guys had been there chatting for a while and didn't even order until after we had gotten our meal. Waitress was very relaxed and did not come to our table to see how we were doing like 10 times, which is a good thing for me. It's also a small restaurant and I could tell waitress was aware of our needs. Service was perfect, in my opinion! Do not come here if you are in a rush. Ideal for a first date; place is very cozy and quiet. Food was awesome. If you are open for a new cultural experience You must try this place. They have Sushi, Ramen, and all kinds of grilled meats!
(5)
Leanne E.
When you walk into a place and its filled with native persons, that is a good sign. I went to Yakatori Jinbei Saturday night with my boyfriend. We were greeted in Japanese, which was nice. The shrimp tempura roll and miso soup were amazing. Never have I had miso soup that was so amazingly good! The suishi was moist and rolled right. Such a fan! Will be back!
(5)
Esther K.
The bf and I feel that this place has one of the best Tonkatsu Ramen in town! We've dined here for dinner numerous times and their ramen is always on point! Fresh ingredients, perfected textured noodles, and never salty (so far). Another thing that you must get are their Yakitori. It's always cooked and flavored well. They even make long green onions ("pah") taste flavorful. I love how they give you a free appetizer/small bowl filled with vegetable. It helps clear the palate for your meal and helps subside the major hunger growls of one's stomach until the rest of your food comes out. We love this place so much that we've brought several friends with us. Two of our friends have even visited Japan and felt that Yakitori Jinbei's Tonkatsu Ramen was made right. I've also had their Chirashi Don. Rice and fish selections were good but their Ramen and Yakitori are the two things one should not leave without devouring in a visit. I would highly recommend. It's worth the drive from Norcross/Duluth!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Kevin Y.
Atlanta is a tough city to sell ramen-naive friends on the concept of ramen not made from a Maruchan packet. I really, really wanted to like the ramen here so I could bring all my friends. The broth was delicious, but there weren't enough goodies. The tonkatsu ramen literally had maybe an ounce of pork protein. The chicken yakitori skewers were pretty tasty and not too expensive and they supplemented the ramen pretty well. I did not try the sushi but it did look better than, say, Rusan's. Servers were very friendly and not rushed, probably because it was 6pm on a Sunday night.
(3)Jeff M.
The ramen scene isn't exactly bustling in Atlanta like it is is New York. I did my research and the one name that came up consistently in reviews and on blogs was this place. I had one thing in mind: tonkotsu (pork) ramen. It was the must-have dish for lunch. Delicious! The temperature, consistency of the soup, the noodles, the pork (oh, the pork was yummy!), and seaweed: excellent. Plus salad and rice for $10? A win all-around. Better than Ippudo in NYC? Well ... I wish there was an egg in there. I wish there was a little more pork (oh, the pork was yummy!). Plus, the ambiance: Ippudo is right near Union Square and my brother, sister-in-law, and I waited two hours (it was worth it) to even get seated; Yakitori Jinbei is in a strip mall in Smyrna. That being said, and without even having had the yakitori, this place gets **** from me based on the ramen alone. I'll be back, several times probably. Especially come wintertime.
(4)Tamago L.
This is the best ramen place in Atlanta. Also try minced chicken bowl it's also very good.
(4)brian l.
Food is very good - excellent tonkatsu ramen and katsu bowls. Also had the very good negitoro bowl. All were lunches but can't comment on dinner. Service is usually terrible as they only have one server for lunch. I am always reluctant to return as it seems I cant ever order my food. It makes me hesitant to go for lunch as it takes too long.
(3)Luan N.
Not the best yakitori I've had but it's reasonably priced and I give it props for setting a niche for itself among the all of Japanese restaurants. But, one thing I was delighted to see was they had torisoborodon, which is ground chicken and scrambled egg over a bowl of rice. My mom would pack this for lunch when I went to elementary school. This is a dish that's pretty easy to make but I thank Yakitori Jinbei for taking me back many years.
(3)James B.
This is in my top 2 for Japanese restaurants in Atlanta. I usually order whatever they have on special and it is always wonderful. If you want real Japanese food then you need to try this place. If you are the type that tends to just order California rolls then this may not be the place for you.
(5)Anthony R.
My favorite spot for yakitori in Atlanta. It's so good, I haven't explored anything else on the menu. Look forward to trying some of the dishes everyone else is raving about.
(5)mary j.
We were looking for sushi and interested in trying something new and relatively close by. I was a little hesitant to suggest this place but I did as everyone seemed opened minded to try something new. It is located in a drab strip mall with Office Depot and a Olive Garden. I have lived in Smyrna for 12 years and I had never noticed this restaurant (neither had the other 3 ppl). I was very excited to glare through the window and see that there were several tables of Japanese people...so I knew something here must be authentic. We were very happy to walk right in and get a table for 4 on a Friday night without a wait. We started with Yakatori Chicken which was very delicious and cooked perfectly. Additionally, we had the fried Gyozas which I believe were a little bland but still pretty good. My biggest complaint was that my boyfriend's meal of Pork Rice bowl came out with our appetizers along side his soup and salad. For my dinner I ordered eel roll and rainbow rolls. I thought the sushi was really good, tasted very fresh. I was a little upset that my food came out about the time that everyone else at the table was finishing up. All in all the service was a little slow and the timing of food not so perfect but was delicious enough for me to have the desire to go back again. I was happy to find such a hidden treasure on the depressing Cobb parkway of Chain Restaurant Crap.
(4)K W.
Every once in a while, I stop in here on my way home from work. I've yet to be disappointed with the food or service, though you may wish to call ahead to confirm that they're open.
(4)Michelle R.
This place had been recommended to me so I stopped over my lunch to get sushi takeout. The sushi was way too salty (soy salt unnecessary) and there was so much rice that I couldn't taste what I was eating. Will not be going back.
(1)Dan N.
Delicious food I must say. You can tell they use fresh ingredients and the fact that the clientele mainly comprises of Japanese folk should give indication to it's authenticity. After spending time in NYC where we had some great Yakitori, I've been having a craving ever since. I had the Tonkatsu Ramen that was great. I loved the flavor in this broth as well as the texture of the noodles. If you do not like "egg-y" type noodles than you will not like this(which my wife didn't). I had the 5 piece yakitori combo(3 young chickens and 2 negima) that were great. My only gripe with this is that the Yakitori on the menu is not as diverse as I hoped it to be and that the food is on the high end side considering what you get. In conclusion, I would not go here if you live across town(as did I) but if you are in the neighborhood and don't mind splurging then give it a go.
(4)Kevin W.
I have had home made ramen before that was filled with meat, vegetables, oyster sauce, and a plethora of other things. So I may be a little bias on store ramen. The ramen was good but I would have wanted plenty more meat and some more vegetables. It tasted ok. I also had the chicken meatball. These were very good but small. $6 for 6 small meatballs? Come on. This is a nice place to have a casual date. I wouldn't recommend it for groups since the place is pretty small. There was only one waitress there when I went and she was all over the place serving everyone. Food and service were aight. My company had a group lunch here and it was a great lunch. The service was fast, prompt, and courteous. The lunch menu is much better than the weekend menu and the dinner menu. I got the lunch special which was fried pork, steamed rice, and curry. The pork was tender, perfectly battered, and a nice portion. The curry was sweet and filling. The lunch special even came with misou soup and salad. This was nice misou soup (not that watered down crap). I gave this place an extra star from this experience.
(4)Dio S.
I'm a fan of the pork ramen here--probably the best in town. The broth is lovely. Great texture and taste of the noodles and a variety of good toppings. Actually, Sakana Ya (now closed) used to have great ramen as well and this reminds me of the ramen I used to have there a bit. On the other hand I wasn't so impressed with the yakitori offerings. It was nicely cooked and fresh and tasted fine. My qualm was about the selections and price. Selections are limited, though I understand that they are concerned about business. If they were to offer all the exciting yakitori options like chicken skin, butt, entrails of all varieties (I particularly favor intestines, but heart/liver/gizzard all fine), and the rooster's crown among other things (see the Osaka episode on No Reservation for reference), then I would be very happy, but probably they would lose money. Let's not even get into what pork yakitoris options are possible...a yakitori stand in Japan can easily offer a dozen things not found here! Price was also (not THAT surprisingly) rather steep for what it is. Bottom line is, good quality, but hard to fall in love with. I'll stick with the noodles. There's other dishes and sushi is also available although not the focus. This is in a strange location and now I don't live in Vinings anymore it's hard to make the trip just to come here (I would be distracted by the proximity of Tasty China to this place and go there instead). If you enjoy Japanese food and especially ramen, definitely give this place a try.
(4)Julia M.
The best Japanese noodle that I have ever eat. Very touching tase
(4)Ethan V.
So over priced, spicy tonkitsi soup is kimchi, beacon and instant noodle, for this price no way!!!!!!
(2)Amaryllia L.
As someone who has never heard of yakitori, I was excited to try this place after seeing all the positive reviews. At 8:30 on a Wednesday night, my friend and I were the only people in the restaurant, which I didn't mind. Nothing too impressive about the interior, just clean and simple. We ordered pork katsu on rice, a 5-pc yakitori combo, and some sort of bento box meal that came with a little bit of everything (yakitori, sashimi, california rolls, japanese pickles, assorted tempura, miso soup, and salad). All of this, with tax and tip, came to about $60. * Pork katsu was pretty average based on my limited experience. I also found the rice underneath to be a teeny bit too saucy and wet. * All of the yakitori skewers were definitely tender as everyone said, but unfortunately, I found them to be more charcoal-y than smoky...and that burnt flavor wasn't my favorite, even with the sauce. * Super fresh sashimi, best miso soup in town, and then all average again for the remainder of the bento box. A little after I got home, I started to get a stomach ache. And about an hour later, it all came back out (I'll spare you the details)...I'm thinking it could be because of some undercooked egg on the katsu. If I do come back next time, I'll probably try the much talked about tonkotsu ramen.
(3)Ryan D.
Very good but two ramen bowls and a drink ran me forty bucks! Be aware.
(3)Lindze M.
What a refreshing change of pace from Umezono's down the road! Here the waitstaff was almost borderline hovering over us, they were so ready to take our order or refill our glasses. I had the most amazing dish, and now I cant remmeber the name, but I will be having it again. It was a big bowl of rice, with fatty tuna mashed up and piled high on top, with a raw quail egg in the center and seaweed flakes on top. It was like the KFC sadness bowl for sushi! I want to be buried with a bowl of this stuff when I die. I saw lots of yakitori on the menu, but Im not a connoisseur of the item. My husband had a couple of their rolls and was very happy with them, and their miso soup was amazing---giant chunks of meat and all sorts of goodies. almost more like a nabe stew than the usual watery miso you get at places! We also had the geso karage, which came with the spicy mayo I fell in love with in Japan. I cant wait to get back here and bury myself in fatty tuna again.
(5)Gabrielle J.
I had the S...u Ramen bowl, sans pork but plus the tofu. Baby, this ain't yo Cousin Ray-Rays ramen! It was so flavorful and put together with such character and grace... I WILL be going back and getting the yakitori!
(5)Scott S.
Spicy Ramen Excellent, sushi and all other dishs excellent. I eat at alot of traditional japanese food places, but so far in ATL this is the best place by far I have ever eaten at. Most customers are Japanese or asian, and they do have a Japanese menu printed in Japanese. Service is just ok, but the food well worth it! The Yakatori is great
(4)Robert C.
A little pricey for what you get, but a solid pick for some hearty and authentic Japanese food. I went with the tonkatsu ramen, which runs for $12.95 at dinner, if I'm remembering correctly. It comes with a reasonable portion of noodles, sitting in a thick, savory, but not-too-salty broth, all topped with two slices of pork. Maybe it wasn't worth the $12.95, but the flavors and textures were definitely right. My friend went with a similarly priced salmon roe rice bowl, served with miso soup and a side salad; again, solid all around. Our meals were prefaced with a small but complimentary serving of edamame. The restaurant itself, located in a strip mall off Cobb Parkway, is fairly small, but tastefully decorated. It's in a narrow space, with room for only a few tables at the front. The rest are packed together and lined up against the wall, so you'll be sitting pretty closely to other guests. There's also a bar area with room for another half dozen diners or so. A number of daily specials are posted on the board just inside the entrance. Beer and wine -- Asahi, sake, and the like -- are available, as well. Service was almost painfully slow at times. Reading through previous reviews, it seems that it's a bit hit or miss.
(4)Jennie C.
Seriously. One of the best ramen in the South. Once you walk in, it looks like you traveled to Tokyo -- a small, nice restaurant. I ordered their tonkotsu ramen and their chicken yakitori (a must since, obviously because for their name!). The ramen was out of this world delicious. The broth is good enough to just eat alone! My only criticism is I wish they added more sides, like corn and egg. Also, two pieces of pork (although it melts in your mouth) doesn't cut it. At least 3 would have been better. Yakitori was wonderful! I loved the option of a soy glaze and sea salt. Perfectly grilled! I would definitely be back!
(4)Sean L.
A Haiku for You Tonkotsu Ramen, So Tasty, But Why the Fuck Are You OTP? you can get it at lunch, and it's good. but the drive. makes me cry.
(4)Tara O.
I came to Atlanta to visit my sisters. They told me we were going to get Ramen. I was in disbelief because I came to the south to eat catfish, hush puupies and collard greens. However, since I could eat Ramen with egg in it everyday for the rest of my life I had to try. This has been the best Tonkatsu Ramen I've ever had. Of course I have tried Ramen in Japan Town in San Fran and there are plenty of places in Seattle. Here's what I liked: the pork slices had the right amount of fat marbling to go with it, the broth is out of this world. I sipped it trying to figure out how it tasted like pork but also had a flavor of egg yolk. Yet, the base had no sign of egg scramble in it. The combination of the yolk flavor balanced with pork is nothing like I've had before. Smooth, silky and pronounced. The noodles were wonderful. Not the kind you think of when you go to the grocery store and buy instant Ramen noodles. They were yellow, al dente and so tasty. If you've had authentic Ramen, you know what I mean. The soup was garnished with green onion, sesame and generous amounts of tender wakame seaweed. I still can't believe I found the best Tonkatu Ramen in Atlanta of all places. You've got to go try the broth and tell me...what do you think? It's simply a balanced work of art.
(5)Jeanna B.
Since moving back from Japan oh so many years ago, it seems like I've spent every given opportunity to find a restaurant that could match the food from my former home. That's TEN YEARS of searching. And I found the place tonight in Yakitori Jinbei (well, with Yelp's help!) I'm often skeptical of "Japanese" style restaurants, because they never deliver. This place did not disappoint in the least bit. Choosing wasn't easy, I'll give you that much. There's udon, yakitori, sushi and an appetizer list that made me want to pull a OFE (one of everything). Eventually I narrowed it down and opted for the yakitori over rice. Four different kinds of yakitori, with homemade secret sauce. Holy WOW. The chicken meatballs are delish, the rice was perfect, the pickled cucumber & cauliflower was a great pair as well. I noticed on the menu that it said they only buy local young chickens, which is why their yakitori is so great. The other thing I loved was that the miso soup was hearty. Not in a chili hearty, but a good broth. Most places, miso soup is so clear and has a small hunk of tofu floating in it. Jinbei's had seaweed, onions, some tofu and if I'm not mistaken, pork. The gyoza was homemade and stuffed with a veggie mix. I could literally drink a bowl of the sauce they served with it (as well as the sauce that came on the chicken). I brought along my Mom, in hopes that I could show her a glimpse of the foods I was introduced to overseas and she couldn't believe how tasty delicious everything was either. For the two of us to eat, we dropped $43 bucks, but it was worth it. Especially to eat homemade Japanese food. We walked away stuffed, but without that heavy feeling after a great meal. The place is small and I know some of you might be put off by the fact it's in a strip mall, but don't be. I'm going back and I'm taking my friends. And maybe a wheelbarrow so I can eat more and then be wheeled out to my car. SCORE!
(5)Chen L.
Came here for lunch and had their ramen soup. Not anything special at all. The noodles were okay, the soup was okay, and there were only two slices of pork. But there was no egg or any seaweed. Boo...I was actually craving the egg, actually, so when it came and I couldn't find it, I was sad. =( They actually substituted chopped lettuce for seaweed. First time I've seen a ramen place do that, but I prefer the seaweed. The waiter was friendly, and it was a small and nice restaurant. Not a lot of places that can sit a a huge crowd. I think the largest group that can gather at once there would be a party of 6...unless you plan to hog up the entire restaurant, then I'm sure they can put more tables together to fit a bigger party, but then block out the rest of the people.
(2)Chris W.
We were actually looking for Sushi tonight but all of our favorite spots were closed. My gf found this place on yelp and the reviews looked good, I've never had this type of food and I'm always up to trying something new. We almost missed it because the sign is not light (they might want to fix this), inside is basic but comfortable and we were seated and waited on promptly by the one waitress that was there. I ordered the 10 piece Yakitori and the gf got the soup in pork broth. Both were awesome! I loved the grilled, crunchy yet moist chicken parts and the broth on the soup was delicious. We will definitely be going back again to sample other things on the menu.
(5)Ivan S.
I accidentally ate at Yakitori Jinbei today. OK, I didn't trip and fall mouth first into a plate of grilled chicken but when I'd meant to get a salad at Soup Garden, my hands turned right when they should've turned left. I found myself driving in the wrong direction so rather than attempt an ill-advised U-Turn on Cobb Parkway, I continued in the direction I was traveling. This took me to Yakitori Jinbei. Yakitori Jinbei is everything that RuSan's isn't. RuSan's plays either elevator techno or a happy happy joy joy mix of 80s one-hit wonders while Yakitori Jinbei's soundtrack are nothing but soothing acoustic guitar covers of old standards, songs I recognized entirely as the pre-programmed self-play selections from my parents' old Yamaha keyboard. Apparently the Japanese have a thing for "Some Enchanted Evening" and the song "More." Speaking of Japanese, you'd be hard pressed to find any at RuSan's. Here, however, almost the entire staff is Japanese. While I found this comforting in a Japanese restaurant, it made the name of the free Japanese publication "Axis Atlanta" placed next to the stack of Creative Loafing most unfortunate. Despite its historical inappropriateness, Yakitori is both utilitarian and hospitable. OK, so most of the signage is in Japanese and the default utensil are chop sticks, it's still far from intimidating. I've enjoyed my visits here, even though today I was subjected to a 40 minute monologue by some put-upon office worker sitting next to me detailing the atrocities committed upon him by his company. The bigger injustice here is his poor lunchmate whose responses were limited entirely to "Uh-huh" and "Wow." But other than being sat next to unfunny Dilbert, the meal went splendidly. For the uninitiated, yakitori are basically Japanese shish kebobs, but the meat is cut much smaller and thinner and grilled at a very high temperature. As good as they are, I ordered the ramen soup instead, a large bowl of ramen noodles and broth, topped with roast pork and seaweed. The noodles have the bite of those freshly made; it's pleasantly disconcerting considering where my ramen is normally sourced. So what did I learn today? First, ramen is best eaten when it's not bought six for a dollar. Second, sometimes you have to trust your auto-pilot even when it steers you in the wrong direction. Finally, and perhaps most important to at least one guy in the city of Smyrna, work sucks and Kevin in Accounts Receivable is a real big dick.
(4)Liz H.
Tonkotsu Ramen. Yum. This place has an authentic Japanese feel to it. The guy talking to the waitress in Japanese helps as well. Came during the evening and it was about half full. Note, the place is pretty small, seats about 20 people? 15 people, comfortably. The restaurant is like a long rectangle, with the tables on one side and the kitchen and suishi bar on the other. Sat down and my friend and I both ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen, which I had heard great things about. We got a small dish of pickled radish, which were ok to my naive Japanese taste buds. Food took awhile to come out, but when it didn, the wait was worth it. Imagine chicken noodle soup + ramen + yummy. The actual dish looked nothing like Blissful G's pic, so I was slightly disappointed. This was my first time having tonkotsu, but I thought it was awesome. Dish was actually $12, not the $9 I had read in a prior review, but maybe that's cuz it was dinnertime? Staff was friendly; I was impressed by the waitress, who handled all the tables solo. Overall, good ambience and service + great food, which makes this place a 5-star and warrants itself a future visit. Hoo-yah! PS - Unfortunately, this place is not opened for lunch on Sunday. I've tried to go here twice, forgetting this fact.
(4)Carrie T.
I had been craving Ramen for a few weeks, but seeing as my husband and I are of the vegetarian sort, finding traditional Ramen we could eat was a bit of a problem. I explored menu's and called places. Yakitori Jinbei was the only place I could find that didn't have a menu made of only meat based broths! They had a wonderful dish of Ramen made with a flavorful soysauce based broth and when we got our order they'd piled extra vegetables on top just for us! The veggies were bean sprouts, cabbage, small bits of radish, squash and zucchini. While it may be a bit overly salty for some, it hit the spot on a cold night AND it was super filling. My husband and I joked that we couldn't imagine how rich the meat varieties were. For the meat-lovers out there, I'd seriously suggest the Ramen with the pork slices. The pork just smelled so good and they fell apart when our neighbors touched them (bad vegetarian I know). The atmosphere is understated, simple and laid back. We went on a Saturday night and thought we'd have to fight crowds, but this little place while having a steady stream of customers, never filled more than 3 or 4 tables at a time. I'm deducting a star for two reasons: 1. When I asked if I could replace tofu or an egg for the pork the waitress said they could only substitute chicken (is it so hard to put a few slices of tofu on top, really?). 2. The website menu didn't work so I had to call and ask. The website may not be that big a deal for most, but as a professional artist it's a pet peeve when I can't see the menu. Otherwise this place is great and would make for an awesome and private date night. Quiet, cozy and full of wonderful food my husband and I have definitely found a new favorite!
(4)Kim N.
I came here specifically for the ramen after reading a glowing review in Creative Loafing, and the bowl I recieved was TREMENDOUS. They served up a wonderfully comforting bowl of noodles steeped in a delicate broth, topped with sliced pork belly. I'm super-American so I usually wrinkle my nose at meats with fat clinging to them, but I did eat a bit of the pork with gusto. Again, TREMENDOUS. I came here for a late lunch on my day off, so I also had an Asahi beer with the ramen, and waddled out- stuffed, cheerful, and filled with food-love. Why 4 stars instead of five? The staff was friendly without hovering, but I did feel a tad rushed through my meal. Also, it's a small space, so if there's a noisy lunch party in the room- you hear ALL of their gossip. Overall, it's well worth the short-ish trip OTP for good quality ramen.
(4)jimmy s.
This past Saturday afternoon I ate at Yakitori Jenbei, which was right over by the Galleria, across from the Best Buy on Cobb Pkwy. It was funny because I had just read about this place on Yelp the other day and wasn't planning on going here. Unfortunately, they don't offer yakitori (think grilled meat kabobs) for lunch. They did have some great lunch specials. For $8.50 I got a salad, soup, two sushi rolls, steamed vegetables with rice, and teriyaki salmon. The soup was awesome miso soup. It wasn't thin/watery and had great fresh miso flavor. I love ginger salad dressings and theirs was definitely worthwhile. No complaints about the sushi, and my teriyaki salmon was yummy. Definitely worth it, but I want to try out the yakitori for sure. One complaint - they brought out everything at the same time (soup, salad, rolls, etc). There wasn't room on the table for everything.
(4)Patricia L.
This was my Sunday takeout..Actually I had gone to Thompson Bro Barbq, but alas they were closed on Sundays, so I told my husband I had been wanting to try this place based on it's excellant reviews... Hmmmm..Maybe it was an off day , but at 13.95 for Ramen soup entree,it was a very bitter disappointment.. First, this was a to go order..My Ramen came in two separate containers.One dry Ramen and the other the brothe..I was told to mix them when I got home..Now I don't know about you, but el Denta is not what I expect from Ramen..This ramen did not live up to hipe..It tasted like badly prepared ramen from a 25cent bag...There were two tiny pieces of pork, that were more a garnish then food...The broth was an ok miso type, that did not redeem this dish.. The portions were very small..Less than what I get in bag ramen..I will not be back..
(1)Blissful G.
Ever since I returned from Japan, I have been craving Japanese food all the time. I have been making my rounds at the many Japanese restaurants of Atlanta in search of Japanese homestyle dishes--there is so much more to the cuisine than sushi. Yakitori Jinbei had been on my list of places to try after a reader recommended it a while back. I finally got the chance to stop in today for lunch. The restaurant specializes in yakitori, which is pieces of chicken (and other items like quail eggs or Japanese vegetables) grilled on a stick and topped with your choice of sea salt or a sauce. Yakitori Jinbei only serves yakitori at dinner, but the lunch menu has plenty of delicious items like soba noodles and donburi to choose from. Since it was so cold outside, I opted for the bowl of ramen noodles swimming in pork stock and topped with roasted pork slices, seaweed, and green onions ($9 for the soup, salad, and small bowl of fried sticky rice). I rarely see ramen served in Atlanta so I took advantage of the opportunity. The soup was absolute heaven. I think I may have actually made some yummy noises out loud. The noodles had the right amount of bite and the bright bursts of green onion and ribbons of seaweed contrasted the rich stock perfectly. That has to be the best ramen I have had in quite some time--it was silky, creamy, and complex...insane. The pork was very tender and sliced into little thin rounds. An overall great soup that is worth the trip. I also spotted a tonkatsu platter passing me by that looked scrumptious. I'll get it next time. And, trust me, there will be a next time.
(4)Sam T.
Went here yesterday with my family. 67 dollars for trash. Yakitori was bland, especially the salted. The chicken ball yakitori was flavorless and looked like it was frozen first. Both the shoyu and tonkotsu at this place are terrible. The tonkotosu was so flavorless and boring it tasted like nothing. I've lived in Japan for 15 years, I know ramen and this was by far the worst I've tasted. No depth, some fried cabbage that was horrible, the sliced pork had no flavor and was like rubber. Just horrible on all levels. The noodles was straight packaged garbage. The shoyu was too salty and had this strong sesame oil flavor running through it. It was gross and so unbalanced. 12 dollars!!! That's all we ate. I recommend avoiding this place at all cost unless you like throwing away money.
(1)Steven L.
To me, ramen is the perfect comfort food on a cold winter's night. After reading the reviews about supposedly the best ramen in the A, I decided to make the long drive from the other side of town. It's located in an old shopping center right off of Cobb Parkway near 285 which can be hard to miss. Walked in at about 7 pm on a Friday night and we were the only ones there... hmm. I was dead set on the Tonkotsu ramen but decided to put in an order of the young chickcen yakitori for good measure. The ramen was pretty solid... the broth had a nice creamy consistency and the pork was tender and delicious. Can't say it's the best I've ever had, but I'm happy with basically any ramen place I can find around here! The yakitori was a nice side dish but a little bit pricey for what you get. Might have to try some of their other yakitori offerings in the future. Service was slow and overall not so great, considering we were the only ones there for a good portion of the meal. Since I am a sucker for authentic Japanese places, I'll probably have to give this place another try.
(3)Ivan C.
Best ramen in Atlanta, also try the okonomiyaki
(4)Phillip C.
Tonkotsu Ramen is why I come here. I have had this in other places but this is the best. Worth the trip OTP. The yakitori is great here too. I don't really have anything to compare it to but who doesn't love charcoal grilled meat on stick. Cons: They're in the same plaza as Thompson Bros BBQ so it sometimes hard to make a decision.
(5)Andi W.
All of the naysayers can suck it, in my opinion. I've been here 5-6 times, and I have never been disappointed! This is a place for people seeking the authentic experience- not some shmoe who's expecting Denny's Grand Slam-size portions. The sushi is always fresh, the service is unobtrusive and polite, and I don't care who you're talking to, the ramen bowls are large and delicious, even after being re-heated for leftovers the next day. If you're looking for the run-of-the-mill Americanized experience, pollute some other restaurant. If you're looking for fresh, nutritious, and excellent quality, come here.
(5)Chris N.
I'm a Ramen fiend. Had all types in Japan: Tonkotsu in Kyushu, Shoyu in Honshu, and Miso in Hokkaido. So I tend to be pretty picky when it comes to Ramen here in the states. It was nice to see that Yakitori Jinbei has some pretty good Tonkotsu Ramen that I can say is just as good as some places in Japan. Oh and the yakitori is pretty good too.
(5)Charles F.
All I can say is it's the best place to get Ramen Noodles in Attlanta. I tried other "great ramen" places around Atlanta but Yakitori Jinbei is the only place where the noodles can compete with the authenic Ramen restaruants in Japan. They owner of the restuarant supposedly started out with a restaurant in Tokyo. I lived in Japan for 18 years and this place does remind me of the type of restaurant you find in Japan. A good home cooked meal without trying so hard to cater to the American palette. I go mostly during lunch and usually get their daily specials.
(5)Mishy B.
One day in Cobb County, after unsuccessfully trying to purchase a CD at Best Buy (who buys CDs anymore??--ME!) I caught, in the corner of my eye, the glowing word "Yakitori" in the shopping complex across the street. I drove by to investigate, and scrutinized the humble storefront. Once I got home, I went on Yelp and searched the name. I'm very picky about my Japanese food, as most Japanese folks are. There are way too many Korean-owned impostor restaurants that serve spoons with the miso soup in Atlanta for me to just wander into a Japanese restaurant without doing sufficient research. Reviews were good! I saw two things I needed to try: Tonkotsu ramen noodles, and the yakitori (duh). I dragged my brother there for dinner that night. I ordered the Tonkotsu and a few yakitoris, as suggested. The Tonkotsu ramen noodles came out so fast! This is where I am going to get serious. I am obsessed with tonkotsu ramen noodles. It's my favorite thing, ever! Every summer when I go to Yokohama to visit family, I make my aunt drive me to the nearest Tonkotsu ramen noodle spot and I bury my face in what would be my last meal on earth. The tonkotsu shops always had a distinct, putrid smell that I have come to associate with the broth, which is made from boiling bits of pork fat and bone for hours upon hours, until the marrow becomes one with the broth and only the most sturdy part of the bones are left to be discarded. Yakitori Jinbei had a pleasant, lemony aroma and did not smell like rotting meat, so I was a bit skeptical about the authenticity of the ramen noodles that I hold so close to my heart. However, after the first bite into the slightly chewy noodles followed by the salty, buttery burst of broth, I knew I had found it--AUTHENTIC tonkotsu noodles in Atlanta! So for those of you that don't know: Bring your own boiled egg if you want it in this tonkotsu--this isn't your 39 cent packaged ramen that needs to be spruced up with a little ball of protein. And the noodles are supposed to be that chewy. I'm telling you, many may find the $13 price high, but I would pay that in a heartbeat for that stuff. Anyways, I'm writing this review while waiting for them to re-open for dinner. It's making me really hungry and I have to stop myself before I drive myself crazy! However, if you have a penchant for "authentic" Japanese food (aka, you don't eat miso soup with a spoon) I strongly suggest you make the hike out here to Yakitori Jinbei, my new favorite restaurant! Oh, and by the way, it doesn't say anywhere on the website or on Yelp but THEY ARE CLOSED ON MONDAYS. I REPEAT: CLOSED ALL DAY MONDAYS.
(5)Adam T.
If you get past the strip mall welcome (aka dive), the cramped interior and the spotty service (esp. for gaijin), you'll find an Atlanta ramen heavyweight. The tonkotsu is a must.
(4)Marina T.
I have to write another review on this restaurant since I come here all the time. The food is consistently good. I still love this place. And even though it's not a ramen restaurant, it has the best tonkatsu ramen ever!! Even better than Santa Ramen in San mateo! Be careful not to come on a Monday. I have made the mistake of showing up hungry only to realize it was closed.
(5)M T.
This place was just ok. The service was just ok, the place is pretty small and there was only one waitress on duty from what I could I tell. The miso soup is pretty good, but salty as are all miso soups I have ever had. I ordered the soup based noodles with fried tofu. The tofu wasn't very good and it honestly just tasted like packaged ramen with a small amount of strangely textured tofu in it. My husband had the yakitori chicken and when asked how it was said "it's chicken", so it was nothing special. The sushi tasted find but it wasn't very well rolled, it fell apart with minimal handling. If this place were cheaper I would go back, but for the price, the quality of food isn't as good as it should be.
(2)Eva T.
I'm glad I've found a place in the Atlanta area that sells tonkotsu ramen. Granted they don't give you a huge bowl, but it tasted good enough for me... especially for around here since there are no ramen houses in the area. We ordered the young chicken yakitori and pork yakitori with sauce (vs. salt). The grilled chicken was nice and tender. The pork was actually fatty pork. I'm not a fan of fatty pork so I can't comment on it. These would go really good with rice. Service was so-so, even though there were only two tables occupied when we were there at 5:30pm. Our water never got refilled. I'm definitely coming back to try their other menu items.
(5)Peter Y.
I went looking for yakitori one night because I wanted Japanese but was tired of sushi/sashimi. There is so much more to the cuisine than raw fish but it's always overlooked. Unfortunately, you'd be hard pressed to find yakitori at sushi houses, mostly because it is not in keeping with the theme. It would be as odd as a fancy French place serving cheese fries and wings. Me and my dinner mates pretty much just ordered yakitori tonight, after all this place is "Yakitori Jinbei". In hindsight, I should've also gotten udon or some rice dish. It seemed from other reviews that people enjoyed those more. After tasting the assorted selection of mostly chicken, my craving was satisfied. You get a choice of your order to be grilled with marinade (similar to teriyaki sauce) or with sea salt. The yakitori here is good but overpriced. I suppose you can do that when you're the only game in town. I am definitely going back to try the other rice and udon dishes though. Just my two cents, but I 'd like to see them take off their sushi items. First of all, the selection isn't impressive, it's not even passable...bottom line, it's unnecessary. Second, add more of the hot foods.....maybe something like okonomiyaki.
(3)Lee M.
Meh. Mediocre ramen. Mediocre rice. Mediocre service. Ugh, doling out just 2 stars on my first review. Wanted to go with the Yelp majority... But, read ALL reviews. I have not give up on Yakitori Jindei. There were other items flying from the sushi bar and the kitchen that looked rather delicious. Japanese was spoken freely(kudos) which breaths an air of authenticity that warrants another visit.
(2)John A.
Visited this place as my first outing with the Cobb Yelpers. Great group of people... sadly, as the stars state, the food wasn't. Before I begin this short review, please know that I don't judge a restaurant solely on a lunch visit (unless of course that's their main business) only because for many restaurants this isn't their best time. Also, some places like to train new staff (servers, cooks) during the middle of the week during lunch hours. But anyways, enough of that. The staff was nice, and i immediately overheard another table as being Regulars to the establishment. Always a small plus. I ended up ordering the Ramen, as I remember reading somewhere that people raved about it. Meh. I'm not raving. It was $9.90 for about 16 fl oz of broth with noodles and about 1 oz of sliced pork. Some of the other Yelpers ordered the lunch sushi plates... presentation-wise I've seen better, but as for the taste? Not sure yet... maybe they'll write some reviews on theirs. Saw two 'bowls' of curry omelets. Looked questionable, and the presentation wasn't all that exciting. Ah, but onto the 'sushi pizza' which one person ventured into. It was a round patty of rice, pan fried, then topped with sushi ingredients. Think, 'open-faced sushi'. Interesting concept. I'll probably never order it, seeing how I could easily make it at home. To be honest, if I wanted something like what I ordered, I'll just go to a Saigon Cafe ( yelp.com/biz/saigon-cafe… ) order a Pho for $8 for 3x the amount of food. I may venture back during their dinner hours and give them another chance, as the food is usually better during then side note: My sweet iced tea had a hint of a caramel taste to it. Did they cook their simple syrup before mixing it in?
(2)Ibad K.
This is an excellent addition to the Cobb county food scene (is there such a thing now?!). I have been there 3 times now and the first thing I want to get out of the way is that dinner is waaay better than lunch. They do NOT serve yakitori during lunch. Yet. Hopefully this will change soon. The best dishes here are certainly the yakitori (especially the young chicken with the Japanese jalapeno is the deal maker). The other recommendation is the Tonkatsu Ramen which is as good as what you'll get in Nagoya. Highly recommended (for dinner but NOT lunch)
(4)Stacey G.
An unpretentious hidden gem in a nondescript strip mall. Yummy sushi, great rice bowls. Must try all the yakitori- especially the chicken meat balls. Sooo good. For the most part you'll have to rely on pictures: most of the menu and the specials board is in Japanese. Love it!
(4)June C.
This place is a cute and quiet Japanese restaurant located in the Smyrna area. When I first saw their web site I was expecting this restaurant to be the size of Happy Sumo or another Japanese restaurant that is similar. But, the food here is delicious and sizable. They do have a good variety and the prices are kinda pricey. The service is warm, friendly, quick, and great. I enjoyed my time and the service that I received here as well.
(4)Owen R.
After reading a couple of reviews, and realizing I have never tried much yakitori, I convinced some friends who are also fans of Japanese cuisine to meet me up there for dinner last night. I tried the pork ramen as depicted above in the photographs, and with the creamy broth it was really delicious, the pork was very tender as well, unfortunately the rain and cooler weather has finally ended so eating ramen in 70 degree Atlanta spring may not have been the best time to try it but it was definitely worth trying. The yakitori was good but unfortunately my number one complaint about this place is the price vs. what I am getting, between a beverage (non-alcoholic) one order of yakitori, and a bowl of ramen -- leaving a modest tip put me past what I would have expected to pay for the meal. Do not get me wrong, it was delicious and I do not regret going however, I would expect a little bit more in terms of flavor and ingenuity for the price I was paying. One side note here at the end, it is totally unrelated to the food so don't let this alter your decisions on this place but there was one employee staffed as hostess and waitress for the entire restaurant at dinner on Friday night and I think I counted 5 or 6 people in the kitchen working. Needless to say this made locating her, or getting her attention a little challenging at times, I wanted to try more however wasn't ever really able to find her when I needed to. Hopefully they are not always so understaffed.
(3)Jason S.
Not worth the price... I've heard so much about the pork ramen that I decided to give it a try. I was so surprised to see how pricey their menu is (i.e. seaweed salad $7 and veg tempura app $13). The ramen was good, but I definitely think it's overrated. We tried two yakitori's (which were $5 - $12) - I really liked the shiitake meatballs. Our bill totaled nearly $60 for two people. The restaurant was completely empty on a Friday night around 9pm... wonder if it had to do with the price.
(2)Gloria M.
I finally made it to Yakitori Jinbei!! YAAAY! The best ramen place I ever ate at was at the ramen place in LA in tokyo plaza but this was pretty decent as well. The tonktasu ramen is pure comfort food. I ordered the chicken yakitori as well and it really DID live up to its name. Never have I had yakitori so yummy. I wanna come back to taste some of the other dishes...and the other ramen.
(4)Keith L.
This is one of the best Yakitori place i have visited in the area. The restaurant is clean, the waitress is friendly and the good is awesome. I will definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone who love Japanese BBQ.
(4)Michael W.
Yakitori Jinbei is one of the four "authentic" Japanese restaurants I know of in ATL. It's stashed away in the corner of a dismal shopping center on Cobb Pkwy just south of Dobbins AFB, and it's not much to look at inside either. But if you love authentic yakitori this is the place to be (since Yakitori Den-Chan closed down, years ago)... The only Japanese cuisine most Americans know is sushi, but yakitori is pretty dang tasty, and more palatable to those who won't eat bait. Yakitori is essentially Japanese shish-kebab, and it's only available for dinner here.... that's because they grill over special Japanese charcoal ('binchotan") and the grill therefore takes a while to prepare. I've had it each time I've had dinner there - tender, marinaded morsels of chicken and pork goodness on a skewer. Add some onigiri (rice balls) and wash it down with a cold Asahi, and you're turnin' Japanese. Lunch is pretty good as well, but the menu is very limited - a few sushi specials, some rice bowls and that's it. And I can't get away with Asahi at lunch anyway. But if you love authentic Japanese, give this one a try.
(4)Heather D.
Worst sushi ever on the planet. Poor quality of salmon. Rolls were too big. We have found that in our ventures for sushi the bigger the roll the less quality of the fish!! Will never go back and won't recommend this place to anyone!!!
(1)Krystle W.
After reading some rave reviews on this restaurant I decided to go check it out with my sister and our significant others. We ordered the several orders of the tonkotsu ramen, spicy tuna crunch roll, tempura shrimp roll and an assorted sashimi platter amongst ourselves. Let me first say that the tonkotsu broth and egg noodles were nothing short of spectacular. However, the amount of actual pork they gave us left a lot to be desired. The menu said that the ramen is supposed to come with an egg as well, but all we got was a ton of noodles and about 3 small pieces of pork each. Really disappointed with that since it was about 13 dollars for a bowl of ramen. The sushi was disappointing to say the least...the rice was soggy and the spicy tuna was not fresh. The sashimi platter was decent with the exception of the salmon which wasn't fresh either. Overall, I think it was a tad bit overpriced for what we got...the ramen has huge potential if they actually served more than 2 or 3 bits of pork. I would also definitely go elsewhere if you are looking to get decent sushi. Meh.
(3)Allicia S.
Been a while since I actually went, but as I am in the neighborhood trying a new Mexican spot thought I would add a review. My neighbor brought me here for lunch about a year and a half ago. Had been to the Office Depot several times, but never explored the eateries in the plaza before. I was pleasantly surprised and vowed to return. The sushi was good, but the soup/noodle bowls were fabulous. Good service also. Plan to return again and can elaborate at that time. Worth the trip though
(4)Kaung S.
Been there twice and I will continue to go for their ramen! First trip was during weekday lunch time. It was pretty packed, but that's because there aren't that many seats. A handful of two person tables, and a few larger ones. I ordered the spicy tonkatsu ramen. Came out in a little over 5 minutes. It was hot (temperature wise), but not scorching. Spice was, I would say it definitely registers, maybe 4/10. Again, right amount, and not going to get in the way of being able to eat it. Broth is flavorful, the noodles were tender but maybe just a tad rubbery feeling. Serving bowl is pretty large. If you eat the whole thing, you're going to be stuffed. I got a water as my drink, so I spent less than $10. Next trip was dinner time on a Sunday. Hardly anyone in there, just another couple on a date and another gentleman by himself. I noticed that most of the people were not eating the sushi, so I guess they keep coming back for the cooked dishes too. This time I got a yakitori 5 piece appetizer-- chicken cooked on skewers, 3 were regular and 2 had grilled veggies. I would recommend the veggie one because the extra crunch and flavors were a nice addition. The chicken itself was tender, and the sauce was delicious. Unfortunately, it didn't quite seep into the meat and you were left with the flavor mostly on the surface of the meat. Decided to get the regular pork tonkatsu this time, and it too was really good. Flavor was savory and balanced, not too salty. It made you want to keep taking slurp after slurp. The service was decent, nothing outstanding in either direction. I believe the staff there is genuinely Japanese, which is always a plus if you're wanting Japanese food. It's quite unassuming from the outside, and there's not really a whole lot in that shopping center. But if you make your way down Cobb Parkway, definitely stop on by for some tasty eats!
(4)Daniel S.
Great ramen during lunch time. Service can be a bit slacking but overall refreshing broth and fresh food. I'd recommend any of their noodle dishes, they're all fresh and tasty. Also to come during lunch time because you'll get the same quantity of food during dinner for half the price.
(4)Phoebe T.
Giving Yakitori another star for their superb service the last time we were here. My friend called ahead and mentioned that there were going to be two toddlers and a baby plus the four of us. I didn't expect them to do anything special but when we got there, they already set up the front of the restaurant for us complete with high chairs. They treated my son like an individual (most places skip over him when it comes to the free asian appetizers) and gave him some appetizers of his own. I never would have thought of Yakitori as a family friendly place, especially with it's small size, but I was blown away but how well they treated our family. That being said, I felt the ramen did taste better than the first time I came here and I would probably come back!
(4)Michele W.
I got two rolls (California roll and spicy tuna crunch) and my fiancé got the spicy ramen. He added pork and egg. His meal was definitely better than mine. The sushi was average but I tried the ramen and it was pretty tasty. Will go back and order the ramen. My fiancé was also glad he added the egg. They give you half an egg and not much pork so he def recommends adding egg and pork!
(5)Rachel K.
I came here since the bf craved ramen! And it was near my office so why not. Funny thing is, I didn't realize this place was right next to my favorite taco spot. HA. I am blind. Parking - definitely plenty. YJ is in a strip mall, so you'll find a lot of parking. I come to this lot during lunch time often during the week day and I ALWAYS find parking. Space - I did see a decent amount of seating. Mainly for 2 man tables. But maybe also like 3 four man tables. I have a feeling if this place gets crowded the wait can be long... Service - When we went, there was only ONE server doing everything - meaning seating everyone & getting orders from all tables & delivering all the food. He was BUSY. I'm surprised there was only 1 of him.. I felt super bad for him. He had around 5 tables. :/ So safe to say, the service was ok. I think if they had more people, a lot of things would have run smoother. Food - Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen - Kimchi in this soup was NOT good at all. It had no taste. It was as if they cooked unripened Kimchi - it for sure did not absorb any of the spices that usual Kimchi has. The ramen itself was lukewarm & soggy. (I think since there was only 1 server, the food may have been waiting to get served). The broth was ok - very lukewarm and greasy. :( My bf had the spicy chicken bowl - this was actually decent. I had a few bites of it and I wish I ordered this! This was way better than the ramen. Although the salad that came with this bowl tasted sour. Meh. The Miso Soup wasn't bad at all though. So yep - avoid the salad, get the Miso Soup. The young & fresh chicken - Yep, once this was cooked - I saw the chef ring the bell, but the server didn't hear it so, the chicken sat out for like 5-8 mins. When we got our other dishes, he finally saw the chicken and gave it to us. Tasted ok. Not a huge fan. I think it should have had a sauce added to it. And it should have been warmer. :/ Overall - I am not sure if I'd come back. If I were in the area around dinner time, then sure. But I'd eat the spicy chicken bowl rather than the ramen.
(3)Robin S.
Everyone's Yelp profile includes a field for 'My Last Meal on Earth'. Mine says lasagna, but it could just as well be spicy noodle soup and Yakitori Jinbei's ramen version would do just fine, thanks. Their spicy tonkatsu ramen has just the right velvety consistency to the broth, the right texture to the noodles and is spiced right where I like, which might not be for everyone but it isn't the spiciest soup town either. I've been here three times now although not in a while. They have never disappointed. Not only is there ramen stellar - and getting better, I think? - but I really like the teriyaki yakitori. Always good service here.
(4)Henry T.
The ramen is decent here. I liked the broth and the portion size is reasonable. The yakitori's tasted good, but the amount given for the price paid was not a lot. Overall I was pretty satisfied with my meal. It came with some appetizers, like soup or edamame for my son. The waitress was attentive for the most part. Not blown away or anything, but it's worth a try if you're in the mood for some ramen.
(3)Luna E.
Yakitoris were good, but their attitude was kinda rude.. I'm Japanese and I understood what they were talking about other customers. They assumed customers didn't understand Japanese. That was sad.. Plus, their Asahi draft beer tasted weird. It was sour... My husband and his boss also had Asahi draft beers, and they had the same opinions as mine. We ended up with switching to bottled beers. Again, Yakitoris were good.
(2)Andy S.
Sunday Night: Dinner I drove 25 miles to Smyrna to try out the Ramen on a rainy day in Atlanta. I am not an expert...but if eating ramen was a video game, my Experience Level would be 45%. This is the 7th restaurant I have eaten at. What I ordered: 2.5 stars: Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen ($12.00) 3 stars Beef Bowl ($12.00) Yakitori Jinbei is a work in progress, good for a restaurant outside the perimeter of Atlanta. Have I eaten better noodles?.. Yes, but was the tonkatsu ramen worth it, somewhat. I think this place will get better with time. They still have a lot of work to do. What they need to work on: My soup didn't have chashu pork belly (meat pieces looked identical to the one in my beef bowl), no marinated soft boiled egg (Ajitsuke Tamago). I also found pieces of napa cabbage in my soup, similar to a Koren (Kimchi) versus a Japanese tonkatsu ramen soup. Citation: seriouseats.com/2012/02/…
(3)Nicki K.
So I've been on a ramen eating tasting adventure. I decided to try Yakitori Jinbei because one of my friends love it. We met at Umaido the prior week and she told me Yakitori Jinbei is her favorite and used to eat there all the time when she worked near Cumberland Mall. Since I work out that way, I thought I would give it a try. I met another friend of mine for lunch. She has been to Yakitori Jinbei before and told me her favorite ramen place is Haru Ichiban. Since Cobb is limited to Asian restaurants, we will get what we can. Like most Japanese restaurants, it is narrow and has limited seating. I ordered the spicy ramen. Honestly, when I got the ramen, it looked really plain. The noodles were swirvy, like instant ones. I was a little disappointed with the taste too because I wanted spicy but it tastsed more sour. The small batches of cabbage and very few slices of pork in the bowl didn't help either. Overall, I'm really disappointed. I only ate half and I was hungry. The staff is really friendly and attentive. However, I will not go back for the ramen. I don't know if I want to come back and try anything else.
(2)Bruce K.
Back in the Smyrna area, I was fortunate to be able to cross off another of my Yelp bookmarks. This time, I was in an Asian mood and Yakitori Jinbei was in my crosshairs. They are a noodle and sushi spot, tonight's choice was for their eponymous Yakitori bowl. Yakitori is a grilled and skewered chicken and as in most places it is served over a bowl of white rice. There isn't a tremendous amount of food here, but it's delicious, very tasty and very filling. And probably loaded with more sodium than I could shake one of these sticks at. The very nice waitress had to refill my glass of water at least five times! Simply decorated and without a lot of frills, they pass the savings on to you! My meal, with tip, was under $20 and I was stuffed. Yum!
(4)Fiona F.
I think the ramen has msg in it that I feel very thirsty after having it. Ramen flavor is better than ' I love sushi' Despite the msg - this place is good
(3)Licca K.
Yakitori Jinbei was a long time favorite, and while I used to end up dragging a buncha friends here for really good yakitori and ramen or their sushi I hadn't been in some time until a friend proposed we go. A little background for those unfamiliar, Jinbei is more a traditional Japanese restaurant vs. Atlanta's more hip sushi & Americanized Japanese eateries. The menu is small. They have a few dinner items, but I'd say the Yakitori is what they do best. It's in their name so one would hope. They don't have a dessert menu as well in case you have to have that serving of matcha ice cream. So, our party ordered the spicy ramen, yakisoba, katsu curry, a tempura bowl, edamame, & several orders of yakitori--- negima & shiitake. I normally wouldn't get katsu curry, but since I couldn't decide and didn't want anything else, but veggie yakitori and salad... I oddly opted for a meat laced item. Yea, don't ask for my logic. It had just been one of those weekends. *cough* 3 day convention. While the katsu curry was delicious, picking out most of my meat since just wasn't feeling it, I loved the shiitake yakitori and the green onion plus japanese jalapeño on the negima. The smoke was perfect, the seasoning perfect. Everything else was quickly devoured as well with no complaints. The spicy ramen was the right level of spice, tempura nicely prepared, soba seemed well done too. The katsu curry was slightly sweet and salty. Anyways, it's great to see Yakitori Jinbei still strong, and for next time I'll just go with my gut and order a lot of vegetable yakitori.... or mostly fungus.
(4)Stephanie M.
Let me start by saying that I love a good bowl of ramen and have had my share of it over the years. I really appreciate the time it takes to make a broth that is creamy and flavorful and has pork in it that is so tender that it will fall apart with a pull of chopsticks and a spoon. A good chef will put his/her love into this dish, the broth alone will simmer for eight to fourteen hours and will be slurped & destroyed in ten minutes flat the chef will nod in approval, everyone is happy. This is not the case here. Before ordering I had asked the server "does the restaurant make the broth" she answered "yes." I then asked "how long is it cooked for," she replied with "just a few hours" & could not get her to answer any other questions, this left me to pause for a moment not being given a straight answer I shouldn't have ordered it but did it anyway tsk, tsk, tsk. The broth while being the right color was a complete disappointment it tasted like Water and Sesame Seeds it had no other flavor whatsoever tried adding pepper didn't help, a touch of salt nope, a dash of soy nothing. The pork in the ramen here is "loin" it is dry & overcooked, after taking one bite of the meat pushed the entire dish away disappointed. I hope the Yakitori is what YJ is making their money on I spent $15.00 (w/ tip) on eight bites of ramen and left feeling a bit gypped.
(2)Edward L.
I am a huge fan of good Ramen and I'm usually pretty disappointment at the fact that I have to drive all the way to Suwanne/Duluth to get it. Luckily, I discovered Yakitori Jinbei. Yakitori isn't a ramen shop, but more so a Japanese restaurant. They have a huge selection of food as well as a Japanese restaurant. They also have forks, although you might have to ask for them... The ramen here is pretty good. Don't be afraid to order the spicy option, it's not that spicy.
(4)Sumit C.
I love this place for well. Unlike Trattoria 13 Gobbi, I love the food. We go here all the time. They have a sushi menu and I always get rice and natto and chicken katsu. We will continue to go here forever. I love it's location because it is near Suntrust park. My dad always gets steak and asahi beer. My mom gets tempura and sushi and other Japanese things. Do not listen to haters on this place. I recommend you go to this place and you will come out with a smile on your face
(5)Carolina M.
I should've known that the yakitori here is where it's at. The thing about cold fall/winter nights is that sometimes I want a good noodle soup. Since I've been venturing to the Cobb/Smyrna area lately, I checked out Yakitori Jinbei. Located in a shopping center, Yakitori Jinbei takes up a small space a few doors down from Tacos La Villa and the Supermercado La Villa. Walking into the restaurant, it felt promising with the simple decor: small, narrow space, bright lights and wood booth benches. My date and I each ordered a bowl of ramen. I had the regular tonkatsu broth while he had the spicy tonkatsu broth. We also decided to share the 5-serving yakitori combo of the two types of chicken. Everything came out at once. At first glance, the yakitori hardly looked like it was grilled. Let's just say that it tastes better than it looks as it did have that charcoal flavor. Strangely, the chicken was very moist and flavorful but not quite what I was expecting for something that should be grilled. Where's the char? Where are the grill marks? I did enjoy the chicken yakitori with the "Japanese jalepenos." As for the ramen I ordered, they were very generous with the noodles. The ramen is actually chewy and I do prefer it more than Umaido's ramen. I'm pretty sure Yakitori Jinbei doesn't make their own ramen, so maybe it's the consistency of how the noodles were cooked to be a bit al dente. The soup was delicate and not so salty as Umaido's. I had a sip of the spicy tonkatsu, and well, call me a purist, I think the regular tonkatsu broth is just fine. I would've liked it some other vegetable in the ramen besides shredded cabbage and perhaps a little more meats besides the 2 slices of pork and half of a hardboiled egg. On a cold day, this definitely hit the spot. I'm not sure if I'd come back. Maybe if I'm craving ramen or if I wanted just yakitori. I definitely missed out on the okonomiyaki, so I'll probably come back to try it. However, I think there should be other Japanese places that serve hotter and more charred skewered meat.
(3)Steve B.
Ok, the service was terrible. You might have better service if you are Japanese. The tongatsu ramen was flavorless. The spicy tongatsu was the other dish with some kimchi thrown in, but there was barely any pork. I do love kim chi so this dish was tolerable. It was overpriced ($12) for what you got. But the service compares to a school cafeteria. The bright spots were the miso soup, and the gyoza, crispy skin, flavorful filling, I might actually come back and get that to go
(3)Paul J.
I've seen this place on a few lists of best ramen in the Atlanta area, so I knew I had to drive up to Cobb to try it out. We tried to come after a morning hike on the Chattahoochee without checking the hours first (oops) and found they're closed for lunch on weekends. But we ended up at Tacos La Villa next door (which turned out to be a much better option). We came back to Jinbei a few weeks later for dinner. I had the spicy tonkotsu ramen. The broth was solid. Not amazing, but a good spicy kick, a decent pork flavor, and not over-the-top salty. The noodles were great - perfectly cooked. The cabbage had a nice slightly ferment-y zing, almost like a ramyun kimchi flavor. I was looking for juicy chashu or char siu on top, and instead got a sad little piece of gristly bacon. Also missing was an egg. For $12, it's fairly over-priced. We also had a couple of skewers of pork and chicken yakitori. They tasted fine, but took a really long time to come out (served after we were halfway done with our ramen). So the ramen was fine, but I strongly prefer Umaido and even Raku for a more traditional ramen and ramyun, and Bocca Lupo for a fusion ramen. Yakitori Jinbei would do in a pinch if you get a ramen hankering.
(3)Maria G.
This is one of those restaurants you can always rely on. I guarantee you'll visit regularly after you try it. The ramen is exquisite and filling, so you definitely get some bang for your buck. The sushi is also very good: I suggest the eel roll and spicy tuna crunch roll. Writing this review is even making me salivate. The ambiance could use a little more liveliness, but I think they purposefully went for a Japanese tranquility scene. Either way, yakitori jinbei has never let me down.
(5)Jamie T.
At first glance, you may pass up this gem hidden in a strip mall. The interior is quite simple and nothing special, but you're coming here for the food anyway... right? The owner formerly ran a restaurant in Tokyo, so the food is authentic. You start the meal with pickled veggies of some sort. They often change it up, so you never know exactly what you will get. I enjoy the pickled veggies that have a little spicy kick. The ginger salad is as expected, and the miso is not what you typically find in Asian restaurants, it is MUCH better. The miso has a unique, made-from-actual-miso-paste flavor (vs. the packaged/powder variety you may be familiar with). The yakitori (think mini kebabs but BETTER) is delicious and definitely on-par with yakitori we tried in Kyoto, Japan. We always order the salted variety instead of the teriyaki option so that we can really taste the meat or veggies - both have an amazing off-the-grill flavor. We typically order the 5 piece veggie and 5 piece meat yakitori combos to share while also ordering a main dish. Yakitori takes a while to cook, so it will probably arrive after your main dish instead of as an appetizer. Unless the policy recently changed, yakitori is not served during lunch. All the bowl dishes we've tried have been great, but we love the ramen. We've eaten at the top rated ramen restaurant in Tokyo and that one is still the winner, but the ramen here is delicious and on-par with some we tried in Japan. The service is great and the atmosphere is casual. You will not be disappointed with Yakitori Jinbei.
(5)Brooke C.
This is easily THE best ramen house in all of Atlanta! They offer a variety of ramen noodle options and have lunch specials during the week. The noodle bowls are large with too many noodles to finish in one sitting and the broth is so yummy that you want to slurp it down straight from the bowl!! The restaurant is very clean and the service is respectable. However, this restaurant is supposedly notable for their yakitori as well. Unfortunately they do not offer their yakitori menu options for lunch, only dinner (which is the only reason why I held back from giving it 5 stars!... oh yeah, they also need to dbl the meat portion in their ramen bowls too.. can't get enough of it!!) They are holding out on their lunch customers who may work but not live in the area and therefore unlikely to pay a visit for the yakitori for dinner!
(4)Scott B.
We had the Tonkotsu Ramen and Beef Bowl. Both were really good. There are a number of places that serve ramen, but I have not found that many that serve beef bowl. Lots of them have katsudon. The beef bowl did not disappoint nor did the ramen. Highly recommend Jinbei.
(4)Jang C.
Yakitori Jinbei used to be my favorite Japanese restaurant in Atlanta. They had authentic Japanese food, atmosphere, and staff. If majority of their costumers were Japanese, you know it's a good Japanese place. Then their owner died. So the wife ran the place by herself for a while. It was probably tough on her. And the food quality did go down. Also, they stopped serving sushi. The last time I went, I noticed the quality slipped even further. The quality of ramen is sad. They used to have the best ramen in Atlanta. Now they don't give you real chashu pork in the ramen. It's just a plain pork tenderloin. The noodles aren't good and the broth is okay.
(2)Alex C.
YJ hasn't quite impressed me yet. The preparation isn't quite what I'm used to, which is fine, but it seems more like lazy concoctions than a different style or take on the food. The ramen I had was pretty subpar, I'll need to try it one more time to be fair. But the meat in it this time around wasn't even slow cooked pork. It was just slices of pork thrown in the broth. WHAAAAT? Again, maybe this is normal, or... it's a bad take on Japanese pho?
(3)Teresa R.
I have been on a Ramen hunt and so far this place is my number one in my area. It's all about the broth and I love their spicy ramen. The only down fall to it is I wish I had more pork but u can add extra so problem diverted. My first experience there was awesome not only for my ramen order but because everything sounded so good. The table next to me was new too and they literally could not stop talking about how delicious their rice bowls were. I can't wait to try those and their lunch version of the ramen!!! Definite recommendation.
(5)Daniel B.
Update #4 for one of Cobb's better Japanese restaurants. I keep trying more things on the menu here. The latest include: Noodles: Zaru Soba ($7.90) Sushi: Sea Scallop nigiri Surf Clam nigiri I love soba noodles. This simple dish is one of my favorite Japanese comfort foods. These are buckwheat noodles, brownish-green in appearance. They're thin, slippery, and have a slightly chewy consistency. They're normally served cold with a few garnishes and a dipping sauce. The dipping sauce is a light brown sauce called tsuyu. It's made out of dashi (Japanese cooking stock), sweetened soy sauce, and mirin (rice wine). I like to dip my noodles all the way into the sauce and then suck them up. Yakitori Jinbei's version was delicious. The dish is called "Zaru Soba" because the soba noodles are served on a zaru, a sieved bamboo tray. Jinbei also served the soba with chopped scallion and wasabi. Surprisingly, no shredded nori seaweed came on top. Chef Kondo came out from the kitchen to check on us and noticed, so he brought me out a small plate of nori. He's the man. My only complaint with the Zaru Soba is the portion size is small, so you'll need to order other dishes to fill up. On this last visit, we came late on a Friday night, just before closing (10:30pm) and I was surprised to see that we were only 1 of 2 parties in the entire restaurant. The Sea Scallop nigiri was fresh. It was smooth and buttery with melt-in-your-mouth-like qualities. Unfortunately, the Surf Clam didn't seem as fresh. Its texture was too soft and limp and the flavor wasn't all that great. Oh well, it could've been the particular night we went. Be sure to check out my previous reviews (specifically, the 12/15/2011 review) below for my thoughts on many of Jinbei's other authentic Japanese dishes including the yakitori and several of the restaurant's specials. One note I'm surprised I didn't mention in any of my other reviews for this place is the ramen is $3 more expensive at dinner. At lunchtime, ramen is only $10. At dinner, it's $13. Something to consider.
(4)Melissa B.
Beef bowl was made by Jesus. Perfect balance of salty sweet delicious. Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen was spicy, was good but I wasn't in the mood for that level of spice today. Definitely coming back.
(4)Mahtab R.
This review is based solely on the tonkotsu ramen- I think if Atlanta is lacking something more than good ramen, it'd be good yakitori. The noodles are obviously store bought, which is fine if theyre cooked properly, but they were actually undercooked, so instead of being chewy they were just dense; I still prefer that to overcooked noodles though. The broth is clean, but like all other ramen places in this city, it's lacking flavor. Perhaps I should just sprinkle msg on it, and see if that helps. My other issue with the broth is that the napa cabbage they put in just waters it down further. The pork, I'm guessing either shoulder or butt, was actually flavored well superficially, but so so dry, and not in the its absorbed a bunch of flavor into the meat, but in the "we didnt cook it slowly" way. Service here was good and prompt, but I was also the only person at 12:15PM. I've pretty much given up on ramen in Atlanta. I thought the ramen I cooked at home was mediocre, but it's miles above what I can get without a plane trip, so I guess I'll stick to one of those.
(2)Aaron L.
Ramen's decent but I'm not sure if it's worth nearly $10. The broth wasn't all that memorable and the piece of pork that came out was just a plain piece of pork loin without much flavor or texture. I think I would've been ok with it if it was around $7-8... I know it's only a dollar here and there but still... Yakitori was pretty good. We had chicken and it was well cooked and tasty. My wife loved her Oyakudon. I tried some and it was pretty good but once again, I didn't think it was worth $12 (pretty sure). This may be a great lunch spot. We liked the food.. just not as much as the owner, I guess.
(3)Ricki K.
My boyfriend and I dined here for the first time this evening. We were referred by a friend of a friend. So going in we were pretty excited. The shopping center it's located in wasn't very appealing, but upon entering the restaurant it was very cozy. My boyfriend ordered the young chicken yakatori and the pork, he said the chicken was unbelievably delicious. The sauce was perfect. We both ordered the spicy ramen, which was the best noodle soup I have ever put in my mouth. Hands down, I would prefer their spicy ramen over any Vietnamese pho any day! I also ordered a spicy tuna crunchy roll, which was decent. But if you visit, I would suggest sticking to the noodles. We will definitely be visiting yakatori often!!
(5)Felix C.
Summary: Still a great restaurant that is worth a trip. Update to my review from 2011. Naturally, the yakitori here is the strength. I recommend the sea salt. The tonkatsu ramen was good but the competition has gotten better. The day after eating at Yakitori Jinbei, I went to Shoya Izakaya and prefer the tonkatsu ramen there. If you're getting ramen at Yakitori Jinbei, I recommend getting the Spicy Tonkatsu. That had much better flavor.
(4)Wei Y.
Hands down, best Ramen in the entire area. Dinner can be a bit pricey for essentially the same thing, so I'd recommend going during lunch.
(4)Joe D.
The ramen tasted bland and was a small portion for $9.50. They forgot to mention for 30 minutes after we had placed our orders that they were out of sushi rice, which caused an individual in our lunch party not to receive his lunch order. Customer service and attentiveness seemed to be lacking. Can't comment on the quality of the sushi, but this place is not worth going out of the way for in order to get ramen.
(1)Jeff H.
Simply Outstanding. Tonkotsu spicy ramen, sushi and salmon were all outstanding. Fantastic.
(5)Chau L.
The rice bowls are delicious! Sushi is decent too but pricey for what you get in a dive place. My favorite is the spicy ramen! Oh my Buddha! I live for it and crave it. Best ramen noodle soups around! So lucky we can get something like this here in Smyrna, GA area.
(3)Min Y.
Have to update this review because of recent experiences. The quality of the food has gone down significantly since my first time here. The Tonkatsu Ramen, once by far the best ramen dish I've had in Atlanta, has tasted pretty mediocre and almost out-of-the-package quality the last two times. And this last time I ate here, the Yakitori was pretty awful. We also requested hot tea, and were served COLD TEA. Finally, the service, although super friendly, has never been attentive. Everyone has a smile on their face and is super nice, but once the order goes in, they never check on you again. I would give them one-star for these things (bad service, bad food), but my previous good experiences will bump them up to two stars. Hopefully they pick it up and I'll be able to change my opinion of them again, this time for the better.
(2)Ed C.
Just a quick definition for those who don't know what yakitori is. In Japanese, tori means chicken, and yaki means grill. So now you know that their specialty is grilled chicken and it seriously is their best dish. They skewer chicken breast along with a variety of other meats; yakitori has become a little more general in the U.S. to include skewering other meats and vegetables. You can have it two ways: with just their special salt or with more of a soy sauce glaze. My preference was the special salt. yakitori - 5 stars ramen - 2.5 stars A few other notes about the restaurant: - owner is japanese - chef during my meal today spoke chinese to the waiters and japanese to the owner. - the yakitori with jinbei's salt was delicious. - like Daniel B said, ramen is $10 for lunch $13 for dinner. I personally was not impressed by the ramen at all, especially at this price point. I have never had napa cabbage in ramen before, but I didn't think that it was a good choice due to how watery napa usually is and the crunch isn't something I like with my ramen. - i haven't had their sushi or sashimi so i can't speak to that.
(4)Michael L.
We FINALLY got a chance to try this spot with old friends this past weekend. Tonkotsu ramen- the roast pork was good (but only 2 slices)- At $13 a bowl, it's rather steep- the bowl wasn't that big to begin with either. The broth was ok, but not super special. The texture of the noodles were spot on for me, but a bit too firm for the wifey. Yakitori mixed combo- chargrill flavor was pretty strong- again, decent, but nothing crazy good. I had a bite of a spicy salmon roll- not bad...but again...not great. (you notice a trend?) In short- kind of a let-down, but at least it wasn't bad.
(3)Lucy W.
Tried the famous Tonkatsu ramen...while nice and cloudy as ramen broth should be, it was pretty salty. The noodles were good and chewy, the crunchy cabbage & veggies complimenting the noodles and broth, two rolled piece of pork that i dunked into the broth. No egg though. Very much a no-frills joint that you expect when you pull into a strip mall parking lot that houses an Office Depot, a cigar store/bar, a salon, a taco joint, and a BBQ place. The dining area is long and narrow, with no more 10 tables. Service was quick and friendly. Who knew that a great little Japanese ramen place is just 5 minutes from my office?
(4)Kevin C.
Haven't written a review in a while, and this will probably be the last one of 2011 (and for another few months, if history is any indicator), so let's make it count. I've been to Jinbei about five times for lunch, but last night was my first dinner there. A big group of us was there for one of Jang C's famous Cobb County UYEs. As others have mentioned, the restaurant is not large and there was some pre-UYE trepidation of them not being able to handle our group, but everything went swimmingly. I arrived about 15 minutes early, and they were there waiting and ready for us. For my dinner, I stuck to my usual tonkotsu ramen, but I did branch out a little bit and ordered the "fresh young chicken" yakitori (with sauce) and 2 pieces of ikura (salmon roe) nigiri sushi. The (already widely written about) ramen tasted just as it does at lunch - that is to say...creamy, delicious and filling. [A bowl of ramen should be plenty for a meal, but it was a UYE...overeating is the name of the game.] I don't often order yakitori so I don't have a basis for comparison, but I thought the chicken was was cooked well and was nice and tasty. Finally, the ikura, with just a dash of wasabi (prepared by the famous Chef Kondo), was perfect. I get ikura almost everywhere, but I can't remember the last time it was brought out with wasabi already on top; all the flavors balanced out really well. In addition to the food, the service was top notch last night as well. They constantly topped off my cup of green tea, rarely leaving it empty. They accommodated our split checks request. Chef Kondo even came out from behind the sushi bar to say hello and talk to us, and not just because we were a big group. He's come up to my table of 3 at lunch before and been just as cordial. Overall, YJ is just a great place to eat. I wish it weren't tucked up in Cobb kind of in the middle of nowhere (it'd probably do well, if not better, somewhere on Buford Hwy), but it's worth the trip from pretty much anywhere.
(5)Amanda G.
I headed here for lunch w/ a co-worker. The restaurant is small but clean. Service was great! The food was ok -- more on the authentic side (Japanese were having lunch here too!) --- I ordered the teriyaki bowl to play it safe, since this was my first time. The bowl had a lot of food-- the chicken was overcooked or maybe not even fresh? The rice was sticky cooked sushi rice, veggies on the side (not fresh but from a mixed veg bag probably), and a raw ism scrambled egg omelette (turn off). The owner was nice enough to make me a new plate. Overall, I think I ordered the wrong plate, so the food did not impress me. I will go back again and probably order sushi.
(2)Stephanie F.
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(5)Anthony C.
The tonkatsu ramen and katsu are so great !
(4)TS W.
Saw such great reviews went there and omg all my Yakitori that I had ordered shio instead of tare came out very salty! My rahmen that I ordered which I thought was going to be awesome and would have been since the broth was great but some of the noodles were clumped together. I had to drink so much water after dinner thanks to the yakitori! I should have ordered them all with tare sauce instead!
(2)Yisi L.
I should have checked the ramen... totally my bad. I ordered lunch special: veggie salad, rolls and teriyaki chicken or something? Well, the chicken was tasteless. Based on the specific visit only, I would never go there. But for ramen, I will certainly return. I did notice that the Japanese chef (not so many Japanese restaurants have Japanese chefs in ATL). The bi-racial waiter was cute too.
(3)Gunn V.
I'm not into writing a long review. Here's the summary:- - Good yakitori - So-so ramen - Good services although a bit too slow All in all, recommend (for yakitori)!
(4)Karen Z.
The young Yakitori skewers did not have any charred marks the second time I visited this restaurant. The broth for the Tonkotsu tasted watery and full of sodium, even though the color of the broth itself looks perfect. The Teriyaki Chicken tasted like it has been marinated in the sauce and not simply glazed.
(3)Ari W.
I had the spicy tonkatsu ramen, it is decent. The broth is good, but something about the noodle is off... Not as good as I hope it would be, but still great enough to suffice my cravings for ramen. I would encourage you to at least give it a try. The yakitori's are great, you can get a 10pc combo and share it as an appetizer. Get it in half sea salt, half yakitori sauce, so you can have the best of both worlds.
(4)Matthew J.
I work in the area around Yakitori Jinbei, and decided to give it a try. I had the Tonkatsu Ramen ($9), which was good, but nothing to write home about. The place has a good atmosphere, and the service was pretty good as well. The restaurant itself is fairly compact, but I never felt too squeezed while I was in there, although larger parties bigger than 4 will probably have to be split up into different tables. Overall, there are slightly better Japanese restaurants in the vicinity for the money, but I will go back again to satisfy my curiosity.
(3)Lisa H.
Great place for lunch if you want some good ramen in the Cobb area! Service is good, but could be slow as they usually have just that one waiter during lunch. Their rice bowls are good also, but I would definitely go for their noodles.
(4)Kelly H.
Food: -Yakitori - all sauced: chicken (great), meatball (excellent), liver (excellent if you like liver) -Spicy Ramen - big serving, good broth, very little meat Service: We went on a Saturday night. It was full but no wait. There was only one waitress but she was helpful especially since we put in several separate orders. Overall: It's a hidden spot that serves something different and good.
(4)Addy C.
Ha - two days later and I came back to Yakitori Jinbei tonight to get my yakitori fix. I'd been to a yakitori restaurant in LA but had no idea we had one right here in Atlanta - thanks again to Yelp for letting me know! Tonight I had the perfect company - two other Yelpers who were more experienced with yakitori, and more adventuresome than me. Their menu says they only use fresh young chickens from local farms, and the meats are grilled on special charcoal called "Binchoutan." The menu also mentioned two different ways to enjoy yakitori - with their house recipe sauce (soy sauce based), or with naturally evaporated sea salt. We went the house recipe which tasted like teriyaki sauce (yummy by the way). We started with the "Sunomono Assortment" which is a vinegar-ish salad with cucumbers, imitation crabmeat, squid, & seaweed. I enjoyed this one, and would order it again. Price $7.80. Next we got the "Yakitori 15-pc. Combo" which included 5 skewers of Negima (chicken with green onions & Japanese jalapenos), 5 skewers of just chicken, 3 skewers of chicken wings, and 2 skewers of chicken meatballs. I loved them all but thought the $35 price was a little steep. Chicken was very tender, loved the charcoal grilled taste, and well, we were still hungry and decided to order more. So next we tried the "Shiitake Mushroom Stuffed with Meatballs" (2 skewers) for $7. Very tasty, and mushrooms were nice & juicy. Also ordered the "Jinbei Pork Roll Combo" which included 1 skewer of asparagus rolled in sliced pork, 1 skewer of green onion rolled in sliced pork, 1 skewer of Shiso rolled in sliced pork, and 1 skewer of Japanese jalapenos rolled in sliced pork. This cost $10 and seemed more reasonable. I would definitely order this one again. Check this place out - it's worth the drive.
(5)David C.
One of the reasons I like going into Japanese restaurants is because the interiors are nice and cozy, having nice lighting, wood panels, and some media playing. I know this is not as important as the food (for some it is), but the overhead lighting was a bit much, and there was no music playing, so surroundings for me were slightly uncomfortable, but not a deterrent. The food was okay for the price. It was expensive for a small plate. Not amazing, but not a let down either. The charred veggie yakitori were tasty, the shaved Daikon with salmon roe was a nice appetizer. It was kind of watery though, and I'm not sure if it's just like that or not supposed to be. The grilled rice balls with miso flavor were alright, not perfect. I want to say it could've used more flavor. As I only ordered appetizers and drinks, I can't judge their entrees or their sushi. Server was attentive though, and had no problems with service.
(3)Rob P.
I'm so desparate for real ramen I will drive anywhere. Finally made it out here and the verdict is...good ramen for Atlanta, but not really a substitute if you know what ramen can be. The broth was delicious and filling, but the pork was very fatty and tough to eat. My friend had the sushi and wasn't impressed. It didn't look all that great. But I would probably never order anything that wasn't ramen. The restaurant itself was average, minimal decor and served its purpose. There were actual Japanese working there, which is kind of rare for the Southeast. The ramen was among the best I've had in Atlanta...so 4 stars.
(4)Kouyo Y.
We went in and were seated and that was it. We had to get our menus then went on to be ignored for the remainder of the time we were there. I even went and asked for service and still nothing. Worst experience I have ever had.
(1)Ana G.
OK... after dining at Yakitori, I believe I have had my first authentic Japanese dining experience and it was unlike anything that I was expecting, as I am used to the whole Habachi and sushi experience, which is great, but not always authentic. I went with a couple of Yelper friends who were talking this place up, so I had to check it out. Through their recommendations I ordered the salmon Ochazuke, which is steamed rice with salmon, seaweed, and then steeped in hot red tea. Despite the dish's simplicity it was delicious and all the flavors melded together in a beautiful symphony, in other words it was DELISH!! And for less then $9, you can't go wrong with that! I also had a taste of the plum Ochazuke, which actually surprised me, as I was expecting the plum to provide a sweet flavor, but it actually was somewhat of a tangy flavor which was a really nice surprise. It was amazing to me how one ingredient can change a dish so substantially. I also tasted one of their specialties, Tonkatsu Ramen, and I will say that this ramen was not like the ramen I had in college. This ramen was excellent, I just wish I had ordered it too! Maybe the next time I head out there.... We also ordered some meat on a stick as my friends called it, but man... this meat on a stick was sublime! We had the squid and chicken yakitori. The taste was something that I had not experienced before, it had a smoky kind of taste that complimented the protein's natural flavors, its something to experience! For the grand finale, we ordered some sushi rolls with "gushers" as Jang and Hannah C. called it. "Gushers" being the big fish roe, I think it was salmon roe.... Anyway, that was really really good as well!! Overall I had an outstanding experience at Yakitori and I can't wait to come back!! The food was delicious, the service was great, and the atmosphere was pretty awesome and screamed authentic! I will come back!
(5)Mari K.
First of all, I am from Tokyo, so I know where and what the REAL Japanese restaurants in Atlanta are. I must say this is my favorite Japanese restaurant to eat! This restauant is owned by Japanese, (The owner told me she used to have Japanese Izakaya restaurant in center of Tokyo for 30 years.). This place is not a fake Japanese restaurant (like Hibachi or Chinese, so do not ask them for fried rice or Fortune Cookies. We were 5 people today, started had Gyoza (Dumpling), Kabocha-ni (seasoned pumpkin), Atsuyaki Tamago (Japanese Style plain egg omelet), Horenso Gomaae (Sesame Seasoned Spinach) and Yakitori 10 pieces with sauce. Everything is home-made and it was so good! (I think English menu and Japanese menu are slightly different..) For our entrees, I had fatty tune bowl (Negitoro Bowl), my bf had Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen and my friends had Oyako bowl (chicken and egg over rice) and Minched Chicken bowl. My bf never had real ramen before, but now he is in love with this. He even goes there for lunch. I see reviews saying their ramen is from package, but I really do not think so. The packaged ramen really cannot make that taste of broth. Ramen does not have to have seaweed or soy sprouts. Every ramen places in Japan has their own style. Plus this restaurant is NOT ramen only restaurant. I want you to try the real home-made Japanese food. This is the place for it!! Tthe service was little slow. I think it was because we went there on Sunday night around 7 and it looked so busy, most tables are taken. Only 1 waitress was there, but she still gave us very friendly service, recommendations and had nice smile. I would make a reservations next time when I am going there with big group.
(5)Rebecca A.
Gee willikers, what a disappointment this place was! I must admit I did read the reviews before I cautiously visited this place. Being from Hawaii and having eaten at some of the terrific ramen lunch counter bars there, phrases like "best ramen in Atlanta" and "exceptional ramen" caught my eye. Visions of a bowl of ramen noodles steaming with chau siu pork, fish cake, and green onions appealed to my comfort food yearnings and indeed I chose to not heed the warnings of other reviewers attesting to the poor service and mediocrity of the place. I won't address the service except to say that it was severely lacking as the waiter single-handedly tended to all tables in the restaurant. And alas, my spicy tonkotsu ramen noodles sported overcooked napa cabbage and a few sorry pieces of pork at the bottom of the bowl. Even though the noodles and broth were good I'd have to say that some flavor was lost in the presentation. My husband ordered udon noodles and the meatball yakitori (kind of pricy, about $5 for 6 very small meatballs) which he liked. Spent about $40 on dinner (with tax and tip).
(2)Stacy W.
I would review the food, but we never even got a chance to try it. As soon as we walked in, the waiter pointed to a table. And that was it! The menus were nearby so we grabbed one and waited. We waited 15 minutes before another man walked in and he was served before us. No one even came to talk to us! I asked the couple next to us if it took them this long and they said yes. We then got our things and left. We tried to tell someone that the service was horrible, but he just pretended to not understand us.
(1)Derek S.
Decent food....slow service. Only 1 server working on a Friday night. The place was slammed so it took awhile but the lone server was very friendly.
(3)Chieu L.
The best best best Yakitori I have found thus far....I'm drooling just thinking about them....still looking for some here in DC.....I know they must have it....just haven't looked hard enough....as for the ramen it's pretty good but not for that price and they don't hardly give you enough toppings....but sadly the only place in atl that will satisfy my ramen craving....
(5)Mitchy B.
I love Ramen and this place definitely hit the spot. Nothing beats a delicious bowl of hot soup on a rainy, lazy Sunday evening. Me and my bf went here and the first thing I noticed were the 2 cute little anime looking Japanese girls serving us. They were so friendly and accommodating. My BF doesn't eat pork so they made sure no pork came in contact with his food whatsoever. Have I mentioned how cute they are? I wanted to take them home! haha Food was fantastic, although one little complain was that I wish there was a bit more meat on the Tonkotsu Ramen, 2 little smidgen of pork is just not cutting it. And i just thought that the meal over all was a little bit pricey. My bf got a yakitori plate which he enjoyed. We ended up paying almost 40$ for a meal that wasn't all that substantial, but def. delicious. I will def. come back, as a matter of fact, I might come back tonight! :)
(4)Yuki T.
Two words: Tonkotsu Ramen, the best in Georgia. For those new to real ramen, throw away all the opinions you have based on the instant cup noodles you were budgeted on back in college. Real ramen is in a whole other class. It's like comparing a Hungry Man Salisbury Steak with a Dry Aged Kobe. Real ramen involves days of devotion to produce deep, complex broths, handmade noodles, and delicious toppings - extremely rare to have around here. There are probably less than 5 places in the southeast that I would recommend having ramen at, and this place tops that list. Tonkotsu refers to the ramen's broth and is loosely translated to "pork-bone". It's generally created by boiling pork bones for days and gets its creamy, porky taste from the collagen that dissolves into the broth. It differs from the usual ramens you'll find at other Japanese places that often only offer Shio (salt) or Shoyu (Soy Sauce) chicken based broths. Yakitori Jinbei finishes theirs with some chewy ramen noodles, a few slices of melt in your mouth, slow cooked pork belly, and a healthy handful of vegetables. The combination of flavors is out of this world. Why take my word for it? I'm a bit of a Ramen nut. I've subscribed to Momofuku's quarterly magazine just for their issue based on Ramen. I have spent countless days and money trying to perfect my own Ramen broths at home. I even have posters of Yamada and Yamagishi San (Ramen Gods of Japan) hung in my office. For those wondering how the rest of Yakitori Jinbei stacks up: the Décor is typical of most Japanese places with a sushi bar and lots of booth seating. The menu is traditional dishes and rolls with the addition of a pretty good yakitori selection of local farm raised chicken that have been skewered and wood grilled - pretty tasty. Service is consistently good even during busy times and my green tea is always filled promptly. I wasn't too impressed with some of the sushi and other dishes I sampled which most folks usually look for when dining Japanese; to be honest though, I usually don't come there for anything besides ramen. I'm sure ample emphasis has been made throughout this review why I'd recommend going here. If you want to try "real" ramen, Yakitori Jinbei will not disappoint. For the overall place itself, I'd give 3 stars if you don't want ramen and 5 stars for if you do (avg @ 4).
(4)Yadi C.
Obviously, these guys came to US but forgot to bring their Ramen tradition with them. There should be seaweeds and soy sprouts in Ramen. Their noodle soup is too salty, the meat on top of the noodle is cold, the noodle is just instant noodle. And there are too much cabbage there! People who think this Ramen shop is good should definitely go to Japan.
(1)K S.
Fairly good food, but over all dishes are really over priced for the quality of food you get. $14+ for Tonkotsu Ramen? I was expecting AWESOME Ramen for this price... Not... Other dishes are "ok," nothing memorable other than the high price tag. 2 people, 2 beers and food ended up being $140 including tip.
(3)Erika G.
The owner(the lady) was such a rude person! I was born and raised in Japan. She was talking trash about me when I asked the server for some sauce for soba noodles because it was to watery. I'm from Tokyo, so I needed the soup to be more salty. I can hear her talking trash about me in Japanese because obviously she didn't know I am Japanese. I've been to the restaurant at least 20 times. She shouldn't have said anything bad about customers sitting right in front of her. Another thing, I ordered eel sushi and she forgot to make it, so she told the waitress to tell me that they don't have it because they are about to close. My husband ordered negitoro roll and it has California roll inside, it wasn't good at all and cost $15. I'm never going back again.
(1)Steven H.
Yakitori Jinbei was an ok experience, but overall, slightly disappointing. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad place, but I won't make the drive from Gwinnett to Smyrna for this place again. Main reason for coming was because of the yakitori. It was disappointing. Selection was not great, and the meat was over salted. Their other dishes were respectable, but again, if you're experienced in real Japanese food, this place probably isn't the place for you, as it wasn't for me. If the name of your restaurant is the name of a particular type of food, it should be the star of the menu, and their yakitori fell well short of my expectations.
(3)Marcus O.
ramen: great! yakotori: yummy! sushi: so-so. health rating? wonk-wonk-wonk-wooooooonk. i don't think you can score lower and still remain open. be cautious.
(3)Orrin A.
My boys (13 and 10) and I had a tasty meal here. Unfortunately, I would not call this a high value meal. Some sake, a bowl of ramen, 3 yakitori skewers, and sushi for one totalled $90+ after tip! I'm all for paying more for high quality, but I didn't feel the high price tag was justified. Again, everything meal-wise was great, but I'm not sure I'll drive the half-hour again for these prices. A quick meal with my boys should cost less IMHO. I can find better and cheaper sushi closer. The skewers were 6 to 9 dollars each for 3 morsels of animal flesh. The sushi nigiri was $3 dollar per piece! Service was warm and friendly. If I just had to have a bowl of ramen with pork broth again and I didn't care about pricing, I suppose I'd come back.
(3)jessica B.
Very authentic. When I first walked in, there were two young Japanese guys sitting there. It was such a relaxed atmosphere definitely not a fast food restaurant. Seemed like the young guys had been there chatting for a while and didn't even order until after we had gotten our meal. Waitress was very relaxed and did not come to our table to see how we were doing like 10 times, which is a good thing for me. It's also a small restaurant and I could tell waitress was aware of our needs. Service was perfect, in my opinion! Do not come here if you are in a rush. Ideal for a first date; place is very cozy and quiet. Food was awesome. If you are open for a new cultural experience You must try this place. They have Sushi, Ramen, and all kinds of grilled meats!
(5)Leanne E.
When you walk into a place and its filled with native persons, that is a good sign. I went to Yakatori Jinbei Saturday night with my boyfriend. We were greeted in Japanese, which was nice. The shrimp tempura roll and miso soup were amazing. Never have I had miso soup that was so amazingly good! The suishi was moist and rolled right. Such a fan! Will be back!
(5)Esther K.
The bf and I feel that this place has one of the best Tonkatsu Ramen in town! We've dined here for dinner numerous times and their ramen is always on point! Fresh ingredients, perfected textured noodles, and never salty (so far). Another thing that you must get are their Yakitori. It's always cooked and flavored well. They even make long green onions ("pah") taste flavorful. I love how they give you a free appetizer/small bowl filled with vegetable. It helps clear the palate for your meal and helps subside the major hunger growls of one's stomach until the rest of your food comes out. We love this place so much that we've brought several friends with us. Two of our friends have even visited Japan and felt that Yakitori Jinbei's Tonkatsu Ramen was made right. I've also had their Chirashi Don. Rice and fish selections were good but their Ramen and Yakitori are the two things one should not leave without devouring in a visit. I would highly recommend. It's worth the drive from Norcross/Duluth!
(4)