Yama Cafe

Can this place be more perfect? It's a beautiful cafe, the employees are so sweet and patient. It seems the family's kiddos were playing board games. It feels so homey and comfortable. I always seek out anything I find a connection to regarding my identity (hafu). This was really comforting for me. I ordered the breakfast set with salad, perfect size and every bite was delicious. I recommend getting rice instead, or both the salad & rice. I like the corn in the salad. Everything was cut into small bites, which I liked. Partner ordered the black sesame latte with almond (no coffee in it), and it was PERFECT. I don't like sweets and this was light and creamy. We also ordered manju and moffins, I recommend trying anything you're interested in. The quality, care and love is apparent in every bite. And it warms my heart to see the pieces of their family decorating the cafe, like the kiddos artwork or the doraemon kakigori machine. Will return

The morning set included miso soup, a bowl of rice, Japanese pickles, a small salad, onsen tamago, fruits and a choice of protein. You can pick between sockeye salmon and mackerel and I got the sockeye salmon.
Honestly this was a fairly simple meal but it was so delicious and I absolutely loved it. The salmon was marinated so it's on the saltier side but it's perfect to pair it with the rice. I personally love mixing the onsen egg to the rice, because the rice can absorb all the runny yolk. I couldn't leave without getting their bake goods! Their mochi muffin was as good as how I remembered, super soft and chewy. The monaka was something new that I tried, it was sooo cute and I couldn't resist.
I really enjoyed everything I had and I love their vibe and wooden furnishings. I am definitely coming back in the future.
P.S: They serve the morning set until 11:00am, so make sure the time before visiting!

Came for a quick visit for a patio drink. Got myself an iced matcha and my friend an iced vanilla latte. Came in really large glasses and metal straws, which I appreciated.
Pros:
- friendly service
- seating available outside by the sidewalk
- homey decor for a cozy vibe

Notes:
- we walked up, but I noticed the residential street and Hastings has available free parking
- it's a little tight on the inside so accessibility was challenging by the doorway if there were others ordering before us or if people were waiting to exit the restaurant
- drinks took a while to come out, but understandable since there were only two people in the kitchen and a steady trickle of patrons
- lots of traffic on Hastings, the outdoor seating is nice but recommend going inside if want to have a lower volume chat

Excellent all around. Careful attention paid to all small details. Even poached eggs are Omega-3 ones slow cooked for ninety minutes.
Owner trained at culinary school in Japan.
Excellent matcha cafe latte.

Was looking for a Christmas cake for a holiday party and stumbled upon Yama Cafe! Was super easy to fill out their form online to inquire availability and they responded very promptly. I got the strawberry shortcake 7 inch for $45 plus tax. Pickup was so quick and easy. The decorations and attention to detail was incredible! Taste was delicious and not too sweet.

A nice little cafe that serves Japanese food and treats! They have great lunch sets and they also offer omakase meals at night if you book in advance. I highly recommend this because not only does Yama make your menu based on your request but you also get to have the cafe to yourself so it's such an intimate setting! I'm not impressed very often but I certainly was on my visit.

Here is the menu we enjoyed:

Cream cheese saikyo yaki, wagyu nigiri, squid and cucumber umeoroshiae, deep fried lotus root, satoimo kawariage, BC spot prawn sunomono

Smoked sashimi (toro, aburi shime sawara, salmon, squid, scallop)

Black code miso yaki

Yuzu shoyu mini ramen

Matcha Zenkai

The smoked sashimi was our favourite of the night because we never had smoked sashimi before and we loved that it was smoked right in front of us! How fun!

Favorite meal in Vancouver! The vegan bowl has over 10 elements and is so well balanced and flavorful! Obsessed with the moffins! The staff is so kind and they work so hard to get the food out fast! The cafe is gorgeous and I would recommend for breakfast or lunch or just a drink or dessert! They also have a seasonal drink menu! Incredible.

I really wanted Japanese breakfast and found this spot. From downtown, it's about a 20 minute bus ride away and it was easy enough to get to. We were immediately enamored with the cute decor of the cafe. The wait is moderate so I wouldn't recommend eating here if you're in a hurry but this place is perfect for slow mornings. Our food was delicious and you could really tell that the chef was extremely detailed and put a lot of thought into the pairings. We got one matcha latte and one strawberry latte. This was one of the best matcha lattes I have had in North America. Highly recommend coming here if you can!

Yama is an incredible cafe that serves Japanese food and cafe treats. However, a little known fact is that they also offer omakase meals at night! You have to book these in advance and they take all your preferences into account. The omakase is top-notch for a very reasonable price and feels exactly like what you would experience in Japan or at a high end omakase restaurant in Vancouver. Its a very unique experience as you are getting this upscale omakase experience in a small cozy family style cafe!

Delicious cake! Very local and authentic. Great service and parking available on the street.

Tried this place after seeing a video about the café and my partner also loves going to cafes. It was a cozy place and was busy when we went for lunch. A bit on the messy side (we were seated at the back), but overall a nice little family run Japanese café.

We ordered the Pork Belly Bowl + lunch set and Tuna Tataki Bowl. The Pork Belly Bowl was quite flavourful (and more saucier) and my partner loved the Tuna Tataki Bowl she ordered. We also ordered the Matcha Cafe Latte which was delicious.