Mountain View’s downtown dinner scene has a new place where the steak arrives raw, the grill is built into the table, and the most expensive cuts are very much the point. Yakiniku Ginza is now serving Japanese barbecue with A5 wagyu, Australian wagyu, seafood, vegetables and enough tabletop cooking to make every diner part chef and part fire marshal.
The restaurant has been in a soft opening since May at the former K-Pot & Grill space, according to Palo Alto Online. Owners Qi Dong and Shuni Pang are positioning the Castro Street spot around bite-sized meats cooked quickly over a tabletop grill, with guests free to handle the cooking or ask a server to take over.
That hands-on setup is classic yakiniku, a Japanese grilling style that keeps the seasoning restrained so the beef can do most of the talking. Each guest gets a four-compartment tray for sauces and seasonings, turning the meal into a small exercise in personal steak customization.
A5 Wagyu Takes The Spotlight
Yakiniku Ginza’s A5 Japanese wagyu lineup includes strip loin, short rib, chuck eye roll and brisket. Prices range from $42.89 to $69.89, while Australian wagyu options cost less and include short rib, top blade, chuck roll, beef tongue, brisket and beef belly.
The menu also covers the rest of the tabletop grill: pork belly, chicken thigh, shrimp, scallops and vegetables. The restaurant’s online ordering menu lists additional starters such as vegetable tempura, karaage, fried soft crab and several versions of edamame, while a six-compartment appetizer set brings together items such as kimchi, cucumber salad, pickled radish, seaweed salad and grilled shishito peppers, according to Toast.
What To Expect At The New Castro Street Spot
Prepared appetizers and raw meats share the menu, with grilling items priced from $18.56 to $26.89 and the appetizer set priced at $16.95. A5 beef is the richer, fattier option, while Australian wagyu brings a stronger, more traditional beef flavor for diners who want something less buttery.
There is also Japanese beer and sake by the glass, carafe or bottle, giving the restaurant a clear dinner-and-drinks angle rather than a quick lunch format. Yakiniku Ginza is open daily from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is currently advertising 10% off all orders.
The opening gives a long-dormant Castro Street restaurant space a new life while adding another premium meat destination to the South Bay. The Old Mountain View Neighborhood Association had been tracking the project since 2025, when signage first identified the coming restaurant as a Japanese counterpart to the former Korean barbecue operation at the address.
