Yamato

This place was excellent. Great service and delicious food at a very reasonable price. Plan on going back whenever I am in Pella.

Not a lot of atmosphere here but the sushi, soup and salads were some of the best we’ve had in the Des Moines area!

thank goodness for yamato’s! I love Japanese food, especially sushi. I’d probably give them 5 stars if they had a liquor license. I enjoy a nice sake with my dinner, which they don’t have.

We are sorry to say that all 4 in our party got sick after eating at Yamato. The food was delicious, the service great but stomach and intestinal problems through the night made it absolutely not worth it. «Best tasting poison we’ve ever had!»

This place has something for everyone. Even rhe pickier pallets in our party enjoyed everything they ate. The staff was also incredibly friendly and accomodating.

Great for a meal out, great ambience and nice portions — but the food could be more authentic.

I consider myself a sushi connoiseur visiting many sushi restaurants accross the US (MD, CO, IA, MN, CA, IL, NV, etc). Funny that I find myself now living in Oskaloosa for the past 2 years. Closest city that I can find good sushi is Des Moines (my hometown). To my excitement, Yamato opened up in Pella earlier this year and gives me a closer place to quench my sushi craving.
I’ve eaten here a few times since it’s open. To compare it to other sushi restaurants in bigger cities (i.e. Miyabi 9, Wasabi Chi, and Seafood Waterfront in DSM) would not be fair. It be like comparing a Ferrari with a Toyota Camry. But like the Camry, Yamato is decently reliable. Prices are fair (cuz I highly doubt it if fresh fish are being flown to Pella on a weekly basis). I’ve tried the Spicy Girl, Hot Lover, Yamato roll, Dragon Roll, Crazy Tuna, and American Dream Roll (I’m all about the Special Rolls!!). Plating and Presentation wise, it’s above average. They take the time to present the rolls elegantly on their serving dishes. Each roll came out separatly on it’s own dish (which is a plus for me!). Other places would combine them on the same dish which takes away from the concept of Sushi. Sushi is an art and needs to be treated like an art. Every roll is unique in it’s own way, so keep them separate. Taste-​wise, it’s average; nothing to go goo-​goo and ga-​ga over, but just average enought to satisfy your sushi craving. The spicy mayo and unagi sauces are typical, nothing to special. The deep fried rolls are well constructed; they stay crunchy and are cleanly fried. The tempura that they use is not your typical tempura; it’s more of a crunchy (shake-​n-​bake like) texture. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of their deep-​fried rolls primary of the shake-​n-​bake texture, but at the same time it’s not too bad. I recommend the Dragon Roll which is your basice Cali Roll with Eel on top drizzled with Unagia sauce. At $ 10.99, it’s a steal!!!
Overall, this is a pretty good place to get sushi considering the location. I mean, COME ON! Sushi is Pella!!! you can’t be serious, right!!! Yep, it’s serious! Sushi in Pella!

We frequent sushi and hibachi restaurants in Des Moines but opted to give this place a try as it is closer to home. AMAZING! Our waiter was perfect — quick, kept glasses full, very polite and didn’t hover. The food came out very quickly and our orders were exactly as we requested. At this point we were crossing our fingers the food would be delicious since the service was exceptional. It did not disappoint! Soup, salad and our hibachi orders (scallops for me, salmon for him) were cooked to perfection and delicious! The lobster rangoons are a must too! Check came promptly and we left full and impressed!

Excellent. We were treated with great service and fresh food. Will dine here again. Who would have that Pella, Iowa would have an outstanding Japanese Steak House.
We enjoyed several Rolls and I had the Bento Box, all very good.

Not the best sushi I’ve ever had, but for small town Iowa this place is fantastic. Good selection of sushi rolls and other options for non sushi eaters. A great alternative to the chain restaurants nearby.