Tasting New Menu Options at Yo! Sushi: Review
Last night, Anna (aka an Aussie in New Jersey) and I went to Yo! Sushi at the Mall at Short Hills for a one-on-one tasting with Chef Jamie Lidell. Yo! Sushi is updating their extensive menu this coming Tuesday, May 3rd, and we got a sneak peak at 10(!) of their new offerings.
If you have not been to Yo! Sushi, it’s a very cool restaurant and experience. There are currently 2 locations in New Jersey; at the Mall at Short Hills and Garden State Plaza in Paramus. In addition to ordering off their menu, they also have a conveyor belt where the sushi travels around and you can grab what looks appealing to you. Each plate color corresponds to a price ranging from $3 to $7.
The menu features a great mix of Japanese cuisine including Miso and Ramen Soup, Yakisoba (Stir Fried Noodles), Chahan (Japanese Fried Rice), Katsu, Tradtional Japanese Street Food, Gyosa (Dumplings), Tempura, Teriyaki, Sashimi, and of course…SUSHI!
The new items to the menu were inspired by a recent trip to Japan from the Yo! Sushi team. Their menu is as authentic as you can get without actually going on a trip there yourself. They even have Japanese soda and snacks for purchase!
We started our 10 course meal (yes, our neighbors judged us) with two items from the Otsumami section of the Menu. Ostumani translates to sides or snacks. New to this section are the Kimchi Ika, which is poached calamari with pickled kimchi chilli vegetables.
The other item from this menu was the Potato Salada, a Japanese potato salad. Typically, I do not enjoy traditional potato salad, but I did enjoy this Izakaya classic. The potatoes were served with quick-pickled vegetables and mixed with a karashi mustard dressing.
Both dishes are served cold, and they’re both delicious. Not to mention that the presentation was beautiful. Sometimes it’s hard to eat something so pretty.
Next we tried three new sushi rolls.
First, we tried the “Fish No Chip Roll”. Kind of like a Japanese Fish and Chips, minus the chips. The sushi is made with yellowtail tempura, onion, cucumber, and wasabi sauce.
Next we had their new Spider Roll, a tempura soft shell crab and pickled ginger roll with yuzu tobiko(which makes it yellow) with a side of sweet chilli sauce. This was amazing but word of caution: it’s a two bite roll. Unless you have a huge mouth, you will not be able to finish it in one bite.
Speaking of two bite rolls, our last and certainly not least, of the new sushi rolls we tried is the GINZA! Fresh Salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber roll with arenkha caviar (smoked herring with squid ink, lemon juice and spices) , teriyaki, sriracha and mayo, and crispy shallots. Very fancy, and very spicy. Definitely one of the favorites.
Yo! Sushi has a ridiculous amount of sushi options ranging from traditional to unique, but never “simple”. Every sushi dish is made to order and they always look fabulous.
Okay so that was 5/10. Moving on…
Yo! Sushi has a decent list of miso soup and ramen soups. New on their menu is the “Clam and Enoki Miso”, a very filling soup with miso broth, clams, mushrooms, noodles, wakame (edible seaweed) and shicimi chill powder (for a kick!). Easily a meal in itself. Plenty of clams too!
Our next dish was off of the Katsu portion of the menu. Katsu are crispy dishes covered in panko. New to the menu is Magura Katsu, a special blend of Yellowfin tuna, onion, and mayo with a side of wasabi sauce.
Anna, who does not like tuna and told me so before we sat down to eat, really enjoyed this dish! So that says something! I personally loved it, and the side of lime was a great touch because it paired really well with the dish.
Next up…Chazuke! Chazuke is salmon and yellowtail with rice, sesame paste, nori, yuzukoshu (a paste made from chili peppers, yuzu peel and salt), shiso leaf, and umani broth. SO good.
The Chazuke comes off of their “Honmono” menu, which translates to authentic home cooking. Also off this menu was our next dish, and Anna’s favorite, the Nanbanzuke.It was also one of my favorites too (honestly it’s hard to pick a favorite when everything tastes incredible)
A photo posted by New Jersey Isn’t Boring (@newjerseyisntboring) on
Sweet and sour yellowtail and pickles nestled on rice. SO delicious.
AND last…
But not least…
Chicken Wings!
As a lover of all chicken wings I can vouch that these wings, which were inspired by the Japanese city of Nagoya, were crispy and tender. They basically fell off the bone. AMAZING and delicious.
With over 100 items on their menu, it’s hard not to get swept away and order everything there. With affordable prices, you can return to the restaurant as much as you’d like to! This was my second trip to Yo! Sushi, and I was blown away by their new menu items. I highly recommend getting a few things and sharing it, that way you have room for dessert (yes they have dessert too!). Mochi ice cream? Yes please!
Thank you to Chef Jamie Lidell and everyone at Yo! Sushi for the opportunity to preview your menu before it debuts next week! We cannot thank Chef Jamie enough for the experience, so at the very least we hope we helped him with setting up his Instagram account.
To read about my last trip to Yo! Sushi at their grand opening…click HERE
About YO! Sushi
Founded in 1997, YO! Sushi was the first to bring the concept of a Japanese ‘kaiten’ sushi bar that delivered food via a conveyor belt to the United Kingdom. Yo! Sushi opened its first U.S. restaurants in the spring of 2015 in New Jersey and Florida. YO! Sushi’s dishes are freshly prepared in each restaurant daily. Although sushi is at the heart of the concept, there’s a choice of over 80 Japanese inspired items, including delicious soups, rice or noodle-based dishes, salads, tempura and hot classics. It’s fast, fresh and fun.
