Yo! Sushi
I must admit that when I was considering eating in Yo! Sushi, I did so with trepidation, given that I had never tried raw fish before. The thing that a lot of people don’t know is that Yo! Sushi do much more than just sushi!
We visited the branch in Cheshire Oaks, which has only been open for five weeks in a prime location nestled between all of the outlet shops. The decor in the new restaurant provides a light and airy feel as you walk in, with hard wood floors, neutral pink, white and beige colours on the walls and clear bulbous lightshades- the design is modern, clean and minimalist- which is just what you need in a place that serves food. The kitchen is all on display too so there is nothing hidden in this restaurant- everything is on show- demonstrating that they have nothing to hide in terms of cleanliness and preparation.
The high benches ensure your experience is informal, so it’s great for a family or a large group of people or a couple looking for a casual date.
We were greeted by the manager Neil who took us through the process of ordering. He told us that everything is charged for by the colour of the bowl that the food comes in. Hot dishes can be prepared by the onsite chefs and are brought to your table. The rest of the food circulates temptingly around on a conveyor belt so you can pick and choose what you want to eat. From sushi to salads, stir frys and rice, dumplings and rolls- there is something to suit every palate and as special menu for kids too. The menus on your table tell you exactly what everything is so you can match the picture and description to the dish travelling around. The food and temperature is closely monitored, with times on each of the lids dictating when the dish needs to come off the conveyor belt, so everything is fresh and not been sat out for hours. Of course this of the upmost importance with raw fish.
To whet your appetite we enjoyed he following:
Checked Firecracker Rice- Spicy sushi rice chicken with Asian vegetables
Duck Goya- Duck dumplings with hoisin sauce
Chicken Teriyaki- Grilled chicken with sweet and sticky soy sauce
Beef Tsukune- Skewered beef, cucumber and spring onion sausages with teriyaki sauce
Duck and Mango rolls- Mango wrap, shredded duck, cucumber spring onion and hoisin sauce
Strawberry cheesecake- Mocha soft Japanese rice cake balls with a strawberry cheesecake filling and biscuit crumb
The water is triple filtered and for a small fee you can have unlimited amounts, either still or sparking. The dispenser is right on your table too so you don’t have to call over the waitress for another beverage every time you get thirsty. They also have a selection of imported beers if you are looking to add a new drink to your list of favourites.
We were asked to sample the new Oishi Buns- which are fluffy folded, steamed buns with a filling of Hoisin duck, Miso chicken, Teriyaki Mushroom or Yuzu Mackerel. The buns themselves are quite plain, however they need to be to stop the outer part of the dish masking the flavours inside. Each one is packed with salads, meat, fish or vegetables and spices or glazes to pull all of the ingredients together. We sampled the Hoisin duck- shredded roast duck topped with hoisin sauce, spring onion, coriander and white sesame seeds. My partner had the Yuzu Makerel- Mackerel Katsu on a bed of pickled cucumber, pickled red onion and cos lettuce topped with Yuzu mayonnaise and dill and shiso cress. Another dish that you order specially, and we enjoyed some of the cold dishes before they were ready. Each one was bursting with flavour and it provides a welcome change to a wrap or a sandwich.
You can spice it up or tone it down at Yo! Sushi, so if you like the sound of the ingredients but want to ditch the heat, the chefs will make it for you to suit your tolerance to spiciness. They are also considerate when it comes to food intolerances too so just ask your member of staff if you need something making specially for you.
They also do take away too so if you are busy shopping and don’t have time for a sit down meal, then you can eat your favourite dishes on the go!
If you have not tried Yo! Sushi yet, I would suggest putting your reservations to one side and give it a go! You can eat as much or as little as you want and keep tight control of your budget as well as your waistline, as each dish has a calorie counter- so great for all you dieters out there. If you want to try sushi, you can start out with thinly sliced tasters as opposed to the chunky pieces of fish to see if you like it or not.
We found that we had a couple of dishes, talked and took a break and then had some more- it is great if you want to space out your meal, rather than being faced with huge amounts of food all at once. It encourages you to be social with the person you have arrived with as well as the staff and other customers- the chef came over to ensure that we had enjoyed our meals and asked if we needed anything else from the kitchen, which was a really personal touch.
Thanks to Neil and all his staff working on Friday night for everything you did to make our meal so tasty and enjoyable!
Yo! Sushi
Unit 157,
Cheshire Oaks Outlet Village,
Kinsey Road,
Ellesmere Port,
Cheshire CH65 9JR
T: 0151 515 2369
www.yosushi.com