I've always walked past my local Yo! Sushi, never wanting to go inside; I'm not a lover of fish and always assumed that the menu there would be predominantly seafood! When I was given the opportunity of a review, I looked at their menu and was pleasantly surprised by the wide range of dishes on offer. During January there is a wide selection of 50 dishes that are just £2.50 each, so we decided to check it out.
We were shown to our table and given an explanation of how everything works. There was a menu with pictures of all the dishes that were on offer, and a giant conveyor belt going that twisted and turned through the entire length and breadth of the restaurant, and dishes were working their way round. When you see one you like the look of, you grab it off the belt, eat it, then stack your plates to be counted at the end. If you can't see the dish you want, simply push the little button on your table and the waiter will come to take your order, which will be cooked especially for you. We were sat right next to their open kitchen, and it was fascinated to watch everything get cooked and prepared. The atmosphere is loud and bustling, and the place was packed!
When this special offer isn't on, the plates are all colour coded and priced accordingly. The waiter counts up your used plates at the end to work out your bill. I really like this concept but it is so easy to stack up a massive bill without even noticing! I felt a little self concious taking photos as we were sat so close to the kitchen (and everyone else! - In keeping with a traditional sushi bar, most customers sit together at a bar).
We started off with a a Vegetable Gyoza from the belt. Gyoza are dumplings typically filled with ground meat and vegetables and wrapped in a thin dough (also known as pot stickers). They were delicious, a perfect little appetiser. It was served with a delicious dipping sauce; I think it was some kind of soy sauce?
Spicy pepper squid was about the furthest that we ventured into seafood! It had a real kick to it and the squid was cooked perfectly, I really enjoyed it. A little squirt of fresh lemon juice really enhanced the chilli flavour, the dish was really fresh.
We then chose to order some dished from the menu. We pressed the button and a little purple light shone over our heads. Our food arrived in no time! This is chicken fire cracker rice, it was amazing! Sticky rice that had so much flavour mixed with succulent chicken. This was so good that I ordered a second bowl!
I also chose a chicken katsu as I love my chicken katsu curry recipe. Katsu is the fine breadcumb used to coat the meat. I was a little disappointed with how it looked, and thought it was a little over cooked. It still tasted yummy though and the curry sauce on top was delicious and stopped the dish from being too dry.
Guest ordered the prawn katsu and it was cooked much more to my taste and wasn't quite as crispy as the chicken. I love the light breadcrumbs and think the dish works well, but chicken will still be my personal choice of the two.
This was my favourite dish of the evening- Hoisin Duck Steamed Oishii Bun. It was heavenly, melt in the mouth duck with hoisin sauce and a sticky steamed bun. I ordered a second and I'm not even ashamed. I loved it!
After enjoying the vegetable gyoza we spotted a chicken gyoza on the belt. It was equally as delicious, if not better. Served with the same yummy dipping sauce.
We left feeling full, but not stuffed. If the deal hadn't been on then the meal would have easily been in excess of a 3 course meal elsewhere. I really liked the atmosphere in the restaurant; every time a dish was ready for delivery to a table, the chefs would shout "Yo yo!" and the fact everyone was sat so close together wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be! The staff were all really friendly and very attentive. I definitely enjoyed my first Yo! experience and definitely want to go back there again!
Food ***** Service ***** Atmosphere *****
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