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I always considered Yoshi to do one of the best Japanese menus in Metn serving an upmarket selection of makis and sushi prepared by the same team behind Mitsu-Ya in Gemmayze. Back to this casual eatery in Dbayeh, I found out that things have changed a bit, to adapt to the local market - which I believe failed to understand the upmarket feel of Yoshi. Antoine, the previous manager, has left. The restaurant now offers sushi on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays in a more casual ambiance, similar to its competition.
It seems Yoshi has become a romantic restaurant; tonight five couples were having dinner. To be blunt it’s unfortunate that people eat sushi at these fast food places around town and seem to believe it to be sushi when Yoshi offers upmarket taste, flavors, non-chewy rice, no excess of mayonnaise... in short, decent cuisine!
Loved the wine and do recommend you try it: Gavi Di Gavi 2015. Pale gold with greenish highlights. Ample nose, with an intense bouquet featuring floral notes, vanilla, lemon, and apples. On the palate, dry, full-bodied, well-balanced and elegant. A rich and layered white with mineral, pineapple, and light honey character. Medium to full body, lovely fruit, and a flavorful finish.
The food is as good as it always was:
- Crispy salmon, avocado, and ginger salad: two thumbs up! We’ve all had crunchy salmon salads, some cold some hot, some chewy and some stale...so well balanced, so well textured, so good!
- Salmon slices served warm in a soy sauce and covered with sesame seeds. The tatami salad is a great way to start your meal.
- Probably called shrimp popcorn, fried pops made of a juicy heart and a crunchy envelop served with a side of cocktail sauce. Marinated shrimp embraced by a crispy batter, addictive bites I loved!
- It makes me happy to have soft salmon sashimi that’s lightly fatty, not thick textured and doesn’t have a metallic aftertaste. Good quality is found at Yoshi.
- Eggplant salad, at a sushi restaurant, is the last thing I was expecting to enjoy! Miso eggplant served hot, cooked to perfection melting under the palate.
And finally, the rolls arrived. Excellent! Really good Makis, not chewy rice, soft salmon, light sweetness, balanced sauce, delicious ingredients... this is what casual sushi should be like! Yoshi is where you have to have your next sushi meal.
Forget about the mochis... a very thick, unpleasant and way too chewy envelope with a tiny heart of ice cream. These mochis leave a robust, unpleasant aromatic taste around the mouth. One of the worst qualities I’ve tasted; one must eat the real mochis to understand how bad these are. The fried banana chunks on the other hand are enjoyable and worth trying.
I was used to better and more attentive service, which has unfortunately disappeared, but the food is still as good as the first day.
