Before we move forward with this recommendation, let me qualify my knowledge and expertise as it relates to sushi and Japanese cuisine. I’ve never been to Japan. I’m also not one of those people that will brave frighteningly seedy gas station looking haunts simply because they are Japanese owned and supposedly have ‘the best sushi in town’. Finally, you’ll have a hard time convincing me that something akin to a water bug with some neon sludge looking stuff smeared across the top of it is a delicacy. I have eaten at highly recommended sushi and Japanese restaurants in every major U.S. city. My palate has grown well past the neophyte comfort zone of California Rolls and Shrimp Tempura. My best sushi experience until last year was Sansei Restaurant and Isana Restaurant both located in Kihei, Maui. Okay, biography complete so now let me tell you why Yutaka Sushi Bistro has the best sushi, the freshest sashimi, the most artistic presentations, and the overall finest dining experience I’ve ever had in a Japanese restaurant.
Even with my relatively naïve palate, one thing I know well is fresh fish – how to spot it, how it’s supposed to smell (it’s not), and when it’s delivered to local restaurants (never eat sushi on a Monday in a landlocked city). And not to dummy down the theatrical knife skills and fancy plating but all my research and discussions with chefs has confirmed that it all starts with fresh fish. Fresh fish, clean flavors, and very few ingredients.
Get your mind around the visuals of the MSG laden All-U-Can Eat sushi buffets whose rolls have more rice than fish, the conveyor belt delivery sushi spots, and those overblown, neon bathed restaurants that just decided to serve sushi because demand is high and pretty girls seem to love it. Gather those up, cast them aside and join me for a cyclone of flavors, textures, and freshness navigated by Chef and Owner Yutaka Yamato.
Most of the purists I know always start with the sashimi deducing if the fish by itself is fresh and flavorful, the rolls and other dishes will be as well. Still others start with the rolls presuming if the fish tastes fresh in them; the sushi and sashimi will be ultra fresh too. Either way, know that the whole roll thing is what those in the know refer to as American sushi. So I’m told; you won’t find California or Philly Rolls in your average sushi joint in Osaka or Okinawa. That being said, last I checked I’m in the United States and I’ve already put an asterisk by my sushi expertise so let’s start with the rolls at Yutaka.
My lineup of regulars for rolls goes something like this; spicy tuna, soft shell crab (spider), rainbow, crawfish or Louisiana, and what I guess is probably the most un-Japanese roll in existence, the Philadelphia roll. These are all great at Yutaka. But, honestly, don’t go to Yutaka for rolls when there are so many other wonderful things to order.
For sushi, I always like to order at least 2 pieces of regular old glistening blood red tuna, lovely jack-o-lantern orange fresh and smoked salmon, and sometimes some eel. Each has always been impeccably fresh on my visits. Then I typically will try one of the specials of the day or ask the chef to send out something. On different visits this has ranged from striped bass to amberjack to an amazing Japanese snapper with lemon oil, lemon leaves, and scallions. You get the idea. They do the standards extremely well but also offer up unusual preparations. The real showstoppers at Yutaka, though, are the sashimi and the menu items and it’s these dishes that take Yutaka from incredible sushi restaurant to the level of incredible fine dining restaurant.
I’ve had more than a few people tell me they don’t get the sashimi thing. “I mean, all they do is take a piece of fish and slice off 4 or 5 slivers and hand it to you. Where’s the art in that?” I can’t argue that happens far too often at Dallas area sushi joints but there is quite a bit of chef-dom and artistry that goes into a successful sushi presentation. First, of course, is how fresh the fish is. Obviously, different restaurants use different purveyors. Some restaurants have a tendency to use fish past its expiration date so don’t be scared to ask the sushi chef when the fish arrived. Next, you gotta show me something with the presentation. I agree with the quote above. Anyone can cut off 5 hunks of fresh fish and hand it to you on a sushi tray. Give me something artistic and playful. And finally, cut the fish into edible bites! It’s so irritating when your tuna sashimi arrives and it’s been cut into blocks the size of a blackberry. Cut it into manageable one bite portions and I’m happy.
Tuna, Yellowtail, Toro, and Spanish Mackerel are far and away my favorites for sashimi, with Yellowtail serving as my litmus test for a quality sushi restaurant. The tuna or maguro is the most popular fish at American sushi bars, primarily due to its meaty and clean taste. At Yutaka it comes out an even, dark red without so much as a hint of fishiness – just a tinge of the sea smell. The basic presentation is an ice filled wooden bowl with the pieces stretched out over the top but I’ve also had these folded and rolled into a roses and other shapes. Others certainly do similar presentations but I appreciate the effort just the same. Fresh Yellowtail or hamachi comes out creamy in color and has that absolutely perfect buttery, melt in your mouth flavor. Of all the places I’ve had fresh hamachi, Yutaka is hands down the best. The Toro (fatty tuna belly), perhaps the king of sashimi, comes from the underbelly of the Bluefin Tuna. In the U.S., even though this fish is abundant off the East Coast it is typically the most expensive item on a sushi menu. The bulk of these monstrous fish are actually fished commercially for use in cat food but little Morris doesn’t get the prized underbelly. The freshest should be pink and a little opaque with the fattest and most prized being light pink and extraordinarily tender. It has a taste and richness all its own, approaching butter like status in the mouth. Toro are at their peak in the winter months and, at least during this time, it is well worth the excessive price tag to treat yourself to this delicacy. Finally, the Spanish mackerel is flawless. Yutaka takes a fresh whole mackerel and removes the plump and slightly oily meat, yielding about six pieces of sashimi (they’re small fish). The carcass is skewered made to look like the fish is jumping out of the water. The tasty meat is served with grated ginger and chopped scallions over it to bring out the sweetness of the fish and counteract the rich oils. This is one of the tastiest fish you’ll ever eat. The finale? They take the carcass, deep fry it, generously salt it and bring it back to you table. A squeeze of lemon over the top and you can – if you are so daring – eat the entire thing eyeballs and all! As I said above, I’m a little iffy on some of the crazier offerings but this is one you’ll thank me you tried.
On the non-sushi menu, I’ve tried six different items and have to say all were home runs. Given my affection for Yellowtail, it should come as no surprise that I loved the Yellowtail with fresh sliced jalapenos and spicy yuzu sauce. I don’t usually eat the japs with the fish because I find it overpowering but the hint of their heat on the fish is fabulous as is the yuzu with it. Tuna Tataki is half a dozen pieces of tuna fanned out into a flower shape served with a pungent cilantro dressing. Again, the collision of flavors is fantastic but doesn’t overwhelm the fish. Spicy Tuna Gryoza is what I would call a tuna filled potsticker pan seared and lightly drizzled with soy. There’s definitely some heat in there and the contrast of textures from the crispy outside edges to the tender inside is fantastic.
You simply have to have Kobe beef at a Japanese restaurant right? Though I’ve cursed this as overblown and overpriced at many, many restaurants, I’m a big fan of Yutaka’s version. They bring out smoking hot river stones along with a chorus line of the marbled beef with chopped Japanese vegetables in a light soy marinade. You toss the beef on the stone and cook it to your desired doneness. This is so flavorful you will most likely pony up and order another round of it. King Crab Tempura was also stellar on our most recent visit. There’s no “K” in this crab; it’s the real deal. The chef yanked crab legs out of the display case and pulled out several hunks, dipped them in a special light batter and deep fried them. They were served with a spicy yellow jalapeno jus and rested on top of two battered and fried sishito peppers and topped with fried matchstick sized leeks providing yet another texture profile. The peppers looked like two pieces of okra but they packed a lot more punch.
Finally, on our last visit I noticed a platter sitting on top of the sushi counter displaying large sprigs of asparagus and softball size trumpet mushrooms. I asked the chef to prepare something out of that.
Keeping it simple, he chopped some of the mushrooms and asparagus and sautéed them quickly in soy, butter, and a dash of sake. He then finished them in the oven. Although I am the anti-thesis of a vegetarian this was phenomenal. The fresh ingredients and the simple yet powerful flavors took it to another level.
The wine list is honestly not bad. I’ve struggled with wine pairings with sushi and my sake palate is still slowly evolving. I typically default to a Sav Blanc or something similar and Yutaka has several to offer though none stray too far off the California path. There’s a decent listing of reds as well and I suppose they have a place in a sushi restaurant though I’ve yet to make that pairing.
The space at Yutaka is small, as in 10 tables small. They’ve accented the industrial space with some Japanese touches but it is essentially a come as you are, no frills sushi den and there’s nothing wrong with that. Its location in a strip mall across from S&D Oyster Company doesn’t lend itself to many parking options either but, as detailed above, it’s worth the effort, worth the wait, and worth an extra block or two walk to get the opportunity to engulf some of their sushi.
The small group of servers is eager and exceedingly helpful. I’m more of a counter guy that likes to talk to the chefs but I’ve never had to wait for a refill and have always had my plates swept away just moments after I’ve emptied them.
It seems like there’s a sushi restaurant in every shopping center, urban development, and strip mall these days. Too often these places are bastardized Texa-fied versions of real sushi houses staffed by chefs and wait staff that are anything but Japanese. If you’ve read some of our other reviews, you know our penchant and expectations for certain restaurants and the heritage of the people running it. Call it culinary profiling if you want but we expect to see Italians at Italian restaurants, Mexican-Americans at Mexican restaurants and, yes, Japanese folks at sushi restaurants. Authentic is authentic. Chef Yutaka Yamato is from Japan and I truly believe that plays a large role in his authentic approach and insistence on unmatched quality. This, along with everything else described above, puts Yutaka in a category that doesn’t necessarily leave us speechless but does prompt us to just simply utter..Arigato Yutaka. Arigato.