this is primarily a review of the sushi.
i've eaten sushi at a lot of places in a lot of locations. the valley has never really had an authentic sushi scene ever since i acquired the sushi taste and has also never really had a good grasp as to what sushi really is, or what it really should be. delicious fish, or other creatures from the sea, seasoned with a brush of soy sauce on top of vinegared sushi rice.
sure most sushi places in the valley serve nigiri and sashimi, but it's always the same variety of fish served at the same temperature and quality. there is no preparation of the fish they serve, no attention to flavor or tenderness or texture or color. after the fish arrives vacuum frozen (which is complete fine), it is then thawed, and then cut to serve.
yasuke is no different.
it's the same style of sushi you can find at every single sushi bar in the valley. cold fish on top of (sometimes) cold rice. there has been an occasion where the rice was actually at proper temperature and i could really taste great flavor in the sushi, which was a pleasant surprise.
other than that, it's your standard sushi place. they have your standard favorite sushi rolls that everyone tends to like and i am no different. a good rainbow roll is something iloveto indulge in. but here in the valley i'm always in search of the type of sushi that melts in your mouth and leaves you hanging your head in disbelief as to what is going on and i have yet to find such an experience.
however, it's what's off the menu that keeps me coming to this place. up until a few months ago i was under the impression that i had to venture outside of the valley to find one particular delicacy that i am inlovewith, and that is uni (or sea urchin). not only that, but finding a place that serves fatty cuts of fish is also rare.
the two off menu items that i've tried is the uni and what looks to be chutoro, which is a medium fatty tuna. while the chutoro was a decent piece of fish, it also lacked that attention to detail that i previously mentioned, but i'm still a sucker for toro cuts so i made the best of it.
the prize winner here, though, was the uni. the quality of the uni was sublime and looked/tasted like santa barbara sea urchin with the golden brown color and a sweet flavor. it lacked a sprinkle of soy sauce for season but even without it was a perfect experience.
it's an above average sushi place due to some of the off menu items, but not something that delivers a religious experience.