Ritodhi C.
Yelp
Yoshi is one of Houston's nearly infinite strip mall sushi joints and weighs in on the more affordable side of the spectrum. I've now experienced the place both in person and via takeout and some common themes emerged. First off, it is a quaint space with a neighborhood feel: just a few tables, a small kitchen, and a TV in the corner. The service is super friendly and attentive.
Regarding the menu, the miso soup was great - not too salty and furnished with generous amounts of tofu and seaweed. In general, the rolls were a bit faultily constructed and broke apart rather easily under their own weight. We were not fans of the Lake Jackson Roll (snow crab and avocado inside, topped with hamachi, jalapeno, and green onion) because the crab tasted like soggy tuna - perhaps the mayo was too watery? The Pink Lady Roll (tuna, salmon, white fish, avocado, and shrimp in soy paper) also didn't really come together for us in terms of flavor. In fact, the spicy mayo underneath was the best part.
The nigiri and sashimi were a mixed bag. The nigiri came with long slices of fish that were thin in the other two dimensions. Some of the fish had a strange plastic-like texture and actually tasted defrosted. The 14-piece sashimi platter is an excellent deal as the fish were largely cut into thick, juicy slabs. The white tuna, hamachi, and salmon were fantastic and the clear stand outs. The pepper tuna was also decent. I would stick to these if possible. The rest of the varieties of fish were straight up unenjoyable. The tuna had a bitter aftertaste and did not feel fresh. The red snapper was overly chewy and mild. The other cubes of pink fish on our platter tasted like water, which is to say like nothing.
Overall, the offerings at Yoshi are pretty decent for the price and the quantity is reasonable, but the fish is extremely inconsistent in terms of quality. It's a decent bet for cheap takeout, but I don't think I will be adding it to my regular rotation.