Robert H.
Yelp
Came to Yukashi for the 9-course omakase dinner. After reading the great reviews, I came with high expectations, but wow, everything from the food, atmosphere, to service surpassed my expectations and blew me away. I highly recommend booking a table at the bar to get the full experience seeing Chef Izutsu meticulously prepare his culinary masterpieces. He is truly a Japanese masterchef! Having been to numerous excellent omakase restaurants in the city, I would have to say Yukashi is in a league above.
The o-toro I had here was the best I've ever had, even better than the one I had at Yasu and Zen, and on par with the best I've had in Japan. Chef Izutsu cuts the fish into cubes (kaku-zukuri) instead of traditional rectangular (hira-zukuri) slices to improve the texture and lets the fish warm up to room temperature to let the full flavour from the fat be accentuated.
Even common dishes like chawanmuchi (steamed egg) and tempura, were elevated to be far more unique and sophisticated than what I've had at other omakase restaurants like Solo and Aoyama.
The thinly sliced Miyazaki A5 wagyu beef served with uni and foie gras and freshly blow torched at the table is as decadent as it gets. The three ingredients harmoniously compliments each other so well, I can't think of anything to add or change to make this dish better. This dish has enough fat and cholesterol to make my cardiologist frown, but if he tasted the dish, I'm sure he would understand.
Although I thought the single slice of melon for dessert was a little basic and not in line with the rest of the intricate dishes, I was completely satisfied after tasting the sweetest melon I've ever had in my life. Chef Izutsu explained that he imports the melons from his Japan hometown. He explained how they cut all the melons from the tree except a single one to allow all the nutrients to be concentrated in that single melon, resulting in such an exquisite treat and undoubtably a very expensive melon.
At $150 per person for the base omakase meal, it is slightly more expensive than other places. But given the quality of the ingredients used and the labour of love put into each dish, I would say this meal is a bargain.
Although dinner lasted almost 3 hours, watching chef Izutsu work his magic made the time just fly by. What a dinner and show! After the meal, chef was gracious enough to share some stories from his past, entertaining us until the very end. One of the best omakase meals I've ever had! Will definitely be back!