A meticulously crafted omakase experience with theatrical flair, featuring thrilling seafood and exceptional artistry. An intimate, transportive journey for serious sushi aficionados.
Will Hartman reviews Yoshino, an expensive omakase restaurant in NYC, highlighting its thrilling seafood preparations, intimate atmosphere, and exceptional service, calling it a "quietly thrilling" experience.
Chef Tadashi Yoshida's Yoshino offers a high-end omakase experience in NYC, praised for its meticulous preparation and theatrical presentation. The meal features around 20 courses, with standout dishes like kinmedai soup with truffle, grilled Hokkaido scallop, and exceptional tuna preparations. While the price point is steep, the intimate atmosphere, jazz music, and exquisite seafood artistry make it a memorable, transportive dining event.
Yoshino offers a high-end Japanese omakase experience, with a strong focus on meticulously prepared nigiri and other seafood dishes. Highlights include truffle-infused kinmedai soup, grilled Hokkaido scallops, and various tuna cuts. The sushi rice is also noted for its perfect seasoning. While the food is widely lauded, there are occasional comments regarding the beverage service.
"While Yoshino is primarily known for its omakase tasting menu, specific highlights mentioned include kinmedai soup with truffle, grilled Hokkaido scallop, various tuna preparations like chiaigishi chutoro, and a velvety anago."
Customers generally praise the exceptional quality and artistry of the food, calling it a top-tier sushi experience. However, some reviews mention a pushy service approach regarding alcohol purchases.
Important Note
The restaurant is very expensive, with omakase prices noted to be over $480 and potentially as high as $648. Some customers have reported pushy behavior from the sommelier regarding alcohol purchases.
"The commenter lists Yoshino alongside other high-priced omakase places they are now hesitant to frequent, indicating it's a known, expensive option in the NYC omakase scene."
Neutral"The commenter felt that Noz was a waste of money and would have preferred to go to Sushi Sho or Yoshino instead, stating that Noz is not in the same league."
Positive"Sushi Sho is considered the best sushi spot in the city, with Yoshino in second place. Sho offers a broader experience, while Yoshino focuses primarily on nigiri."
Positive"The commenter is planning to go to Yoshino this month and notes that comparing high-end NYC sushi prices to flights to Tokyo for omakase is complex, as both can be very expensive."
Neutral"The commenter states that Yoshino was exceptional, as always, for their Christmas Eve dinner in NYC."
Positive"This user states that Yoshino in NYC is on par with, or even slightly better than, some Tabelog Silver-tier restaurants in Tokyo. However, they note that the price is about three times higher due to the 'New York premium'."
Positive"This commenter asserts that Yoshino is among the very best in NYC, with no other restaurants coming close."
Positive"Yoshino is mentioned as a restaurant worth considering."
Positive"This commenter stated that Yoshino is great and, in their opinion, even better than Sho."
Positive"The author enjoyed the food at Yoshino, describing it as the best of the best. They also noted their experience with the wine pairing which was part of Restaurant Yuu's offerings."
Positive"The user mentioned they have booked Yoshino for their upcoming solo fine dining meal in NYC."
Neutral"This user highlights Yoshino's charcoal-seared mackerel as being even better than Noz Market's, though it's part of an omakase experience."
Positive"The commenter believes Yoshino should be elevated to two Michelin stars."
Positive"The commenter recommends Yoshino for omakase."
Positive"The commenter suggests Yoshino as an alternative to Blue Ribbon due to its proximity. However, the original poster later stated that no tables were available."
Neutral"This user mentions Yoshino is really good but not as good as Sushi Sho."
Neutral"This user states that Yoshino is very good and likely to receive a second Michelin star soon."
Positive"The commenter found the food to be good to great but agreed that the alcohol situation negatively impacted the ambiance. They observed some customers engaging in a 'pissing contest' to order the most alcohol."
Neutral"This is a follow-up comment indicating that the sommelier's pushy behavior seems to be a consistent issue."
Negative"The commenter agrees that the sommelier is pushy, recounting an instance where they were pressured to upgrade a sake choice by $200. They believe the drink list is unreasonable if such upselling is necessary for a good experience."
Negative
