Yutaka Sushi Bistro: Uptown's Asian Oasis
My friends were raving about Yutaka so I had to see if the superlatives were true. And, they are. This small little place in a strip on McKinney serves up big flavor with a smile.
Step inside and you’re carried away to a small dark restaurant with clean modern lines, stainless steel wall coverings peppered with minimalist Japanese flower arrangements.
My daughter is an all-American girl – blonde and blue-eyed – but after our meal at Yutaka I was wondering if she might have a Japanese guardian angel. She ordered some very exotic fare – sea urchin, eel and octopus – three items that would send many Americans squirming in their seat. I was more conservative ordering salmon, yellowtail tuna and sweet shrimp. We split the edamame and the spicy salmon roll.
Part of the sushi experience is the presentation and Yutaka takes the visual to the highest level. The sashimi is served in a bowl filled with ice with the fish slices fanned out on top, accompanied by a single loose lettuce and banana leaves along with clear daikon radish threads.
Two doors down from Yutaka’s sushi restaurant is his sake lounge, Sharaku. Sharaku means the enjoyment or happiness in drinking sake. This sake bar is now serving an Izakaya menu. In Japan, Izakayas are sake bars that serve food meant to be shared – similar to Spanish tapas or Mediterranean Mezze appetizers. Sharaku serves Kushiyaki – skewered meats and vegetables grilled over special Japanese black charcoal. They also serve Kushiage skewered meat and or vegetables breaded in panko and lightly fried and Shabu Shabu – Japanese beef or pork hot pot with noodles, vegetables, rice and an egg.
We ordered Asian spinach with black sesame sauce, chicken rice soup, chamame – green tea infused edamame, fried chicken meatball and bacon wrapped scallop. All were delicious.
Hello Dallas tip: Yutaka accepts reservations for parties of 6 or more before 7:00pm. After that, it’s first come, first served. You can wait for your table while enjoying a cocktail and an appetizer at Sharaku. Or, walk around the neighborhood and Yataku’s host will call you on your cell phone when your table is ready.
Posted by Constance Hannon
