aurora isn't usually the first place to look for great sushi, but...
Friday, June 23, 2006
i've always thought of sushi restaurants as coming in 2 categories; traditional and experimentive. traditional sushi restaurants refine age old ingredients and techniques, while experimentive sushi restaurants try new ingredients, techniques and presentation styles. yamashiro is an example of a great experimentive sushi restaurant.
korean owned and tucked away across from a hyundai dealership, the inside of the restaurant is sleek, stylish and open. there 2 bar areas (sushi bar and drink bar) situated across from each other and divided by sit-down tables.
as with many sushi restaurants, the menu is populated with a lot of choices. in addition to ordering sushi, there are also salads and entrees. i have not tried any of the entrees, but i did try the wasabi shumai, which was delicious and attacked the nose a little.
for anyone visiting the restaurant for the first time, i would recommend the yamashiro roll, which is topped with baked scallops in a savory sauce. for the more daring, there is the dragon's eye roll, which incorporates pieces of habanero and jalepeno pepper.
the happy hour is also a steal, with full rolls priced at 2 for $8.50. there is also a full bar that features liquor, wine, sake, and soju mixed drinks. soju is a korean alcohol distilled traditionally from rice. it shares a lot of qualities with vodka, but at around 30-50 proof (stronger than sake). being korean-american, this is personally an added bonus.
the only caveat to dining at yamashiro's is the wait time for food. there is usually only 1-2 sushi chefs on staff and i have never seen turnaround time less than 30 minutes, even on slow business days. i usually counteract this by making my first order count.
so check yamashiro's out. you'll never expect such great sushi to come out of aurora. just remember to keep your patience and you'll be rewarded with a happy stomach.