Friday, Jan. 02, 2009

The sushi was so-so

Sushi Yoko is another generic Japanese joint -- not to be sneered at, certainly, but hardly the haven of hip we’d been envisioning.

By Amy Culbertson

DFW.com

Sushi Yoko

Fort Worth is hardly a hotbed of sushi spots, so we’re always excited when a new one comes to town.

When it opened a little more than a month ago, Sushi Yoko Japanese Cuisine certainly seemed promising, given its location in the upscale Village at Camp Bowie amidst one of the city’s burgeoning restaurant rows.

Alas, what we found was, in essence, another generic Japanese joint — not to be sneered at, certainly, given this city’s stubborn dearth of ethnic options, but hardly the haven of hip we’d been envisioning.

Passing through the tiny entrance foyer, we were warmly welcomed into the main dining room by a kimono-clad server. The serene setting drew us in, with graceful screens, well-designed lighting and niches holding elegant pottery. A few touches of Asian kitsch — ceramic waving-cat figurines and the like — and generic pop on the sound system seemed small intrusions. So did the fact that our friendly, eager server didn’t know what club soda was.

Nothing on the brief wine list tempted, but there was Japanese beer. And we were pleased, if not transported, by our order of gyoza dumplings ($5), nicely browned, tender-skinned little crescents that disappeared quickly.

But most of the sushi we ordered just missed the mark, lacking the pristine, sparkling, breath-of-the sea freshness that makes the best sushi worth searching out. We were glad to see that hand rolls were offered, and the little dark-green cones of nori — the toasted seaweed sheets used in sushi rolls — were artfully constructed, with jaunty microgreens peeking out at the top. But the salmon skin in one was less succulent and the soft-shell crab in the other a little soggier than the ideal.

We tend to judge sushi spots by their nigiri — raw fish over sushi rice — and Sushi Yoko’s tuna nigiri ($5.50) was lacking the clean richness that we associate with really top-notch tuna. Though we normally prefer the simple, classic nigiri to the baroque rolls that are the draw at so many of the region’s sushi spots, we thought the crispy spicy tuna roll ($8.50) came off better here.

As for entrees, the seafood tempura, too, fell a bit shy of the mark ($11 lunch, $15 dinner). The lacily battered veggies were toothsome, but none of the seafood seemed of the highest quality, and the batter itself held more grease than it should’ve. Though the menu promises soup or salad, none was offered to us.

The bottom line: We like Sushi Yoko’s setting, and the welcoming service is disarming. Still, there’s better sushi to be found elsewhere in town.

Cuisine: Japanese

Essentials: Major credit cards; beer, wine and sake (no cocktails); smoke-free; wheelchair-accessible

Entree cost: $10-$21

Signature dish: Yoko Special, chef’s choice of sushi, sashimi and rolls, $49 for two

Good to know: Though hand rolls have been removed from the menu due to low demand, they’re available by request.

This review originally appeared in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Friday, Sept. 7, 2007.

• Comments
• Add Comment
• Disclaimer