Sushi Yoshizumi is yet another perennial FTC favorite. I’ve always wanted to try it. So I ended up making a trip out of visiting this sacred temple in San Mateo.
Rice: Strong vinegar flavor with a touch of sweetness…toothsome but not as firm as Shin’s which I prefer. I could easily discern individual grain of rice as it falls apart in my mouth…slightly warm and incredibly aromatic.
Overall: Sushi Yoshizumi’s “Yoshi” omakase definitely lived up to expectations and more. The rice, in particular, was at least every bit as good as Mori Sushi’s. Was it better? I really need to go back to Mori to compare since I haven’t been back for a while. Shame on me! As far as otsumami goes, even though they were very good in and of itself and a clear step up from Mori’s, my preference goes to Sushi Ginza Onodera’s which defied all expectations I had going in. But nigiri is where I believe Sushi Yoshizumi truly shines so I can’t wait to return for more!
Minor Misstep: During bonus rounds, Akira-san was very very generous with his use of wasabi. 
Highlight:
- katsuo zuke
- saba bozushi
- ebi, uni
- pickled ginger
- akami
- sawara
- ankimo maki
- yari ika
- chu-toro
- kuruma ebi
- hokkaido uni
- kinmedai
- negitoro temaki
- anago
- hokkaido hotate
- tamago
good to see that a fresh batch of rice was being prepped for our second seating of the night as we were waiting for all guests to arrive
oyster
creamy and briny with a touch of brightness from yuzu
hokkaido hairy crab, trout roe, kanimiso, shari
very nice and the star of the dish was actually the incredibly aromatic rice but would’ve preferred the crab not to be shredded so finely
prepping for the next zuke course
katsuo zuke, japanese mustard, ginger-scallion paste
the meaty katsuo was briefly marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, marin, and sake. flavor was top notch.
shirako chawanmushi
custard is smooth and silk but a touch too thin for my preference. great balance between notes of dashi and egg while the shirako added more creaminess and richness to the dish.
egg on egg crime happening here
saba bozushi
the oily fish with strong flavor, shatteringly crispy seaweed, fragrant rice. absolutely incredible.
twinkle eye fish / mehikari
simply salted and competently grill so there was a light smoky flavor and parts of the skin were crispy. texture-wise, this lean white fish’s was a bit firm.
ebi, uni
we were told to mix it up so the soy and uni can act as a sauce for the ebi and it worked very well in flavoring each other with sweet and savory notes.
next, pickled ginger was freshly cut and presented which signaled the coming of nigiri. did i mention that these refreshingly sweet, vinegary, and spicy bites had a lovely crunch to them?
it’s always a good sign when you see your itamae letting the neta come up to temperature being using them.
bluefin akami zuke / marinated tuna
the akami was farm raised in japan. anyone prefer a darn good akami over chu-toro or o-toro like me?
aji / horse mackarel
akagai / ark shell clam
sweet and crunchy
sawara / spanish mackarel
this particularly sawara was decadently fatty and buttery
kawahagi / filefish
rich flavor from the kawahagi liver sauce
ankimo maki / monkfish liver roll
the ankimo was velvety and creamy and i love the embedded crunchy watermelon pickle which offered a sharp contrast in flavor and texture.
yari ika / spear squid
sweet with a very satisfying chew and stickiness
chu-toro / medium fatty bluefin tuna
soft and fat af
kuruma ebi / japanese tiger prawn
cooked medium rare which yielded an incredibly snappy texture. divine!
kohada / gizzard shad
it’s slightly saltier and less vinegar-y than i’m used to but delicious nonetheless.
hokkaido uni
akira-san didn’t skim on these premium uni for sure and mine almost exploded!
sayori / needlefish
kinmedai / golden eye snapper
it’s topped with japanese mustard to cut down on the fattiness of this meaty fish. it was excellent but my favorite was at mori where maru-san charred the skin the imbue neta with a deep smokiness.
negitoro temaki / fatty tuna and scallion hand roll
slices of chu-toro were sliced and marinated before being chopped and combined with the pre-chopped tuna scrabs. i loved the chewiness of the pickles and, again, the shatteringly crispy seaweed. in fact, while the first guest was eating his handroll, the sound of crisp and crunch from him biting into seaweed filled the restaurant. absolutely incredible!
where can i get this ridiculous seaweed?
anago / saltwater eel
not as fat as the one i had at shin recently, but just as fluffy and soft. balance between the sweetness of the sauce and kick from the wasabi was very nice.
fish bone soup
Bonus Round:
hokkaido hotate / scallop
never had a cooked scallop nigiri before. it was very flat looking so i wonder if it was pounded flat? it was more savory than a raw scallop.
mekajiki / swordfish
firm and meaty
kanpyo maki / dried gourd
himokyu maki / ark shell mantle and cucumber roll
tamago
sake mousse and sake jelly
Sushi Yoshizumi
325 E 4th Ave
San Mateo, CA 94401
