Sushi Yoshizumi (Former 1*) San Mateo, CA April 2025
Sushi Yoshizumi (Former 1*) San Mateo, CA April 2025
by MagicalQaz
1 Comment
MagicalQaz
Sushi Yoshizumi is still pretty good, probably my 1B sushi place to Sushi Katsu as my 1A. Yoshizumi offers modern omakase, with slight flavour modifications to better cater to guests living in America, with a really nice sake selection. I didn’t take photos of every courses as I wanted to focus on enjoying the night and I usually dont take photos – but a dining partner was with me tonight and they’ve got everything if you’d like to see more of the courses. With this, I’ve been to every omakase place – sushi, kaiseki and kappo in the Bay Area within the last year as far as I’m aware and will be writing a short review/guide on what I’ve thought of them
Courses:
1. Juyondai Funatare Hon Nama (8/10) 2. Noresore (7/10, really nice w the ponzu and myoga) 3. Kue (7.5/10, Kue went through shiojime, result was a great tightness – not as flavourful as the best I’ve had in the states but good) and Sayori (5/10, Sayori was just kinda eh, I’ve had better and I personally think it’s better as nigiri anyway) 1. Tairagai (6/10, an alright taste but I’ve had better expressions – texture lived up to expectations though) 1. Tako (4/10, thought this was kind of weak – small piece was forgettable but the larger one was really nice) 1. Smoked Katsuo (8.5/10 as sashimi and 9/10 as nigiri) very good – love how it all just worked together quite well) (I also got this as nigiri) w cut up nori and mustard 1. Sawara with mustard (8.5/10, best sawara I’ve had in the bay – delicious combination like the katsuo) 1. Komocha yari ika (7/10, a fun and difficult thing to get in the states especially in the bay – great creaminess that went well with sake) 1. Ankimo (6/10, it’s good but I can’t help but compare it to other US chefs including Katsu’s) 1. Iwashi maki (7.5/10, a focus on freshness with a shorter cure on the Iwashi to help it better display its fantastic fatty flavour) 1. Some sort of turban (NA, I don’t like turban/snails usually and this was decent but feels unfair to review) 1. Mehikari (9/10, one of the best of the night – with the sudachi it was almost perfect) 1. Kinmedai (5/10, good but forgettable) 1. Sumi Ika (6/10, nice texture but also similarly forgettable) 1. Sakura masu (7/10, beautiful fattiness – light shiojime to accentuate the natural taste and fat) 1. Akamutsu (5/10, see kinmedai) 1. Hotaru Ika Chawanmushi (7/10, proper chawanmushi – shichimi was a fun touch and hotaru ika cooked perfectly) 1. Chutoro (6/10, tuna is not a strong point here. Still pretty good tuna from Hokkaido I believe) 1. Akami zuke (7.5/10, a nice zuke but not the best I’ve had in the Bay) 1. Kohada (6/10, not the best I’ve had but certainly not bad) 1. Kuruma ebi (6/10, cooked well but fairly standard – I prefer the Hatsunezushi version which isn’t fair to compare Yoshizumi to but is hard to get out of my mind) 1. Uni – Bafun, Marukyo akatsuki brand, box #6 (7/10, pretty much what I think of a normal high end bafun uni) 1. Anago w sansho (6.5/10, good but not great) 1. Negitoro w takuan (7/10, the inclusion of takuan reminds me of Nakazawa’s ohagi) 1. Sesame pudding (7/10, one of the better desserts I’ve had at an omakase place)
Extras
1. Kasugodai (10/10, best of the night – wish I could’ve ordered a second but it was the last one) 1. Smoked Katsuo as Nigiri (8/10, fantastic – the rice gave it more body and the vinegar really just worked perfectly with the ensemble) 1. Kue as nigiri (6/10, this was a bad call on my part – the kue just wasn’t enough to work as nigiri tonight and I should’ve known from the sashimi course. Not bad though, just hard for it to stand out) 1. Sawara again (see above)
1 Comment
Sushi Yoshizumi is still pretty good, probably my 1B sushi place to Sushi Katsu as my 1A. Yoshizumi offers modern omakase, with slight flavour modifications to better cater to guests living in America, with a really nice sake selection. I didn’t take photos of every courses as I wanted to focus on enjoying the night and I usually dont take photos – but a dining partner was with me tonight and they’ve got everything if you’d like to see more of the courses. With this, I’ve been to every omakase place – sushi, kaiseki and kappo in the Bay Area within the last year as far as I’m aware and will be writing a short review/guide on what I’ve thought of them
Courses:
1. Juyondai Funatare Hon Nama (8/10)
2. Noresore (7/10, really nice w the ponzu and myoga)
3. Kue (7.5/10, Kue went through shiojime, result was a great tightness – not as flavourful as the best I’ve had in the states but good) and Sayori (5/10, Sayori was just kinda eh, I’ve had better and I personally think it’s better as nigiri anyway)
1. Tairagai (6/10, an alright taste but I’ve had better expressions – texture lived up to expectations though)
1. Tako (4/10, thought this was kind of weak – small piece was forgettable but the larger one was really nice)
1. Smoked Katsuo (8.5/10 as sashimi and 9/10 as nigiri) very good – love how it all just worked together quite well) (I also got this as nigiri) w cut up nori and mustard
1. Sawara with mustard (8.5/10, best sawara I’ve had in the bay – delicious combination like the katsuo)
1. Komocha yari ika (7/10, a fun and difficult thing to get in the states especially in the bay – great creaminess that went well with sake)
1. Ankimo (6/10, it’s good but I can’t help but compare it to other US chefs including Katsu’s)
1. Iwashi maki (7.5/10, a focus on freshness with a shorter cure on the Iwashi to help it better display its fantastic fatty flavour)
1. Some sort of turban (NA, I don’t like turban/snails usually and this was decent but feels unfair to review)
1. Mehikari (9/10, one of the best of the night – with the sudachi it was almost perfect)
1. Kinmedai (5/10, good but forgettable)
1. Sumi Ika (6/10, nice texture but also similarly forgettable)
1. Sakura masu (7/10, beautiful fattiness – light shiojime to accentuate the natural taste and fat)
1. Akamutsu (5/10, see kinmedai)
1. Hotaru Ika Chawanmushi (7/10, proper chawanmushi – shichimi was a fun touch and hotaru ika cooked perfectly)
1. Chutoro (6/10, tuna is not a strong point here. Still pretty good tuna from Hokkaido I believe)
1. Akami zuke (7.5/10, a nice zuke but not the best I’ve had in the Bay)
1. Kohada (6/10, not the best I’ve had but certainly not bad)
1. Kuruma ebi (6/10, cooked well but fairly standard – I prefer the Hatsunezushi version which isn’t fair to compare Yoshizumi to but is hard to get out of my mind)
1. Uni – Bafun, Marukyo akatsuki brand, box #6 (7/10, pretty much what I think of a normal high end bafun uni)
1. Anago w sansho (6.5/10, good but not great)
1. Negitoro w takuan (7/10, the inclusion of takuan reminds me of Nakazawa’s ohagi)
1. Sesame pudding (7/10, one of the better desserts I’ve had at an omakase place)
Extras
1. Kasugodai (10/10, best of the night – wish I could’ve ordered a second but it was the last one)
1. Smoked Katsuo as Nigiri (8/10, fantastic – the rice gave it more body and the vinegar really just worked perfectly with the ensemble)
1. Kue as nigiri (6/10, this was a bad call on my part – the kue just wasn’t enough to work as nigiri tonight and I should’ve known from the sashimi course. Not bad though, just hard for it to stand out)
1. Sawara again (see above)