Restaurant Yoshino

Plate pictured cost £30. A glass of white wine was £10. The sushi was good and the restaurant was very nice, but I don't know that i could afford to go back very often at all. You order from your smartphone using a QR code and your food is brought to you. Service was a little slow during the lunch hour.

My love letter for Yoshino dates back to the beginning of this century (boy, do I feel ancient) when Yoshino was a corner at the Japan Centre that used to be at its pre-London-Olympics location. I could not afford sushi at the time, so I was waiting for their daily sale starting 30 minutes before the closing time to get 9 pieces of the best sushi in London for 3 pounds (or so I remember). Today’s quality remains consistently good, and I am always grateful to dine in this bubble of peace just a few steps away from Piccadilly’s madness. The soft jazz music accompanies my thoughts as I savour my Matcha icecream right to left, always keeping the stronger scoop for last. My favourite drink is the Matcha hot water (made with premium organic tea leaves), and sometimes I buy the powder to take this place Home with me. It tastes like London and my memories of Kyoto in a cup. The staff is graceful by DNA, with that authentic kindness that makes you feel special in a soft way. Just like their music.

Wow, what an experience!! From the beginning we were given great service by the waitress, who talked us through some of the options and discussed the dishes. The food itself was absolutely outstanding, even something that you'd think was basic, a seaweed salad, was served on an ice bed and seasoned beautifully. We particularly loved the house special 'plum wine', and the cod ceviche had to have been one of my favourite dishes. Eating here is truly an experience, the food is exceptional but it's the extras that make it so good.

Great anniversary dinner! Amazing food! Excellent service! The first time we walked passed Yoshino was 6 months ago. The moment I checked out the menu, I knew that this is not another generic Japanese restaurant. This is authentic Japanese food. However, I still went online to check the reviews and photos of food. The moment I read some negative reviews, I laughed. Who would walk into an authentic Japanese restaurant in centre London and expect it to be cheap 🤷🏻‍♀️. So I still booked Yoshino for our 5 year anniversary. The restaurant has a warm, cosy ambience, exactly that we’re looking for. We ordered everything through their website. The process is quick and easy. This was our first time in Yoshino and we were overwhelmed by the menu. We want to order EVERYTHING! The host was so friendly and so helpful. She answered all the questions I had about items on the menu. She was so patient and so kind. So we started with Tuna katsu, Tuna Toro Sashimi & Salmon Sashimi. We loved Tuna Toro so much we ended up ordering more. Tuna Toro is thinly sliced chutoro that has been marinated and it just melted in my mouth! We both agreed that the dish we like the most! Then, the restaurant offered the Wagyu Tartare as a gift for our anniversary. We were so touched! Personally Tartare has never been on top of my list but I ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE with the Wagyu Tartare. The black garlic really elevate the dish! Of course, what we were looking for the most is the Yakiniku. My husband (who couldn’t be more British) is not a fan of organs. However, he was willing to try new things. We listened to the recommendation from the host and ordered everything she recommended: ox tongue, chicken liver, honeycomb (hachino-su) and heart (hastu). We strongly recommend hachink-su! I’m Asian but I’m very very picky when it comes to organ meats, especially honeycomb. If it has the slightest smell or toughness, I won’t eat them. Same with chicken liver! Outstanding quality! Not to mention their homemade BBQ sauce! I can eat anything with it! We were so full at this point but my husband still have Houji Cha Ice-cream. I was too full but I had a bite and it was amazing! Nice gelato texture and delicate flavour. I will definitely have some next time. The food was so good, we didn’t take much photos. We just focused on the eating 👌🏻 and thinking about what to order next time and who to bring with us! I only took 2 photos to tease my friends. I wish I took more photos for the review. I don’t write reviews often but I truly enjoyed the meal so much that I feel the need to do so. My only advice to you if you’re considering to visit Yoshino: come with an open mind, an open heart and a will to try authentic Japanese food. You’ll love it! I would also like to thank the chef and the host for such a wonderful experience. We’ll definitely come back with our friends and family in the future.