Restaurants

Yoshino used to be the preserve of Japanese diners on expense-account lunches or business dinners. The atmosphere was formal, and the menu incomprehensible to those not fluent in Japanese, though the quality of the sushi and sashimi was always superb. Things have changed. Gone are the discreet aproned servers, replaced by smiling, eager-to-please young folk, and the menu’s now fully bilingual. The sashimi, including exquisitely fresh sea bream and top-quality chutoro (medium fatty tuna), is as good as we remember, and our grilled eel in a sweet sauce was succulent and tender. Oshinko maki rolls, made with large pieces of pickled daikon, however, were inexpertly constructed and fell apart when we ate them; some of the other dishes disappointed too. We couldn’t quibble about the quality of the simply grilled crisp-skinned mackerel from our ‘mini Yoshino’ set menu, but an accompanying side dish, spinach with sesame sauce, lacked flavour and seemed like an afterthought. Mixed tempura more closely resembled stir-fried battered vegetables with the odd prawn thrown in. Prices, once prohibitive, have come down, making Yoshino a decent mid-range venue with great sashimi.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009