Yo Sushi JinHua restaurant is one of those places that I just can’t get enough of. Situated between Guting MRT station and Dongmen MRT station, it’s in a perfect location to explore that fantastic area of the city, with Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall just around the corner, and Da’An Park on the other side. What I love most about this place is the value for money. The freshness of the sushi is fantastic, it’s paired really nicely with the condiments and put together with care by the great sushi chefs. What’s not to love?
Sushi in Taiwan is no joke. OK, it might not be on the same level as in Japan, but there are plenty of Taiwanese sushi restaurants here doing incredible things with fresh fish that could rival some of those top establishments in Japan. When I am looking for a really great value lunch set for just under $500 per person, this is always my first thought. I have been here countless times over the years, which is reflected in the introduction of 3 Lunch Sets below.
Lunch Set #1 was taken a few years back, with Lunch Set #2 and Lunch Set #3 some of the most recently updated versions. What I did notice, though, is that the lunch set price hasn’t changed in at least 5 years. What place do you know in Taipei, especially around Yongkang Street, that hasn’t fluctuated their prices?! This gives it a few plus points in my book.
Table of Contents
If you’re looking for good quality sushi but don’t want to break the bank, you should go to Yo sushi at lunchtime. The value is amazing and it gets quite busy, so it would be better to book online in advance.
Sushi is my weakness. And, it just so happens that it seems to be my wife’s, too. So, we found ourselves at Yo Sushi for a quick lunch set mid-week a little while back, but I’ve thrown a few updated pics in here for good measure, too.
Yo Sushi is conveniently located just near YongKang Street and the NTNU area. If you take MRT, you should get off at Dongmen station, it takes about a 10 min walk. There are other 2 branches-Zhongshan and Lishui in the city, so simply pick the one that is most convenient for you.
aren’t sure how to order or what to do when you arrive at Yo Sushi, then this is the post for you. See below for How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
3 Fast Tips on How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
The Menu at Yo Sushi
Whilst you don't absolutely 100% need a reservation, it could help. As it was quite busy for lunch. Booking deposit is required.
Bar seating is, in my opinion, how all sushi experiences should go. It's so much more interesting watching the dishes being prepared and put together.
Even nicer to just point to a fish you'd like to try and say "that one" (那個 nà ge).
I claim to make a half-decent egg roll pancake. But not on the scale of this one. It looks legit, and tastes delicious!
Lunch Set #1
午餐定食 wǔ cān dìng shí
Nigiri Sushi set (7 pieces) 握壽司 wò shòu sī
$450+10%
It all starts with a bowl of Japanese-style stew - Meat and Potato Stew. I'm a fan of this, but I am not quite sure I like it as a starter prior to a nigiri sushi set at Yo Sushi ...
The sushi chef is busy at work with the shrimp.
Sweet in flavour, the shrimp just melts in your mouth with the slight saltiness of the paste on top. Happy days.
He then moves onto the Yellowtail, portioning it up for putting it together later.
A ball of rice meets a dab of wasabi paste, then the fish is moulded around.
Press to secure, and then it hits the plate.
It has to get dressed up first. First with some roe, then with spring onion.
Almost too good to eat...almost.
One of my favourites of the set at Yo Sushi. Very good flavours.
Now he moves onto the Horse Mackerel. The skin is first scored with the knife (let me tell you, that knife is razor sharp. He barely had to press down to score the skin so effortlessly).
A quick sear with the blowtorch.
In my mouth, number 3. Solid freshness to the fish, good texture to the crispy skin, and overall a nice piece of nigiri.
I could barely draw for breath before he had rolled up a ball of rice in this seaweed, and then spooned on top half avocado mix and half tuna mix, further lavishly sprinkling with green onion.
Yeahhh. Oh, they also came around with an addition of some seared halibut for everyone.
Some more searing going on here. This time I am not sure of the fish (sorry, I was too busy drooling to listen).
Sprinkled with a bit of salt, this was dynamite.
I'd say this looks like a cut of tuna, right here. It looks delicious, anyway, gimme!
Simply cut and moulded over rice with a bit of daikon radish paste and doused in soy sauce.
Delicate, delicious.
Squid is up now, and flame torched to release the flavours.
Rolled up in seaweed, a tiny piece of torched fish roe is put on top with more green onions.
Then, some delicious eel is flame-torched and the whole Yo Sushi restaurant erupts with aromas that I just wish I could eat.
A dab of roe on top, a splash of soy sauce and then it's on the plate.
An egg roll is made by heating up a thin layer of whisked egg with some sugar, rolled up, and repeated as many times as deemed necessary. Then pressed into a rectangle and left to cool, it is then cut and served just like this. Whilst it sounds simple, it isn't. But this one at Yo Sushi is very tasty.
A nice bowl of miso to wash it all down - delicious.
Lunch Set #2
午餐定食 wǔ cān dìng shí
Nigiri Sushi set (7 pieces) 握壽司 wò shòu sī
$450+10%
We started with a delicately creamy shrimp that had just come in from the Daxi fishing port in Yilan.
It had been brushed with a light soy and then topped with a rich crab paste. The crab paste was fishy and relatively strong in flavour, but paired with this sweet and creamy shrimp it was a perfect match. The shrimp practically melted in the mouth, but still had a nice bite to it, too. The ratio of meat to rice was spot-on.
Next up - yellowtail. Often known as the Amberjack or the Hamachi (in Japan), this fish is meatier. However, when expertly put together like this, there's still a silky smooth texture to it with fat running within, too.
Brushed with that house special soy sauce, it was almost ready.
Topped with a fish roe (Tobiko), this yellowtail has a very mild flavour, but it's distinctive. The texture is almost like a thick cut of wagyu beef. There's a resistance to the flesh, but it doesn't entirely melt away.
The cobia from Penghu was done simply. Flame-licked, topped with a little bit of rose salt and pomelo, then served up.
The crunch of the salt and fragrance of the pomelo that melts into that flame-grilled licking on the top of the Cobia is matched wonderfully. The flesh is quite chewy, but not in a bad way at all. There's a good flavour here, that I can only really describe as the freshness of the ocean.
Japanese jack mackerel (sometimes known as horse mackerel) is a stronger flavour than most other fish that you're likely to find at a sushi restaurant. However, don't let that put you off. When done nicely, this cut of fish is really good. Cut thinly here and served with some scallions, ginger, and white sesame, then placed inside a rice and nori roll, it's delicious. Great textures, flavours, and freshness.
While chowing down on the mackerel from above, I saw the sushi chef brushing this long piece of salmon and getting ready to flame-grill it.
There's something mesmerising about this process.
Thick, beautiful, oily, silky smooth, smokey. As boring as a lot of people think it is, I really do love salmon. I especially like it done like this, when it's been quickly flame-grilled and served atop perfectly proportioned sushi rice with a mild vinegar flavour.
Tuna and avocado inside a nori sushi roll is where it's at. There's something decadent about this flavour combination that does it every time. Sprinkle some scallions on top and down in one - win.
A beautifully presented slice of eel has been flame torched, then brushed with that house-special soy sauce to bring out the sweetness of the fish. A mild smokiness meets this delicate fish. There's something creamy smooth about this kind of eel that I can't get enough of. There's a mild eel flavour, it isn't too fishy at all.
The perfect end to the sushi part of the meal. How special the tamagoyaki here is. Sweet, eggy, savoury, decadent.
A savoury miso with seaweed, chunks of fish, and tofu interspersed is exactly what I want at the end of a meal.
Lunch Set #3
午餐定食 wǔ cān dìng shí
Mixed Sushi Set 綜合壽司 zòng hé shòu sī
$480+10%
The other set at Yo Sushi is a mixed set, consisting of 4 pieces of nigiri: The shrimp, yellowtail, eel and tuna, then this bowl of deliciousness in the pic below.
Chirashi ちらし寿司 is a type of sushi bowl where lots of different pieces of fish are cut into small cubes and then presented over rice. I spotted tuna, roe, salmon and egg. This Chirashi bowl at Yo Sushi is probably the best I have eaten to date, and even had fish running through the rice, not simply sprinkled on top!
I tend to get greedy when it comes to sushi, and both uni and scallops are my weaknesses.
Scallop 干貝 gān bèi
The scallop was cut into 3 pieces, and lightly torched...
...dusted with yuzu shavings and rock salt shavings, then wedged between two chopsticks and, well, the rest is history.
Oh, and we didn't stop there - Uni.
Uni 海膽 hǎi dǎn
Japanese Uni from Hokkaido - win!
Known as one of the best sources of uni in the world, Hokkaido churns out some insanely good Uni.
Just look at that juicy Uni...
As good as it was (and it really was delicious), I won't be ordering this again, as it is just a bit too pricey for what it is.
Yo sushi serves Omakase in the evenings, if you want to experience the finer dining, come here for dinner. However, if you just crave Japanese food and want a quick business lunch, lunch set here is definitely the best option for you.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? Yo Sushi Jinhua is the perfect spot for a quick bite of sushi. The prices are excellent, and the quality is similarly fantastic, too.
What is the best dish? I loved the scallop that we ordered, but in terms of the best piece of sushi included within the set, I have to say that the shrimp was amazing.
Are there other places like this? There are plenty of sushi restaurants dotted around Taipei. Check out some of my favourite ones just below:
- Li Xiu Sushi - top-tier omakase at a reasonable price.
- Addiction Aquatic Development - excellent selection of take-out options for a great price.
- Asahi sushi - great value outside Taipower Building MRT station.
- TOMO omakase - one of the best omakase in the city.
- Yongle Market sushi - great fun, with a choice between 2 places.