Looking for Yummy Sushi? Try Yuki Sushi!

Yesterday I was flying solo and as you all know Bob cut loose on a Saturday afternoon means trying some place new. My wanderings took me downtown to the seedy part of town in search of high-test sushi. Yuki Sushi (pronounced you-key) located in the front of a skid row hotel, vagrants and addicts literally hanging outside the beer vendor around the corner from Yuki Sushi.

Yuki Sushi in the McLaren Hotel

But I was determined to see if all the stories surrounding this immigrant family and the incredible quality of the fish inside were true. Once through the doors to the atmosphere immediately changed. Greeted with warm smiles if not perfect English. The decor was spartan, the sushi joint having taken over a small lunch counter that undoubtedly ran into financial difficulty in this economically depressed part of town.

The locals outside the McLaren

I took a seat at the counter so I could watch the family in action, the mother greeted me again in broken English handing me a threadbare menu and a glass of steaming green tea. Miso soup was my first request and I was promptly served a piping hot bowl of the delicious broth.

Miso Soup

Unable to decide on a selection of sushi myself I opted for a chef’s choice mixed plate of sushi and sashimi. The husband and wife team worked in almost complete silence reaching into the cooler and slicing delicate pieces of high-grade fish. Only stopping occasionally to see me watching intently on their work as I continued to eat my soup.

Spartan but functional decor

A short while later my feast was presented to me, a huge round plate filled with wondrous delicacies, three types of tuna, red snapper and smoked eel were some of the treats I could identify by sight. Preparing my dipping bowl with soy sauce and wasabi something unexpected happened a delicious aroma wafted up to my nose. The unmistakable scent of freshness, not a fishy smell anywhere to be found. The taste did also not disappoint, fresh and savory.

Chef's Combo Plate

The wife appeared after my first few bites with a concerned look, “did I enjoy”, she managed in broken English. I nodded enthusiastically and she grinned from ear to ear, and immediately disappeared setting back to work on another dish. My meal if I could say it had a flaw, a minor one at best, was that the fish was a bit cold. Having arrived at the start of the lunch hour the delicate pieces of high-grade fish were only just pulled from the cooler and had not yet come up to a temperature that allowed full appreciation of the flavors.

The wife returned to my place with a dish I had thought she was preparing for someone else, a beautiful roll of rice topped with a heaping portion of glistening row. She looked at me and presented the plate with both hands saying “Fish Egg do you like?” I replied with an enthusiastic “YES!” I love trying new places for just this reason, especially mom and pop joints where the owners take pride in the food they present and actually want you to have a positive experience.

Overall my experience at Yuki Sushi was overwhelmingly enjoyable and incredibly affordable, for my feast of sushi, sashimi, miso soup and tea plus two free dishes the whole bill came to just over 23 dollars. If you can get past the location and the rather drab decor and let the family feed you with their hearts you will leave with a full belly and a feeling of warmth. For value and taste Yuki Sushi just can’t be beat.