The Fashionably-Forward Foodie: YuZu

I apologize, but this review was during Christmastime when my favorite foodie friend, Chris, was back for the holidays. A little late, but better late than never!!

YuZu, a cute little Japanese gem, is located in The Ala Moana Hotel. Park in Ala Moana and walk over- I heard valet is expensive.

Now, I don't usually eat sushi or rice that has been rolled into a ball. Superstition and tradition has it that it is only to be eaten during funerals. But, I gave in and went here anyway. I have to say, the walls are brightly-colored and the food was definitely unique. Lots of seating, not too crowded and very spacious. You feel very comfortable. Service is great too. Ask for Kim!!

So what did we order? What was memorable? We wished we could have ordered both the Temari sampler (six assorted pieces of fish) and the Temari Five-0 (one type of fish, 5 different sauces), but we went with just the Temari Five-0 and a few other dishes including the infamous Lotus Root Pizza, Seafood Dynamite, and Lobster Bisque.

Highlights? Definitely order one of the samplers. We went with the Five-0 and picked Ahi as our fish. Delicious!! My only gripe? Can we have about 10 more sushi balls, please?! It was essentially an appetizer and all bite-size. Next came the Lotus Root Pizza. This is a must. Cheesy goodness. Where else are you going to get Lotus Root with lots of cheese?! Simple, but so amazing.

And then came our Seafood Dynamite and Lobster Bisque. The Seafood Dynamite came with a california roll with baked tuna, yellowtail, salmon, shiitake mushrooms, maui onions with dynamite sauce. This was good, but I don't know if I'd order it again. It was just a "good" dish, nothing mind-blowing. The Bisque sounds extra delicious, but it is more like a creamier pasta with two chunks of lobster. The bowl it came in was bigger than the portion of food. I would pass on this if I ever went back. Not as good as it looks.

By the end of the meal, both Chris and I were way too stuffed to order dessert! Wish we had more stomach room because their dessert menu was vast. Talk about Wasabi Ice Cream, YuZu Sorbet, Mango Snow Ice, Acai Rare Cheesecake and Choco Banana Crepe! We still walked out happy campers. I would definitely be back to try the Temari sampler. Cute little place, but more on the expensive side. Lotus Pizza is worth it, though!

PS- Forgot to mention their sushi is accented with YuZu vinegar and organic cane sugar!

Yuzu Mojito= shiso + yuzu + ginger

Temari Fiev-0 from left to right- Ahi raw with wasabi vegenaise with YuZu tobiko, Ahi seared with gochujang with fried garlic, Ahi raw with YuZu sauce and jalapeno, Ahi seared with eel sauce and YuZu cucumber, and lastly, Ahi raw with Tamari organic soy sauce with wasabi. YUM!!