Yanako

Yanako
4255 Main St, Philadelphia, PA 19127 (267) 297-8151

This terrific sushi jaunt is nestled on Main St, Manyunk amid a bustling, mostly affluent, yuppie community. The decor was enticing so I decided to pop in for something to eat. And I'm glad I did.

(above) I started out with some standard edamame, a preparation of immature soybeans in the pod, found in the cuisine of Taiwan, China, Japan. They were slightly salted as is common and the beans are extracted (inside your mouth) from the pod, and the pod is discarded into a nearby receptacle.  In my opinion, the beans were cooked a bit too long, I like a more crispy, chewiness to my edamame, but that is personal preference.

(above) Negimayaki.  Pan seared scallions wrapped with thinly sliced New York strip steak and tossed with a house-made teriyaki sauce.  This was a delicious course.  The components melded together well and the teriyaki sauce was very sweet.

 (above) Since the main course had such extensive detail and variety, it required several pictures to capture its beauty.  The top row was the Seven Seas roll which was made of tuna, yellowtail, cucumber and tobiko topped with alvocado, tempura crunch and spicy aloli. The middle row was the Kimono which was smoked salmon, eel, avocado and cream cheese, topped with tempura crunch and eel sauce. The bottom row was the Younger Sister roll composed of tuna, avocado, cucumber and kaiware topped with salmon and wasabi tobiko.  The middle row was flanked on the sides by a standard shrimp tempura roll.

Fun Facts:
tobiko: Japanese word for the flying fish roe. It is most widely known for its use in creating certain types of sushi. The eggs are small, ranging from 0.5 mm - 0.8 mm.
tempura: Japanese dish of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and deep fried
aloli: Provençal traditional sauce made of garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and usually egg yolks. There are many variations, such as the addition of mustard
kaiware: sprouted daikon radish seeds. Frequently used in Asian cuisine.
wasabi: more or less Japanese horseradish

 (above) another view.  Furthest left row is Seven Seas, the middle row was the Kimono, and the bottom was the Younger Sister.  Flanking the middle row was a shrimp tempura roll on either side of the Kimono.

(above) detail of the Younger Sister roll.

(above) Flourless chocolate cake with a mint syrup.  Sesame brittle and semi ice cream all house made. Delicious, the mint syrup was a unique touch.

One fun thing about the restaurant is they have their own rewards card you can get points on and redeem for free food. Thought that was pretty cool and certainly will be back for more.  Also nifty is the ability to sit behind the sushi bar and watch your food being prepared.