Yokoso Japanese Cuisine — Restaurant in Hurricane

whew... okay. i'm not trying to be mean about this. we (me, my girlfriend, and her mother) just have a few concerns about this place's food and authenticity. NOTE: this does NOT refer to their sushi and related items.

also, i'm not japanese myself, but i'm familiar with yoshoku and the typical flavor profile of these western-style japanese dishes. this is an honest and in-depth review of this restaurant, in hopes that they could improve.

we ordered all yoshoku dishes: chicken katsu sandwich, oyakodon, and tempuradon. we called in our order, and upon reaching the store at pickup time, the food was brought out swiftly. no comments on service, as this was takeout.

i'll start with what was good: the tempuradon. all tempura-fried items were good, with a delicious, light texture. not too oily. the rice was a little bit dry, and while the sauce spread over the rice was pleasant, i just wish there was more of it. also, there was a little condiment container that housed the tempura sauce. it had nice flavor, with the typical layers and notes you'd expect. (soy sauce, sugar, and... probably sake?) however, i think it was a little more pungent than the typical tempura sauce. usually, it'd be a lighter, more subtle and savory flavor-- probably diluted with dashi. this wasn't diluted quite enough, and again, i wish there was more volume of sauce.

the oyakodon was... bland and quite dry. the texture of the egg was good, but i think the complete scrambling was.. definitely a choice. there wasn't much of a soy-sake-based sauce on it, like you'd typically expect of oyakodon. and this may come across as a nitpick, but it could've used some more aromatics. we had to add quite a bit of soy sauce just to enjoy it.

and finally: the chicken katsu sandwich. on the menu, it's described as having a "shokupan bun." this could technically be true, but the bread for this sandwich came across more as a slightly overbaked brioche bun. there was a lot left to be desired, in way of airiness and structure. there was hardly any katsu sauce on the sandwich, and the chicken cutlet itself wasn't pounded into a flat shape. the latter point is kind of a minute detail, but it matters for authentic, delicious katsu. another point for katsu: the panko breading is usually more flavorful than it was on this sandwich. the potato salad side dish was an interesting choice, for a japanese-inspired meal. some better options would be miso soup or a cabbage salad with some sort of dressing. on the topic of cabbage, there was a coleslaw salad on the katsu sandwich itself. this would probably be more fitting if replaced with japanese egg salad. i see the vision there, because shredded cabbage is common on dishes like this. but unfortunately, the coleslaw (and potato salad) felt more like leftovers from my white, american family's last cookout.

overall, i think this place could improve in the way of authenticity and flavors, but it's not terrible-- especially for the southern utah area. this place could get reasonably popular, like sakura steakhouse. however, popularity isn't a reliable metric for determining the food's merit.

i'm just an enthusiast for casual japanese fare, and i was sad to find that this place isn't particularly impressive if you've had yoshoku before. their sushi may be better, but i don't know anything about that. i'll probably come back here, if for no other reason than to give them another chance.

TL;DR: don't set your expectations high for japanese food, this is more of an american place with japanese inspiration. also, don't expect strong flavors. more like a 2.5/5, but i can't...

Well. I wanted to like this place because its the only sushi place nearby and its rated better than basically any in the next 50 miles.

But unfortunetly, the food did not live up to our expectations. We moved to Hurricane from Atlanta and what we noticed was a severe drop in restaurant quality especially with Sushi places like this one.

The fish flavor doesnt stand out from the rest of the rolls at all. We tried several house rolls and a couple classics. The ingredients overpowered the fish. There were some ingredients that were pretty odd as well. Like what seemed like microgreens in the poke roll. I was tasting the leaves for two more bites after despite having a lot of ginger. Since sushi is a limited bite delicacy thats unnacceptable.

The actual roll structure was fine and stayed together well enough with chopsticks so its not a matter of skill in preparing but potentially of inferior fish sourcing or poor defrosting procedure, etc... It didnt matter if we had a simpler roll or a more complex one. Both needed soy sauce and wasabi because the fish didnt have a fresh or clear taste.

We wanted to try something else so we got chicken katsu, thinking it might be a better show of this place's potential. It was alright. Better than most of the rolls but still didnt live up to other katsu ive had.

I think the worst part about all of this is the prices are so high for this middling quality. Ive eaten sushi all over the US and these are the highest prices for the lowest quality that was presented to me. And just 3 weeks after their opening (which should be the best quality they will ever have to put their name on the map and build loyal customers).

This is all very unfortunate because the staff was very nice and the place is cute. Though i have no idea why they were playing the music they were. It didnt fit a nice sushi restaurant vibe.

Overall I cant recommend this place until they drop prices per roll, and/or work on making the fish the star of each roll instead of the strange ingredient choices. I shouldnt need soy sauce, the fish should...

Hurricane has a sensational new addition to its dining scene: Yokoso Japanese Cuisine. I had the pleasure of stopping by for a late lunch on their very first day open, and this spot is an immediate standout. From the cozy atmosphere to the incredibly fresh sushi, Yokoso is poised to become our new local "go-to." Atmosphere and Service Stepping into Yokoso, you immediately feel welcome. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, making it a perfect spot to relax. Crucially for a dining experience, the background music was spot-on, creating a pleasant environment without overpowering our conversation. The service was equally impressive. Our server was attentive and genuinely friendly, making us feel well cared for despite it being their hectic opening day. The Standout Dishes: Sushi and Starters The food at Yokoso is what will truly bring people back. We started with the classic Miso Soup and Salad. The miso soup had a fun, unexpected twist to the traditional flavor—a definite must-try—and the salad, with its perfectly balanced ginger dressing, was a fresh palate cleanser. Now, for the main event: the sushi. We tried two incredible rolls that I can't recommend enough: The Baked Volcano Roll: A rich, savory dish that was a delightful warmth contrast. The Spicy Branzino Roll: This was the undisputed favorite. The roll was so fresh it literally melted in my mouth, a testament to the high quality of the fish. The presentation of every dish was simple yet elegant, and I can happily confirm the food looked every bit as good as it tasted. The freshness of the fish was the star of the show. Final Takeaway Yokoso Japanese Cuisine is a home run. It offers delicious, fresh food that's well-priced for the quality. Whether you're looking for an intimate date night, celebrating a special occasion, or simply want a delicious lunch stop, this restaurant is perfectly suited. Go check out Hurricane's newest gem—you won't be disappointed! Yokoso...