Yasuke Japanese Sushi — Restaurant in McAllen

Let me preface this with two things. One, this is a novel of a review, so sit back and grab a meal. Two, "This place is worth every damn dime!" because it is.

I will admit, after being alive for 21 years especially in an age where faux-honesty exists, I had to take the claim of authenticity with a grain of salt. However, once I stepped in and got the menu, all my qualms were put to rest.

Sashimi, rolls, dumplings, yakisoba, ramen, the absolute full mile! Our waiter even mention 'Uni' (sea urchin) sashimi, which made me think 'This place is the real deal'.

Now I will say right now that the place was in a very low-profile area but it was utterly crowded when I went there and it was a Saturday evening, so it was expected...but damn! This place, while not advertised at all, has a vast customer base, it seems! I had to sit outside, but it was still nice.

While I can't speak for the entire menu, I will describe what I had. First off was the drink: a Strawberry Ramune. Admittedly, the Ramune is not as sweet as the soda I'm used to, however it is desirably sweet and that is what makes it good. It has a little marble within it and it takes a little effort to open, but you'll get some giggles from your struggles.

There is a little bit of a wait for your food, but please do be patient. You won't regret it.

Next was the Gyoza (pictured below) that I ordered on accident and it was worth the accident! The Gyoza absolutely stole my heart, by itself and with the sauce. It has a healthy amount of pork inside with the perfect amount of cabbage, this coming from someone who doesn't eat vegetables that much! The Gyoza was a great success with me, especially with the sauce and I recommend it to anyone!

Next was my most anticipated meal: The Ramen. (Apologies for the abysmal-looking ramen, but I had already mixed everything before taking the picture!)

You have three choices of broth: Miso, Shoyu, and Spicy. Miso is light, Shoyu is somewhat saltier, and Spicy is...well, it's Spicy! You can also add additional toppings to your Ramen at an extra cost, prices vary per topping. There are also two types of noodles: Udon noodles, which are thick and soft flour noodles, but great for slurping, or Soba noodles that are made from buckwheat; smaller in comparison to Udon, but great if you love to chew your noodles! I went for a Spicy Ramen with Soba noodles and an additional Katsu Pork, and the bowl is ab-so-lute-ly MASSIVE with a beautiful presentation. The broth was nice and spicy, and clung to the noodles well. The fish cake was beautiful and the egg had a runny yolk, perfect for making your broth a little more creamy and thick. That ramen by itself earned my acclaim.

Dessert came by and I was full, but curious, I ordered a Strawberry and Mango mochi! Ice cream wrapped around a... I forgot what it was called, but the Mochi was so refreshing after all that spice. A little difficult to dig in to, but well worth the effort. The Mochi is beautiful and there's only two balls, but one is certainly enough for one person, so it's a great couple's dessert.

Now for Service. My server was really attentive and maybe a little too over the top with presentation, especially for utensils and drinks, but it made me feel like they were at my every whim and that is a great feeling. Free water refills galore, like DAMN, when I felt like I wanted more water, a guy with a pitcher was right there! Excellent service, and you don't really need to flag them down.

The price is somewhat higher end, but this is worth it. Amazing food, amazing service, and earns an honest 5 stars from my book. Yasuke has carved a place...

this is easily what I consider the best sushi in the valley. They also have some amazing Japanese dishes you can’t find anywhere else here like okonomiyaki and omurice. I’ve tried most everything on their menu and some stuff off the menu.

The Chasu (pork belly) is amazing. Crispy on the meaty ends and the fat very soft, buttery, and full of flavor from the marinade.

This time I got 12 different Nigiri to try some I haven’t in a while and some that my faves. I got Tuna, salmon, white tail, red snapper, mackerel, escolar, masago, ikura, tamago, uni, amaebi(shrimp), and eel. They have some season sushi and other things at times like the Uni (sea urchin), Otoro(fatty tuna) and fresh real wasabi, though no wasabi this time so had to stick with regular wasabi. The presentation is on point of course but what really impressed me was the deliberate order of how my sushi was plated. From tuna to the eel, they were plated by their flavor profile which the more subtle and clean flavors on one end and the stronger umami flavors on the other. Really showing why Yasuke are the best in the RGV.

I would note that unlike American or Mexican sushi, some of these are very different in texture and can have a very strong umami flavor. The slimey buttery texture of Uni definitely isn’t for everyone but I love it and very few places here carry it.

My wife got the Yasuke Futomaki roll and miso soup though I was too full to try the roll lol. I’ve had their miso plenty of times and it’s a good solid miso but nothing stand out about it to me. Would like more wakame in it but that’s my personal preference.

I didn’t get some this time but I would recommend their hot teas and their desserts especially the Korean chocolate cake omg. The seasonal drinks most always hit too.

It can be pricey but I think it’s always worth it. Hell my wife and I have spent over $300 on a multi course omakase for two before and did not regret one bit.

If you want authentic Japanese and great quality sushi Yasuke is definitely the place to go in the valley.

What we ordered: Chasu pork 12 different Nigiri 1 Yasuke futomaki roll Miso soup And soft...

I tried this place a couple years back and never got around to making a review, so here are my thoughts. Essentially it is a really good japanese restaruant that nails the vibe, service, and food quality, and pretty much can be a place to go to for the novelty for eating japanese or even korean food. Be sure to like sushi, rice, soups, noodles, and an assortment of mixed drinks and beer since there is a dish for any customer here. In the photos any version of the bento box, the chicken, shrimp, steak or even salmon versions give an taste for much of what yasuke has to offer, and is a good thing to recommend to newcomers if you're going to ask the server questions. Tempura is essentially japanese fried food and its an assortment of fried vegetables and meats depending on the dish. Id recommend tempura as a side dish that complements either a sushi roll or other dish, it shouldnt really be your main dish in my opinion if you're a new comer to japanese food since its quite heavy. lastly are both Ramen and sushi, lets start with Ramen. There are three types of ramen miso, shoyu and spicy Ramen, and id recommend both shoyu and spicy ramen for newcomers since miso can be a little off putting after eating it for a long period. Miso soup as a broth in my opinion is similar to how tempura is that it shouldnt be your main dish unless you like the taste and instead should be a side dish. As such shoyu and spicy Ramen are way more flavourful and probably are what newcomers would expect ramen to taste like. For sushi, my recommendations are the California rolls that are included in the bento box automatically, the tropical roll, and the rainbow roll. These three rolls are the sushi rolls you look for if you just want cucumber, avocado, crab and either salmon or tuna. If you're looking for cream cheese options, go for the moody blues or the philadelphia rolls. Overall, unlike either American or even Mexican cuisine Japanese food from Yasuke captures the strong flavors that you'd expect from something as a novelty. The food is pricey but the service and food is top notch, and i'd recommend...