Restaurant Yuu — Restaurant in New York

I have to say, for $250pp, this is easily the best value you'll find for an upscale dinner in NYC.

Let's break down this adventure:

1. Consommé: We kicked things off with a beef and lobster consommé that was so rich, it's like they distilled the very essence of luxury and poured it into a bowl.

2. Ikura: Next up, we rode the waves of flavor with the ikura. It was like a flavor explosion in our mouths, and we were the happy victims.

3. Mussel: Then came the mussel, wrapped in a shiso leaf tempura blanket, with pickled fennel and mussel, and a zingy ume gelée. Just yum.

4. Foie Gras: The foie gras mousse was like a fluffy cloud of decadence, spiked with 12-year Yamazaki whiskey and served with honey crisp apple and red miso. It was so good, it should be illegal. Seriously, someone call the flavor police.

5. Shima-Aji: I'm not normally a mackerel fan, but I liked this striped mackerel and its sexydance of flavors, with onion and marinated olives.

6. Pissaladière: A twist on the classic flatbread. My one complaint was that the olive flavor was too strong and not well-balanced with the mackerel and onions.

7. Oyster and Wagyu Tartare: This dish was like a fancy party in our mouths. A5 Wagyu and Nisqually oyster mingled with sunchoke chip and cauliflower and oyster emulsion sauce. We felt like we were eating pure luxury on a spoon.

8. Arctic Char: A partial dud. The ingredients were on point and the char was fresh, but they forgot to season the sauce or something because every bite was....bland. I think someone in the back forgot the salt. What should've been an easy win ended up being the culinary equivalent of crickets during an awkward silence.

9. Abalone Risotto: Creamy, dreamy perfection, with koshihikari rice, kombu dashi, bamboo shoots, and nori. It was like a warm hug from the ocean.

10. Langoustine: Langoustine is probably my favorite seafood, but it's been pretty hard to find recently. This Norwegian langoustine was perfectly complemented with crème fraîche, mussel juice, and shiso oil--simple and flavorful, the way it should be.

11. Asparagus: The only true dud. Why would you batter and fry such a beautiful, thick stalk of white asparagus? I also suspect the same person who seasoned the char seasoned this dish--as in DIDN'T season it--as it was very, very bland.

12. Housemade Bread: I don't normally go crazy for bread, but I could've eaten a whole loaf of this.

13. Monkfish or Halibut: We got both, of course. I liked the earthy halibut more, but the rich monkfish would definitely appeal to some.

14. Veal or Squab: Pick both if you can. Feast on red meat perfection.

15. Canard: The climax of the night, and like all good climaxes, this one leaves you shaking with aftershocks and radiating with afterglow. The dry-aged duck breast, accompanied by minced duck leg and drizzled with a black pepper cognac and foie gras reduction sauce, was pure poetry on a plate. And let's not forget the duck innards salad, a delightful surprise that added a crunchy contrast to the tender meat.

16. Pear and Yuzu: Tasty and refreshing, like all palate cleansers should be.

17. Matcha and Strawberry: Don't worry if you're reading this and worried that there's only one dessert listed on the menu. First, this dessert is good. It's classic Japanese flavors and nothing is too sweet.

18. (Not Listed) Petit Fours: We got a caramel macaron, a marshmallow whose flavor I forget, and an orange dark chocolate roll, along with a nice hot cup of homemade mint tea. Enjoy these in the back chairs while they clear the space for the next seating.

19. (Not Listed) Gift Bag: You'll likely get two financiers of different flavors to take home, and you'll likely cry a bit with each moist bite.

I knew Yuu was the real deal when we got their limited edition strawberry pistachio cake last Christmas, and I'm glad the rest of their cooking lives up to that potential, despite a couple of duds. Do yourself a favor. Stop waffling. Book your table and...

My 31 visit here. Why 31 visit, because my happiest place always give me the best experience. A Michelin restaurant accounts five universal criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine and, just as importantly, consistency both across the entire menu and over time. Yuu’s quality of ingredients beyond any doubt. For example the classic Cavier brioche, I had many Cavier brioche in different restaurants, here is the best, Cavier is Petrossian, which add a burst of decadence to every crispy brioche bite. The amount of Cavier also touched me, everyone can see the pic of Cavier brioche,it’s a Cavier bomb. Compared with Quince’s Cavier brioche, the soul is sour cream + cream cheese, which makes it the best and the unique. Talk about the flavors. I had all Yuu’s dishes since it open, never miss anyone. Menu is seasonal, but some food is so good and I cannot miss them. So I create my own menu which always add on wagyu brioche etc…someone think the amount is big? I don’t think so, every dish is a artwork for both eyes and mouth, the most important thing is delicious food won’t make you feel stuffed, some dishes I love so much: unagi risotto, truffle risotto, Gin pepper fish, the new dish crab and lobster, and always my classic fish pie. Comes to service, thank you Annie always fullfill me all requirements, I’m not an easy person, often have some special requests like double amuse, sub some dishes to some new dishes, she never makes any mistake and every time makes sure me and my mom and my friends so satisfied and grateful. You can always see her busy in kitchen, control the deliver time control the diet restrictions, she is the best! Not sure how many times I may come up eventually, as long as Yuu is open, I will keep coming my happiest place. For those who said ‘won’t come again because see little mistakes made’, I would say yes , please stay at home and be a potato couch, watch tv never go wrong and gives you a 100% correct...

Chef Yuu Shimano opened his restaurant in May 2023, and received his first Michelin Star in November 2023! Yup, he really is THAT talented! They have around 18 counter seats for dining. We first visited Restaurant Yuu in March of 2024.

When it was time to start cooking, they dimmed the light for a second to get everyone’s attention, then they opened the curtain to reveal the beautiful kitchen and all the chefs. It was like a beginning of a theatre.

The menu is 15-couse Omakase only. The first four courses were amuse bouche: Ikura, Mussel, and Foie Gras on an artistic display. Then a hot soup was delivered immediately after, so we can have them together.

Next was Shima-Aji, then Pissaladière, and the seventh course was Oyster and Wagyu Tartare. Every thing thus far tasted like heaven. Every bite was exceptional!

We received a surprise from Chef Yuu, their gorgeous caviar dish. A generous amount of caviar with sour cream on brioche. It was as amazing as it looks!

Back to the course, number eight was Arctic Char, Abalone Risotto, Langoustine, Egg and Truffle with their homemade bread & butter. The food heaven continues, with every dish delivering amazing flavors.

A couple of the courses had a choice of dishes, and we chose a different ones so that we can taste them all. We got Monkfish, Cod, Veal, and Lamb. Also, their signature dish, Canard, with loads of shaved truffles. After all the savory dishes were done, I could not pick a favorite dish, as each and every dish was so fantastic!

Then two desserts to finish off the course. Pear & Yuzu, and Matcha & Strawberry. They were both incredible!

Once you are done, you can move over to the lounge area, and you receive complimentary hot tea and some petit fours. And, you even gets some desserts to take home with! How amazing is this? We had such a great time, we went back for more in June. The menu was mostly different, so we got to try so many different dishes, all amazing as expected. We will be sure to return again for more...