Yokohama - Maple Shade, NJ

Tonight we decided to meet up with some friends at Yokohama in Maple Shade, and this is a new restaurant we have never visited. We've seen write ups for Yokohama, and they have all been very favorable, so it was a good opportunity to check it out.

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We arrived a few minutes early and had a drink at the bar. The bar is small, but very nice and modern. To the right of the bar is the sushi side of the restaurant, and to the left is the hibachi side of the restaurant, situated behind a nice water wall.

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Zelda opted for her usual, Tanqueray, with some tonic. I on the other hand went out of my norm, and had a Tanqueray martini. Just under $15 for the round, which is about average for this area.

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The gang opted to sit on the sushi side of the house tonight, and as we were at, we walked past the sushi bar, with the sushi chefs working hard. The fish itself in the glass case looked nice and fresh, and they seemed to be pumping out quite a few plates full of this raw fish that we have come to love.

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Both Zelda and I were in the mood for something hot tonight. It was a cold, snowy night, and as much as we both love sushi, we needed some warmth tonight. We did however both start with a few rolls to get our sushi fix!

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Zelda had the Spicy Salmon and Avocado roll, and I opted for the Shrimp Tempura Maki roll. For dinner, we both ordered the chicken teppanyake box. First out were the miso soups that came wit our dinner that neither of us were interested in, so those were given to our friends that we were out with. Nothing at all against miso soup, but it is just not my thing. Next out were the salads that came with our boxes, with the typical Asian styled dressing. The lettuce was nice, and the dressing was typical. This made for a nice little appetizer, although, with all the food we ordered, I probably should have refrained from eating it.

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Next out were the rolls, and Zelda's Spicy Salmon and Avocado roll was typical. It came out looking a bit sloppy, and it was similar to other rolls that we've had elsewhere. Nothing really differentiated it from anywhere else we have gone, but it wasn't offensive in the least, but again, it was just your typical roll. My roll came out filled with shrimp tempura, cucumber, and crab stick. This is a large roll, but into 2 large end pieces, and 3 middle pieces that were thick, and filled with goodies. The flavors went well together, and I found it to be a nice combination. Had I had this roll elsewhere, I don't know how I would rate it, but this is the first time that I have seen this combo.

. Next out came a plate of sushi that the girls were splitting. Everything looked great, and they ordered a few different rolls. Unfortunately, I don't remember all of the names of the rolls that they ordered, but the one that sticks out was the Halloween Roll. Regardless, the presentation on all of them looked nice, as you can see at above. .

Next out were our boxes, and this came with a lot of food, ranging from seafood shumai, to shrimp and vegetable tempura, to the chicken, with white rice, and a California roll. First up was the chicken, and I really wasn't all that impressed. It was almost as though the chicken were just boiled, and then topped with some teriyaki sauce that was a bit bland. The California roll as again average, and the shumai really didn't do a lot for me as it was cold. The tempura on the other hand was tasty, and it was friend up nicely and light. The tempura crust was light and airy, and I did indeed enjoy it.

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The rest of the table seemed to enjoy their sushi dishes, and it was a nice night out with some good laughs and good conversation. For dessert, I opted for the green tea ice cream, which was good, although the chocolate sauce that came on it overpowered the taste that I love of the green tea. At least now I know to request it with no chocolate sauce. Zelda opted for coffee mochi ice cream, which was a strange skin like substance filled with ice cream. Regardless, I enjoyed it, even though the texture of the "skin" was a bit strange. This was a treat.

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In short, I think it was a decent meal, but it really didn't do anything for me to separate it from other places we have visited for sushi. The ambiance was nice, and the service was great, but there was nothing raising the bar as far as the cuisine is concerned in my humble opinion, but that doesn't say that I wouldn't go back there. I will say that I wouldn't go out of my way to go there, but I'm sure we'll visit again in the future, but will probably be more likely to stick with just sushi.

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Yokohama

300 South Lenola Road

Maple Shade, NJ

Phone 856.608.8812

http://www.yokohamacuisine.com/