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Finding Sushi that Hits the Spot at Yama Zakura

You can’t talk about sushi in this area without somebody bringing up Yama Zakura. This month, the Foodies visited and found that Yama lives up to all of that hype.

Tucked in an unassuming strip mall in Northborough (369 W Main St), Yama delivers….and delivers big on the promise of beautiful, creative and delicious sushi and other Asian Fusion cuisine.

“Yama’s presentation was literally of work of edible art,” Evan said. When the sushi was served, there was a moment of awe during which the foodies found it almost too pretty to eat. But, in true foodie style, the group dove in and tried a little bit of everything.

“Sure, you can get traditional standards like sashimi and lots of sushi rolls, but Yama’s menu includes so many other mouthwatering offerings,” said Evan. “The tempura shrimp of the Rock-n-Roll roll had a wonderful texture to it, while the sauce and flavors of the Blondie roll made me wish I had gotten a second one,” he added.

Joe enjoyed a variety of Sashimi including the Sake, Hotatega and Hamachi, and noted it was very fresh. “I tasted a few other items on our table including the buttery smooth Hamachi Kama. Very well done,” he said.

David, not new to Yama Zakura, noted the restaurant “never disappoints and as always the sushi rolls were fresh, creative, and offer a complexity that are masterful creations with the freshest ingredients,” he said.

Patrick tried different sushi rolls and sashimi also noting “The rolls were delicious, especially the Belichick Roll, and the maguro sashimi was fantastic!”

Julie noted the large portion size of the roll left her so much, she was giving some away. “I got the Jaxson Maxi in a soy wrap, it was spicy tuna and cucumber topped with seared shrimp, baked crab meat, panko and spicy Zakura sauce. The shrimp and crab topping was delicious, I just wish they had put a little more crab meat, I was trying hard to find any but the shrimp was great!” Julie said.

Others tried some different appetizers and entrees also on Yama Zakura’s menu.

“I had the fried gyoza to start and they were cooked nicely, with a nice balance of dumpling and pork filling,” Dana said. “For dinner I had the Bourbon Beef Tips, with mixed vegetables and ginger. Everything was cooked nicely and the ginger was a nice counter to the slightly sweet beef tips.”

Robyn found her order of Chilean Sea Bass a bit small for the 10 ounces it was advertised as on the menu. “While the sea bass was cooked to perfection with a nice char along the top, I thought the quantity was no were near 10 ounces, more on the lines of 4 ounces. It was a pretty small amount of fish for a dinner meal I thought,” Robyn said. She did say she’d recommend the place for sushi, though.

Overall, the Foodies found Yama Zakura definitely lived up to the hype as one of the best sushi spots around.

Importantly, Patrick noted that Yama’s take-out menu is on par with their dine-in experience. Good to know!

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Sushi Miyazawa – BYOB Sushi Restaurant on Chandler Street Now Open

Sushi Miyazawa, a BYOB sushi restaurant on Chandler Street in Worcester, MA

Sushi Miyazawa is the real deal. Located next to Nancy Chang’s at 372 Chandler Street, this intimate little gem seats less than 20 at a time and is not only the newest addition to the sushi scene in Worcester, but currently the only BYOB sushi restaurant in the city. Chef Nori, a Tokyo-trained chef with over 30 years of from-scratch cooking experience in Japan, is here to bring the city a memorable, authentic dining experience.

A special menu feature is “Omakase,” which means “it’s up to you.” Put your trust in the chef and let him create a tasting experience based on the freshest ingredients and your palate for $35 per person.

Combining BYOB with Japanese cooking is sure to catch on quickly.

Trust Chef Nori with Sushi Miyazawa, a BYOB sushi restaurant on Chandler Street in Worcester, MA
Trust Chef Nori with Sushi Miyazawa, a BYOB sushi restaurant on Chandler Street in Worcester, MA