Sat on Lower Ormond Street in Dublin, on the doorstep of the Ha’penny Bridge, Yamamori Sushi offers a tantalising array of Japanese flavours to locals and visitors to the city.
With a bamboo garden and several 19th Century Japanese artefacts, diners could be forgiven for thinking that they have been transported all the way to Tokyo. This feeling is further enhanced upon the first mouthful of the exquisite dishes on offer at Yamamori Sushi, which Gourmet Society members are able to partake in at a superb discount when calling in advance with their card.
To be enjoyed as either a light bite, a sharer in a tapas style meal, or a starter as part of a more indulgent feast are the side dishes at the restaurant. Particularly enticing examples of such can be found in the delectable beef tataki, thinly sliced rare Irish flank steak, which is served cold and garnished with a rucola salad, a glorious selection of steamed mussels in a sake dashi and kimchee sauce, and some divine slow-cooked duck pancakes, which come complete with a heavenly house special hoisin sauce.
The main event however, as with any Japanese eatery worth its salt, can be found in the sushi options – where there are a number of Norimaki and Nigiri dishes that promise to satisfy sushi patrons. These are available in a diverse range that includes spicy kimchee, cucumber, crab meat Kanpyo – or marinated squash – and unagi, that sit alongside a medley of house specials that allow guests a peek into the mind of the chef.
Keeping with the sushi theme are the norimaki specials, where a rainbow roll of crayfish and cucumber and a sun-dried tomato and cream cheese based cucumber dragon can be found. Though the delicious haddock tempura, fresh haddock in a light crispy batter, placed atop a bed of stir-fried vegetables, the scrumptious chicken katsu curry, breaded chicken deep-fried and served in a Japanese style curry sauce, and the sizzling beef teriyaki, and 8oz prime beef steak, grilled to the customer’s liking and coated in a teriyaki sauce, make for just three of the sumptuous non-sushi alternatives.
With the Old Jameson Distillery, Dublin Castle and the Jervis Shopping Centre all just a stone’s throw away, Yamamori Sushi is in the ideal location from which to conclude a day of exploration, or of retail therapy, in style.