I MIGHT be an in-aboot-comer to these here parts but I have noticed one refreshing trend in my five years of living here.
The number of restaurants specialising in Japanese cuisine has shot up rapidly.
Today there is an eatery catering for every corner of the Japanese foodmarket – for the casual diner and the connoisseur. (I’m both ... often at the same time).
But arguably no restaurant has been more hotly-anticipated than Yorokobi by CJ.
Fans of the sushi stall in the Aberdeen Indoor Market will already be familiar with the wonder that is Chef Jang.
Quietly spoken and unassuming, Chef Jang is a very nice Korean man, who makes a mean maki roll. He has been preparing some of the city’s best sushi from his corner of the Market for several years now – and always with a bright smile. Now he has opened his first sit-down restaurant just minutes from my front door! What joy!
Yorokobi means joy and happiness in Japanese (a fair summation of my feelings at booking a table there). Open just a few months, it’s still a little on the quiet side, so doesn’t have the buzzing atmosphere you might expect.
My friend – a fellow sushi-phile – and I decided just to order a big selection of goodies and share everything. To begin we savoured a juicy, soft-shell crab (£6.70), its plump meaty body encased in an oh-so-flaky tempura batter. Heavenly.
We alternated between bites with some spicy edamame beans (£3.50). More commonly served doused in salt, you simply bite the pod and suck out the little soy bean within.
They’re furiously addictive and extremely healthy. The triumphant chilli version served here packs a fiery punch so have some water on stand-by.
Some nourishing miso soup (£3.50) tided us over until the spectacular main events arrived.
Forget your simple sushi, chopped up and served on a platter. I was met with a “caterpillar roll”(£8.50), snaking its way across the plate, with avocado topping, dark sesame seed coating, and a quirky wasabi cream on the side.
We also loved our “crunch roll” (£11.95) – basically sushi in batter. The flavours worked perfectly with a spicy mustard sauce, a combination I couldn’t get enough of. The only downside for Chef Jang fans is that he doesn’t serve you personally – but then you can’t have everything.
This is a lovely restaurant with perfect, authentic Japanese cuisine at a reasonable price – our bill was £52.40 with drinks.