FOOD REVIEW: YOKO'S

Ate in Yoko's in McAllen TX a few weeks back and it was a nice place for chillin' out. They even had this solo artist singing cover songs while playing on his lone guitar (we went dinnertime). It had the ambience of a decent bar and overall cozy with the dimmed lights and the dark colored furniture.

As for the food, it wasn't authentic Japanese but good enough. I mean it's not as authentic as say, Kamameshi, Sugi or Nihonbashitei in Manila but at least, the food was original in its own way. They had various sushi plates with a twist, and their sashimi was fresh but not the best I've tried.

Call me biased but for food, my rule of thumb when eating in places that say they're Japanese or Chinese or whatever country is that they should have at least a resident chef that is from that country. I mean I'd trust the taste and judgment of a local as a mark of authenticity. That makes sense right? In the same way that I know a place is authentic if nationalities from the country the food boasts from eat there.... heehee.

Otherwise, I have no complaints with Yoko's. Ordered a few chicken dishes and some sushi and a sashimi boat but see, I don't even remember what the dishes are called as there are none that really stood out for me. Oh! But I do remember and enjoyed their raspberry iced tea though. They had this sushi which was super spicy and they didn't use wasabi for the spice (I'm guessing its red chilis) so it really lingered in your mouth. It took me a couple of glasses of iced tea before my tongue said it was bearable enough to withstand. And the sashimi was okay too, fresh enough and as it was a boat, the variety made me happy (Salmon, Tuna, Squid, Shrimp and other raw pale fish I don't know the name of).

I give this resto 3 stars because it's not something I'd really crave for when you're looking for real Japanese food, but otherwise it is good enough and wouldn't mind eating here again to try what else they have to offer.