Sushi Yolo

checked this place out on a whim -- i always walk past it on my commute home from work and as someone who loves omakase, i thought i had to stop by at least once. one of my best decisions this year so far, i think.the server/host (alex) was super personable and attentive -- made some good conversation in the downtime between each dish. i nabbed a seating for 6:30, so it was just me and another party of two. vibes were casual and laid back, as i usually see with earlier seatings, but it doesn't detract from the entire experience at all (there's no need for dim lights and fancy dress when the food is that good). also, they offered drinks on the house, which absolutely helped (sakari "yuzu" japanese citrus liqueur -- 5% ABV, and it's perfect if you're like me and don't drink regularly / don't normally like the taste of alcohol).as for the food, where do i start? the starters were solid, although not the strongest part of the night -- that is to say, the plating for each piece was beautiful and the flavors for each balanced nicely without being too heavy, which works as a lead up for the main attraction of the nigiri.at some point the chef asked for a favorite dish of the night, and i didn't have an answer (i still don't) -- each piece was phenomenal. the fish was fresh and tender, and each one was obviously prepared beautifully. my note for the double smoked king salmon just says "holy crap", and the one for the ebi says "i want to eat this forever", which both pretty much encapsulate the theme of the whole night. all in all, high quality fish and preparation crafted into both classic and more experimental dishes that pays off in the end. will probably be back way too often for my poor wallet.

What a wonderful night. I agree that this spot definitely has minimal frills, but that atmosphere allows the food and the joyful environment to shine through. Everyone here - customers, chefs, and hosts - seemed to be all smiles throughout the 1.5 hour experience.We had 14 (or 16?) courses. They were all worthwhile and delicious. We watched salmon smoke before our eyes and the amazing crafting of each and every piece. Short but delectable sake menu. I'd have their sparkling specialty sake any day!As a small gesture for my birthday, they also had a piece of cheesecake and a candle and a quiet "happy birthday" singing. It was sweet. Very memorable and highly recommend.

Came here for dinner on our anniversary. Great sushi, awesome owner named Alex he makes the customers feel like family. 10/10 recommend for omakase.

Sushi Yolo was straight up incredible! One of the better 16 course omakase meals I have ever had, the setting and staff here are great. Very cute and intimate ambiance! All of the courses from the sea scallops to the fatty tuna to the A5 Wagyu were very memorable! With a great location on Columbus circle it's a no brainer, and I cannot wait to go back soon!

This omakase spot does a well thought out 14 course that includes everything - from apps to nigiri to desserts at an affordable price. What I really enjoyed about Sushi Yolo compared to other omakase spots in this price range is how it's nicely paced with your entire meal spanning 1.5 hours (other spots are usually churning out guests within 1 hour). As I said before, all the dishes were so well thought out and the pieces that were presented were so beautiful. My absolute favorite was their steamed egg topped with ikura and uni - it was so warm, smooth, and custard-y with the ikura and uni providing the perfect umami balance. As expected, service was amazing and Alex, the host, was so thoughtful to offer me tea throughout my meal as I was the only one in my party who was not partaking in sake. Highly recommend for a date night or a fun outing with a group of friends.

The ingredients ay Sushi Yolo are extremely high quality. No frills, no overly decorative toppings, classic nigiri and fresh fish. While all the nigiri were super fresh, I docked one point for:-Appetizers: somehow, the tuna in the appetizer did not taste as fresh and the chawanmushi was only mediocre. -Rice: the rice was a huge letdown. It tasted extremely bland and a bit like brown rice --not vinegar-y enough and super thick.My favorite pieces included: the uni, cherry smoked salmon (super unique!), double layered toro, and of course the toro handroll. It was also a bit expensive for the price considering the quantity of food, but I guess that is the price you pay for high quality fish.

My friend had a birthday meal here last week. The staff was very friendly and stored the cake we brought until the end of the meal. There is no cake cutting fee. Every bite was so fresh and flavorful- highlight that day was the Japanese mackerel as the chef told us it had just come in that day from Japan.I like that the course had some appetizers and a dessert instead of all nigiri. It is also byob and they gave us buckets of ice to keep our sake bottles cold. We also purchased a yuzu sake from their drink menu and it was dangerously good. We poured the chef a couple of shots of sake and he drank with us :) great atmosphereWould definitely return

I love omakases, and I love BYOB. This being both is just such a treat. for $109 you leave very full with some solid apps, a good number of nigiri, and a hand roll. None of the pieces are boring, and there is everything from untouched to smoked included.I've come on multiple occasions and they've remembered us each time, the vibe is much more chill than some of the counterparts downtown. Honestly I would keep coming here if given the option - it's a really great spot. The staff is friendly, the prices are right, and the BYOB is even better.Also the dessert is just fantastic - it's not like you can choose to get less, but trust me you'll appreciate it.

It's been a while since I tried a new omakase restaurant and I'm glad this was my first in 2024. For $109, you get 3 appetizers, 9 nigiri pieces, one hand roll, and a dessert. Everything was delicious but the standouts were the smoke-infused salmon, squid with rainbow sesame, and the fried fish appetizer (it was fried to perfection - not too much batter and extremely crunchy). The portion size was pretty generous (uni was served twice, the hand roll was stuffed with tuna and the otoro nigiri was double layered). This place definitely has the potential to be a 5/5 but a few reasons why I docked a point:1. There was only one sushi chef serving 9 people so the wait time between each piece was longer than other places I've been to. This probably wouldn't have bothered me if I wasn't starving. 2. The sashimi platter was blah and could be replaced with something else. I'm surprised they didn't make this dish more interesting given the creativity of some other dishes. 3. The toro nigiri was marinated with soy sauce. WHYYY Was the fish not fresh and they tried to mask it?

Highly recommended if you are in New YorkThe fish was Fredy and it was so goodIs a nice dinner date