Dining at Restaurant Yuu was an intimate and theatrical experience. I’ll remember the moment the lights dimmed and the curtains opened to unveil the kitchen staff before the meal commenced, as if we were about to embark on an epic show. From the presentation of the ingredients before the meal to the mixing of the salad sauce, it was as if a fine-dining establishment had figured out how to make itself tastefully “instagrammable” and photo-worthy. However I felt that this tendency for exhibition was a double edged sword – it set up great expectations that the food didn’t always meet.
The cuisine at Yuu presents a creative take on Japanified French cooking. While not every course was perfect, there were strands of unique brilliance in many of the dishes.
Details are keenly taken care of at Yuu, and there is no doubt that this new restaurant is a well-funded venture. The decor is elegantly dark and cool, with awing Ikebana displays and equally one-of-a-kind plate-ware. Service was also felt like a mix of French and Japanese, distant yet intimate, and particularly attentive.
## Food
We start with four bites that succeed in varying degrees. The first is a corn mousse enveloped by a beef consommé gelatin, by far my favorite of the four. The bubble pops on the palate to unveil a sweet and intense corn flavor, set against a mildly savory beef consomme. The uni with nori and short rice is unremarkable, and the uni is noticeably not the freshest. The pork belly on endive is unexpected as an opening bite, but it works with the bitterness of the endive cutting through the strips of pork belly. Lastly, the duck liver mousse with celeriac and grapes presented a great idea but I wish it had less sweetness and more celeriac flavor. (8/10)
Next is a bite of gougere with 16 month aged comte cheese, though its flavor is not memorably evident. It’s a bit overly salted, but commendably light and airy. (8/10)
The first course is a barracuda “spring roll”, presenting familiar Japanese flavors through an unfamiliar vessel. The barracuda is a faintly sweet white gritty fish, mostly flavored by shiso, and is rather crunchy from a deep fry. The rice roll is glutinous and soft. (7.5/10)
Then comes a thick piece of binchotan-seared A5 wagyu with foie gras, over a house brioche toast. The brioche is a intentionally a little stale and hardened, cleverly contrasting the soft yet chewy wagyu. The sweet and earthy bordelaise sauce goes well with both the wagyu and the toast to set the tone. (9.5/10)
The snow peas and oysters course is definitely a novel dish. It features snow peas and its purée, Granny Smith apples both cubed and sliced, and a gelee that tasted like it was only flavored by salt. It’s subtly refreshing but lacked distinctive flavor that I’m not sure what profile they were going for. I did like the texture of the gelee against oysters though, though I also wish there were more peas. (6.5/10)
The squid noodles with caviar is a very polarizing dish due to its slimy texture, and I was on the “I loved it” side. The squid is aged for two days, becoming especially slimy with the creamy sauce. The squid noodles present an memorably soft yet chewy texture, and I thought the creamy flavors went well with the caviar. (9/10)
Next up was a lobster salad, which had a showy preparation presented in front of us but fell short in taste given the presentation of the preparation. It felt like a pretty ordinary salad – the sauce was made from lobster head, tarragon, sherry vinegar, mustard, with overtly strong notes of olive oil that I felt detracted from the lobster head but luckily still preserved its distinct aftertaste. The green salad includes one slice of duck breast, chunks of lobster, a small pickle and preserved artichoke hearts, and a bit of shaved truffle, but they just all coexisted without much synergy. (6/10)
The soft turtle soup is admirably special, delicately presenting the unique textures and flavors of the turtle. The turtle’s texture is soft like a cooked mushroom, while its flavors are combined with a pure and savory broth that includes egg custard, white asparagus, yam, and black truffle. This was a very touching course. (8.5/10)
The tomato course, perhaps inspired by Caprese salad, is a little bizarre. It pairs heirloom tomatoes with basil granita, along with some jelly and a piece of cheese that sort of goes unnoticed at the bottom of the bowl. It’s a bit dissonant yet familiar at the same time, playing mind games with me. (7.5/10)
The fish course, featuring seabass, is served in a bouillabaisse sauce with potatoes, artichokes, and mussels. Paired with some whole grain bread devoid of any flavor, it felt like a commendable but ineffective elevation of “peasant food”. The dish features an aromatic and fishy bouillabaisse that is a bit too salty, while the seabass is overcooked and the skin is not notable. Ultimately it’s a hearty fish course. (7.5/10)
The lamb course is a minimalist presentation of lamb saddle, and it’s excellent. It incorporates some pine nuts, candied lemon peels, and seaweed that are cooked with the saddle; no garnishes or sides are required. It’s a very well executed lamb with a jus to match in skill. (9/10)
The *Chef’s Table* theme song starts playing when the iconic duck pie is being served, which I found to be funny (but none of the other diners seemed to notice). Chef Yuu first goes around displaying to diners the cross section of the duck pie – layers of duck, foie gras, spinach, and mushroom, all in a flaky puff-pastry shell. It’s then plated and served with a black pepper cognac reduction that works rather well with the duck. The duck is rather firm, and despite it being aged for a month you wouldn’t really be able to tell from its flavor. The foie gras was of course enjoyable, and the puff pastry was decent. (8.5/10)
The first dessert, based on a treasured childhood favorite of the chef, was perhaps the most brilliant course of the evening. Inspired by cream melon soda, it serves tiny crown melon balls with melon granita, vanilla ice cream, white port jelly, and a magical melon espuma that tastes both creamy and carbonated at the same time. This combination all support the flavor profile of a melon soda and is breathtakingly elevated – it is clearly reminiscent of the drink but at the same time particularly different in its medium. (10/10)
The next dessert is dictated by the flavor of donut peach. It consists of a donut peach puree, strawberry rose jelly, brioche soaked in vanilla liqueur, and cream. The vanilla liqueur was a very inspired addition with the fruity flavors. (8.5/10)
Mignardaises are served at the couches behind the counter with tea, where we get to enjoy a nice chat with other guests.
7 Comments
Dining at Restaurant Yuu was an intimate and theatrical experience. I’ll remember the moment the lights dimmed and the curtains opened to unveil the kitchen staff before the meal commenced, as if we were about to embark on an epic show. From the presentation of the ingredients before the meal to the mixing of the salad sauce, it was as if a fine-dining establishment had figured out how to make itself tastefully “instagrammable” and photo-worthy. However I felt that this tendency for exhibition was a double edged sword – it set up great expectations that the food didn’t always meet.
The cuisine at Yuu presents a creative take on Japanified French cooking. While not every course was perfect, there were strands of unique brilliance in many of the dishes.
Details are keenly taken care of at Yuu, and there is no doubt that this new restaurant is a well-funded venture. The decor is elegantly dark and cool, with awing Ikebana displays and equally one-of-a-kind plate-ware. Service was also felt like a mix of French and Japanese, distant yet intimate, and particularly attentive.
## Food
We start with four bites that succeed in varying degrees. The first is a corn mousse enveloped by a beef consommé gelatin, by far my favorite of the four. The bubble pops on the palate to unveil a sweet and intense corn flavor, set against a mildly savory beef consomme. The uni with nori and short rice is unremarkable, and the uni is noticeably not the freshest. The pork belly on endive is unexpected as an opening bite, but it works with the bitterness of the endive cutting through the strips of pork belly. Lastly, the duck liver mousse with celeriac and grapes presented a great idea but I wish it had less sweetness and more celeriac flavor. (8/10)
Next is a bite of gougere with 16 month aged comte cheese, though its flavor is not memorably evident. It’s a bit overly salted, but commendably light and airy. (8/10)
The first course is a barracuda “spring roll”, presenting familiar Japanese flavors through an unfamiliar vessel. The barracuda is a faintly sweet white gritty fish, mostly flavored by shiso, and is rather crunchy from a deep fry. The rice roll is glutinous and soft. (7.5/10)
Then comes a thick piece of binchotan-seared A5 wagyu with foie gras, over a house brioche toast. The brioche is a intentionally a little stale and hardened, cleverly contrasting the soft yet chewy wagyu. The sweet and earthy bordelaise sauce goes well with both the wagyu and the toast to set the tone. (9.5/10)
The snow peas and oysters course is definitely a novel dish. It features snow peas and its purée, Granny Smith apples both cubed and sliced, and a gelee that tasted like it was only flavored by salt. It’s subtly refreshing but lacked distinctive flavor that I’m not sure what profile they were going for. I did like the texture of the gelee against oysters though, though I also wish there were more peas. (6.5/10)
The squid noodles with caviar is a very polarizing dish due to its slimy texture, and I was on the “I loved it” side. The squid is aged for two days, becoming especially slimy with the creamy sauce. The squid noodles present an memorably soft yet chewy texture, and I thought the creamy flavors went well with the caviar. (9/10)
Next up was a lobster salad, which had a showy preparation presented in front of us but fell short in taste given the presentation of the preparation. It felt like a pretty ordinary salad – the sauce was made from lobster head, tarragon, sherry vinegar, mustard, with overtly strong notes of olive oil that I felt detracted from the lobster head but luckily still preserved its distinct aftertaste. The green salad includes one slice of duck breast, chunks of lobster, a small pickle and preserved artichoke hearts, and a bit of shaved truffle, but they just all coexisted without much synergy. (6/10)
The soft turtle soup is admirably special, delicately presenting the unique textures and flavors of the turtle. The turtle’s texture is soft like a cooked mushroom, while its flavors are combined with a pure and savory broth that includes egg custard, white asparagus, yam, and black truffle. This was a very touching course. (8.5/10)
The tomato course, perhaps inspired by Caprese salad, is a little bizarre. It pairs heirloom tomatoes with basil granita, along with some jelly and a piece of cheese that sort of goes unnoticed at the bottom of the bowl. It’s a bit dissonant yet familiar at the same time, playing mind games with me. (7.5/10)
The fish course, featuring seabass, is served in a bouillabaisse sauce with potatoes, artichokes, and mussels. Paired with some whole grain bread devoid of any flavor, it felt like a commendable but ineffective elevation of “peasant food”. The dish features an aromatic and fishy bouillabaisse that is a bit too salty, while the seabass is overcooked and the skin is not notable. Ultimately it’s a hearty fish course. (7.5/10)
The lamb course is a minimalist presentation of lamb saddle, and it’s excellent. It incorporates some pine nuts, candied lemon peels, and seaweed that are cooked with the saddle; no garnishes or sides are required. It’s a very well executed lamb with a jus to match in skill. (9/10)
The *Chef’s Table* theme song starts playing when the iconic duck pie is being served, which I found to be funny (but none of the other diners seemed to notice). Chef Yuu first goes around displaying to diners the cross section of the duck pie – layers of duck, foie gras, spinach, and mushroom, all in a flaky puff-pastry shell. It’s then plated and served with a black pepper cognac reduction that works rather well with the duck. The duck is rather firm, and despite it being aged for a month you wouldn’t really be able to tell from its flavor. The foie gras was of course enjoyable, and the puff pastry was decent. (8.5/10)
The first dessert, based on a treasured childhood favorite of the chef, was perhaps the most brilliant course of the evening. Inspired by cream melon soda, it serves tiny crown melon balls with melon granita, vanilla ice cream, white port jelly, and a magical melon espuma that tastes both creamy and carbonated at the same time. This combination all support the flavor profile of a melon soda and is breathtakingly elevated – it is clearly reminiscent of the drink but at the same time particularly different in its medium. (10/10)
The next dessert is dictated by the flavor of donut peach. It consists of a donut peach puree, strawberry rose jelly, brioche soaked in vanilla liqueur, and cream. The vanilla liqueur was a very inspired addition with the fruity flavors. (8.5/10)
Mignardaises are served at the couches behind the counter with tea, where we get to enjoy a nice chat with other guests.
## Scoring
Flavor: 8.25
Quality: 9
Value: 6
Setting & Service: +3
Presentation: +4
Legitimacy or Creativity: +3.5
Miscellaneous: +2.5
Overall: 77.5
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Where Is this
Great review thank you.
I went back in July.
I agree with you about the meal.
Duck Pie and lamb saddle were my fav courses.
Tomato course was bizarre.
Lobster salad high-quality ingredients, but the presentation was sloppy, and it took forever for them to assemble.
If they fine-tuned a few dishes i could see it at a 1 star level
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Nice and detailed review. Thank you
Compare to Mifune? (Yuu’s last place)
This place was just odd. The curtains were honestly ridiculous.