Yakumo

So I went and I liked it. But maybe you shouldn’t go. Not because I’m selfish, but because you are not wanted. I’ll explain later.

It’s located at street level on Milady Horákové between the Kamenická and Strossmayerovo náměstí tram stops. 

Over the doorway, is a noren, a traditional fabric curtain. 

The dining area’s design is sparse and simple and feels quite Japanese. 

The restaurant is quite small with only five or six tables, a long bar, and two semi-private rooms on the back with rice paper walls. 

The majority of the customers were Japanese. Everyone should be aware that smoking is allowed throughout the restaurant and it did get irritating at times.

The meat on sticks can be served with just salt or tare, which is a sweet teriyaki sauce made according to each chef’s recipe.

Neither I nor my friend was drinking, so we both had .2 liter glasses of mineral water (20 CZK each). We received a gift of diced chicken, tofu, and cucumber marinated in a soy-flavored sauce. 

We got straight into ordering the grilled meats. They go for 60 CZK for two skewers. We had all of them with the tare sauce.

Juicier than breast meat, these hot, succulent morsels with sweet glaze and a slight char were a pleasure.

It had plenty of kick and is not for the weak of tongue, but it’s not deadly hot, either.

Third, we had the mochi-bacon. These are sticky rice cakes wrapped in bacon and grilled. 

The lean pork remained soft and ham-like. This was interesting, but not as decadent as I imagined. I probably wouldn’t get it again.

I was expecting something fatty, but it was very meaty, though not too tender. I liked it, but I’d probably rate the chicken as the best we had.

There are also grilled chicken livers, hearts, and stomachs, but I wasn’t in the mood for offal. Next time, I’d try the gyu hire or beef tenderloin skewer.

We were eager to try the grilled meats first, but then realized we wanted to sample sushi and appetizers.

From the nigiri menu, we ordered tuna (200 CZK), yellow tail (180 CZK), and salmon (140 CZK). 

The fish was fresh and buttery tender. There was only the slightest hint of wasabi between the fish and the loosely packed rice.

The rice was rather bland side, with almost no flavor of rice vinegar or wasabi. It was decent nigiri, but I didn’t feel it was so special that I wanted to pay that much.

The very fresh and tender tentacles and rings of flesh bathed in a vinegary soy with a clump of finely grated ginger that mixed in. Small, yes, but in this case, I thought it worth the big price.

The small, teacup-sized bowl was filled with delicate, slimy brown tendrils of seaweed with vinegar and ginger. It was a unique flavor and texture that I enjoyed. I was glad I tried it. But I probably wouldn’t pay that much again for so little.

My friend was in the mood for some maki. Their selection of rolls is limited and conservative by American standards. We had the tekka maki (220 CZK). 

They were a little larger than many places, but the tuna in the middle was small. It was very basic and not cheap.

During the course of the meal, we received a gift of tea. 

The small, delicate, snappy shrimp come in a thick, jelly-like sauce. It is not as sweet as it looks and was balanced with tart and savory flavors. It wasn’t bad, but I’d try something else next time.

But what about you? Why shouldn’t you go?

When I was there, the chef told me a “business man” complained about me taking pictures (thus the extra blurring of those shots). He asked me to stop. I told him I just wanted to take more pictures of the food for my friends on the Internet.

The chef said they didn’t need more business and the menu is only in Czech and Japanese, so it wasn’t good for English speakers like me. I told him in Czech I knew many people who understand Czech, and he finally relented.

What I liked most about Yakumo was the yakitori. I’d have that and some beers. I tried an assortment of other stuff on the menu to get an overview. That “other stuff” boosts the bill quite quickly. The final tab was 1640 CZK.

And things do move fast there. We were in an out in just over one hour.

Still, even if I am not wanted or needed, I’d go back again. I just hope it’s not too crowded.

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