Once upon a time, there was a place in Birmingham called Woktastic. It was a great place, the portions were big, the prices were small and the food was soooooo tasty. My favourite combo. That place is no more but the openers have opened up Yakinori several years ago and well, the ethos is the same. But how are the vegan options? Tofu Tasha investigates....
Above is the Poke Bowl. This is the new addition to the menu and I gotta say it's good! I made my own. I choose the sumo size, half quinoa, half sushi rice, avocado, grilled sweet red peppers, broccoli, mango, edamame, corn, tofu, mushrooms and sushi ginger topped with sriracha and vegan mayo. Now, I don't think I could have this version again, as this would've cost me £17, but damnnnnn it was tasty. First it was friggin' huge, so I took home half of it. The tofu was perfection. Like seriously, it was crispy, tasty and soft. And all the veggies were on point too. Next time I would go for the premade option on the menu, which would be £10.75, and is called the Golden Tofu Avocado Poké. It contains kale, tofu, edamame, broccoli, avocado, grilled sweet red peppers, soy sesame, wasabi sesame. A lot easier to customise and it wouldn't cost as much to customise.
On a separate occasion I visited and had 3 items off the vegan menu. The first was the Kabocha Pumpkin (£5.25), this was the Japanese pumpkin croquettes coated in crispy panko breadcrumbs with tonkatsu sauce. I love this option at Yo Sushi and you get more here AND it tastes just as good! Yeah, I want that again.
I don't do well with katsu curry, so I don't normally have it. As I feel it's just too heavy. So, I normally have it when I'm hormonal and want something that makes me feel good. This hit that spot. This is the Yasai Katsu (£9.99), it contains courgette, aubergine, sweet potato and broccoli coated in golden crispy panko breadcrumb, served with Japanese curry, salad and sticky rice. It was super yummy, a bloody great portion and it was exactly how it was described. Lovely!
Lastly, it's the one that hit the spicy spot. The Yasai Chilli (£9.99), which is stir-fry noodles in a lemongrass green chilli sauce. Served with golden tofu, courgettes, broccoli, green beans, sweet peppers, ginger and garlic. Garnished with fresh chilli. Again the tofu was spot on, which is not an easy feat and something a follower of mine agreed with. Good to see that this runs true with everyone. It's spicy and I like the ratio of noodle with veggies. Most importantly, I took the leftovers of this dish home and my mum loved it. That's when I know it's good.
**I was invited to Yakinori by the lovely Khadija and the food was complementary. Many thanks to Khadija and the team**
Would I go back? Yes. I want to have it all again and it makes so much of a difference sitting inside the venue in Grand Central, on one of the high chairs. It felt a lot less open.
How did they cope with the vegan dietary requirement? Very easily with the help of a vegan menu
What are the prices like? For the portion, quality and choice, the prices are great.
What is eatery best for? A quick bite before getting your train or something to make you happy and full when with a friend
Hope you enjoyed this review. Have you been? What did you think?
Tasha xx
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