YO! Sushi opening in Flatiron, bringing the conveyor belt restaurant chain to NYC

• The conveyer belt is heavy on sushi — ranging from servings of two pieces of fish atop a block of rice to rolls like salmon dragon rolls and the YO! Roll, with salmon, avocado, Japanese mayo and orange masago.

  ” data-id=”113223086″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/24783_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13223086″/>

• If you see something that looks appetizing — like this Salmon & Yuzu Salsa — simply take it off the conveyor belt and dig in. Many dishes have numbers on them — those are time stamps, not prices. This item, like every one served in the same color dish, is $6.

  Close

  Get amNY in your inbox!

  News, events, culture and more — delivered to you.

  Email

  Sign Up

  ” data-id=”113223051″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20131_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13223051″/>

• Beneath the plastic bubble, you’ll find thin slices of fresh, raw salmon in a citrusy and savory ponzu sauce, dressed with a refreshing yuzu salsa.

  ” data-id=”113223055″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/24784_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13223055″/>

• 

• The katsu sando — or sandwich — is inspired by food that Mike Lewis, YO!’s group executive chef, said he’d grab on a bullet train while traveling in Japan. It seems overly simple but it is deceptively delicious: panko-breaded chicken thighs, tonkatsu sauce and karashi mustard inside pillowy, comforting white bread with the crusts cut off, served hot. The mustard gives it just enough kick and the perfectly fried chicken works inside the super soft bread.

  ” data-id=”113223050″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20134_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13223050″/>

• The menu also includes a listing of Japanese street food — dishes inspired by what you might grab on the go, or pick on at an izakaya, or Japanese pub, Lewis said — like kushi katsu, deep-fried meats and veggies, chicken on a stick and nori tacos.

  ” data-id=”113223053″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20136_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13223053″/>

• Sample lotus root, Arabiki sausage (reminiscent of a hot dog), shishito peppers stuffed with cheese (think an Asian twist on jalapeño poppers), shrimp wrapped in oba leaf, quail eggs (with a small but soft yolk) and salmon, all served with sticky and savory “No Double Dipping Sauce” on the side.

  ” data-id=”113223052″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/25670_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13223052″/>

• Skewers of grilled minced chicken, shiro miso and shisho leaf are topped with a teriyaki glaze and shichimi, a seven-spice blend. It’s spicy, sticky, sweet and savory.

  ” data-id=”113223056″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20138_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13223056″/>

• There’s no neat way to eat these nori tacos — fried seaweed makes up the shell, with fillings piled atop sushi rice inside — but don’t let that stop you from digging in, especially since you can only get them in New York City. The tuna version comes with bigeye tuna, sriracha mayo, yuzu salsa, scallions and shichimi.

  ” data-id=”113223060″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20140_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13223060″/>

• Save room for dessert — like kakigori, a Japanese shaved ice dish sweetened with condensed milk and syrup. This version features strawberry syrup, strawberries, blueberries, mochi, condensed milk, vanilla ice cream and sunflower seeds — and is sweet but refreshing, with the mochi adding some chew and the seeds a little crunch.

  ” data-id=”113223059″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20142_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13223059″/>

• If shaved ice didn’t sound decadent enough for you, how about a deep-fried bao — the buns you usually find steamed — filled with vanilla ice cream instead of the usual pork? It’s topped with miso caramel sauce, pistachio and soybean powder, and is the kind of thing you didn’t know you wanted on a menu but will crave again in the future.

  ” data-id=”113223049″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20144_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13223049″/>

Why ask someone to bring you your food when you can just snag whatever looks good off a conveyor belt?

Such is the experience at YO!, the first New York City outpost of the chain that brought kaiten, or conveyor belt sushi, to the United Kingdom, opening March 16. The menu features 83 items – standard sushi, “aburi sushi” that has been seared, kushi katsu (deep fried veggies and meats), ramen and soba, bao and more. If that seems a little overwhelming, the menu highlights a few recommendations from the chef – including the Nori Taco, an item exclusive to the Manhattan menu.

“What we’ve done is try to do the best menu, so we’ve mixed it up completely. New York’s a food revolution, it’s where all the innovation is happening — so we’re also trying to bring the best menu,” YO!’s group executive chef Mike Lewis said. “I think New Yorkers will embrace the sort of fun element of it — it’s easy, it’s easy to understand, it’s quick, and the menu is so varied there’s something for everyone.”

If you’re wondering how to keep track of your check, each dish on the conveyor belt is on a colored plate, denoting a price – from $3.50 (green) to $8 (yellow). When you’re done eating, the restaurant will count your plates to tally the bill. If this seems overly complicated, you can just order off the menu with a server.

There are also hot menu items that, for obvious reason, have to be ordered from a server — to summon one, you press a little button near your seat. Here’s a look at what you can sample, on the belt and off, when the restaurant opens March 16 at 23 W. 23rd St.