YO! Sushi Ramen Mania Party

Full disclosure: This is a sponsored blog post by YO! Sushi. I have been compensated for my time and writing and helped plan this event. These opinions are fully my own and do not represent the views of YO! Sushi. 

This past Thursday I hosted an event with YO! Sushi at the International Plaza and Bay Street in WestShore called Ramen Mania. During the event we partnered together on we featured new additions to the YO! Sushi menu including ramen noodles, udon noodles, limited-edition poke bowls, as well as new sushi rolls and menu items. Attendees were able to meet the staff and chefs who make sushi happen daily at YO! Sushi and see them in action – something you can do as well if you sit in front of the kitchen at the restaurant.

In addition, we featured a new promotion at YO! Sushi in the USA called Blue Mondays. On Blue Mondays at participating YO! Sushi locations, you can find 40 dishes on special for $3.50. 31 of these dishes on special are completely new. You can check out the current Blue Mondays special here. When I first met the YO! Sushi staff last year they mentioned rolling this out to the USA and I’m glad it is now in our market. It’s an easy way to take friends to try YO! Sushi out and try new things at a cheaper price.

We also featured the new Happy Hour at YO! Sushi. Happy Hour happens Tuesday-Friday at YO! Sushi between 3:30PM and 6:30PM. Participants can enjoy $1 off all plates, $2 sake shots, $3 domestic beers, and $4 house wines during this special and is only valid here in Tampa and in Sarasota.

I was joined by members of the Tampa Bay Bloggers Group including Orangespoken, Live.Sweat.Sleep.Repeat, and Pennies In My Pocket. We were also joined by the Foodies Club at USF, Tampa Bay Eats Out, and Hidden Tampa.

One of the things featured during the tasting was the new poke bowls YO! Sushi is serving. Poke bowls have caught on pretty rapidly in the restaurant industry and I have yet to really enjoy one in Tampa from most places – it always seems overpriced (normally $10-$20) or just uninteresting – sometimes the sauce they are drenched in are also overbearing. The poke bowls at YO! Sushi have a good balance – and you have the option of adding sauce or spicy mayo if need be (personally I recommend the tuna poke bowl with some spicy mayo).

The three poke bowls available are chicken, tuna, and tofu. Of the three my favorite is the tofu. The sesame sauce used with it is excellent and the bowl is balanced. You can see a serving sample below. All three poke bowls are $4.50 which is fair and allows you to enjoy something else with it like a sushi roll or appetizer. One thing I appreciate is that despite the fact that poke bowls are a food trend, the price isn’t crazy on this menu item.

Another addition to the menu that we tried during the tasting party was YO! Sushi’s new ramen noodles. There are a variety of ramen and udon noodles now on the menu for those who loves soups – just in time for colder months really (hopefully if Florida can finally cool off). They are less than $5 and a nice alternative to miso soup with plenty of actual noodles and broth. I can definitely see myself combining a bowl of soup with a protein or some sushi rolls. The garlic ramen is pictured below.

No doubt the new soups on the menu at YO! Sushi are a response to the ramen craze that is sweeping the nation (hence the name of the event: Ramen Mania). Ramen restaurants are opening left and right around Tampa Bay, offering gourmet ramen for about $14-$20 that is hit or miss. Sometimes though you just want a quick bowl and don’t want to shell out that kind of cash. That’s why I think these ramen and udon noodles options are a great addition to the menu from a purely business and consumer point-of-view.

The spicy seafood udon noodles had a tasty broth and plenty of ingredients in it.

Speaking of protein – my favorite thing to order at YO! Sushi that isn’t new to the menu, but I must mention simply because I order it EVERY single time I go there is their Chicken Katsu Curry. I am a HUGE fan of chicken katsu and especially well-made Japanese curry. Maybe it’s because YO! Sushi is based out of London, their chicken katsu curry is one of the best ones of I have ever eaten in the Tampa Bay area and only $5.

One of the hard parts of being a katsu fan and eating sushi is that you normally have to choose between katsu and sushi because katsu is normally $14-$18 for dinner and with a sushi roll you’re easily breaking $30. The chicken katsu curry at YO! Sushi is excellent and inexpensive in comparison and tastes more authentic than a number of competing restaurants in the area.

If I’m at the mall for a quick stop, I’ll grab a chicken katsu curry to-go and eat it in the car. It’s just that good.

We also tried a number of new sushi rolls, appetizers, and sushi options. In general, YO! Sushi is constantly expanding and changing their menu with food trends. It definitely keeps thing interesting. From the sushi menu there is quite a few twists from the original menu worth trying.

Throughout the event we engaged with the chef and staff and saw them in action making sushi and all the things you’ll find on the conveyor belt at YO! Sushi. There is an open kitchen at YO! Sushi where you can see this happen daily – but since most people sit in the booth, some people might be unaware that everything is made fresh daily at YO! Sushi. All the chefs are really passionate about food and can roll some sushi out at quite a rapid pace.

YO! Sushi now also offers delivery through Grubhub and catering in case you can’t make it over.

Then there is dessert – mochi and doriyaki are light and an easy end to a meal. These are some great shots from Austin from Hidden Tampa:

Thus the tasting party came to an end, but it won’t be long until I am back at YO! Sushi for my next bowl of chicken katsu curry and tofu poke bowl.

YO! Sushi. International Plaza and Bay Street, 2223 N. Westshore Blvd, Tampa, FL 33607. (813) 569-7970.