Yamato Sushi Train and Grill

Friday, December 21, 2018

Yamato Sushi Train & Grill

7429 Pacific Street, Omaha, NE

Where we went:

Happy Birthday to you! Today was Kyle’s Birthday, so we needed to go somewhere new and special. For several months whenever Kyle and Eric have made one of their numerous stops at Lighthouse Pizza, they talked about trying a new place that has opened just across the street: Yamato Sushi Train & Grill. Yamato markets themselves as the only sushi train in Omaha, something neither Kyle or Eric have ever experienced before, so it was the perfect location for this special occasion. Well, almost perfect, you see, Eric has a thing with fish. He doesn’t eat it (he’s not allergic to it, he just can’t get over the “fishy” smell enough to actually tolerate the taste of it). However, after looking at their menu online they have a large selection of other traditional Japanese, Chinese and even Korean dishes that don’t include fish.

What we Eat:

Yamato Sushi is interesting because you have two primary options, you can order off the menu or you can select items off the train (a refrigerated conveyor belt that runs around the restaurant), or you can do a combination of both. Most everyone at our table chose to do the combination. You pay for your menu items like normal, but the items on the train are on color coordinated plates. Each color is a different price. You simply keep your plates (they are small) and the wait staff will tally them up at the end, so they will know how much to charge you. Kyle ordered a California Roll and a Philadelphia Roll from the menu, while Eric got the Teriyaki Chicken for his main dish, but then was delighted to find a pretty robust selection of vegetable sushi, and ordered a couple rolls of that as well. Eric also chose to get a few adult beverages, a Green Monster and a Drama Queen Our other friends got a wide variety of foods from the menu, and we all grabbed a variety of food from the train. Most of the train items are small, so if you just want to try something new, it's a perfect place to do it. Kyle found some strange Japanese soda bottle, and Eric finished his meal with some small cakes that he saw going around on the train. Someone let slip to the wait staff that it was Kyle’s birthday, so he was surprised with a free plate of deep fried Oreos.

The Food:

The food at Yamato was excellent! Kyle’s sushi was fresh and cold while Eric’s chicken was hot and zesty. There was just so much variety that it’s hard to describe it all. For Kyle, the food wasn’t necessarily better than other sushi places, but the variety and small portion sizes on the train made it easy to get to sample and try several different kinds that he may not get to at other places. For example, Kyle likes spicy sushi rolls, but not enough to order an entire roll. Here he was able to pick up a plate of just three, the perfect size.

The strawberry soda Kyle found on the train was one such unique example; even figuring out how to get it open was a fun experience! There was an appetizer called a Scallion Pancake that stood out, in particular. It was savory, similar to a potato pancake, and came with some dipping sauce that was really really good. Eric had never seen half the veggie sushi options they had. He particularly enjoyed the Mango Delight and the Sweet Potato rolls. And the three small cakes he found on the train were a great little way to cap off the meal. As for the drinks, the waitress warned Eric about the Green Monster being pretty strong, but Eric found it more refreshing than overwhelming. The Drama Queen had more of a kick to it, but was also very good. Kyle’s birthday Oreos were amazing! He feels marginally bad about not sharing, but they were too good! He totally plans on getting more when he returns

The Atmosphere:

Yamato Sushi Train and Grill is a very small restaurant, so if you have a large group, as we did, be sure to call ahead. The restaurant itself is very nice and modern with fish print tapestries hanging from the ceiling and a large green turf wall. The main item in the restaurant is, of course, the train. A large glass domed conveyor belt, similar to a luggage return at the airport snakes around the restaurant. However, if you are a large party, you will not sit directly next to the train, but that is okay. There are places for you to get up and get items off the train even if your table doesn’t sit right next to it.

The Service:

The Service at Yamato is great. Our waitress was very nice and attentive to everyone at our table. She even came up and helped us figure out which dish was which as we stood over the train, and took a couple special orders back to the kitchen for specific train items. The only issue is, the majority of staff are of Asian descent and can sometimes be a little hard to understand. For example, there was a holiday discount going on, and we couldn't tell if she was saying 15% or 50% off (she was actually saying 20%). This is by no means a deal breaker, just something to be conscious of.

In the End:

In the end Yamato Sushi Train and Grill is an excellent experience for everyone. It’s a great place to just go and try different things. It can be a little difficult to tell items apart on the train, but the staff is more than willing to help and answer questions. The uniqueness of Yamato really made the evening feel fun and adventurous, which was perfect for celebrating a birthday.

BONUS!:

After Yamato our night wasn’t over. After dinner we went to Speilbound, a Board game bar and cafe in Midtown. The word “Speil” is the German word for “Game”. They feature a large, very well organized, Board Game Library. Their entire library is also online if you want to go and find a time to play and, in some cases, even read the rules online before you even arrive.

We had pre-booked a small private room, which had no charge, but there was a minimum tab required. The tab, however, was easily met between all the group members ordering drinks and snacks. Even after sushi, several of us ordered the mini pizzas were surprisingly good. There were many different kinds available, and several of us ordered them throughout the evening. The drinks are mainly limited to beers, wines, and some bottled wine coolers- no cocktails or shots to be found here, but everyone managed to find tasty drinks to keep them going late into the night.