Bar Yoshi: The Quintessential Summer Experience
Bar Yoshi — Sushi, Ceviche, Raw Bar — is a quintessential summer experience bar none. The restaurant, with its intimate interior bar and a choice of inside or outside seating, is rooted in the heart of bustling Old South Wharf.
Ordinarily, I opt for bar seating but was delighted that we sat outside. The bright blue bistro tables and chairs, some on a small deck and others directly on the shell walkway, were reminiscent of a French seaside bistro. Shoppers, strollers and hungry diners made for great “people watching,” a favorite pastime.
My dinner companion, Jane, ordered the coconut lemongrass Nigori sake, and I enjoyed the Geronimo margarita, created with Herradura Blanco Tequila, Combier ("the world’s first triple sec”) and lime sweetened with agave. Both beverages were refreshing and delicious. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our server Carlos and his brilliant smile. He was completely charming, attentive, knowledgeable and patient while explaining details of the various dishes.
I stepped inside for a look and was captivated by the atmosphere of the sweet little bar. Custom built-in window seating provided a view of the adjacent docked boats. Multicolor fish scale tile work on the bar skirt and large rattan pendant lights provided casual coastal elegance. All the stunning mahogany woodwork was custom-made by one of the three owners, Robert Bolduc, who with Terry Noyes and Marc Knight opened Bar Yoshi three years ago.
I returned to our table just in time to savor our crispy, hot crab rangoons filled with cream cheese and crab, in a sweet eel reduction sauce. I suggest letting them cool a bit before indulging. The lightly grilled scallion pancake with dill créme, red onion, smoked Scottish salmon and a caviar sprinkle was superb. This pancake could be a meal with a crisp glass of white wine or sake. But why limit oneself? The appetizer of the evening consisted of three bacon-wrapped sea scallops on a bed of micro celebration, or edible flowers, and fresh arugula with an organic balsamic glaze. So pretty and so delicious.
Helpless to resist, we also ordered a soft-shell crab roll with crispy tempura, rolled with sticky, creamy rice, an eel and avocado roll, and the specialty roll of the evening, shrimp tempura with spicy tuna on top. A lucky friend seated nearby got a tasting plate for what we hadn’t touched.
One last note: They provide a lovely pair of chopsticks that are single-use but could be taken home and used again and again. It was a nice touch and an improvement over the snap-apart ones that can splinter. The entire experience was top-notch.
Bar Yoshi is located at 21 Old South Wharf. For menus and more, visit Bar-Yoshi.com.
Written by Susan Fernald
Photos by Bill Hoenk except where noted
