Sushi, Gyoza and Mochi Ice Cream

Owners Shizuko (Susie) Miyamoto and Hank Yamada have welcomed diners to their bright and orderly establishment for six years. Hank enjoys visiting with the diners he meets behind the sushi bar and Susie circulates around the restaurant making sure everyone is happy.

Yama offers a sushi bar staffed by three chefs who prepare several varieties of rolls. The sushi chefs wrap seafood, seaweed and rice works of art with deft hands. Andy, one of the chefs, worked so quickly that in seconds I was presented a tightly packed sushi roll. The Salmon Skin (teriyaki style) Roll is a delicious choice and Tako (octopus), Uni (sea urchin) and Ika (squid) are also available if one is feeling a bit more adventurous.

A dinner menu also lists items such as Salmon Teriyaki and Sliced Beef Teriyaki with Gyoza. Miso Soup, which is a light and pleasing mix of tofu, soy and green onions, accompanies dinner orders but is a traditional breakfast dish in Japan.

The Sliced Beef Teriyaki with Gyoza is a generous portion of thinly sliced beef drenched with a sesame teriyaki sauce. It is served with a green salad, soup, and rice. The mildly spicy and delicious gyoza are dumplings filled with pork, cabbage and green onion served with teriyaki dipping sauce.

Don’t leave without trying the Mochi Ice Cream, and be prepared for a unique treat. This dessert is a delight and definitely a favorite of mine. The ice cream can be ordered in several different flavors, but I prefer mango. Mochi is a polished and perfect sweet rice paste molded over two extremely cold scoops of ice cream and dusted with a fine sweetened soy flour. In Japan, Mochi is traditionally made by repeatedly pounding rice with a wooden mallet until it forms a paste. Historical evidence points to the fact that it was eaten on special occasions and even used as a shrine offering as early as the eighth century. But, you don’t have to pound your rice for hours on end, just visit Yama and order the Mochi Ice Cream!

Yama Restaurant and Sushi Bar is located at 1067 South Main Avenue in Fallbrook. Please call (760) 723-9788 for hours.