Yapona — Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar

Located in a desert (both climatically and culinarily speaking) American Fork, UT is not the kind of place you’d expect to find terrific sushi. Yapona, however, serves just that. Their specialty rolls and their nigiri and sashimi are always very fresh. I must admit, however, that I did have to send a traditional roll back once. It seemed that they had made several of them and put them in the fridge to hold until they were ordered. This is a terrible practice, as the rice gets gummy and the nori gets soggy. That single incident aside however, I have thoroughly enjoyed all of my other experiences with this restaurant. I’ve eaten there 7 or 8 times now, and have been quite pleased each time. Their signature “Yapona Roll” (shrimp tempura, cucumber, unagi, and crabmeat; rolled in tempura crunch topped with avocado, spicy scallops and eel sauce) is amazing. Another of our favorites, though not on the menu, is an inside-out, spicy tako roll (spicy octopus and cucumber). Their udon soups are fantastic, and they have several salads that are just terrific. I highly recommend the sunomono salad (fresh cucumbers marinated in their chef’s special sauce. You can add shrimp, crab, or octopus if you’re feeling adventurous).

And then, there are the desserts… They have your traditional cheesecake. Rich, moist, and delicious. They also serve a Mango Coconut Mousse that is excellent. My absolute favorite, however, is the “Pyramid Noisette”. The noisette arrives as a marbled chocolate pyramid on your plate. Once you pierce the chocolate shell, you will be treated to fantastic chocolate ganache enveloping a sublime hazelnut mousseline. Though not a traditional Japanese dessert, this is one of the best desserts in any restaurant in Utah. The noisette alone is worth the trip.

It has been our experience that most of the truly good restaurants (the ones that aren’t chains, and don’t serve giant quantities of meat and potatoes) don’t last long in Utah County. I sure hope that Yapona defies this rule. It is one of the best restaurants in Utah.

–Jason

Update (28-Jun-2008): So, just a quick note. We went back to Yapona today to take some pictures for inclusion here. The restaurant’s manager came out and curtly asked us to delete the pictures we had taken and not to take any more. So, this review shall forever remain devoid of pictures of the food. It’s a shame. The pictures were good, and the food was awesome.

–Jason

Update (20-Jul-2008): So, I was working my 3rd weekend in a row this weekend and thought I’d earned myself some sushi. I returned to Yapona by my self today, and so sat at the sushi bar. The itamae (sushi chef) today was named Nas. I highly recommend his work, as this was some of the best sushi I’ve had anywhere, ever! I sat at the bar and ordered genmaicha, a seaweed salad and a Yapona roll. I then asked the itamae to prepare for me a few pieces of nigiri, whatever he felt was good today. He very graciously provided me with my salad, presented much more elaborately than usual, as well as taking much more care in the presentation of my Yapona roll. The nigiri, however, was the best treat. Not only did it taste very fresh, but a finer presentation has not been seen anywhere. My hamachi (yellowtail) was sliced perfectly, with both the pink and white flesh in each piece. It was then served with a small garnish of scallion and a dab of sauce on top. Very interesting, and definately tasty. The tuna nigiri were served with thin slices of avocado on top, and the salmon was garnished as well. The plate came with the usual wasabi and gari (pickled ginger), but Nas also added a few slices of takuan (pickled daikon) to the plate to enhance the experience. I wish I had a picture of this lunch for you all, as it was truly as site to behold. This was one of those rare meals where you don’t want to eat the food for fear of spoiling its beauty.

My meal today was very fulfilling, and not just to my palate and stomach, but to all of my senses. I was truly pleased with this meal, and it was made all the better by the fact that I could just sit an enjoy it slowly rather than rush and leave. I can’t wait to go back.

–Jason

Another update (8-Sept-2008): I was back at Yapona today with a crew from the office. I went to the bar to ask one of the itamae what was good today. One of the itamae that I particularly like, Jedediah, was working today, and he offered to make us “…something not on the menu. Something that would blow [our] minds”. How could I refuse such an offer as that? So, with that, I went off to the table to inform my co-workers that we were in for a treat. The roll we received was something that only Jedediah makes. He calls it “The One“. Out of respect for the restaurant (which, as we’ve already said, is a little touchy on such things), I won’t disclose here what’s on it. If Jedediah reads this post, and wants to describe it, I’ll let him comment. Let it just be known, however, that the roll did live up to its advertising. We were very, very pleased.

So, if you are looking for something different, and a little spicy, go to Yapona, find Jedediah, and ask him for “The One“. You won’t be disappointed.

By the way, if you take our advice, and seek out the itamae to ask what’s fresh, and if you are pleased with their suggestions and service, please tip them in addition to your server. These guys put a lot of effort and care into your sushi, and if you ask something special of them (well worth it), please show them your gratitude in the customary way. That way, you’ll both be happy, and your next meal of sushi will be even better.

–Jason