Arts & Entertainment
THE BEST OF EVERYTHING
Pure Joy For Eyes And Palate
Yotsuba strikes a beautiful harmony between sushi and surroundings.
I
t has been said many times that if
ambience could be eaten, one would
be hard-pressed to find a better meal.
This would positively be true about
Yotsuba in Robin's Nest Center, Orchard
Lake Road north of 14 Mile, West
Bloomfield ... The interior is that beauti-
ful ... So much so, in fact, that it is one of
the most striking restaurants of its kind in
Michigan.
The elegant
hand-made fea-
tures include two
tatami rooms
with wells for 20
and 12 pairs of
feet, respectively,
an outstanding
horseshoe-shaped
sushi bar with 20
_
stools and an ele-
Owner Ann Lin
gant dining room
seating 100 ... Entrance is into a beautiful
sea of blond wood enhanced by a lovely
crystal chandelier.
But all this would be for naught if they
weren't likewise accompanied by authentic
Japanese sushi and sashimi with their
highly accepted touches of innovative
satisfaction as Yotsuba of West Bloomfield
celebrates its fifth anniversary ... Entering
number six is done with continued good-
ness.
When Yotsuba of West Bloomfield
opened on Nov. 19, 2004, it was the second
owned by Aim Lin, whose Ann Arbor
location honored its eighth anniversary
on Washtenaw and Hogback this past
October.
Among the fresh goodness that more
than 208,000 people have enjoyed at
Yotsuba of West Bloomfield, its best-
seller has been the delicious
Firecracker Roll (shrimp
tempura, avocado with spicy
crab meat salad, etc.), of which
52,000 orders of eight pieces
have been served ... High, too,
on the list of top requests is the
popular Spider Roll (five pieces
of soft-shell crab, crab salad and
lettuce) with its 26,000 orders.
Although fish and seafood
are the big things in Japanese
sushi and sashimi dining, true
vegetarians are not forgotten at
Yotsuba ... Selections like cucumber roll
with or without sesame seeds and rice,
avocado with rice, colorful sweet potato
tempura roll, asparagus tempura roll,
marinated seaweed salad, etc.
Japanese sushi and sashimi dining has
achieved a popularity status that ranks
among the more wanted ethnic cuisines
... Among the most popular is ordering
a la carte where diners receive combi-
nations like tuna, flounder, yellow-tail
salmon, etc. and gorge themselves with
lavish delight ... or they tell their desires
to Ann and she'll think up something ...
In fact, among her greatest loves is creat-
ing new and different dishes that other
Japanese restaurants do not have ... And
very popular is the selection of appetiz-
ers like sashimi jalapeno of tuna, salmon
and flounder with garlic sauce, salmon
kama, crab seafood balls, minced scallops,
shrimp and seaweed skewer, tuna tataki,
salmon tartare, whitefish and vegetable
tempura, etc. ... In fact, Yotsuba's appe-
tizer choices number almost 35.
Yotsuba of West Bloomfield is open for
lunch and dinner seven days ... Monday-
Thursday, 11:30-10; Friday and Saturday,
11:30-11; Sunday, noon-9:30.
Sushi prepared and served
with excellence is an exquisite
display of Japanese traditions
... and to many a much-
awaited dining experience
Yotsuba provides much
enhancement to sushi's natural
beauty with tastes and textures
that bring out many essences
in their important character-
istics ... Ann's Yotsuba in West
Bloomfield stands tall in its
lofty stature as a wonderful
authentic Japanese restaurant.
WITH A CHANGE in publisher of her
fine book America's Great Delis: Recipes
and Traditions from Coast to Coast [Sellers
Publishing] by former Detroiter Sheryll
Bellman, comes a new attractive cover and
lower price, now $18.95 instead of $35 ...
Also varied information has been changed
plus a few minor recipes as it focuses on
many of the most well-loved delicatessens
across the country, including histories and
recipes behind Zingerman's in Ann Arbor
and the former Darbys and Boesky's in
Detroit.
Just the mention of Darbys and Boesky's
bring back fond memories for many
because they were unbeatable as delis and
restaurants ... Both had informal styles and
food that untold numbers of deli operations
have tried to emulate but never could.
"I love my memories of dining in
Detroit;' writes Sheryll, who lived in down-
town Detroit while a virus researcher for
Parke-Davis in 1966-76. "The superb food,
service and all-around environment at
London Chop House, Joe Muer's and Lelli's
[on Woodward] were among the best ever,
and to this day, I have seldom found any
that equaled them. They were the best!"
Sheryll's next book coming out this fall
will be America's Little Italys: Recipes and
Traditions from Coast to Coast.
SPEAKING OF DELICATESSENS from
yesteryears, there could hypothetically be
a Pebble Creek Deli what with a couple
of the owners of former favorites living
at the West Bloomfield condominium
complex ... Bernie Litt, former boss of
Billy's on Livernois, Detroit ... and Sam
Lerman, retired head honcho of Ben &
George in Livonia ... Betcha both can still
proficiently cut corned beef and pastrami
by hand ... I wouldn't be too surprised if
other delicatessen countermen or dish-
washers, etc., also live at Pebble Creek.
THE WAY THINGS have been shaping
up, tickets will undoubtedly go fast for
this year's 20th annual Hank Greenberg
Memorial Golf Invitational, Monday, June
21, sponsored by the Michigan Jewish
Sports Foundation at prestigious Oakland
Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Township
... Celebrities galore will be golfing on
Oakland Hills' North and South courses,
attending the always stupendous awards
banquet dinner with its wonderful panel
of sports superstars, etc ... For reserva-
tions or information on packages or
sponsorship, call MJSF Executive Director
David Blatt at (248) 592-9323 or e-mail
michiganjewishsports.org ... Available
sponsorships also include tickets ...
Proceeds benefit prostate cancer charities
and the MJSF Genetic Cancer Screening
Fund.
CONGRATS ... To Jay Grant on his 88th
birthday. ❑
Danny's e-mail address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net.
2O OFF' THE FOOD PORTION OF YOUR BANQUET CATERED EVENT
vNic ST BE BOOKED IN 11
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