Yo! Sushi, a London Kaiten Sushi Chain, in the West Hall of Union Station - Closed But Suppposedly Reopening Downtown

[DonRocks]

There are dozens of Yo! Sushis in the United Kingdom, but Union Station is their opening foray into the United States. It's in the West Hall (hard to find unless you're looking for it) along with Chop't, Potbelly, Roti, Chipotle, and maybe a couple other "better than terrible" fast food operations.

Yo! Sushi is fun, extremely friendly, and murderously efficient. I just sat there and marveled at how every possible thing had been addressed in making eating here an exercise in ergonomics (yes, I know, ergonomics relates to workplace conditions, but think about who the author of this post is). You have to experience the efficiency to fathom it - it has everything from personal, underground ginger and wasabi containers to an orange iHelp button. I'm surprised the soy sauce didn't pour itself.

The sushi is what you'd expect, and my only advice would be to show a bias toward the looser rolls - the ones that have been bambooed are just too compressed for my palate. If you have a train to catch, get here an hour early, assume you'll be filling up on a lot of rice, and you can enjoy a pleasant, reasonably healthful, moderately sized meal for about $20 (and of course, they have grab-n-go sushi as well).

Kitten On The Kaiten aka Purrder on the Orient Express

[TedE]

Do they have the beer robots???

[TheMatt]

And those cool sushi rice ball makers. So all they have to do is put fish on pre-made balls.

[dpamlin]

nostalgia factor is high for me on this one.

ironic that Yo! opens quickly and with little fanfare, while the much-publicized Wagamama still hasn't opened its doors in DC (I think not, right?)

[deangold]

In need of food {being diabetic and in low blood sugar.} Unfortunately, I got the stuff they serve instead.

$22. Can I press charges? The guy at the door was really nice so I tipped 15%.

[DonRocks]

aka Purrder on the Orient Express IMG_0393.jpg

I'm sorry, but this was funny and I demand acknowledgment.

[deangold]

Fucking funny. Just about the only cool think about the experience was the guy at the door busting his ass to make sure his customers were happy and the cool water thingies!

[dinoue]

Do they have the beer robots???

Or maybe beer girls like at Japanese baseball games?

[JimRice]

Yo! Sushi has closed. Two signs in the window. One printed one says closed for the weekend. A handwritten one says closed permanently. I can't believe they weren't making money. I know the location is expensive but I thought the high margins on sushi would overcome that.

[TheMatt]

Huh. Surprises me. I'd have thought kaiten sushi was a great fit for a place like a train station. You can get food quick, lots of variety. Ah well.

[DonRocks]

Yo! Sushi has closed. Two signs in the window. One printed one says closed for the weekend. A handwritten one says closed permanently. I can't believe they weren't making money. I know the location is expensive but I thought the high margins on sushi would overcome that.

Another "concept" down the drain. I liked my first post.

Jim, playing Monday-morning quarterback, Yo! Sushi had major competition in that corridor from national chains - chains that travelers are more likely to recognize and feel comfortable with. They were surrounded on three sides by Chipotle, Potbelly, and Starbucks, and for those feeling slightly more "exotic," Roti Mediterranean was one store closer towards the main terminal - for those walking out of Union Station via the west corridor, Yo! Sushi was the Last House On The Left.

Man, it takes brass balls (and some serious know-how) to open restaurants and *keep them open*.

[JimRice]

Another "concept" down the drain. I liked my first post.

Jim, playing Monday-morning quarterback, Yo! Sushi had major competition in that corridor from national chains - chains that travelers are more likely to recognize and feel comfortable with. They were surrounded on three sides by Chipotle, Potbelly, and Starbucks, and for those feeling slightly more "exotic," Roti Mediterranean was one store closer towards the main terminal - for those walking out of Union Station via the west corridor, Yo! Sushi was the Last House On The Left.

Man, it takes brass balls (and some serious know-how) to open restaurants and *keep them open*.

I was shooting the breeze with a friend at the counter at Izakaya Seki tonight.  She wondered, since the branch they were going to open near Metro Center fell through, if corporate decided to give up the US experiment and focus on their other markets.  We may never know.  On the other hand, Don, I know you're right about being the last house on the left, and I don't know if they were getting much trade in the evening (Blue Monday $3 specials excluded; that always had the place packed) and on weekends.

[DaRiv18]

I gotta say, I loved the filter water taps at each table of Yo! Sushi.  That, with a decent sake beer list, it was the perfect place to chill with visitors as they waited for their train or were tired after walking the National Mall.

There has been alot of turnover at Union Station recently.  Even the citi branch closed last week.  My sense is that YS did ok business actually.

[cheezepowder]

PoPville reports a twitter exchange where Yo Sushi said "Yes Union Station has closed due to changes with our strategic partner. Opening in downtown DC by end of this year!"  Tweets here.

[DonRocks]

PoPville reports a twitter exchange where Yo Sushi said "Yes Union Station has closed due to changes with our strategic partner. Opening in downtown DC by end of this year!"  Tweets here.

Nothing yet, it appears - not even an announcement of a location, or a mention on their website.