Local Corner – Yonaka Modern Japanese

Local Corner—Yonaka Modern Japanese
4983 W. Flamingo, 702-685-8358

The best way to describe the food at Yonaka is “fancy Japanese.” By that we mean they like to add twists and enhance their dishes with different flavors. Even the sushi, for example, is prepared with crazy extras like candied garlic, apricot herb sauce, and Granny Smith-pepperoncini relish. If you’re thinking you’d prefer plain old sushi, it’s OK—a note at the bottom of the sushi list informs that traditional preparation is also available and there’s a selection of sushi rolls. But what really sets this restaurant apart is the sashimi.

Sashimi is raw fish without the sushi rice—kind of a purist’s preference. Yonaka has amazing sashimi. There are two choices: a 12-piece chef’s selection for $27 and a premium tasting for $58. The 12-piecer comprises thick slices of high-quality standards like tuna, yellowtail, and salmon, while the premium steps up with oysters, uni, and a sample of wagyu beef. If there are two of you, the move is to get one of each and share; the combo isn’t far off what you’d get from a top-level omakase at one of Vegas’ primo sushi houses, and for just $85 total to feed two.

Yonaka is also open for lunch Tues.-Sat. from 11 am to 5 pm, but with a completely different menu. The “Purple Potato” lunch offers several variations on salad bowls. Similar to poke bowls, you choose a protein (fish and meats) and a base (greens and rice), then load it up with toppings (nuts, fruit, veggies), either building your own or choosing a house mix. All come with a complimentary slice of whole-grain bread for $8-$12. Kids bowls are $6 and juice-based drinks made from scratch are $2-$3 (try the cucumber-mint lemonade). There’s also a good happy hour from 5 to 6:30 pm daily (LVA 3/14), with $4 Sapporo and $5 sake, sangria, and wine.

Note that in last month’s Local Corner we wrote that Tasty Grill is located inside a bar called Spectators. That was the bar’s former name; it’s now Putter’s.