Yushin

Japanese-born chef Shuhei Yamashita (who used to work at Kinugawa Vendôme and then Ran in Paris) crossed the city limits and set up shop in the suburb of Neuilly. And it didn’t take long for his beautiful Yushin, which harbors a forest of wooden blades and a miniature sushi bar for four chopstick-wielding guests, to become a veritable temple to Japanese cuisine, joining the ranks of an elite list of West Parisian addresses. The night we went, in exchange for €80, the Mie Prefecture-native sent out small wonders that were a far cry from your typical laminated sushi menu finds: splendid tuna maki brushed with soy sauce and amberjack sashimi (surprisingly served without soy sauce, a shame), to sharpen your palate; an achingly tender trio of bonito and sea bream sashimi sourced with great care; amberjack and mackerel sushi that felt like they had just leapt out of the sea; perfect grilled salmon with a miso and soy marinade, served with pickled radish rounds; more sushi, featuring salmon, tuna, fatty tuna and glazed eel this time around, tantalizingly good; before a magnificent wagashi (a Japanese pastry), a trompe-l’oeil chestnut-shaped gem, served with umami-rich matcha. One piece of advice? Reserve a seat at the bar, and do so well ahead of time! // Gwen Jacquère

FEELING THIRSTY? : Instead of the very expensive and not particularly interesting wines, opt for a good Coedo beer (€8 for 330 ml), Yamanéko shochu (€8 for 50 ml) or one of the ten sakes served by the glass, like the Kuheiji junmai daiginjo (€15 for 90 ml).
PRICE: : Bento or sushi menus €55 to €75 (lunch), omakase menu €89 to €130 (dinner).