One of the great things about living in Puerto Vallarta is the food scene. Sure, you have taco stands and innovative and modern takes on Mexican cuisine, but you can also find top-notch offerings from just about any country around the globe.
Yeo Cocina Japonesa brings the taste of Japan to Vallarta with three locations – Zona Romantica, Fluvial, and Nuevo Nayarit. Each restaurant features a unique design and a curated menu. We went to the Zona Romantica restaurant and were treated to warm, Zen-like décor filled with natural wood, amber lighting, and sumptuous booths. The entire restaurant glowed like a lantern and made for a special evening from the get-go.
A friendly greeting , and an extensive drink list upon sitting down got the evening off to a great start. We opted for classic martinis, but the mixology offerings include innovative cocktails such as a gin and lavender lemonade cocktail or a guanábana and basil mezcalita.
The menu is perfect for sharing. Starters include an extensive raw bar and salads as well as a variety of Gyoza – the truffle, Wagu beef soup gyoza is an explosion of flavors. Moving on to larger plates, there is a selection of rice and noodle dishes that includes multiple types of ramen and fried rice as well as tasty meat and seafood from the grill section of the menu.
For us, the star was the sushi. Yeo has more traditional sashimi and sushi that is fresh, light, and delicious. We opted for a trio of signature rolls, the Spicy Yellowtail Roll filled with hamachi, cucumber, wasabi, and serrano chili that is spicy but not too spicy. The Tuny Special was loaded with salmon, crab, avocado, and draped with spicy tuna and a sriracha sesame sauce to die for. Finally, we opted for the Soft Shell Crab Roll that had a perfect fried soft-shell crab wrapped in nori and sesame.
If you are looking to celebrate something special and want to be transported to Japan, Yeo is your place; you won’t be disappointed.