Mark Gavriel

What an amazing eating experience, and oh boy the hurdles you gotta jump through just to get one these truly epic cheesesteak sandwiches. First thing, kudos to the hostess who has the difficult job of having to explain all the rules behind ordering the Philly, which at dinner, you can have only one. If you put your name down on the waiting list for the bar, you can venture off and they’ll text you when you’re approaching the front of the line. But if you’re not back with your full party with you, there’s a very good chance you can get skipped. Fortunately it all worked out for us. Waited 30 minutes and it was worth it. Inside was very moody and dimly lit the way we like it. Our bartender/server (Lika?) was absolutely fantastic. Super kind and walked us through everything with total patience. The drinks here are very top notch btw. We enjoyed a perfectly balanced espresso martini and Paloma as we ordered our starters. I can’t think of a better steak tartare than the one Matu serves. You can actually taste the quality on the wagyu and the egg yolk adds the perfect richness. You really don’t need the crostini it’s served with honestly, it’s that good. If you want to sample the their braised beef cheeks and don’t want to commit to the entree, get the croquettas. It’s not bready at all and is super meat forward. The beef cheeks were perfectly braised and the celery root puree it’s served on is a perfect accompaniment to it. Lika recommended we try the picahna skewers if we like middle eastern flavors. Yo, not only were those skewers perfectly cooked too, the spices sent us to a shawarma paradise. Another ethereal dish. Now for the main event. The cheesesteak. Yup it lived up to the hype! Again, the wagyu here shines. The cheese is next level. Perfectly seeded roll! Watch out for that pepper though, it sneaks up on ya. What a great great bite. No complaints. Excellent meal.

We happened to stumble on Yoichi because the bougey energy over at Wabi House didn’t make us feel very welcome there. For that, we thank you Wabi House. Yoichi was truly some of the best omakase we’ve had since we came home from Japan last year, and at $85 for 12 tastings, personally I think that’s an excellent deal for what we enjoyed. Upon entering, you instantly felt like you were in a shotgun sushi joint in a Tokyo neighborhood. No tables, just the bar, absolutely loved it! We walked right in, were seated, had a lovely bottle of $50 sake and decided why not let’s get the omakase: I want to be clear that the second tasting, served before the omakase box, a fried nori roll with fish cake and jalapeño was one of the best bites of food I’ve had all year. The miso soup stood out on its own as did the their tempura course. But the star was the box for sure. Uniquely interesting textures, flavors, and experiences with every single tasting. When in Ft Worth, you know where to go, it’s here btw!