Yoi Tomo 

Yoi Tomo Sushi, located in the heart of downtown Boise, has been a staple of the Japanese Cuisine in the 208 for a while now. A 6x winner of Boise's Best Sushi, and home to "The Flavor Odyssey's Choice" all you can eat sushi.

Experience

Every time we have visited Yoi Tomo there has been a wait, although this usually might be quite the nuisance, the wait time proves obsolete as quick service paired with prime shopping/walking location makes the process quick and easy. As soon as we sat, we were greeted with water and menus (the waters were cold, so already off to a great start.) The menu is very large, and can sometimes be difficult to navigate, but offers a great selection of rolls and other Japanese staples. The restaurant is darker and offers a sophisticated, but fun atmosphere. Throughout the meal our server was extremely nice, and offered a bit of guidance on the behemoth of the menu. The food also came out quickly, which was surprising for how packed the restaurant was. Overall, the little things were done well, which makes for a fun atmosphere and just a good restaurant in general.

Not Sushi 

As most people do, we started with a round of miso soup. Which had a good, strong umami flavor and  was just about the right temperature. We thought it could’ve used a bit more of seaweed and tofu, but overall a good dish to start with. We then had an octopus salad, something a bit different and fun. It was very good, great flavor and a nice mix of ingredients. The consistency was very different however, we couldn’t identify anything it bore resemblance too. Both the miso, and the octopus salad were a tasty precursor to all the sushi we had coming. 

Sushi

Now, the reason why we came, the actual sushi. We ordered about 9 rolls between the two of us. We also ordered 5 different types of nigiri, each came with two pieces. One of the things I love most about Yoi Tomo is how the nigiri is included in all you can eat, and the variety of nigiri they offer. Each piece was fresh, and very tasty. We would recommend the following types; freshwater eel, mackarel, and maguro (tuna). Out of the 9 rolls, our 3 favorite were “Anger Management”, “French Kiss”, and “Despicable Me.” Starting with the “Anger Management”; spicy crab, cream cheese, tempura shrimp topped with soft crunch, eel sauce, spicy mayo, and mayo sauce. Then the “French Kiss”; tempura shrimp, crab, cucumber topped w/ avocado, salmon, tobiko, and thin lemon slices sauced by eel and spicy mayo . And finally the “Despicable Me”; mango, avocado, cream cheese, crab, rolled with soy paper with pineapple sauce. These were just our favorites, the other 6 were also quite good, but didn’t stand out as much as these three did. More specifically, we really enjoyed all the different flavors that these rolls had to offer. Each one has a batch of unorthodox ingredients that you wouldn't see anywhere else, this offers a unique experience that beckons you back.

Value

When initially faced with the menu, you might be skeptical about the price of the rolls, or even the "all you can eat" option. You might be right about the rolls, but the "all you can eat" is a great deal. You and a few buddies can go, crush sushi, and hopefully enjoy each other's presence. In total our meal would've been about $180, we played $32 each. Now, you might not have as large of an appetite as us, but if you can eat a good amount then you will get your money's worth.