Most who travel to Destin, FL do so to enjoy a beach-filled vacation under the Florida sun. Often, fishing, and lots of it, is involved. The Florida Gulf Coast is, after all, well-known for its exceptional fishing opportunities. Which means you’re going to find plenty of quality seafood restaurants. Of course, not all are traditional seafood spots. As you’re going to find some pretty excellent fish-featured options at Japanese places as well. Such as at Yuga Sushi and Sake House.
Yuga Sushi and Sake House is a popular Japanese restaurant that’s located within the bustling Destin Commons shopping center. Destin Commons is an open-air shopping center that’s located at the intersection of Spence Parkway and US Highway 98. This is one of the largest shopping malls in the area. It’s the place to go if you’re looking to spend a morning or afternoon in one place browsing national brands and local boutiques. And, before or after, consider filling up at Yuga Sushi and Sake House!
Chef Sayam, chef and part-owner of Yuga Sushi and Sake House, is an expert in his field. He has worked with famed culinary geniuses like “Iron Chef” Masharu Morimoto in New York City’s Nobu Restaurant. Chef Sayam also spent time working in Japan at the Tsukiji Restaurant. This extensive and outstanding work history has really helped to define Yuga Sushi and Sake House. The menu here focuses on superb menu items featuring only the finest ingredients. For example, you will find their menu proudly claiming that they forgo imitation crab meat in favor of the richer, more flavorful ingredients of snow crab and blue crab.
Yuga Sushi and Sake House offer both indoor and outdoor seating on its patio. The interior of this restaurant feels very much like an authentic sushi and sake house. Featuring cherry wood furnishings, soft overhead lighting in a lantern form, and a bold red and black accent paint scheme.
There are a lot of fantastic menu items on the menu at Yuga Sushi and Sake House, but some popular favorites include:
Geish Roll
This delicious sushi roll comes tightly packed with three excellent fish: Tuna, salmon, and white fish. The Geisha Roll also features avocado, scallion, cucumber, and tobiko.
Poke Bowl
Poke bowls became popular in Hawaii but their focus on the freshest seafood makes them an excellent addition to any sushi house menu. Such as the Yuga Sushi and Sake House menu. Their Poke Bowl features tossed fish, seaweed, spiraled carrots, spiraled daikon, avocado, green apple, and sushi ginger tossed in poke sauce and served with rice. Patrons can choose either tuna or salmon as their fish of choice.
Chirashi Don
If you are really looking to tuck in and enjoy fresh Japanese food, or want to order a shared plate, then the Chirashi Don is a perfect choice. This large dinner plate comes served with a chef’s soup and a salad as a starter. The main entree features 12 ounces of assorted sashimi that the chef puts together, choosing from the best cuts of the day. This sashimi is then served over rice with shredded nori and sesame seeds.
Insider Tips:
-Located next to the Pirates Playground. The patio at Yuga Sushi and Sake House opens up to one of the shopping center’s central pedestrian paths. The upside of this is that you can enjoy a little people-watching without the traffic noise. You can also easily watch your children safely play as you wait for your meal. The downside is that the playground can get quite loud during the day.
-Big party? Call ahead. Yuca Sushi and Sake House reserve the right to turn away large parties, especially during their peak lunch and dinner hours. So if you’re looking to dine with more than six people, we recommend calling ahead before traveling to them. They are available for reservations.