Yama Sushi food review: Newly-improved Japanese restaurant in Sheffield maintains quality

When I walked into Yama Sushi on London Road for dinner, I got a sense of déjà vu . There was something about the way the furniture was arranged and the overall decor of Tokyo izakaya theme that were so familiar. But what really drew my attention was the halal sign by the window, which I had never seen before.

After chatting with the employee, I learned that Yama Sushi had changed management recently and is now serving only halal food in an effort to be more inclusive. In this case, halal refers to the use of only certified halal meat and the absence of alcohol or ‘sake’ in any of the meals.

I remember walking into this restaurant a few years ago and carefully asking the wait staff if anything was halal because I needed to adhere to my dietary requirement - the menu was limited for me then, but I ended up having some of the best sushi I'd ever had in Sheffield, so I couldn't wait to see what my second trip had in store.

First dish I ordered was Yama Set B, which is priced at £22.80. This may seem pricey for one dish but I thought for 12 pieces of nigiri and 12 pieces of maki, this was actually quite a bargain.

For those who aren’t familiar, nigiri is a type of sushi consisting of a small ball of rice topped with raw fish or other seafood, while maki is a type of sushi that is balled into a cylinder with a thin strip of cucumber, avocado, or radish. The plate came with a tiny portion of wasabi - just nice to elevate the meal with each bite.

Personally, I'm not a fan of raw sushi; instead, I like deep-fried sushi, such as prawn tempura. But this platter of sushi was so nicely presented that I couldn't wait to bite into each of them. The salmon and tuna sushi were fresh, not fishy, and the rice was beautifully balled and seasoned - not overly vinegary. I ate them without soy sauce or wasabi, and the fish melted in my mouth.

Aside from tuna and salmon, the platter included octopus, surf clam, sweet prawns and a half-cooked mackerel fillet. Everything else was excellent - nothing fishy - but the mackerel fillet was my least favourite since it had a tinge of fishiness that I couldn't handle.

Next, I had a temaki tempura prawn for £4.50. Temaki is hand-rolled sushi, commonly in the shape of a cone. The prawns were perfectly fried, and the rice was soft and complemented the crispy seaweed. A win in my book.

After that, my daughter got Stonepot Spicy Korean Chicken, which was served hot out of—you guessed it—a stonepot. Deep-fried chicken was coated generously with sweet and spicy gochujang (a Korean red pepper sauce) while lots of caramelised onions filled the pot's bottom. This was well worth the £9.90 price tag, especially when combined with a bowl of rice that costs just £1.30.

Overall, it was quite a delectable experience, and I believe that despite the change in management, they were able to maintain or even improve the quality as their following grew.