Yoshi’s Japanese Restaurant: A Deep Dive into Izakaya Dining in Columbus
If you enjoy Japanese cuisine, Yoshi's is a must-visit. Here are some recommendations on what (and how) to order.
What to Order at Yoshi’s Japanese Restaurant in Dublin
By Bethia Woolf
Since the 1980s, Columbus has had a strong Japanese dining scene, thanks in part to the Honda plant in Marysville, which increased demand for authentic Japanese food. Back in early 2014, I wrote a guide about Japanese food for Columbus Monthly in which we highlighted five Japanese-owned restaurants in the city (excluding the many sushi and hibachi spots).
Over the years, we’ve lost some beloved institutions that I wrote about, such as Kihachi, Ba Sho, Sapporo Sushi Factory, as many of the original chefs have retired. Thankfully, some new Japanese spots such as Satori Ramen and Osaka Tonkatsu have opened. While these newcomers offer fantastic food, their menus tend to be more specialized than those older, more wide-ranging establishments.
One Japanese restaurant that has remained a constant is Yoshi’s (5776 Frantz Road), which originally opened more than 20 years ago in Dublin. The restaurant changed ownership in 2016 and is now Korean-owned, but little else has changed. Looking back at this 2012 post from Alt Eats Columbus, some of the same dishes are still our favorites and Yoshi’s still offers an extensive Japanese menu and retains its cozy izakaya feel.
What is an izakaya?
An izakaya is a Japanese bar where small plates and snacks accompany drinks—similar to a Spanish tapas bar. The word translates literally as “stay sake place.” A fun feature of some traditional izakayas is “bottle keep,” where regulars purchase a bottle of shochu or whisky and store the remainder for future visits. At Yoshi’s, you’ll spot a rack of hand-labeled bottles on the way to the restrooms, as well as private dining rooms often used by Japanese business groups.
Yoshi’s dinner menu spans 10 pages—not including the sushi menu—and offers a dizzying array of choices, even for seasoned Japanese food enthusiasts. It’s a great destination for adventurous diners who want to explore deeper into the flavors and textures of Japanese cuisine.
You’ll find everything from mountain yam and fermented raw squid to comforting crowd-pleasers like teriyaki and okonomiyaki. In short, there’s something for everyone.
Below are some tips for structuring your meal at Yoshi’s and suggestions for dishes to order.
