Highball Sushi (formerly Yuzo)

[jbkrems]

I was also there on Thursday night, and had a great time. There is always something new at Yuzo... it is one of the most creative restaurants in the metro, and I am always pleased with their constant improvement.

[Thomas Vu]

Went to Yuzo last night and absolutely loved it, as always.

They have added tables, chairs and umbrellas to the sidewalk out front but they don't have much space to work with out there.

Also, they have some really good food deals for happy hour between 4 and 6: $4 gyoza (which is the best I've ever had) and a bunch of rolls for $9. I had the volcano roll and it was delicious and so much food I didn't finish it. Should have taken a photo of the happy menu because there were quite a few things on there, all very reasonable for the quality and portion sizes.

Every day or week days/

[pw405]

Wow, I'll have to try this place. Had no idea it existed!

[Pete]

Happy to see a good crowd at Yuzo last night from 7 to 9:30 or so.

My food was excellent as usual.

Not inexpensive but more than fair given the quality. And their lunch and happy hour menus are quite reasonable.

[TheTravellers]

Happy to see a good crowd at Yuzo last night from 7 to 9:30 or so.

My food was excellent as usual.

Not inexpensive but more than fair given the quality. And their lunch and happy hour menus are quite reasonable.

We ate there before seeing Lady Gaga, got there at 5, no reservations, but anybody getting there after about 5:45 was turned away if they didn't have them, and they filled up before 6. Pretty good food (spider roll, steamed buns, seaweed salad, chicken kara-age) and martinis, service was a problem for us and the table next to us, but our server said they were understaffed and busier than usual due to Gaga, so we understood. We'll go back, but we've got a few other places to try in AA first...

[Bullbear]

For no reason in particular I was slow to get here to try it out. Since doing so I have been here almost weekly. It's a great spot! great food and a simple yet modern feel to the whole space. I love this place.

[Pete]

IMO their biggest issue has been that the space is just too big and open, so unless they are really busy it feels a bit dead which in turn seems to impact opinions of the place.

However, they have certainly started to build a following and I'm very happy to see that.

[Bullbear]

IMO their biggest issue has been that the space is just too big and open, so unless they are really busy it feels a bit dead which in turn seems to impact opinions of the place.

However, they have certainly started to build a following and I'm very happy to see that.

I can see that. but I have been there when it was pretty dead and still liked the vibe. bigger open spaces for sure but didn't mind.

[Pete]

Last night I tried this albacore dish for the first time and it was sublime. Really fresh and flavorful and the chili oil even had a nice kick.

(There were two more pieces that I already inhaled before I stopped to take the photo)

[jbkrems]

My wife and I were there as well last night. We both had the tonkotsu ramen and the chicken skewers which we enjoyed.

[Pete]

Great new mural on the side of Yuzo:

[HangryHippo]

That’s awesome!

[dankrutka]

Anyone know more about the mural and artist?

[sooner88]

Anyone know more about the mural and artist?

My first thought was it looks similar to the one at Gun/Goro

[Pete]

Anyone know more about the mural and artist?

It's a Norman-based artist named JUURI.

https://www.instagram.com/juuriart83/

https://www.juuriart.com/

[dankrutka]

Thank you. Here's some info from her site:

JUURI is a Tokyo-born mural artist currently working from Oklahoma City.

Her vibrant, figure-driven work is inspired by traditional Japanese "bijinga" (portraits of beautiful women) and "yakusha-e" (portraits of kabuki actors) mixed with modern pop motifs. Her vibrant work is popular with art collectors interested in Japan, hospitality, restaurants, and urban revitalization efforts.

[PaddyShack]

That mural definitely helps the building stand out and lets passers by know the genre of food. I like it

[CPin405]

Was going on a walk and saw a sign on the door thanking everyone for coming to Yuzo, and that a new concept was coming soon. So this space appears like it won’t be empty long. Liked the place, but it was big and never really busy. Plus as others have said, their marketing was non existent.

[Pete]

Was going on a walk and saw a sign on the door thanking everyone for coming to Yuzo, and that a new concept was coming soon. So this space appears like it won’t be empty long. Liked the place, but it was big and never really busy. Plus as others have said, their marketing was non existent.

That's good news.

When I was in Edmond a couple of days ago, there was a "Leased" sign on the old Cities Ice Cream in the Edmond Railyard. Most know that other spaces have quickly been snapped up by new operators when an existing restaurant closes in that development. Same with The Collective, The Parlor, and almost all the urban districts.

As I've mentioned many times, restaurant space with kitchen equipment does not last long in this market, unless the property owner wants to be very selective. This is why all the places owned by MidtownR are still empty, not due to lack of interest even at increased rates. And then you have Ludivine and City & State who want to keep operating as a catering-only place.

I can think of hundreds of restaurants that have closed around OKC and then reopened as something else. Apart from sketchy locations, It's much harder to think of places that have closed and not reopened as a new/different place.

[mgharfeh]

those shipping containers with the cut outs in the background of your picture have been moved onto Railyards patio space. Any idea what they have planned for those?

[DoctorTaco]

Was going on a walk and saw a sign on the door thanking everyone for coming to Yuzo, and that a new concept was coming soon. So this space appears like it won’t be empty long. Liked the place, but it was big and never really busy. Plus as others have said, their marketing was non existent.

I live, work, and eat in Midtown OKC and I could not even tell you what kind of food Yuzo served. I'm guessing Japanese from the name, but was it sushi? Ramen?

Just a baffling degree of non-presence for a restaurant that has been around a while.

[BridgeBurner]

Loved Yuzo but yeah, their lack of advertising combined with their completely BLACKED OUT windows meant almost nobody just "popped in" it seemed.
Any time I took someone there it was their first time there or they "didn't even know this place was open" due to the black windows.

[jbkrems]

I live, work, and eat in Midtown OKC and I could not even tell you what kind of food Yuzo served. I'm guessing Japanese from the name, but was it sushi? Ramen?

Just a baffling degree of non-presence for a restaurant that has been around a while.

It was both sushi and ramen but more of a fusion style and different. We went several times before Covid due to interest because of their sign. I had a business lunch there in early 2022 and I could tell there were service issues. Good luck to the new tenant of that space.

[soonerguru]

Loved Yuzo but yeah, their lack of advertising combined with their completely BLACKED OUT windows meant almost nobody just "popped in" it seemed.
Any time I took someone there it was their first time there or they "didn't even know this place was open" due to the black windows.

I mentioned to them right after they opened that the windows being covered would negatively impact their traffic. It's been several years but I remember it being pretty neat in there, but they were practically invisible.

[Pete]

Highball Sushi & Kitchen has opened in this spot.

Menu:

https://www.highballokc.com/menu