Sometimes you’re craving a lively night out on the town, and sometimes you just want a heavenly meal in a comfortable, hassle-free setting. Brushing against the Turnpike, Yellowtail is rooted in a western, residential locale that offers an intimate venue to gather with friends and family. Chef and partner Andrew Marc Rothschild has cooked in notable international kitchens including France’s Michelin-starred Au Crocodile, Miami’s The Forge and Palm Beach’s The Breakers—and he’s bringing that elevated experience and cuisine to Delray Beach.
What sets Yellowtail apart from the plethora of other sushi joints is its fully customizable menu with its impressive variety of proteins. Yes, most places let you substitute a protein in a dish, but here you can modify a roll exactly how you desire. Don’t want salmon but tuna in that chef roll? No problem. Plus the proteins here are a far cry from basic. Yes, there is chicken or shrimp for your pad Thai or curry, but there’s also duck, lobster, squid and scallops or eel, ama ebi (prawns), toro and sea urchin for your maki, just to name a few.
The menu offers a wide selection of small cold and hot appetizers, including crudos that are perfect for sharing. We started off with the Tuna Poppers ($14), a liberal serving of spicy tuna over a small crisp rice cake; and the Yum Yum Popcorn Shrimp ($16), lightly fried to give it a light crunch with a hint of sriracha aioli spice. The signature crispy Brussels Sprouts and Bok Choy with an orange demi miso glaze ($10) delighted us all, and the Lavender Honey and Lime Glazed Fried Calamari ($16) struck an airy and tender balance of sweet and citrus.
Moving on to the sushi rolls, we chose the S.O.B (South of the Border) and Super Nami. The former ($18) featured large creamy rolls of tequila cured salmon, avocado, scallions, sun-dried tomatoes and cream cheese topped with pine nuts and a smoked poblano aioli, while the latter ($19) had smaller sized rolls with comparable freshness and flavors. The shrimp tempura, eel, avocado and cucumber were topped with spicy mayo, tuna, eel sauce and tempura flakes that added to the slight crunch.
When the entrées hit, the table suddenly fell silent. The Massaman Shrimp Curry ($24) found a delicate harmony between sweet and savory with snow peas, sweet potato, onion, bell peppers and cashews, and finished with avocado slices. For more of a kick, try the red or panang curries. The star of the evening was the Crispy Duck ($27) with its flawless toasted textured skin, moist and juicy meat, and crisp stir-fry vegetables.
While Rothschild’s Asian dishes have been beloved by neighboring locals for nearly four years, it’s now time to drive west on Atlantic Avenue next time you’re craving high-quality dishes that are created from globally sourced ingredients.
This story is from the November/December issue of Boca magazine. For more like this, click here to subscribe to the magazine.
