Update (Sep 2, 2019 7.45pm CST): Yi Lu Mu has raised the price of their buffet deal from RMB49 to RMB59 from Monday to Thursday and RMB59 to RMB69 from Friday to Sunday.
Place
When you find a great deal, you either feel obliged to share it with the world or keep it to yourself. We chose the former.
Yi Lu Mu, a Japanese restaurant located on Luyuan Lu in a vibrant neighborhood of Taojin, is a real bang for your buck. Hidden in the upstairs area of a popular late-night HiTea (half of Guangzhou seems to show up at this shop at around midnight), this sushi shop is trying to corral those avid lemon tea drinkers, along with the area’s raw fish fiends (Yi Lu Mu has several other locations around Guangzhou).
Image by Matthew Bossons/That’s
Food
Oftentimes we’re misled by ‘too good to be true’ promotions outside local restaurants, so when we saw a RMB59 all-you-can-eat buffet deal, it was met with some skepticism. But to our delight, the deal turned out to be worthwhile, with the restaurant serving quality rolls, nigiri, Japanese-style dumplings and plenty more. The shop offers up the classics like salmon, crab, eel, octopus, shrimp and tuna nigiri, and we found the portions of meat allotted to each rice ball reasonable. While not the best sushi around, it’s great value, and we haven’t got sick yet!
Image by Matthew Bossons/That’s
More importantly, you can order your favorite sushi items at Yi Lu Mu without the addition of globs of mayo, which we typically view as overkill. That being said, fans of mayo-splattered fish will find their preferred sushi varieties in abundance as well.
Image by Matthew Bossons/That’s
Perhaps the best part of the small, hidden restaurant’s all-you-can-eat bonanza is the fact that it comes with free flow sake! While the eatery does not serve beer or wine, staff told us on our last visit (we’ve been several times this week) that they’re cool with patrons bringing their own beer or other alcoholic beverages.
One important thing to note is that Yi Lu Mu’s menu is only in Chinese. If you find yourself lost in translation, we recommend defaulting to the thumbs-up symbols located near the menu’s hottest items. Also worth noting: you are able to order off the all-you-can-eat menu (which, as far as we know, is the restaurant’s only menu) for 90 minutes per visit, and the price goes up to RMB69 from Friday to Sunday.
We’ll finish this off with one piece of sage advice: if there’s one thing to avoid on the sizable menu, it’s the ramen. Stick to the fish and dumplings instead.
The Vibe
When we (last) visited at the tail end of the lunchtime rush, we found the restaurant calm and quiet, which is likely due to the eatery’s tucked away location and recent opening. But with the option to eat till your heart’s content, diners sure did look satisfied.
Image by Matthew Bossons/That’s
Before we wrap this up, we want to note that the restaurant offers both open-area seating and private rooms to accommodate groups, making it good for both lunch with colleagues and an intimate dinner with friends and family.
Good for: cheap sushi, sake samurais, staying in your financial lane
Who’s going: people who know about it
Price: RMB59-69
Nearest metro: Taojin (Exit B), 10 minutes’ walk
See listing for Yi Lu Mu.
[Cover image by Matthew Bossons/That’s]
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