YO! Sushi, the uber cool, iconic international Japanese restaurant group, was the first restaurant to open in St David’s Shopping Centre and enjoyed one of its strongest UK openings ever.

Located in the Eastside of the St David’s Centre, Cardiff, YO! Sushi’s first ever restaurant in Wales accommodates over sixty diners, and is the group’s 58th restaurant worldwide.

Since opening its doors at the end of October, the YO! Roll (the restaurant’s signature dish), Chicken Katsu and Salmon Sashimi are proving to be some of the favourite dishes amongst Welsh diners.

My Ly, Marketing Manager for YO! Sushi says “We have been overwhelmed by the fantastic reaction of the Welsh public to our brand. There is obviously a previously untapped audience of sushi lovers in Wales, backed by our research showing approximately 90% of customers dining in our Cardiff restaurant, have already been to a YO! Sushi somewhere else in the UK. We were the first restaurant to open in the St David’s Centre, and are overjoyed by the warm Welsh welcome we have received.”

One of Wales’ most ardent admirers of sushi is Newport Gwent Dragons rugby player James Arlidge who is also a Japan international star.  New Zealand born Arlidge said: “I lived in Japan for four years which qualified me to play for Japan and I just loved the food – I could eat sushi every day of the week.”

Arlidge has joined forces with YO! Sushi’s Head Chef, Melfred ‘Pogs’ Palma (recently featured in Raymond Blanc’s ‘The Restaurant’ programme) to give fellow rugby player and recent convert to the cuisine, British Lions and Wales player, Mike Phillips, an education in sushi.

Phillips said, “I’m enjoying learning more about the Japanese way of life. I was what they call a ‘YO! Virgin’, and had never eaten here before, but I’m into healthy eating, so it really suits me and I’m keen to try more.”

YO! Sushi diners can chose from over 90 freshly prepared hot and cold Japanese inspired dishes, including the famous YO! Roll, Prawn Yakisoba and Miso Black Cod. Stocking the freshest sushi available, all fish is on the conveyor belt for a maximum of two hours only and all the food is freshly prepared in front of the customers.

The restaurant group now operates 59 restaurants in 5 countries; 44 in the UK, and 15 franchised overseas in Ireland, Russia, Malaysia and the Middle East. By the end of 2010, YO! Sushi aims to have a total of 100 restaurants worldwide.