Two years after fire, Yokohama reopens in new Commack space

When an early morning electrical fire broke out in the kitchen of Commack sushi restaurant Yokohama in September 2019, no one was hurt, but the livelihood of its owner, Tony Lin, took a blow.

The restaurant “is his heart and flesh, his baby,” said Lin’s daughter, Jenny Lin, who grew up around her family business. Known for a fusion menu of sushi rolls and curry soups, Yokohama had been in the same Jericho Turnpike spot for 15 years, she said, and her father had been in the food business his entire adult life. 

While her father could’ve retired, he instead set his sights on reopening — not a straightforward task during the pandemic, when equipment prices soared and delivery times went from weeks to months.

Nearly two years on, Yokohama has returned, having opened in mid-March in smaller, renovated digs a few minutes’ drive from the original location. The folksy vibe has been replaced by a more modern one, with a backlit sushi counter and sleek marble bar, LED screens and splashes of fuchsia light cast across a 12-table space of pewter and dark woods. 

Without having advertised the reopening, the nights have been busy. “Longtime customers have brought us orchids, Champagne,” said Jenny, 29, who works in human relations in New York City but is helping her family launch the new location).

The fusion core of the menu remains, a mélange familiar to Long Islanders who dine often for sushi. There are plenty of Japanese apps such as shumai and tempura, for instance, but also lobster bisque, goat cheese spring rolls and Szechuan dumplings filled with peanut butter, pork and shrimp. (The Lins have added soup dumplings and a few other dishes, such as a striking toro tataki dabbed with mayo). Classic sushi, sashimi and maki rolls are joined by chunkier rolls such as the Dix Hills (spicy tuna inside, toro, spicy mayonnaise, scallions and roe) as well as katsu, donburi, teriyaki, udon, curry soups and Bento boxes. (Appetizers fall between $6 and $15, sushi rolls between $13 and $17, and hot entrees start at $13 and top out at $28 for lobster-tail teriyaki).

Besides sake and beer, Jenny said the wine and cocktail list has expanded, and her dad is still very present, supervising daily deliveries of fish, mixing drinks behind the bar and checking in on customers. “He is a true creative, and he handles everything with grace,” she said.

Yokohama, 6333 Jericho Tpke., Commack, opens at 11:30 a.m. weekdays for lunch and dinner, and 12:30 p.m. on weekends; 631-462-2458, yokohamafusion.com