Yum Yum Sauce - Secrets of Sushi (2024)

Yum Yum Sauce (also known as White Sauce, Sakura Sauce, or Japanese Steakhouse Shrimp Sauce) has been commonly found in Japanese steakhouses for years. More recently, people have started to notice this sauce appearing in sushi restaurants as well.

Upon popular request, I have done some research on how to make the best Yum Yum Sauce possible. This recipe is a combination of several recipes that I have found online and few batches made in my own kitchen.

**Special Note** I have tried to make this sauce with Heavy Mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, and Low Fat, non-dairy mayonnaise. Unfortunately, all of these variations taste woefully “off” from the types of Yum Yum sauce I had at my local steakhouse. Kewpie Mayo is the only mayonnaise that I have tried that tastes remotely similar. However, if you are used to a different taste, or are unable to find Kewpie Mayo, then I would recommend using heavy mayonnaise instead.

For this tutorial, you will need:

• 1.5 Tbsp of Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1.5 Tbsp of Mirin
• 1 Tbsp of Melted Butter
• 1 tsp of Garlic Powder (5ml)
• 1 tsp of Paprika (5ml)
• 1 cup of Kewpie Mayo (237ml)
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (2.5 ml)
• 1 tsp of granulated Sugar
• 1/4 cup of water
• a microwave safe dish
• whisk or fork
• bowl
• sauce container (I use re-purposed sauce bottles – empty sri racha bottles work great for this!)

This recipe makes approximately 1.5 cups of Yum Yum Sauce.

Making Yum Yum Sauce

1. Take your 1 Tbsp of butter and place it into a microwave-safe dish. Microwave the butter until it is completely melted (using my 700 watt microwave, I only put it on for 10 seconds – your microwave time may vary slightly).

Please note: attempting to use a regular glass container to melt butter will result in broken glass and a small mess in your microwave. Also, it doesn’t take much time to melt butter; I wouldn’t set the microwave for any longer than 15 seconds at a time!

2. Add 1 cup of Kewpie Mayo to your bowl and pour the melted butter on top.

3. Next, measure out and add your 1 tsp of garlic powder:

4. Then add your 1 tsp of paprika…

5. And then add 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper:

6. Add your 1 tsp of granulated sugar:

7. Finally, add your rice wine vinegar and mirin together with 1/4 cup of water and whisk all of the ingredients together!

8. This last step is very important: You must cover your bowl (or pour the sauce into a bottle) and let it sit in your refrigerator over night. This step allows all of the flavors to mix together! It won’t taste right without letting it sit over night.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Obviously, different Japanese steakhouses and sushi restaurants will make this sauce differently. Feel free to experiment and have fun with this recipe. Make it your own!

I would love to hear about the variations that you make and enjoy at home. Leave me a comment below with what works for you!