Super Omakase
by Celia Cheng
May 28th, 2008
KANOYAMA
157 2nd Ave
@ 11th St
212-777-5266
Kanoyama was a bit of a mystery to me. On the corner of 11th Street and 2nd Avenue, I had walked past it a million times, never taking notice as I thought it looked like a run of the mill Westernized Japanese restaurant packed with gaijin (foreigners in Japanese). But the reviews of the restaurant are consistently good so I decided to try it to see if it was as fake a Japanese restaurant as Japonica is. I ordered the omakase sushi set; large pieces of the most generic nigirizushi were served on a platter, along with miso soup and ice cream for dessert. This was “American sushi” and I was not impressed. I was also horrified by some of the large spicy handrolls that were being sent to tables from the sushi bar. Good fish doesn’t get chopped up to bits and obliterated by spicy sauces. If a sushi restaurant serves spicy tuna and other foreign inventions that are blasphemous to traditionalists, I run for the exit.
But when my sushi fanatic friend Jennie, who eats sushi at least three times a week and knows her fish, started frequenting the place and swore by it, I knew there had to be something I was missing. So I tried again. This time I ordered individual onigiri sushi from the daily specials menu, many of them priced at $8 to $12 a piece. The variety and quality of fish was good, but by the end of my meal, I still felt like I had had a mediocre experience for a very hefty price tag. And then Jennie told me the secret. You have to sit at the sushi bar and order the “super omakase,” in which chef owner Nobuyuki Shikanai composes the menu for you and hands you your sushi piece by piece.
Well then, I’d give it another try. While checking Kanoyama’s website for their phone number, I learned that they have a very comprehensive site, including fish facts, a great educational overview. I also found an FAQ entry that explains the different levels of omakase they serve. “Super omakase” is basically traditional omakase where you leave yourself in the hands of the sushi chef. The last sentence reads “with no price limit.” This was a bit daunting, and indeed, the first time I tried the super omakase, the tab came to around $150 a person. But I was blown away! This was the real deal. Chef Shikanai’s sushi creations were delicate and delicious. It was no longer just a myth.
Having returned several times now, I’ve learned how it works best. The super omakase is not just sushi but a combination of chef-chosen dishes from the kitchen and can include both sashimi and sushi. I usually do ask for both as, in my experience, ordering sashimi seems to bring the price down a little as, by the time I’m done with the sashimi, I’m halfway full. But it really depends on what’s good that day and how much it costs, hence “no limit.” Also, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays are good as there’s fish coming directly from Japan on those days.
I know we are talking sushi here, but I must point out that the seasonal vegetable tempura selection for the spring was amazing and can’t be found anywhere else. On my last visit, I tasted the beautifully opulent angelica flower. It was bitter but paired well with fish. This was served between the sashimi and sushi courses, perfectly balancing the meal. But it’s out of season now, so I’ll have to wait until next year to taste it again. Until then, I look forward to whatever the chef sends my way in its place.
Dessert, which is complimentary with the super omakase, is a choice of chocolate soufflé, grilled banana, or ice cream (the first two are served with ice cream as well). The grilled banana, as simple as it sounds, is a lovely way to end dinner. Once flambéed, the rum evaporates and the caramelized banana is soft and sweet, and it’s a nice complement to the accompanying vanilla ice cream, or your companion’s chocolate soufflé.
Chef Shikanai looks young and is extremely congenial, which adds to the whole experience. Apart from the seven-seated sushi bar, the restaurant caters to those who like American sushi. But business is business, and as long as I know where to find good sushi, I don’t care what others are eating. And there’s no doubt that Kanoyama is bustling night after night, so their balancing act seems to be the secret to success.
Posted in East Village , Japanese , Seafood , Sushi
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Pinci con Seppie (pasta, cuttlefish, razor clams)
by Celia Cheng
May 27th, 2008
BAR MILANO
323 3rd Ave
@ 24th St
212-683-3035
There are many things to love about Bar Milano, the latest and most ambitious restaurant from the Denton brothers (Jason and Joe of ’ino and ’inoteca) and their partner chefs from ’inoteca and Lupa. For starters, it’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Secondly, the atmosphere is stupendous; relaxed but exquisite, sultry but bright, it’s the perfect mix. The service is professional, and the food is good. Bar Milano is more upscale than Denton’s other venture (and a personal favorite of mine), Lupa, whose food and atmosphere seem almost homestlyle in comparison. And the prices reflect as much.
To avoid the dinner crowds, I’m a fan of lunch at Bar Milano; the menu is the same while I can easily find a seat in the austere dining room or at the 26-seat bar with banquettes and an open view of the corner of 24th Street and 3rd Avenue. Sitting at the bar, listening to the jazz in the background and chatting with the bartender seem like the quintessential New York experience. With a glass of wine in hand and my meal served, I am in a state of bliss.
On my first visit, I tried the insalata di bagna cauda (early spring vegetables tossed in a garlic and anchovy dressing), trota in carpione (pickled trout, beets and horseradish), risotto di aragosta (carnaroli rice with lobster and ramps), and trota con montecato (trout, potatoes and chard). All dishes are arranged elegantly and the flavors subtle. The early spring vegetables, or what I call baby vegetables, were delicate, and though I expected the garlic and anchovy dressing to be heavy in flavor, it was so subtle that I almost forgot it contained these powerhouse ingredients. The tangy flavor of the pickled trout was balanced by the horseradish, and then reiterated by the beets. And the risotto, prepared with longer grain carnaroli rice (rather than aborio grains), was perfectly creamy yet still al dente. The small lobster pieces were tasty and rich without being heavy. But the highlight of this meal was the trout entrée; pan-seared trout paired with smoked trout mashed potatoes and a side of chard dressed with Meyer lemon was just delicious.
All that said, it was only on my second visit that I really fell in love with Bar Milano. I had been dying to try their pastas, so I ordered the homemade pinci with razor clams and cuttlefish and a side of Italian greens. The hand-rolled pinci is rounder and thicker than spaghetti. The consistency matches well with the chewy pieces of cuttlefish and the slices of razor clams (that almost disappear into this dish). Whole, peeled cherry tomatoes add zest and freshness. The flavors bursting in my mouth, I was blown away at first bite!
The only downside was that my solitary lunch of pasta, side of greens and a lovely glass of the NV Contadi Castaldi Franciacorta Brut totaled $57 with tax and tip. Though lunch was relaxing, the bill was not. Since opening, Bar Milano has received much criticism for its pricing, but that’s unlikely to change. “If you build it, they will come.”
Posted in Italian , Murray Hill , Pasta , Seafood
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Bun Rieu (crab cake poached in tangy pork tomato broth w/ rice noodles)
by Celia Cheng
April 29th, 2008
TET
83 Ave A
(5th & 6th St)
212-253-0800
$
Tet is the Vietnamese New Year, the celebration of a new beginning, and it’s a good name for Steven Duong’s new restaurant in Alphabet City. Mr. Duong also owns Nam in Tribeca and O Mai in Chelsea, both longtime local favorites. Nam is one of my top choices in Vietnamese restaurants, especially for the seafood dumplings in soup, so I was eager to try Tet and see what other treats were in store.
Modern, bold and dark, the décor of the restaurant makes me feel at ease while I enjoy the mouth-watering dishes coming out of the kitchen. At Tet, maroon and purple colored walls are accented by beautiful cream-colored, crocheted lampshades. All of which speak of good taste. Likewise, the menu is straightforward and the staff friendly.
I really enjoyed the food. The ingredients are fresh, and the flavors are balanced and subtle. My friend and I started with the chia gio, shrimp, pork, crab and vegetable spring rolls deep fried in rice paper and served with fresh herbs, lettuce wrap and lime dipping sauce. This is my favorite type of spring roll throughout Asian cuisine, and though they seem like a staple on most Vietnamese restaurant menus, good ones are not always easy to come by. Chinatown offers many that are greasy and laden with MSG. Other fusion Vietnamese restaurants often vary the stuffing and lose the balance of flavors. But Tet’s spring rolls are just right. The fried rice paper is thin and light but also chewy. There were only two pieces of lettuce for four spring rolls, and they were used as garnish sitting underneath everything else, which led me to believe that most people don’t use the lettuce as a wrap, but they should, as it tastes so good and fresh with some herbs tucked in.
On my second visit, looking for something a little lighter, I chose the banh xeo(coconut rice flour crepe filled with scallions, shrimp, chicken, bean sprouts, served with fresh herbs, lettuce wrap, and lime dipping sauce) as an appetizer. Though similar, this was even better than the spring rolls. The coconut rice flour crepe is so light and crisp, and the lettuce wrap and dipping sauce are the same, so depending on your mood, spring rolls or crepes are both good starters.
The goi sua, jellyfish, shrimp and cucumber salad topped with peanuts and tangy chili dressing was less spectacular. I like my jellyfish crunchy even though it’s slimy, but the jellyfish in this salad was a bit limp. Still the ingredients paired well, especially the crushed peanuts that added a nutty flavor and the crunch I was missing.
Dinner’s highlight was the bun rieu, poached crab cake, meatballs and rice noodles in a tangy pork tomato broth. In fact, I returned two nights later just to have this dish because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The juicy little meatballs are made with pork and a crab paste that’s ground and sautéed with lemon grass and hot peppers. Plump pieces of halved tomatoes complement the thin strings of rice noodles in a wonderfully tasty tomato pork broth. But the most fabulous part is the fresh crabmeat coated in egg, which, when poached, becomes incredibly tender and floats delicately to the surface. Bits of Thai basil add a burst of fresh flavor, and shreds of raw cabbage create a crunchy contrast. There are quite a few ingredients here, but the flavors, working in unison, are both luscious and subtle. It’s high-end comfort food at its best.
My companion ordered ga nuong, lemon grass chicken, for main, and, being a food snob, I wasn’t planning on touching it. In my mind, lemon grass chicken is as banal as Vietnamese food can get and the thought of a piece of boring roasted white meat arriving at the table was devastating. However, Tet’s lemon grass chicken is delicious. Both dark and white meat are served sliced, and while by nature white meat will never be as tender as dark, it was not dry and, in fact, very flavorful. Dipping the chicken in the garlic-heavy, tangy lime sauce made it even better. This is a real pleasure to have with white rice. What a pleasant surprise!
The only disappointment was dessert. We ordered a coconut tapioca soup with banana, palm seeds and jackfruit topped with toasted sesame seeds. It arrived lukewarm (it should either be hot or cold but not in between) and tasted rather bland with the tapioca too soft from overcooking. I’m a sesame seed fanatic and these should have been toasted so as to bring out the aroma and also create a crunchier texture. Instead, the seeds were stale.
I am happy to skip dessert, so if we don’t count that blunder, Tet is very good. I look forward to adding it to my list of Southeast Asian favorites, which also includes Fatty Crab and Café Asean.
Posted in Alphabet City , Noodles , Pork , Seafood , Vietnamese
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Uni Sushi (sea urchin sushi)
by Celia Cheng
August 1st, 2007
SUSHI YASUDA
204 E 43rd St
(2nd & 3rd Ave)
212-972-1001
Since returning from Greece, I’ve been on a sea urchin kick. I want to eat fresh uni (sea urchin) every day! The Greeks eat sea urchin with olive oil, lemon and bread. So when a Greek friend of mine, Alex, mentioned that she loves to buy sea urchin from Citarella, open and clean them herself and then enjoy them leisurely at home, I headed straight to the market. It sounded easy enough; unfortunately, sea urchins are not in season on the East Coast right now, so I was out of luck. This only fueled my craving.
In the August heat, I didn’t want to venture far and thought that I should give my neighborhood (seemingly more authentic) sushi joint, Ushiwakamaru, another try. For a variety of reasons — one of them being that the restaurant always feels rather dingy to me — I was once again not impressed. Since I am focusing on uni, I’ll skip the fish head and the rest of my gargantuan meal. As part of the starter, I was served steamed sea urchin with jelly. Unless it’s in pasta, I like my uni raw. I like the gooey texture and the strong, virulent flavor. When it’s steamed, uni seems to lose its personality; it becomes too solid and bland. I also had uni sushi at the end of the meal, and though it was better than the steamed, it didn’t hit the spot like I had hoped it would.
The following evening, on a whim, I decided to go to Sushi Yasuda, looking to remedy the previous evening’s experience. I wanted to make sure I had delicious sushi. About five years ago, I was at Yasuda-san’s counter on a weekly basis. In the past couple of years, I haven’t been able to go as often as I would like, but on this night, the stars were perfectly aligned. Without a reservation, I was able to get a seat in front of Yasuda-san, and though it’s been a while, he remembered exactly what I liked. Of course, I can’t go to Sushi Yasuda without starting with the morokyu (cucumbers with moromi miso). The monkfish tempura was not necessary, but it was a nice appetizer to whet my appetite. “The usual” for me is sushi matsu, twelve pieces of sushi and half a roll, omakase (chef’s choice) at Yasuda-san’s discretion of course! Yasuda-san must have magical hands because any fish he touches is just divine. The meals I’ve had at the restaurant when I didn’t sit in front of Yasuda-san’s station were, in my book, a waste of time.
My two MUST HAVES are hotate (scallop) and uni. Without having to remind him, the hotate appeared in the middle of the meal and after putting it in my mouth, I was floating on a cloud to heaven. For my last two pieces of sushi, Yasuda-san brought out two different varieties of uni, one from Sakhalin Island in Russia and the other from Santa Barbara. Both were orgasmically titillating, and I fear that having a preference for one may be blasphemy. The uni from Sakhalin Island was creamy, buttery and sweet and though it glided down my throat smoothly, I savored the taste until the end. It’s kind of strange to think that the Santa Barbara uni, which is generally considered sweet, was bitterer by comparison. I commented on how different the two uni tasted and Yasuda-san replied, “But both are delicious, which is what makes it interesting.” The meal concluded as perfectly as it had begun with one each of the green tea and red bean mochi ice cream.
It’s been a week since the meal at Sushi Yasuda, and I can still visualize, taste and smell the uni. And I am reminded why a weekly visit really is a necessity!
Posted in Japanese , Midtown East , Seafood , Sushi
Fried Calamari
by Mort Hochstein
January 18th, 2007
DESTINO
891 First Avenue
@ 50th Street
212-751-0700
Destino fits the ideal for a certain type of home-style Italian restaurant. It would be perfectly at home in Little Italy. But when you move uptown where the big boys — think San Domenico, Da Antonio, and Grifone — play, you have to be more than capable.
Celebrity owner Justin Timberlake, veteran operator Eytan Sugarman and chef Mario Curko, late of Rao’s, the uptown hangout where hardly anyone can get in, give Destino the kind of gloss it may need to succeed. Its location on First Avenue at 50th Street, a few blocks up from the United Nations and little else, is both good and bad. Good because Destino is one of very few restaurants in that lightly-traveled area, and bad because it is so off the regular midtown track that it has to become a destination. In Michelin terms, it has to be worth a detour and that’s unlikely here.
It comes down to being a local Italian restaurant, a bit pricey, but hardly expensive enough to scare off the well-heeled residents of its Turtle Bay neighborhood, many of whom already appeared to be regulars on my visit close to a year after its opening in February 2006. The room was well filled and the folks around me seemed contented.
Forgive me, but I wasn’t. Chef Curko’s southern Italian menu is full of all the red-sauce dishes we’ve known since the days of checkered red tablecloths, dripping candles and fiaschi-cradled Chianti. I could have found the same menu with its veal Marsala, chicken cacciatore, red snapper Livornese and sautéed scampi, all at around $25 and more, on a half dozen side streets in the Village, with the same ambience and for less money. The folks at Rao’s, chef Curko’s home for a whole decade, did me a favor by barring the doors.
The wine list is a disaster. In the champagne category, home to the same familiar names, the standard brands you find in less pretentious, less well-funded restaurants and on many store shelves, there is no Italian bubbly, other than a Santa Margherita prosecco. Where are the Ca’ del Bosco, Bellavista and Ferrari sparklers, which stand proudly with champagne on better Italian lists. Where is the pride in regional wines from Italy?
The still-wine lineup is slightly more imaginative, but hardly venturesome as you might expect of a quality restaurant, and it is overpriced. But then, maybe the good burghers of the neighborhood don’t care. I asked a well-fed, formally-dressed gentleman at an adjoining table what he was drinking and he responded, “It’s a red.” The most Italian power on that wine list arrives at dessert time, when diners can finish off with old favorites like Moscato d’Asti, Limoncello, Orangecello and Vin Santo.
All that said, Curko does put out good food with fresh ingredients, and an occasional innovative dish, We enjoyed his fried calamari salad with toasted walnuts and an apple balsamic dressing and roasted lamb risotto accompanied by shitake mushrooms, carrots, sun-dried cranberries and green apple slices. The meatballs, a Curko specialty, are hardly unique, but they’re good, and the food comes out hot. There’s an occasional bit of flare on that menu, but most of it is tried, true and tired. Ambience, service and familiarity are the planks here and they may be all that its unquestioning clientele want and deserve.
Posted in Italian , Midtown East , Seafood
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