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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Uni & Yuba (sea urchin & black bean milk skin)
by Celia Cheng
September 13th, 2007
SOTO
357 6th Ave
(Washington Pl & W4th St)
212-414-3088
Josh Orzesky of Grub Street (NYMAG.com) recently asked me if there were any restaurants that truly blow me away. At the time he posed the question, I couldn’t think of any, which proved his point about my overly critical palate. Had he asked me the same question a week later though, my answer would have been quite different because that was when I had dinner at Soto. I was so wowed by this new Japanese restaurant in downtown Manhattan that I dreamt about it the night of my first visit. Hard to believe, but I had never (literally) dreamt about a meal in such detail before then.
I expected Soto’s focus to be sushi, so I was surprised to find so many other cold and warm items on the menu. I thought that these would be side dishes like an opening act to the main attraction, but upon reading through the menu carefully, and later tasting some of the offerings to verify, I found that most of the dishes were stunningly playful and delicious, making them stars in their own right. My companion and I settled on three of them: uni and yuba, minute-steamed tai, and miso soup with lobster and uni broth (to be served after the sushi course, so as to not ruin my palate). We would then move on to the twelve-piece omakase to test out the sushi.
Yuba, traditionally thin sheets of tofu skin made from soybean milk, is usually a light cream color, but this black bean version is light gray. It is delicately served, with the uni (sea urchin), in a small bowl of cold shiitake broth. The waitress handed us tiny spoons and asked that we please drink the broth for fear that we would let it go to waste. Being the uni fanatic that I am, I was delighted by its pairing with yuba, which, because it’s so light and smooth, is one of my favorite soy products, and the shiitake broth was perfectly savory and rooty to complete this union.
Chef-owner Sotohiro Kosugi is the head sushi chef and also in charge of the cold plates while his wife helms the kitchen and prepares the cooked menu items. I was pleased to find that she is as skilled as her husband in creating tantalizing treats. The minute-steamed tai came as four small pieces of New Zealand sea bream, quick steamed, so it was really still mostly raw, topped with ginger, scallion and oil. I thought it was absolutely ingenious to use traditional Chinese fish preparations — steamed with ginger, scallion, oil and soy sauce — for slightly cooked sashimi. My mouth continued to water even as I was eating it.
Sitting at the sushi bar, we didn’t quite understand why there was such a long pause after the first two dishes and the sushi, but it turned out that they had somehow lost our order. Service is indeed pleasant but not yet organized. The portions at Soto are very small and our meal should not have exceeded an hour and a half but it was extended to twice that at three hours due to disorganization. However, service snafus are not uncommon in new restaurants, and I have no doubt this gem of a place will be serving patrons seamlessly in no time. Personally, I was enjoying the food so much that I didn’t mind our long leisurely meal, but my companion, who had been starving from the get-go, felt like the dinner was torture as he was taunted by scrumptious-looking and fragrant food all around him, getting bits and pieces of it over a three hour period but never actually satisfying his hunger. :( I felt bad for him, but I must say the Japanese-portion sizes suite me perfectly.
The sushi was also delicious but small in portion. As it’s made, each piece of onigiri is placed one by one over the counter on your sushi tablet. It’s seasoned by the chef, so there is no need for soy sauce dipping, which is a good way to prevent those who don’t know how to eat sushi from ruining it. And if it’s any indication of the chef’s skills, twelve pieces came and went like they were six. I could have had another round. We added an order of the tar tare tuna roll — spicy tuna tartar with Asian pear, cucumber, avocado, sesame, pine nuts and scallion wrapped in white kelp. The roll was a gorgeous work of art with the unconventional white kelp skin instead of regular seaweed, but the pine nuts were overpowering, and the flavors in general just didn’t work together. The roll, however, was the only glitch during our meal, but honestly it would be a shame to waste your appetite on rolls at Soto anyway when the rest of the menu and the nigirizushi are so outstanding!
I’m ecstatic that there is a high caliber Japanese sushi restaurant around the corner from me right in Greenwich Village! Unfortunately, I won’t be able to treat it as a casual neighborhood joint as it is out of my daily dining budget. The prices are not unreasonable compared to top Midtown sushi restaurants, but it can’t be an everyday splurge for me. A drink or two with a dinner that leaves you reasonably full would range from $150 to $200 per person. I do plan to visit regularly, perhaps on a monthly basis, but in between, I can always dream about the food at Soto.
Posted in Greenwich Village , Japanese , Sushi
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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
Sushi (omakase)
by Celia Cheng
December 15th, 2006
SASABUNE
401 E 73rd St
(1st & 2nd Ave)
212-249-8583
Two Saturdays ago, on a day when everything was going wrong, I encountered two small miracles that put me in a great mood. First was the new James Bond movie, Casino Royale. All the hubbub on whether Daniel Craig could pull off being a new blond Bond was inconsequential as I was instantly swept away watching him on screen, melting my heart. I liked the movie so much that I went back the next night and watched it again! The second miracle that had a heart-melting effect, but in a different way, was dinner at Sasabune.
Sasabune may be new to New York but its fame precedes it. Friends in L.A. rave about the original Sushi Sasabune and also the one in Honolulu, so imagine my surprise when I saw a listing of the new opening at 401 East 73rd Street. It just so happens that my favorite Japanese restaurant in New York, Y’s Place, used to be located at that exact spot, but unfortunately it closed two years ago. I am quite familiar with the space of the restaurant since I used to visit once a week and even threw my 30th birthday party there. Sasabune, and the Japanese restaurant that occupied the space prior barely touched the original Y’s Place’s décor. It’s a small space with two rooms: upon entering you find the sushi bar that seats six and a couple of tables, the other side can seat about another sixteen customers. There’s something about this block, first Y’s Place, now Sasabune, and even Jin Soon’s UES store is here too!
Kenji Takahashi, the protégé of Chef Nobi of the original Sasabune is the chef-owner of the New York Sasabune. He is charismatic and a good conversationalist (a welcome change from the jaded and conceited air of many sushi chefs) as he makes sushi in front of you at the bar.
Sasabune is omakase only. In their own terms, rather than saying chef’s choice, they ask you to simply “trust me.” Upon sitting down, the service begins. The only menu you require is the drinks menu, which is not that exciting. Kenji picks the freshest fish from the markets daily and hence why he asks you to trust him. The sequence of the fish served is the same for each customer, although there is slight variation. For example, since Kenji thought I was Japanese, I was served uni and ikura. Our neighbors inquired why they did not get those two, but when they found out it was sea urchin and salmon roe, they said never mind — not that uni or ikura are that outrageous but I guess there are some people who don’t fancy it. On my second visit, I found that there was little variation in the repertoire: a sashimi starter, then followed by six plates of sushi (two per plate), two oysters, and a finale with a roll, which is generally their signature crab roll — this may not sound like a lot of food but by the time I finished my sashimi starter, I was already feeling a little full. If you are still hungry, Kenji will keep making more until you tell him to stop, but generally the standard lineup is a generous amount of food.
On my first visit I had the albacore sashimi, then sushi in this order: blue fin tuna and toro, fluke and bonito, yellowtail and salmon, black cod and Spanish mackerel, jumbo clam and scallop, two kumamoto oysters, sea urchin and salmon roe. I ended with the crab roll, but was uncomfortably stuffed. The second time, Kenji noticed that we were getting full after a similar variety of sashimi and sushi, and asked if we needed the roll so I declined.
The quality of the fish at Sasabune is excellent and the prices reasonable — both times the sushi came in under $70 per person. The one thing that it does lack is the attention to detail of presentation. The plates are generically white and plastic, and the portions are large. It does not cheapen the quality of the food but the dining experience. The refinery of Japanese cuisine is in not only the presentation and quality of the food itself but also on the type of ware it is served on so as to create a pleasant experience that satisfies all sensoria. At Sasabune, the atmosphere is leisurely and relaxed, creating a more accessible dining experience without formalities. I don’t necessarily think this is a problem but I do want to explain it because some people expect great sushi to equate a more refined dining experience and may be disappointed with the atmosphere. While I don’t think the food needs to be dainty to be refined, I do think the portions here are a bit too large. As much as I love uni, there was so much of it that I was starting to understand what it means to have too much of a good thing. Sometimes less is definitely more. The sashimi starter also should be about half of its current size. I’d rather savor the taste in my mouth and have a lingering memory than eat so much that I’m overstuffed and can’t really appreciate what’s to come. As low key as the restaurant may seem, on busy nights, the speed at which the plates are served is definitely not “leisurely” and you feel rushed to get out as they need to turn their tables to accommodate their next reservation.
I am definitely a fan of Sasabune and have recommended it to several friends already. As word gets out, it will become increasingly hard to get a reservation but for the time being I’m happy to have found a new favorite.
Posted in Japanese , Seafood , Sushi
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Sushi
by Celia Cheng
March 23rd, 2006
USHIWAKAMARU
136 W Houston St
(MacDougal & Sullivan St)
212-228-4181
I had received recommendations to try Ushiwakamaru. While it has the prime location of being on Houston Street near 6th Avenue, I had never noticed it in the past. It looks like a hole in the wall, possibly a faux Japanese restaurant. But upon closer examination, you’ll notice that the clientele is very authentic, with many Japanese salarymen enjoying themselves at the sushi bar.
I’ve only tried it once, and I have to be honest that I wasn’t blown away. However, I definitely want to come back and try again. I somehow feel like there might be something that I missed or overlooked. I walked in without a reservation so they made room for me at the end of the sushi bar by the kitchen. I was in no man’s land and envying the Japanese businessmen who were sitting in front of the sushi chefs merrily eating and drinking away. On my next visit I definitely want to sit in front of the chefs and ask for their recommendations.
Another way to look at it is that within its neighborhood, Ushiwakamaru is the most viable candidate for a good sushi restaurant at reasonable prices. Let’s not get into the blasphemy of Yama or Tomoe’s large quantity but low quality sushi. Blue Ribbon Sushi is also close by, but it’s more westernized and has a higher price point. So for reasonable, authentic sushi, Ushiwakamaru is a great deal. You just won’t get the quality of the fish of the Midtown sushi restaurants, but you won’t have to go broke either.
Posted in Greenwich Village , Japanese , Sushi
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