Sushi Otaku

Archive for the ‘Sushi Traditions’ Category

I went to Sushi Yasuda in New York City last night and oh boy! This was a great experience. Firstly, they are a very traditional sushi-ya, no spicy rolls, or other American funkyisms. And they made this pretty clear when my dining companion (a colleague of mine) asked about a spicy scallop roll. But, our waiter was very nice and polite and steered us towards interesting specials and made us aware what the itamae suggested that night.

I started out with something I’d never had before; flounder roe. It was very interesting. whitish/gray clumps that were very subtle, and tasted like a combination of all the delicate flavors of green onion and the ocean. Very unique. I went on to Ankimo (monkfish liver), one of my seasonal favorites, and then started ordering sashimi and sushi with gusto.

Before our sushi arrived, the waiter brought out a seaweed salad comprised of 5 different types of seaweed with a bowl of dressing for dipping. Some of these were the norm (wakame) and it was missing some I am used to (hijiki), which wasn’t a problem. But it was great. A very rounding experience and the textures were something at which to marvel.

Then our dinner arrived. Each piece was perfect. Not perfect in the sense that it looked like a machine measured and manufactured it, but perfect in they way the food was balanced. They use fresh wasabi there without even being asked (a sure sign of high quality) and the itamae had really put the perfect size neta on the nigiri-zushi . The whole piece fit in my mouth perfectly so there was no embarrassing ‘squirrel mouth.’ And it was very fresh. The otoro was amazing and the buri was definitely the best I’ve had in years. What was really neat was that the presentation was very simple yet beautiful.

My usual place is great, but Sushi Yasuda was really a whole new experience. The service was great, the food was incredible, and we drank too much sake (but it was worth it and I wasn’t driving anyway). It’s really great to have the experience of dining in a traditional sushi-ya as well, I didn’t miss any of the fancy, flowery rolls and mixes. I was there for the fish and I got more than I expected out of the dinner. It was a fancy dinner with what seemed minimal effort (which is entirely untrue, they put a lot of effort into their presentation). And it blew my mind. It would have blown my wallet too, but I was being treated

If you have an opportunity and don’t mind paying up for it, check out Sushi Yasuda. You don’t have to be on your best behavior, but you do have to be there on time (they don’t hold tables, they are so busy and popular). And definitely look for the specials.

Warren
The Sushi guy.

There are basically two kinds of sushi eaters out there, that I have determined. The traditionalists who like the simple, artful Japanese presentation (instead of the westernized version) and those who like the fancy (superdragonspiderflywhoopdefreakindoo roll), the new (seared fois gras & unagi maki), and even the uncommon ginormous slabs of fish on their plate. I don’t mean to pigeonhole everyone, and actually, I kind of sit in the middle and appreciate both sides. The reason I mention this is that I wanted to talk about a really interesting restaurant that I frequent when I can (disclaimer: I have no affiliation with any of the restaurants I mention and get no ‘freebies’ or anything in return for talking about them. This blog is nothing more than my opinions about everything sushi related).

This is a place I usually only share with close friends, but…. It’s in New York City and it’s called Tomoe Sushi located at 172 Thompson street. This place is cool, really cool. Lines around the block, lots of Japanese diners (my indication of a quality sushi joint) and very simple. However, simple can be deceiving. The first time I walked in (at 5:00 to try to beat the rush) I wasn’t that impressed. It’s nothing fancy and, in fact, it was not fancy enough that I briefly considered turning around. I’m glad I didn’t.

I sat down at the sushi bar with my cousin and ordered. Served up were nigiri the size of my fist. Flesh overflowing. My jaw dropped and rapidly recovered into a smile. Wow, talk about non-traditional. But OMG what a meal. Great, whopping chunks of fish that would have pressed the rice to paper if we hadn’t devoured it so quickly. Everything was great, fresh, flavourful, and the itamae used their time well. I never felt ignored in the rush. But their was a rush. In fact, wait times can be up to an hour it’s so busy there. I always do a la carte nigiri and sashimi, but they have combos, or meals (whatever you want to call them) too. eh… boring. I look for sushi-ya, not ‘restaurants that have sushi’ and order the pieces I specifically want. I’m pretty opinionated so rarely do ‘omakase’ (where the itamae chooses what to serve you based on his knowledge of what is particularly good that day). But when you trust the chef, you are sometimes surprised (like the first time I was served ankimo, mmmmmmm, but that’s another story).

We stuffed our faces. Ate like kings. And rolled out of there. All the cliches. My cousin and I are sushi freaks and when it feels right, we go all out. But the odd thing is that I didn’t feel fleeced when the bill came. Sure we spent a lot, but we ate so well, and it was so darn good that I wanted to tip those guys behind the bar. I think we even bought the itamae a beer (sushi tip #1: Buy the itamae a beer. It’s always a nice gesture, the chef will appreciate it and hopefully remember you).

I don’t know how many times I’ve been back, there are so many good places to go, but I will definitely say that my first trip there is my most memorable sushi-ya experience to date. I had no idea that places like that exist (and have been disappointed enough trying out new places that merely have ‘evidence’ of fish on the nigiri). so… if you’re in the city (New York City) and looking for a place to try… find Tomoe. But go early and bring a book.

Warren
The Sushi Guy.