peter_nyc

I had the pleasure of dining at Jewel Bako this past Friday evening. My companion and I sat at the sushi bar and ordered the $85 omakase with sake pairings. The meal, which lasted about 3 hours, including the following: amuse: mackerel poached in sake, miso, milk sato no hamane (daiginjo) edamame cold appetizer plate (4 items) 1. Toro tartare with creamy avocado, oscetra caviar 2. White fish poached in sake (nanbamzuki), rice vinegar 3. Tofu skin mono miso 4. Sword tip squid (I missed the name of the sake on this course) kyoto-style pike eel soup clear yuzu broth, okra, carrots (I missed the name of the sake on this one as well) sashimi course (served with freshly grated wasabi) -3 types of yellowtail (hamachi, kanpachi, golden stripe) -amberjack -red snapper -striped bass -copper salmon (alaska) -japanese black bass -sweet shrimp (maine) -bluefin otoro oninoshita burui 3 types of mushrooms steamed in sake and yuzu giant tiger prawns (my companion) yashinorino sake (junmai koshi) sushi course (served with freshly grated wasabi) -seared bluefin tuna marinated in sake for 4 hours -striped jack -king salmon (new zealand) -chopped jack mackerel with giner, miso, sesame seeds, shiso leaf -kizu (japanese whiting) -sand bore (tokyo) with hardboiled egg yolk -shinko (baby sardines) -japanese scallop with yuzu zest, sea salt, lemon -sword tip squid (japan) with torched uni (california) on top -wild tuna otoro (spain) -seared bluefin otoro sushi -anago with sea salt -anago with soy sauce chinon, 2001 (pinot noir) clos des papes, 2003 (chateauneuf-du-pape, blanc) rex hill, 2001 (pinot noir from oregon) coconut lychee sorbet with preserved plum chocolate mousse with shiso leaf kyoto-style tea cookie with warm plum wine from yamaguchi green tea made with toasted brown rice All in all, it was a fabulous dinner. The sushi chefs were highly skillful and were extremely receptive to our feedback. Compared to Yasuda, the experience here was much more relaxed. The fish itself was great all around but the eel was definitely not as strong as Yasuda-san's. This didn't come as a suprise, however, as I was delievered my anago with the caveat that Yasuda "was the master" of all things eel. I think they're right. But the baby sardines and scallop were unbelievable, second to none. How could I possibly have been disappointed by sushi chefs who sip their pinot noir from Riedel stemware between orders?

I was planning on trying the omakase lunch at Abe in Newport Beach, but time did not permit. For $25 it seemed pretty reasonable... has anyone eaten at Abe?

To those who are dying to know, I was in OC (I've been careful not to prepend OC with 'the') because I was with a friend visiting his hometown. Had I more time I would have also visited San Francisco, at the very least.

What about the all too ubiquitous "half price" sushi?

Angry lion roll? No, all they had was vomiting lion roll.

My apologies. Let's just say I have many friends who watch the dreaded TV series with the same name. I can't have a conversation with them regarding CA without having to endure the harsh reality of their mass media induced abbreviatory tendencies. I'm the victim here, not the perpetrator.

Recently I spent a week in the OC, my first trip to the west coast. My two sushi outings were, to say the least, uninspiring. Perhaps I'm spoiled by the quality that the intense New York City competition mandates, but honestly, I had some of the worst sushi ever. Some of it should have been deemed a health risk by the FDA. That's how bad it was. Now, I'm not one to turn my nose up at the occasional bad sushi joint. I mean, we in New York are certainly not immune to the perils of old, soggy rice with sloppy cuts of sub-par fish. But, what shocked me was the fact that one of the restaurants I dined at, Taiko (Irvine), received quite a good rating on Zagat (24 for food). I rarely find myself in disagreement with Zagat ratings in New York, and when I do, it's always a slight difference of opinion. I was also apparently in disagreement with a LOT of patrons at Taiko-- my companion and I waited 15 minutes for a table and the place was packed until closing. The other restaurant I visited, Funashin, was lightyears better than Taiko but not even reviewed by Zagat. So what is the deal with sushi in the OC? Are there any good places? Or do I have to drive all the way up to LA to get decent Japanese in the state of California? p.s. I'll spare you the gorey details of the roadkill sushi at Taiko-- just to give you an idea, the sushi that my local supermarket tastes like manna compared to whatever it was I consumed that night.

Not that I wan't to break the bank, I'm just really excited about going to JB-- I've been a sushi lover my entire life (one of the best things my parents ever did for me was bring my brother and me to sushi bars with them when I was 3) and am always thrilled to try out a restaurant, especially one with such a loyal and discerning fanbase. However, as much as I'd like to go above and beyond whatever it is the $85 omakase affords me, I really wouldn't feel too comfortable asking the chef to "top it off at 125, please". Should I just go for the $85 level and call it a night? Or does anybody know of a tactful way to set an upper bound on the bill?

You're probably looking at very old posts. When they first opened, there were different levels of omakase: $50 for sushi or sashimi only; $75 for appetizers plus sushi OR sashimi; or $100 for appetizers plus sashimi AND sushi. This was back when the appetizers changed on almost a nightly basis. Sometime near around when Kazuo Yoshida left, they changed it to the $85 and made the appetizers a little more standard (though no less good). You can still get the $50 version that is only sushi or sashimi, I think. Is it true that one can order a $100 omakase? When I called yesterday, they mentioned the 50 and 85 dollar options, but distinctly remember an older post (not too old--I think after the price changes were made) mentioning an unpublished $100 level... edit: just to be clear, I realize that they USED to have a $100 level and then reworked their pricing, but I believe I heard something about still being able to get the $100 option...

Would a 9pm reservation at the sushi bar be too late for omakase? I wouldn't mind staying late into the night, but do you think I'll be rushed?

sushi-nyc.com has some pretty horrific reviews of Jewel Bako's service. Has anyone had any bad experiences?

the bill came to about 260 with beverage, tax and tip.

I've just returned from an evening at Sushi Yasuda. Here's my report: When I called to place the reservation, I was told that I would be sitting at Yasuda-san's portion of the bar, but instead found myself sitting directly in front of a young Japanese chef with quick hands and a pleasant smile. I opted for the Omakase and was somewhat puzzled when the waiter asked if my guest and I wanted any appetizers. I declined the offer, incorrectly assuming that the omakase would include some appetizers. As it turned out, we would be eating nothing but sushi and a small amuse bouche--not necessarily a bad thing, although I really was looking forward to something inspiring from the kitchen to complement the genius from behind the sushi bar. The amuse bouche was a small amount of greens dressed in a wasabi-infused citrus and vinegar dressing, a perfect way to begin the evening. My guest and I ordered a mild sake with a name I cannot recall, which turned out to be the absolute perfect accompaniment to the sophisticated, refined flavors of the fish. Immediately after the sake arrived and the amuse bouche was cleared, our sushi chef started preparing pieces of sushi two at a time, placing them in front of us with the instructions to use our hands when he caught sight of my attempt to manipulate them with my chopsticks (which proved to be an extremely difficult maneuver due to the close proximity of the pieces and the delicate texture of the rice). As soon as we finished the two pieces, another two were put in their place. I found this somewhat irritating as it seemed to be propelling us toward the end of our meal faster than I wished. On the other hand, I suppose he was simply being attentive for I could have slowed my pace had I so desired. The real problem was that the fish was so incredibly fresh that I simply could not keep myself from eating the pieces as soon as they were placed before me. Here is a rundown of the fish I enjoyed this evening: Blue Fin Fatty Tuna (spain) Big Eye Fatty Tuna Big Eye Fatty Tuna (panama) Bonito Skip Jack Shimaaji Yellowtail Inada Yellowtail Mahi Mahi Striped Bass White King Salmon Sockeye Salmon Jack Mackerel Sekisaba Shrimp Red King Crab Giant Clam Sea Scallop Sea Urchin (japan) Sawani (fresh white sea eel) Unagi Kuro (fresh dark freshwater eel) Menegi (onion sprouts from Kyoto) Toro Roll Mackerel, Scallion, Ginger Roll Every single piece except the mahi mahi was beyond incredible. The fish was so fresh that it practically melted on the tongue. The two yellowtail varieties were probably my favorite, although I must say it is quite difficult to recall as the fish was prepared so quickly that I had little time to sufficiently process my reaction, let alone swallow before the next items were ready. All I knew was that I was lost somewhere in a state of culinary bliss, unaware of the speed at which I was pounding down the small pieces at an average of 4 or 5 dollars a pop. I only noticed how quickly I had consumed my meal and liquidated by assets my checking my watch after all was said and done. In the end, my guest and I spent about 200 dollars on fish alone, slightly more than anticipated although not in the least bit surprising. I suppose my wallet-shock was defused by the fact that the bill arrived while I was replaying the experience that had just passed like a blur-- it was only after I had finished my meal that I was truly able to let it all sink in. The quality of the fish and the expertise at which it was handled and prepared was overwhelming. I ate my green tea mochi in silence as I continued to appreciate the evening. But had I witnessed perfection? It seemed as though it had all occurred in a dream: my single regret is that I felt more like a passive spectator of some transient and beautiful magic than a sushi lover enjoying the best sushi yet tasted. Things were moving too fast to become involved. I'm almost certain that if I hadn't felt so rushed I probably would not have left the restaurant feeling whiplashed and just, well, confused. Had just a single hour transpired? Disoriented and a little wobbly from the sudden change of surroundings, I slowly made my way down the rain-soaked pavement toward the subway, thoughts of fish and immaculately seasoned rice beginning to register as the artifacts of experience and not just the stuff of dreams.

TIPPING AT SUSHI BAR??? I have a reservation this evening for Yasuda-sans corner of the sushi bar and was curious if anyone had any thoughts as to what the most appropriate tipping policy might be... I've read the posts about slipping a bill into the chopstick wrapping, but just was curious what tactics have been successful in people's experiences.