JWangSDC

This thread was absolutely FANTASTIC and extremely enlightening. I'm from NY and the top top top sushi places seem to match up with around this quality.

Personally I would never torch regular tuna for consumption. In fact I like to leave Tuna, chutoro, and toro alone. I think searing is for the O-toro that is so fat, it is nearly solid at room temperature. may not look like much, but it's delicious.

It's hard to tell by just the looks but that O-toro looks promising. Should probably take a blow torch to it though. How much was it $/lb?

I am neutral but my bottomline is that I suspect that "fresh tray" uni is used for a reason in quality sushi restaurants. I have never had freshly cracked uni myself though I have been served uni it its shell (I am 90% sure that it came out of a tray and was just placed back into the shell for show.) Now the most logical explanation I have heard is that it is much harder to determine the quality of uni while it is still in its shell. So naturally I'm guessing the best freshly cracked uni is better than the best tray of uni; but I see how the consistency of uni quality would be a problem with freshly cracked uni under those circumstances. TBH though, people often mistake good quality with "freshness". Most things ripen after death and aging at the perfect time (like beef and Tuna, the "freshest" maguro is not hte best magura). I suspect this could also be true of uni.

If you knew which sushi chefs I talk to, I doubt you'd be suspicious. "Consumption Roe Sea urchin roe is considered a delicacy in Japan, where it is primarily served raw in sushi. The Japanese name for sea urchin roe is uni." Most sea urchin roe buyers at Tokyo's Tsukiji Central Wholesale Market purchase for expensive traditional Japanese-style restaurants which demand extremely high quality in both appearance and taste. Although some imported sea urchin roe is currently shipped to Hokkaido and northern Honshu for processing, inferior quality has prevented an increased market share for imported roe. The demand for sea urchin roe is seasonal, with the largest amount being consumed in December. Sea urchin roe is marketed in different product forms: Fresh (nama uni), frozen (reito uni), baked and frozen (yaki uni), steamed (mushi uni), and salted (shio uni). Salting is used primarily for lower-grade roe. Two fermented urchin roe products are also popular in Japan: Neri uni (a blended urchin paste) and tsubi uni (a lumpy paste). Live Urchin Virtually no live imported sea urchin is sold at the Tsukiji Market. Buyers of live sea urchin usually prefer the domestic Japanese sea urchin which is limited in supply. Because of the difficulties in shipping and handling live, whole sea urchins, Japanese importers generally prefer to have the roe processed at the place of origin. " ← To add a little more details (from some interviews done with the distributors of uni in Tsukiji Market), besides shipping costs, the main reason why most uni are sold in boxes rather than whole is because quality control. The two advantages whole uni has over shelled uni are freshness (obviously) and lack of potassium alum (chemical product used during the shipping process of shelled uni to prevent it from melting). However, the bottom line is -- it is nearly impossible to tell the quality of an uni until you crack it open. Hence at the source, the uni would be shelled and then packaged according to their quality (and usually labelled accordingly). At big markets like Tsukiji, the distributors would double-check to ensure the quality of the uni match their labels and price listed. This system saves buyers the risk of buying bunch of whole uni of inconsistent qualities and ensures the consistency of quality control, at the cost of pure taste of uni (the use of potassium alum gives uni a bitter taste no matter how tiny the amount used, though in top-quality shelled uni you can hardly taste it unless your taste bud is ultra-sensitive). The reason why there is limited number of imported live uni in Japan is the same. There is just too much risk that the importers would end up with incosisent qualities on top of the already high shipping costs. ← Now this makes sense. I'm dying to try uni fresh from it's shell, but I have had a long standing feeling that everyone preaching the freshness and taste of such uni, is just peddling hype. Of course, as of now that's just an educated guess. I'd have to try for myself to really know; but many factors lead me to believe this is true.

Oh - well that's easy. Just tell them you want all nigirizushi and some sashimi. I'm not all that familiar with their menu, but if there are omakases and tasting menus that don't list their contents, then they will tailor it for you, and if not, doesn't sound like it's any more expensive to order a la carte there anyway, as pricey as it is. This is all easier at the bar, usually sushi chefs will ask me when to switch from sashimi to sushi to maki etc. If you go there so much, you should know what their strengths and weaknesses are by now If you knew which sushi chefs I talk to, I doubt you'd be suspicious. "Consumption Roe Sea urchin roe is considered a delicacy in Japan, where it is primarily served raw in sushi. The Japanese name for sea urchin roe is uni." Most sea urchin roe buyers at Tokyo's Tsukiji Central Wholesale Market purchase for expensive traditional Japanese-style restaurants which demand extremely high quality in both appearance and taste. Although some imported sea urchin roe is currently shipped to Hokkaido and northern Honshu for processing, inferior quality has prevented an increased market share for imported roe. The demand for sea urchin roe is seasonal, with the largest amount being consumed in December. Sea urchin roe is marketed in different product forms: Fresh (nama uni), frozen (reito uni), baked and frozen (yaki uni), steamed (mushi uni), and salted (shio uni). Salting is used primarily for lower-grade roe. Two fermented urchin roe products are also popular in Japan: Neri uni (a blended urchin paste) and tsubi uni (a lumpy paste). Live Urchin Virtually no live imported sea urchin is sold at the Tsukiji Market. Buyers of live sea urchin usually prefer the domestic Japanese sea urchin which is limited in supply. Because of the difficulties in shipping and handling live, whole sea urchins, Japanese importers generally prefer to have the roe processed at the place of origin. " ← I will confirm this with Yasuda and Masato in the coming months and try to get more honest insight into their uni selection. I wouldn't be surprised to hear them say "it's just a matter of profit".

I've been going to Mitsuwa since WAY before it got the name change. I guess I never appreciated what it was though, because I was really excited to go wherever you were describing...then I realized it was just Mitsuwa...

Not sure if the menu still indicates this, but there are actually multiple versions of the omakase at 15 East. They have a general omakase that includes hot kitchen items as well as sushi, and they have a sushi bar omakase that only includes sushi bar items. ← I usually ask for a plate of sashimi then get two $55 sushi omakase's and also let the chef know to add whatever he wants in. He periodically asks if I feel like eating more or not. I've had all of the tasting menu's though(I thought there were 3, one being a combo of kitchen and sushi, the other sashimi and sushi...and yet for some reason i still thought there was one other option that was essentially sushi and sashimi also) The sushi only tasting menu is probably the best choice because it has sashimi appetizer dishes like uni in it's shell and ponzu sauce items but I skip it becuase I'm all about the sushi. I actually get the plate of sashimi out of tradition; I'd be fine with skipping it but he always offers so I accept.

Yasuda's uni is clearly on wooden trays...whether it came that way or he put it onto the tray, I have no idea. I'm not sure that uni fresh from the shell is best anyway(though I haven't tried so I don't know either way), just like the "freshest" tuna isn't the best. Tuna is actually supposed to be aged until it's texture is perfect (something like a week I believe). But yea, every sushi place I've ever been to serves uni from the wooden tray. MS will often serve uni in it's shell,but I'd bet money he just keeps uni shells and places the uni from teh tray back into the shell, so I am extremely curious to try this "fresh" uni to see if it's just a cute gimmick/presentation or if the freshest/best uni can only be had from a freshly cracked live one.

The 15 piece is $50 and it is an AWESOME deal. I wish they had a 25 piece selection for $80, that would be ideal for me. (Served as is, in 5 piece trays at a time, the dish is still wonderful and ideal for table service. I would still prefer it piece by piece though). I myself have not been to Masa so I cannot compare the two on my own but I have never been dissatisfied with a MS omakase. Never. My main point is that a lot of the meal depends on how much attention the chef is willing to give you. When you pay $500/person for a meal, I assume it's guaranteed that he's giving you 100% attention. I really liked all of the sushi @ Ushi and the bone in the sardine was really careless, something they could have EASILY avoided if they didn't treat me like a common spicy tuna roll demanding customer. To me, MS just has the perfect combination. He has a wide assortment of high quality fish, the style he uses to cut and massage the fish is most preferable to me, both the fish to rice ratio and the actual size of each are my ideal, he was clearly trained in the traditional style of "edo-mae zushi" but he's willing to diverge a bit and get creative, he adds just enough style and trendyness to his dishes, and his poached octopus is fabulous. The downsides to MS omakases are that he trails yasuda in the variety department, the freshness of his fish is not as consistently perfect as yasuda(this has more to do with variety...the majority of the time everything is impeccable but at times he's short of what I consider GREAT uni but in those cases he ususally declines to serve it), his pieces are somewhat small in regards to my appetite(I always get 20-30 pieces and a sashimi platter...really the size is ideal, just not for my budget), and sometimes the meal is slower than I'd prefer but that's just because he's so busy and paying great attention to detail with every piece for every person. MS is by far my favorite sushi chef and the most similar guy I have seen shares the same namesake. Shimizu of "Shimizu" seems to have the exact same style but he hasn't achieved as much success so his fish variety is more limited. While I'd rate 15 east higher than Shimizu, I don't actually rate it higher than Yasuda I just prefer it more. I have tremendous respect for Yasuda. To me they are just different experiences and I have my personal preference. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that the majority of sushi lovers share teh same preference as me though.... I'll be making a trip to Masa one of these days, its' jsut whenever I have an occasion that makes me want to go, i decide going to visit MS is a safer bet.

Hmm where else can I get uni freshly cracked? I've had it served in it's shell but I was certain it was just wooden tray uni placed back into the shell. While I trust my judgement of many pieces of Sushi, I am not very good @ rating uni...I can just tell you how much I enjoyed it and that is a combination of texture, creaminess, and mostly LACK of a dirty aftertaste. I have always found Yasuda's uni to be what I consider "top notch", he usually has both red and light orange uni as well.

I might add that I've taken my friend to JB and 15 east and he said the omakase we received was much better than the $1100 meal he had @ Masa for his 5th anniversary just as a reference.

was CRAVING sushi after work so I took a trip down to Ushi and here's what I found. I walked in at around 545PM to ask what time they open (really I was hoping they'd just let me in at that moment since I knew they opened @ 6) and they told me not until 6 so I took a stroll around the block till then. When I got there I ordered the 15pc set and it came in 3 trays of 5 which was good, but I would have preferred to be served piece by piece. It might have had to do with my appearance as I visit top quality sushi establishments generally in sweats and sneakers and then ask for the most expensive omakase they have. I find that once I start up a conversation with the chef about sushi they usually look past my excessively casual attire but I had no luck this time. The main chef never said a word to me even though I was seated @ his side of the sushi bar and the young prodigy serving me my sushi platters seemed to ignore quiet comments I made about each fish he served me so perhaps they do still serve the 15 pc chef's special piece by piece. The sushi itself was very good. I personally prefer the ratio of fish/rice that ushi serves over Yasuda's ratio, but I dont think Ushi can really compete in the variety department. All in all it was very good, my only two complaints were that the uni is what I consider just good enough (it had a slight aftertaste that I don't like). On my 25 or so visits to Masato's bar (whether it be @ JB or 15 east now), I can only remember one instance of such quality being served. On my 10 or so trips to Yasuda, I have never been served Uni with that aftertaste. My other complaint is that my Sardine piece had a little bit of bone in it.( I would asusme it was Kohada, I said "Kohada?" very softly as the sushi chef placed it in front of me but he did not acknowledge or respond) Really it's the best value in the city for good traditional sushi and the decor after the renovation is quite nice. It kind of reminds me of the X-men's mansion though with a similar design on the wooden wall behind the chefs. PS: I think it might sound like my service was subpar but realistically it was quite good. I'm just trying to point as many details as possible. Also I have to admit I'm spoiled by the attention I receive @ places like 15 east, shimizu, and Yasuda when I sit @ the sushi bar. My brother makes fun of me and says I have some sort of complex about sushi and he's definitely right. (We had Azuma Sushi in westcester last week and the omakase came to $262 for both of us, he felt the service was superb, I described it the same way I"m describing Ushi...what I'd call good/adequate but not stellar).

Did anyone make a list of the 15 pieces they were served? Also does anyone know the price of the 15 piece omakase? Last time I went to Ushi I had the complete tasting menu and the amount of food was overwhelming. (I rack up $100-$150 sushi only omakase's @ 15 east and Yasuda and still go out for dessert) But at Ushi, I was so full that I couldn't really enjoy the sushi when it finally arrived. Have been meaning to go back to try just the sushi, but they closed before I had the chance.

That last paragraph is so spot on. Well put! And I agree, it is about service. Unfortunately I don't think there is anywhere that can consistently provide that type of table service, especially not on weekends.

I agree completely with the idea that sitting at a table and ordering in rounds is a good experience, but for me, I'm not willing to go to a sushi restaurant with more than 4 people. For me, I eat at Le Bernardin and Babbo when I'm out with a larger group. I just love the sushi bar. 15 East is just as traditional as the other places I mentioned. I'd say Kuruma and Hatsuhana might be SLIGHTLY more traditional, but certainly Shimizu restaurant is identical. Either way I group 15 east as traditional sushi. The chef will add scallion, a TINY bit of plum sauce, soy sauce, or sear the fish; but that's really it. There's no balsamic vinegar, sauteed tomatoes and onion cream cheese, korean bbq toro, spicy mayonaise...none of that stuff. And are there really any traditional places that dont' use scallion, a torch and soy sauce? The thing about sushi isn't how fresh the fish is, it's how well it's prepared. If you have unfresh fish, the sushi is not gonna be good regardless. The best you can do is soy sauce it up and sear it, but it's still gonna be relatively poor. When you go to a really good sushi restaurant, fresh fish is not a rating measurement...it is a given. The cut you receive when Masato serves is nicer than if you are sitting at a table and I think the 5-15 min period of time where the fish just oxidizes waiting to reach your table is crucial. I've had dinners at both Jewel Bako and Shimizu at a table and I couldnt' thoroughly enjoy my meal, it was only when being served directly by a chef that I received sushi at its proper temperature and moistness. At hatsuhana, the fish can be downright disgusting if you sit at a table. I suspect it may even be precut and if not, it sits and waits up to 30 minutes before being served to you if it is extremely busy.

I've been a sushi-phile for years now and I just wanted to chime in. I've known Masato for 4 years now and his sushi is my absolute favorite. I consider Hatsuhana, Shimizu, Kuruma Zushi and 15 East all to serve the same type of sushi and I think anyone who likes one of them will like all three. (With the exception Hatsuhana, which I feel trails the other two). I have to admit Kuruma has the most consistently high quality fish, but 15 East is right there as well. The key to all these places is to sit with the main chef and have him serve you. Sitting at a table is a completely different experience. Sushi has to be served directly from the Chef's hand to yours and in my experience, no one has been better than Masato Shimizu at that. Hope you guys don't steal my seat @ the bar.

As far as traditional sushi goes...I urge everyone and anyone to try Sushi of Gari's O-toro. I firmly believe it is the best piece of O-toro you will ever have. Other than that, Sushi of gari isn't that good for traditional sushi. I do appreciate the omakase pieces so much and salmon with sauteed tomatoes and onion is one of my favorite items. However, when I'm in the mood for traditional I head over to Jewel Bako. It beats Yasuda hands down in my opinion. I prefer Shimizu to Yasuda as well. However after reading so many rave reviews, I'm going to head back to yasuda again. Hopefully this time I'll enjoy more htan just the eel,uni, and cooked shrimp. The Salmon with tomato was my second least favorite. My least favorite (I've figured out what it was now, updating my prior post) was the pike eel. There's a finite number of wholesale high end fish places, I've heard as few as two or three. There can't be more than 25 or so places in town that will spend big bucks on fish wholesale, and I don't think that few places can support that many wholesalers. Some places do claim to order their fish from Japan, but I expect it gets cleared through a small number of dealers, importing raw fish via air express is expensive and requires permits. Bottom line is that most places are getting their fish from a small number of wholesalers, which means most of them start off with basically the same fish. Storage techniques, how much fish they refuse to serve and technqiue probably account for most of the variation we notice. I was told that years ago from the owner at Kurma, he said tossing fish that didn't meet his standards was the main technique, offering more cash to wholesalers didn't add much. I like Seki better than Gari for example, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn they get their fish from the same suppliers. This also explains why there can be wide variations in sushi within the same price range, what they do with the fish after they get it is important. Go on St. Marks for example is a real, real dive, with sushi at almost deli price levels yet its pretty decent, I've had worse sushi for more than double the $$$$, they seem to be able to handle the fish well. ←

I've only been to Yasuda once and decided i would not make it a priority to return. I made reservations 3 weeks in advance to sit @ yasuda's end of the bar, but upon arrival they placed us in the hands of a capable chef named Tom. The good parts: The cooked shrimp is by far the best I've ever had. It tastes so fresh and the rock salt really helps. I also noted that the uni was unbelievably good, perhaps the best I've ever had. Finally the selection of eels is absolutely ridiuclous and every kind is AMAZING. The rice and ginger are also top notch. The bad: I think the proportion of fish to rice is not ideal...slightly thicker pieces would be preferable especially for pieces like toro where you need a thicker piece to get the effect of butter melting in your mouth. In fact I tried every type of toro he had that night and was unimpressed with any of them. First off they were served semi-frozed, secondly every piece had tendons which made consuming them somewhat annoying. I find that Sushi of Gari has the best O-toro...it's the perfect temperature and perfect size. Jewel Bako's O-toro is probably of a fatter grade, but it too suffers from excess chewy tendons (like yasuda). However when it's blow torched @ bako....it is perfect. Overall I found my sushi experiece at Yasuda to be less than I had expected. I think Yasuda's rice is around the same grade as Sushi of Gari but BELOW jewel bako's quality. I also find that yasuda's ginger is about the same as Bako but BELOW sushi of gari. I intend on making a trip to Kuruma Zushi sometime in the near future. So far I've been to Sushi Yasuda, Kirara (West 4th...creative good sushi), Yama, Tomoe. Sushi of Gari, Shimizu (near times square...very good, comes to about $120 for omakase), Sushi Of Gari (One of a kind, I've been here countless times), Sushi-Seki, Jewel Bako, and Ushi Wakamaru. I must admit that Gari is my favorite restaurant...but Shimizu and Jewel Bako provided the experience I was expecting from Yasuda.