raji

There is mass confusion concerning omakase outside of the Japan - it's really something that is lost/confused in translation. Chef's tasting is a bit different because it doesn't really change per person - a true omakase should. True to it's meaning, ordering omakase means you should get a guided tour of what's good and in season at that sushiya. Pricing should always be ($xx AND UP) - the price of an omakase is just a minimum, and it would only cost you that if you only want as many pieces as included in whatever the "stock" omakase is that day. And this is if you don't give the chef more information as to what you like and dislike or want to try that day. I've written about omakase ad nauseum in other threads. Either way, sitting at a table is not the best way to order omakase because your interface to the sushi chefs is your waiter. They can't see your face or mouth or general disposition, and this would explain the disconnect. Get your money's worth and sit at the bar. BUT, you've been there 10 times already! If you're resigned to a table, tell them what you like and don't like, and as long as you don't get the waiter in training, they should be able to assemble a great omakase for you. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omakase

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 times that I've been served uni by Yasuda, the uni were on trays - but not the kind that are sold to "mere mortal" consumers. I have a feeling that Yasuda receives them in some other form (than tray packages) and then stores them on his own trays (which, as I recall, was lined with towels of some sort). I'll be interested in what raji finds out. ← Hey guys - haven't gotten an answer from the man himself just yet - he's a bit intimidating, yes - but yes, asking around and from my experience, shipping whole uni vs. hulled uni would be a huge waste of refrigerated shipping costs - so the uni are usually shelled at the source and packed up for refrigerated shipping. So, as long as quality control is consistent through the entire supply chain, which is true for everything served at a sushi bar, there isn't much difference between one shelled at the source or at the table - so it's done more as a novelty item more than anything else.

Ahh, a true classic, Toby. Is Eisenstein's the one on the upper east side? ← No, Eisentstein's is an oldNY-style sandwich shop at 20th and 5th. Can't be beat. Low prices great corned beef and pastrami. One of their customers bought it just to keep the thing alive

According to something I read recently, Bite Club ...

how much is the 15pc then? I heard $50 and that seems like a wicked deal to me.... don't most auth sushiya get their uni unshelled, while mere mortals get the trays you can basically get at mistuwa and sunrise? FG is right about univariability, and proper prep and storage of hulled uni makes a big diff ill find out about yasuda tonight as clearly theirs is the best. yasuda excels often because of his exemplary local sourcing I know you are a MS devotee, clearly I have to finally visit him at 15 east, but are you saying his is THAT good, or masa is such a waste, or both

I think you'll find that if you hit up Esposito's, International Grocery, Sea Breeze fish market, Big Apple, and Stiles, all within a 4 block stretch of 9th, (that's my normal routine) it will be quite a revelation and you will have enough money left over to take a car service back to Brooklyn

I'm partial to Deluxe - and it's huge - http://www.yelp.com/biz/deluxe-food-market-new-york I got GREAT pork belly for making buta kakuni at both Esposito's Pork Shop and Big Apple on 9th ave near 42nd - Chinese sausages is another issue

As a Hell's Kitchen resident, I was ecstatic to see somebody willing to give it a go west of 10th; despite several thousand new residents in that immediate area in only a few years, development (and zoning) has been slow to follow. So when I saw infamous Top Chef Dave Martin (he's smaller in person) kvetching into his cellphone outside the River Place apartment complex a few months ago, I was pretty pysched. Crave is located in the ground floor space just off 12th Ave on 42nd - a very difficult location... no moreso than, say, Perry Street, but over the course of 5 years that space has gone from a deli, to a pizzeria, to a deli/pizzeria, to a mediocre Italian American. And for the those with a tourist allergy, the majority of foot traffic would be from the Chinese Embassy, Intrepid, Circle Line and NY Waterway. At the same time, the restaurant has the unique opportunity to be the only full service restaurant within 1000 feet to service 3000 residents above and a smattering of celebrities across the street. So the short answers - is it worth the trek and a stroll down the deuce? For one dish - yes - the Black Truffle Mac 'n' Cheese, probably the most famous dish in Top Chef history, is better than you might imagine it even could be, even if you don't like macaroni and cheese. Judging from the recipe on Bravo's website, it seems like a pain-in-the-ass to recreate at home. It's worth every penny of it's $14, and deceptively filling. It's listed as an appetizer, but even if you eat half, it's a stomach bomb (in a good way). I'm not particularly a truffle freak, but the flavors infused from the little bits and pieces that are acutely fortified by the smokey, earthy, rich characteristics of the other things in there - the cognac, the cheeses he uses, and seasonings. While the dish owes it's inception to a time-controlled competition, I'm sure Dave has now had time to experiment and make it even better, and I just hope that he's around to keep executing it for the forseeable future - it's been solidly excellent having tried it several times now, and I certainly rank it enough of a draw as I would with others that would bring me to williamsburg, jackson heights, woodside, (guess where!), etc. However, you can't expect a restaurant to survive on a singular dish, and after that initial success, the rest needs help. They're certainly still breaking in servers so service is lacking. Most wines by the glass are $13 or more, and that doesn't fit the casual, affordable bistro storyline. Where the menu fails are mostly holdovers from the old restaurant - a margherita pizza I ordered really needs to go. Dave should really take complete editorial control of the menu, as for the most part his additions have all been overwhelmingly positive. The burgers there are well above average, and the execution on most other dishes is what you should expect from a chef with Dave's resume. The filet mignon with gorgonzola and onion rings - well the onion rings were some of the best I've ever had, but the cuts of meat I've been getting have been inconsistent. So, they certainly need to work the kinks out and I hope they weather the storms as, with the right order, the positives certainly outweigh the negatives. And if you're the kind of person who will go to an outer borough for a certain slice of pizza or hotdog, then yeah, you should kind of get there asap for that mac'n'cheese. If you're a Top Chef fan, you're probably already been there; Dave's so talkative, animated and engaged, you're going to meet him either way... which is a good thing I guess?

Had a long overdue dinner at Sushi Yasuda last Monday night - and can say confidently that it can continue to sit atop the NYC sushi pyramid earning all the praise, awe, and hat0rade it continues to - they really haven't skipped a beat and I've dined there over several years. Really to no detriment besides not sitting in front of the namesake , we actually sat in front of the second sushi chef. One of my friends actually prefers cocheese, and one judge of a sushi chef is the quality of his mentoring - by that merit Yasuda is a certainly a master. So while me and my friends were conversant mostly in Japanese (although our sushi chef was happily translating the fish names into English when I asked), I also got to observe Yasuda-san entertaining the corner, and let me tell you, his English has improved! He was involved in a spirited debate over K-1 fighting. Apropos to his dexterity, I think it's worth noting that he's serving 2-3 times as many diners as the 4 other sushi chefs who are limited to the 2 to 3 in front of them. Can't remember the full lineup, but we had a winter version of the lineup Doc had last summer. Discussing the meal afterwards with 2 old Japanese friends, we all remarked how there just wasn't elsewhere operating at such a high level of consistency, from piece to piece; fish, saucing/salting, craftsmanship, and the wonderful rice. I didn't touch my soy sauce once. I am not exactly the hugest shellfish fan and I throughly enjoyed the oyster and uni, each salted and sauced? to perfection. Certainly other highlights were all the shiromi (whitefish), aji, saba, iwashi, they were all knockout. The only possibly negative remark was that Kurumazushi has better tuna - well, for that money, they had better - apparently Kuruma has first pick of tuna and buys it right off the deck of the boat. Yasuda, Shimizu and Ushiwaka Maru (back open!) are easily my 3 favorite sushi bars in Manhattan, and they are also 3 much different experiences and 3 different meals. Yasuda is the temple, the spotless shrine to Japan's "other" national dish, and operates at Japanese efficiency - the only warm fuzzies you will get sit atop perfectly formed mounds of rice. If you feel rushed by the pacing and the waitress stationed behind your seats - well, there are probably others queued up ready to eat sushi too, so do your fellow man a favor and move it along, and continue drinking at Sakagura across the street. That's what we did - we were all catching up big time and ended up there 90 minutes. We didn't feel rushed, but you can tell they wouldn't mind that you don't linger all that long. Ushiwaka Maru is Yasuda's little funky brother who went to art school downtown. He charges a bit less and gets a bit wackier with his sushi, but he's gotten sentimental and is similarly obsessed with authenticity and integrity, on a smaller scale than his brother uptown. He also touts, and delivers, superb rice and craftsmanship. To open a "Zagat's", you'd think Americans are singularly obsessed with the quality of the fish; but as the itamae himself would espouse, this is a simply a matter of sourcing and not even half the battle. This sensibility, existent at both Yasuda and Ushiwaka Maru, appeals to Japanese diners and certain sushi aficionados on another dimension. Shimizu kind of splits the difference - he's the middle brother, he's a bit more conservative and understated, and will never receive or illicit the kind of attention the #1 son and the baby of the family do. He's flown under-the-radar far too long now. Meanwhile, he's fully capable of, and has, delivered a meal just as stellar as the other 2 brothers. He'd just never tell you so. He's the kind of sushi chef who makes you wonder how much the affability and salesmanship, and often the "story of the fish", of one sushi chef vs. another, has truly altered their perception. They may be 3 of the most authentic, but they also happen to be 3 of the more affordable options in top-end sushi dining in NYC. When inauthenticity can also mean creativity, they may be guilty of a certain lack of flair - and this shows on the bill. Thing is, you might not find such a high level of consistency - what I've found is, as sushi gets creative, it also means that there can misses among those hits. This just doesn't seem to be an issue at this trio.

with US japanese grocery shopping what it is, I leave kaisekiryouri to the pros. that said, i'd love to know what you folks think of Sugiyama in NYC, or if anyone has been. they've been there seemingly forever, and besides special functions and ryoukan in Japan, my main source of kaisekiryouri

My own determination was that the name was changed because it sounds too much like 'Cow piss' and its a dairy product. no problem getting that or milk tea in the NYc area... I just wish the calpis seasonal flavors were readily available...

The best oysters I've ever had in NYC, other than at sushi bars and Sugiyama, were at Shaffer City in Chelsea. I recall that they were reasonably priced, but this is before restaurant prices all seemed to jump a few years ago. Perhaps someone who's been there more recently can cooberate, like yourself tomorrow. But yeah, they had a wide variety, Atlantic and Pacific, all were incredibly fresh - now they charge $2 a piece. Oysters is one thing I don't want to skimp much on. http://www.shaffercity.com/

I think you'll get more help if you clarify - Are you blogging about where to eat while attending fashion week? Then we'd focus on the Bryant Park area - Or is it more like - fashion week is going on, and by the way, here are the most fashionable restaurants - Or is it - where does the fashion industry dine? IMHO most people in that industry care farrrrr too much about the scene, buzz, crowd, decor - well, everything but the food - everyone here cares about the food! Japanese is the new french, so if you need Japanese intel, I'm your man. Most of my UK friends are blown away when I take them out for Japanese food - that level of authenticity and specialization simply does not exist in Europe, as opposed to, say, Indian food, where NYC can merely approach UK's greatness

I sent him to the one in the old house, I think it's in nishi-shinjuku, it's near the west exit of shinjuku-eki from what I remember - is that the same as your sister? After years of helping Tokyo visitors (and many visiting DJs) out I've accumulated a pretty long list of recommendations - and 2 phrases of utmost importance: > It's such an easy place to explore food, most restaurants have either the > plastic models or pictures. Also, be sure to ask for "EIGO NO MENU", a lot of > places have English menus, and if not, you can just point and order. > > Also in general, if you can find someone local to that neighborhood, just > corner them and ask > > "OISHII ______ WA DOKO DESU KA?" > ____ = what you want to eat. Some of the places I recommended were Tsunahachi, Torikai, the tonkatsuya in Shibuya-eki (Tokyu), Toraji, a lot of Ts!!!! Also Midorizushi, but that's best for when you're running out of money As for the waitress, and I'm assuming they went to the Daiwa that ALL the tourists go to - but then again, they were the only white guys on line - so I'm not quite sure what happened. I think it was most likely a miscommunication. Perhaps she meant that they are physically too big to knock elbows at the sushi bar. Or maybe she thought they were GIs. All I know is that what can seem like racism in Japan is often just a matter of mispoken English or Japanese. That said, there are distinct advantages and disadvantages to being a gaikokujin in Japan, but one downside is that you will never, ever be Japanese. But tell that to an Asian living in white America.

Yeah bur isn't that what the Kitchen Counter at Beacon is?

Just a head's up - exiting Sushi Yasuda Monday night I noticed that another Totto restaurant was just opening their doors for business, directly across the street. Apparently they were opening for business that night, 12/24. The signage said both "Totto Grand Central" and "Soba Totto". For those who didn't know, Yakitori Totto, Torys, Grand Central, and Aburiya Kinnosuke are all part of the same ownership and have been executing completely authentic Japanese comfort food on an extremely high level for several years now. Judging by the interior, they're serving soba as well as some subset of their Totto menu with an emphasis on chicken, but I didn't get a chance to glance at the menu. Based on how they have approached yakitori and robatayaki, I have no doubt that their soba will yet again raise the bar in NYC, but I want to give it a try first. At least there is another place to go when the other 3 are booked up or you are in the neighborhood. So, at 43rd at 3rd you have Yasuda, Totto and Sakagura - quite the triple threat representing 3 generations of NY Japanese dining - great! googled this http://www.urbandaddy.com/nyc/1027/Totto-Recall

I've walked by a couple of times and never seen more that 3 or 4 people inside. The link to the website just brings up a blank page...any more info, raji? ← Website works for me.... I'm curious about there - it would be great to have another option on the LES that is executing better than St. Marks

I felt like he reviewed 15 East as better than Soto...either way I'm kind of surprised to see it ahead of some of the others.

Yes, 6PM, last order 1130, closed at 12. I personally can't wait to get back, see the new room and certainly help dispel the foulness of the DoH.... especially as I was just at Yasuda Monday night... I can be a bit of a better judge when not coming off a layoff...

Yes, there are 2 times to note - the last order time and the actual closing time - and by making a reservation near or at last order time, you have made a contract and shouldn't expect the staff to hang out later as you linger. In Japan every place plays "auld lang syne" and that means "get the F out"

Yes - my bad - A between 2nd and 3rd They have shochu there - hence my mistake - tell them Kaz and Raji sent you... PM me

Go to Esashi @ 5th and A, you will thank me later... weinoo.... and 95 percent of them I wouldn't even send my enemies to!

Sugiyama has a post-theatre prix fixe and others with just seafood (or you can just ask for that) they might be closing up around midnight or have people lingering there later (Nao can be cool like that) - I would call with your situation and see what they say cuz Le Miu is closing up by 1am anyhoo I haven't been to blue-ribbon since Ushi opened, and not to tomoe since blue ribbon opened, funny how that works. No reason to believe they've gone downhill except that there are myriad more options downtown now - SO, I'd say the new one in TWC is worth a visit - report back if you go! I'm very curious. It's open until 2am.... http://www.blueribbonrestaurants.com/resta...hiBarGrill_main

OK - If it were me, haul ass to 55th and 8th. Last order at Sugiyama is 11:45 (but call ahead), Totto is upstairs, and that particular East, as I found out recently, is actually not bad at all and they have several Japanese sushi chefs working late [edit: East may not be open that late, but Totto is open until 1am] Kanoyama in the EV is open until 12am. Le Miu is open until 1:00am, is probably most up your alley, I haven't been and it rubs me as overpriced but definitely worth a visit...

That's really a shame. That means the best tempura you can get in NYC is probably still at Nobu. They could really carve themselves out a niche as Totto has done with Yakitori. Simple solution to me - elminate the lag on bringing the tempura out, and/or bring it closer to the customers -