Sushi Yasuda

[docsconz]

Yasuda is not far from the epicenter of the recent, extremely damaging NYC Steam-pipe blast. The economic impact on the area can be huge. I hope that Yasuda is able to weather any potential downturn to their business as a result of this.

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I was at Yasuda for lunch on Friday (just a couple days after the steam pipe broke) and the place was jammed. I don't think Yasuda has anything to worry about at all. New Yorkers are pretty tough- we can walk around a giant steam pipe explosion to get to good sushi and big snowstorms/minor disasters are notoriously the best time to snag reservations at places we can't usually get into.

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Good news. Thanks.

[raji]

Better cut-out the sake before you post---I said Sugiyama had better fish in the sashami selection.  I didn't taste what the guy brought into Ebisu, it was a flat fish. I can't vouch how good it was----haven't seen someone drag their own fish in before, I suspect he caught it.  The yellowtail, kanpachi and two types of salmon served this week at Yasuda were standard, better qualtity stuff, I've had the same exact stuff at a number of places, including Ebisu.  I often eat sushi with my very Japanese Waseda grad Tokyo born and raised very food oriented friend of ten years---she can't figure out the hype behind Yasuda either.  This was a omakase dinner served at a table, I've had that twice.  Still don't get it.  It's fine, but....I think the decor and the difficulty of obtaining a counter seat have something to do with the hype.  Its like when I had dinner at Per Se, it has to be the best restaurant in town, right?

Err no I was just being an a-hole about your spelling, I don't think I've seen "Ushiwakamaru" butchered quite that badly before, but surely your Waseda friend has corrected your "sashami" by now....

Likewise, I don't care if she was born at Tsukiji fish market, how can she possibly call herself Japanese and judge a sushi bar by a table order? Why hasn't she dragged you to the counter yet? An "omakase" on the menu is just a chef's "catch of the day" selection. Ordering omakase in front of a sushi chef adds a whole additional dimension to eating sushi that you haven't even tried at Yasuda.

[Todd36]

Better cut-out the sake before you post---I said Sugiyama had better fish in the sashami selection.  I didn't taste what the guy brought into Ebisu, it was a flat fish. I can't vouch how good it was----haven't seen someone drag their own fish in before, I suspect he caught it.  The yellowtail, kanpachi and two types of salmon served this week at Yasuda were standard, better qualtity stuff, I've had the same exact stuff at a number of places, including Ebisu.  I often eat sushi with my very Japanese Waseda grad Tokyo born and raised very food oriented friend of ten years---she can't figure out the hype behind Yasuda either.  This was a omakase dinner served at a table, I've had that twice.  Still don't get it.  It's fine, but....I think the decor and the difficulty of obtaining a counter seat have something to do with the hype.  Its like when I had dinner at Per Se, it has to be the best restaurant in town, right?

Err no I was just being an a-hole about your spelling, I don't think I've seen "Ushiwakamaru" butchered quite that badly before, but surely your Waseda friend has corrected your "sashami" by now....

Likewise, I don't care if she was born at Tsukiji fish market, how can she possibly call herself Japanese and judge a sushi bar by a table order? Why hasn't she dragged you to the counter yet? An "omakase" on the menu is just a chef's "catch of the day" selection. Ordering omakase in front of a sushi chef adds a whole additional dimension to eating sushi that you haven't even tried at Yasuda.

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I have a learning disability when it comes to spelling. Thank you for pointing that out. Its interesting, I have known that since I was five years old and yet people have a need to keep pointing it out.

Sitting at the counter should not make a supreme difference when it comes to the food, in particular when you are greeted by name when you walk into the restaurant. If it did, many people are being overcharged, I don't believe Yasuda gives a discount for table service. I've eaten at the counter and at tables at places such Seki, Gari and Ushiwakamaru and have not noticed a material difference. In addition, the two recent times I've been at Yasuda we've been a four-top, which doesn't work at the counter. Given that four-tops tend to spend serious money, we are talking expense account dinners, do you think Yasuda gives them intentionally lessor treatment? I think Yasuda is fine sushi, and the eel is among the best eel in town. However, some of the fish is ordinary, good quality that can be found at many places around town. Some of my last Yasuda dinner was their choice, some of it was things we specifially asked for (for example, every kind of eel they had available and all of their mackerel type fish they had available). I just can't figure out the hype. But I couldn't figure out the hype at Per Se either, and my business boss just had dinner there two days ago and he can't figure out the hype either. It's good but......

[larrylee]

This is marginally off-topic but do people go to Sugiyama just for sushi? I guess they do have a bar. I've only been twice. Each time we sat at a table near the windows and we ordered the kaiseki. The sushi course was quite decent but was a rather standard selection of fish. Perhaps that is to be expected during a meal of that type. I recall, way back when, the sushi course during a tasting menu at Nobu and thinking, "what's the fuss?" And no, I've never eaten at the sushi bar of Nobu.

Gari, as I recall, really offers two versions of sushi. More traditional sushi preparations and then Gari's Choice. Todd, by saying that Gari has more interesting selections available, which are you referring to?

[Todd36]

This is marginally off-topic but do people go to Sugiyama just for sushi? I guess they do have a bar. I've only been twice. Each time we sat at a table near the windows and we ordered the kaiseki. The sushi course was quite decent but was a rather standard selection of fish. Perhaps that is to be expected during a meal of that type. I recall, way back when, the sushi course during a tasting menu at Nobu and thinking, "what's the fuss?" And no, I've never eaten at the sushi bar of Nobu.

Gari, as I recall, really offers two versions of sushi. More traditional sushi preparations and then Gari's Choice. Todd, by saying that Gari has more interesting selections available, which are you referring to?

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Sugiyama doesn't do sushi, I wish they did. I was talking about interesting fish, not the tomato on top, with respect to Gari. The selection of fish at Sugiyama is small, usually yellowtail, toro, uni, snapper and squid. But its all good. Other than the eel at Yasuda, nothing seemed very interesting. Standard, good quality stuff, but standard. Not like the fresh killed flat fish at Ushiwakamaru (which last time I heard was Mr. Sugiyama's favorite place in NY) or for that matter the live uni at Tsuki on the upper east side (best thing they have).

[raji]

I have a learning disability when it comes to spelling.  Thank you for pointing that out.  Its interesting, I have known that since I was five years old and yet people have a need to keep pointing it out.

I don't expect anybody to spell a foreign language correctly, although you definitely have a block when it comes to "sashimi" which has certainly entered our vernacular...

Sitting at the counter should not make a supreme difference when it comes to the food,

On this topic, read this thread:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=104539

...in particular when you are greeted by name when you walk into the restaurant.

Isn't that what they do when you make a reservation? I usually hear my name when I'm walking OUT of the restaurant...

...If it did, many people are being overcharged, I don't believe Yasuda gives a discount for table service.  I've eaten at the counter and at tables at places such Seki, Gari and Ushiwakamaru and have not noticed a material difference.  In addition, the two recent times I've been at Yasuda we've been a four-top, which doesn't work at the counter.  Given that four-tops tend to spend serious money, we are talking expense account dinners, do you think Yasuda gives them intentionally lessor treatment?  I think Yasuda is fine sushi, and the eel is among the best eel in town.  However, some of the fish is ordinary, good quality that can be found at many places around town.  Some of my last Yasuda dinner was their choice, some of it was things we specifially asked for (for example, every kind of eel they had available and all of their mackerel type fish they had available).  I just can't figure out the hype.  But I couldn't figure out the hype at Per Se either, and my business boss just had dinner there two days ago and he can't figure out the hype either.  It's good but......

Read the thread I cite and get back to me about the above...

I will give you this - the hype of Yasuda was very deserved when it was a much more barren field 5 years ago. Since then, there are several more sushiya in the same league with head sushi chef who are doing their own particular thing exceptionally well. Sometimes it's their personality as much as their fish that keeps the customers coming back. Don't forget the amount of salesmanship involved with sushi. You may have had what you tasted as an ordinary whitefish, but at the sushi bar is described as having just swum in from the Aleutian islands and caught by spear. The mind dazzles as much as the eyes. I know some Japanese who don't go to Yasuda because they say he was too full of himself (and his fish). Go figure.

[raji]

This is marginally off-topic but do people go to Sugiyama just for sushi? I guess they do have a bar. I've only been twice. Each time we sat at a table near the windows and we ordered the kaiseki. The sushi course was quite decent but was a rather standard selection of fish. Perhaps that is to be expected during a meal of that type. I recall, way back when, the sushi course during a tasting menu at Nobu and thinking, "what's the fuss?" And no, I've never eaten at the sushi bar of Nobu.

Gari, as I recall, really offers two versions of sushi. More traditional sushi preparations and then Gari's Choice. Todd, by saying that Gari has more interesting selections available, which are you referring to?

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Sugiyama is a kaiseki but I've always sat at the bar to be served by Sugiyama-san.

Their sashimi course should be described as a stellar example of a sashimi platter that you might find at most Japanese restaurants or izakaya.

It's uncommon to find a restaurant in Japan without a bar to serve lone diners, quick lunches and/or couples. From ramen to soba to tonkatsu to robatayaki to yakiniku to yakitori, the open kitchen and chef presenting himself to his customers seems to be both an important remnant of their ancient culture as well as a welcome modern import.

Edited July 29, 2007 by raji (log)

[dagordon]

We had a simply transcendent meal at Yasuda this afternoon, omakase at the sushi bar with Yasuda serving us. For me, at least, food doesn't get much better than this.

Highlights were the Santa Barbara uni, which Yasuda was particularly proud of; Peace Passage Oyster (unbelievably creamy; incidentally, he thinks that Kumamotos are "too cute" and prefers this larger variety); an Alaskan vs. New Zealand King salmon showdown (well, they're very different and don't really compete; the Alaskan has more intense salmon flavor, the New Zealand is fattier and more buttery); Tazmanian trout; sardine; and of course the bluefin otoro. At one point he served us cooked shrimp sushi, and I was of course skeptical; but he described it as freshly cooked, and it was truly great, tasting of Japanese charcoal, with a perfect touch of salt.

When an item had a touch of salt and/or a squeeze of lemon, as several did, it was a perfect touch.

I won't make any pronouncements to the effect that Yasuda's sushi, or fish, or rice, or nori, or shoyu, etc., is the best; I'll simply say that the finished product of the sushi, incorporating all of the elements that it does, speaks to me on a level that few other food does.

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Now a question: I see this has been raised in this thread already, but it was a while ago, and there wasn't a definitive answer. How does one tip at the sushi bar, when one is seated in front of Yasuda in particular?

A guy next to us at lunch today who seemed like a regular, at the end of his meal, handed Yasuda some cash neatly tucked away inside a fresh napkin. If I had tried to do this I fear I would have somehow ended up seriously offending someone and getting thrown out of the place and banned for life. I tried to see what others at the bar did but no one else finished up while we were there.

Is it standard to tip the sushi chef himself if he's the owner of the place? If so, how much, and then how much do you leave with the bill in the standard way?

I just tipped on the bill, as I have in the past, but after seeing the guy tip Yasuda directly today I'm worried I've been doing this wrong.

Oh, my family will be having dinner at Yasuda next week, but we're too many for the bar; so this will be a good opportunity for comparison of the bar experience vs. a table experience. I have to say, though, that there's really nothing like Yasuda giving you a hand roll directly from his hand to yours... "Here, have a cigar," he said.

[raji]

How did you feel was the pacing - too quick? Where you there for lunch?

As for your question... you know the sushi bar tipping thing is a uniquely extro-Japanese thing. I've never tipped at a sushi bar in Japan but then again you don't tip ANYWHERE in Japan.

The rule in FG's book "Turning the Tables" is to after a good meal, tip your sushi chef a 20 unless it's the owner. I think that's a hard and fast rule you can follow...

A few years in Japan and my habits are the same as a native Japanese, who is unaccustomed to tipping, even the non-restaurant-owning sushi chef... However, one situation where I'll tip the sushi chef is a sushi bar-within-a-restaurant which is common in America. Then I feel like it's worth it to reward someone who has personally fulfilled my needs...

Edited August 10, 2007 by raji (log)

[dagordon]

How did you feel was the pacing - too quick? Where you there for lunch?

As for your question... you know the sushi bar tipping thing is a uniquely extro-Japanese thing. I've never tipped at a sushi bar in Japan but then again you don't tip ANYWHERE in Japan.

The rule in FG's book "Turning the Tables" is to after a good meal, tip your sushi chef a 20 unless it's the owner. I think that's a hard and fast rule you can follow...

A few years in Japan and my habits are the same as a native Japanese, who is unaccustomed to tipping, even the non-restaurant-owning sushi chef... However, one situation where I'll tip the sushi chef is a sushi bar-within-a-restaurant which is common in America. Then I feel like it's worth it to reward someone who has personally fulfilled my needs...

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We were there for lunch. The pacing was definitely quick; often he would put down a piece of sushi almost immediately after we finished the previous one. But we had absolutely no problem with this; and in fact, I think we were able to eat more this way. With large meals I feel like it's helpful if the pace is fairly quick; if there's too much dead time you can start to feel it.

Yasuda seems quite accommodating; I suspect that if one asked him to slow down the pace he would oblige. Or one could simply take some time before eating the food he sets down.

I still can't stop thinking about this meal.

[dagordon]

Well, we ate at Yasuda's station at the bar and at a table in the space of one week, and the difference was dramatic.

My post about our meal at the bar is above. We just got back from a meal at a table, where we ordered omakase for four people. The meal was very good. But it wasn't remotely on the same level as our last one.

There were very few "wow" moments this time, whereas last time pretty much every item resulted in such a moment. The uni was as good as last time; the Peace Passage oyster was, I think, as good as last time, though not nearly as attractively cut. Everything else was enjoyable but, I must say, fairly unexceptional. For example, the New Zealand King salmon looked and tasted nothing like it did last time -- last time it had an amazing pattern of marbling and a rich buttery flavor that were absent this time.

Moreover, while nothing we were given was sloppy, the fish clearly wasn't cut and the sushi wasn't assembled with the precision and care with which it was last time. As silly as it may sound, nothing looked particularly beautiful this time, whereas Yasuda's work last time did.

Also, there weren't nearly as many salt and/or lemon embellishments as last time.

Again, the meal was very good. But our last meal at the bar was off-the-charts. It was kind of torturous sitting so close to the bar and knowing what kind of experience was presumably being had five feet away.

[zEli173]

Over in the 15 East thread I asked for some input on a birthday sushi bar destination.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1505630

I mentioned there that Yasuda was not in contention because my prior visit had not gone well. This visit was in October of '06 and I had meant at the time to post about my experience, but never took the time. I am prompted in the 15 East thread to elaborate on why I wouldn't return to Yasuda. Were we rushed, I am asked? I have taken the bait. But now that I've gotten it off my chest, it seems more appropriate to put it here where it belongs

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I made a 9:30 reservation to sit with Yasuda on a Friday night. There was never any warning that it would be near closing time. We arrived on time but waited 20 minutes to be seated.

When we sat, I told Yasuda we would be having Omakase but first we'd start with something from the kitchen. I also mentioned a few preferences including that we were in the mood to try a few types of salmon (now I know salmon is not the most prized fish in Japan, but my girlfriend really loves it, and I had read that he had recently been serving several interesting varieties that were in season). Finally, I told him that we hoped to keep the price around $125 a person. Yasuda did not like that, my understanding has always been that it's not innapropriate to give your sushi chef some price guidelines. This all happened within two minutes of sitting down.

Immediately after this exchange, a waiter rushed over for our drink orders. Two beers. Then within the next sixty seconds, someone else was there to take our order from the kitchen. I don't think I had read more than six items off the list of appetizers and specials. We asked for some time. The wait staff retreated about four feet. From there they hovered until we decided. While we waited for our kitchen dish (which turned out to be something rather uninspired), Yasuda began carving up several loins of salmon. I worried correctly that was our sushi.

As soon as we finished the appetizer, Yasuda handed over our sushi platters. Any hope that we would have a properly paced meal vanished. He wasn't going to serve us one piece at a time, straight from his hand. We weren't going to have occasion to slowly savor the subtleties of the fish. And the platters, well they were composed of five varieties of salmon and four other pieces. Sure the salmon was good, but I hadn't asked for a meal of salmon, just that he work in a few different types among his wide array of fish.

At about that time a waiter, who had remained perched within an arm's length of us the whole time asked if we would be wanting desert. It was a little early to say since we had barely started on our sushi. But he told us the kitchen would be closing. OK, kind of annoying, but I guess we were likely to have some green tea ice cream so I told the waiter to have the kitchen set that aside for us.

When we were about half way finished with the platters, Yasuda asked us if we wanted anything more. I told him I would probably be wanting some more but I'd like to wait until I finished what he already served us. But Yasuda said they were going to be closing so it was now or never. The time was 10:25. It was only 55 minutes after our reservation was called for and 35 minutes since we were seated. I asked for three more pieces, Yasuda whipped them out, handed them to me, and began packing his station. We looked up and all the sushi chefs were closing up shop. Meanwhile three members of the wait staff were circling us. Our settings were literally cleared as the last bite of sushi was still in my mouth. Within a minute the ice cream arrived, and ten minutes later we were walking out the door. The time was 10:45. We had sat for 55 minutes and my wallet was $250 lighter.

I twice attempted to email the restaurant about our experience, but never heard back.

[Nathan]

yeah, Yasuda wouldn't like that.

[zEli173]

yeah, Yasuda wouldn't like that.

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True that. When he made that clear, I told him that was fine and he should just serve us what he wanted.

But, I think it's totally obnoxious for him to object. $125/person is a pretty generous budget, it should be enough headroom at Yasuda. And I told him that was loose, I wasn't going to be upset if he went over. I just didn't want to eat in fear that we would be blindsided by a $500 tab. I'm sorry, but I don't think a customer should be required to write a blank check prior to the meal.

[Fat Guy]

Yasuda is an imperfect restaurant. You can have all sorts of mediocre meal experiences there if you don't follow a very specific set of rules, some of which are totally unreasonable. It's sort of like an idiosyncratic family-run pizzeria where they make you jump through all sorts of hoops before rewarding you with a pie worth waiting for. From a customer-service standpoint, it's shameful. But, if you follow all the rules (two of which, in Yasuda's case, are don't go late and don't specify a budget -- both of which shouldn't be rules), you can get an amazing meal.

[Nathan]

yeah, Yasuda wouldn't like that.

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True that. When he made that clear, I told him that was fine and he should just serve us what he wanted.

But, I think it's totally obnoxious for him to object. $125/person is a pretty generous budget, it should be enough headroom at Yasuda. And I told him that was loose, I wasn't going to be upset if he went over. I just didn't want to eat in fear that we would be blindsided by a $500 tab. I'm sorry, but I don't think a customer should be required to write a blank check prior to the meal.

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it wasn't the budget part per se that would have been the issue with him ($125 is about right for a dinner omakase there...unless you're really going to town...light appetites could even do it for less)...it was the salmon thing.

with Yasuda always say "serve me what's good today'...asking specifically for salmon (and the kitchen dish....unless it was eel) pegged you (unfairly) as unworthy diners.

Edited December 14, 2007 by Nathan (log)

[zEli173]

Yasuda is an imperfect restaurant. You can have all sorts of mediocre meal experiences there if you don't follow a very specific set of rules, some of which are totally unreasonable. It's sort of like an idiosyncratic family-run pizzeria where they make you jump through all sorts of hoops before rewarding you with a pie worth waiting for. From a customer-service standpoint, it's shameful. But, if you follow all the rules (two of which, in Yasuda's case, are don't go late and don't specify a budget -- both of which shouldn't be rules), you can get an amazing meal.

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Wasn't there a Seinfeld episode about an idiosyncratic itamae who wouldn't serve customers unless they followed a rigid set of rules?

In any event, not coming late is one thing, but it's beyond unreasonable to accept a 9:30 reservation, seat the party 20 minutes late, and then close up shop before the meal has hardly gotten off the ground. And it's really pushing things if 9:30 is late in NYC.

I want to go back to Yasuda. I really do. It is the best sushi I've ever had. My mouth waters when I hear others describe the impeccable fish and I recall the way the rice grains swim around in your mouth. But it's a hard thing to swallow after being treated like garbage. A lot harder than it is with a $15 pizza pie. It's like going back to a lover who broke your heart and walked all over you.

Edited December 14, 2007 by zEli173 (log)

[zEli173]

it wasn't the budget part per se that would have been the issue with him ($125 is about right for a dinner omakase there...unless you're really going to town...light appetites could even do it for less)...it was the salmon thing.

with Yasuda always say "serve me what's good today'...asking specifically for salmon (and the kitchen dish....unless it was eel) pegged you (unfairly) as unworthy diners.

I admit my handling of the situation wasn't entirely smooth, although I certainly made a point to say we wanted him to serve us what he thought was best. Do you think it would have changed matters if I had said "I heard you've had some very good salmon lately, we'd like to try some"?

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Separate question. What, if any, would be a good way to give some limited restrictions?

I'm really not a fan of clam or octopus. I've had a wide range of each of these. When clam is bad, it's rubbery and bland. When octopus is bad, it's unbearably chewy. But I've had example of both that were clearly high quality. I feel pretty confident that I've had about the best there is to be had of these two items, and while peak examples are just fine, they still don't do much for me (although in western cuisines, I love me sum properly cooked octopus). They just aren't what I want to spend my resources (both money and stomach space) on.

So I ask if there's any way to give that instruction to Yasuda without sabotaging the meal. And, perhaps more importantly, the best way to give that instruction to other sushi chefs but still let them know I mean business with everything else.

And what about some more expansive restrictions?

My girlfriend is pickier than me. She's still pretty adventurous by most standards, but she won't eat roe of any kind nor clam nor octopus. When I have to start telling sushi chefs that, I get very nervous that we won't be taken seriously; that we're going to be perceived as white, dragon-roll-eating, boobs (not that there's anything wrong with that) who read somewhere to ask for omakase. Clearly, that's what will happen at Yasuda, but any advice on how to cope with that elsewhere?

Edited December 14, 2007 by zEli173 (log)

[raji]

You didn't really do anything wrong. Theres a big long post on ordering omakase that answers all your questions. search for 'omakase' and 'raji'. ill write more in an hour when I'm off this godforsaken thumbkeyboard.

In terms of Yasuda's idiosyncracies and secret passwords, 2006 and 2008 are night and day. the cats outta the bag, since yasuda earned top food rating in all of nyc.

[raji]

it wasn't the budget part per se that would have been the issue with him ($125 is about right for a dinner omakase there...unless you're really going to town...light appetites could even do it for less)...it was the salmon thing.

with Yasuda always say "serve me what's good today'...asking specifically for salmon (and the kitchen dish....unless it was eel) pegged you (unfairly) as unworthy diners.

I admit my handling of the situation wasn't entirely smooth, although I certainly made a point to say we wanted him to serve us what he thought was best. Do you think it would have changed matters if I had said "I heard you've had some very good salmon lately, we'd like to try some"?

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Separate question. What, if any, would be a good way to give some limited restrictions?

I'm really not a fan of clam or octopus. I've had a wide range of each of these. When clam is bad, it's rubbery and bland. When octopus is bad, it's unbearably chewy. But I've had example of both that were clearly high quality. I feel pretty confident that I've had about the best there is to be had of these two items, and while peak examples are just fine, they still don't do much for me (although in western cuisines, I love me sum properly cooked octopus). They just aren't what I want to spend my resources (both money and stomach space) on.

So I ask if there's any way to give that instruction to Yasuda without sabotaging the meal. And, perhaps more importantly, the best way to give that instruction to other sushi chefs but still let them know I mean business with everything else.

And what about some more expansive restrictions?

My girlfriend is pickier than me. She's still pretty adventurous by most standards, but she won't eat roe of any kind nor clam nor octopus. When I have to start telling sushi chefs that, I get very nervous that we won't be taken seriously; that we're going to be perceived as white, dragon-roll-eating, boobs (not that there's anything wrong with that) who read somewhere to ask for omakase. Clearly, that's what will happen at Yasuda, but any advice on how to cope with that elsewhere?

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OK I replied to someone

"Last time I went to Yasuda all my dialogue was in Japanese, so I kind of forget exactly how it went down, but I'd say

Ask for the omakase and how much it is, they might give you a range or ask you how much you want to spend, you can then tell say much you want to spend, or just start with the set price, be sure to tell him what you DON'T like (I always nix any cooked shrimp and tell them that shellfish is not a big priority for me), and then when you reach the conclusion you can then go back and get any of your own favorites or anything you really like from the omakase. If you tell them you want to spend a lot then that might be the difference between chu-toro and otoro or something like that, but remember, you are ordering this way because you want what the CHEF recommends for you, so go with him, and then go back and fill in what you like. Have fun! That will certainly make it easier for the chef"

Now these are general instructions for really any sushi chef. But as FG notes Yasuda is a bit special, he has a very high opinion of his techniques and ingredients, but he's also earned it and delivers on it - I don't mind his pride, some do.

I've gone to sushi in NYC with very experienced Japanese guests who only eat shellfish, or some who will eat anything but. I similarly give some rough guidelines. You're not going to sabotage or not be taken seriously if you tell them your dislikes - if anything, it will help.

You said it yourself, it's the best sushi that you've ever eaten - despite the shitty situation - really, chronologically, you were put between a rock and hard place - a 20 minute wait and the Japanese obsession with punctuality (I still don't know how I was able to live there) - which won't be repeated.

A singular experience that makes it definitely worth a repeat visit for you.. but yeah, you've never gotten your pound of flesh, or toro as it was...

[Hiroyuki]

Just curious, does anyone have any idea about the food cost percentage at Yasuda and other traditional sushi shops in the United States? In Japan, the food cost percentage is about 30% at normal restaurants, but it's much higher, about 40 to 50%, at traditional sushi shops. Moreover, it is said that if you kept on ordering toro only, the sushi shop would close down, which means that for toro nigiri, the food cost percentage is very high. In fact, a sushi shop can lose money for every toro nigiri it makes when the toro price is extremely high.

Just wanted to tell you that running a sushi shop can be very tough.

[zEli173]

A singular experience that makes it definitely worth a repeat visit for you.. but yeah, you've never gotten your pound of flesh, or toro as it was...

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Just to be clear, that was not my only time at Yasuda. Just my most recent.

[raji]

Just curious, does anyone have any idea about the food cost percentage at Yasuda and other traditional sushi shops in the United States?  In Japan, the food cost percentage is about 30% at normal restaurants, but it's much higher, about 40 to 50%, at traditional sushi shops.  Moreover, it is said that if you kept on ordering toro only, the sushi shop would close down, which means that for toro nigiri, the food cost percentage is very high.  In fact, a sushi shop can lose money for every toro nigiri it makes when the toro price is extremely high.

Just wanted to tell you that running a sushi shop can be very tough.

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Can't say for sure, but I will find out for you -

My kneejerk reaction is that at "real" sushi bars, in Manhattan and other city centers, the food percentage can't possibly be that high because of overhead, HR, etc., whereas outside city centers, they could be, but they're more likely than not non-Japanese. Couter-intuitive, I know.

Edited December 18, 2007 by raji (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Thanks for your reply, raji, but I really didn't expect a reply. Well, I just wanted to imply that traditional sushi shops (sushi-ya in Japanese) are special in some ways in Japan, so that I could sympathize those who have had miserable experiences in sushi shops in New York or elsewhere.

When I was in my early teens and my mother was in her late 30s or early 40s, we had lunch at a sushi-ya after visiting a grave. There were no other customers in that shop if I remember correctly. We sat at the counter and ordered a set meal. The chef started making sushi one piece at a time. We thought that we each had only seven pieces (we talked about this later, and my mother also thought she had only seven), when the chef said he served all the eight pieces. And the last one was really bad. (I didn't eat it because I didn't like it, and my mother had mine. She later told me it was bad.) After we left the shop, my mother said something like, "He made a fool of us."

Once is enough for an experience like this, and I usually avoid sitting at the counter of a sushi-ya, even at my age.

I can't fully explain why sushi-ya are allowed to treat customers badly. They can be too proud of themselves, and they can show their pride in some unreasonable way. They can look down on customers according to sex, age, social status, how they order sushi, their (chefs') preferences, and their state of mind. I can't think of any other type of eatery in Japan where the chef can treat customers in such an unreasonable way.

Sushi itself is special food for the Japanese. We have it on auspicious occasions, like someone's birthday, someone's success in entering school, and someone's promotion in his or her company.

Conveyor-belt sushi restaurants have changed our sushi eating habits considerably (we now eat it more often just like other types of food), and they also have changed the bad behavior and practices of sushi-ya. For example, fewer sushi-ya now put "jika" (market price) tags on their walls.

I hope that despite the bad treatment you might receive in some top-end sushi-ya, you keep on exploring the wonderful world of sushi if you so wish.

[alanamoana]

Hiroyuki, I think sometimes sushi chefs tend to think of themselves like bartenders...they have some sort of power over their customers!

This is not to say that Yasuda-san is like that, at least in my experiences with him. He just happens to be very opinionated and proud (of his fish, soy sauce, rice, technique, etc.). To be honest, the only gripe I have with him is that his English is so poor I have a hard time understanding him and I'd love to actually be able to learn a thing or two from his explanations...most of the time, I can get one or two points and then I just can't follow anymore! Of course, I can't say that if I were dining with a Japanese person or someone fluent in Japanese language or culture that I'd be treated differently, but every experience I've had at Sushi Yasuda (at the bar) has been extremely satisfactory. I'm only sad I don't live in New York anymore to experience it.