Tsuki

[weinoo]

The fish is super fresh and there's some nice, creative stuff going on behind the sushi bar.

Here's Asimov's review, but you might have to be registered to view it.

Tsuki - Eric Asimov

Edited March 5, 2003 by weinoo (log)

[SobaAddict70]

Tsuki is the Jewel Bako of the Upper East Side, and that's saying a lot. In fact, I'd probably rate it higher than Jewel Bako on a scale of one to ten, with JB rating a 9 and Tsuki edging it out by a slight lead.

Tonight was my first visit and hopefully the first of many, many more visits. The restaurant features a multi-tiered omakase, from $30 to $100. The amount of fish that you get (even at the price that I paid -- more on that later -- is easily the amount of food you get at Jewel Bako). The quality is excellent; I daresay that it's a hairline close to what you would get at Kuruma if you did a side-by-side comparison. Chef Kazutoshi Maeda, formerly of Sushi Maeda and owner of Tsuki, hails from Kyushu, Japan and is a veteran sushi chef, having been in the business for at least twenty-five years.

Highlights from my dinner:

Amuse of ankomochi, topped with radish oshinko, scallions and a dab of plum sauce;

Sashimi: toro (both raw and lightly seared), octopus, scallop;

Lobster, broiled, with sauteed onions, glazed in soy and mirin, and served in its shell;

Needlefish sashimi, with pickles, and an egg "viniagrette";

Horse mackerel sashimi, with ginger and scallion;

Live sea urchin -- well, the uni was moving until the chef lopped off its base -- and served in its shell.

Deep fried shrimp heads, served alongside amaebi sashimi;

Broiled eel, chopped, then mixed with thinly sliced Japanese cucumbers and gomasio, on top of Japanese rice;

Deep fried bonito;

a parade of sushi: fluke with orange zest; scallop; chu-toro; red snapper; amberjack; bonito; salmon; hamachi; maguro; o-toro; and others I can't quite remember. This was topped with an ume shiso handroll as a finisher.

I could have sat there and eaten more, but I was rapidly approaching my limit. The total? $80, including tax and tip. They have a rather nice wine and sake selection, but then again, I don't drink.

Tsuki

1410 First Avenue (75th Street)

212-517-6860

Reservations are recommended for the sushi bar; there are only six seatings. Tonight, there were two reservations for the sushi bar, despite it being Christmas Eve. I managed to luck out however.

Soba

[jogoode]

Tsuki is the Jewel Bako of the Upper East Side, and that's saying a lot.  In fact, I'd probably rate it higher than Jewel Bako on a scale of one to ten, with JB rating a 9 and Tsuki edging it out by a slight lead. 

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Thanks for the report, Soba! (And happy birthday, by the way.) I know how much you like Bako, so you must have really liked this place to compare it. Did you have one of the omakase options, or did you choose all that stuff yourself? Sounds like a great place.

[SobaAddict70]

Funny you should ask, boychik!

We had an exchange that went like this:

Chef: Are you ready?

Me: *nod* -- omakase please.

Chef: Sushi or sashimi?

Me: Whatever you think is best.

So, it was a progression of appetizers, followed by sashimi prepared in different ways, followed by the parade of sushi that one gets at places like Yasuda or JB.

Next time, I have to try their house-made tofu.

I am a purist when it comes to sushi. I tend to prefer traditional preparations when it comes to maki rolls (so for instance, spicy tuna rolls are out), and I like to keep soy use to a minimum. In fact, I bring this up because Chef noticed that I rarely used soy and he was like, "you know, you can use soy sauce on your pieces".

Their wasabi is freshly grated and their gari is also fresh.

Definitely a keeper.

Soba

[docsconz]

Sounds good. I will have to add it to my short list of Sushi places to try.

[Michael Laiskonis]

Thanks for the tip. And the cool thing is, I live two blocks away; no longer is it among the dozens of otherwise unnoticed establishments I walk by on a daily basis. Thanks, eGullet.

What scares me, however, is Iron Sushi, at 78th and 1st, which apparently opened within the last week or so...

[DanaT]

Hmm, I think I ate at Maeda when he was chef. He was the first to turn me on to fresh uni and homemade preparations of ikura. The lunch omokase started to get pricey though at about $70. I didn't dare go at night but the area around Grand Central wasn't exactly a mecca for evening dining.

I wonder if Maeda closed or if someone else took over?