Yujin, 24 East 12th Street

[jeunefilleparis]

FROM DAILY CANDY:

There's the Japanese restaurant. And then there's the Japanese-inspired one.

Both serve raw fish. Both provide chopsticks. And both ply you with sake. So what's the difference?

Originality, baby. Or so says Chef Eiji Takase of Yujin, which opens today on the Greenwich Village block littered with upscale spots like Gotham Bar & Grill and Strip House. To back up his claim, his menu offers starters like yellowfin-tuna ravioli and rock-shrimp dumplings. Main courses include grilled lobster onigarayaki, poached red snapper with tofu, and miso-marinated salmon.

The space shows no trace of its former incarnation: a dreary Kinko's. In the place of the copiers and the hideous fluorescent lighting are beige suede banquettes, minimalist black-and-white furnishings, and a ceiling dangling 29,500 chopsticks.

Japanese? Sort of. Inspired? Definitely.

Yujin, 24 East 12th Street, between University Place and Fifth Avenue (212-924-4283).

I dont know this chef at all, has anyone heard anything??

lauren

[yvonne johnson]

Haven't been yet but I've walked by a couple of times and the dining room looks pretty nice--light and airy. Will probably try it within the next couple of weeks.

[Joy]

ahhh, i see the press release is making the rounds.

time out had a little blurb on it and mentioned that the chef had previously been at iso, sushi samba and match.

[Bond Girl]

Anyone eaten there yet? I amy check it out this weekend, if weather permits.

[Suzanne F]

I know Taka. I worked with him at Match Uptown. Or, to be correct, he was the sushi chef there when I worked in the kitchen and did pastry. I love Taka. RUN, do not walk, there. He's terrific.

[jeunefilleparis]

I made a reservation at Yujin for April 18th. I m sure that some of you will beat me to it and i hope to hear some recommedations. The place was lovely inside and i loved the ceilings!

[Bond Girl]

Here is a restaurant with all the right mix. An interesting menu from Chef Takase and sushi chef, kazuo Yoshida who earned his stripes at Jewel Bako and Brassaerie 360. While the sushi bar is too high for anyone to engage in the spectator aspect of sushi, the sashimi was unusual in its preparation of fish and the artfully arranged sushi omakase tasted as good as it looks. Best of all its one of the few Japanese restaurants in town that you can eat at without having to wait on long lines.