Taro Sushi

[peter_nyc]

I read a blurb on this place called Taro Sushi on Dean St. between 5th and Flatbush Ave. in Park Slope, and decided to go today for lunch.

Apparently they are the "sister" restaurant of this place in Japan also called "Taro Sushi". The chef-owner is the son of the main branch's proprietor. The decor is pretty nonexistant, but the fish was incredibly fresh and reasonably priced. They had uni from Japan, horse mackerel from Japan, and even botan (jumbo sweet) shrimp.

Everything down to the green tea ice cream mochi was great, but I only hope that these guys stick around (they've been there for 6 months, but when I was there at around noon the place was empty).

They are also very upfront about which fish is fresh and which is not, certainly appreciated.

Has anyone else discovered this gem?

[tcavallo]

I haven't been yet, but now I'm excited to check it out. I'll let you know soon what I think.

Until now I have been frequenting Osaka on Court St. for my BK sushi fix. What are people's thoughts on Osaka? I have had some great sushi there, to be sure, but it also suffers from the decor problem (gaudy/modern rather than non-existant, however) and godawful music selection.

t

[zeitoun]

I'm not familiar with Taro Sushi, i've had take out sushi from Osaka and find it okay. I am not too fond of their way of cutting fish, too big. A little like Tomoe Sushi in Manhattan which suffers from the same problem IMO.

For my sushi fix i still go to manhattan, but it would be nice to find something closer.

[peter_nyc]

What are people's thoughts on Osaka?  I have had some great sushi there, to be sure, but it also suffers from the decor problem (gaudy/modern rather than non-existant, however) and godawful music selection.

t

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Been to Osaka once... probably will never go back. The way they cut their fish (ridiculously long pieces) really annoys me. It's too unwieldy. I do remember enjoying the gyoza though.

Osaka's decor would be the polar opposite of what you'll encounter at Taro. It's plain jane, to say the least.

[peter_nyc]

I just wanted to let everybody know about this place Taro Sushi-- I've been back many times since I started this thread. My expectations have been surpassed time and time again. This place is FANTASTIC. Ridiculously good value and VERY fresh fish.

Anybody in the area who is even has the slightest hankering for sushi should look no further.

[jogoode]

I just wanted to let everybody know about this place Taro Sushi-- I've been back many times since I started this thread.  My expectations have been surpassed time and time again.  This place is FANTASTIC.  Ridiculously good value and VERY fresh fish.

Anybody in the area who is even has the slightest hankering for sushi should look no further.

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Sounds good, Peter. Certainly the first report of worthwhile sushi in Brooklyn that I've heard. Two questions: How big are the pieces of fish? And can you compare its quality to a place we might be more familiar with?

[peter_nyc]

The size of the fish is much more authentic than most places serve up (small): I'd say slightly larger than Yasuda-san's. This guy knows what he's doing and obviously takes great pride in his work.

I would say that the quality of fish is one step below Jewel Bako and Yasuda. But much better than pretty much everywhere else.

[JosephB]

I also highly recommend Taro.

[docsconz]

Joe, I have certainly come to appreciate your recommendations, but what was it particularly about this restaurant that makes you recommend it so highly?

[JosephB]

Trust me, it was superb. And I don't mean superb for the price.

[docsconz]

But what did you have that was so good and why? Was it just really good quality or was it exotic? How does it compare to my two benchmarks - Kuruma and Yasuda? I know others here have compared it, but I am curious about your experience.

[mjr_inthegardens]

Had dinner here at the bar a few saturdays ago. $25/pp requested Sushi Omakase. Our spoils:

sliced Monkfish Liver app-delicious

then each (all sushi):

1 Toro (tuna belly)

1 Maguro (tuna)

2 Sake (salmon)

2 Hamachi (yellowtail)

2 Unagi (eel)

1 fresh crab (seaweed wrapped)

1 Uni (urchin)

1 Tako (octopus)

1/2 roll Spicy Tempura Shrimp

1/2 roll Spicy Tuna

The pieces were appropriately/traditionally sized. I don't like big pieces some places serve (Osaka, Yama).

With 11 sushi pieces each, shared rolls, appetizer we were sated and at a good price. For a quicker dinner anothertime I would think about the $30/sushi for 2. The tako was FANTASTIC -- not rubbery at all, luscious.

The 2 chefs were enthusiastic and our chef's eyes lit up when we requested Uni (my first time, not sure I am a new disciple). About 1/2 of the 8 seat bar was occupied by Japanese speakers, who seemed to be enjoying their meals also.

I will be back for sure. They state on the menu that they fly their fish in from a sushi market in Japan, and that they are the NYC outpost of a Tokyo restaurant.

edit: also, we had sushi delivery from Taro. We had the sushi for 2 and 2 miso soups. The sushi seemed as fresh for delivery as I have had and the $30 meal was plenty for 2 persons. The guy got a little lost delivering it though!!

edit 2: also, my girlfriend reminds me to tell you that they offer FRESH wasabi (in restaurant not delivery). So good.

-MJR

Edited March 31, 2005 by mjr_inthegardens (log)

[donbert]

I've been meaning to try Taro since this thread was started but didn't have a chance till last night. Given its decor and location I was surprised by the quality of fish. I ordered the $30 omakase and had the following:

spicy snow crab and avocado salad over cucumber

1 toro

1 salmon and avocado

1 yellowtail

1 fresh water eel (the chef said it wasn't unagi, which apparently lives in brackish water...)

1 snow crab

1 fluke

1 round clam tongue

1 scallop

1 Spanish mackerel

1 sweet shrimp (head was fried and served as a side)

1 asparagus tempura

1 shrimp tempura roll

1 spicy tuna hand roll

1 miso soup

The total came to $45 with two glasses of cold sake.

I forgot to ask for the fresh wasabi, but everything has the perfect amount of wasabi already in it. Does anyone know what kind of wasabi used in the nigiri and if you can ask to have fresh wasabi used if it already isn't?

I found out that they get their fresh fish flown in from Japan twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so those are the nights I'll be going from now on.

Final thoughts: It wasn't Yasuda but I foresee myself becoming a regular here, whereas if I wanted to afford being a regular at Yasuda I would have to give up the hope of someday having children.

[mjr_inthegardens]

We had dinner again (party of 3 this time) the other night but sat at a table instead of at the bar.

I felt like the quality of the construction of the pieces and rolls went DOWNHILL vs sitting at the bar.

Either that or it was an off night for the rice maker as this stuff was falling apart in a way that it should not. I HATE losing rice when I pick up sushi and I hate pieces of a roll sticking to each other because they have not been completely separated by the knife.

Fish was still all delicious but for value and quality I am sitting at the bar next time.

-MJR

[twhalliii]

Well, this is why I joined eGullet!

Thanks to you all for finding and suggesting Taro Sushi. I have lived in Park Slope for 8 years or so, and I had no idea this place was even there! Yes, it has only been for 6 months, which assuages my wounded pride at not knowing about this place (everyone wants what is best in their own neighborhood, don't they?), but now that you all have turned me on to it, well... why go anywhere else?

My girlfriend and I ate at the sushi bar on Saturday night (4/30/05). We both had the $30 omakase and it was exceptional. More than that, sitting with the chef and having a lovely conversation as he prepared our food, talking about his fish selection process, and being given special treats, well... it was exactly what I love in a restaurant: quality of the higest order without the pretense of luxury. Maybe its just me (my motto is "Democratize Opulence!" after all), but I love being treated like a valued customer regardless of how I look or what I order. If you come with an open mind, even in blue jeans, you should be able to enjoy the finest. The chefs at Taro Sushi, it seems to me, feel exactly the same way.

Our omakase went <i>something</i> like this (all sushi):

1 monkfish liver paté appetizer (liver paté in vinegar and seaweed)

1 bluefin tuna belly

1 bluefin tuna

1 spanish mackerel

1 salmon

1 horse mackerel with vinegar and scallions

1 horse mackerel with jellied seaweed (?)

1 yellowtail

1 fluke

1 red snapper

1 octopus (flash grilled with a blowtorch, then kissed with lemon and sea salt)

1 eel

1/2 tempura sweet shrimp roll

1/2 blue crab and avocado roll

1 baby (and I mean BABY) eel sashimi in vinegar with roe (dissolved in your mouth... amazing).

Extras (not on omakase):

For grins, I decided to try one piece of uni for me and one piece of octopus for her. Then a tempura red bean mochi to top things off... Oh, and 5 20 oz. Sapporo Reserve beers, shared.

Total: $99

Notes:

The fish was so fresh and so delicious and the perfect size. I have been to Blue Ribbon Sushi up the street SEVERAL times, but this meal was unquestionably more delicious, more intimate, and simply more fun. Plus, for the amount of food and drink we had, it was literally 1/2 price, if not more. The biggest revelation to me was the uni. I have had uni before and was not much of a fan at all. i found sea urchin to taste like dirty feet being washed in the sea, or something like that. But the uni the chef served me at Taro exploded with a delicious briney flavor and none of the, lets call it "stinkiness" of some I had tried before. It is still a challenging flavor, but one, in this case, that complimented the oceanic flavor of all of the fish the preceded it. The chef said he gets it flown in from California, and if I ever order it anywhere else to ask the chef if he "cares about his uni... if he looks puzzled, steer clear." This was something I would eat again and again.

Of course, the best part was watching the chefs, talking with them casually about the restaurant, where he got each type of fish, even where <i>he</i> went to eat sushi (Answer: Sushi Den Its fast and decent, he said.) We learned about the sister restaurant in Tokyo, the chef's work on Wall Street serving bankers "toro, salmon, california rolls... very boring... In Brooklyn, people like to try new things, to have new experiences..." (this, of course, won our hearts). I even mentioned to him that over the summer, I always head back to Michigan to see my family and we always pick up Whitefish livers. He was fascinated by this and I promised to bring him some back if he would let me sample what he prepared, which he thought was a fun idea.

Anyway, I felt at home and fell in love with this place. Thanks so much for showing me a jewel in my own back yard!

Edited May 2, 2005 by twhalliii (log)

[jogoode]

Well, this is why I joined eGullet!

Thanks to you all for finding and suggesting Taro Sushi. I have lived in Park Slope for 8 years or so, and I had no idea this place was even there! Yes, it has only been for 6 months, which assuages my wounded pride at not knowing about this place (everyone wants what is best in their own neighborhood, don't they?), but now that you all have turned me on to it, well... why go anywhere else?

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Thank you for that report, twhalliii! This sounds like a place worth trying. Tell me, do you need a reservation? Also, how big were the pieces of sushi at Taro compared with those at Blue Ribbon? How many spaces are available at the bar?

[twhalliii]

Thank you for that report, twhalliii! This sounds like a place worth trying. Tell me, do you need a reservation? Also, how big were the pieces of sushi at Taro compared with those at Blue Ribbon? How many spaces are available at the bar?

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No reservation required-- the place is very small and low-key... Decor is non-existent. This is not a place for a special occasion (unless simply eating great sushi is a special occasion to you like it is to me). There are 8 seats at the bar-- I asked if it was possible to reserve the whole bar for 8 friends to all get omakase and he said to call for a reservation, so that is a possibility too.

Size: The sushi was perfect size, I think just about the same size as Blue Ribbon (*maybe* smaller) but the size was just what you want.

all in all, I had no complaints at all.

Tom

[DanaT]

Thank you for that report, twhalliii! This sounds like a place worth trying. Tell me, do you need a reservation? Also, how big were the pieces of sushi at Taro compared with those at Blue Ribbon? How many spaces are available at the bar?

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Good questions jj. Just the questions I was asking. This looks very tempting. $30 omakase if this is what you got twahaliii is not bad at all.

[DanaT]

We had a very enjoyable dinner at Taro last night.

For the $35 omokase (there are two tiers-$30 and $35) we got:

monkfish liver appetizer,

1 fluke

2 marinated mackeral

1 chu-toro

1 akamai

2 fresh salmon prepared two ways

1 fresh crab salad

1 grilled anago

1 baby yellowtail (not kanpachi)

1 fresh scallop with uni

1 spicy tuna roll

1 shrimp tempura roll

I know I'm leaving some stuff out.

The scallop with uni and the grilled anago were on a par with Yasuda. The scallop was so fresh and tender it seemed to melt in the mouth without falling apart prematurely. The touch of uni on top was just enough. The eel had a thin crispy crust with moist tender insides.

The chu-toro was almost o-toro quality and the mackeral and fresh salmon was also exceptionally delicious. The others were all very very good. I'm not a fan of tempura rolls but this one even caught my fancy.

The decor is non existant-it looks like a pizza joint-but it is close to the number 2 subway stop at Bergen. A very nice find.

The chefs and waitstaff are very friendly and helpful. We shared a bottle of Kurusawa and topped it off with a tempura ice cream ball and some green tea.

Highly recommended. If it were in my neighborhood I could gain 20 pounds without batting an eyelash!

[bpearis]

When you sit at the sushi bar, do they give you everything at once or is it piece by piece?

[donbert]

When you sit at the sushi bar, do they give you everything at once or is it piece by piece?

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If you order a la carte or get a "combo" from the menu they give you everything at once. But if you get the omakase they serve you piece by piece.

[twhalliii]

When you sit at the sushi bar, do they give you everything at once or is it piece by piece?

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piece by piece. Its a nice 60-70 min experience and the chef is great to talk to. he also lets you know when the fish has been prepared in such a way that soy sauce may or may not be appropriate.

We just went again last saturday and will go again this saturday. Yum.

[DanaT]

Yeah that was my experience too - piece by piece. Except they did send out related pieces together. The tuna and the toro for example.

I agree the sushi chef was very helpful.

[zeitoun]

I had dinner at Taro Sushi for the first time yesterday, I went alone (wife had to work late) and sat at the bar.

I was frankly pleasantly surprised and overall quite happy with the quality of fish and execution of the rice. For fish, the highlight in my opinion was the aji, spanish mackerel, fluke fin, tuna belly and yellowtale. I also tried the Ankimo (monkfish liver), but was not too happy, a little too dry in my opinion. The rice was close to excellent: toothsome, well seasoned and served lukewarm just the way I like it.

I ordered by the piece for both sashimi and sushi and finished the meal with one ume-shiso roll. Add two beers to this and the bill came up to $57 including tax and tip. A bargain really.

It is not a Yasuda level of sushi but in terms of style and quality I would probably compare this to Sushiden. I live 15 minutes away from Taro in Cobble Hill and only 2 minutes away from Osaka (THE popular sushi joint in my neighborhood), I will definitely walk the 15 minutes from now on.

Some posters had expressed concerns about the seeming lack of customers, and I would add along those lines that Taro was not really "happening" when I was there (I sat at the bar from 6:30 until 8:00 and counted only two other solo diners). I hope this place does not fall under the radar!! Go to Taro, it is worth it!!

[lambretta76]

zeitoun - I think I was there while you were - I was the solo diner at the corner of the bar reading the Sun. (I believe you, too, had walked from Smith St. I'm on Hoyt and this is my "local".)

I usually do sushi by the piece and was just stopping in for a quick nosh, but the regular sushi chef/owner was out (totally spacing on his name). They usually have fish from Tsukiji (the horse mackerel is fantastic), but didn't have any of those offerings on that night.

I instead opted for the three-roll combo and the new chef's did very well. I was worried that the quality may lapse when the head chef is out, but they seemed to do a very good job. (Slightly too large pieces of salmon in the salmon roll, but not too-much of a complaint when you're already going the Americanized route. And the fish is always of high quality.) However, I have had the ankimo probably a dozen times and I have never had a dry one - it's usually perfectly cooked and nice and moist. My fiancee is addicted to it - we always split an order. I urge for you to return when the owner is back. I'll remember his name and post it - he's usually there on Thursday-Saturday, I believe, but on random weekdays when I've gone he's always been there, too.