#87 Sushi Azabu

Fluke

Mild, creamy fluke with a light soy glaze.

Japanese red snapper

Interestingly, this fish is considered a symbol of good luck in Japan and is thus the most prestigious and delicious of all snappers.

Kanpachi

Otherwise known as amberjack, this fish derives its name from a figure of eight pattern it develops during infancy. At an early stage this symbol appears on the middle of its head, hence the name kanpachi or “center eight.”

Japanese bonito

Buttery fish garnished with a small spoonful of spicy ginger.

King salmon

This was my favorite piece of salmon. Slightly deeper, richer flavors than the other varietals.

Scottish salmon

While more buttery, I also found this a little more oily that the king salmon.

Seared Scottish salmon

An interesting piece of nigiri. The fish had been lightly seared with a blowtorch, making it sweeter but also a tad fishier.

Shrimp

Simple, fresh and tasty.

Scallop

This juicy piece of shellfish was glazed with lemon juice, salt and a perfect hint of citrus-y yuzu zest.

Squash roll $5

My server recommended this item. Tart, crunchy home-pickled squash wrapped in rice and nori. Clean, classic and uncomplicated.

In Tribeca, tucked underneath the already unassuming Greenwich Grill, is this little jewel box of a sushi restaurant. The small, subterranean space has a long sushi bar (staffed by talented chefs) and a handful of modest tables. The deft staff courtesly accommodate your needs and desires, gently explaining their favorite options on the menu and what you might best enjoy.

As for the food, the sushi is impressive. (One curiosity was that I was served a bowl of miso soup at the end of the meal. I learnt that this is quite common but seems to vary depending on the type of soup - mine had a prawn.) The fish is obviously extremely high quality. I was told that 70% of the fish is flown in from Japan daily, the remaining 30% is sourced from various places, including North America. The options are simple and very toned down, which can be refreshing (this definitely isn’t Sushi of Gari). If you’re in Tribeca, definitely stop by for some excellent sushi. And, yes, you can get all these pieces of sushi – save the squash rolls – for $35. 

Sushi Azabu

428 Greenwich St.

212-274-0428

#39 Soto

Fluke ponzu $10

Thinly sliced fluke garnished with chive, minty shisho leaf, bright ginger shoots and crunchy scallion. Served in a bowl of tart mizore ponzu sauce (which I found somewhat overpowering).

Cyu toro tartare $25

Chopped meat from the most creamy, tender part of the famous big eye tuna. Served with a buttery avocado coulis and garnished with salty caviar, chive and shredded seaweed. Served in a chilled sesame ponzu sauce.

Scallop and fluke shisho agedashi $14

Large morsels of creamy scallop and fluke wrapped in shisho leaf and lightly fried. Nice and crunchy on the outside but smooth and tender on the inside. Served in a spicy, wasabi-infused dashi broth.

Sushi

- Botan ebi: Spotted prawn from Canada with a miso glaze ($5)

- Sakura masu: Australian sea trout ($6)

- Saba: Norwegian mackerel ($5)

Located on 6th avenue but with little frontage and no discernable sign, it’s easy to miss Soto. However, once you step through the door and enter the restaurant, you find yourself in a sleek, simple dining room. There’s a long sushi counter, as well as small tables. Generally, the restaurant has a soothing atmosphere.

The food is good. Small portions, precise, perhaps even prissy. It’s also very salty and expensive. With so many excellent Japanese options in the city, I’d suggest holding off on Soto. It’s a little bit too minimalist for my taste.

Soto

357 6th Ave.

212-414-3088

#33 Sushi of Gari

Toro

A thick piece of fatty toro tuna (taken from the belly of the fish). Garnished with light, sweet and tart daikon radish. Perfectly dense, moist rice.

Kanpachi

It was interesting to note that, as the chef was preparing the kanpachi, he delicately and deftly scored the top side of the fish. He placed a small helping of jalapeño sauce on each morsel (that was composed of sweet, crunchy, spicy chunks of pepper) and added a light glaze to the top. Served on a bed of clear seaweed noodles.

Red snapper (not pictured)

A thick piece of snapper, crowned with crunchy pine nuts and a tiny helping of green salad, dressed in a sweet balsamic vinaigrette.

Salmon

A beautiful, thick piece of fatty, creamy salmon. Lightly glazed and placed on a bed of rice with a hit of potent wasabi.

Black cod

Served warm, serrated and slightly char-grilled. Brushed with a smooth miso glaze. The smoky hints were an unusual and delicious deviation from the traditional black cod dish.

Japanese mackerel

A perfect slice of fish, garnished with a helping of sweet, mushy sesame-soy sauce. Mild and delicate flavors but thoroughly enjoyable.

Lobster

Brilliant, buttery meat that simply melted in my mouth (the color was incredible, too). Served on a bed of rice and accented with a traditional hit of wasabi.

Tuna tartare

A mound of tiny chunks of tender tuna, garnished with a few crunchy pine nuts. Served on a crisp wafer base and a cube of rice. A very interesting item, both in terms of texture (I loved the combination of soft with hard) and taste.

Fluke

A tasty piece of fluke (otherwise known as summer flounder) underneath a rich, gooey poached quail egg. Accented with a perfectly subtle truffle sauce. Delicious, deep flavors.

Salmon

A piece of salmon with a hot sautéed tomato. Garnished with a simple sauce, flecked with black sesame seeds. Not my favorite, as the tomato rather overpowered the fish and the rice.

Eel

A sweet, gooey mouthful of chopped eel, garnished with crisp sesame seeds. Placed on top of a sliver of rich avocado. An interesting creation, if a bit gimmicky.

Without a doubt, the food at Sushi of Gari is excellent. I sat at the sushi counter and had the pleasure of watching the talented chefs create their delicious items. Sashimi, sushi and rolls, all meticulously prepared, using some of the highest quality fish available. Their efforts are readily detectable in the food. Almost item in my omakase menu (where the chef sends out his best suggestions until you tell him to stop) brought an intense burst of pleasure. The flavors were fascinating and innovative, making everything feel very special. Though, Sushi of Gari isn’t for purists, as the chef has options using other, more international ingredients like foie gras, for instance. It’s also expensive. My 11 pieces of sushi came to a grand total of $87.65.

If you’re looking to explore a little bit, this is a perfect place to indulge your culinary curiosity. You certainly won’t be disappointed. 

Sushi of Gari (East Side)

402 E. 78th St.

212-517-5340

#84 15 East

Sushi $24

From left to right: fatty oh-toro tuna, creamy, freshly caught Copper River salmon and botan ebi (or spot prawn). Our favorite was the slightly sweet, perfectly smooth spot prawn.

Wild salmon and yellow tail $32

Two large filets of tender fish. A piece of creamy wild salmon and rich, fatty yellow tail. Infused with saikyo-miso (a sweet, golden yellow miso) and soy-ikura butter. Garnished with salty roe and watercress.

Hot soba with duck and green onions $26

A big bowl of hot, handmade and handcut soba noodles served with fresh wasabi. We ordered the tender, rich duck breast and crisp green onions. With a bit of extra pepper, the flavorful broth was good but a bit too sweet for our liking.

Cherry wood smoked duck $32 

Thinly sliced pieces of succulent, smoky duck breast, lightly charred but still rare. Served with mild shiitake mushrooms and sugary Satsuma yam (which is like a fluffier version of a sweet potato). Not hugely interesting but tasty nonetheless.

Almond tofu $9

Like a Japanese panna cotta, this dessert was a yummy slice of sweet cream. The homemade tofu was lightly infused with sake syrup and thinly sliced almond flakes. Plated with a scoop of sugary strawberry sorbet (which we found a bit sickly), fresh fruit and a crunchy almond tuille.

Rice pudding tempura $10

None of us had ever eaten rice pudding tempura before, so we were excited when our order eventually arrived. Inside a light, crunchy shell was a mild mouthful of creamy rice. While a bit bland and dry by itself, the rice pudding was quite tasty when mixed with the rich Dassai sake-kasu ice cream (Dassai is a premium brand of sake, while kasu this is the lees or rice solids left over after pressing the sake). 

As we made our way through the various stages of our meal, we discussed the art of Japanese cuisine and the highly sensitive palate required to enjoy it. To be able to fully enjoy the nuanced flavors of sushi, one must gradually learn to identify and appreciate their subtleties. At 15 East, these skills are rather important and we, unfortunately, weren’t quite adequately equipped. First off, it’s important to note that this isn’t just a sushi bar; you can order appetizers and main courses, choosing from meat, fish and noodles. However, throughout our meal, the flavors seemed consistently muted, leaving us satisfied but not dazzled. The duck, for instance, was well-prepared but nothing remarkable, as was the fish. Though, the soba is very tasty and, depending on what you order with it, quite reasonable.

As for the space, you can choose between a clean sushi counter or step into a dimly lit, cozy dining room. It’s not too formal and good for a more intimate evening (the omakase menu is supposed to be incredible). Oh, and it’s also a bit expensive.

15 East

15 E. 15th St.

212-647-0015

#24 Sushi Yasuda

Salad

The classic salad that accompanies a traditional sushi meal. A combination of crunchy frisee, spicy arugula and two halved cherry tomatoes. Served with a dish of tangy, slightly sweet fresh ginger dressing on the side.

Sashimi

An incredible trio of delicious fresh sashimi. The fish, flown in from Japan and other countries, is made from scratch every day.  From left to right: rich fatty tuna, creamy sea trout and bright, clean Spanish mackerel. We savored the nuanced flavors of each morsel, remarking on the tender and succulent meat.

Sushi roll combo

After asking for the chef’s choice, we were brought this interesting assortment of fresh fish. The simple roll was exquisite; moist vinegared rice wrapped around small, creamy chunks of tender tuna. Then more superb fish: beautiful, buttery salmon and slightly sweet, tender eel that had been brushed with a light glaze.

Green tea mochi

Refreshing green tea ice cream covered in a gooey, slightly rubbery mochi shell (mochi is sticky rice pounded into a paste). While not my favorite dish, this cool palate cleanser was tasty, of course, beautifully plated.

In the ever-expanding landscape of Japanese joints, Sushi Yasuda is a sparkling standout. The masterful Naomichi Yasuda retired in early 2011, leaving his sushi-serving temple in the hands of his deputies, Tatsuya Sekiguchi and Mitsuru Tamura. They continue his legacy consummately.

Within this modest, unadorned space, you’ll experience Japanese cuisine in its most elegant and refined form. The knowledgeable yet shy staff circulate, eventually offering to take your order in hushed tones (beware, the skilled team are a bit sticky when it comes to English). Depending on what you order, they’ll present you with another, substantial menu that lists the various fresh fish available. We recommend that you ask the chef to decide, as they’ll bring out some incredible samples of delicious, melt in your mouth meat. Most importantly, while the omasake lunchtime menu can run into the high $80s, arriving at dinnertime is a great way to experience this perfect cuisine without the pricey premium. As we did, you can get the entire menu for about $25, which is one of the best deals in the city. 

Sushi Yasuda

204 E. 43rd St.

212-972-1001

#25 Kajitsu

Summer garden vegetables

An extremely accomplished expression of beautiful, fresh vegetables. Moist chunks of pumpkin-flavored wheat gluten, thinly sliced green and yellow zucchini, delicate slivers of shaved asparagus, mild tomato gel and tiny chunks of jicama (a nutty root vegetable).

Chilled corn soup with corn and snap pea tempura

A bowl of thick chilled corn soup, served cold. Crowned with a generous serving of warm crunchy corn and fresh snap pea tempura. The small vegetable bites were delicately battered and lightly fried, bursting with bright flavors, tempered by a sweet coating. Together, the combination of hot with cold and smooth with crunchy was a delectable delight. All accented with thinly chopped refreshing chive.

Vegetable plate

Clockwise from top left: a tender chunk of fennel dangaku with a salty yet sweet yuzu miso glaze and garnished with fennel leaves. Crunchy slices of delicately fried eggplant (still smooth and soft on the inside), placed on a bed of sharp and spicy karashi mustard. Fresh green pepper, scallion, red paprika and thin slivers of goose tongue (a marsh sea grass). And finally, thin homemade wraps along with sweet red miso.

Avocado rice bowl with sesame-fu

Carefully glazed chunks of cool, creamy avocado with sweet, doughy pieces of sesame tofu. Placed on a small serving of sticky rice garnished with a thin layer of seaweed. On top, a parcel of grated radish and a sprinkling of wasabi and Szechuan pepper. With its simple, serene flavors, this was a fine stand-in for dessert.

Kajitsu is most likely the finest purveyor of kaiseki cuisine in New York. As I discovered, this means a traditional multi-course dinner. The restaurant serves shojin or “devotion” cuisine, a central premise of which is an aversion to taking life.  Fish and meat are banned and all vegetables must be strictly in season. The menu comes in two options an 8 course version for $70 or a 4 course for $50 (we opted for the latter). The food is exquisite, cleverly considered, precisely prepared and, interestingly, served in specially selected traditional Japanese dishware, some of which were created by potters over 200 years ago.

Evidently, this place is perfect for vegetarians, vegans and those looking for a lighter, healthier meal. What’s more remarkable is that, despite the paired down ingredients, you’ll walk away feeling surprisingly full.

Kajitsu

414 E. 9th St.

212-228-4873

#38 Momofuku Noodle Bar

Pork buns $10

Two sweet deconstructed buns, piled with thick, meaty slices of pork. The fatty pieces of perfectly marbled pork belly were so tender they practically melted in your mouth. The doughy buns were glazed with a luxurious hoisin sauce and layered with thin, slightly tart slices of fresh cucumber and then sprinkled with green scallions. I can see why these are a considered a specialty. They’re totally moreish yet surprisingly satisfying.

Momofuku ramen $16

A huge bowl of incredible, flavorful ramen, loaded with noodles, pork, poached egg and scallion. Tender pieces of fatty pork belly and rich, shredded pork shoulder in a salty pork and chicken broth with crunchy cured cabbage and fish cakes (the white slices). Although the noodles are no longer made on site, the dense laces are rather tasty. Garnished with a large sheet of delicate nori, proudly places on the side of the bowl. A significant serving that I can easily imagine gobbling up each night during the winter months. 

At the end of our meal, we also tasted the light and sweet burnt honey soft serve and then the sickly sherbert-y strawberry lemon cake truffles. Unfortunately, the desserts aren’t exactly exciting, but that’s not what you came here for, anyway.

With its short and simple menu (updated and printed daily) Momofuku Noodle Bar puts together an impressive array of hearty, satisfying Asian dishes. Chef David Chang, by mixing in locally-sourced ingredients like Benton’s country ham and Teton Waters Ranch beef, presents tasty dishes with seasonal flare. Of course, all of this is accomplished at a really reasonable price. If you can endure the frustratingly long wait, grab a seat and scoff down some succulent noodles or sweet buns. Plus, the minimalist wooden counter is perfect for single diners looking to get some good, cheap grub.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

171 First Ave.

212-777-7773

#19 L’Atelier De Joël Robuchon

Long Island spiced duck breast with onion soubise, morels and fava beans $52

Four perfectly cooked slices of tender, flavorful duck breast, placed on a bed of creamy onion soubise, a sauce similar to Béchamel, with the addition of onion purée. Muddled with halved fava beans and seasoned with a harmonious blend of nutmeg, chili and fragrant cloves. Plated with an assortment of earthy, intense morels, which added deep truffle notes that complemented the deep gamy notes of the meat. Garnished with sprigs of arugula and served with a pot of luxurious, buttery mashed potato. An exquisite, if extremely expensive, take on the duck breast.

La bulle de sucre $19

An elegantly composed dessert that fused seasonal flavors with exotic fruits. An incredibly delicate golden sugar bubble (prepared by blowing air into soft sugar to create a spherical shape) filled with a light and sweet elderflower cream and pineapple shreds. Buried in the center was a cold, refreshing pineapple  thyme sorbet and a hit of lemon jam. Underneath all this was a sugary yet tart orange and pineapple marmalade. Garnished with an edible flower and a small serving of vanilla emulsion. Whimsically imaginative.

From my brief experience it’s clear that the food at L’Atelier De Joël Robuchon is excellent. From the first amuse (a combination of diced, marinated tomato and herbed aubergine), I was particularly pleased with the imaginative, unusual and impressively orchestrated flavor combinations. My pre-dessert, for instance, was a combination of lime foam, prickly pear gelee and Calpico sorbet (a Japanese dairy soda), garnished with a touch of lime dust.

However, while the cuisine is particularly accomplished, the prices are very high, to my mind, unjustifiably so. After three courses, you’ll be paying more than the cost of a dinner at Corton, for example. A meal here is certainly a treat but whether it’s worth it is up to you.

L’Atelier De Joël Robuchon

57 E. 57th St.

212-829-3844