Archive
NYC Sushi: 15 East (Dec. 2012)
March 13, 2014 Note: We’re going to have a second update on this restaurant soon. We’ve come back at least five times since December, and right now it’s probably Monty’s, Steven’s, and my favorite sushi restaurant in the city. The rice is generally great, and the fish is always fresh.
Authors: Victor and Monty
Restaurant: 15 East
Chef: Masato Shimizu
Date: December 4, 2012
Victor’s Notes:
-The fish was great, though it was worse than Sasabune’s, Yasuda’s, or Masa’s.
-Temperature-wise, the rice was about right. Texture-wise, it was lacking at times; the rice would occasionally be too hard, while at other times it was just right. The fluctuation was bizarre.
-In terms of the whole experience, we really enjoyed it. The chef smiles and talks with you a lot, so it’s more enjoyable to eat here than at some other great sushi places.
Monte: The experience is definitely uplifted by the pleasant chef behind the counter who is so friendly to the diners. This place is super unpretentious while still maintaining excellent sushi.
NYC Sushi: Kurumazushi (Feb. 2013)
Author: Victor
Restaurant: Kurumazushi
Chef: Toshihiro Uezu
Date: February 1, 2013
I’ve been craving sushi lately, and I decided that I’d go eat sushi today—of course, choosing somewhere and then making reservations is always a pain. I’ve been wanting to try Kurumazushi for a while now since I heard about it from some friends, so I called to check if there were any available seats at the sushi bar.
Reservations are REALLY easy to get as the restaurant has a lot of empty seats. That makes me a little sad—Chef Uezu seemed really nice and pleasant to talk to, and the sushi was definitely good enough that one would think there would be more diners at the restaurant on a Friday night. Anyway, we booked a reservation and made our way there a few hours later!
Notes on the food:
-The fish was VERY fresh and delicious, and the selection was amazing—there were lots of choices, and there were different cuts/areas for each type of fish. Being able to choose pieces with meat from the collar/neck area make me a happy, happy eater.
-The rice was good, but there were a few issues. On the plus side, the temperature was solid, though it was a touch warmer than I would have liked; it wasn’t as warm as Sasabune’s rice, though. On the negative side, the rice was grainy and a bit too hard at times. I would have enjoyed the nigiri more if the rice were a bit softer and fluffier.
NYC Kaiseki: Soto (Dec. 2012)
Authors: Monty and Tad
Restaurant: Soto
Chef: Sotohiro Kosugi
Date: December 8, 2012
Notes:
Tad’s Notes:
“Soto is like a kaiseki love-letter to uni. You must love sea urchin to eat here. Those who merely like sea urchin may find an overabundance of sweet, nutty richness. Those who don’t even like sea urchin should probably curse their parents for not giving them the correct genes or for an insufficiently worldly upbringing.”
“A Japanese business associate of my father once told me that the Kaiseki meal is very infrequently eaten by Japanese people. It is the equivalent of a high-end Western tasting menu, but with more ceremony, tradition, and attention to aesthetic elements. But I eat tasting menus all the time, so I am sure there are some people in Japan that eat Kaiseki meals pretty regularly.”
Monte: I love Japanese food. Soto only confirms how real our amour is.
Monte
Victor
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Happy Noms 