Matsugen: Summer Special

My sorority big sis, a rising jetsetter powerhouse, comes to New York City every so often for business and pleasure. This time, she had a huge craving for black cod with miso, so we decided to convene at Matsugen in Tribeca—the (nearly identical-in-appearance) successor of Jean-George's 66—for dinner. Their summer promotion was an elegant and indulgent five-course meal, tagged with a Restaurant Week price. More pics and meal details on the next page!

Sushi Yasuda

There are already enough blog entries out there that hail Sushi Yasuda to be one of the best sushi experiences that they've ever had, so I won't reiterate what's already out there. Instead, I just want to showcase my favorite pieces from the omakase.

Gari

I felt rather self-conscious when I first stepped into Gari. There were only a few patrons at 6:45PM, so everyone's attention was on us. We were greeted with a sharp "IRASSHAIMASE," which is a customary welcome at Japanese restaurants and businesses. Behind the sushi bar lined a row of five chefs who patiently waited to craft their next masterpiece. I usually like to sit at the bar, but only when the chefs are completely preoccupied and thus would have no time to observe my less-than-perfect table manners. But there was no escaping the unintended exhibitionism here. The giant glass windows and bright lighting insinuated that this place nor its guests had anything to hide.

Tuesday Night Live at Sushi Uo

UrbanDaddy's Sushi Uo's Tuesday Night Live blurb definitely caught my attention.

Chef David Bouhadana's hard-to-find LES  sushi spot announces "Tuesday Night Live," in which a diverse community of octopus, abalone, pen shell, scallop orange clams and surf clams meet their untimely demise right in front of your eyes, before finding their way to your mouth. Management warns that there may be some twitching.

Three trains from the Upper West Side, a few walking blocks, and a wrong turn into a downstairs bar later, I had finally made it to Sushi Uo. I didn't make a reservation since I wasn't sure when A could get out of work to meet me, but the two best seats in the house (alongside the sushi bar where you can see all of the action) were still open. While I waited for my companion to arrive, I tried the Kurosawa Kimoto Junmai Sake (smooth, tad spicy, served at room temperature) and watched Chef David Bouhadana slam pieces of raw fish into the cutting board. Some of the pieces slightly writhed after impact (and silently screamed), but that was the extent of the drama. There was no tank of live specimen nor creatures that would crawl off of your plate. That was probably a good thing for A's sake.

Haru Upper West Side

Spicy sushi at Haru Upper West Side