Sushi Yasuda - No Yasuda-San, But Still Great Sushi (New York City)

Sushi Yasuda

As I started to make my reservations before my NYC trip, I was told by my NYC guide to look into Sushi Yasuda. With the amount of good sushi we have here in Los Angeles, I was hesitant, but since I trusted my guide, I went ahead and booked with the strict instruction of asking for Yasuda-San to personally make my sushi. Booked and confirmed, I was ready for some sushi!

Yasuda-San is on the Right

However, after I arrived, I was told Yasuda-San was tending to some VIPs and cannot attend to my dining companion and myself. "WTF," I thought, though I figured I'd make the best of the situation and roll with it.

Finger Wipes

Finger wipes on the table and we were ready to rock and roll! Although we were given a menu, I came here for the omakase (Chef's Choice), and I'm sticking with that. Since I've forgotten a few of the fishes, here's to you another edition of a picture blog!

Mitzu-San

This is Mitzu-San, he's going to be our sushi master for this meal.

Scallops and Scallions

Chotoro with Soy

The chotoro was so rich and nice!

Shimaji

Sea Bass

This one was nice. I don't remember ever having sea bass nigiri sushi before.

Japanese Mackerel

Amaebi (Sweet Shrimp)

There's really nothing better than fresh amaebi nigiri sushi. The only thing that I wish I was given were fried amaebi heads. Those are truly fantastic!

Fatty Blue Fin Tuna Cheeks

This one I liked better than the chotoro. It's fattier and melted in my mouth.

Squid Legs

I'm used to ika (squid), but never had squid legs. I loved the texture of this piece.

Himo (Orange Clam)

The himo reminded me a bit of geoduck, at least with the texture.

Oyster (From Washington)

I've had raw oysters numerous of times, but never as a sushi. It paired well with the sushi rice. it's definitely worth ordering!

Top: New Zealand King Salmon. Bottom: Coho Canadian Salmon

Rich. Fatty Salmon. Both versions were delicious, but I think I preferred the one from our buddies up North.

Duo of Eels

Anago (Salt Water Eel)

Sawani (Fresh Water Sea Eel)

Normally, I'm not too keen on eel sushi, but these two were quite nice. I especially liked the sawani nigiri since it lacked the sauce which usually make the eel too sweet for my tastes.

Uni from Maine

Uni from Santa Barbara

No recounts needed. No West Coast bias here. The one I preferred was definitely the one from Santa Barbara. It was creamier and just overall a better version of uni served.

Amaebi Brain with Shiso

This one was truly unique, borderline memorable even. The salty, brininess of the brain of the sweet shrimp was definitely noticeable. The addition of the shiso leaves were a great touch!

Scallion Sprouts

This sushi reminded me of a sushi I read in the mango Shota no Sushi. The piece was refreshing, slightly spicy, yet quite a nice a to change the palate. Especially after the shrimp brains.

Toro Scallion Rolls

Simple, no frills, yet delicious.

Engawa (Fluke Fin)

Here, we have the fluke fin nigiri, or as what Mitzu-San said, the muscle of the fluke. It's definitely quite unique. It's rich, chewy, and most flavorful. Another piece that I highly recommend!

Knife Skills

Kohada Mackerel

At this point, the omakase ended with the engawa, but I wasn't full. So I decided to order a few more pieces. Being a fan of mackerel, I was recommended the Kohada Mackerel. Very nice, I liked this one quite a bit.

Arctic Char

I asked for the fresh fish of the day and was served Arctic Char. Closely related to the salmon and trout family, it's hard to go wrong with that combination.

Ikura (Salmon Roe)

Next, I asked for my old reliable, ikura (salmon roe). It's like an old friend that's always there for you. The ikura was fresh, as the roe had a nice snap as it popped in my mouth. Fantastic!

Ika (Squid)

Finally, I asked for one last piece at Mitzu-San's recommendation, and I was served ika. Instead of my usual ika with shiso, it had some shoyu instead. I liked this version quite a bit, and was a great way to end the meal. Although I thought about ordering a tamago (egg) sushi, I was quite full and ready to call it a night.

Although I was quite disappointed I wasn't able to have Yasuda-San make the sushi (and I still am, now that he's leaving for Japan), I was quite impressed with Mitzu-San and Sushi Yasuda as a whole. The fish was fresh, and there were some definite unique options served. While the meal definitely will set you back between $100-150+ depending on the amount of sushi ordered, I think it's definitely worth the cost and the accolades it has received. Although I'm able to enjoy some fantastic sushi options here in LA, NYC friends, you have a good one with Sushi Yasuda, even if he's not at the helm anymore. Thank again, NYC Guide!

Sushi Yasuda
204 East 43rd Street
NY 10017
(212) 972-1001

Jean Georges - Lunch Prix Fixe Plus A Supplement (New York City)

Jean Georges

After picking Le Bernardin over Jean Georges as one of my dinner options, I figured it's appropriate to make the "loser" of the two restaurant as my lunch option, especially after hearing about the "steal" of a lunch prix fixe. Along with two of my dining companions, we each ordered two items and shared each course. This is how we roll, as sharing is caring!

Amuse Bouche

The problem with blogging things one year after the meal? I seriously have no idea what were the items on the plate. It was tasty, but nothing really memorable on the plate.

Foie Gras Brulee

Rich tastes of foie gras, what could be better? This is one of Jean Georges signature dishes and I can see why it's a must order item. It's easily the best dish amongst the six we ordered.

Skate With Chateau Chalon Sauce

The skate itself was cooked beautifully, but I'm not sure I was feeling the chateau chalon sauce. I liked the dish, but I don't think I'd order it again.

Gulf Shrimp With Smoked Bacon

Now this one was tasty. Shrimp, bacon, oh ya! I wish there were more shrimp in this one, but no complaints from me here.

Red Snapper Crusted with Nuts and Seeds, Sweet and Sour Jus

I want to say I liked this dish, but I just don't remember it...let's blame old age and a good, but probably not so memorable dish on this one.

Pork Loin? Veal? Some Sort of Meat with Bleu Cheese

If that last dish description was bad, I truly have no clue what protein this one was. I think it's pork loin, but for some reason I also think it's veal. Whatever it was, it had bleu cheese, so I don't think I'll give a good review. Next!

Fried Sweetbread

This was a dish I ordered. Sweetbread is something I like a lot and I enjoyed this preparation. I wish there were more of it, but definitely no complaints from me with this one.

Marshmallow

It's rare, and it might be shocking, but I passed on dessert. I knew there would be marshmallow and petits fours to follow, so that's all the sweets I'll need. The house made marshmallows was served tableside and it was quite delicious.

Petits Fours

Macaron and chocolate, I don't think you could go wrong here. A nice sweet way to end a meal.

The meal as a whole was good, but to me, it's quite disappointing for a three Michelin Star restaurant. There truly wasn't a memorable dish, which probably was the main reason I passed on dessert in the first place. Now, some may argue this was only their lunch service and their "A" team wasn't present in the kitchen, but shouldn't the food quality remain the same? I thought about returning to Jean Georges for my upcoming NYC trip, as the lunch prix fixe is truly a great deal for a restaurant of this magnitude. Will I discourage people from trying Jean Georges? Of course not, but for me, at least this time, I feel there are other places worth checking out instead of Jean Georges.

So what's the supplement you ask? I certainly didn't leave the meal at Jean Georges stuffed and after hearing all the hype about the Halal Cart on 53rd and 6th, I knew I had to give it a try!

Lamb and Rice

So. Fucking. Good! Any questions? And yes, it was better than my meal at Jean Georges. Sad, isn't it? Next time, I'm going to get extra white sauce and do a half and half with lamb and chicken. Great post drink food, great lunch food, and I guess for me, a great post-Jean Georges food!

Jean-Georges Restaurant
Trump International Hotel And Tower
1 Central Park West, New York, NY 10023
(212) 299-3900
Website


53rd and 6th Halal Cart
Opens until 4am

Alto - Not Just A Simple Italian Bistro (New York City)

Alto

Before visiting Marea, one of my favorite dining experience in 2010, I actually first visited Michael White's two Michelin Star Italian restaurant, Alto. Like with Marea, I went with the 2 course lunch prix fixe menu at $41. Since I had eaten the pastrami sandwich at Katz's Deli for breakfast, I was hoping I could find some stomach space for Alto.

Focaccia

Trying to save room for the pasta and the seafood course, I had a bit of the focaccia with the provided olive oil. I enjoyed the warm temperature of the focaccia, but it was a shame I couldn't finish it.

Garganelli al Nero di Seppia all’Amatriciana

This dish was the reason for my unplanned visit to Alto. I had heard about it previously and I had to try it for myself. The squid ink pasta was cooked perfectly, and so were the seafood. The baby calamari was literally melt in your mouth tender, and the cod tripe was fantastic. This was one of the best pasta dishes I've had. If it's on the menu, I'd highly recommend it!

Merluzzo con Patate e Pancetta - olive oil poached cod, crushed potato, clams, pancetta

Since I had quite a large amount of meat for breakfast, I decided to go with the poached cod dish in a spicy seafood consomme. The fish was incredibly tender and flavorful. I loved the spicy consomme and the pieces of clams and pancetta added a nice flavor contrast to the cod. All in all, another fantastic dish that I had no trouble cleaning up.

Panna Cotta allo Zucchero Scuro - Honey Roasted Pears, Oatmeal Tuile, Buttermilk Sorbet

So much for being full. If I was gonna do this meal right, I had to order dessert. When I saw the panna cotta, I knew I had a winner. Well, lucky for me, the panna cotta was of the maple flavored variety, my absolute favorite. The other components of the dessert were delicious and somehow the flavors and textures all meshed together. If this wasn't a fine dining establishment, I would probably have licked the damn plate. This was a great way to end the meal.

Petit Four

I'm not sure if these qualifies as petit four, but it was tasty nevertheless. I was pleasantly surprised with the meal at Alto, and even though it had 2 Michelin Stars, it exceeded my expectations and more. While I did prefer the then 1 Michelin Star Marea, Alto was definitely worth the visit. Michael White has started building an Italian Empire in NYC with Alto, Convivio, and Marea, and it's definitely a good idea to try one of his restaurants.

As I roam the streets of the Big Apple, full, happy, and a bit lighter on the wallet, where do I go to digest all the food I've consumed during the day? Why, Nintendo World at Rockefeller Center of course!

Alto
11 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022-4213
(212) 308-1099
Website