Scoops du Jour: Sushi Yasuda

Today I am posting a review written by a Good friend of mine who on this blog, we will call Scoops. Scoops, like me, has been living in New York City for his entire life and has been eating at the city's fine dining establishments for a very long time. We talk about food constantly and he is constantly giving me places to try (It's not until recently that I've actually had some recommendations for him.) I owe him for suggesting the fish heaven that is Sushi Yasuda, a place that he has been to many times, and one that he chose for his first guest review.

Link: My notes on Yasuda

"Neptune's Powers Drift Ashore" by Adam Miller

On 43rd Street, just east of the United Nations, sits a bamboo sanctuary offering food of the gods. Five men line the counter of Sushi Yasuda; each is designated a certain task for the night: slicing fish, rolls, sushi, sashimi. The fifth man is really the first man. Naomichi Yasuda (or Yasuda San to patrons) is the pioneer leading the charge. His sole task for the night is to handle the 6 patrons sitting in front of him at any given time (in addition to taking care of those special customers he has known for a long time.)

For those who tend to dine at the generic sushi places that seem to be all over the city these days, everything at Sushi Yasuda jumps out. The décor is simple and elegant. A sleek, bright, blond wood lines the walls, floors, ceilings, chairs, and sushi counter. The only other color in the entire restaurant comes from the green palm leaves placed on the sushi counter and on which the sushi and sashimi are served.

The service is impeccable. Having started my meal with sashimi, I appropriately used my chopsticks. As soon as I was finished with the sashimi, the chef changed the palm leaves, and the waitress brought a new soy sauce dish accompanied by a small wet finger towel clearly indicating it is time to dig in with my hands. Any time a drop of soy sauce is spilled or drips onto the counter, the servers are quick to wipe it down with a clean damp towel.

The food, on the other hand, is nearly indescribable. In a city flooded with mediocre Japanese restaurants trying to catch the wave, Sushi Yasuda stands leagues above the rest. In a small restaurant which seats no more than 50-60 people, Sushi Yasuda offers an abnormal selection of fish (4 types of tuna, 5 types of white fish, 4 types of yellowtail, 8 varieties of salmon and trout, 2 kinds of salmon roe, 4 varieties of eel). On any given night, the restaurant offers 40 different kinds of fish. And if you are deemed worthy in Yasuda San’s eyes, you may even sample something not on the menu.

At Sushi Yasuda, omakase is the way to go. With fish of this quality and prepared with such delicate enthusiasm, it is best to let your sushi chef lead you on a new experience and a special journey. However, as I continue to be a regular at Yasuda, there are obvious selections which stand out. Most notable is the toro (or fatty tuna). It may be an astronomical $7 per piece compared to the normally priced $4 for the “regular” blue fin or big eye tuna, but it is something you will not soon forget as it melts on your tongue.

Now at a place of such pure, authentic sushi decadence, I would not ever recommend wasting space on sushi rolls. However, there are several exceptions. A more economical way to enjoy the toro may be the negitoro maki (or toro and scallion roll). This is my personal favorite. It is $9, but this is something you may actually feel is worth it as the melting soft toro meshes with the warm rice and the crunchiness of the crisp, fresh seaweed. At the same time, I do not recommend venturing to Yasuda with a tight budget. Depending on how hungry one may be, omakase can range from $80 - $150 per person. However, there are economical ways (albeit not the most filling ways) to enjoy Yasuda. The sushi matsu offers 12 pieces and a half roll for $34. The only setbacks are 1) 12 pieces at Yasuda are 12 bites; it is not like eating 12 pieces at other Japanese restaurants; 2) you may still be hungry.

Other selections which really stand out are fluke usuzukuri: thinly sliced pieces of fluke sashimi served with scallion and ponzu sauce; scallop sushi which freshly shucked and served with a bit of lemon and coarse salt sprinkled on top; buri (a baby Japanese yellowtail); gensaba – a type of baby Japanese mackerel (sometimes referred to as the toro of the mackerel family); salmon roe – especially in a handroll since Yasuda uses a different type of seaweed in order to maximize the crispiness and crunch; and much of the salmon selection – my personal favorites are the sockeye salmon from the Copper River in Alaska (which is offered only several times a year) and Tasmanian trout.

I have been under Yasuda San’s spell for at least 10 years, dating back to the era when he patrolled the downstairs counter at Hatsushana (along with the current manager and part-owner Shige Akimoto who was formerly the manger of Hatsuhana as well). Yasuda San offers his own touch, lightly dabbing every piece of sushi with a sweet shoyu (a milder sweeter version of soy sauce which clearly still offers the saltiness expected from a Kikkoman bottle) as well as sprinkling shellfish (clams, shrimp, scallops) with lemon and some sea salt. Additionally, he has carried over some touches from Hatsuhana, namely the use of palm leaves on the counters However, he offers something few restaurants truly offer: the ability to say, “I ate the best fish in the world last night.”