New York: Sushi Yasuda

Katsu is my favorite place to get pristinely fresh sushi in Chicago. No doubt about it... But in New York City, Sushi Yasuda on 43rd Street rocked my world.

I was there this weekend, and had the good fortune to dine here... (For pictures, see http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAtGrZi3ZMmGB)

We had fish that I had never heard of, and some that I have heard of, but never had. Here is the menu:

Soft Shell Crab appetizer -- Big and meaty.. Yummy.

Sushi:
Blue Fin Fatty Tuna (Tuna)
Big Eye Fatty Tuna (Tuna)
Bonito (Tuna)
Kanpachi (YellowTail)
Shimaaji (YellowTail)
Hiramasa (YellowTail)
Houbou (White Fish)
Sea Bream (White Fish)
Kinmedai (White Fish)
White King Salmon (Salmon)
King Salmon (Salmon)
Arctic Char (Salmon)
Sekisaba (Mackerel)
Butterfish (Unknown type)
Botan Shrimp
Squid Legs
Rock Crab
Sea Urchin
King Salmon Roe
Sawani (Fresh white sea eel)
Anago (Fresh dark sea eel)
Negi Toro Maki

Total Bill (including Sake and Dessert and Tip): $325 for 2 people.

Expensive, yes. But reasonable considering what we had and the rarity of the fish. Did not have to use soy sauce at all, since the chef had added sauce to the sushi. Some amazing stuff included rock crab, which is pretty ordinary, but they had added Japanese sea salt to the inside. So it starts out sweet and then tangy and all of a sudden an unexpected burst of saltiness... I am not a fan of Anago and Mackerel but... The anago was soft and fluffly, and the sea salt brought out the sweetness... The mackerel was flown in from Japan, and apparently they are the only ones to get it. A faint hint of the mackerel taste, but not overpowering like some places.

Now, I am ruined for life. Never again will I eat sushi without comparing it to Sushi Yasuda... sigh...

In NYC for 4 nights for work, I was finally able to pull myself away from the group to dine at Sushi Yasuda. Calling at about 1pm I was able to secure a 6:30 reservation at the sushi bar in front of the man himself. I was told that I would have to be done by 7:30 which was fine since I was by myself and, honestly, how long was I really going to sit there eating sushi.

Since my business wrapped up a bit early I was able to get over to Yasuda by around 6 and was promptly seated in the promised spot, in front of Yasuda. I told him I was in his hands...no restrictions.

No words can do justice to the meal I experienced.

Yasuda stuffed me with about 20 pieces of sushi, which included otoro from 3-4 parts of the tuna, 3-4 different types of eel, a couple different types of yellowtail and a bunch of other treats. He gave me a toro and scallion roll as an "intermission". He gave me a sea urchin "cigar" which may have been one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten. Sensing that he could really let loose with his offerings to me, he treated me to a few exotic items. Red clam (delicious), some part of a squid served with shiso leaf (beyond delicious, with that perfectly clean, ocean-y flavor), and scallop liver (that one was a bit of a challenge).

Beyond the pristine fish, there were a couple of other reasons why I will be dreaming about Sushi Yasuda for the foreseeable future. First is the rice. I have never tasted sushi rice like Yasuda makes. Perfect temperature, perfect texture, the right amount of vinegar and an indescribable mouth-feel. Yasuda prefers to serve sushi over sashimi, and after tasting his rice I don't question this preference.

He also truly customizes the meal for the diner. And I don't just mean food preferences. An example...For my first piece he gave me one type of otoro sushi. Wanting to savor the piece, I ate it in two bites. Yasuda watched me and then told me that the experience would be better if I ate the whole piece in one bite (something about keeping the rice and fish together, not breaking up grains, I'm not 100% sure). He then offered to make my pieces just a bit smaller to make this easier. I agreed and every piece that came out from then until the end of the meal was just perfectly sized.

Finally, there is Yasuda himself. He's a fantastic guy. Willing to teach but also willing to joke around with those seated around him. The funniest part of the meal came when he served me the scallop liver. I was seated next to to ladies who, had they been in Chicago, were perfect examples of Trixies. Upon placing the rather odd looking bite in front of me the two Trixies looked over and cautiously asked Yasuda what it was. Without missing a beat he replied in a deadpan, "scallop testicles". Needless to say, they were horrified. I decided to play along and told them "makes you strong", which horrified them even more and made Yasuda just about lose it. He then told them he was kidding and then scallops don't actually have testicles.

Overall, clearly the best sushi experience I've ever had. Honestly, I don't see how anywhere in Chicago can even hope to touch this place.

Final bill for all the food and about 8oz of sake was $125 after tax but before tip. Given the quality of the food and the overall experience, I'd call it a bargain.

I couldn't agree more. My first time at Yasuda was one of the top 3 meals of my life. Worth noting: I have a friend who is a fish wholesaler in NYC who told me that Yasuda gets the best fish in town, period.

Funny, I just started reading about Yasuda a few days ago, whilst doing some restaurant handicapping in prep for a family trip in August to midtown Manhattan.

I think we're going to do lunch instead, and put ourselves in Chef's hands.

I consistently recommend Sushi Yasuda to friends and co-workers who are planning trips to NY. There are a lot of places I love in NY, but SY is the only place that I refuse to skip during my trips.

I label it as the restaurant that changed the way I think about sushi.

There's a little more about it (with photos) halfway down the first post in this thread and GAF posted his impressions here.

Best,
Michael

Jesteinf,

You captured Yasuda so well. What I like best about the place -- no gimmicks and no attitude. Like you, I think it's the best sushi rice I've ever eaten, and it's a key part of the appeal of the sushi.

I had another sushi recalibration exercise last week at Yasuda. Once again, it was another near religious experience.

Sitting at the gorgeous sushi bar, being fed one piece at a time until I said uncle, fish so fresh and bright tasting it almost brings a tear to your eye...there simply isn't anything even close to this experience in Chicago.

It's almost silly to pick standouts since everything is so good, but the uni and the squid I had at Yasuda on Friday night were probably the best examples of each that I've ever had. The uni was from Santa Barbara and the taste was perfectly balanced between "ocean" and "butter". The piece is dressed with just a bit of sea salt, which acts as a much better compliment to the sea urchin than soy sauce. The squid was insanely tender and just a little bit sweet. I've never had raw squid that wasn't at least a little bit chewy, but Yasuda does something to tenderize their squid that transforms what can be mundane into something transcendent.

We didn't get to sit in front of Yasuda, but the chef we did sit in front of was almost as engaging. He lived in Chicago for several years and his son is currently a chef here. When he comes to visit his son, he brings him one thing...fish.

Honestly, I don't see how anywhere in Chicago can even hope to touch this place.

I agree ... but that's no knock on Chicago. I've had a few meals at Yasuda that have surpassed the best omakase experiences I've had in Tokyo.

Green Tea Dusted Tempura Shrimp at Sushi Yasuda with sea salt. Of course we ate the heads.

This was one of the best things I ate on my recent New York trip. SY has a pretty decent lunch deal and is very crowded during the middle of the day.

Uni was also very good on my visit as well. We had the good fortune to sit in front of Yasuda himself. I asked if the uni was fresh and he replied "Always." Although he went on to say that the he found the quality of the American uni he gets to be very fresh and very consistent.

My wife and I ate at Yasuda nearly 2 years ago. We had an spectacular meal. I don't have much to add to the solid write ups above. We had an amazing appetizer: fried sea eel backbones. They were not surprisingly crispy and tasted of the sea.

If they're on the menu when you go, give 'em a try.

Ugh....have said this before and will say it again. Sushi Sono in Columbia Maryland is pretty much on par with Yasuda at roughly a fifth of the price.

I have no idea why Sono doesn't get the credit it deserves, but I will continue to post about it until Chef King is rated up there with Yasuda.

See here:

http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?sh ... ntry130708

Why "ugh"? Can't people appreciate Sushi Yasuda without recognizing Sushi Sono's putative greatness?

thomasec wrote:I have no idea why Sono doesn't get the credit it deserves

My guess is because it's in Columbia, MD.

It's 20 miles from Baltimore and 35 miles from DC, which would be considered too out of my way if I was visiting either city (especially if I didn't have a rental car). Sushi Yasuda, on the other hand, is conveniently located in midtown Manhattan, which is someplace where people are much, much more likely to find themselves.

thomasec wrote:I will continue to post about it until Chef King is rated up there with Yasuda.

I for one encourage you to do so...but next time please include details and, if possible, pictures.

Khaopaat wrote:

thomasec wrote:I have no idea why Sono doesn't get the credit it deserves

My guess is because it's in Columbia, MD.

It's 20 miles from Baltimore and 35 miles from DC, which would be considered too out of my way if I was visiting either city (especially if I didn't have a rental car). Sushi Yasuda, on the other hand, is conveniently located in midtown Manhattan, which is someplace where people are much, much more likely to find themselves.

thomasec wrote:I will continue to post about it until Chef King is rated up there with Yasuda.

I for one encourage you to do so...but next time please include details and, if possible, pictures.

Pictures like this?

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=272261#p272261

I eat here fairly often, which is surprisingly easy mid-week if one walks in solo or or with a single dining companion to sit at the bar. Anyway, yesterday I had the stout, older sushi chef all to myself and got to talking. The guy, while clearly from Japan, considers himself a Chicagoan. He tells me he owned a very popular business-lunch oriented Japanese restaurant for 16 years on East Wacker, mostly during the 80's. I'm sorry that noise, my schedule and his accent prevented me from catching either his name or the name of his place. His pick in Chicago would be Katsu, by the way, which he was happy to hear is going strong.

I'm certain Rene or someone will know the man and his place immediately. I thought it was deliciously ironic that a tremendously skilled chef at the (somewhat) LTH-idolized Midtown sushi temple is a Chicago guy.

JeffB wrote:I eat here fairly often, which is surprisingly easy mid-week if one walks in solo or or with a single dining companion to sit at the bar. Anyway, yesterday I had the stout, older sushi chef all to myself and got to talking. The guy, while clearly from Japan, considers himself a Chicagoan. He tells me he owned a very popular business-lunch oriented Japanese restaurant for 16 years on East Wacker, mostly during the 80's. I'm sorry that noise, my schedule and his accent prevented me from catching either his name or the name of his place. His pick in Chicago would be Katsu, by the way, which he was happy to hear is going strong.

I'm certain Rene or someone will know the man and his place immediately. I thought it was deliciously ironic that a tremendously skilled chef at the (somewhat) LTH-idolized Midtown sushi temple is a Chicago guy.

As the Stanley Brothers asked, "would you mind if I asked myself a question and then answered it?"

Kiyoshi Okuno

I suppose his Chicago place was called Kiyoshi

I LOVE Sushi Yasuda; its fantastic. Only problem is that when I've sometimes asked for a reservation, they do that "Yes, but you have to be gone by such and such time." As someone who enjoys fine dining, I have respectfully declined as I don't want to feel rushed. But without that restriction, it is heaven.

I think they always want you out in something like 90 mins. (Maybe less time if they are "squeezing you in?) Sitting at the bar, having one of the pros asking what you want and making it for you on the spot, it would be hard to actually eat for 90 mins. I tried. You get an amuse and drink order within 90 seconds of sitting down. They are efficient, for sure.

Eater NY confirms the rumor that Yasuda is heading back to Japan.

The chef is reportedly leaving to open up an eight seat sushi bar. He'll be around for a few weeks before heading to Japan, and then he'll be back in New York in at the beginning of next year before leaving for good, a restaurant worker says, in either late January or early February.

It will be interesting to see how the restaurant does without his day to day involvement. I've had one meal there in front of someone other than Yasdua and it was still excellent. Still, without him selecting fish and overseeing the day to day operations it won't be the same.