Behind an unmarked black door, Tsukushi 300 East 41st Street, New York, NY 10017 feels like a private dining room for Japanese business men. There are no windows, and there are no menus. You are served whatever the chef is making that day. Lon went with his friends a couple weeks back, and came home raving about the best eggplant he ever had. Since Lon isn’t such a fan of Japanese food (besides sushi), my ears perked up and I sat up like a puppy, begging to go.
We went with Sara and Nick, a little double date. It started with a bowl of edamame to share, and a cold pepper salad for each. Both were like any you’d find at Japanese restaurants across the city.
When the poached egg arrived, I got excited, always a fan of the runny yolk. I was startled with disappointment when I realized it was soaking in a cold soy bath, having sat long enough to become waxy and undesirable. The okra was a perfect al dente texture, retaining a vibrant green color.
The sashimi plate re-deemed a little, fresh and a generous tasting size.
The worst of the night was a strange tofu, with a layer that tasted peanut-y, but felt like raw goo.
The miso glazed black cod was good, in the same way almost every one is. It’s a fatty and forgiving fish that’s easy to cook, and that’s why this is on 90% of Japanese menus already. Snooze.
Our last plate was a pair of cream croquettes that worked in to the theme of average. The crunchy coating wasn’t greasy at all, but the inside looked gray and didn’t taste like much. We weren’t able to get any info from our waitress either. Nothing was described when it arrived and asking didn’t seem to get us any answers.
As we finished, I felt so disappointed, but realizing that the 7 courses comes out to roughly $50 per person (including tax and tip), it seemed reasonable. I told myself that I shouldn’t have expected so much. Yet, after all that raving from his first visit, Lon decided he wouldn’t come back after this one. Lesson learned. With an ever changing tasting menu (only), there’s going to be inconsistency, and should only be attempted by top chefs.
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Usually when doing omakasi you get a chance to tell the waiter that you dislike or have a preference for any particular item or type of fish as a guide to the chef. This sounds like the entire restaurant is eating the same thing and you had no input at all. Have a feeling this one is a pass for me. And Lon’s review of the eggplant sounded so promising, the price does too, but absolutely no say in what I’m going to eat is less exciting.
Wow, unique concept for sure! I guess it is truly hit or miss with this kind of restaurant. Too bad your experience wasn’t as good as Lon’s first one!
Barbara, having no say doesn’t usually bother me. I eat everything so I love omakase and tasting menus, because I like to taste what the chef would really like to showcase. But, it requires a talented to chef to continually impress consistently, and I think the chef here misses the mark.
Koko, yea and hit or miss is just not good enough to go to again.
Yeah, I went here before. Very underwhelmed… never went back.
The place has it’s own charm. This almost like a private restaurant where non-regulars are tolerated. Barely. Yet I find staff and chef rather nice but certainly not chummy because chef is working nonstop. The tofu-like dish that so puzzled one eater here is gomadofu. It’s made with roasted sesame or sesame paste with kudzu , a thickening natural agent. To me this is a lovely dish. A classic from shojin ryori or temple food. Large crowds would ruin the place and they are not encouraged. The omakase is a great setup for a romantic date with someone open minded. This place is a gem.