One of the highlights of our trip was a reservation my sister managed to score at Yasuda, perhaps best known for having been featured by Anthony Bourdain. They asked if we wouldn’t mind squeezing into space usually reserved for just two chairs. Of course, we didn’t mind at all.
Yasuda-san is known for his unique approach to sushi: he was happy to share his thoughts, including the fact that the freshest fish doesn’t necessarily make the best sushi (or that Blimpie is his favorite place to eat in NYC) while he served up his signature nigiri. A bit more square than rectangular in shape, each piece was perfectly constructed with perhaps a touch more rice and a touch less fish than you’d expect in a New York sushi bar.
“For most people sushi is fish,” he told us in the practiced tone of someone for whom truth has become aphorism. “For me, sushi is rice.”
No complaints here.
Our omakase meal began wit pink sea bass. Simple, buttery, and rich, it was the perfect place to start.
Next, we were served sea bream, which got a touch of brightness from some yuzu.
We then moved on to melt-in-your-mouth toro which got its texture, he explained, thanks to his technique of removing the membranes between the layers of flesh. My brother perhaps described the experience of eating this best when he quipped, “I’ll never eat beef again.”
Our next nigiri was scallop topped with a touch of flaked sea salt and just the right amount of wasabi. This was not the only piece of the evening that Yasuda-san chose to season with volcanic Hawaiian salt in place of soy sauce, and in the case of the sweet scallop, it was a great choice.
Next, we enjoyed yellowtail – a common sushi fish in the U.S. that’s almost always served with scallion. While I love the combination, enjoying it alone allowed the flavor of this fish to shine through: it was mild, yes, but also had a butteriness and surprising sweetness to it.
This flavor continued with our next piece – an ultra-soft, slightly briny sea urchin with an aromatic, tropical fruit flavor to it.
Cooked shrimp was next – a choice I could tell Yasuda-san almost wanted us to be disappointed with. He grinned as he told us that shrimp usually tastes like soy sauce; his nigiri instead tasted of the sea and a touch of salt.
Please forgive this out-of-focus picture of bluefin tuna that – no joke – came from New England. Yasuda-san explained to us that while many people assume that Japanese bluefin is the best in the world, “Tuna doesn’t have a passport” and can go wherever it likes. He often sources his from Long Island or New England, and if the piece we had was any indication, I can see why.
Our next piece was topped with tons of tiny, briny, raw sweet shrimp sprinkled with flakes of sea salt. I never knew before going to Japan how much I love the rich flavor and almost creamy texture of a well-prepared piece of sweet shrimp nigiri; now I’m going to seek it out.
A salmon duo was next. First Cojo…
… then King. This was the best salmon sushi we enjoyed in Japan, where salmon, contrary to what you find in the West, is not the top choice for sushi. It was almost creamy in texture and super rich.
Next we enjoyed our second sea urchin of the night, as different in color as it was in flavor. Dark brown, rich, and buttery almost to the point of being lactic, it had less pungency than the first urchin we tried.
Toro part two came next, with a more toothsome chew than the buttery version we tried at the beginning of our omakase.
Next up: a snappy, briny orange clam.
Ultra-tender mackerel followed, with a prominent but not unpleasant fishy flavor.
The albacore that came next was so tender it almost melted away entirely as I chewed.
House-pickled salmon ikura followed, wrapped in the best nori I’ve ever tried.
Mini scallions offered a slight vegetal note.
This totally fresh take on eel (for me) combined the flaky, tender, fatty fish with a sauce that was only slightly sweet and a fresh squeeze of lemon. It made me realize how overpowering eel sauce usually is, despite it being one of my favorite pieces.
The chef’s special roll – toro and scallion – concluded the omakase.
Of course… we couldn’t help adding on a few more pieces. Black sea bream…
…sweet shrimp…
… and marbled toro.
This meal – and the experience of chatting with Yasuda-san – were well worth the hefty pricetag.
Yasuda – 4 Chome-2-6 Minamiaoyama