Late last year, while dining with some “privileged” friends, our dinner conversation was the usual topic: the great food of New York City. Between each bite of deliciousness, we would share our experiences of trying various restaurants around Manhattan. Shortly after the appetizer, the chat turned towards seafood. Being a sushi fanatic, I admit I know little about seafood restaurants, in the traditional American sense. So when the friends talked about this “really great place every time I get a seafood craving”, I was drawn in.

“I think it’s called Le Bernadin”, she said.

Bummer. While most food lovers know about the greatness of Le Bernadin, I was hoping to be amazed by some new discovery. I was hoping that the spot to “get a seafood fix” would be fast, fun, casual, and without sommeliers who wear gold pendents around their necks. (I have much respect for Le Bernadin, but it truly is for special occasions)

I think I just found that spot. The Mermaid Oyster Bar.

The Mermaid Oyster Bar

I first found out about the Mermaid Oyster Bar last November, and immediately jotted down in my notes to visit. As someone who only started eating (and enjoying) oysters last year, I worried that I would be overwhelmed  by the oyster selection at a specialized oyster bar, and whether I will know how to truly appreciate the flavors. Oysters I believe are not unlike beer and wine, flavors that are acquired and developed through time. Am I ready?

Then the past weekend a seafood craving hit me, and we headed straight for the Mermaid Oyster Bar, conveniently located on MacDougal Street, a few blocks south from Washington Square. The restaurant felt cheerful, the bar area lively, and the staff warm and friendly.

The lively, fun, oyster bar area.

I was already quite familiar with the menu, having studied it since a few months back. I decided to split a seafood platter, and get the famous lobster sandwich.

Double Decker Goodness.

The double layer raw platter was a feast by itself. Consisting of 6 east coast oysters, 6 west coast oysters, 6 clams, a bowl of mussels, shrimp and crab legs.  I’m not going to pretend to know anything about oysters, but these tasted great. Within minutes my sister and I plowed through this edifice of seafood. In the past I’ve only shared such seafood platters with a party of 4 or more, now I finally know how satisfying to have it for two.

Then came the famous lobster sandwich, which happens to also the blue plate special (more on that later). Thick chunks of lobster meat, seasoned beautifully, sat on a buttered bun. It made me hungry just looking at it, and it tasted better than it looked. The bay fries complemented the sandwich, and was devoured in minutes.

The Blue Plate. Delicious.

Satisfied by the excellent seafood, we were about to ask for the check when the waiter explained how there is no dessert menu, so everyone gets a chocolate pudding, and a fortune telling fish. Weird combination, I know. I’m not going to explain how the fish works, go find out for yourself.

No dessert menu, none needed.

What the.....

The fish says..... You shall return!

Then we found out that the blue plate special, the lobster sandwich plus a beer, is available daily before 7PM for only $20, and the whole day on Monday. Calendar marked, I’m coming back.

I always say a meal is good when you cannot stop talking about it afterward. The next day I found myself sharing my experience with everyone in the office. Next time anyone asks me about seafood in NYC, I’ll send them to the Mermaid.

CS

Rating:  

79 MacDougal Street
New York, NY 10012-2514
(212) 260-0100

I’ll be visiting the other Mermaid locations soon, and will write a short follow up post when I do. In the meantime follow the twitter @MermaidInnNYC for exciting promotions.

March 3rd, 2010 | Tags: 4Apples, Greenwich Village, Lobster Roll, Mermaid Inn, Mermaid Oyster Bar, Oysters | Category: American, Reviews | Leave a comment

Good things are often hidden in life. In the quest to find good sushi, this is very often true.

American and Italian restaurants pride themselves in a sense of grandeur. Outside Bar Americain you’ll see the name displayed on every pane of glass, and you can easily look in at the soaring ceilings and stylish decor. Classical Japanese restaurants, on the other hand, enjoy the sense of secrecy. Many Japanese restaurants in the Land of the Rising Sun have zero signage from the outside, barely any decor on the inside, the true definition of a “hole in the wall”. If you find them, you’re in the know, and worthy of its fine creations.

Some Japanese restaurants in New York have carried over this tradition. Sushi Yasuda only shows its fish print logo on the outside, no name. Sasabune has its English name printed on something that looks like a piece of cardboard, in light letters, 15 ft from the ground. Masa, during the day, literally veils itself from the world at Time Warner Center with an heavy, seemingly immovable wooden door. Then there’s Kuruma Zushi, which I’m dying to try, tucked away in an office building in midtown.

So when I found out that Sushi Azabu, which was awarded 1 Michelin star this year, is located in a basement, I was quite intrigued. Then I found out that it’s in the basement of the Greenwich Grill, now that concerns me. Would this be classic Japanese discrete or some bastardization of cuisines. While I do trust the Michelin guide, they are famously inconsistent with Japanese food. Why Yasuda doesn’t have 3 stars is beyond my wildest imagination.

We arrived at Greenwich Street in Tribeca on a quiet Thursday evening, and walked into Greenwich Grill. Most of the employees who greeted us at the door spoke to us in Japanese, so apparently this is a Japanese operated Western restaurant, a positive sign. We were then lead forward, into a dimly lit dining area. Just as I was discussing with Jessie how this looked quite like the lighting and mood of modern Japanese restaurants (like Nobu), we took a left turn and descended into the basement.

Unassuming exterior on a quiet street.

What I saw at the bottom of the stairs brought excitement and joy. A sushi bar with about 8 seats, 3 chefs behind the counter executing their craft, and a few tables along the narrow walkway. It felt like an utopia of Japanese cuisine, intimate and authentic. We sat down at the bar, which I have to admit is a first for me.

A traditionalist will love this scene.

Sitting at the bar, we wanted to sample what the chef thought was the day’s best. So we both went with the Azabu course, at $65 each. There was a true omakase selection starting at $100, and an assortment of cheaper, a la carte menu selections. We also ordered 2 dishes off the menu, because Jessie saw a few keywords that she could not resist: uni, wagyu.

The first dish, uni served over a ripe avocado, was simple and well executed. It doesn’t seem too difficult to do, the key would be getting good uni. This was some pretty damn good uni.

I'm going to try to make this at home.

The other menu item we ordered was the Wagyu beef, which was slightly more cooked than Jessie anticipated. The choices of 4 different types of seasoning made it very unique and enjoyable.

Beautiful and delicious Wagyu beef.

With the special orders out of the way, we started the Azabu Course. The first course was sashimi, which was as fresh and delicious as they come. Then came tuna cheeks, lightly seared and dripped with a unique citrus juice.

Sashimi, the beginning of the Azabu Course

Lightly seared tuna cheeks.

After some refreshing marinated seaweed to clear the palette, the sushi began. Sitting at the bar, the pieces came one after another instead of all at once. All the pieces were pretty both visually stunning and taste near perfect. The highlights were the lightly seared scallop, and the salmon roe with citrus zest.

Refresh your tastebuds with some seaweed.

Blissful sushi.

With the egg sushi, we both thought it was over. Then the sushi master behind the countered asked if wanted a bonus piece, ANY piece. Jessie said uni, I requested the same. It was blissful.

At this point Jessie officially titled the sushi chef the “coolest man in the world”.

The Coolest Man in the World

A nice cup of miso soup with shrimp finished the dinner. Even a simple miso tasted amazing.

Delicious miso soup.

For sushi enthusiasts of New York, I definitely rank it up there among the best in the city. For once, the Michelin guide is spot on with raw Japanese fish. Don’t forget to sit at the bar, and be amazed by the cool man himself.

CS

Rating:  

428 Greenwich Street (bet.Vestry&Laight)
New York, NY 10013
(212)-274-0428

Sushi bar reservations by phone only, not online.

February 20th, 2010 | Tags: 4 Apples, Azabu, Omakase, Sushi Azabu, Tribeca | Category: Japanese | Leave a comment