Hatsuhana – Touching Base
Like so many things Japanese, Sushi is something intrinsically simple yet capable of incredible complexity. Hatsuhana dedicates itself to the preservation of the integrity of its cuisine, finding itself above and beyond the frills of fusion. For some who like better to live on the edge, whether good or bad, this may not be the place for your next venture. However, sushi is something that you should touch base with—reminiscence the subtle taste of tradition.
A Classic Scene
Hatsuhana’s menu presents to New York time-tasted quality. Most of the items are standard and should be nothing new to the average New Yorker, but as they themselves say, excellence and obsession to detail is the norm, not some sort of farfetched goal. That honored sense of trust prized by old-school chefs and diners of Japan is safety intact and transferred here, where though there is no omakase, you know you are in good hands. I personally knew when I saw a big box come my way.
Some dream of a better tomorrow, others for Prada bags, I dream of nine partitioned grids of quality sushi.
While the opening chawanmushi was a little on the expensive side (roughly $1 per bite of egg) and the sashimi tower was a little too teasing of an amuse-bouch, the Box of Dreams was more than satisfying.
Truly Expensive Egg
3 mountains of delicious
The Box of Dreams
Across the board, the sushi and sashimi of the meal were fresh, generous, and not tiresome in the least. The salmon too, a good choice in the chilly months of winter, was juicy and perfectly seasoned.
Sushi Deluxe
Sashimi (non-deluxe)
Dessert was not as exciting as the rest of the meal, but still not to be overlooked. In whatever cuisine I’m lucky enough to sample, not having a finishing course is like not putting a period at the end of the sentence. Their homemade sesame ice cream—topped off with a sort of sweet ginger paste–was quite memorable. Don’t be put off by the paste, I usually think that ginger should have nothing to do with my sugary treats, but in this case it was a good companion flavor. The little accompanying pickled plum was cute, but overshadowed for the most part.
bit of sweets
Hatsuhana is definitely a comfortable place to dine in. As is the signature of upscale Japanese restaurants, servers are respectful (at least on the outside) and have an overall friendly aura. Simple but old-style furnishing gives it a feeling of tradition, but far enough from it to make even the tourist feel welcomed.
Go play some culinary tic-tac-toe, but check your bank balance before you order boxes for the table. Each game of hugs and kisses will run you $40, so watch out.
Jessie
17 E 48TH St Ste 1
New York, NY 10017-1010
Rating: 
September 17th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
[...] however, the true classics always stay the course. Traditional Japanese sushi restaurants such as Hatsuhana remained unfazed by the glitzy glamor of house-music, Peruvian flavors and fancy sake-tinis, and [...]