Rosella — Restaurant in New York

Finally after walking by so many times (I live down the street) I was able to slip in last minute for a Friday night dinner with my parents who were in town visiting. My mom had mentioned several times how much she wanted to try Rosella and we were able to snag a last minute bar seating for the three of us. Just by quickly observing, you could tell what an amazing flow this staff has together- everything is clean, perfect volume of music was going, everyone was warm, welcoming, and the space is really cozy and feels intimate and cool without being pretentious or relaxed. Celia was incredibly kind to us as we were squeezed in for a quick dinner in between another reservation- but never once made us feel hurried or rushed.

We came for light bites as we have been eating our way through Manhattan and have been in a week long food coma- this was the perfect night for Rosella. The miso soup made with farro was creamy and layered with flavor and such a cozy way to start our meal, we had the salmon avocado roll and spicy tuna both were absolutely phenomenal -my dad had the fish slider and loved it- he’s usually a very harsh critic so we were relieved he had the same experience we did.. Celia brought over the most incredible endive salad since she said we ordered “light” and we all agreed it was by far the best salad we’ve yet to have in New York. As a California native who has been here for almost 7 years constantly hunting for an amazing salad that ticks off the boxes- this one hit. The dressing I can’t even describe was punchy and fresh but still light- the crunchy endive and the amazing shiso leaves …I will be dreaming about that salad. We also had to order the coconut sorbet - which was dressed with basil oil and quite simply blew my mind. I used to have many ideas of what my last meal dessert would be but all of that is out the window with this sorbet. Wow is all I have to say. Celia yet again surprised us with another treat- the carrot cake- which was an absolute joy visually with the matching confetti plate, incredible edible flowers, and the perfect not to sweet frosting. The only negative thing is I live two blocks away and work 4 blocks away so it will take a lot of self control to not come every single day.

Seriously between the amazingly warm staff who took such great care of us and made sure we felt how special this was, to the incredible food bursting with unique and stunning flavors, to the cozy ambiance I cannot wait to be back and to tell my people how much I loved...

While I appreciate the effort put into the meal by the team at Rosella, in my opinion, it falls short.

As someone who has dined at Michelin-starred Japanese restaurants all over the world, including Yasuda, Nakazawa, Sushi Noz, Nakaji, Ginza Iwa, Shiro's Kashiba, and Sushi Sho, I know that omakase is a blind tasting menu that should showcase the chef's mastery of ingredients and flavors. Traditionally, edomae-style omakase includes a wide variety of garnishes such as finger limes, fresh yuzu, perilla leaf tempura, gold flakes, aged baby watermelon, wagyu, uni, truffle, and foie gras shavings. For seafood, one can expect abalone, horse mackerel, multiple courses of toro, baby shrimp, multiple courses of uni, octopus, razor clams, monkfish liver, and giant scallops. If you're looking for a true omakase establishment, I would suggest dining at Sushi Sho to truly understand the craft of edomae-style omakase.

In comparison to a traditional Japanese omakase, Rosella charges a similar price but features domestic and sustainable fish, like mussels, and doesn't offer expensive garnishes. However, in omakase, the sushi rice is just as important as the quality of the fish. The rice should be prepared in small batches and the composition of the rice vinegar, sugar, and premium rice used should vary based on the cut of the sushi. Unfortunately, Rosella used the same batch of sushi rice throughout the night that was lacking in sugar and contained too much rice vinegar, throwing off the balance of salt, acid, and fat. This impacted the overall taste and presentation of the pieces, with my least favorite being the Louisiana stew inspired piece.

In addition, a traditional omakase can last up to three hours, with the chef remaining at their station from beginning to end, never turning their back on the customer. At Rosella, the "master" left in the middle of making a piece of sushi for us without a word, leaving our sushi sitting on the counter for a few minutes. This felt unprofessional and made the dinner...

Rosella isn't bad. It's just vastly, vastly overpriced for semi-creative Japanese fusion. Dozens of restaurants in the city can do the same thing, and many don't charge as much as Rosella does.

This is sushi/Japanese designed for rich white people who can afford to travel to Japan but still can't tell you what omakase means, and the prices--and clientele--reflect that. Why else would Rosella charge $21 for a Spicy Tuna Roll? Six average-sized pieces containing nothing particularly unique besides avocado, jalapeno and spicy mayo. Oh, I forgot, they added an herb or something in there. I didn't realize dill now cost $21.

We let our server order for us, and he got us almost everything on the not-very-big menu, so I can say with confidence that we tried the best that Rosella had to offer. If you want sushi--whether traditional or fusion--this is NOT the place to go, as not only are the rolls overpriced, but also there are only three options in their "Little Roll" (re: teeny-tiny 6 pieces) category, and three options in their "Big Roll" (re: average-sized 6 pieces--this ain't futomaki), and none of them are that special.

You're better off trying the cold and hot dishes. I quite enjoyed the creative Ceviche, which came with scallops and kiwi, while the Crudo with monkfish liver was great. Just be prepared to fork over $23+ each for portion sizes that would be classified as snacks at other restaurants. Also, why the hell is Laksa on a Japanese fusion menu?

Rosella shines best in its desserts. The Miso Carrot Cake was moist, fragrant and beautiful to behold, while the creamy Coconut Sorbet came mixed with ginger and lemongrass with a lovely basil drizzle. Get these, whatever else you do.

Bottom line: Rosella will undoubtedly appeal to hype-following foodies who blindly spend on omakases while having no actual idea what omakase means. For true sushi, Japanese and general food aficionados, the main impression it will leave is a dent in...