Shion 69 Leonard Street — Restaurant in New York

My fiance and I came to Shion to celebrate our anniversary.

We made reservations for the second seating at 8:30, so our start time was slightly delayed. We were seated after 9pm. We were really looking forward to this experience as we have been wanting to come here for years.

As soon as we were seated, the party next to us was having a conversation with the chef about the menu for the night and the different fish they offer throughout the year. My fiance ordered a glass of wine and I ordered tea to go along with dinner. The waitress explained to me that my order of tea came with a total of three cups.

The customers to the left and right of us ordered sake and champagne.

It was a little bit of a delay before we received our first course, so my first cup of tea was finished before we even ate. I found it strange that my cup was never refilled or that the staff didn't offer me another cup.

As the plated courses began to come out, I would strategically place my finished dish next to my empty tea cup. This happened about 4 times. I was hoping to get a refill, but again I was never poured or offered a cup. I even saw the waitresses tippy toe over to see that my cup was empty!!!!!

I watched as they refilled champagne, sake, and water for other customers.

My fiance finished her glass of wine and it wasn't until 3 courses later (with an empty glass on the table) that they offered her another drink. At this point, I had to get the waitresses attention to ask for my 2nd (out of 3) cup of tea!

My fiance and I were starving throughout the night. The party of 4 next to us was receiving additional courses compared to us (& no, this was not due to dietary restrictions). I think these additional courses overwhelmed the kitchen and chef, so the food was taking longer than expected to be served. At other places we have been, additional dishes are offered at the end, not during the omakase experience.

As the night went on, the chef started to drink with the other customers. It's great to see a chef that could interact with the customers, but it shouldn't affect the dinner. As the nigiri came out, each course would have a weaker and weaker hold on the rice. It got to the point where nigiri began to fall apart before I could get in my mouth!

A few drinks later, the chef accidentally served my fiance, SKIPPED ME, and then served the person next to me. He apologized after doing so.

Halfway through dinner, I finished my second cup of tea and was never offered or poured my last cup of tea that I paid for.

My fiance finished her second glass of wine and wasn’t offered an additional drink.

Before the last course, I got up to use the restroom. I folded my napkin into a square. I came back to my seat to see that my napkin was not refolded. I would like to make it clear that I do not NEED my napkin to be folded into some fancy triangle. This is just a point to prove that we were neglected by the staff during our time there.

We go to Omakase for the great food, the performance of the chef, the intimate experience, and the service. These expectations were not met.

We were greeted “happy anniversary” from the waitresses as we were leaving. Not in the beginning, not with a card, not with a candle…..as we were leaving.

I had to keep apologizing to my fiance that we just went on a bad night. Maybe it was the party next to us? Maybe it was the alcohol that the chef was drinking? Maybe it was just a bad night. Either way, this is not the experience we were looking forward to, and it wasn't acceptable. We will not be returning or recommending this place to our friends.

FYI: my fiance and I are experienced customers. We have dined at some of the greatest sushi restaurants in NY including Ito, Noz, Nakazawa, Yoshino, Amane,...

Our menu for the evening included the following: kue and sawara sashimi, grilled kanpachi with julienned shiso leaf, ankimo, Hokkaido hotate on nori, kegani with vinegar sauce, crispy amadai with grated daikon, a full flight of nigiri (shima aji, hirame, amaebi, hon maguro akami, chiaigishi, chutoro, aori ika, kama toro aburi, Hokkaido uni, anago, nakazumi, kamasu, kajiki), a hon maguro temaki, and a very unique custard tamago.

There is an honest simplicity with the otsumami he serves; there are only a few components for each appetizer.

A blend of non-Yokoi akazu is used as he doesn't like the dark color of the Yokoi brand. The rice is allowed to rest for approximately an hour after the akazu solution is applied to the steamed rice. I would say that the shari is somewhat stickier in the center but still has a distinctive feel of the individual grains once you start chewing the nigiri. The flavor imparts a sweet acidic flavor that is distinctive but not overly aggressive or overpowering; some may prefer this over shari that is offered at establishments like Noz and Yoshino.

I would say the personal standouts for me during the nigiri flight were the hon maguro akami, chiaigishi, kama toro aburi, and Shirokawa kajiki. Basically, all the red meat "akami" selections that were offered for the evening. They each provided distinctive umami and textures paired with the optimally warm shari. The hon maguro akami was served with an otoro paste on the underside of the neta along with the wasabi, which I found interesting and unique; a first for me personally. The kama toro aburi made the grains of the shari more individualistic and pearl-like due to the heat and melting fat of the toro. The hon maguro temaki was quite large, the biggest I've seen amongst the elite omakase experiences I've had. There are various diced cuts of the hon maguro, not only finely chopped otoro; there is also diced onion inside the temaki which provided a pungent and crisp contrast to the savory diced bluefin tuna. It probably ranks as the best temaki I've tasted, the volume and heft of it definitely added to the tasting experience.

As far as techniques are concerned, I noticed a few that should be noted.

Uino-san very carefully scored the aori ika, with a very fine crosshatch then cutting the squid slab into 3 thin strips for each neta. If a squid varietal is not thoroughly scored, it can be more difficult to chew as the texture is firmer than that of a fish. The nigiri itself was very aesthetic and pleasing to the eye. The neta of the kajiki (striped marlin) was comprised of 3 separate slabs combined into one. Scoring in general is an aspect that is very apparent in his neta; either 3 or more cuts on a bias or parallel to the length of the neta or a wider crosshatch to help with the draping of the neta over the shari. I believe this is necessary as Uino-san forms the nigiri with fewer movements than what I've seen with other itamae.

Uino-san works with intention and deep focus but is also willing to converse with his guests, even though I was the only guest during the turn that was primarily focused on his food and movements. Shion 69 firmly has its place amongst the finest omakase that New York City...

There are all other sushi restaurants, and then there is Shoji. Chef Derek Wilcox, with his extensive training in the art of kaiseki would probably even contest my categorizing his elegantly-coursed experience as a "sushi" meal - and with good reason. The Shoji meal really is so much more than that.

For context, I went to Ichimura (the Shoji owner's last project), and while the sushi was fine, it doesn't remotely compare to magic Wilcox-San weaves behind the Shoji counter. I have also been to some of the best sushi-yas in Tokyo and Shoji stands up there with them all. Chef Wilcox has access to all of the most awe-inspiring ingredients (all wild, none farmed!), with your perfect bite of kama toro and Hokkaido uni being flown literally across the world to be laid in front of you. All of the classics that are near-impossible to master have been mastered: the poaching of the octopus, the marinating of the mackerel. And then there is the variety that comes with a devotion to seasonality and an unending wellspring of creativity. The menu is never exactly the same. On my last visit, Chef was using "new crop rice," from the first rice harvest of the season, which has its own distinct flavor and texture, and the entire meal was colored by this subtle, welcome change. Course after course, piece after piece, I am always pleasantly surprised; by the composed sashimi courses paired with homemade ponzu, or a cube of perfectly steamed monkfish liver accented with and enhanced by a sliver of pickled pear.

The sushi bar environment itself is minimalistic perfection, with a surprising spaciousness that makes sitting on a stool feel somehow luxurious. And service is impeccable. The pacing of the meal is perfect, and your glass, which can be filled with some truly fascinating sakes off the well-curated menu, is never empty before you're attended to. Also, maybe I've been lucky, but I have never shared a meal at Shoji with anyone but the most interesting of neighbors - artists and impresarios, and, yes, celebrities. This is a meal you want to share with like-minded members of the HOLY-HELL-THIS-IS-AMAZING Food Appreciation Society, and in my experience Shoji's other guests have been enthusiastic members of that clan. Ultimately, if being served by one of the most creative chefs sharpening his knives on the planet in a simple-but-elegant environment means something to you, you HAVE TO go to Shoji. Now that it's been named one of the Top 10 Restaurants in NYC by the New York Times (#3!!), just cross your fingers you can actually get a...