Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar — Restaurant in New York

Updated as of 11/03/2018:

The late Toshio passed away leaving his legacy of innovative Sushi. I have been to multiple top notch omakase in NYC and keep coming back to Tanoshi because of the quality and execution. The torch has been passed on to a new head chef who has taken Tanoshi to new heights. I was pleasantly surprised that the omakase took a step back and went towards more of a traditional route. I enjoyed it but remember how far Toshio took his sushi to bring more umami flavor into his creations. As unfortunate as it is, I am able to appreciate his work and groundwork that he laid after his passing.

OLD REVIEW

Where to start. Toshio Sans orchestra of sushi is contemporary while staying true to his beliefs.

His beliefs and philosophy of sushi is the following: Loosely formed sushi - philosophy based off that the moment rice and fish enters your mouth, the ratio of rice flavors burst to until your palate. Edo-mae style fresh cured fish - traditional curing method in which the sushi is slightly saltier and/or sweeter.

Memorable sushi in no particular order and alot are missing. The balance of fish, rice and seasoning illustrates Toshi Sans ability to create new variations season to season

Salted sebring - opens your palates with the saltiness. Shocks your palate for the beginning of the parade

Scallop - super soft silky. The crunchy texture on top really gives it a nice texture and salty flavor

Tuna - has both lean on top and fatty tuna underneath. Really gives you a balanced feel of the fish

Flounder cured in kelp - flounder is a clean white fish which kelp adds a sea flavor

Fried makeral - super fatty with the fried oil adding a nutty flavor. Priscilla leaves hold the fatty overload

Big eye tuna - leaner but still super flavorful. Slightly stronger in flavor compared to tuna above

King salmon - fatty but yet a nice salty cured. The fattiness is really captured by the seasoned rice

Miso cured black sable - deep, flavorful, and light. The deep miso adds a sweetness to the fish

Botan shrimp - botan shrimp topped in uni rice. Personally this outshined alot of the other dishes. Deep in rice flavor with the uni mixed in. The sweet shrimp really adds a silky flavor and draws the uni rice creaminess

Mackeral - nice gamey taste of mackeral. Cured well and really is balanced by the rice

Uni - Nice creamy uni with egg and salty fish roe. Really well balanced

Otoro - I was suprised how low fat this was compared to others I have had in the past. I don't like to compare restaurants as perspective is what your paying for.

Crab brain - super crabby and creamy

If your going to drink anything. Drink the sake I took a picture of. Floral smooth and clean for something like sushi . Beer is heavy and has too much flavors which will ruin the sushi experience for the most...

A bit late in reviewing. There weren't any issues getting a reservation the day of, on a weekday for one of 3 evening omakase services last time. When you walk in, they ask if you have any allergies or any other preferences. The sushi bar is narrow and you sit very close to other patrons almost rubbing elbows. If you brought a wine or sake, they will give you an ice bucket and glasses for it (as they are BYOB). Otherwise, there's only water. There are an assortment of 3 appetizers hand written posted on the wall as well as the options for the a la carte menu that they will ask you if you want to add on at the end.

The omakase service was lovely. The individual sushi chef that will take care of you and possible only one other guest personally will prepare sushi at your pace carefully crafting each one and describing the pieces served one at a time. I believe they also have a focus on sustainable fish so that was a plus. The sushi was fresh and perfectly seasoned. Each piece was tender and melts in your mouth. They were also a good single bite size as it should be.

The omakase ($70) included a small starter, 10 pieces of fresh sushi, assorted rolls (3), a hand roll, and a mini Miso soup to finish.

Tamago starter 1 - Fluke cured with Kelp 2 - Lightly Seared New Zealand King Salmon 3 - Big Eye Tuna from Ecuador with Yuzu Miso 4 - Amberjack from Hawaii with Marinated Cherry Blossom Leaf 5 - Wild Albacore Tuna with Pickled Kelp 6 - Miso Cured Black Sable from Nova Scotia 7 - Poached Hokkaido Scallop with Yuzu Juice and Rock Salt 8 - Marinated Salmon Roe from Alaska 9 - Sea Urchin from Maine 10 - Salt Water Eel from Tokyo Bay Three rolled sushi Big Eye Tuna, Albacore Tuna, King Salmon pieces Spicy Albacore Tuna hand roll Mini Miso soup A la carte - Botan (Sweet Shrimp) topped with Uni

Some of the standout pieces for me were: The Amberjack with Marinated Cherry Blossom leaf which you were supposed to smell the leaf, eat the sushi, then eat the leaf. The Poached Hokkaido Scallop was so tender and sweet with the yuzu brightening up the taste buds and the carefully placed rock salt bringing out the delicate flavors. The a la carte Botan (large sweet shrimp) with lots of Sea Urchin on top was killer. $10 add on for this piece which is reasonable.

Some of the misses were: The Alaskan Salmon Roe was served a bit too cold so that piece was kind of a shock to the senses. Too much Albacore tuna. It was in sushi form, the roll, and the hand roll. While the sushi piece was fine and unique with the pickled kelp, having the big hand roll right after having the roll of the same thing in that position of the course seemed a bit repetitive.

Overall a great experience and a good value. Friendly service and...

Oh Tanoshi, this time you really let me down. I was hoping that I will be head over heels for you again but nah --- you fell so far and short from "the ideal"... And of course I have all the right to speak off the ideal: Even though the establishment looks laid back (which is one of the great features that I like very much), the bill certainly compares to what one would be paying for very, very high end sushi in Tokyo.

Don't get me wrong: The quality of the fish was impeccable as usual (the bluefin tuna was a marvel), the rice was simply perfect, as it should be. And perhaps Chef Toshio was just having a bad day, or perhaps he is just a bit too fond of yuzu: All the white fish (easily a third of the menu) they served was marinated by yuzu and they tasted quite identical. I also have a weak spot for yuzu but then, I certainly did not expect to have a wild yuzu splash on my face, dominating every other flavor.

There was almost nothing to be surprised about (which is OK, for the chef claims to serve traditional Edo-mae style sushi) except perhaps the uni-ika-uzuri tamago combo (but that one was way too gigantic for a mouthful, again leaving much to be desired). But the massive blow came at the very end: Upon the closure of the omakase, I asked for a piece of kohada. The server said they didn't have it that night -- but as I was departing, I saw that they actually did have! I asked Chef to confirm, and he said they indeed had. It might be that I'm utterly unforgiving when it comes to my kohada, but seriously, if anything on this planet can go black or white, it's your sushi experience: There's no room for gray when it comes to sushi, it's either perfection or a failure. My kohada obsession aside, all this once again brings on the question (that I ask about almost all high end sushi bars in NYC): What is the purpose of having a waiter/waitress collecting my order -- while seated at the sushi bar? I will guess that it's only to remind the customers of their presence so that the customers feel that the expected tip is just fair, rather than to help them enhance the experience.

I guess this is also a farewell letter, Chef Toshio: There were times I had enjoyed your sushi, but I think I am far too disappointed to give you...