Ekinacea-Take One Everyday

In New York for those who live here sushi often comes as an evening or lunch delivery delight. If always hungry for me, the sushi in the box at first looks as if it will not be enough but after two rolls, the third seems like pushing it but you go for it. Personally I love a good spicy tuna and an eel avocado  I also try new rolls here and there. Now this is no comprehensive list but my journey with sushi ever since I lived here. 

When I first moved to New York -- I lived on the street of a famous sushi restaurnt: Tomoe. For the year I lived there Tomoe never lacked the lines. I went once or twice. Back then sushi was not a necessity of weekly eating and I was not a sushi connoisseur by any means. Tomoe, located in Soho, is famous for its fish so do not expect fancy rolls. The sushi resembles the sushi in Jiro -- the documentary. So good sushi but did not turn me into the sushi-fan that I am today. 

Instead it was Marumi that introduced me to the sushi culture. A small joint located in between Soho and Union Square, right by NYU -- the school I was going at the time,  Marumi is that neighborhood joint.  It is the Greenwich Village joint that plays nice jazz in the background-- always busy. You go in and its consistent. Their sushi rolls are to die for-- particularly the spicy tuna. A must also is the spicy sashimi salad and the lunch bento box. If I am not in the mood for sushi ( sometimes I will have it 3 days in a row and will need a day of) then I either go for Chirashi (sushi rice topped with fish eggs and sashmini) or the rice topped with Eel (Unagi Don). I have been there for random lunches and dinner for the past 10 years. I am yet to be disappointed.

My friends and I will go to Takahachi on 6th and Avenue A. It is a crowd favorite. It is also small. There you can indulge not just in the sushi but all the appetizers they have. The tuna tartar is amazing for example so are the salmon gyoza. Sushi rolls - creative and classic- are also good. The atmosphere is pleasant. They also have a branch in Tribeca but it attracts the banker crowd who live by there-- the Tribe outpost due that is too stuffy. 

Last but not least is Hibino-- for Hibino you have to trek to Cobble Hill- Brooklyn but it is worth the visit. This is not just neighborhood sushi restaurant. It is my favorite sushi restaurant. My bi-weekly visits leave me full and happy and when leaving with happy thoughts of my return. The atmosphere unassuming but perfect. A soft jazz playing in the background, the long sushi bar you can watch, the place is for fanatics like myself. I see people like myself who come there all the time. There are so many good things about it--(1) Obonzai--- the Japanese tapas like small dishes that changes everyday. They are made with seasonal ingredients I am yet to have a repeat. (2) the Sushi---- the Kyoto style pressed sushi is to die for--- so are the spicy tuna-- I love the pressed sushi with tuna and mackerel. (3) the place in general - is what an ideal restaurant should be -- has its own identity, has a small twist, consistenly good. If one restaurant could be our home, this is where I would stay.