I have been wanting to try out this sushi spot for a while, we finally got to go during lunch time. They do not take reservation, which makes it a bit difficult, especially since this is a popular spot. We got there after the lunch rush, so we didn’t have to wait too long before we got a table.

Even though it was after the lunch rush, it was still very busy! Most of the tables were occupied, we were very lucky to get a table quickly. The restaurant is long and a bit narrow, with front wall covered by large windows. The natural light comes in from the front, but they don’t have any windows on the side, so they need additional help from light fixtures.

The entrance area is very small, not much space for customers to wait for their table. BUT, they do have a waiting area right upstairs, which is great. They had some benches and chairs, enough for a big groups of people.

 

And this is also where their bathroom is located. Between the two lounge sections, they have uni-sex bathrooms.

 

The interesting thing about their bathroom is that they are equipped with toilet and urinal. I don’t see this kind of setup very often… And then the sink had an interesting sign above their soap dispensers. They had two kinds of soaps, one unscented, and the other one scented. It was indicated to use unscented for before eating, so that the scent does not interfere with the food that you are eating. Clever and considerate. And yet, you want to erase the scent of food with scented soap after eating, so having both options are great.

As for food, we were interested in their Omakase menu. They have three kinds of Omakase, and we went with the middle one called “Trust Me” ($33/person). This one is eight-course meal, most of them sushi pieces. The first item was Organic Edamame. They had a slight amount of salt, not too much to make it too salty. It was like a nice pallet cleanser to start the meal.

The second course was Tuna Sashimi. It was a small amount but very fresh and high quality, not fishy at all. The texture was firm and therefore satisfying.

Next up was Albacore Sushi (2-pc) and Salmon Sushi (2-pc). It was interesting how they were placed on the plate. These sushi pieces are not very friendly with each other… Maybe they kept them apart so that there is no contamination of scent and flavor?

Salmon was really nice, it just melt in your mouth. So decadent and again, very fresh and not fishy at all. We were informed by our server that if a sushi piece has some kind of sauce already on it, then to please eat as is. If there is no sauce on it, then to add a bit of soy sauce. Good recommendation. Also, they gave us wasabi that looked and tasted like a freshly grated wasabi, not some “fake” or quick-made wasabi, which was really nice.

Albacore sushi was like butter. I don’t know how in the world they turned simple sushi into such magical and sexy sushi! It had its special sauce on top, and it was all that it needed. The flavor was great, definitely a symphony in my mouth.

Then, we received Yellowtail Sushi (1-pc) and Sea Bass Sushi (1-pc). Yes, I wanted more than just one piece each…but hey, we were there for the quality, not quantity.

Yellowtail was really nice, it was again just melt in your mouth… The only issue I had which can be said to all of the other nigiri sushi is that the rice was not tightly squeezed together, so they kind of fell apart a bit too easily. This made it a challenge for us to eat the sushi before they fell apart.

Sea bass had a really nice ponzu flavored sauce on it, which was very tasty. It was more meaty with firmer texture.

With that, it concluded nigiri sushi, and went into hand roll sushi. The first hand roll was Toro Hand Roll. The toro was almost creamy, melt in your mouth. I know I said that about a few other ones, but seriously, they somehow change the sushi into something magical… This hand roll is an item that needs to be eaten immediately, so that the texture, temperature and quality stays at the most optimum point. And therefore, the staff will bring this piece to you as soon as one is made. So, you might not get more than one piece at a time to your table. Don’t wait, just dig in!

The last course of Trust Me Omakase menu was Blue Crab Hand Roll. It had full of crab meat! The crab was creamy with some kind of mayo? It was almost like a crab salad, but made with 100% real crab. Yum!

After we finished the Omakase, my hubby was still just a little hungry, so we added one cut roll to the order. One cut roll has eight pieces, but we wanted more than one kind of cut roll without putting two orders. Well, guess what? They offer Split Cut Roll (4-pc. each)! Yes! So we ordered Bay Scallop and Yellowtail.

Bay scallops were great, they were plump yet creamy, and you know what…melt in your mouth! It had nice flavoring, and high quality, with nice texture.

Yellowtail was as good as we wanted it to be. I was expecting a solid yellowtail, but it was more creamy, which was just fine. And you already know, they melt in your mouth too! The the only problem with them melting in my mouth is that they disappear too quickly, I wanted to have a huge plateful of their sushi items!

The service was really great, polite and friendly. They gave us good information on the menu and dishes with a warm smile. And what is most surprising, they have NO tipping policy! The hospitality is included in the price, and yet, the service level is great. We had a really nice lunch here, my expectation was high and they did not disappoint. I will definitely go back again for more delicious sushi that melt in my mouth!

 

SUGARFISH by Sushi Nozawa – 33 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003