Sushi Azabu - New York City

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm not one to turn down sushi. So, to think that I haven't blogged about one sushi restaurant since I've started writing is a little surprising. But at last, I've made my way beneath the busy streets of TriBeCa to Sushi Azabu. Once you find the subterranean destination the meal you'll enjoy is authentically Japanese. Although sushi may appear simple, it requires a complex set of skills. To give you an example, in Japan, training sushi chefs dedicate years to mastering the craft of cooking rice before they even handle a piece of fresh fish. The Japanese take this beautiful art very seriously and evidently so does Azabu having been awarded one Michelin star for the last six years in a row. Sitting in this particular basement you'll think you were transported to Japan as the tiled walls & ceiling resemble a Japanese temple. Not to mention the omotenashi which make the edo-mae experience all the more genuine. Pause for Japanese 101: "Omotenashi" means the practice of selfless hospitality & attention to detail, and "edo-mae" is a combination of either fresh or cooked fish served only with vinegar seasoned cooked rice, or more commonly known as nigiri and sashimi. The sushi bar which seats only seven is where the magic happens, but if you prefer to sit at a table make a reservation early as seating in the intimate dinning room is limited to roughly 16 guests. I hope you enjoy browsing my Dined There Chef's omakase - tasting menu. 

Otoshi - Appetizer - Homemade Smoke Salmon & Fried Amberjack in Marinated Vinegar

Sashimi of Steamed Octopus, Abalone, Amberjack, Fluke, Sweet Shrimp

Tasting of Uni - Sea Urchin - From Northern Japan - left & Western Japan - right,
with crispy seaweed wrap

Grilled King Crab with Crab Miso

Chef's Tasting of Nigiri - From Top Left - Fatty Tuna, Soy Marinated Tuna, Salmon, Golden Eye Snapper, Simmered Scallop, Fluke, Salmon Roe in Crispy Seaweed, Uni in Crispy Seaweed, Salmon with Pickled Radish Roll, Tokyo Tamago - Marinated Egg, Conger Eel

Miso Soup

Lime Sorbet

Finding this unmarked location based on the address alone, walking down the dimly lit stair case and through a stainless steel door to get to this zen sushi den is just "one of those" New York moments. The freshness and quality of the fish & seafood flown in regularly from Japan will definitely give you an appreciation for this style of humble sushi preperation & presentation. For More information on Sushi Azabu visit their website www.Sushi-Azabu.com .

To make the best of your next sushi meal check out my post on How to Not Get Ripped Off at Sushi Retaurants