Sushi Zen

108 West 44th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues
212/302.0707
$190 for two people with sake, without tip
♥ ♥ ♥

You have a favorite spot when you’re craving something and you just know that whenever you go, it would not disappoint. This is how I feel about Sushiden, my restaurant of choice when I crave sushi after having been away from the city. When the Dr. and I return from a vacation, the first full meal we eat the next day is sushi. It’s like a cleansing ritual for us; to rid off a lot of fried foods from Central America or decadent meals eaten in Europe. When we came back from Nicaragua, Sushiden was closed, but we found Sushi Zen a few blocks away.

And what a find it was. The fish of the day was a special kind of yellow snapper flown in from Japan. It tasted like Japan was only ten minutes away. It was so fresh and so buttery, I couldn’t help but order two pieces. (Which probably explains our bill at the end of the night.) The bowl of seared tuna with yuzu, sprouts and pea shoot leaves was a great indication of a great meal. The pea shoot was a little peppery and it gave a nice contrast to the citrusy flavor of the broth and highlighted the freshness of the tuna. We were impressed with the salmon tagine, which simmered only in Japanese scallion broth, some miso and hot peppers. It reminded me of Korean chigae, only more pure than any stew I’ve ever tasted. The giant clam was sliced to look like enoki mushrooms waving on my plate–tender with good texture. The jack mackerel wasn’t as oily as I expected and the kelp rolled with the fatty tuna helped me from rolling my eyes in superlative appreciation.

And Anthony Bourdain said sushi on Mondays is a bad thing!

Related post/s:
My favorite sushi place, Sushiden