Super (omakase)

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
May 28, 2008

KANOYAMA
157 2nd Ave
@ 11th St
New York, NY 10003
212-777-5266

Kanoyama was a bit of a mystery to me. On the corner of 11th Street and 2nd Avenue, I had walked past it a million times, never taking notice as I thought it looked like a run of the mill Westernized Japanese restaurant packed with gaijin (foreigners in Japanese). But the reviews of the restaurant are consistently good so I decided to try it to see if it was as fake a Japanese restaurant as Japonica is. I ordered the omakase sushi set; large pieces of the most generic nigirizushi were served on a platter, along with miso soup and ice cream for dessert. This was “American sushi” and I was not impressed. I was also horrified by some of the large spicy handrolls that were being sent to tables from the sushi bar. Good fish doesn’t get chopped up to bits and obliterated by spicy sauces. If a sushi restaurant serves spicy tuna and other foreign inventions that are blasphemous to traditionalists, I run for the exit.

But when my sushi fanatic friend Jennie, who eats sushi at least three times a week and knows her fish, started frequenting the place and swore by it, I knew there had to be something I was missing. So I tried again. This time I ordered individual onigiri sushi from the daily specials menu, many of them priced at $8 to $12 a piece. The variety and quality of fish was good, but by the end of my meal, I still felt like I had had a mediocre experience for a very hefty price tag. And then Jennie told me the secret. You have to sit at the sushi bar and order the “super omakase,” in which chef owner Nobuyuki Shikanai composes the menu for you and hands you your sushi piece by piece.

Well then, I’d give it another try. While checking Kanoyama’s website for their phone number, I learned that they have a very comprehensive site, including fish facts, a great educational overview. I also found an FAQ entry that explains the different levels of omakase they serve. “Super omakase” is basically traditional omakase where you leave yourself in the hands of the sushi chef. The last sentence reads “with no price limit.” This was a bit daunting, and indeed, the first time I tried the super omakase, the tab came to around $150 a person. But I was blown away! This was the real deal. Chef Shikanai’s sushi creations were delicate and delicious. It was no longer just a myth.

Having returned several times now, I’ve learned how it works best. The super omakase is not just sushi but a combination of chef-chosen dishes from the kitchen and can include both sashimi and sushi. I usually do ask for both as, in my experience, ordering sashimi seems to bring the price down a little as, by the time I’m done with the sashimi, I’m halfway full. But it really depends on what’s good that day and how much it costs, hence “no limit.” Also, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays are good as there’s fish coming directly from Japan on those days.

I know we are talking sushi here, but I must point out that the seasonal vegetable tempura selection for the spring was amazing and can’t be found anywhere else. On my last visit, I tasted the beautifully opulent angelica flower. It was bitter but paired well with fish. This was served between the sashimi and sushi courses, perfectly balancing the meal. But it’s out of season now, so I’ll have to wait until next year to taste it again. Until then, I look forward to whatever the chef sends my way in its place.

Dessert, which is complimentary with the super omakase, is a choice of chocolate soufflé, grilled banana, or ice cream (the first two are served with ice cream as well). The grilled banana, as simple as it sounds, is a lovely way to end dinner. Once flambéed, the rum evaporates and the caramelized banana is soft and sweet, and it’s a nice complement to the accompanying vanilla ice cream, or your companion’s chocolate soufflé.

Chef Shikanai looks young and is extremely congenial, which adds to the whole experience. Apart from the seven-seated sushi bar, the restaurant caters to those who like American sushi. But business is business, and as long as I know where to find good sushi, I don’t care what others are eating. And there’s no doubt that Kanoyama is bustling night after night, so their balancing act seems to be the secret to success.

Also in East Village, Japanese, Seafood, Sushi