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  • [soft upbeat music]

  • Herrine Ro: New York City boasts of many

  • world-famous sushi restaurants.

  • It's home to chefs whose dedication and passion

  • rival those in Japan.

  • We ordered from three famous sushi restaurants

  • to find which omakase is best in town.

  • Welcome back to "Best in Town."

  • This season, I'm super excited to bring back

  • my close friend and a member of my small social circle

  • during this pandemic, Emily Christian.

  • Emily Christian: Yay, I'm so excited to be here!

  • Herrine and I have done our research,

  • and we have selected three popular

  • omakase spots in New York,

  • which are relatively affordable,

  • since places in the city have omakase for, like,

  • $800 a person.

  • Herrine: Yeah, so "relative" is the key word here,

  • but we will see you at the first stop.

  • [soft jazz music]

  • Emily: Our first stop is Sushi Katsuei.

  • Their Park Slope location

  • is considered one of the best sushi spots in Brooklyn,

  • and the West Village location that we're at now

  • is equally as popular.

  • Herrine: They are known for their traditional-style omakase

  • that features a variety of high-quality fish.

  • We'll see you there.

  • Aung Ko Win: Face mask off? OK.

  • I started making sushi 23 years ago in Japan.

  • We specialize in, like,

  • some part in Edomae sushi

  • and some part in authentic sushi.

  • Edomae is a time period.

  • That time period is only cured fish.

  • And also with a little bit of a garnishing.

  • Not the fusion. We don't go to the fusions, no.

  • Fusion is not authentic,

  • and we don't want to use the ingredient

  • besides the Japanese ingredients.

  • The omakase's change depends on the fish

  • coming from the Toyosu Market.

  • Depends on the seasonal items.

  • The fishes that we use are 90% from Japan.

  • The fish is from Tsukiji, Toyosu Market.

  • Now we get shipment from Japan.

  • Four days we can get shipment.

  • Before we get everyday shipment.

  • For example, like, a sea urchin from Hokkaido,

  • then the anago we have coming from the Tokyo Bay.

  • [soft upbeat music]

  • The one that you have here we call open omakase.

  • Open mean, like, no limited.

  • [soft upbeat music]

  • We set the first like a starter,

  • like three kinds of sashimi and 12 pieces of sushi.

  • Herrine: Everything we've tasted so far,

  • super fresh, delicate, and, like, held back.

  • And I think the holding back takes

  • a lot more skill to execute than, like,

  • throwing a bunch of things on it, you know?

  • Emily: Because just the raw flavors really need to shock.

  • You know, you have to, like,

  • have really, really, really good fish

  • to be able to not add too much for it

  • and for it to have that complexity of flavor

  • that it is having already.

  • Since the omakase has multiple pieces,

  • we'll only be showcasing the chef's favorite,

  • the most surprising, the best overall,

  • and the ikura and the eel

  • because each place has its own take.

  • Herrine: I'm assuming that we will eat with our hands

  • and not chopsticks.

  • Aung: It's also the preference too.

  • Eating with hands more delicious.

  • Emily: Just, like, gets the food to your face faster,

  • and that's something I can really get behind.

  • Herrine: Yeah, that too.

  • And we've washed our hands.

  • Emily: Yes. Herrine: Wash your hands.

  • Of the 12 pieces, which one's your current favorite?

  • Aung: Marinated bluefin tuna.

  • Emily: Oh, this one's the specialty?

  • Aung: Yes, this is one of the

  • traditional item of the sushi.

  • Herrine: Would you say that this is like a

  • quintessential example of what Edomae

  • type of sushi is? Aung: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

  • Herrine: At other sushi restaurants

  • when you get lean tuna like this,

  • it's very irony,

  • and it doesn't have other taste outside of that.

  • This was very rich. Emily: Rich, yes.

  • Herrine: And you didn't get that irony taste.

  • Emily: Mm-hmm. It had such a savory flavor.

  • It's a really deep flavor.

  • You know, when you were eating, it was like,

  • like this, like it was like this in my mouth.

  • Herrine: We're having a lot of gestures today.

  • Emily: Well, sometimes it's just, like,

  • there are no words to describe the flavor of this.

  • The rice, when you eat it, you can taste

  • each individual grain of rice in your mouth.

  • Herrine: That's exactly what I wanted to say!

  • Emily: Wow.

  • Each little added topping is so small.

  • He put, like, two drops of something

  • or one sprig of something, and yet,

  • when you eat it, it tastes like this explosion of flavor.

  • Herrine: That's a really good point.

  • It looks so small,

  • but it really explodes in your mouth.

  • Emily: Yeah.

  • Herrine, I think we're about to have some more mackerel.

  • Aung: Nama saba. Fresh mackerel from southern part of Japan.

  • Herrine: Thank you.

  • Aung: Topping with miso vinegar and sesame seed.

  • Emily: Awesome, thank you.

  • Aung: The water is getting cold,

  • so our mackerel has a more, like,

  • fatty and richer in taste.

  • I'll be surprised if you don't care for that mackerel.

  • Herrine: I normally don't like mackerel

  • because of that, like, scent.

  • How is it that yours doesn't have that scent?

  • Like, why am I enjoying --

  • Emily: How have you done it? Herrine: Yeah.

  • Aung: Mackerel's freshness is important.

  • Shiny fish goes bad very fast.

  • Emily: This had none of that. Herrine: This is the first

  • and only time that I enjoyed mackerel.

  • And I don't think it was because they hid the scent,

  • I think it was just, like,

  • paired with flavors

  • that really complemented it. Emily: Yeah. Absolutely.

  • Herrine: For me, that's the biggest shocker.

  • Aung: It's a bluefin fatty tuna.

  • Emily: That is a hearty slab of tuna, too.

  • It's not holding back at all.

  • Herrine: What makes the otoro here special?

  • Aung: I use normally, like, a not very big one.

  • The muscles are not very strong

  • and also more, like, delicate.

  • Herrine: Oh, that's, like,

  • that's richer than butter. Emily: Mm-hmm.

  • My favorite piece is for sure the fatty tuna.

  • Not the fatty tuna, but the fattiest tuna.

  • 'Cause what we ate originally I thought was my favorite,

  • which was just a fatty tuna,

  • and this was as-fatty-as-it-comes tuna,

  • and ooh.

  • Ooh.

  • It was like eating a really good piece of chocolate

  • in the way that it was so decadent and melty.

  • Herrine: The way that he pairs different flavors,

  • it's like you're getting sweet one time

  • and spicy one time

  • and sour one time,

  • so that your mouth is constantly

  • going through a new thing each time.

  • Emily: Going on a little mouth adventure.

  • Herrine: Yes, going on a little mouth adventure.

  • This is the fresh ikura.

  • Aung: Fresh ikura.

  • Fresh ikura, it's the start of season.

  • Fresh ikura is when you open up the salmon belly.

  • Skin is different,

  • and also the texture and skin is different.

  • Herrine: That was a lot.

  • Emily: I was so excited to eat.

  • [both laugh]

  • Herrine: The fish egg membrane,

  • it's, like, so much more soft.

  • Emily: You could press the little, you know...

  • Herrine: Balls. Emily: Eggs

  • up into the roof of your mouth,

  • and they would just kind of delicately explode

  • like a little tiny water balloon, you know?

  • Herrine: Your way with words, man.

  • So, eel is one of those things that you see

  • at every omakase restaurant.

  • Emily: Yeah.

  • Herrine: But every place

  • has its own iteration of this piece.

  • Mm.

  • Emily: You know what it is?

  • It's fluffy.

  • Herrine: Mm-hmm!

  • Has a little bit of a kick.

  • Emily: And just like a little cloud,

  • like a little eel cloud.

  • And that was just different, 'cause I usually --

  • [both laugh] My word choice.

  • I liked that you could taste the eel and not just the sauce.

  • Oftentimes when I'm eating eel,

  • I'm just tasting the sauce.

  • Herrine: Yeah, and when you go to places,

  • a lot of the times,

  • eel is, like, completely drenched in sauce.

  • Emily: Right. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

  • Herrine: Just a little light little drizzle.

  • Emily: It was perfect. Again, the balance.

  • Herrine: The balance.

  • Emily: The balance is what makes it so good.

  • Herrine: I would say that

  • without all the bells and whistles,

  • this tasted the most pure.

  • Compared to the other two places that we're going to,

  • this will be the most traditional way

  • we will experience omakase.

  • Emily: From what I can tell, I love it.

  • Herrine: Thank you for making this experience so great.

  • Emily: It was delicious. Thank you.

  • Aung: Thank you for coming.

  • Emily: So, our next stop is Sushi by M.

  • Herrine: And we will be trying their omakase.

  • Emily: And what makes this place so special?

  • Herrine: So, Chef Tim is known for using, like,

  • a modern twist to his traditional omakase,

  • and he has a lot of fun with his diners.

  • Emily: Ooh, I'm excited to figure out what that means.

  • Herrine: Let's go do it.

  • [soft upbeat music]

  • Tim Lin: I have been a chef 25 years already, so.

  • Even though I look so young though.

  • I learned sushi while I was in high school over here,

  • from my sushi master.

  • So, he's from Japan, and he taught me everything.

  • I know what kind of foods, what kind of evening

  • people like in this country.

  • 70% is from Japan.

  • I do the traditional omakase,

  • but I still want to find out my own style.

  • My style, I'm like slow casual.

  • We talk, and I serve you piece by piece,

  • and we talk, we drink.

  • Both: Yes, cheers, cheers.

  • Yeah

  • Rock your body

  • Oh, yeah, yeah

  • So, my sushi master told me that

  • people spend money on the sushi

  • and that you have responsibility to people, actually.

  • So I really want people stay here, have fun,

  • and have good sushi. That's it.

  • Tim: You're gonna have a good time here.

  • Emily: We are gonna have, I can feel it already.

  • Tim: I promise.

  • Emily: We've been having a good time.

  • Herrine: We have been having a good time.

  • We've been having a grand old time.

  • Tim: Before I start making the omakase for you guys,

  • one shot. Emily: Cheers.

  • Herrine: Cheers.

  • Oh, we're doing the whole thing, OK.

  • Tim: Only the one shot though.

  • Emily: You said shot and I was,

  • I didn't register until halfway through.

  • Tim: I prefer people pick up

  • and get a piece with their fingers,

  • 'cause my sushi rice is so soft.

  • Best premier rice sushi rice from Japan.

  • Making sushi rice is so hard actually,

  • and I spent three years on that.

  • Three years on sushi rice only.

  • So I was not allowed to touch the fish.

  • Sushi rice is the key for the sushi.

  • Emily: I can really tell your rice is very distinct

  • from anything else I've ever tried.

  • It is really, really soft and plush.

  • It has, like, a pillowy texture to it

  • that just totally sets it apart

  • from any other piece of sushi I've ever had.

  • Shrimp is not always my favorite.

  • This already looks different.

  • Herrine: So, how is shrimp to you now?

  • Emily: Oh, beautiful.

  • That is beautiful.

  • It is...

  • it's plump.

  • Herrine: Compared to Sushi Katsuei,

  • I think that, there, it was like

  • you really got, like, a very distinct flavor profile,

  • in terms of the fish.

  • Here is a little bit more, like,

  • soft-spoken, demure,

  • like, delicate.

  • Tim: So, I put a salmon roe ikura.

  • Also I marinate it.

  • So, a little special sauce,

  • and also, I won't tell you. Emily: Special sauce!

  • Tim: I won't tell you.

  • Emily: I am really, really excited,

  • because you said there's yuzu in here, right?

  • Herrine: Mm-hmm.

  • Emily: Or...

  • Tim: Yes, I told you that?

  • Both: Was that the secret?

  • Tim: I was trying to make it.

  • Herrine: I wanna compare this

  • with the one at the previous location,

  • because it was really, really fresh there.

  • Emily: I will say this is a different,

  • slightly different color.

  • Is it because of the marinade?

  • Tim: Yeah.

  • Emily: To me that looks more appealing.

  • Tim: And we also have the eel over there.

  • Emily: The what? Oh. [laughs]

  • Mm.

  • Herrine: That yuzu,

  • wherever you get it from... Emily: It's so good.

  • Herrine: It's super floral and delicate.

  • Emily: Citrus and spice are my favorite flavors,

  • so this is already speaking my language.

  • Tim: There's this new person that's training with me,

  • so that's why I call it a secret.

  • Emily: Ah, cheers.

  • Tim: Now three more, three more secrets.

  • Herrine: It's not as briny or salty.

  • Emily: The ikura here, the bursts,

  • were a little extra bursty.

  • Like, it was just like, mm,

  • they were just having a good time in there,

  • just pff, pff.

  • Just like little water balloons.

  • Just over and over. Herrine: No.

  • Is there another piece

  • on the omakase specifically

  • that you won't find anywhere else?

  • Tim: Shiro ebi.

  • Shiro ebi, that's a baby white shrimp

  • from Japan that is so amazing.

  • Emily: This is something I've never had before.

  • Herrine: This is something that neither of us

  • have ever had before.

  • Emily: It's unique.

  • Herrine: If you compare it to f---ing water balloons,

  • I swear to God.

  • That, like, sobered me up!

  • Emily: I love those little shrimp.

  • Herrine: I know, those little shrimp are f---ing bomb!

  • Emily: They're so soft,

  • and they just kinda,

  • they swim around your mouth a little, you know?

  • I'm sorry, I knew you were gonna hate that, but they do!

  • They, like, there's little shrimps everywhere.

  • Herrine: No.

  • Out of all the pieces that we've had,

  • that was the most creative.

  • Emily: Yeah.

  • Herrine: How many pieces is this?

  • Tim: I have no idea. I'm drunk.

  • [all laugh]

  • So, my favorites would be the A5 Wagyu beef

  • with the California uni and the foie gras.

  • Tastes like cheeseburger.

  • [laughs]

  • Herrine: So, why is it, like, No. 1?

  • Tim: Because expensive. [laughs]

  • Herrine: Ah.

  • This is the one that I feel like

  • will be the best piece out of all 18.

  • Emily: This is my first fancy beef experience.

  • I've never had fancy beef before.

  • Herrine: Your first fancy beef experience.

  • Emily: If I have Wagyu, I'm just gonna

  • call it fancy beef.

  • Wait, wait, wait. Wait, wait.

  • He's putting gold on it.

  • Herrine: This piece of sushi wants my rent.

  • Mm.

  • Mm, mm.

  • If umami was encapsulated in one...

  • Emily: Yes.

  • Herrine: Piece of food, it would be that.

  • Like, point blank, period.

  • Emily: I'm blown away.

  • Herrine: You aren't going to find that piece anywhere else,

  • but it truly was, out of all 18 pieces,

  • the best thing,

  • because that piece alone

  • can be on anyone's bucket list

  • for the top five things they should eat

  • before they die. Emily: Yeah.

  • Herrine: Every sushi restaurant has their own

  • eel rendition. Emily: Interpretation.

  • Both: Yeah.

  • Herrine: And here, we see it mashed with avocado.

  • Oh, that's fragrant.

  • Emily: It's so good.

  • Herrine: It does hit your olfactory nerves

  • as much as it, like, coats your tongue.

  • Emily: What's an olfactory?

  • Herrine: Olfactory is like...[sniffs]

  • Emily: Like my nose factory?

  • Herrine: All of the caviar and the uni

  • and the king crab

  • and the A5 Wagyu,

  • it's a great bang for your buck.

  • Cheers!

  • Emily: Cheers.

  • Herrine: So, our third and final stop

  • is Sushi Lab inside the Sanctuary Hotel.

  • Emily: And this place has recently garnered

  • a ton of attention on social media during the pandemic

  • because of its modern high-quality omakase

  • but also its socially distant rooftop.

  • Herrine: And today we will be trying

  • their Lab Experiment.

  • All right, let's go.

  • Jeremy Poon: As we currently speak,

  • we are one of the only existing sushi rooftops

  • that does omakase or specializes in omakase.

  • We specialize in a modern take on traditional sushi.

  • What we call a Lab Experiment,

  • which is a more advanced omakase experience.

  • It doesn't just focus on nigiri

  • but also appetizer courses.

  • So, we incorporate things like tomato confit,

  • which is not your usual traditional Japanese item.

  • And we utilize that as a garnish and a topping

  • to enhance certain flavors of a different fish

  • and different combinations.

  • Frankie Chen: I work for 15 years.

  • So, in the beginning, it was Nobu.

  • When I meet another Japanese master,

  • so he training me a lot.

  • I feel interested in the cooking about Japanese.

  • We use the short-grain rice. It's found in California.

  • And we season with vinegar, Japanese black vinegar.

  • I gotta say my ingredients is all around the world.

  • Like, 65% from Japan.

  • Herrine: The omakase here,

  • we are going to be served a little differently.

  • Since we are sitting at a table,

  • they're just gonna be coming in batches.

  • Frankie: Chimichurri original is from Argentina.

  • First the ikura we marinate in soy and sake.

  • So, when you combine together,

  • you got a whole piece in your mouth,

  • you got a little bit for the chew.

  • Herrine: I am gonna predict that this place

  • will have the most unique pieces overall.

  • Emily: Yep.

  • Herrine: Because the way that he sources his ingredients

  • and the ingredients itself that he uses

  • aren't typically seen. Emily: Yeah.

  • Herrine: To pair it with that oyster,

  • that herbiness really pairs well with that, like,

  • I don't know, fresh oyster.

  • Emily: But it's like you said, the herby flavor

  • was spectacular, and then paired with the shrimp,

  • the contrast of textures,

  • both textures were very fresh,

  • but one was springy and one was a little creamy,

  • and I really liked that.

  • Oh, wow. Beautiful.

  • Both: Thank you.

  • Frankie: First, when I toast the tomato,

  • it's a big warm taste also.

  • First, Arctic char is really fatty and sweet, mild taste.

  • Herrine: I just think in general

  • the pieces here are a lot bigger than what I'm used to.

  • Emily: Yes.

  • This is the piece I'm most excited about, I think.

  • Herrine: Me too, just because

  • you don't see tomato confit paired with fish.

  • Emily: Mm. Mm!

  • That's the piece.

  • Herrine: I have goosebumps.

  • Emily: Yeah, me too. Honestly! Like,

  • a chill went down my spine.

  • Herrine: What is that?

  • What is that? Emily: The tomato.

  • The tomato is like....

  • Herrine: It's, like, sweet and kinda warm and comforting.

  • Also has the texture of raw fish.

  • Emily: Right, so it kind of all blends together as one.

  • It was almost the perfect combination between, like,

  • a really good pasta

  • and, like, a piece of nigiri.

  • Like, it was like those two things, because that,

  • I've never had that, like, blistery tomato taste

  • outside of a pasta.

  • Frankie: The most I like is the Wagyu beef.

  • So fancy. [laughs]

  • Emily: Wow.

  • Oh, my gosh. Look at that. Thank you so much.

  • Herrine: Which one smells great?

  • Emily: I bet you it's the Wagyu

  • topped with the foie gras, because --

  • Herrine: No, it's this one.

  • Emily: Oh, it is? Oh, it's the eel.

  • Makes sense. Herrine: OK, OK, hold on.

  • Let me figure out how we eat this.

  • Don't mind, I was given this --

  • Emily: We're eating so fast I'm getting indigestion. Sorry.

  • Herrine: OK, this is the chef's favorite,

  • because it has the really expensive Sapporo uni.

  • Uni is his favorite ingredient.

  • That's why you see it a lot on his menu.

  • Emily: Yes, in everything.

  • Herrine: This was also smoked on, like, a --

  • Emily: Tiny barbecue.

  • Herrine: Yeah, like a Korean barbecue griddle thing.

  • Very interesting.

  • Emily: Isn't that, like, Ariana Grande's tattoo?

  • Mm.

  • Wow. I think I just blacked out.

  • The Wagyu unfurled in my mouth,

  • and it became such another large piece of food

  • that I was like [makes chewing sounds].

  • Like, I was just trying to catch it,

  • like, with my teeth, and it was, like, all....

  • When I eat good food, I get weird.

  • Herrine: That's true. That is true.

  • Emily: I get really happy, and it makes me bizarre.

  • Herrine: I can't say that I tasted the uni very well

  • because that piece of Wagyu was so thick and rich.

  • Emily: I tasted nothing but beef.

  • Herrine: Exactly.

  • Emily: This is the unicorn!

  • Herrine: This is the uni-corn. Emily: The uni-corn.

  • Frankie: It's basically popcorn powder, French panini,

  • Hokkaido uni, and caviar.

  • Herrine: Another similar pairing to the Sushi by M,

  • but it didn't have this little pancake.

  • Emily: Yeah, little pancake.

  • [laughs]

  • Herrine: No!

  • Producer: Got some on your hair.

  • Herrine: I got....

  • Producer: It's everywhere.

  • Herrine: Where? Where?

  • Emily: I'm so sorry, Herrine. I'm so...[laughs]

  • Herrine: Very, um...

  • Emily: Dry. Herrine: Dry.

  • Emily: What are you up to?

  • Herrine: I wanna pick up this Korean seaweed

  • that I've never seen as a Korean.

  • Well, that is delightful.

  • You know how, like, we learn from the very beginning

  • that eel is different at every restaurant?

  • This is by far the most different.

  • It's encapsulated in

  • Korean seaweed that's just like

  • little tiny delicate strands of seaweed fused together.

  • Herrine: A lot of chewing.

  • Emily: Yeah.

  • Did you just skip to dessert, like,

  • before I could even get involved?

  • Did you just, like...?

  • It's like a little cake.

  • Herrine: So, it's been a few days since Emily and I

  • ate at Sushi Lab.

  • I'm going to call her on Skype

  • to talk about our final thoughts

  • just because she's going away in a few weeks

  • and she wants to quarantine, so let's give her a call.

  • [Skype music]

  • Emily: Hello!

  • Herrine: Hi.

  • Emily: Hey, Herrine.

  • Herrine: So, you helped me formulate my opinion.

  • Emily: Sure did.

  • Herrine: Emily, what was your pick?

  • Emily: My personal favorite is Sushi Katsuei,

  • and I also think that it's definitely best in town.

  • I think that the fish was fresh,

  • I think that all the flavors were really balanced,

  • and it felt like just a really authentic experience.

  • Herrine: I agree with you in terms of

  • Sushi Katsuei being best in town.

  • My personal favorite was Sushi by M

  • just because it was a fun, new experience

  • and it was a creative take on sushi,

  • but at the end of the day I feel like Sushi Katsuei

  • was kind of like the next best thing

  • if you aren't getting sushi from Japan.

  • So, what do you guys think?

  • Do you agree that Sushi Katsuei

  • has the best omakase in New York City?

  • Emily: Or do you think it was another place that we missed?

  • Let us know in the comments below.

  • You hold my hand, I'll hold your hand.

  • We'll talk, we'll think about food,

  • we'll remember the food, the flavors.

  • I don't know, man.

  • I'm so full I feel like I'm hallucinating.

  • I'm losing it.

  • Herrine: We'll see you in a bit.

  • Emily: We'll see you in a bit.

[soft upbeat music]

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