It's all in its simplicity. No soy sauce or wasabi required. Just how the Master sushi chef presents it to you...piece by glorious piece. By far the tastiest and freshest sushi I have ever tasted across the globe.
Start by securing yourself a reservation at the sushi counter to enjoy the full experience. Then just sit back as a Master sushi chef guides you through the freshest lot on the daily menu. You will find 5 or 6 types of the same fish or crustacean from all parts of the world. You will be tempted to taste them all, and why not? You will not find anything of its kind at any other sushi restaurant.
Focus on the sushi a la carte and don't even look at the hot menu. I am sure the rest of the menu is great but you must save room for as many pieces you can humanly consume from the sushi bar...trust me, it's THAT good.
We started off quite reserved in our sushi ordering with one piece at a time. Once the first piece of Orange Clam was tasted, we felt our hearts beat a little faster with sheer excitement while our eyes closed with contentment...transporting us to a little seaside coast as we finished the last bite...utter perfection.
Now what next? What should follow after such an explosion of taste? We could not help but taste the remaining types of clams on the menu...Orange Clam Himo (a different cut, the muscle of the same Orange Clam), Cherrystone Clam, Kobashira (round clam), Sea Scallop, and lastly the creamiest and tastiest Oyster to round off the Clam and Oyster section.
Our taste buds were ready for more....on to the fish. Next up was the Ocean Trout, freshly flown in from Iceland along with Arctic Char, New Zealand King Salmon, the flavour-intensive Madai (Japanese Sea Bream), and one of our favourites Buri ....more buttery goodness....
Buri is the largest type of yellowtail in the world and was also freshly flown in from Japan that very morning...it just melts in your mouth.
Just when we thought we could not eat any more, Sushi chef Yoshi told us that we MUST try the Spanish and Californian Jack Mackerel and their infamous Uni. Who were we to say no?
And we certainly did not regret that decision. We were in Uni heaven! Sushi Yasuda serves the most highly sought after Sea Urchin in the world, wildly caught in Santa Barbara, California. It exemplifies the perfect buttery and rich texture whilst containing a sweet and briny flavour on the palette. The only way to finish our dining experience.
On a memorable previous visit, I had the pleasure of sitting at the helm of Master Yasuda. He told me that he subtly tailored the presentation of each piece of sushi for every individual to enhance the diner’s experience with sushi by occasionally adjusting the size of the pieces to how he perceived the shape of a person’s mouth. Now that is perfection to its finest.
This is not just sushi. As a close friend had described to me when I took her to Sushi Yasuda for the first time, the experience was simply just "life changing!"
LOCATION 204 East 43rd Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenue),
New York City, NY
HOURS Monday to Friday, noon to 2:15 p.m., 6 to 10:15 p.m. Saturday, 6 to 10:15 p.m. Closed Sunday and National holidays.
RESERVATIONS Essential, two weeks ahead. Reservations by phone only at 212.972.1001.
You must remember to re-confirm your reservation by 9:30am the day of your reservation or your table may be given away. Now that would be such a shame.
WEBSITE www.sushiyasuda.com
MOST RECENT VISIT Monday, December 23, 2013.