restaurantgirl

I was a devoted Sasabune fan while I lived in LA in the late 90's. I am so psyched to see that Sasabune has a spot to try in NY! I am so there!

Sasabune is about the most disgusting place I've eaten at. I really don't understand anyone who says this place is good. People who think this place serves "the best sushi" need to have their taste buds checked out, because there must be some wires crossed. Before I get flamed, let me explain:

1. Freshness: This is one area that Sasabune seems to be seriously lacking. Fresh fish meat does not crumble when you poke it with chopsticks. Nor should it have soft consistency that seems to fall apart in your mouth (save for some cuts of fatty tuna). Sasabune's albacore "sashimi" dish they serve is a great example of them trying to hide the poor quality fish by drowning it in ponzu sauce.

2. Cut: They really need to train their chefs on how to cut sushi. They look like they were cut by an amateur with a meat cleaver. Sushi cuts are not suppose to be broad, fat, square pieces. Elegant sushi is cut more like a rhomboidal shape so it hangs delicately over the rice instead of lying across the rice like a piece of cushion. Another good example of how bad their skills is found in ther albacore appetizer, where they clearly throw in cuts that cannot be used as sushi. some pieces actually look like they were torn off (the cuts looked frayed). Moreover, I found pieces so small that you can clearly tell that they were the left over bits. Foul!

3. Overuse of sauces: In order to hide the poor quality of fish, they use ponzu sauce on just about everything. When everything tastes sour and salty, it masks the fishy smell of un-fresh fish. They put so much of this stuff on most of their nigiri that the rice actually starts to crumble. Their tare (sweet sauce) for the eel (and god forbid, butterfish) is also over the top sweet. They use so much of it that it bleeds out from the sushi. Yuck.

4. Rice: Their rice is low quality stuff as well, using poor quality medium grain rice as opposed to short grain rice. They only seem to mix it with cheap rice vinegar, leaving just a bland, sour taste in your mouth.

God help you if you like this place...

I'll take a more analytical view on the sushi discussion. I have been a long time patron of Sasabune-LA, from the Sawtelle to the Wilshire location. I have known Kenji-san (Sasabune-NYC) pretty much since he started at Sasabune-LA. My take is that Sasabune's focus is on the freshness and texture of the fish. Based on my experience Sasabune has the best fish/oyster/ebi/uni/whatever - sometimes by a large margin over other notable sushi restaurants. Nobi-san wakes up at 2am everyday to be at the local fish market when it opens. I understand that most of the sushi restaurants have their seafood delivered. Nobi is there each morning so he can TASTE the fish and buy the ones that meet his requirement. People whose preferences lean more towards the freshness/texture (versus what I would call preparation) should find Sasabune irresistable. For me I enjoy immensely the cold fish on the warm rice because it is such a different sushi experience. On the other hand, there are other restaurants that focus more on preparation (though a small dedicated shop would do both). Preparation includes things like rice texture/flavoring and knife work in cutting the fish. A restaurant called Sushi Sushi in LA (on Beverly Drive) opened my eyes to knife work and preparation. His rice is flavored well and is "palmed" perfectly in the traditional style. The fish is cut longer and more slender. The combination of really good fish and preparation creates an "integrated" experience. The rice and fish work together on the palate. Hence, I would guess that people whose preferences lean towards the traditional "preparation" side would not find Sasabune as favorable. This is noted particularly from the comments about the warm loose rice. I find both Sasabune and Sushi Sushi to be incredible because each provides a unique sushi experience. To me this is the nature of omakase dining, you "yield" yourself to the visions of the chef and enjoy the process. An omakase dinner is so much more fun and enjoyable even if not every dish works out to the chef's ideals.

Sasabune in Honolulu is hands down the best sushi place I've been to. I doubt NYC can match it since Hawaii would have much better selection of fresh fish. I'll have to try LA sometime.

I hate sasabune. The chef is a pompous idiot who doesn't have the slightest clue how to treat people or compete in the competitive high-end sushi space. His rice is a travesty and the fish while fresh is only half the battle. Yasuda, Seki, and Karuma still have my vote and my dollars.

Finally went to check it out last week (weekday). I liked the LA edition the 2 times I've been there, but this location was way off. The fish was very fresh, but the preparation was unacceptable. Everyone has commented on the hot rice, so I won't go into that except to say that it was TOO warm - it came straight from a hot rice cooker to the plate, and the fish was warm by the time it hit my mouth. Temperature aside, the rice was completely overcooked -- as people have mentioned, it was falling apart -- and it was too sweet. Sweetness and temperature may be a matter of taste, but overcooked is overcooked by any standard. This pretty much spoiled the meal -- if you're paying dearly for the best fish, it's crazy to have it be spoiled by bad rice.

Second gripe regarding preparation is the sloppy sauce prep. Our first dish was sashimi that had been floating in a sauce so long that you could barely taste the fish. And in the case of sushi plates that came with sauce, the sauce was generally overpowering.

Last gripe is with the sushi nazi mentality. I was prepared for this, and was reminded of it by the hostess and the numerous signs with the famous "trust me" demand. But, there was no inquiry from anybody about any possible allergies, and when after several dishes we kindly requested some yellowtail, the sushi chef waved us off with a dismissive "don't worry, trust me". Umm... we would if you appeared to take some pride in your work... There is omakase, and then there is condescension.

Bottom line -- came with high expectations, left completely disappointed. I don't see how anybody can think this place is in the category of Yasuda, Kuruma, etc. (except in price -- $175 for two without alcohol, and we left half-full as we gave up).

The fish was very fresh. Many US or local fish. The hot rice, although the chef's signature made the rice fall apart. Sushi shouldnt do that. The taste of the rice was great, perhaps over vinegared , but i like vinegar. I will definitely go back. and I like the chef's style. He is a nice guy, even though trained by the sushi nazi. Thumbs up, except for the rice falling apart.

Before Sasabune opened, that place used to be called Akira (sushi place?), and then before that, some other japanese restaurant.... all these changes in a matter of a year or two. I just hope that they are not run by same management/sushi chef. (I've been to neither of them because it was always empty before.) Hope Sasabune is really good because it's always nice to have a good sushi place in the neighborhood.

I'll see how good the place is this week. there are some negatives already though. Why would he go to the fish market at 430AM all the best fi sh for sushi comes from the fish market in tokyo,Tskiji market, no need to wake upi early here just have someone wake up early there. Warm rice hmmm. That is the wrong temperature for sushi rice. Why do you think there were never femail sushi chefs , because of difference in body temperature between men and women. I am willing to try it because it was recommended by people whose opinions i respect. Jewel bako is worth trying, gari puts too much stuff on top of the fish. Its like trying to taste the vodka in a bloody mary. Nobu sucks totally. I was there the other nite and the tuna they served with the omakase was inferior akami, the place is overrated. takahachi is worth a try in tribeca, yasuda they are too full of themselves, sushi seki like gari has alot of stuff on the fish, japonais has a few good dishes and its nice spot atmoshere wise, hatsuhana depends on what chef you get, megu save your money and jsut have a drink a the bar. My favorite spot i will not divulge as it has the best sushi chef and only seating for about 8 at the sushi bar, sorry about that find it yourself it's in manhattan.

Is it just me or is it weird that only one of these posters mentioned Yasuda? Gari, Shmari -- who cares about a restaurant that you have to patronize weekly to be deemed worthy of a decent piece of fish? Yasuda may be a perfectionist, but he's no elitist. It's been a long time since I've eaten at the original, so very excited to try Sasabune here, but doubt it's gonna top Yasuda.

I just went to Sasabune on Saturday and it was as good as I hoped. It is, by far, the best sushi I have had in NYC. Actually, I thought it was better than my last trip to Sasbune in LA in August 2006. On some days, Nozawa may be better, but there is nothing on the east coast that can match Sasabune.

We went with our three year old son and he ate 75% of the omakase, only not eating after he got too full.

Each fish was as good as the one before it. I don't know if I can choose a favorite, but the big eye tuna was unique to me. The Kanpachi was outstanding as was the albacore (both as sashimi and the belly served sushi style). Even the red snapper, sea bass and spanish mackerel, not usually my favorites, were delectable.

I'm a longtime devotee of Sasabune and Los Angeles, and I have to admit, with reluctance, that it lost something--just a teeny little bit--when it moved from Sawtelle to Wilshire. I don't know: the ponzu over the albacore has felt overwhelming; the kelp atop the salmon tasted a tiny bit off last time. Sure, Sasabune is still my favorite sushi restaurant in America, and I'm freaking out that it has arrived in my home town. But in Los Angeles, Sushi Spot is challenging Sasabune at its game, and Katsu-ya is just so delicious, even though its menu is very untraditional. (Nozawa, in my view, was never as good as Sas.) But in New York, Sasabune, if it's as good, will be unchallenged. Kuruma is great, but severe, uneven and exorbitant--not really comparable to the unique, edo-style preparation at Sasabune. All hail Sas's rice--people aren't saying enough about it. It's the ultimate sushi rice, a worthy throne for perfect fish.

I can't wait to try Sasabune/ NY, which I hear is amazing. The LA version on Sawtelle was always good, but not even close to Nozawa. The only thing that has come close in NY has been Ise on Pine St. Unbelievable. Just sit at the bar and ask for the special!

War between LA and NYC? that's a no brainer. To paraphrase Woody, now that we have Sasabune in the city, LA has lost it's only other cultural advantage, that of being able to turn right on a red light.

Having eaten at Sasabune in LA at BOTH its incarnations (the little house on Sawtelle and now the somewhat ugly office building on Wilshire), I can humbly (HA) affirm that it IS the most perfectly luxurious, pure, sushi experience in EITHER LA or NYC. And at prices that DON'T require a Wall St. bonus to enjoy.

While Masa, Nobu, Blue Ribbon, and all the others may offer wilder takes on sushi, and Nozawa in LA still reigns as the Sushi Nazi of the Coast, Sasabune offers only wonderful, velvety fish, simply presented.

We've been awaiting its arrival in the city for months and now that it's here, the UES can now claim the finest Sushi-ya in america.

Sasabune would have to be incredible to be better than Masa , Kuruma Zushi or Yasuda . I have not found any LA or SF sushi restaurants that are unusually good; thought Masuhisa and Roku in LA were good but pedestrian. Am I missing some exceptional places in CA.

Have you tried Kuruma Zushi? It blows Sasabune out of the water.