15 East, Japanese Restaurant, New York, USA

7,5 points

Once a while ago introduced by my friend David L. Molner I discovered one of my absolute favored restaurants in the world: 15 East! The name is the address: 15 East, Manhatten.

Although you can find reviews about Sushi restaurants time by time at this blog, (https://avdwineandfood.net/2015/06/12/nobo-budapest/) Japanese cuisine – sushi, sashimi etc. – is usually not my most preferred food. It is always a very welcomed alternative as it is fresh, in certain regards light and probably healthier than much other stuff. The most problematic aspect about this food is that it needs to be fresh and it – let’s be honest – needs people who are ready to pay decent amounts of money for it. Both aspects are probably the reason why we can’t find too many really excellent Japanese Restaurants in Europe (in particular Germany) comparing to USA.

15 East is beautiful, modest sized and decorated in a light / white side and stark / dark side. Bearing in mind how loud often restaurant in USA are, this one is very comfortable noise wise. You can speak to your neighbour without yelling. This has the enormous advantage because you can understand Masato Shimizu if he explains you what you just eating.

Being seated first two times in the dining room, last time I sat at the counter. It was a great pleasure watching the chefs during preparation of all the dishes of the evening.

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There is an amazing richness and variety of fresh and seldom fish. Please accept my apology: I am not an expert with regard to fish and in particular any Japanese fish!

Anyhow, please see the menu of the “Tasting Dinner”:

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As you can see, prepared and combine dishes came before sashimi and sushi. This restaurant has a Michelin Star and as soon as you begin to eat, you enter an amazing tast experience. If you ever thought, Sushi is Sushi, here at 15East you will learn about the different. It is not only the best quality. Selected Sushi get in very delicate touch with different vinaigrettes,  herbal brews or extracts of fish sauces which give each dish or selection an extra kick!

The following pic showing only a selection of the menu:

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Hassun (tako yawarakani, chiayu, uni yuba)

Sashimi (live botan ebi, toro, arctic char, isaki, madai  – the crevette was alive still when it was served!

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Tasting Duo: clear matsuke mushfoom soup, hamo karaage (crispy pike eel)

And now a selection most amazing sushi

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isn’t this like art?

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At the end as dessert I got a mineoka tofu which is milk sesame pudding, kurosato syrup.

When I went there in the past (two years ago), I remember a more brave wine list. There were for instance a Grüner Veltliner from Austrian winemaker Loimer or Riesling from J.J. Prüm, but also some Slovenian wine on it. Today it is reduced, mostly US wines and a decent selection of European wines – dominated by French ones. Of course you will find some very good wine there; even some extraordinary ones. (the winelist on their webpage is not the same I read in the restaurant actually).

I don’t know anything unfortunately about Saki. But the Saki list is very rich and I believe full of great rice wines.

I finish with my only critic: although you are getting an amazing selection and variety of fresh sea food and fishes, the restaurant is really expensive.

Please see their webpage: http://15eastrestaurant.com/