Hasaki

Astute observers, close followers, creepy stalkers – whatever you want to call it – people who read this blog and pay very careful attention – will know that I hang out in the St. Mark’s Place area quite a lot.  It’s an area near and dear to my heart – my stomping grounds since ’99 thereabouts.  However, as many times as I’ve tromped up and down 8 & 9th Streets, crossing Stuyvesant St., up and down 3rd Avenue… I never really noticed Hasaki.  It’s right next to quite a number of places I’ve frequented, and a bunch that I’ve even reviewed, but its below-sidewalk entrance and very muted sign (see above pic!) just meant I never gave it a second glance – until Spicy Ninja & I went out after work for drinks one night, and he said he really liked the sushi/sashimi there so we have to go, like, right now.  So we did.  And then he insisted we order the omakase… so we did.  Yeah, someone pushier & bossier than me who bullied me into things!  Who’d have thought that was possible? 

I was intrigued by the miso soup as it was darker than I’m used to, and the flavor was much more robust… so I asked the server who informed us that it was red miso.  Very interesting.  I’m not sure I like it more than white miso or if it was just a nice change from the normal, but it was tasty. 

The sashimi course came quickly – a TON of sweet shrimp, fluke?, arctic char, toro, ? (I should have taken better notes, but I’d been drinking), and mackerel.  I was happy with the selection and the portion size – that’s a lot of fish! – and toro?  Considering the price of the omakase, I didn’t think it would include four nice, big slices of toro.  Yumm.  Very fresh and delicious. 

I was already nearly full when this came out – the sushi course.  Tuna (top left), egg, freshwater eel, uni, mackeral sushi, surf clam I think? and then the rolls were tuna, pickled… something… I really should have written this down when I got home, but I totally forgot. 

Yvo says: This omakase was $60/person, which I felt was pretty reasonable for what we received.  I really enjoyed the selection of very fresh fish, the service was great… Good stuff.  I’d go back.
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