On DLS‘s birthday, I made a point to go into the city and have lunch with him at Hatsuhana, chosen both for its proximity to his work place and because when I mentioned having gone there months earlier, he seemed interested in visiting one of NYC’s oldest sushi restaurants. Funny enough, I didn’t realize it was the other location that was closer to him, and this location is pretty hidden away… which made it a bit difficult for him to find. Whoops!
After we’d ordered, our salads came. Once again, fresh, and bright from the ginger carrot dressing, I found this fairly standard, a decent start to any meal.
Our miso soup was also standard – but a very welcome bowl on the chilly day.
DLS chose the chirashi, chef’s choice, which came with a wonderful assortment of fresh, raw fish atop sushi rice. Salmon roe, uni, shrimp, tuna, tamago, and other lovely pieces of fish. He seemed to enjoy this very much, though I declined to try any.
For me, the Hatsuhana Gozen, or a lunch set with a few pieces of tempura, a California roll and grilled cod that was glazed slightly with soy sauce. I really like cod and found this perfectly cooked, with a nice crust and minor sweetness from the glaze. The tempura was serviceable, though I’m not a huge tempura fan – two pieces of shrimp, kabocha squash, sweet potato… tasty enough. The California roll was standard, nothing special.
Yvo says: I really enjoyed our lunch at Hatsuhana – we sat at the sushi bar and enjoyed watching the chefs work their magic, while our service was as attentive as though we were sitting at a table, maybe even more so. Prices are a little steep, but given the quality of what you receive, I had no problem paying the higher prices – and hey, it was DLS’s birthday. I would definitely go back for a special treat!
recommended
T.C. says
A very nice lunch spot for sushi. Hidden from the hustle of Park Ave. I should go back sometime.
Feisty Foodie says
It’s definitely a great place and very hidden!
G.S. says
Have always loved reading your blog, but miss Beer Boor’s column.
Is he no longer a friend? Do tell, I’m sure I wasn’t his only fan.
Feisty Foodie says
Hi G.S.! As with all my writers, he did write a farewell post here: http://feistyfoodie.com/2011/11/04/revisit-sierra-nevada-2010-bigfoot-barleywine/ that perhaps you missed? Hope that answers you question(s). Cheers, and thanks for reading!
Jerry Z says
I’ve never eaten at the Park Ave location but I’ve had one of the best sushi dinners at the 48th St location a couple of times. Besides the superb sushi quality, I really appreciated the noise level which tended to be a quiet atmosphere with hush tones from diners. I ate at their 2nd floor sushi bar. Highly recommended.
Feisty Foodie says
Definitely a lovely experience, I really enjoyed as well!
hungry says
DLS has uni in his chirashi? Oooh, nice!
Feisty Foodie says
Yup! Chef’s choice chirashi was only a few dollars more than regular chirashi, and included uni. Why WOULDN’T you, right?! Yum!