Sushi of Gari
Henry and I went to Sushi of Gari for our Valentine’s Day dinner (on Friday). It was recommended to him by one of the recruiters at NYU Stern. When we looked it up online, we found that the original one is on the Upper East Side, kind of far from us. Then we saw they opened a second one, the street next to us, Sushi of Gari 46, very convenient. But the reviews we were reading said that the second one doesn’t compare to the first one.
We tried to make reservations at the original one (402 E 78th St, between 1st Avenue and York) for Valentine’s Day, but they were booked so we settled for Friday at 8pm. We get there tonight and from the outside, it didn’t look to impressive, and their awning didn’t look too impressive. We go inside and we do not see any Asians. We always think that if the Asians don’t go there, it can’t be up to standards or they mainly cater to non-Asians. It is also very small inside and the tables are very close together and when you walk in, literally there is a table next to you, the coat check is right behind you and to your left is the “hostess station”. We were very skeptical about the rave reviews that Henry heard after what we saw.
Two women walk in shortly behind us that did not have reservations. They were told every seat was reserved, including the seats at the sushi bar. So if you plan on going, definitely make reservations. We promptly get seated in what can be only described as a hallway. There are four tables in the hall and we get the one by the windows, but at least we’re close to the heater. The tables in the hallway are more coveted because you’re not surrounded by tables. The recruiter recommended we do the Omakese (“Chef’s Choice” or “Chef’s Special” or “Gari’s Choice”), so we went with it. The starting price is $70 and you get three dishes, each with four pieces of sushi. After the three dishes you can either choose to go on with more dishes (and spend more than $70) or you can stop. If you go on, you basically keep going on until you tell them you’re done.
Our first four pieces come and they are absolutely amazing. I really thought I’d get to the third round and would stop after that. But the third round comes and after we’re done, I’m still not full. Henry and I actually both go to the fifth round. Our waitress told us most people do four to five rounds. We were both shocked that I went through five rounds, because that was twenty pieces of fish. I usually have problems finishing two rolls. I think a part of it was that they pace you (or they are very busy so it takes awhile between rounds). Anyway, so there is a lot of time between the rounds for us to sit there and talk, until the next batch of sushi comes. Each piece we got was different from any of the other pieces, they are garnished and all have some kind of sauce on it already. They encourage you to not use soy sauce, even though they bring it to your table. There were some fish that we had that I’ve never tried before. There was a really good pinkish fish. There was also toro mixed with daikon radish that was very good. There was also toro with ponzo sauce, tuna carpaccio, a lobster sushi (we think the lobster was slightly cooked, it kind of tasted like raw scallops), yellowtail, toro with a homemade tofu sauce (I think the tofu sauce kind of gave the fish a slimy taste), eel, fluke, salmon and much more. Each one either has a sauce on it, or a sauce and something else on it that enhances the flavor of the fish.
If you get to the fifth round, we got the tuna carpaccio, diced tuna in a sauce onto of a fried seaweed, seared foie gras and a baked oyster. If I didn’t make it to the fifth round and Henry did, I would have been so jealous. We were both surprised it came with foie gras. But just beware, with better items, your cost is also going to go up.
We got our bill and with the two extra rounds we got, it went from $70 to $130+ a head! So really, be prepared. We’ve had the Omakese’s at Nobu’s and Morimoto‘s, but this was different because everything we ate was sushi, presented and paired with different ingredients and sauces. It’s definitely worth a try, just be wary of your bill.
The next time Henry and I get a hankering for sushi, we plan to try Sushi of Gari 46, but we will only get the normal rolls and dishes, to see if it really is that bad.
Also note, if you get the Omakese, you are discouraged from getting appetizers because they do not want you to ruin your appetite.
Comment from beni
Time February 18, 2007 at 2:55 am
have you gone mad, woman!?!? he told us about this place, and as great as it sounds, i dont think i’d ever go there. one, it’s too far out of the way. and two, it is crazy pricey!!