takeda
566 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024, USA
Yukihiro Takeda
$175
July 31st, 2021
outstanding
Introduction
From the moment you walk through Sushi Noz’s midnight blue curtains, you are instantly transported from an unassuming Upper East Side façade to a serene and tranquil foyer in some hidden gem of a spot in Tokyo or Osaka. You don’t yet know it, but you are not just a customer here—you are now an audience member about to witness a meticulously crafted performance in culinary theatrics. You are shown to your seat at Sushi Noz’s pristine 200 year old Hinoki cedar wood counter and given your program for the evening. The diners murmur to each other, excitedly anticipating the night’s Leading Player. Beverages are served, final touches are made, the voices hush, and Chef Noz makes his entrance, bowing to each couple with gracious eye contact. The show begins.
To detail every high point of this beautifully orchestrated omakase would be to spoil some of the magic inherent in its ever-changing, ever-evolving nature. The way that Chef Noz purposefully plays on all of the senses is something that truly must be experienced firsthand, but we’ll do our best to convey what made the evening so special. To fully understand Chef Noz’s methods, let’s dive into some of his history.
Body Title
Now for Sushi Noz’s holy grail… the fish. After seasoning his rice, Chef Noz brings out a massive cut of seven-day-aged tuna, showing us all sides and playfully asking which we’d like to try. Lean? Medium Fatty? Extra Fatty? Luckily for us, we would be trying them all. After showing off some preliminary knife skills, Chef Noz gets started on the Otsumami (snack/appetizer) courses. Every course was somehow more delicious than the last; standouts included three-day-aged scorpion fish with daikon radish, ponzu and chive, aged abalone (awabi) with abalone liver sauce, smoked seasonal bonito with horseradish, deep fried aged pink snapper with Tenkeiko shitake mushrooms and caviar in a creamy abalone broth, and trigger fish served with trigger fish skin and trigger fish liver, topped with chive and drizzled shiso oil. The way that Chef Noz played with the senses as we watched, smelled, and listened to these courses come together was truly inspired. The seasonal bonito was smoked in a glass dome in front of us, and when Chef Noz removed the cover, the woodsy scent was released into the room, foreshadowing the infused flavor we were about to taste. As the broth and mushrooms were being assembled for the fried snapper course, we could hear the popping and crackling of the fish frying just out of sight. Seeing, smelling, and even hearing these preparations made the tasting that much more impactful.
Now for Sushi Noz’s holy grail… the fish. After seasoning his rice, Chef Noz brings out a massive cut of seven-day-aged tuna, showing us all sides and playfully asking which we’d like to try. Lean? Medium Fatty? Extra Fatty? Luckily for us, we would be trying them all. After showing off some preliminary knife skills, Chef Noz gets started on the Otsumami (snack/appetizer) courses. Every course was somehow more delicious than the last; standouts included three-day-aged scorpion fish with daikon radish, ponzu and chive, aged abalone (awabi) with abalone liver sauce, smoked seasonal bonito with horseradish, deep fried aged pink snapper with Tenkeiko shitake mushrooms and caviar in a creamy abalone broth, and trigger fish served with trigger fish skin and trigger fish liver, topped with chive and drizzled shiso oil. The way that Chef Noz played with the senses as we watched, smelled, and listened to these courses come together was truly inspired. The seasonal bonito was smoked in a glass dome in front of us, and when Chef Noz removed the cover, the woodsy scent was released into the room, foreshadowing the infused flavor we were about to taste. As the broth and mushrooms were being assembled for the fried snapper course, we could hear the popping and crackling of the fish frying just out of sight. Seeing, smelling, and even hearing these preparations made the tasting that much more impactful.