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Message |
    
doulamomma
Citizen
Username: Doulamomma
Post Number: 330
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, April 24, 2005 - 3:32 pm: |     |
I'm quite enjoying Samuri...love to have the option of ordering japanese food in, as there is something for everyone (my kids like the miso, salad, edemame, yakitori - they can make ordering in for everyone hard) We have not been in the place. |
Analog01
Citizen
Username: Analog01
Post Number: 103
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, April 24, 2005 - 4:54 pm: | |
Chill out, RBrunner. Eat some sushi and drink some sake. |
Lucky13
Citizen
Username: Lucky13
Post Number: 269
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, April 24, 2005 - 8:08 pm: | |
i think certain foods are better in NYC, even price-adjusted, but not all of them. if you can scout out the affordable sushi (e.g., one not mentioned is west side sushi), then, yes, but the well-known places are quite expensive and it's best to eat there only when someone else is paying for it. i think the french cuisine in the suburbs is outstanding, as is the italian. manhattan is extremely expensive for french and overrated for italian.
there are, in my opinion, two things manhattan is simply remarkable for: delis, and indian food. apart from that, i tend to agree with the posters who took offense at the pretentiousness of some of the NYC posts. |
RBrunner
Citizen
Username: Rbrunner
Post Number: 26
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Monday, April 25, 2005 - 10:07 am: | |
Lucky, have you ever been to Babbo? I can't imagine anyone coming away from that meal thinking it's overrated.
Analog, you're the one who's telling me to move back to New York, which seems rather over-the-top. I thought my posts were pretty reasonable. Perhaps you're the one who should chill out? |
Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 6062
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Monday, April 25, 2005 - 10:11 am: | |
Two doors down from Babbo is Tomoe's, some of NYC's best sushi. Don't be put off by the line. The wait is typically under an hour. |
shh
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 2434
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, April 25, 2005 - 10:28 am: | |
(Unless it's Valentine's Day and 10 degrees outside n which case the wait will most certainly be a lot longer.) |
Lucky13
Citizen
Username: Lucky13
Post Number: 276
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Monday, April 25, 2005 - 10:59 am: | |
rbrunner-
i will try it.
i have wonderful meals all the time here in the city. (i get to go to fabulous places- i work with brokers who expense them. and i eat out lunch every day- try to try everything i can find at least once). but the percentage that are wonderful, especially if you are paying for them yourself, is no better than west essex county. |
RBrunner
Citizen
Username: Rbrunner
Post Number: 27
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Monday, April 25, 2005 - 11:06 am: | |
Lucky, you must fill me in on where you're eating in west Essex County! I'm obviously missing something. |
Lucky13
Citizen
Username: Lucky13
Post Number: 281
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Monday, April 25, 2005 - 12:25 pm: | |
rbrunner-
i misspoke a bit. technically, i eat in west essex, morris and union county. we've eaten in madison, chatham, millburn, westfield, maplewood and south orange. we have great meals, almost all of the time. i think our little place jocelyne's here in maplewood was the best french meal i've had since being here, bar none including here in the city. |
Analog01
Citizen
Username: Analog01
Post Number: 108
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 - 12:01 am: | |
Ate there for the first time tonight. I thought it was really good. Screw NYC! |
RBrunner
Citizen
Username: Rbrunner
Post Number: 28
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 - 10:48 am: | |
Hey Dego-
Thanks for the Sakana tip! Ate there last night and it was much better than Samarai. I love the vibe of the place, too. And it was nice to see some Korean touches on the menu. Another thing I miss about New York food!
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Dego Diva
Citizen
Username: Fmingione
Post Number: 390
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 - 11:04 am: | |
Oh, great! I'm so glad you liked it - I really want Sakana to stay in business. And yes, you're right, it's nice to be able to get a couple of my Korean favorites that I miss from NYC.
OK, now how about the rest of you folks getting out there and trying it!
If you like spicy crunchy tuna roll, Sakana has the best. But you have to ask for a WHOLE piece of tuna inside - not chopped up tuna - and the spicy mayo on top. I promise you'll love it! |
xavier67
Citizen
Username: Xavier67
Post Number: 499
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 29, 2005 - 12:01 pm: | |
Finally went to Samurai last week. Their chirashi--sashimi pieces on top of a bed of rice--was one of the worst I've ever had. Individual sashimi pieces, especially the tuna, yellowtail, and fluke, obviously came from low-grade cuts lacking in flavor. The shrimp (I don't know why everyone bothers putting this into this dish--I guess for cost reasons) was crappier than usual. The egg custard piece--tamago--was also bland. But the worst was the rice underneath--it was fairly hard from sitting around in vinegar for too long. I also suspect it wasn't sushi-grade rice.
On the other hand, their sashimi a la carte of sweet shrimp (which, unlike the regular shrimp, is served raw) was pretty good. I guess I'll give the place a couple more visits before rendering final judgment. |
Yossarian
Citizen
Username: Yossarian
Post Number: 272
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 29, 2005 - 4:12 pm: | |
xavier -- Not to beat a dead horse, but your post makes the point about Japanese restaurants that are not operated by Japanese or properly trained chefs who have served appropriate apprenticeships. Sushi rice is an art form, and unless the chef has been properly trained the results are sure to disappoint. Most trained sushi chefs are challenged more by making good rice that preparing good fish. It's not an easy thing to master. Samurai is probably best for easy dishes like tempura.
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RBrunner
Citizen
Username: Rbrunner
Post Number: 32
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 29, 2005 - 5:03 pm: | |
Worst sushi rice I've had in a long time was at Monster in Summit. Their fish is quite good, but the rice is WAY too sweet. Ugh. |
Kibbegirl
Citizen
Username: Kibbegirl
Post Number: 192
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, May 1, 2005 - 10:14 am: | |
We're big fans of Samurai Sushi in Millburn, and the one in Maplewood is just as good, and closer! |
marinab
Citizen
Username: Marinab
Post Number: 105
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 4, 2005 - 9:30 pm: | |
I have to say I'm much more a fan of Sono in Millburn--they are the real thing and have some interesting rolls. Samurai I tried in Millburn once, but I agree with the description that it's basically American sushi, so I wasn't drawn to try them here.
And I'm with RBrunner--what's wrong with missing the great food in NYC? And wishing for the same quality and variety here? There's a lot to living in Maplewood, but restaurants are not one of them. There's nothing wrong with being frank about that. |
xavier67
Citizen
Username: Xavier67
Post Number: 508
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, May 5, 2005 - 6:44 pm: | |
Well, I'd say Jocelyne's and Verjus are two in-town restaurants of NYC quality. They may not be rup there with Alain Ducasse and Le Bernadin but then their prices aren't up there either. Maybe the service is a little homey and amateurish, but that's to be expected in a suburban area with limited access to the service talent pool. And Verjus' wine list is stellar in their selection of little-known but quality producers and their reasonable prices. |
Soulful Mr T
Citizen
Username: Howardt
Post Number: 321
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 5, 2005 - 8:49 pm: | |
2nd bloody mary |
marinab
Citizen
Username: Marinab
Post Number: 108
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, May 5, 2005 - 9:53 pm: | |
I enjoyed my meal at Jocelyn's and I agree it's on the same level as some NYC places, though a bit more standard and not as adventurous. (haven't been to verjus yet) I'm not sure that restaurants out here are drawing on such limitations--it just takes imagination and vision--that's why there's been such an upsurge in places such as Montclair and Brooklyn. I just came from a friend's place in Hoboken, Cuchara Mama's, and of course I'm biased, but the food there is spectacular and she has no intention of crossing the Hudson to NYC.
I'm not looking for a five-star experience--it's actually the inexpensive experience I miss the most-- |
dan
Citizen
Username: Dricher
Post Number: 5
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 12:42 am: | |
I find it very funny that out of all of the japanese restaurants in essex and union, i have found ONE that is owned and operated by someone Japanese. Ajian on rt 22 in watchung. Anyone know of other Japanese owned restaurants? |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 4298
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 7:18 am: | |
Had take-out from Sakara last night. Excellent! Thanks for the tip! |
LilLB
Citizen
Username: Lillb
Post Number: 624
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 9:44 am: | |
Does Sakara deliver? |
Soulful Mr T
Citizen
Username: Howardt
Post Number: 343
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 5:27 pm: | |
I went back to Samurai Sushi in Maplewood (don't ask why) for lunch this week . There were only about 8 people there...for some reason the horrible acoustics were even more apparent.... food wasn't bad, though... |
Anna
Citizen
Username: Anna
Post Number: 3
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, May 6, 2005 - 11:41 pm: | |
Where is Sakara? |
Dego Diva
Citizen
Username: Fmingione
Post Number: 422
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, May 7, 2005 - 4:10 pm: | |
It's actually called SakaNa, and it's on South Orange Ave. in South Orange, right across from the Rite-Aid. It's truly my favorite Japanese around. |
Anna
Citizen
Username: Anna
Post Number: 4
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 12, 2005 - 9:03 pm: | |
Thanks, Dego, we'll give it a try. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 4377
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 1:34 pm: | |
Had to try it again so, we went to Saka Na for my birthday (wanted to low-key it). Two thoughts- if you take white wine or champaigne, bring your own ice bucket. Also, make sure you tell them it's your B-day - you get to choose a free roll from the Special Roll menu. We got there around 8:00p on Wed., & by 8:30 the place was full (not hard since it's tiny).
TS had beef teryaki & it was delish. Sushi was very yummy. Didn't like the green tea ice cream, but the vanilla tempura ice cream was great. |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 6389
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 1:48 pm: | |
They're good at warming drinks, though. |
shh
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 2510
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 2:46 pm: | |
I wish Dave would give his real opinion on the local Sushi joints. The great Dave turned us on to Tomo, our favorite local eating establishment to date.
Much as I love sushi, I don't know all the complexities enough to figure out why most local places are just "eh" to me.
Dave, when you eat sushi locally, where do you go?!
Sakana, Samurai Millburn, Samurai Maplewood, Sono, Haru, WHERE?! Because I trust your opinion and will follow... |
AlleyGater
Citizen
Username: Alleygater
Post Number: 280
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 7:24 pm: | |
What is Tomo. I'm glad you liked Sakana Greeny. My wife and I get scared when we like a restaurant cause it usually means it's bound to close down. So recently we've been pretty vocal about the places that are great hoping others will give it a try and like it too. Then hopefully the restaurants will stay in business. |
shh
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 2513
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 8:06 pm: | |
Tomo was the Japanese place that left the space Sakana now occupies. It was kind of divey and quirky, but had the best sushi, miso soup, etc.
Unfortunately, they had a poster of a samurai that terrified my eldest and we couldn't go as often as we would have liked. The waitress Fin, knew your name from your first visit, remembered your likes and dislikes. She was overworked, but always cheerful.
Place was always packed from 6pm on.
After every meal, my kids got a goodie bag filled with little chocolates that made their night.
I could cry just thinking about how lucky we had been and how it's all gone now...
BTW, there is a Howard Johnson's on Rt. 17 in Paramus that has a Japanese rest named "Tomo" inside.
I've seen it twice now and have been meaning to ask around. Any chance Dave? Would you do a road trip for the sake of fellow MOL'ers? We could go for sushi on a Fri night with the kids and then sleep over for $59.99 and get free cable tv! It would be so worth it!!!
(Wait, I don't mean WE as in you and I, Dave, I mean WE in general.) |
wendy
Supporter
Username: Wendy
Post Number: 971
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 8:08 pm: | |
thought you might have meant the royal we shh. |
IShep
Citizen
Username: Twinsmom
Post Number: 93
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 9:12 pm: | |
Absolutely awful, both in terms of food quality and service. Won't go back. The one in Millburn is better--though I would hardly say it's a good sushi place. I prefer Sakana of all our choices in close proximity... |
AlleyGater
Citizen
Username: Alleygater
Post Number: 283
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 11:01 pm: | |
Shh: As I read your post it sounded like you were describing Sakana. Tom the host (owner?) knows my wife and my name. He treats us like royalty doing all the personal touches you don't expect (extra food, free sushi roll or soup). We go regularly (2 or 3 times a month?) but we can't be his most loyal customers could we? Which leads me to think that Tom is just a very nice guy and a smart business man. He also remembers our preferences too (for instance we ALWAYS want a piece of Tuna in our roll and NEVER chopped up fish) and we never even have to mention it to him anymore. I wish the place had that California style -- you know with all the wacky rolls and odd/interesting pairings. But I can't complain because the food is delicious and that is really the most important thing right? I also like the atmosphere, where the front window is always decorated differently EVERY TIME we go in. How do they do that? And it's not stuffy in there -- I always feel comfortable. The price is reasonable. What can I say? It really suits my style. |
Ukealalio
Citizen
Username: Ukealalio
Post Number: 2136
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, May 14, 2005 - 8:46 am: | |
Tomo's was the best this area has seen. I almost miss his wacky signs as much as his Sushi. One of my favorites said something along these lines:
Tomo is very smart and handsome but preparing sushi takes time. If you're in a rush, please go MCDonald. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 4386
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, May 14, 2005 - 8:56 am: | |
Alley-
I think that SakaNa will make any combo roll you want. Just ask them. |
AlleyGater
Citizen
Username: Alleygater
Post Number: 291
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, May 14, 2005 - 12:52 pm: | |
Greeney, but I don't think Sakana has any macadamia nuts in the kitchen.
I went in search of the menu of this Japanese restaurant that my wife and I eat at every time we visit Santa Cruz, California. The place is called Mobo sushi and we actually brought home a menu to show Tom (but never did cause we thought it was wrong to do). They just have a ton of ingredients and you can mix and match whatever you want. The sushi is big and they have a large selection of special rolls which cost more but just totally interesting.
I didn't find the menu but I did find this review of the place that might help you to get a sense of the food and selections I'm talking about.
The article says, "Sliced to show off all the colorful fish and vegetables inside, the arrayed rolls were the tiny jewel-like tekka maki with shiso (my personal passion) ($3.75), a line of pastel-hued eemaki ($4) packed with prawn, avocado and macadamia nut (OK, so I'm not a purist). The much-larger rounds of the terrific Flying Tiger ($5.95) knocked us out with the texture/flavor contrasts of crisp tempura black tiger shrimp, tart lemon, green onion, avocado, fish cake and earthy miso dressing. Jack especially loved the moist, meaty Emerald City ($3.75) a completely veggie number in which shiitake mushrooms make love to daikon, sprouts, avocado and carrots, all rolled in toasted black sesame seeds." You can read the whole article here. |
kevin
Supporter
Username: Kevin
Post Number: 447
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 16, 2005 - 10:01 am: | |
Tom at Sakana is very nice (and even calls on your birthday) but for some reason, they always make their rolls inside out even when we specifically remind them to make them the traditional way and roll the nori on the outside. If I want yukiwa-maki, I would order it.
Does anyone else have this problem with Sakana? We stopped going there for this (little) reason. I miss Tomo.
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