Before touching down in NYC this winter, SUGARFISH by sushi nozawa was already an LA sensation. Famed sushi chef Kazunori Nozawa's popular chain features a straightforward menu that puts the focus on sustainably sourced high quality fish. The Flatiron restaurant which has seen a never ending rush since it's debut is housed in a long wood adorned space with a slightly cavernous feel. Both à la carte and omakase options are offered but the omakase known as the "Trust Me" ($39) that comes with Organic Edamame, Tuna Sashimi, 8 pieces of Sushi, a Toro Hand Roll and Blue Crab Hand Roll is the way to go. With this in mind, we ordered one and the "Nozawa Trust Me" ($51) which includes additional two pieces of the Daily Special sushi.
The edamame and tuna sashimi which commenced the meal were palatable but nothing out of the ordinary. The sushi which followed in ritual servings of two was better. The fish was incredibly fresh and each precision sliced piece sat atop a loosely packed mound of warm vinegary rice. I actually want to take a moment to clear up a common misnomer about sushi because sushi is not raw seafood and is in fact the vinegared rice that is often paired with raw seafood. Okay back to my review... Sugarfish takes their sushi seriously and Chef Nozawa's precise process has been painstakingly replicated at their restaurants to get the combination of rice and rice vinegar just right. Interestingly they use small capacity rice cookers like the ones people use at home which they had to get certified for restaurant use. The entire story is actually quite fascinating and you can read it here. The vinegar taste in the sushi is definitely more pronounced here than at most other sushi restaurants and that along with the warmth of the rice results in a really pleasant combination of texture and flavor with each bite.
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