Feb 2012 - Ushiwakamaru Sushi

After our President's Day Weekend trip to Chicago, we came back home to New York.  Personally, I wanted to go to Disney World and enjoy some Florida sunshine, but my father said he had to go back to work.

But he promised that he would take me for sushi later that week if I were well-behaved on the flight back.  Challenge accepted!

My favorite sushi place in NYC (and the only one I've been to) is called Ushiwakamaru.   If you think that's tough to say, then you're a racist.

I know about this place because my grandfather has been good friends with the owner/head sushi chef, Hideo, for about 15 years.  They were friends back when Hideo had a much smaller place in Cliffside Park, New Jersey.  After dominating the sushi scene in CP, Hideo took his talents to the Big City in preparation for my birth years later so that I can have close access to great sushi.

My white American baby friends don't eat sushi yet.  They're still working on overpriced organic purees from Whole Foods.  But even when they grow up, I'm not sure they'll like the food at Ushiwakamaru. It's not really catered to the American palate   Sure, they have a Spider roll and a California roll on the menu, but that's about it for the sell-out sushi.  Instead, they have a lot of interesting items that might scare off people who aren't used to eating out of the box.  For example, my miso soup came with a shrimp head in it.  If you think that's gross, then you're a racist.

But I think that's why my parents love this place.  It's not for the business dinner or B&T crowd.  It's just for people who really enjoy Japanese food, so yeah, mostly Japanese people.  Since it was a Sunday, we got a last minute reservation for 8PM for 4 adults and 1 adorable baby.

Since they cater to Japanese people who actually know what they're ordering, my father spares himself the embarrassment and orders the Omakase (chef's choice pre-fixe).  After asking if there's anything we definitely do / don't want, Hideo then picks out the best fish that day and presents a masterpiece platter of different sushi.  Note:  Sushi is great for young babies, because you're supposed to eat sushi with your hands. So drop those chop sticks!

My mother ordered a selection of sushi and rolls, but her favorite dish was the conch served heated with a burning flame beneath it.

I didn't get to try as much as I wanted, but my mother did give me some of the tasty rice (a very under-rated part of the sushi quality) and seaweed to nibble on along with a tiny sliver of fish to try. I guess my parents are pretty stingy.

But they are cool enough to let a 3 month old baby come with them to a proper restaurant for dinner.  The place didn't have a high chair for me, but I was perfectly fine in my car seat.  So keep that in mind if you're planning to bring kids because it's not exactly TGIFriday's.  This wasn't my first time eating out but I still tried my best not to piss off my parents by crying at the restaurant, but hey after an hour and a half of quiet time, you're really taking your chances.

After paying the bill (and getting free dessert for being a family friend), we got me back home by my 10PM bedtime.

Ushiwakamaru
136 W Houston St. New York, NY 10012
(between MacDougal St. & Sullivan St.)
(212) 228-4181

Summary:  It's not as famous as the sushi places that white people go to, but it's better.