The top sushi players of Manhattan have done a nice job positioning themselves in the market – Masa for the over-the-top-price-is-no-issue annual or bi-annual outings; Kuruma Zushi for a slightly less expensive fish-is-the-only-thing-that-matters meal; and Sushi Yasuda for a quick, informal, and far less expensive rice-is-king stop.

Lunch was no different than usual

• Quick – in and out in under an hour, Yasuda himself launches the sushi as fast as you can eat it.
• Consistent – there were no stand-outs on this particular visit but everything was consistently good.
• Good Value – less than 1/4 the price of the other two heavyweights with 85% of the quality.

This was a Monday lunch – a no-go time slot for sushi but I made the reservation anyway – if Yasuda is open, he must like his fish. After a weekend of eating New York, it hit the spot perfectly and helped brighten what was a mediocre eating trip (reviews over the next few weeks.)

Below are some of the more convincing pictures:

In short, don’t go expecting a calm, relaxing meal – this is no Urasawa. Expect to pay $125/person or so (tell him if you’re uncomfortable), tell him to pick the fish, and enjoy. Request any “vertical” tastings available because they allow you to taste different parts of the fish in rapid succession. He served four different types of toro and if I wasn’t full, he would’ve served three more.

- chuck