I had been itching to go to Tomoe Sushi since reading about it from The Amateur Gourmet, but based on the line on Friday it looked like we wouldn't be eating for 2 to 3 hours, minimum. Luckily, Bond St. was on my list of places to try, and just a few blocks over in Noho.
The swanky interior of the fusion restaurant couldn't have been further from the tiny hole-in-the-wall that was Tomoe, but we were seated right away at the sushi bar. What follows is a night of incredible sake-ing and sushiing. And because of the sake-ing, I can't remember exactly what was in every dish, but I'll do my best.
For an appetizer we had a mushroom risotto topped with an airy ball of dried squid. Simply put, it was amazing.
The sushi platter itself was a visual delight. In the center was an elaborate display of the Sushi Sextet, which included octopus, raw lobster, eel, and salmon tartare, as well as two other fish I can't remember. Was it delicious? Yes. Is that an eel's backbone used as a garnish? Yes.
Next to the Sextet, the rolls hold their own ground. The soft shell crab roll may sound like a standard at any sushi bar, but this came with a wasabi cilantro cream sauce that made me question why I ever had only lukewarm feelings for wasabi and cilantro. The eel roll topped with almonds puts most other eel rolls to shame.
For dessert we had both the banana chocolate dumplings and a lychee panna cotta. The dumplings are certainly an unusual concoction, but the skin was a little too hard. The panna cotta was the better dessert and, and along with the appetizer and sushi rolls, will make you a true believer in the marriage of Eastern and Western flavors.
Bond St. is no Tomoe or Honmura An, but what the restaurant lacks in authenticity it makes up for in creativity and flavor of the dishes. We were mesmerized just watching the sushi chefs create their elaborate displays. This is why I love sitting at the bar. You get both dinner and theater in one.
Bond St. - 6 Bond St., Noho
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