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This was my second time heading to Sushi of Gari 46. I still haven't been to any of the other locations but was completely converted into a Gari groupie on the first visit.

The location and setting is nothing spectacular by any stretch. You walk into the restaurant and its almost presented as a large office space with tables...but that is of no concern as you're not there for the scene. A cheery Asian woman named Keiko greets you and takes you to your seat. The last time we went the place had just opened and was BYOB, they now have a full sake menu but you can still bring your own wine for a $15 corkage fee.

Our journey down Omakase highway began with a small plate of 3 cold appetizers, including a Shrimp with Whitefish and a Clam with white sauce. None of the three were particularly exciting. Finally though the real sushi experience began.

Bluefin Toro with Ponzu Sauce: A great usage of cold, pure toro. The piece just had a dab of a subtle ponzu sauce on it, which made it possible to enjoy the filet mignon of the tuna. The piece definitely gives you the texture of butter with the taste of tuna.

Red Snapper with Lotus Roots: More visually stunning than notably tasty. The red fish is covered in a greenish sauce and then has a large fried lotus root covering it which provides a nice crunch when you bite.

Salmon with Tomato: I'm not sure the exact name of this piece but it is a piece of salmon that has a soft tomato / tomato sauce on it. The first time there someone referred to this as "sushi parmagiana" which does no justice to the taste but aids in remembering it. It was definitely one of the best pieces as the warm tomato melded with the cold salmon perfectly when you bit down. I also like this piece because it kind of captures what is great about Gari...truly imaginative and unconventional taste combinations that once you eat them seem obvious.

Baked Oyster: This came out in between sushi trays and was wonderful. After the disappointment of the appetizer clam, we were a little skeptical of another shellfish creation. The oyster was served in the half shell but had a few distinct pieces, which were each covered in a bread-crumblike mixture. It was definitely a great hot snack in between fish.

Bluefin with cream sauce: One of the better tasting sauces out of what we tried...kind of like an alfredo sauce. Unfortunately you can barely taste the fish with this piece.

Seared Yellowtail: The first seared piece that was brought out. This was probably the worst of the 3 seared pieces..but still was like taking Drew Barrymore out of Charlie's Angels. It tasted a little too fishy, but the smokey, barbequed flavor was still wonderful.

Seared Salmon: the final seared piece they brought out and large step up from the yellowtail. The same seared flavor, but as my preference is with salmon, the piece tasted much better.

Seared Bluefin Toro: Simply the top of the game. Most probably the best piece of sushi i've ever tasted. The outside of the piece maintains that lightly seared texture so it is ever-so slightly crispy. The same smokey, seared smell hits your nostrils as you lift it up to bite down on, and when you bite through the outer crisp, your mouth finds the contrast of the softest piece of fish this side of Tsukiji

For dessert we tried Gari's Favorite, which was a red bean paste in a lightly fried dough; this was definitely not a "normal" american dessert but definitely helped out in finishing up the meal. The paste is very sweet and its hard to go wrong with fried dough. We also had the Mochi ice cream which is ice cream wrapped in Mochi (a glutinous rice paste), doesnt sound great, but the biting through the mochi shell into the different flavored ice cream was the perfect ending.

Go to this place. Now.

Lima's Taste

http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/41742261/new_york_ny/lima_s_taste_ceviche_bar.html
What is Peruvian food? I had absolutely no idea before i happened upon this place while wandering around the West Village on a Saturday evening.

The interior was truly a sight as the chairs and tables maintain a palatial feel even in a somewhat crowded space. My favorite decoration definitely had to be the large painting with an ornate gold frame that seems to be the centerpiece of the whole room. It is a rendition of The Last Supper with one minor change...all the participants are wearing ponchos and sombreros. As a connossiuer of kitsch, this was off the charts.

When i sat down i was extremely hungry as it was about 6pm, and after a 4:30am drunken devouring of Pop Burger i had held off on any substantive meal for the day. The waiter came out with a bowl of what seemed to be nuts of some sort that were a great reprieve. They seemed lighter than normal peanuts and had a great texture and saltiness to them. I asked the waiter what type of nut they were and was told they were "roasted corn kernels". They seemed much larger than normal corn kernels, and i was told they're made from some kind of Peruvian corn called Choclo.

As this place was a self-professed "Ceviche Bar" we ordered the Ceviche Mixto as an appetizer. My only knowledge of ceviche was finely chopped seafood in some kind of marinade that you eat with tortilla chips at fancy Mexican restaurants. This was definitely a surprise and a pleasant one at that. They bring out a plate of large chunks of octopus, whole scallops and shrimp, and even a piece of the Choclo (the kernels were massive) all marinated in a mildly spicy lime juice. It was amazing. I definitely want to go back and try the other versions of this they have.

For the entree i ordered the Chicken Escaveche (i think that's the spelling). This was another solid performance as they presented a large portion of chicken breast smothered in a brown sauce. The dish was surrounded by fried Yucca, that had the appearance of large steak fries with a slightly different texture. The chicken was great as it had an unique taste that somehow did not seem spicy as the food entered your mouth, but had a hint of spice in the back of your throat somehow. Peruvian magic i guess.

We also tried the Pisco Sour drink, advertised as the "Peruvian Margarita". This was not particularly notable as it was somewhat bland. The interesting part though was i vaguely remembered hearing about a drink with a similar name that had actual beaten egg in it. Looking at the foamy appearance i decided to ask the waiter and it did turn out this was the one and only.

I definitely want to head back to this place.