http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/12039480

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.