Sugiyama

I've written about Sugiyama before on my recommendation list for New York City, but now I want to share with you a more comprehensive review and why exactly it's one of my favorite places to go for quality Japanese cuisine in New York. 

Sugiyama is located on an unassuming street in Midtown West, and though my parents go there every once in awhile for a good dinner or to entertain guests, they usually suggest dining here after I return home from Boston because they think that I'm neglected from good food in Beantown (half true). 

Here's a compilation of our meals combined. I ordered the Authentic (6) Course dinner, my brother usually orders the Modern Kaiseki (8) Course with Wagyu .

Both start with seasonal appetizers such as a tofu pate, grilled eggplant, and other delicately flavored and arranged cold plates. 

Then comes more cold courses with assorted sashimi chosen by the chef based on season and availability. The fish is aesthetically topped  with gold flakes and served over a lacquer tray of ice. 

The raw oyster is served with an acidic sauce that also includes mashed radish. 

My father ordered yellow tail neck, which is simply seasoned with salt and grilled to perfection. It is also served with mashed daikon radish and lemon. 

Then comes the Wagyu, or Kobe beef, which is highly renowned for their high fat content (notice the streaks of fat in the beef slices). It is served raw, so that you can cook it yourself on a heated volcanic rock. Because the beef is so naturally fatty itself, there is no need to use butter or oil in preparation. 

Make sure to cook the beef vigilantly, for the worst thing would be overcooking such a nice cut of meat. 

My mother and I both ordered the black cod, which is prepared with a sweet miso glaze and served with an aromatic bowl of white rice. 

Finally for dessert, they always serve this unique tart grapefruit wine jelly with a sweet condensed milk drizzle. This time they also had a season baby peach (the green globes photographed on the left). My father was a huge fan, so I swapped my pieces for an extra serving of the grapefruit jelly. 

Sugiyama offers a wonderful dining experience that you leave comfortably full and immensely content. The couple that owns the restaurant are super sweet, and the husband is the head chef, and the wife is the maitre d'. They take customer service very seriously and remember you and your food preferences. This is a great place for anything ranging from a celebration to a serious business dinner. I know I'll be back very soon.

Sugiyama

251 W 55th St
New York, 10019