Yama 49

Last night I had the priviledge of entertaining my friend Marc who is in from Switzerland along with some of his friends. Lucky for me I was introduced to a very interesting group of professionals all involved in the development of peace through sports. Since we began the night at Pig & Whistle, which I must add had a horrible beer selection (on tap), I suggested we walk a few short blocks to Yama (49) for dinner.

I was first turned on to Yama by my Wisconsin friends, though I was not too impressed on my first visit. But after dining at Yama many times, I've developed a great appreciation for this seemingly hidden neighborhood gem.


The more times I went, the more I enjoyed it and not only because of the company. Usually I dine at Yama while catching up with my Wisconsin friends who I haven't seen in a while and not really paying as much attention to my sushi as I normally would. But my last few dinners at Yama have been phenomenal.


As you'll see in this picture of the sushi we ordered last night, the presentation is wonderful. And each morsel from a piece of ikura or tobiko to the beautifully shiny salmon, both appeared and tasted incredibly fresh. Yama takes great care in creating their roles from the perfectly sliced cucumber surrounding the "I Like Eel" roll to the drizzling of the spicy mayonnaise.

It only seemed right to share this wonderful sushi haven with friends that wouldn't have come across such mouthwatering sushi as Yama. And since everyone seemed to trust my palette, I was chosen to order for the table, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Because I LOVE to share, I ordered a bunch of their "special rolls" for all of us to indulge in. I decided upon a variety of rolls including eel, scallop, tuna, and salmon which were all quite yummy. I had requested they serve the sushi with a side of their famous carrot ginger dressing. I have to say that Yama has THE BEST ginger dressing in all of Manhattan and though my friends visiting wouldn't know how it compares to the rest of New York's offerings, they had to agree. I believe the large amount of oil Yama use's in creating it is what makes the dressing just that good.

The ambiance at Yama is a nice compliment to their delectable sushi. Its darkly designed interior contrasts nicely with the irridescently white sushi bar where "cute old men" as my friend called it, slice Yama's fresh fish. Yama's zen-like interior is a refreshing alternative to the other pub-style and Italian eateries that flood the east 50's.

So, if you're looking to impress visitors or are craving an obnoxiously large sushi roll, head to Yama 49 (the best of the three).

YAMA

308 East 49th Street

(Between 2nd & 1st Avenues)

BONDST: Still Hot or "So 8 Years Ago"?

Although the infamous BONDST has been on my radar for years, last week was the first time I had ever been. I’d heard so many things about BONDST that I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. Friends had told me that the rock shrimp was to die for and how sheik the lounge was, and how I should keep my eye out for celebrities. And then I read a review on Menupages that had actually been titled “So 8 Years Ago”. Apparently not EVERYONE thought this place was up to snuff.

My head was spinning with expectations. The only thing I was concerned with was the food, so I took a peak at the menu, in advance, and was delighted with the variety of appetizers, main courses, and sushi that adorned the menu.

When I’d finally stepped in the infamous BONDST last Tuesday night, I was taken aback. The restaurant was filled with a mix trendy, carefree 20 and 30 somethings enjoying drinks or dinner which seemed to be their usual. As we made our way to the second floor, I was relieved to see that it was a bit quieter and less crowded. We were immediately seated and greeted by our waiter.

After giving the wine menu a once over we decided to order a bottle of sake and some Sapporos. We began our meal with some complimentary edamame and sipped our sake as we contemplated what to order. I was so content that I decided to let my date do the majority of the ordering, as he was quite familiar with the menu. We finally ordered the following dishes:

Edamame

Seaweed Salad, orange sesame dressing

Toro Tar Tar, japanese mustard, sansho pepper seasoning

Lobster Tempura, creamy japanese mustard dressing

Nasu Dengaku; grilled japanese eggplant, sweet miso sauce

Spicy Yellowtail Roll, red pepper sour miso & Spicy Caviar

Sesame Crusted Shrimp Roll, orange curry dressing & reduced balsamic vinegar

Me eating sushi : )

Shrimp Special

My favorite dishes of the night were the lobster tempura and the special shrimp appetizer. I’m not quite sure what was the shrimp appetizer but it was delicious. The shrimp were crisp on the outside, while perfectly tender on the inside and gently covered in a savory sauce. The lobster tempura was hands down the best tempura I have EVER eaten. The japanese mustard dressing and the mixed greens were a perfect pairing. The Nasu Dengaku, or grilled eggplant was also perfect crisp on the outside incredibly flavorful. The seared shrimp roll was also a very interesting dish. The texture of the tempura flakes with the red pepper sour miso gave a slight curry flavor which was surprising and delightful. Although BONDST is known for their sushi, I must admit that what we ordered tasted slightly fishy. The Toro Tar Tar, the Spicy Yellowtail Roll, and the Spicy Caviar were all a little off. I would recommend going for sushi later in the week, which is probably when a fresh shipment of fish arrives.

Though there were no celebrity sightings that night, the food and ambiance exceeded my expectations and made for a fantastic evening. I definitely think this place is still hot and especially for date night! The only thing I regret about my experience at BONDST was ordering a second bottle of sake.

BONDST

6 Bond St.

New York, Miami, Beverly Hills