SN
ushi
akazawa
Sushi Nakazawa opened in the summer of
2013 on an
unassuming street in the West Village and features the cuisine of
Chef Daisuke Nakazawa. With ingredients sourced both
domestically and internationally, Nakazawa creates a unique
twenty-one course tasting menu in the style of Edomae sushi.
Nakazawa honed his craft under the internationally-renowned
Jiro Ono. While respecting its origins, he is able to tailor his
omakase to reflect the preferences of the Western palate.
His talents were intuited by Alessandro Borgognone, the
proprietor of Sushi Nakazawa. Borgognone, who boasts his own
culinary pedigree, brought business acumen and design savvy to
the restaurant's execution. Under his direction, high-back leather
chairs were chosen in in favor of stools, and staff donned black
suits.
By balancing time-honored traditions, trusting a keen awareness
of palates and stylistic preferences, Sushi Nakazawa creates a
dining experience new to Manhattan.
SUSHI NAKAZAWA FACT SHEET
LOCATION
PROPRIETOR
CHEF
DIRECTOR
OF OPERATIONS
23 Commerce Street
New York, New York 10014
(212) 924-2212
Alessandro Borgognone
Daisuke Nakazawa
HOURS
CAPACTIY
RESERVATIONS
Vito Ferraro
ADDITIONAL
SERVICE DIRECTOR
CUISINE
Douglas Hopkins
21 Course Sushi Omakase
Dining Room $120 | Sushi Bar $150
WEBSTIRE
Monday through Sunday
5:00pm – 10:15pm
Dining Room 28 |Sushi Bar 10
Reservations are released
30 days prior to the calendar
date and can be made on
www.sushinakazawa.com or
www.opentable.com.
All major credit cards are accepted.
Parking is available on
Commerce Street on weekdays
after 6:00pm and weekends.
www.SushiNakazawa.com
Sushi Nakazawa is the fruit of
a partnership between
Alessandro Borgognone and Daisuke Nakazawa. A
restaurant conceived thanks to Netflix, Facebook and Google
Translate.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which was directed by David Gelb and
features Chef Nakazawa, was released in 2011. The
documentary captured Alessandro Borgognone’s attention
while perusing choices on Netflix one evening after work.
Upon watching the film, Borgognone was inspired by the
dedication, focus and detail of the omakase. When
translated, this Japanese style of dining denotes a guest’s
trust in the chef to create a meal.
Borgognone reached out to Nakazawa on Facebook with the
help of Google Translate. After corresponding, Nakazawa
was intrigued enough to to fly to New York and meet with
Borgognone. Alike in their dream to create something
unique in the New York dining scene, Nakazawa and
Borgognone proudly opened the doors to Sushi Nakazawa on
On August 22, 2013.
ALESSANDRO BORGOGNONE
PROPRIETOR
!
Alessandro
Borgognone brings a
lifetime of industry experience to
Sushi Nakazawa. Having grown up in
the restaurant industry, Borgognone
knew he was destined for a career in
hospitality from an early age.
In 1993, his family opened Patricia’s, a
small pizzeria named after his mother.
Patricia’s quickly became a
neighborhood staple.
Looking to gain further experience, he
enrolled in culinary school and went on
to work in the kitchen of the renowned
Lidia Bastianich's Felidia.
Two years later Borgognone returned
to Patricia’s to cook alongside his
family. It was not long before a keen
business savvy emerged. He took over
the management end of his family’s
business and undertook a massive
brand expansion, turning the pizzeria
into a popular Italian eatery with a
more extensive menu. He brokered
deals for three more locations and
Patricia’s expanded to the Bronx,
Staten Island and Williamsburg.
Subsequent locations have been opened
since.
In 2003, Borgognone co-founded Little
Cupcake Bakeshop in Brooklyn.
Partnering with the former manager of
Butter Cup, together they created
boutique, branded cupcakes for a year
until Borgognone sold the company. Daisuke Nakazawa’s lauded career
began as a humble apprentice at Yoshi Sushi. A
love for the craft and an appreciation for the
quality of fish required to be considered a
master chef, Nakazawa found work at the
prestigious Tsukiji in Tokyo. It was at Tsukiji,
the world’s largest fish market, that Nakazawa
had access to some of the best products
available.
Nakazawa was later given the opportunity to
apprentice at the three star Michelin restaurant
Sukiyabashi Jiro with Jiro Ono, widely
considered the best sushi chef in the world.
During his time there he became a subject of
David Gelb’s documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
One popular scene depicts Nakazawa making
numerous attempts at atsuyaki-tamago (casually
referred to as tamago). Upon succeeding to
please his master after over 400 tries, Jiro Ono
refers to Nakazawa as shokunin, a master
craftsman. Tamago would go on to become Chef
Nakazawa’s signature dish.
After training with Jiro for over eleven years,
Nakzawa briefly worked with fellow Jiro
disciple, Shiro Kashiba in Seattle, Washington.
After many years of apprenticing for others,
Nakazawa finally received the opportunity to
develop his own voice with the opening of Sushi
Nakazawa in New York City. Incorporating
Western fish, while honoring the tradition of
Edomae history, Nakazawa dubbed his style as
“New York-mae”—which is a culmination of all
he has learned over his years as a chef in Japan
and America. ★★★★
NYC’s 10 Hottest Restaurants
-2014
NYC’s 15 Hottest Restaurants
-2014
“[Sushi Nakazawa] has become
one of the most coveted meals in
New York City.” Featured in the 50 Nominees for
America’s Best New Restaurants
-2014
Top 10 Diner’s Choice Winner
-2015 Overall
Top 10 Diner’s Choice Winner
-2015 Sushi Bar
This is the mother of all unis, in
other words, as different from your
standard-issue uni as truffles out
of a can are from the real thing.
The 10 Best Foodie Spots in New
York City -2015
10 Places to Eat Excellent Sushi in
New York City -2015
“This is sushi so pure, so
minimalist, that there’s nothing to
hide behind. The maker’s skill
must be spot on. And it is.”
The Student Does the Master Proud Pete Wells -­‐ NYT Cri<c’s Pick – December 10, 2013 ! ★★★★ !
!
Photo by Daniel Krieger !
!
THE CHEF was late.!
All 10 of the black-leather-and-chrome swivel
seats, the same kind you’d perch on to play the
slots at the Venetian in Las Vegas, were
taken. Most of us had reserved a month before.
Now we found ourselves sitting in the small,
bright, glossy, black-and-white front room of the
restaurant, which opened in August in the West
Village. It looked about as Japanese as
Peter Luger. Servers in black suits were offering
hot towels, water and drinks, and more water,
and then small talk, until it became clear that
they were stalling. Were they going to let us eat?!
!
Finally, Daisuke Nakazawa walked in the front
door. “I’m sorry,” the chef said cheerfully as he
slid behind the counter and prepared for work.
He had just come back from Pier 76, he said. The
police had towed his car.!
Then he picked up a palmful of rice and began
to serve one of the four most enjoyable and eyeopening sushi meals I have ever eaten. I had the
other three at Sushi Nakazawa over the next few
weeks.!
!
The moment-to-moment joys of eating one
mouthful of sushi after another can merge into a
blur of fish bliss. But almost everything Mr.
Nakazawa cups in his hands and places in front
of you is an event on its own. A piece of his sushi
grabs control of your senses, and when it’s gone,
you wish you could have it again. These little
events carve themselves into your memory. So
does the meal, 21 pieces or so over about two
hours.!
!
I remember precisely the dull luster of Mr.
Nakazawa’s mackerel and the way its initial
firmness gave way to a minor-key note of pickled
fish and a major-key richness that kept building
the longer I chewed. I can feel the warmth of
just-poached blue shrimp from the South Pacific
islands of New Caledonia, which had a flavor
that was deep, clean and delicate at the same
time. I can tell you about the burning-leaf smell
of skipjack smoked over smoldering hay until it
becomes a softer, aquatic version of aged Italian
speck.!
!
We don’t normally think of one sushi piece as
wildly different from the next, apart from the
inherent qualities of the main ingredient. But
one of the points made by the 2011 documentary
“Jiro Dreams of Sushi” was that a driven,
obsessed chef will treat each sea creature as a
unique challenge. He’ll ask, how can I make the
best piece of horse mackerel anyone has ever
tasted? When Jiro Ono dreamed of sushi, what
he saw were new dishes waiting to be invented.!
In the movie, Mr. Nakazawa was the young
apprentice who cried when Mr. Ono conceded
that he had finally made an acceptable egg
custard. With his shaved scalp, bowed head,
downturned eyes and meek acceptance of Mr.
Ono’s criticisms, he gave the impression of a
novice Zen monk who was accustomed to abuse
in the name of enlightenment. (He also gave you
the idea that Jiro could be kind of a pill.)!
Mr. Nakazawa must have learned something,
because his fish often tastes as if it has been
coaxed along until it’s as delicious as it’s ever
going to get. Each slice has a slightly different
temperature, affecting flavor and texture,
whether it spreads on your tongue or stays firm
and chewy. All good sushi chefs do this, but Mr.
Nakazawa seems to be able to hit any point on
the thermometer with an assassin’s aim,
locating a temperature for yellowtail belly that
makes its buttery richness into a time-release
pleasure bomb.!
!
No restaurant in town does as much with sushi,
and sushi alone, as Nakazawa.!
Behind the counter of Sushi Nakazawa, the chef
is nothing like the movie’s humble stepchild. He
laughs, he jokes, he handles live animals. One
evening he held out a tray of sea urchins, their
spikes groping the air, and asked each of us to
choose one. The tiger shrimp he set down on
white plates another night had more energy.
With a flick of its tail one jumped up in front of
a woman at the counter’s end. She jumped even
higher. Another customer, more game, picked
up the shrimp just above its wriggling legs,
pointed toward his mouth in pantomime (Mr.
Nakazawa is learning English), and asked the
chef, “What is the best way?”!
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He gets other effects by skipping the standard
wasabi smear. He dabs Japanese mustard under
medium-fatty tuna and the hay-smoked
skipjack, bringing out its bloody-lip tang.
Yuzukosho, a paste of bright yuzu peel and
burning chilies, bites playfully into the cool
sweetness of a sea scallop lopped from its shell
just a minute before it’s served, its edges still
fluttering. That scallop dish is distinctively his,
and once you’ve had it you’d know it anywhere.!
Not everything I ate was in that category, and
not everything is the best in town. The eel and
octopus at 15 East are still undefeated, and
possibly the rice, too, although Mr. Nakazawa’s
has a wonderfully rich, rounded flavor. The
$450 menu at Masa may glide to a higher pitch
of pleasure, but the most striking dishes arrive
before the sushi starts. !
!
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!
The best way is to wait until Mr. Nakazawa
yanks off its head, strips its shell and drapes the
raw shrimp over a cushion of rice. Everything is
gently pressed over rice, in the two-century-old
Edo style of sushi that Mr. Nakazawa respects
and refines. Sashimi is not served, and there are
no hot dishes from the kitchen.!
Sushi Nakazawa operates more like a tastingmenu restaurant than most Japanese sushi
places. Mr. Nakazawa does not take requests
until the very end, when he offers to sell you a
second taste of anything. He does work around
dietary restrictions, though. (He also notices
who’s left-handed, and sets their sushi down
with the ends pointing at 8 o’clock and 2 o’clock
so it’s easier to pick up with the fingers.)!
!
!
There are three seatings a night at the counter.
Reservations there can be made only for parties
of two, which is needlessly unaccommodating;
sushi counter dining is one of Japan’s great gifts to
solo diners, and I can’t imagine Sushi Nakazawa
would have trouble filling the slots. Reservations
for the 25 seats in the back are more flexible, with
staggered times and a discounted price, $120
instead of $150 at the counter. You can’t see the
show from the cheap seats, and the room, while
perfectly comfortable, will not be appearing in
any interior-design magazines. But the sushi is
rushed to the tables while the rice is still warm,
which is crucial, and the dining room is the place
to sit if you want to have a conversation without
interruptions from jumping shrimp.!
Sushi Nakazawa is owned by Alessandro
Borgognone, whose other restaurant is Patricia’s,
his family’s place in the Bronx. At home one
night, Mr. Borgognone watched “Jiro Dreams of
Sushi” and announced that he was going to bring
one of the chefs to New York. His wife, reasonably,
said no, you’re not. Luckily, he ignored her, and
eventually found Mr. Nakazawa working in
Seattle for another former apprentice of Mr.
Ono’s.!
!
!
The trip from the Bronx to the West Village is
probably easier to make than the trip from
“spaghetti Frank Sinatra” to raw triggerfish under
a squiggle of its own liver. Every once in a while,
the distance tells. Mr. Borgognone has been
bringing in sorbets made by his father at
Patricia’s. The gesture is lovely, but superfluous.
The egg custard Mr. Nakazawa cried over, made
with mountain yam and shrimp, is the final,
transporting piece of sushi. It hovers over the
border between pudding and cake, and it tastes
like an ending.!
!
Interruptions from Rick Zouad, the sommelier,
are welcome, though. I am skeptical of pairings
with tasting menus, but Mr. Zouad’s choices
flattered each style of sake, and the price, $40 for
six or seven glasses, is almost a gift. There are
some very tempting half-bottles of Champagne
from Chartogne-Taillet and other small producers
or, for $12, about 15 percent of the price of the
Champagnes, a 17-ounce Japanese lager brewed
by Echigo from sushi rice that hits the reset
button as effectively as pickled ginger.!
!
Welcome to New York, Mr. Nakazawa. It’s
a nice town for a great sushi chef. Please read
those parking signs carefully, though.!
BON APPÉTIT / RESTAURANTS + TRAVEL
The 50 Nominees for America's
Best New Restaurants 2014 (List)!
-!
August 13, 2014!
!
8:53 AM / A
/ RESTAURANTS + TRAVEL
Last year, thousands of
restaurants opened across
America—and after visiting a
surprisingly large percentage
of them, the Foodist, Andrew
Knowlton, has selected 50 as
his favorites. (For the full
slideshow glory.) They range
from oyster bars and diners
to a Mekong-Mississippi
mashup and a Texas-style
brasserie, but the one thing
they have in common is this:
flat-out, ambitious
deliciousness. Which of these
50 nominees will make the
Hot 10 list of the absolute
best? Check back August 19
to find out. !
8:53 AM / AUGUST 13, 2014
!
The 50 Nominees for America's Best New Restaurants 2014 (List)
year, thousands
of restaurants opened across America—and after visiting a surpris
nees for America's Best NewLast
Restaurants
2014 (List)
percentage of them, the Foodist, Andrew Knowlton, has selected 50 as his favorites. (F
ousands of restaurants opened
across America—and
afterfrom
visiting
a surprisingly
large to a Mekong-Mississippi mash
slideshow
glory.) They range
oyster
bars and diners
of them, the Foodist, Andrew Texas-style
Knowlton, has
selected
50
as
his
favorites.
(For
the
brasserie, but the one thing they have infull
common is this: flat-out, ambitious
ory.) They range from oyster deliciousness.
bars and dinersWhich
to a Mekong-Mississippi
mashup
and the
a Hot 10 list of the absolute bes
of these 50 nominees
will make
brasserie, but the one thing they
have
in
common
is
this:
flat-out,
ambitious
back August 19 to find out.
s. Which of these 50 nominees will make the Hot 10 list of the absolute best? Check
19 to find out.
Sushi Nakazawa: New York, NY
zawa: New York, NY
1 Language Barrier, 4 NYT
Stars And 7,000 Reservation
Requests Later...
!
By George Embiricos!
May 15, 2014 !
Just like you, Alessandro Borgognone rented
r, 4 the
NYT
Stars
And Jiro
7,000
2011 hit
documentary
DreamsReservation
of Sushi
at home one evening. Just like you, he was
astounded by the hard work and persistence of
its main characters and dreamed of a day when
d Sushihe
Nakazawa
could sample Jiro apprentice Daisuke
Nakazawa’s famed egg custard for himself.
Unlike you, Borgognone is now the man behind
New York City’s – possibly the country’s –
buzziest Japanese restaurant. With the help of
Facebook and Google Translate (Nakazawa
spoke no English), the Italian businessman
convinced the chef to visit New York City to talk
So you found out when the general public
about embarking together on a restaurant
found out? !
project. A deal was reached and the rest is
Yes, we did, but we didn’t know we were going
history. Creamy, buttery, orangey uni history. !
to get four. We shot for the stars and the staff
!
and I gave 200% of everything we had. It paid
Fresh off a stint in charge of his family’s 20-year
off. !
old Bronx restaurant Patricia’s, Borgognone
opened Sushi Nakazawa on a quiet side street in
Did you spot Pete Wells?
orgognone rented the 2011 hit documentary Jiro Dreams of
the West Village last August. The New York
I did not. I didn’t know what Pete Wells looked
ust like you, he was astounded by the hard work and persistence
Times critic Pete Wells soon awarded the 20like at the moment, but I’m sure there are
amedcourse
of a day
when
he
could
sample
Jiro
apprentice
Daisuke
omakase a dazzling four stars (the
pictures online now. At the end of the day, I
d for himself. Unlike you, Borgognone is now the man behind
highest possible accolade), making it only the
wasn’t really concerned with spotting Pete Wells
e country’s –
buzziest
Japanese
restaurant.
With
the
help
sixth restaurant in the city to receive such
–of
we knew we were on our game and our
te (Nakazawa
spoke
no English),
Italian
recognition.
Borgognone
sat the
down
with businessman
us to
philosophy was that we’d treat Pete Wells the
w York
City
to talk
aboutthe
embarking
together
on a ! restaurant
talk
about
running
hottest tables
in town.
same way we’d treat any other customer that
nd the rest is history. Creamy, buttery, orangey uni history.
came into the restaurant.!
When did you find out about the Times four!
star review?!
How do you and Chef Nakazawa
It was a Tuesday and it came out at exactly 4:33
communicate now?
p.m. I looked immediately at the stars and saw
He’s been here in the United States for almost
that all four stars were filled in – at that point, I
two years, and his English has improved very,
thought we had zero stars! Then everybody
very much. He’s been around everyone
started yelling that we got four stars and I said,
speaking English, everyday. It’s pretty amazing. !
“Holy shit!” !
!
!
!
!
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!
!
You guys talk exclusively in English?
Well, I don’t speak Japanese! !
!
You wouldn’t recommend one over the other?
I wouldn’t. If you’re looking to have an intimate
evening with a lady friend or you’re having a
private meeting, we definitely recommend the
dining room. If you want to have a tremendous
amount of fun and want to be entertained – as
you would be at a theater – I would recommend
going with the sushi bar.!
!
Do you care about people’s etiquette when
they eat at the sushi bar?!
We’re really not a pretentious restaurant. Our
first priority is to have people feel very, very
comfortable in the restaurant. If you’d like to
use a fork and knife while you’re eating a piece
of sushi, that’s okay with us. Nothing is frowned
upon – Sushi Nakazawa is not a learning
experience and this is not a school. It’s not an
establishment to make someone feel
uncomfortable. !
Why is sushi so popular in New York City
right now?
Besides being very “trendy,” sushi is a great
alternative to healthy food. Sushi has come a
long way. In the early '90s, we were all eating
California rolls and spicy tuna and it’s become a
much more traditional product. !
!
Have American palates evolved since then?
Absolutely. I think the perfect example –
considering I’m Italian – is that Italian food
from the '70s and '80s for people was basically
spaghetti and meatballs and Chicken
Parmigiana. Now things have obviously
changed. !
!
Nakazawa is one of the hottest tables in town.
Has the reservation process been hectic?!
It’s been a little hectic, and there are some
people who are frustrated when it takes them
awhile to get a reservation. We recently
transferred to OpenTable [from SeatMe]
because we wanted a little more organization –
we wanted to really maximize the space and to
allow a few more people the opportunity to
dine with us. !
!
Even if someone asks for soy sauce?
Absolutely. We definitely try to guide you in the
right direction, but it really comes down to
feeling comfortable. We let the customer know
that this is the way the chef would like it to be
eaten, but if he or she wants additional soy
sauce, it’s no problem. !
Have celebrities been calling in for seats?
Have we received emails from assistants and
such? We have. But we are pretty democratic
about how we operate the business. We don’t
really make any exceptions. !
So, what’s next? What comes after four stars?
[Long sigh]. That’s a really tough question. Our
options are really open at the moment – we
have a ton of options and are looking at a bunch
of stuff. I promise you’ll hear something really,
really soon. !
!
!
There’s live shrimp being served at the sushi
bar. Is part of the dining experience based on
it being a “show”?!
The real theatrics are at the sushi bar. There are
definitely two different dining experiences, but
the product is very much alike. We believe that
the dining room is much more of a private and
intimate setting. The sushi bar is not for
everyone. It’s basically a communal table and
we’ve had people say, “Do you mind if we sit in
the dining room?” And vice versa. !
!
!
!
!
How a restaurateur who doesn’t speak Japanese
opened America’s hottest sushi restaurant
By Richard Morgan!
October 2014!
“There are 30
additional
spots in the
dining room,
filled with
patrons who
have flown in
from Brazil,
China, Hong
Kong, and San
Francisco. On
one February
night, a group
of Japanese
women from
London said
they bought
plane tickets
just to try the
meal.”
Master Jeweler – April 29th, 2014!
By Betsy Andrews Photo Eilon Paz “The stark lighting makes it feel like you’re
shopping for diamonds. And, in a way, you are.
Manhattan’s Sushi Nakazawa serves gems from the
sea: pristine fish procured from long-trusted
sources, expertly cut and mounted glistening on
warm, vinegared koshihikari, the gold standard for
sushi rice”
THE WORLD'S MOST
The World’s M
ost Exclusive Restaurants: These incredible EXCLUSIVE
RESTAURANTS
restaurants and unique dining experiences promise a meal to remember forever, if you can get a table se incredible restaurants and unique dining experiences promise a meal to remember forever, if
you can get a table
2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi cemented the reputation of 89-year-old Jiro Ono as the
d’s greatest sushi chef. Securing a seat at his 10-cover, three-Michelin-star Tokyo restaurant
yabashi Jiro is now a near impossibility. Slightly more accessible, is New York’s Sushi Nakazawa,
ded by Ono’s apprentice Daisuke Nakazawa. Here guests are served a 20-course menu of
erficially simple but expertly prepared sushi, with the 10 seats at the counter coveted by those
would like to see Nakazawa at work
!
The 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi
cemented the reputation of 89-year-old Jiro
Ono as the world’s greatest sushi chef.
Securing a seat at his 10-cover, threeMichelin-star Tokyo restaurant Sukiyabashi
Jiro is now a near impossibility. Slightly
more accessible, is New York’s Sushi
Nakazawa, headed by Ono’s apprentice
Daisuke Nakazawa. Here guests are served a
20-course menu of superficially simple but
expertly prepared sushi, with the 10 seats at
the counter coveted by those !
who would like to see Nakazawa at work. !
By Alex
French!
Photographed
by Thomas
Giddings !
Insert Date
Here !
Tracked: Daisuke Nakazawa!
At Sushi Nakazawa, a disciple
!
of
Japan’s most revered sushi
!
chef applies
his perfectionism
!
!
to
a centuries-old cusisne—
!
served
up with a New York
!
!
Twist!
!
!
Every day between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 5
p.m. in a West Village basement, sushi chef
Daisuke Nakazawa, 35, and his staff labor in
almost complete silence. No music plays,
phones ring, few words are spoken. !
!
“Monastically absorbed in the work
of breaking down the day’s fresh
ingredients—cracking open sea
urchins with pliers, skinning a live
octopus on a gleaming prep table—
the Sushi Nakazawa kitchen crew
prepares to serve the restaurant’s
20-course omakase menu, which has
become one of the most coveted
meals in New York City.”
!
Since it opened in August 2013, critics have
touted Sushi Nakazawa as one of the city’s best
sushi restaurants—no small feat in a town
that’s home to revered roll temples such as
Masa and Ichimura at Brushstroke. !
!
Nakazawa from the meditative 2011
documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which
portrayed Japan’s Sukiyabashi Jiro—
considered the best sushi restaurant in the
world—where Nakazawa trained under the
perfectionist chef Jiro Ono for 11 years. Bronx
restaurateur Alessandro Borgognone was so
affected after viewing the movie that he
reached out to Nakazawa (who was then a line
cook in Seattle) on Facebook and pitched the
idea of installing him in his own restaurant in
New York. Nine months later, in a former hair
salon, Nakazawa began introducing his unique
brand of the two-century-old Edo style sushi to
New York. !
As the apprentice has become a master,
Nakazawa has departed from the path set by
his occasionally fearsome and orthodox
mentor, Ono, in subtle but significant ways.
He’s tweaked the Edo canon to suit the Big
Apple’s more aggressive palate for an end
result that he terms “New York-mae”: smoking
skipjack over hay; accentuating wriggling
Maine scallops with a tangy yuzu pepper
paste; and topping triggerfish with its own
liver. While stoic and focused in the kitchen,
Nakazawa can be smilingly goofy behind the
counter during service—he’s been known to
photobomb pictures with a menacing mien
and a knife raised above his head. Though
Ono, his octogenarian teacher has not yet
retired, Nakazawa is proving himself to be a
worthy if somewhat creatively liberated
successor, infusing his Jedi-level training in the
ancient craft with a buzzy Gotham energy. !
y JESSICA HARTOGS CBS NEWS
ebruary 19, 2014, 12:01 AM
What’s the best
restaurant in the
country? Survey
says... !
What’s the best restaurant in the country? Survey says…
f you live in New York City, you probably won’t be too surprised to learn that the majority of
he best restaurants in the country are at your doorstep, at least according to national food
website The Daily Meal, which on Wednesday released its "101 Best Restaurants in America of
014" list.
By Jesssica Hartogs
February 19, 2014!
A panel of over 100 judges (comprised of restaurant critics, food and lifestyle writers from
cross the country) examined past years' winners and offered nominations for new
estaurants to be considered. In total, 440 restaurants were looked at.
The voting was based on cuisine, region, and a number of specific factors, including the level
f "buzz" and formality of food and atmosphere.
!
And the prize?
You get to be considered the best restaurant in America,” said Arthur Bovino, executive
ditor of The Daily Meal, from his office in New York.
A majority of the restaurants have previously appeared on the list, which exists since 2011,
owever there are 15 newcomers.
It's interesting to see Sushi Nakazawa – it's only been open for six months – the criteria was
restaurant had to be open six months," said Bovino.
But Bovino was not surprised by the popularity of Japanese cuisine.
Most chefs are in the opinion that Japan [wins] at least in terms of captivating the
magination and flavors," said Bovino
Bovino said that although the majority of the top restaurants have major French influences,
rench cuisine "is almost like a dying breed."
However, Ripert disagreed.
...
What's! the best restaurant in
the...
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
If you live in New York City, you probably
won’t be too surprised to learn that the
majority of the best restaurants in the country
are at your doorstep, at least according to
national food website The Daily Meal, which
on Wednesday released its "101 Best
Restaurants in America of 2014" list. !
A panel of over 100 judges (comprised of
restaurant critics, food and lifestyle writers
from across the country) examined past years'
winners and offered nominations for new !
restaurants to be considered. In total, 440
restaurants were looked at. !
The voting was based on cuisine, region, and a
number of specific factors, including the level
of "buzz" and formality of food and
atmosphere. !
And the prize? !
!
“You get to be considered the best restaurant
in America,” said Arthur Bovino, executive
editor of The Daily Meal, from his office in
New York. !
A majority of the restaurants have previously
appeared on the list, which exists since 2011,
however there are 15 newcomers. !
"It's interesting to see Sushi Nakazawa – it's
only been open for six months – the criteria
was a restaurant had to be open six months,"
said Bovino. !
But Bovino was not surprised by the
popularity of Japanese cuisine. !
"Most chefs are in the opinion that Japan
[wins] at least in terms of captivating the
imagination and flavors," said Bovino !
Bovino said that although the majority of the
top restaurants have major French influences,
French cuisine "is almost like a dying breed." !
However, Ripert disagreed. !
!
!
!
!
!
Secrets of Sushi
Nakazawa's Success !
!
!
By Kirsten Stamn
January 22, 2014 !
The first time most Americans saw chef
Daisuke Nakazawa, he was a mere
apprentice; a humble, subservient kid !
attempting to please his boss, Jiro Ono,
the exacting Tokyo sushi taskmaster in
the celebrated documentary Jiro !
Dreams of Sushi. Today? Nakazawa is
running his own shop, Sushi Nakazawa,
one of the most acclaimed NYC !
debuts in years. After receiving a rare
four-star review from the New York Times’
Pete Wells, a seat at the sushi bar !
is one of the toughest perches to snag in
the city. How did Nakazawa get to such an
elevated place so quickly? It’s !
the combination of his mind-blowing
sushi, impeccable service, an out-of-thisworld sake sommelier and one of !
the most entertaining chef’s counters in
the city. Here, four secrets to Sushi
Nakazawa's success. !
It’s Sushi Without the Stuffiness: !
Unlike his former teacher, Nakazawa has
an almost comically cheerful disposition
and an obvious joy at doing what he does
best - making incredible, life-altering
sushi. There’s no trace of the stoicism that
pervades the Japanese sushi scene in his
restaurant. He doesn’t care if you eat with
your fingers or your chopsticks (when
asked, he’ll fire back, “Whichever! This is
not a French restaurant!”) and loves
shocking guests with live “dancing”
scallops or shrimp. To get the full effect,
sit at the chef’s counter (if you can) and
!
“Be prepared for an
endless stream of jokes
and laughter, making this
the most fun sushi
experience we’ve found in
the city.”