Buttons Undone
Pants at a Glance
- scene: Small stall as part of a micro outdoor food court; only four seats available at the counter, sort of reminds you of eating in Southeast Asia
- sip: H20
- savor: Sushi omakase, in 30 minutes
- sit: By yourself or with your friend; possibly a date but only once you have vetted their sushi style
- spend: $
- address: 56 Great Jones Street between Bowery and Lafayette
Ready, Set…Sushi!
Our beloved Chef David Bouhadana, unceremoniously ousted from Sushi Dojo after embarking on a well-intentioned if not exactly well-received campaign against the New York City Health department, has returned to work his magic on fish- sort of. Sushi on Jones is part of the small Bowery Market, and it is a unique sushi experience that gives four diners at a time exactly 30 minutes (timed) to eat a pre-determined twelve piece omakase for $50. There are no frills, there is no booze, there might not even be a bathroom, but the fish is fresh and the chefs are friendly, making for a charming half-hour spent. I have never been to Tokyo, but Daryl has, and she felt that the brisk timing and omakase-only option was very much like the coveted subway stop sushi places in Japan. Only on the Bowery…
Dave is more of a front man at this endeavor, greeting old friends and making new ones in his Japanese bandana and black apron. Although not actively serving the omakase himself, he has cut all of the fish and prepared the rice for the extremely capable chefs to dish out. The omakase is a virtual greatest hits of well done, simple fish, and you are left to add your own soy sauce ( on our visit, this woman added her wasabi and ginger to the soy sauce and the chef tried to make a joke, but she was oblivious- do you girl!) There are blow torches in use and the unique addition of fatty wagyu beef that is not only given the blow-torch treatment, but is also served topped with uni, a umami blast of creaminess and melted fat.
The sushi chefs are friendly and efficient, pumping out their pieces and not wasting any precious time. Sushi on Jones is a fun way to get your sushi fix, but due to the time, it falls short of a full night’s activity. Our suggestion would be to hit up this place for a quick weeknight dinner, or to extend the evening by popping by Bond Street for some sake to keep the good times rolling. We love Dave in any capacity we can get him, but we are most excited to see to see him back behind the sushi bar, serving the pieces that made us fall in love in him.
The menu as listed:
Scallop, Crab, Hamachi, Uni (Hokkaido), Eel, Botan Shrimp, 2 Tuna, 2 Wagyu, 2 Salmon, and a handroll. We also had a fabulous piece with oshinko and tuna, yum yum yum…
Raw food porn below. When you want to try Sushi on Jones for yourself, just pop by, give your name, and wait, 30 minutes only, ideally…
