Sushi Nakazawa- Pants Dream of Sushi

Note: This review was delayed because I had a cold and was lazy; I did not read the Times Review before I wrote this in order to maintain the integrity of my thoughts from my brain.

A reservation at Sushi Nakazawa to me is like the Birkin bags of reservations: a real status symbol. The Pants are always on top of the newest, most exciting things going on in sushi in NYC, so we made it our mission to get to Nakazawa, for you, our readers.  We are totally selfless and dedicated to YOU. In full disclosure, the Pants had a minor meltdown getting to our 5pm reservation on time; it was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, pouring rain, and Uber was running on $30 minimum fares.  There was not ONE cab to be found as we made our way from Union Square to the West Village, and Daryl ran a red light (literally, ran across the street) where I lost track of her, all in the pursuit of not losing our reservation.  Since no one answers the phone at Nakazawa after 4pm, we couldn’t alert anyone to our tardiness, so Daryl left me behind to nativiate the winding ways of Commerce and Bedford streets so that she could get there and let them know were are coming.  I arrived wet and in less than a stellar mood, with sister waiting for me at that the sushi bar.

And what a bar it is…no blonde wood here, this is a sleek space with comfy stuffed swivel stools at the bar, and lots of shiny white surfaces.  I am sure the food tastes just as good at one of the tables in the back, but Daryl and I have never met a sushi bar we didn’t like so it was a no brainer where we wished to be seated. I know beggars can’t be chosers, but the sushi bar is really the place to be. Also, the staff at Nakazawa looked to be pretty sharply and professionally  dressed in fitted suits and black outfits, and there was a lot of them lingering around the host stand.  They are happy to provide you with a clip for your handbag so it doesn’t have to sit on the floor, but I knocked mine off the counter a few times.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so see below for pictures of what we ate.  (WordPress fail! It won’t upload a couple of yummy images).  The sushi, honestly, is perfection.  The rice is so well done you can discern each individual grain, the fish is cut as to elicit a texture close to velvet, and any sauce or additions are ideally suited for the flavors of that fish.  I have never had tomago at a sushi bar before, and this was a real treat, unlike what I expected.  Even the nori is chosen from Tokyo Bay, and I love nori. Although price prohibitive (the $40 sake pairing is a real bargain, and delicious) everyone should try Nakazawa.  Daryl, who has been to Tokyo, contributes the following: “Chef is charming and talkative, approachable and happy to educate, not reserved or intimidating; the pace is very similar to what you get in Japan, but the Chef’s personality is far from what you get in Japan. I also have never had tomago w rice.” Nakazawa seems honestly happy to be in New York City and has a genial, relaxed attitude that is refreshing for a man of his training and skills.