December 4th, 2007
This Greenwich Village sushi den is just as alive and en vogue as it was before a fire was rumored to have destroyed it in March of this year. On a Friday evening at 9:30 it was packed with pretty people dressed in their sharpest of outfits, filling every level and dark corner of the establishment. Upon entering we were not-so-warmly greeted by the host who smugly informed us (sans apology) that they were behind schedule and we’d have to wait for our reservation. Though disappointing, this would have been fine had it been delivered in a nicer manner. I suppose us pions were lucky to even BE at Bond Street Sushi, let alone expect to be seated on time!
When our table was ready we were directed to the elevator and headed to the second floor, where we were luke warmly greeted by another host. Ms. Strung? He asked. I acquiesced and we followed him to our table. Despite his attitude we were led to a dirty table, filled with dishes and spilled soy sauce. He shamefully beckoned a bus boy to clear. I would recommend a slice of humble pie for the hosts at Bond St. If you’re going to have an attitude, you should at least get it right.
A would-be sour mood was gracefully salvaged by our wonderful waitress Heather who was incredibly sweet and knowledgeable. We ordered a bottle of sake which was crisp, smooth and fruity, perhaps the best sake I’ve had. Bond St is known for having both uber-fresh sushi and unique hot items from the creative kitchen. We ordered two hot appetizers to start: seared tuna and foie gras with Asian pear chutney, plum wine glaze and holy basil as well as a Wagyu tataki of seared kobe beef with truffle butter. Both dishes were outstanding. The rich foie held up to the sweet chutney with a hint of crispness from the basil leafs. The thinly sliced rounds of Wagyu tataki simply melted in the mouth with decadent truffle butter adding layers of flavor and aroma. For sushi my cousin had a sesame crusted shrimp roll with orange curry dressing and reduced balsamic vinegar as well as a spicy tuna with chili mayonnaise. I opted for a spicy yellowtail roll, two pieces of salmon belly nigiri (Heather’s recommendation) and two pieces of giant clam nigiri. I found the clam to be a bit tough and overly fishy though the salmon belly and spicy yellowtail were fresh. I was surprised to find the creamy orange curry dressing pairing up well with crunchy shrimp, an odd coupling that worked for me though not as much for my cousin.
My final criticism would be that they could stand to have some more modest offerings. Though our sake was delicious it was $46, the cheapest on the menu. Though the sushi was great, I feel that I could have spent a fraction somewhere else for something just as great. The real uniqueness of Bond St was in the cooked items like the Wagyu and the foie.
All-in-all, Bond St was a great meal despite rocky beginnings. The likelihood of me returning is slim though, unless someone else is paying ;)
Bond St: 6 Bond Street Near Lafayette
Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Value: Good
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.
Word to the Wise: There is a lounge/bar downstairs
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Filed under Japanese, Neighborhood, Restaurant Reviews, Soho | Comments (2)
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Nice restaurant. Its look very luxurious. I wanna visit it.
[...] We could do Sushi Samba but… cheesy! We could do 15 East but, too expensive. We could do Bond St but I’ve been a zillion times AND too expensive. We could do Matsugen but trecking to TriBeca [...]