Ono

Evidently, Ono’s time has come and gone as Jeffrey Chodorow’s once-trendy sushi den in the Gansevoort Hotel was near empty last week. I could almost hear the crickets chirping as we walked past rows of sake bottles under spotlights lining the walls. Walking into the sea of empty tables felt like entering some kind of sad club, too desperate to bother with the velvet rope. One would say it’s a shame, but with rushed service and rudely inflated prices, I hesitate to mourn the loss.

To be fair, the meal was not all bad. I gobbled up crunchy rice crackers, dusted with spice as we selected sake and beer. I enjoyed a guiltfully saucy salmon appetizer with shiitake mushroom, eggplant, and endive. My “tuna yuba” roll made with yuba seaweed, chopped tuna, seared tuna, and tempura flakes was fresh. The soft texture of the yuba seaweed which is a thin “skin” made from boiled soymilk was unique. E’s house salad was fine enough but when vegetable rolls cost $9, they better be speckled with gold. (These were not).

The thing is, the dishes are edible but forgettable. Anybody can douse fish in oil and black sauce and make it taste good. Kiku Sushi, down the block from me can also create a fresh tuna roll. Places like Ono are supposed to take flavors to a higher level, which it completely missed for me.

It was only after dining there that I heard of Ono’s impending March closing, only to be reopened as Maxim Steak, some type of bizarre Chodorow/Maxim partnership. And you thought Kobe Club was a machismo fest!

If you have some type of perverted curiosity to try out Ono before closing time by all means go, but don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Ono- 18 9th Avenue At Gansevoort Street
Cuisine- Japanese, Sushi
Average Entree Price- $20-$60

Filed under Japanese, Restaurant Reviews |