sharaku

For someone who loves Japanese food, New York City can be a little overwhelming. There are seven sushi places within three blocks of my apartment (no exaggeration), all of which look exactly the same, with small, dark interiors and standard menus differentiated only by one or two 'house rolls' and whether or not they charge extra for brown rice instead of white. Sharaku is, in all honesty, different. Or maybe different isn't the right word. Better. The space is large (if you can, ask to be seated upstairs - it's a bit quieter and the space is more intimate) and is always packed with people. The food is fantastic. The menu pushes standard Japanese fare a step further: the sea vegetable salad contains seven different kinds of seaweed (a must for lovers of seaweed salad) and comes with a delicious side of miso vinegar dressing, the tender tofu steak is smothered in a rich mushroom sauce, and the udon soup packs more flavor than any other I've ever tasted. The sushi is across-the-board fresh and the specialty rolls are both beautiful and delicious (my personal favorite: the third avenue roll, with salmon, cucumber, wasabi, tobiko and flying fish roe). The prices here are no different than the average neighborhood sushi place, which, considering the quality of the food and the appealing atmosphere, should be more than enough of a reason for you to stop by.

14 Stuyvesant St. (at 9th St.)

*recommendations
  sea vegetable salad
  tofu steak
  nabeyaki udon
  third avenue roll
  yellowtail tempura roll