Aki (CLOSED)

You feel as if you’re interrupting a private dinner party when you enter this stark, minuscule haven. Luckily, you won’t have to worry about niceties like forcing yourself to clean your plate to please your host, since many items on the Japanese-fusion menu are quite superlative. Though odd-sounding, a starter of eel napoleon—fried tofu, shiso-topped fish and pumpkin puree with crunchy wonton chips—is rich in textures, while Korean chili paste and pink fish powder punch up classic chirashi. Elegant desserts such as green-tea tiramisu coddle you before you rejoin the West Village fray.