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Kanoyama

  • Restaurants
  • East Village
  • price 4 of 4
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Photograph: Caroline Voagen Nelson
Photograph: Caroline Voagen NelsonKanoyama
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Time Out says

3 out of 5 stars

At first glance, six-year-old East Village standby Kanoyama appears indistinguishable from the slew of other run-of-the-mill sushi restaurants in the neighborhood. But a closer inspection reveals a much more sophisticated venue that has long touted daily imported fresh fish and one of the largest specials menus in the city, making for a sushi experience both elevated and charming.

Conservative appetites can find comfort in familiar fare like rock shrimp tempura ($12), delectable usuzukuri ($18), a rose petal-thin fluke paired with ponzu sauce, and a manicured selection of hand rolls, the standout being the fried oyster roll ($13) slicked in spicy mayo. But sushi connoisseurs and adventurous palates alike can foray into the the expansive list of daily specials, or entrust the raw-fish masters with a omakase, or chef's choice menu.

Three options—omakase sushi ($39), omakase sashimi ($49), and super omakase ($180)—are each artfully presented to stunning effect, making the meal a complete feast for all the senses. On a recent night, the super omakase commenced with a chilled corn soup topped with tempura corn that boasts a luscious consistency similar to custard. Next was the ayu nanban, a fried sweet fish in vinegar sauce, and golden seared anago, a salt-water eel that’s so deeply caramelized in unagi sauce it could pass for candy. 

Though already substantial, the meal soldiered on with a selection of sashimi ranging from the standout buttery baby red snapper that melts on the tip of your tongue upon impact to a white eel emboldened by wasabi, fluke with scallion, striped jack fish with lemon salt and a disappointing scallop that was unpleasantly gummy in texture. Toro hand rolls enveloped in extra crispy nori, tobiko with egg, and a velvet unami round out the overall satisfying experience. 

Service concludes with a pair of desserts: tamago, a sweet Japanese egg omelette, and monaka, a wafer-like sandwich filled with mochi ice cream and red bean sauce. It's the traditional, understated conclusion to an omakase, befitting the tried-and-true simplicity of the restaurant and its offerings. 

BY: TIME OUT COMMUNITY REVIEWER CHRISTINE FISCHER HEWIT

Details

Address:
175 Second Ave
New York
10003
Cross street:
at 11th St
Transport:
Subway: L to First Ave; N, Q, R, W, 4, 5, 6 to Union Sq
Price:
Average sushi meal: $30. AmEx, Disc, MC, V
Opening hours:
Mon, Sun 5–11pm; Tue–Sat 5:30pm–midnight
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