Pass the more obvious entrance to the listed address and walk into the sketchy-looking smoke shop. Immediately to your right, there is a set of stairs. Up that set of stairs and boom, you’re in your destination: Sushi 35 West. Confused? Is there a door to walk through? Some bait and switch; a pristine, hushed sushi temple made of wood, awaiting? Nope. Just a hallway. A service or utility hallway from the looks of it. The kind of place into which service staff at other establishments would duck to catch a smoke. To be clear: it’s not dirty. It’s just not… y’know, a restaurant. And y’know what? That’s fine.
This is maybe some of the best sushi in the city and that’s what you’re paying for. Not service or ambiance or comfort. Quality. That’s it. It’s an admirably honest and straightforward approach to dining: cutting out everything that isn’t directly related to the food. In this way, they’re really doing you a favor–sushi of this quality virtually anywhere else costs an arm and a leg. Order at the window, get your food, walk away. It’s luxury to-go. The only thing is, if you’re here and the tables are all full, you’d better have a backup plan for where to eat. Do not wait that hour on the train to get back to your Queens apartment to eat this. Seriously, do NOT do that. If anything, walk the few blocks to Bryant Park.
The menu isn’t long. There’s no drinks menu, just some sodas and hot tea. If you’re not picky, there are pre-selected sets to streamline operations. Everything comes out fast, so you won’t have to wait long. The omakase (chef’s choice) might just be the way to go if you’ve got a table staked out: 35 pieces of beauty for $120. That may sound pricey, but seriously, it’s a bargain. The fish is beautifully fresh—when they run out for the day, they don’t serve that anymore. That goes for everything on the menu. They don’t have a bigass industrial freezer and the facilities to house a ton of product. That’s how they ensure freshness.
The rice is perfectly seasoned, at the perfect temperature. Fish slices are generous, but all nigiri can be devoured in a single bite, as they should. Seasoning is restrained, ratios balanced, temperatures dialed-in. If you’re here and don’t want to eat sushi, there’s sashimi as well as donburi bowls (fish over rice). If you want rolls, they’re available, but when you’re here for the quality fish, you really don’t want to mask its flavor with nori, do you?
Sushi 35 West is a craftsman’s workshop that you just happen to have a window into. But a window is about all you’ve got. It’s a good idea to arrive with a friend and a backup plan for the likely event that you won’t get a seat. The lack of ceremony can be fun if you let it—if you appreciate what you’re getting and don’t care about ceremony.