I have finally tried omakase! My first foray into this dining scene was at a small restaurant with a L-shaped bar in the East Village. I feel like the dining experience itself was kind of marred by the fact that it was just me and my friend taking part in that dining time at 5pm on a weekday, so we were the only ones the staff were paying attention to outside of what seemed like two friends or family of the chefs. It was quiet to the point that it was a tad awkward HOWEVER our waiter and chef were super sweet and gave us more insight into the dishes we were being served and checking in to see if we were liking everything. I am just one of those people who doesn’t love being checked on incessantly, but there isn’t much one can do in that situation.
This omakase was $98 for 15 courses consisting of two appetizers, one hand roll, and twelve nigiri (they gave us 13 though!). It’s a relatively affordable omakase spot, one of the two I have tried this year, the other one being Sanyuu West. I did enjoy Sanyuu West more, but Matsunori was a solid choice.
Appetizers:
Fish served with jalapeño and soy
I am not remembering what this fish was, but served with jalapeño, soy, and chili, it was a great start to the meal!
Toro Tartar with Caviar and Soy
Gold flakes don’t taste like anything to me, but they sure do elevate the look of the dish. The toro was delicious, along with the soy, and I honestly don’t think much of caviar, but it all went together quite well! The sauce had a good kick of spice and the caviar did add some salt.
Nigiri:
Bluefin Tuna with Tofu Sauce
A tofu sauce is so fun and funky—it had a subtle sweet nuttiness to it due to the tofu, and the fish was nice and fresh.
Pepper Yellowtail with Yuzu Soy
I actually really like yellowtail, and only in dining experiences like these do I remember that. It was not super saucy, but I like the simplicity of just the sushi rice and fish, and this definitely fit the bill.
Squid with Salmon Caviar
I love squid and this was definitely one of my favorite bites. The salmon caviar was not my favorite—I just don’t love the texture of salmon roe. But the bite all together was actually very good with chewiness of the squid and the smokiness from the brûlée.
Japanese Sea Bream with Dried Plum Salt
Sea bream is such a good fish and I have slept it on it too much. Also, one thing Matsunori had going for them is their fun and creative salts! A dried plum salt? It was delicious and a great complement to the fish! A simple, but delicious bite. There was some of leaf between the sushi rice and fish, which added a nice flavor.
Yellowtail with Yuzu Brown Pepper
The pepper had a really good kick to it on top of more fresh yellowtail.
Hokkaido Uni
Uni—aka sea urchin—has a very interesting texture, so it is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. I actually really liked this, despite the cold and mushy texture. It is an interesting flavor which is, admittedly, quite fishy and tastes like the sea. I’m nothing if not an adventurous eater!
Sea Bass with Truffle Salt and Yuzu
I am a true fan of the fish and truffle salt combo. The sea bass is a favorite fish of mine and I love truffle, so putting them together was a great thing for me. Delish!
Fatty Tuna with Pickled Radish
I am a fatty tuna lover!!! I couldn’t taste too much radish but the fatty tuna stole the show anyway. It has such a great natural flavor and a good mouth feel.
Japanese Golden Iris Snapper with Sesame Sauce
The sesame sauce was delicious here. I just love a sesame sauce for adding that salty nuttiness to anything, but it specifically lends itself to a fish like this snapper and the smokiness of it, since was brûléed.
Kombachi Amberjack with Spicy Garlic Sauce
Another fish that I neglect! The spicy garlic sauce was my favorite sauce of the night too. It was different from everything else and added a real kick and garlicky flavor that I love.
Hokkaido Scallop with Caviar
Another brûléed piece of seafood; I enjoyed this preparation a lot because the smokiness adds a great depth of flavor. This bite was definitely another favorite of mine for the night. Very simple, but I love scallops, so that’s really all I need.
Seared O-toro
This was an awesome bite—another tuna bite that I was obsessed with. As a result of the brûlée it literally tastes like cooked tuna, so if you don’t like tuna salad or cooked tuna this is not your vibe.
Marinated Japanese Squash and Avocado
The squash was marinated in sake and rice for at least twelve hours and you could really taste the deep flavor. The chef told us that Japanese squash like this used to be marinated for years underground and then dug up to consume—very cool! It was definitely an interesting bite and the squash had an earthy and sweet flavor to it.
Hand Roll:
Yellowtail and Scallop with Scallion
This was a good hand roll with an interesting fish combination, but I have had better hand rolls.
Overall, the experience at Matsunori was a good first taste of omakase! The quality of the ingredients was very apparent in each bite, the combinations were delicious and fun, and the service was great! The chef and server were very welcoming and really wanted to make sure we were enjoying everything. It was very clear that the chefs took a lot of care to make each nigiri and cared a lot about the food they were putting out.