19 Feb Inventive Sushi at Sushi of Gari in New York

On a recent trip to New York, I had an unexpected open night and decided to get a last minute ticket to a Broadway show. I rushed to Times Square at 5:30 pm to get a ticket for the 7:00 pm show of To Kill A Mockingbird. Once I had my ticket, I had some time to kill and was hungry for dinner. But, I was in Times Square and as I looked around, everything looked rather touristy. I wondered if I would be able to find somewhere in the area that was actually good. After a quick Google search and referring to a few articles in Eater, Thrillist and Time Out, I decided to head to Sushi of Gari located a few blocks away. As I entered Sushi of Gari, I was expecting to order a couple basic items but my eye caught the omakase menu and I inquired about it. Unfortunately, I did not have time to enjoy the entire menu but my server suggested that I select the Sushi Special which included nine pieces of sushi and one roll. Living in Los Angeles, I have high expectations when it comes to sushi. I appreciate the fine art of sushi and follow all the rules of a traditional restaurant. I never mix wasabi and soy sauce; I never dip my rice in soy sauce; I eat each piece in one bite; and most importantly, I know never to add soy sauce if the fish already has a sauce on it.

At Sushi of Gari, Chef Masatoshi “Gari” Sugio has created his own unique style of sushi. After watching customers dip all of their fish into soy sauce, masking the flavor of the fish, he began to create a variety of sauces and toppings that would enhance the flavor of the fish. I was in for a great surprise of some of the most creative sushi I have ever taste!

Back row from left to right: Chu-Toro Ponzu (Medium Blue Fin Tuna Belly topped with grated daikon radish with ponzu sauce), Maguro Tofu Rayu (Blue Fin Tuna topped with creamy tofu puree and sesame chili oil), Kanpachi Jalapeno (Japanese Baby Yellowtail with jalapeno sauce), Seared Medium Fat Blue Fin Tuna with ginger garlic, Black snapper with fried seaweed and King Fish with mushroom Front row from left to right: Yaki Salmon (seared marinated salmon belly), Lobster mixed with herb oil and seaweed salt, Eggplant with dashi soy sauce and bonito flakes, Spicy Shrimp Tempura Roll I was so enjoying the flavors and was intrigued by the toppings so I ordered a couple more pieces of sushi. The Maguro Yukke is shredded lean Blue Fin Tuna marinated with Korean style sweet sesame oil sauce with crispy Nori seaweed and roasted pine nuts, chopped cucumber and scallions. The Salmon Yaki Tomato is salmon topped with sweet onion sauce and seared tomato. Sushi of Gari takes traditional Japanese flavors and enhances the preparation in inventive and unique ways. Dining at Sushi of Gari was a lucky find!! Sushi of Gari Theater District 347 West 46th St, NY, 10036 Additional locations: Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Financial District