December 27, 2002
Jewel Bako
posted by Nadia

My dad has been raving about Jewel Bako ever since he first ate there a few months ago, and his descriptions have certainly whetted my appetite. Though my visits to New York are pretty rare these days, my dad nonetheless managed a nearly-miraculous feat -- he scheduled a reservation at Jewel Bako on a night when me, my brother Nick, and Nick's girlfriend Kalyna were all in town at the same time! Like I said, a miraculous feat.

Anticipating that it would take me a while to actually sit down and write this entry, I brought a few index cards and a pen with me to dinner. And thank goodness, because my memory is pretty hazy at this point. Here's what I do remember: the restaurant is tiny, but not in an oppressive way. Rather, it's small and cozy, with an arched bamboo ceiling that makes it feel strangely like an airplane cabin. Believe it or not, I mean this as a compliment. The owners are incredibly attentive and must have some kind of photographic memory; although my dad's only been there a few times, they know his name and treat him like he's seated in first-class (another airplane joke, see?). The husband of the husband-and-wife team, a Rivers Cuomo lookalike with strategically mismatched accessories, seated us and immediately brought out a set of golden sake cups with an interesting history. Something about not knowing how old they were, and getting researchers at this very moment to analyze the marks on the bottom of the cups. He speaks incredibly fast, and that's pretty much all I caught; it felt kind of like Antiques Roadshow as directed by Baz Luhrmann.

And, of course, the food. The sushi was absolutely fantastic, incredibly fresh, and presented in a way that made it a treat to walk through the dishes and get a feel for the subtly different taste and feel of each fish. We started with a series of yellowtail, tasting our way through the different kinds -- hamachi (the mildest), kanpachi (almost too creamy, sweet), hiramasa (the cheek, my favorite), and shima aji (the fattiest, with a slight minerally taste). I then moved onto the sushi tasting menu, which I wish I had taken better notes on. Here's what I can decipher of my scribblings:

chopped mackerel and shiso wrapped in shiso leaf: *** among my favorites. bright, clean taste
needlefish: too much wasabi, couldn't taste the fish itself
sake-marinated tuna, seared: yum
toro: tangy, acidic, minerally, incredibly buttery, almost overwhelming
toro roll: nicer than the toro sushi; better proportion of fish-to-rice
south carolina grouper: *** creamy, minerally
giant clam: tastes green, like a christmas tree (just because I wrote this doesn't mean I know what it means)
seawater eel: *** I love eel. this one was soft, tender, smoky, and perfect
jack mackerel
grout: sweet, mild, very nice
yellowtail: v. good
new zealand salmon: mild salmon flavor, grassy, floral

I can't imagine that these ramblings are too helpful for those of you hoping to live vicariously through my culinary adventures. My suggestion? Go to Jewel Bako yourself! Make reservations early, introduce yourself to the owners, and prepare yourself for what my dad has described as (and I can only agree) the "best sushi in New York."