“Where do I find the best sushi in New York City?”



As a food-loving New Yorker with a strong ties to Japan, that’s a question I get asked a lot. And it’s not an easy one to answer. More so than many other Japanese foods, sushi is highly subjective. There are so many factors that can influence a diner’s opinions… from fish selection and quality, or rice temperature and taste, from the chef’s attitude to the counter’s atmosphere; everyone likes sushi restaurants for different and diverse reasons.

For me, it’s about authenticity. It’s about going into a sushi shop here in NYC and being transported back to Japan. It’s about taking a bite of nigiri and feeling like I’m at Tsukiji Market in Tokyo. About sipping a sake that brings me back to my days at university in Kansai. So for my money, the best and most authentic sushi experience one can have in New York City is at…



Nakajima at Jado Sushi in Harlem!

I started hearing rumblings about Nakajima at Jado at the beginning of the year. Many of my Japanese chef friends were buzzing about it. A sushi chef from Tokyo doing fantastic things with fish on 116th St!



I had to see, and eat, for myself, so I took the A train uptown.

When you walk into Jado Sushi & Wine Bar (wine bar?!), it does not strike you as anything extraordinary. They appear to have a normal sushi counter with your standard sushi selections…

You see a line of chefs churning out California and Philadelphia rolls and think, “Authentic Edomae sushi? I must be in be wrong place…”

But you’re not.

That’s not the sushi you came for; you came to Jado to see this man….

Kunihide Nakajima, a third-generation sushi chef from Tokyo, who has created a true Japanese Edomae experience in New York, sourcing and serving fish that no one else in the city is!

Nakajima at Jado Sushi is a nightly “pop-up” that serves only eight customers each evening. The lucky diners who score reservations sit at the counter in front of Nakajima-san where a special work station has been constructed just for him…

Chef even has his own personal refrigerator where he keeps the private stock of special seafood he serves exclusively on his tasting menu.



You see, most of the seafood used for sushi in New York City comes from a few sources. Even the fresh fish flown in from Tsukiji in Tokyo is almost all purchased from the same distributors. So when you visit most sushi restaurants around the city, you’re getting the same seasonal selections everywhere. But that’s not the case with Nakajima-san; his family still owns and operates a sushi shop in Tokyo and he’s getting his fish flown in directly from their fishmongers at Tsukiji! So he’s serving sushi that no one else in the country is. Plus, Nakajima-san is so meticulous about the product he serves that he makes daily trips to the Fulton fish market, and travels to Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts himself, to source as much local seafood as he can. “I don’t call, I buy in person”, he told us.

Why continue explaining you when I can show you? Here’s a look at the Edomae experience you’re treated to at Nakajima at Jado Sushi!

Homemade “nanohana”, an Asian vegetable, with dashi and Japanese mustard…

Hagatsuo tataki…

Lightly seared baby bonito…

Nakajima-san’s Spring sashimi selection (these pics are from May)…

Madai from Fukuoka, Japan…

Makogarei from Kagoshima, Japan…

Aji from Chiba, Japan…

Homemade “mozuku” using seaweed from Shimane prefecture in Japan…

This variety is only available from March to June each year…

“Awabi sakamushi”, abalone from Seattle steamed in sake…



Beau Soleil oyster from New Brunswick, Canada…



“Nakajima Ginger”, specially made using a secret family recipe he will not divulge, served chunky instead of sliced…

After all those starters, it’s finally time to move into the main event! (I will use the Japanese names of the fish here…)



Hoshigarei from Aomori, Japan…

Nodoguro from Maizuru, Kyoto, Japan…

Fukko “baby” suzuki from Yaizu, Shizuoka, Japan…

Kinme from Choushi, Chiba, Japan…



Amakusa kohada from Kyushu, Japan…

Sayori from Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan…

Bonjiri from Shimane, Japan…



Homemade shiokara, which is squid fermented in its own intestines for a week…

A palate cleanser of wasabi stems in vinegar soy sauce…

“Maguro no shuto”, something I had never had before, which is tuna belly aged for two years. Flown in specially from a shop called Chinmiya in Tsukiji. Incredible!!

Torigai from Osaka…

The man in action, all on his own…

Fresh scallop from Boston…

Geoduck from Seattle…



Aoyagi red clam from the Long Island Sound in Connecticut…

This red clam usually is hard and stinks, so Nakajima-san massages it in water to lighten the taste and soften the meat. Preparation of the fish is just as important as the slicing and the presentation. “This is the job of an Edomae sushi chef”, he explained.



Something else I’d never had before, “akahoya”, which is fermented sea squirt, a specialty from Sendai in Northeastern Japan…

Scallop tendons, saved after removing the mollusk meat from the shell. Nothing goes to waste…

Fukagawa asari clam from Seattle…

Uni from Russia…

Most of the sea urchin we get in the States comes from Santa Barbara, California, Portland, Maine or Hokkaido, Japan, so this was a real treat…

Aji (horse mackerel) from Izumi, Kagoshima, Japan…



Wild big-eye tuna from Ecuador, which Nakajima-san prefers the quality of…

Octopus from Takeoka, Chiba, Japan…

A roll of dried fish to finish out the sushi servings…

A simple rice and umeboshi plum “congee” to end the meal…

And a single sweet for dessert, made by Nakajima-san’s wife…

You never get a meal like this outside of Japan…

One other important thing to note when it comes to sushi is the quality of the rice, or “shari”. I have nothing but praise for Nakajima-san’s preparation; his rice is of the temperature, taste and texture I prefer. Perfectly paired with his succulent seafood selections!



Now I’ll be straight with you, Nakajima at Jado Sushi is not cheap. There’s no set price and Nakajima-san will guide you through the meal, asking along the way if you want to continue on this eclectic eating adventure with him after every few pieces. Please do. For its unique oceanic offerings and intimate experience, Nakajima is worth every penny!

Now you’re in the know. New York’s sushi secret is out. I hope you all enjoy Nakajima at Jado Sushi as much as I do… the best sushi restaurant in New York City!



NAKAJIMA AT JADO SUSHI

2118 Frederick Douglass Blvd.

NY, NY 10026

212-866-2118

http://www.jadosushi.com