Another East Asian ingredient, sea pineapple, an edible sea squirt, will be served at Toko, a moody-looking 18-seat underground sushi bar, accessible through the entrance to the 34th Street subway station at the northeast corner of 32nd Street and Broadway. “The texture is somewhere between an oyster or clam and a geoduck, sort of a crunchy, snappy texture,” said the chef, J. Trent Harris, who formerly worked at Shuko. The restaurant was developed by Bobby Kwak and Joseph Ko of Baekjeong Korean Barbecue, a franchise with locations in New York and Los Angeles. Nami Song, a chef who worked at Bouley, will be in charge of the hot kitchen.

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At Toko, the sea pineapple will be prepared as either nigiri or sashimi, with a simple vinegar-soy-sauce marinade and a twist of citrus. “It has a little bit of that petrol note that you get from an aged riesling,” Mr. Harris said. “And, of course, that salinity.”