Fabulous Sushi at Bond St. of NYC

If it's one thing you can count on in New York, it's being able to find some marvelous Maine lobster (this is due in part, presumably, to New York's proximity to Maine). At Bond St., a swanky Japanese restaurant in the NoHo part of town, the cold water lobster nigiri has a succulent, fleshy translucence reminiscent of the taste and texture of ama ebi. For the final finish, the fresh lobster is brushed with a sweet soy that includes the surprising ingredients of sake and steamed lobster tomalley puree, which enhance its seafood essence.

The Red Snapper Tacos were a disappointment (I had ordered them with Sushi Samba's tangy tacos in mind; Bond St. should specify in its menu that cooked fish is used in this dish). The "6 Bond Nigiri," however, more than made up for the snapper snafu.

The "6 Bond Nigiri" set is $28, compared with the Sashimi Sextet for $26 (featuring blue fin tataki, snapper, kanpachi, octopus, salmon tartare, live Maine lobster) and the Seared Belly Quartet for $20 (this comes with otoro, yellowtail, salmon and snapper).

The "6 Bond Nigiri" showcases otoro with caviar, gold flake and fresh wasabi; shima aji (striped jack) with chili daikon and green onion; salmon with kombu; fluke with shiso and plum sauce; Maine lobster served gunkan-style with seaweed wrapped around it; and scallop with a sliver of green olive on top. (Normally this set comes with sweet shrimp instead of Maine lobster, but I had asked for a substitution just to try the lobster with the fish selection I preferred.) For a refreshing change of pace, try the Sundried Tomato and Avocado roll with garlic ponzu oil and green tea salt.

Bond St. is about as upscale and spacious as trendy sushi restaurants come. Located in a historic brownstone with a distinctive Soho style, Bond St. boasts three floors–the ground floor, which features the lounge and a sushi bar; the second floor, with a 75-seat dining room and sushi bar; and the third floor, which has a tatami room that can be used for private engagments. The price of reserving this room starts at $200 on a weekday and can go as high as $500 on a weekend, depending on the number of guests in the party.

Unfortunately for Angelenos, the Bond St. sushi bar that had been open in Beverly Hills has closed down, but the one in Miami still stands, and it's been open for more than 10 years. New York's location has been in business for 15 years and is still going strong.

Bond St.
6 Bond Street, New York, NY
212-777-2500