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Eric Asimov Awards Three Stars to Sushi Yasuda

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Eric Asimov files the first Times review on sushi palace Sushi Yasuda in 11 years and confirms that the restaurant still deserves three stars even with Chef Yasuda oceans away in Japan.:

No better opportunity may exist to take, on its own terms, what sushi has to offer...I’ve come to believe that Yasuda is best enjoyed solo, at the bar...With each piece, I close my eyes as I eat, concentrating on the exquisite flavor sensations. My shoulders relax. For a moment nothing exists but me and the sushi. Between courses I overhear the couple next to me starting to bicker...I retreat to my cocoon.
He notes that a meal there can be expensive (though not compared to other sushi spots) and isn't happy they're serving bluefin tuna, but "With its devotion to sushi in its purist form, unalloyed with other Japanese cuisines or American twists, Yasuda occupies a singular position in New York’s sushi landscape, even without Mr. Yasuda." [NYT]

Steve Cuozzo has a rave for what Alain Allegretti, "the handsomest hunk in a toque," is doing over at La Promenade des Anglais: "I’ve praised Allegretti’s cooking since his days at Atelier on Central Park South. He has a taste for baroque presentations and sometimes costlier raw materials than the market will bear. But La Promenade’s far-west address and colorful setting seems to have freed him to be more playful than before." [NYP]

Ryan Sutton calls Roberta’s one of New York’s most deeply satisfying Italian-American restaurants: "In the summer, chef Carlo Mirarchi throws a handful of trucidi noodles into the piquant juice of Sun Gold tomatoes; shavings of Mediterranean bottarga pump up the flavor. In the fall, he blends tomatoes with aged squab breast, heart and foie gras, resulting in a musty, musky stew for garganelli. And throughout the year, Roberta’s margherita pie shows off the tang of good pomodori with no soupiness." [Bloomberg]

Adam Platt awards just one star to La Mar Cebicheria. He doesn't love the entrees but is an easy fan of the ceviches, "pleasingly messy arrangements doused with the chef’s spicy lime-based leche de tigre sauce, and the best of them...have a complex, compulsively delicious quality, like a cool, curiously healthful stew." [NYM]

THE ELSEWHERE: Ligaya Mishan files an Under on excellent Filipino spot Maharlika, Gael Greene likes the food but realizes The Americano isn't really her scene, Robert Sietsema finds a new Malaysian restaurant Banana Leaf in Sunset Park, and Tables for Two discovers a lot of small things with big flavor at Buvette.

THE BLOGS: Immaculate Infatuation is not surprised to be disappointed in Lexigton Brass in Midtown and is surprised to love Catch in the Meatpacking District, The Food Doc has a rave for Torrisi spinoff Parm, NY Journal doesn't get what all the fuss is about at Tertulia, The Skinny Pig finds a lot to like at Williamsburg newcomer Allswell, Kika Eats loves the pork burger at Miss Lily's, and Boozy NYC loves the cocktail and calls the pairing boards hit or miss at The Beagle.
[photo credit]

Roberta's

401 Franklin Street, , TX 77201 Visit Website

The Americano

518 W 27th Street, New York, NY 10001 212 216 0000 Visit Website

Sushi Yasuda

204 East 43rd Street, Manhattan, NY 10017 (212) 972-1001 Visit Website

La Promenade des Anglais

461 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011 (212) 255-7400

Buvette

42 Grove Street, Manhattan, NY 10014 (212) 255-3590 Visit Website

La Mar Cebicheria

11 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010 (212) 612-3388