Disclosure: Misu provided me with a complimentary meal, but all opinions are my own.
When the publicist for Mizu first wrote to me, she said that the restaurant was unassuming; however, once I tried their sushi, rest assured I’d be back for more. I was skeptical for no reason other than the fact that there are a lot of good sushi restaurants in NYC.
But guess what? I agree. So did my son. We thought the food was simply divine, and we are two picky sushi eaters, generally quite discerning.
Mizu is helmed by Japanese trained Chef Nakao Hirakata, who previously served as the chef/owner of Mishima restaurant for over twenty years. The restaurant, on East 20th Street, is a small, low-key, utterly unassuming restaurant with a little sushi counter in the back. It’s small, with only 70 seats, including booths, tables, and a sushi bar. By 7 pm, the place was hustling, with people spilling in to fill its positions, so I assume I am not the first in town to take note of this special place.
I was told (in advance) to try several of the restaurant’s signature dishes, including White Tuna Truffle with delicious truffle oil, Black Cod Fish with the chef’s special miso sauce. , and the Crazy Toro Roll, with spicy tuna and avocado inside, topped with Cajun seared toro, served with eel sauce, jalapeño and sriracha. The results? The fish was fresh, the rice soft, and the flavors tasty.
There are so many items I want to go back to taste. The Pink Roll is filled with tuna, avocado, cucumber with crunchy tobiko, served with spicy mayo in a pink soy paper; the Kamikaze Roll with shrimp tempura and cucumber, topped with a spicy crunchy tuna and black caviar; and the Bahamas Roll with spicy grilled salmon, cucumber, avocado, and mango. The Spicy Tuna Gyoza is a perfectly crisped dumpling stuffed with tuna placed over a small mound of guacamole drizzled in a sweet and spicy sauce.
My son happens to be an exotic eater, and he loves sushi. He had an order of eel and avocado rolls, salmon and avocado rolls, and for his main course, chicken teriyaki, which he said was cooked to perfection. He also said that the rolls were some of the best he’s ever had, and that’s saying a lot!
And the prices are affordable. Chef Hirakata’s Omakase Sushi experience is at an accessible price of $45. It’s a choice of eight pieces of specialty fish and a negitoro roll. Omakase selections can include King Salmon, Red Snapper, Scallop, Fatty Tuna, and Sea Urchin.
Ramen can also be found on the menu, which I’d love to try, but it’s all pork-based which I don’t eat. I’d also like to go to Happy Hour, which takes place Monday – Friday from 3 pm to 6 pm with beer and sake for $4, wine for $5, as well as edamame and California rolls for $4 and spring rolls for $5.
Are you tempted yet? I am sure you are. Mizu is my latest NYC find, and I plan to go back again and again.
Mizu is located at 29 East 20th Street.
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