Notes on Food

Another day, another sushi spot. This time at the new Sushi Katsuei on 6th Avenue in the West Village, which is the second location of chef Aung Ko Win (the first location is in Park Slope) and focused on offering more affordable omakase options. I opted for the open omakase on this initial visit to see the scope of the menu and was impressed with the quality given the lower price point compared to other temples of sushi. Win is also not super wed to tradition so appreciated having certain pieces dressed with decidedly un-Japanese garnishes (e.g., a light squeeze of lemon and sea salt) which nevertheless enhanced the fish and never really overwhelmed.

Ocean trout – continues to be one of my favorite types of fish for its richness

King salmon

Fatty toro

Medium fatty toro

Herring with kombu – I’m still not really sure how this dish was prepared but it was slightly bitter and a nice palate cleanser between courses

Shima aji with yuzu kosho

Horse mackerel – stunning to look at as well

Cuttlefish – actually not the biggest fan of cuttlefish due to its tendency to be overly chewy. That was the case here.

Scallop – supremely sweet and accentuated by the lemon and salt

Baby squid – obviously interesting to look at but overly fishy in flavor to me

Orange clam – one of my favorites. Toothsome texture and nice and briny

Hokkaido uni – no skimping on serving size here

Cherry-marinated black snapper – a special from Chef Win. Incredibly floral with hint of shiso underneath

Striped pigfish

Overall, I’m very happy to have another sushi option in the neighborhood, especially one that’s reasonably priced but still delivers in terms of variety of fish and quality. As far as I can tell, they’ve been pretty busy from day one (and I only managed to get my seat because it was 5:30 P.M. that day) but it seems like, if you call ahead, that they try to be as accommodating as possible.