Lunch at: Mifune

Eater described Mifune as “one of the most important Japanese restaurants in New York to open this year”. So, naturally, I had to drop in and see why with my POC, @onehungryjew.

I didn’t think Midtown East would be the spot for such a lauded restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, it’s lovely inside, but I used to live in Midtown East and I find it to be one of the more boring areas of Manhattan. But hey, it’s easy to get to and not overly crowded like Midtown West. *shudders just thinking about it*.

The sushi bar in front is bright and airy, and will offer a tasting menu priced at around $150 per person. They offer a la carte menu options as well, which is what we chose to do. They were very firm in their recommendations, so I say if you really want something, make it known. We let General Manager Hiroyuki Morishima guide us through this though, and it was a delicious choice.

Be advised, I wouldn’t come here for a quick bite of sushi or sashimi. This is not the place for that, or at least that wasn’t my experience. The food is beautifully presented, but that also means it’s meticulously prepared, so I wouldn’t want to rush this. My favorites were the sashimi, the beef tartare, the clams, and the salmon. Honestly, everything was great.

Evidently the restaurant is named after Japanese Samurai actor Toshiro Mifune, and the food is meant to represent his “wild” and “sexy” talents (via Eater).

My word (my sword). If you have some time on your hands, or if you’re looking to impress that big client/picky significant other, this is the place to go.