I tried this Japanese restaurant in the old Zona Fresh location on 17-92 near Lee Rd yesterday at lunch. They have been open for five months. I did the "all you can eat" sushi option at $17. I was a little perturbed that I could have done the same at Koy Won for half the price if I didn't feel the need to waste my time and money as a food adventurer. However, I will say the quality is better here. Let's start with the rice. It is pretty good. Short grain. The second round of sushi rice was even warm. Not dry. Not over vinegar-ed. A tad over cooked. Not to bad. They even said they wash/polish the rice five times. I think three times is the most the best places do it. Not sure if you can over wash. They have a host of things from the appetizer section on the list of possibilities. I did steamed gyoza, edamame and shrimp tempura. The gyoza wasn't to mushy. Pork filled. The tempura was not greasy and well fried and fresh. The edamame was a little under steamed. They also had things like fried chicken, grilled chicken, miso soup, udon, soba, crab Rangoon, fried rice, etc available. On the sushi side they had a variety of rolls (hand and rolled). Even six of seven of their "special" rolls. Plus tuna, salmon, shrimp, egg, baby scallop and a few more. I had the aforementioned minus the tamago (egg). Twenty pieces in all. The salmon was good. The second batch of tuna was better. The baby scallops can be really sweet if fresh. These weren't. They tried to help them along with some sweet mayonnaise. Nice to see them try to provide a delicacy though. I also had a spicy albacore roll and a Philly Roll. The albacore was probably just spicy tuna. The best part was that the rice to fish ratio was "normal". Not the "over-ricing" you usually see at an all you can eat place. The stuff was made to order and although there was only one guy and four competing tables, it came out fast. Service was also good. That helped the efficiency. The place is big. It seats about eighty. Some booths. Some tables. Lots of space between tables. High ceilings. They could "pretty it up" a bit. I can't put my finger on it, but, it seemed a little too "lived in" to be five months old. You can order by the piece or separate meals, but, they add up to around the all you can eat price. They had a more extensive all you can eat option. I think it was $23. They also have an all you can drink (sake or beer) option for $13. A beer on its own was $7. I'll probably rotate this with my Koy Wan visits.
*Travel Notes - Macedonia/Serbia/NYC:
Balkans - Ajvar or Alvar (I can't read my own handwriting) from Macedonia. A pepper and eggplant spread. Paprika Babura and Paprika Silja in Serbia. White looking peppers. Also Volcanos. A chocolate shell the looked like a crown filled with more chocolate or ganache. Many colors and all the chocolate varieties. KFC there also did a McDonald's like (mustard and ketchup and pickle) burger, but, with chicken. There was a Mexican chain in Belgrade called Burrito Madre. They had a machine that took in masa and kicked out a tortilla right on the grill in front of you. Our chains need to get on that. I'd bypass the goat cheese and field greens they use though.
NYC - I went to Flushing (last stop on 7 train past Citi Field) and ate at these Chinese spots. Stall 13 (Jia Xiang Wei) in the New York Food Court. I had pork cheeks and cucumber in a salad for $9. Served cold. Some hot sauce. A ton of food. I also had duck buns at Corner 28 for $1.25 a piece. Then across the street for a $4 soup bun (Xiao long bao) at Shanghai You Garden. Then on to the New World Mall and Old Luoyang (Stall 4) for a $7 plate of Henanese (a guy told me they make all the I Phones here) cold skin sweet potato noodles with bean sprouts. Actually good once you add the hot, vinegar, garlic and peanut sauces. But why do all noodles have zero flavor? I thought these suckers would be sweet. They were blue. I got these names from a Air BnB Mag article about eating around Queens. That idiot did four or five areas in a day. Where did he or she put it?
I also did up some things in Brooklyn. Red Hook - Hometown BBQ. Worlds slowest line. Average brisket. Dry. Over peppered. Good pulled pork. But, they dunked it in juice. Cheating. Both were $12 a half pound. Korean Sticky ribs were good. Bensonhurst (I think) - L&B Spumoni Gardens. OK pizza in round or square shapes. More of a scene. I also had a rainbow spumoni. Like ice cream. $3 or $4 for the slices. I also went to the Brooklyn Beer Brewery in Williamsburg. Free tours.
Manhattan - Ivan Ramen on Clinton and Houston. I mentioned I had seen him on TV a few posts back. Good shio ramen bowl for $16. Fresh noodles and pork belly. Fuku on Front St and Pine.- fast fried chicken by David Chang. Actually really good. $8 for a half. I also did a another chicken place (Sticky's Finger Joint on Maiden near Broadway) with good sauce combos (like mac and cheese). $5 for 10 large firecracker pieces or two fingers (half a breast size each). 8 locations in NYC. Across the street was an Indian fast food place (Koti Roll Co) that did tikka (etc) in naan. I mention it because I said I wanted to see this happen.and I guess it has. Now it just needs to happen here.
I also went to the Bronx to some place called City Island. Ate at a place called City Island Lobster House. OK. Hard to believe this is that close to the urban jungle.
Latest "in" things are the Hudson Yards and The Vessel. Moulin Rouge is going to be on Broadway.
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