I'm itchin' for urchin - best uni dishes in NYC?

[pork_buns]

I've recently become addicted to uni - or as a friend likes to say, "I'm itchin' for urchin!"

I like it all fancy (the Uni Sushi with Quail Egg & Rock Salt at Yasuda is to die for) and I like it served prosaically (a $6 Uni Handroll at Monster Sushi will do me fine).

I tried the Uni Cocktail at Soto, which was I felt was a little overrated (and yes, I realize that's uni-blasphemy), and I'm eyeing the uni pasta dish at Jean George next.

re there any other paeans to uni in NYC that you recommend?

-----
Soto
357 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10014

Jean Georges
1 Central Park W, New York, NY 10023

Sushi Yasuda
204 E 43rd St, New York, NY 10017

Monster Sushi
22 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

[loratliff]

Just had a great uni dish at Monkey Bar—smoked fettuccine, uni, hackleback roe and pickled shallots. Truly divine. Photos here: http://smithratliff.com/2011/12/16/mo...

-----
Monkey Bar
60 E 54th St, New York, NY 10022

[chowbie]

Don't forget the oyster pan roast with uni on toast at the John Dory. Yum.

[meatme]

I had a terrific dish of soba with uni at 15 East a year or so ago.

-----
15 East
15 East 15th Street, New York, NY 10003

[strangemd]

My last time at 15E (about a month ago), I was offered an Uni sashimi tasting: Maine, Santa Barbara, and Japan. All with slightly different preparations. It was fantastic.

[foodwhisperer]

I haven't had the uni soba at 15 East in awhile. They only make that occasionally for the omakase. I have never seen a menu there , so not sure if it is on the menu. I do know the person that used to make it at Hanamura An, was the same person doing it at 15 East. I did have great uni from Hokkaido the other night at 15 East. Also the uni pasta at Greenwich grill is very good. Kanoyama serves Oyster in the shell topped with uni and caviar which is really good, I had fresh uni from Maine in the shell tonite at kanoyama was good, Nobu used to do uni tempura with a shiso leaf that was good.

-----
Kanoyama
175 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

Nobu
105 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013

Greenwich Grill
428 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10013

[deesher]

I think uni soba is on the menu at 15 East and is certainly available by request. It's also terrific.

[jdc1987]

The oysters with foie gras, uni and teriyaki sauce at Morimoto sound like a sick joke, but they are worth trying.

-----
Morimoto
88 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011

[plf515]

One that's missing here is Basta Pasta, which has a linguini with uni in pink sauce that is very good.

-----
Basta Pasta
37 W 17th St, New York, NY 10011

[AdamD]

+1

[jmoranmoya]

Other Uni places that came to mind are:
- Kyo Ya: Yuba And Uni Yoshino Style sea urchin on tofu skin in crystal clear sauce
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmoranmoya/4778446440/

- Riverpark: Uni and steak tartare
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmoranmoya/5171471257/

- Soto: Ika Konowata. Quite better than the Uni cocktail mentioned before in the post
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmoranmoya/5995022113/

- 1 or 8: Uni on shell
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmoranmoya/5697129048/

An outside New York:
- Kabuki in Madrid: uni sashimi
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmoranmo...

-----
Soto
357 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10014

Kyo Ya
94 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

Riverpark
450 E 29th St, New York, NY 10016

[jmoranmoya]

I would recommend uni at Jungsik http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmoranmo...
Brushstroke uni is good too

-----
Jung Sik
2 Harrison St, New York, NY 10013

Brushstroke
30 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013

[RGR]

At Tocqueville, since the California Sea Urchin and Angel Hair Carbonara with Sea Lettuce Lime and Soy was put on the menu a few years ago, it has become something of a signature dish. I haven't tried it, but a friend who has said it's fantastic! .

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ulteriorepicure/3501116134/in/set-72157617685549850/

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

-----
Tocqueville
1 East 15th Street, New York, NY 10003

[ellenost]

The picture is gorgeous! Definitely need to make a reservation very soon at Tocqueville!

[RGR]

We haven't been there since the end of November. Way past time to go again. Always a wonderful experience. I'm sure you've read our pal steakrules' glowing review of his dinner there.

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

[ellenost]

Yes, I did read steakrules wonderful review. His review plus your always high praise (and beautiful photos) have raised Tocqueville to one of my "must try" restaurants very soon!

[therealdoctorlew]

Had it. Delicious.

[nmprisons]

It is quite possible that the best bite of food I have ever had in my life was a piece of uni resting atop sake granita at Per Se.

The caviar and uni over tagiolini at Le Bernardin is another favorite.

-----
Per Se
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019

Le Bernardin
155 W. 51st St., New York, NY 10019

[ellenost]

Bouley has a sea urchin terrine that is fabulous!

-----
Bouley
163 Duane St, New York, NY 10013

[nmprisons]

Ah, yes. I have seen pictures and turned green with envy.

[luckiestduck]

I found the uni panini at El Quinto to be very over-rated. All bread and mustard and too easy on the uni. What's the point!?

[vo23]

I agree with luckiestduck. I was disappointed with the lack of uni. The panini looks nothing like what was presented in NY magazine.

[brancron]

Everything I had at El Quinto was mediocre, including the uni panini. The Korean mustard oil way overpowered the uni, but from what I could taste of it the uni wasn't very fresh anyways.

[uwsister]

A fellow uni addict here!

Have you had sea urchin toast at Aldea? I don't remember the price, but I do remember it was quite delicious and the portion was more generous than I thought.

-----
Aldea
31 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011

[pork_buns]

no, i haven't, but i will now. :) thanks, uwsister.

[daffyduck]

http://www.alwayshungryny.com/top-5s/...
there's also the one at basta pasta

[junipersong]

The spaghetti with crab, uni, and basil at Basil is phenomenal. Some of the best spaghetti you'll ever have, and the creamy uni works really well with basil, which is a combination I hadn't had before.
The uni risotto at Masa...really good, probably not worth the ticket price of the restaurant.

[pork_buns]

holy moly, what an amazing blog! (especially the uni entry.) is this your blog, daffy?
thanks much for the link regardless. :)

[daffyduck]

noo. that's not my blog. alwayshungryny is a major food site. my friend use to intern for them though. so hed sometimes hook me up with free food =].

[sgordon]

I'd give Soto another chance, and perhaps order some of the other uni items - he really works magic with it sometimes. Go for the Steamed Lobster With Uni Mousse and Smoked(!) Uni.

Also:
The Uni Panini at El Quinto Pino
"Oysters Foie Gras" at Morimoto - kumamoto oysters, foie gras, uni, with a spin on teriyaki sauce. Crazy decadent.
Uni Butter at Strip House - it's off-menu, but if you ask they'll top your steak with it. Nothing terribly creative or that you couldn't make at home - but awful good.
Uni & Sweet Corn Risotto at Bar Masa - insanely expensive. Most assuredly overpriced. But a remember-it-for-weeks dish.

And I'll second the Maccheroni alla Chitarra at Esca.

-----
El Quinto Pino
401 W 24th St, New York, NY 10011

Esca
402 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036

Morimoto
88 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011

Bar Masa
10 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10019

Strip House
13 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003

[pork_buns]

oh god, bar masa - i dread to think how much that cost (and can only imagine how good it tasted)! but i'll definitely be trying out your other suggestions. thanks, sgordon.

[thew]

the uni and lardo app at marea

the uni in the soup at degustation

[daffyduck]

2nd that soup

[hcbk0702]

LE BERNARDIN:
Sea urchin roe on a bed of jalapeño-wasabi jam; seaweed salt; wakame-orange scented broth
Sea urchin risotto; toasted nori; urchin-citrus emulsion (dinner only)

JEAN GEORGES:
Santa Barbara sea urchin, black bread, jalapeño and yuzu (dinner only)

PICHOLINE:
Sea urchin panna cotta, chilled ocean consommé, caviar (dinner only)

MAREA:
Ricci - sea urchin, lardo, sea salt ($15, dinner only)

ESCA:
Maccheroni alla chitarra with sea urchin and crabmeat ($24)

TOCQUEVILLE:
California sea urchin and angel hair carbonara, sea lettuce, lime and soy ($21)

And, of course, at any good sushi bar.

Surprised you didn't like Soto's uni.

[pork_buns]

Great list, hcb - any idea of approximate prices for these dishes? Would just love to know what I'm getting myself into as I know that even small uni dishes can range anywhere from $10 to $50.

[hcbk0702]

I edited my post to include available prices.

The others are prix fixe only:
Le Bernardin - 3 course lunch @ $70, 4 course dinner @ $112
Jean Georges - 4 course dinner @ $98
Picholine - 3 course dinner @ $92

-----
Jean Georges
1 Central Park W, New York, NY 10023

Le Bernardin
155 W. 51st St., New York, NY 10019

Picholine
35 West 64th St., New York, NY 10023

[pork_buns]

Thank you for indulging me - most kind.

Are any of these uni-themed? That would certainly be interesting.

[pork_buns]

ps. I certainly didn't dislike Soto's famous dish - I guess it just wasn't the religious experience I'd been told it was. Disappointment is always a risk when a dish has a lot of buzz around it. I also thought $17 was a little steep. But I did think their Baby Yellowtail with Wasabi Roe was out of this world, and well worth the price!

[drummergirl]

Let me echo the excellent (lunch) portion of uni at Le Bernardin, since I just had it this week. hcbk0702, oh, you're killing me with the thought of the risotto! Though the 'basic' version made me so happy that I can't complain.

Great question, pork buns. I'm writing all this down myself, too.

ETA: Oh, another ditto for the Picholine uni. Had it just about 6 months ago, and still memorable.

[hcbk0702]

I don't think the sea urchin roe dish is any more "basic" than the risotto. Just two very different preparations, and both are excellent.