brushstroke vs kyo ya

[mow mow]

anyone been to both? how do they compare?

[tigercub]

I've been to both and had their tasting menus. Kyo ya hands-down. Brushstroke, while the food was perfectly good, did not bowl me over.

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

Brushstroke
30 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013

[mow mow]

interesting. and kyo ya was only a little bit more expensive right? i've only been to kyo ya to order a la carte. sounds like the kaiseki is definitely worth a try then.

[tigercub]

I think Brushstroke was $135 for 10 course tasting menu and the Kyo Ya kaiseki dinner was $150. What made Kyo Ya an exceptional dining experience (beside it being my birthday dinner last year) was that the space was intimate, we sat in front of the chef who was very pleasant, and the food was inventive and memorable. For tea, I highly recommend the soba-cha. Great toasted flavor, not something offered by other restaurants, but should be!

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

[H Manning]

The New York Times just reviewed Brushstroke. Two stars.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/13/din...

-----
Brushstroke
30 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013

[ellenost]

That's a very nice review. Thanks for posting. I'm always glad to read good things about Chef Bouley.

[nextguy]

Sifton seemed rather impressed, I wonder why it was awarded only 2 stars.

[fm1963]

Interesting question. For context, here are the New York Times ratings for Japanese restaurants.

Three stars:

Kuruma Zushi
Masa
Nobu (including Nobu Next Door and Nobu 57)
Sugiyama
Sushi Yasuda

Two stars:

15 East
Blue Ribbon Sushi
Bond Street
Brushstroke
Donguri
Gari
Hatsuhana
Matsuri
Megu
Nadaman Hakubai
Riingo
Rosanjin
Soto

One star:

Aburia Kinnosuke
Blue Ribbon Sushi Brooklyn
En Japanese Brasserie
Geisha
Ippudo
Jewel Bako
Kanoyama
Morimoto
Niko
Sasabune
Sushi Azabu
Takashi
Tanuki Tavern
Ushiwakamaru

I guess Kyo Ya and Kajitsu have not yet been reviewed.

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

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

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

En Japanese Brasserie
435 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014

Aburiya Kinnosuke
213 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017

Sugiyama
251 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019

Donguri
309 E 83rd St, New York, NY 10028

Blue Ribbon Sushi
119 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012

Bond Street
6 Bond Street, New York, NY 10012

Gari
370 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10024

Geisha
33 East 61st St, New York, NY 10065

Hatsuhana
17 E 48th St, New York, NY 10017

Jewel Bako
239 E 5th St, New York, NY 10003

Kanoyama
175 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

Nobu
105 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013

Nobu 57
40 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019

Ushiwakamaru
136 W Houston St, New York, NY 10012

Matsuri
369 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011

Morimoto
88 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011

Sasabune
401 E 73rd St, New York, NY 10021

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

Megu
62 Thomas Street, New York, NY 10013

Rosanjin
141 Duane Street, New York, NY 10013

Riingo
205 E. 45th Street, New York, NY 10017

Ippudo
65 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003

Kurumazushi
7 E 47th St, New York, NY 10017

Hakubai
66 Park Ave, New York, NY 10016

Sushi Azabu
428 Greenwich St (basement), New York, NY 10013

Kajitsu
414 East 9th Street, New York, NY 10009

Nobu Next Door
105 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013

Tanuki Tavern
18 9th Ave, New York, NY 10014

Takashi
456 Hudson St, New York, NY 10011

Masa
10 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10019

Niko
170 Mercer St, New York, NY 10012

Brushstroke
30 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013

[foodlovergeneral]

Amazingly bad ranking system. Michelin seems to have it better. Kajitsu, Kyo Ya, missed. Nobu with Karuma? Etc.

[edwardspk]

Sifton's reviews always seem to kind of have a habit of reading like he really liked it, then the star rating being about 1 star below the way the review reads. Anybody else notice that?

P.S. Other times, his review just gushes and he rates a restaurant well higher than my experience at it would deserve. I find I'm rarely on the same page with him.