Inakaya

My first night after arriving in NYC, following one of the worst long-haul flights I’ve had in recent years, really needed a good meal to get myself settled. Word of warning to anyone, never bother to fly with Delta. That airlines is clearly stuck in the 70s or 80s and provided some of the worst airplane food I can ever remember. The chicken tasted as though it had been reconstituted from powder. To be honest I could rant on and on about their numerous failings (the food was one of the more minor issues), but that’s not what this is for.

My Delta lunch

The friends I stayed with were sushi fans and I absolutely adore the stuff, I can never get enough. Following a recommendation from one of their friends for a local place, it sounded like the perfect way to kick off the trip. The restaurant in question was called Inakaya, situated on West 40^th street. Inside is a huge high ceilinged and modern space with a large central open kitchen area full of chefs dressed in traditional robes and surrounded by bar-style seating and attractive displays of fresh fish. It turned out that the chefs in the display kitchen don’t actually do much of the cooking or prep and the vast majority of this work occurred in the back kitchens. Their main job seemed to be adding the finishing touches to dishes and then handing them over to people seated at the surrounding bar (such as ourselves) on huge wooden paddles. The atmosphere was lively and casual with a varied crowd.

Inside

Front kitchen

The menu is fairly extensive and the rolls offered the best value for money. I ordered a mixed roll platter containing spicy tuna, spicy scallop and spicy shrimp rolls. Dried stingray fin also caught my attention so I gave them a pop too. The rolls were delectable, both the rice and the fish inside were soft and of a high quality. But what really impressed me was the spice. In Japanese restaurants, from my experience, anything touted as spicy is usually anything but, however the rolls actually had a bit of a kick to them, which was a lovely and very welcome surprise. Dried stingray fins were also very unusual and moreish. The texture was slightly chewy and flavour was both fishy with a mildly sweet aftertaste. A tofu salad contained huge chunks of extremely fresh and slippery tofu that was delicate and sweet. The miso dressing also added lots of flavour to the salad.

Tofu salad

Dried stingray fins

Spicy tuna, spicy shrimp
& scallop rolls

Halfway through the meal there was a large commotion behind us. We turned around to see two waiters bashing a large granite bowl with huge hard plastic hammers. It turned out they were beating a batch of mochi (sticky rice) paste. They invited the guests up to have a go themselves, which was actually a lot of fun and those hammers were deceptively heavy. It was a an unexpected touch to the evening. The mochi was then fried and complimentary pieces were passed around to all the guests. Usually I love mochi desserts but this stuff was rather gooey and grainy and I must admit I did not enjoy it terribly well.

Mochi

Also of note were the toilets. They have those extremely modern mechanical toilet seats that can wash and dry and warm your behind after (or whilst) you’ve gone about your business. However cool they are, I’m not sure I would utilise them much at a restaurant.

Unfortunately I did not try any other sushi restaurants in NYC during my visit so I was unable to compare. However I can say that the sushi was and of a good standard, whilst the atmosphere is convivial and very lively. Service is friendly and sufficiently competent. The interaction with the guests is a good touch as it’s not too intrusive but provides a good element of fun. There are hundreds of Japanese restaurants in Manhattan but if you’re around that part of town and fancy some sushi, then definitely head over to this place.

Price: Mains  ($10-35), Sushi (Nigri at $4-10 per piece and rolls at $6-16 each)

Where to go before/next: With its situation right in the heart of midtown, Times Square is no more than a five minute walk away. I must admit that I did not explore the Times Square area that much and whilst most locals will avoid this area, for the rest of us there are plenty of tourist-engineered venues to visit from American diners and retail stores, to the heart of theatre district with its Broadway theatres and stand up comedy shows. Not to forget that horrific monstrosity that is M&M world. Macy’s (the large department store) is also only a few blocks away (on 34^th street and 7^th Avenue).

Website: Click here

Location: 231 West 40^th Street 10018, on the corner of 40^th street and 8^th Avenue

Nearest Subway: Times Squ 42^nd Street station

Opening Times: Lunch 11.30 – 14.30 (Mon – Fri). Dinner 5.00 – 23.00 (7 days)