This evening, I joined Gracie and her two close friends Erica and Amanda to take advantage of the NYC Restaurant Week menu at Matsuri, an upscale Japanese restaurant in Chelsea.
The atmosphere of Matsuri was simultaneously zen-like and trendy. With cavernous ceilings, geometric furniture, massive but airy paper lanterns and towering potted plants, it felt authentic but cool.
While perusing the menu, the four of us shared an order of edamame.
What's great about restaurant week is that it allows you to try a full three-course meal for just $35! From the appetizer selections, I chose the yellowtail sashimi with yuzu green pepper sauce.
The thin slices of delicate-tasting fish were paired with a super-spicy sauce that somehow still didn't overpower the yellowtail flavor.
For my entree, I continued the raw-fish theme by ordering the sushi assortment: a cucumber-eel roll and pieces of tuna, salmon, yellowtail and shrimp sushi.
A year or two ago I kind of overdosed on sushi dinners and haven't loved it nearly as much since, but this definitely hit the spot. I enjoyed the eel roll especially- it was just the right level of chew, and not too fishy.
Gracie and Erica both chose this entree as well. It was a hit among all of us!
And of course, dessert :) The two selections were green tea tiramisu with red bean ice cream, or chocolate cake with raspberry sorbet. I was tempted to venture out and try the tiramisu, but in the end chocolate always wins.
A perfectly-sized warm molten chocolate cake, served alongside fresh and fruity raspberry sorbet. Ooey-gooey and delicious. It's hard to mess this dessert up!
In the dead of winter, I always love dressing up a bit for a special meal on the town. Tonight's dinner dates made for wonderful company :)
Why can't restaurant week be all year??
Does your city have a restaurant week? Have you ever been to it?
