Solid Ramen – check (Ohkami Ramen). Thai – check (Chang Noi Thai). Filipino – check (Phil-Am Kusina). Chinese – work in progress. Omakase – finally! Not that I’ve been holding my breath. But I had to do a triple take when I noticed Ichi on an awkward corner of Amboy while standing on a red light. Omakase is the last thing I expected to see there, though there’s no corner on this island where one would expect it. Refreshing to say the least, especially considering just about every opening lately is Turkish. This island needs Turkish like I need a stone in my shoe.
I’ve never been this excited about eating on the island. Come to think of it, I’ve never really been excited, period. Not to take away anything from many of the places we enjoy like the above mentioned and all the wonderful Sri Lankan. Its just that after 25 years of living here, we’ve been programmed to curb our enthusiasm. But this is Omakase!
Jimmy Wong, the owner, was one of three capable hands behind the counter. He first tested the waters of Long Island before opening his second location on Staten Island three months ago. I guess he figured Manhattan needs another Omakase like we need shingles (last one, I promise). Whether it will work here, I’m very curious to find out. There’s practically zero marketing with Ichi. An ambitious and expensive project to rely on red lights and word of mouth, but I truly hope it works.
You got 10 counter seats, three time slots (4, 6, 8), and ample parking about a block away. A fun, energetic hostess will loosen you up if needed. As with many of the high end Japanese in NYC, fish arrives daily from Japan. I believe the price was $115 p/p for 16 courses. In Staten Island its a special occasion type. In Manhattan, its Wednesday.
Omakase literally means “I leave the details up to you”, but you do get a sense of the kind of details to expect. Some crafty appetizers followed by a bunch of premium grade fish. But there were some surprises. Like the best Miso soup you will ever have that comes with mushrooms and a succulent scallop. Or the monkfish liver that comes with a syringe. And there was a jewelry box containing a truffle infused tuna tartare crispy roll on top of popcorn.
The “main” fish courses were the good, the great, and the dud. The lone dud was a mushy shrimp. Unless I’m on the coast of Sicily or some parts of Puglia munching on red shrimp, I’m not a fan of raw shrimp to begin with. The rest of the items especially the Uni, Scallop, Tuna Belly, King Salmon were superb or close.
As one would expect from a pricy Omakase, there were plenty of expensive ingredients like truffles, caviar, uni, but still letting the fish shine. The Sake was as exceptional as it gets from someone who doesnt drink Sake often. And the entire experience was memorable. Welcome to the neighborhood Ichi. Even though I cant afford you more than once or twice a year.
Eating With Ziggy 