I would like to start off by saying that I have been going up and back to Japan for more than 10 years, and at various points have been a long-term resident of Tokyo. Sushi Yasuda tries to imitate authentic Japanese sushi (i.e. no inside-out rolls, no avocado--simply high-end sushi), unfortunately it fails MISERABLY, and in every aspect.
The freshness and quality of the fish was fair at best (if you have ever been to Tsukiji or Ginza you will know what I am referring to. Most Japanese would call this FUTSUU meaning ordinary), the rice was too vinegary, and the presentation was a joke. NEVER and i say NEVER at a fine sushi Japanese restaurant (e.g. in ginza or tsukiji) will you see waribashi (wooden chopsticks) and to make it even more tacky, they put the waribashi on a hashioki (chopstick stand) made out of cheap lacquer.
It was not at all beautiful, and the Japanese would consider it DASAI (or in bad taste to put it lightly).
There mission and its restauranteur are sadly misguided and wrought with cultural paradoxes.
What was most offensive, was the manner by which the Japanese staff treated the customers. Japanese people themselves would view their behavior as rude, obnoxious, barbaric, and of low-class. In all the years I have dined in various cities around the globe, I have never ever felt so strongly to be so repulsed and offensive to the Japanese culture and American customer. I have a deep affinity for both countries, and I was both sad and embarrassed to observe Japanese restaurant staff behaving in this way. A restaurant like this in Tokyo would go quickly (and i mean quickly, out of business).
In Japan, there are 2 well often versed sayings:
(1) okyakusan ga kamisama desu = The Customer is God.
(2) Me de Taberu = Eat with your Eyes.
I truly hope that NY's Japanese Sushi Clientele will no longer support this restaurant.-- they are a humiliation to the Japanese culture and an insult to the American customer.
PLEASE JOIN TOGETHER TO HELP END THIS RESTAURANT.
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Cons: Everything
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