New York - October 20, 2004

Mother Knows Best

Sachi Restaurant Opens

Here’s the story. Of a lovely lady.

Who was bringing up two very lovely girls. They moved from Tokyo to New York. And mother missed them. (Though none of them had curls.)

So, all singing aside, mother moved here and did what she knew best: opened a restaurant.

When Sachiko Konami inherited the Mikado from her father, she transformed the famous Tokyo nightclub into a mega culinary center, where chefs could showcase their work and even compete against one another in increasingly heated cook-offs. (Figured out where this is going yet?) A few years later the Iron Chef phenomenon was in full effect.

At Sachi’s, her recently opened LES restaurant, the show and the staging are quieter, but the food is no less ambitious. Gomadofu, a delicate sesame-infused tofu, is a small heaven of taste and texture. So is the delicate botan ebi (shrimp) carpaccio, served with uni and a basil sauce. The menu has a full selection of sushi, sashimi, and rolls, but don’t miss the sasazushi (sushi wrapped in bamboo leaves) and kushiage (panko-breaded meat, fish, and vegetable skewers).

Sachi’s is a pocket of gracious civility in a neighborhood of naughty madness. We were just there, and already we can’t wait to go back.

And that’s the way we became the Sachi bunch.

Sachi’s on Clinton, 25 Clinton Street, between Houston and Stanton Streets (212-253-2900).