I did not know what to expect when I received an invitation from one of the partners of Aji 53, Kevin, proposing to dine in one of the three restaurants located in Bay Shore (original), Smith Town and Brooklyn.
Aji means "Taste" and 53 comes from the address of their original location in Bay Shore: 53rd exit and located at number 53. So they made 53 their lucky number. We decided to go to the Brooklyn location for a dinner last Tuesday.
The restaurant in Brooklyn opened last June. Its predecessor was another Japanese restaurant called "Yoshi" that apparently had some issues. When we entered, we immediately saw that it was not a standard Japanese restaurant, but rather a higher version of it. On the right side was the dining room that was split into two parts: one with red booths and the other one with regular seats.
On the left, the incredible marble bar with its blue lighting, giving a lounge-y feel to the place.
Then, in the back, the counter where you can sit and watch the Chef prepare sushi and sashimi.
We started off with some drinks, Jodi going for a green tea:
And me, ordering one of their signature cocktails: The Cucumber Cooler:
It was made of Pearl cucumber vodka, Saint Germain, pineapple juice and fresh shredded cucumber.
It was delicious, with a nice cooling effect, but was definitely a dangerous drink, because you could drink that as if it was just some juice...
We started the dinner with appetizers. The first one was Five Way Sashimi:
Striped bass with a Dijon mustard sauce:
Salmon with a truffle sauce (you could definitely smell the truffle when the dish came):
Yellowtail with a Jalapeño and yuzu sauce (that had a nice kick):
Albacore tuna with a ponzu sauce and salmon roe:
First of all, the presentation was fantastic with beautiful colors. The fish were the selection of the day, the Chef shopping on a daily basis at the fish market (closed on Sunday). It was definitely high quality fish, paired with sauces well chosen and not overpowering the fish that remained the star of the dish.
After that, we got the tuna gyoza:
It was made of cooked spicy tuna wrapped in a wonton and deep fried, served with guacamole and an apple sauce. It was an interesting creation, showcasing a fusion that will be present all along the dinner (started anyway in the first course with the jalapeño). I did not really taste the apple sauce, however, the dumpling had a nice crunch and paired perfectly with the guacamole that neutralized in a way the spiciness of the tuna.
The next course was called Ocean River:
It was raw salmon wrapped around wasabi lobster and avocado, served with a truffle yuzu dressing.
There again, we could smell the truffle and the colors, with a predominent orange, were beautiful. It had a smooth texture and the yuzu added the necessary acidity. However, I was expecting a kick from the wasabi, but it was not the case.
Then came the warm sautéed wild mushroom salad:
The mushroom smell emanating from this dish was incredible and very appetizing. The sauce was simply made of olive oil and truffle purée. There were different kinds of mushrooms, all organic: butternut, shiitake, oyster and beech.
At the same time, they brought us another dish with mushrooms: Kuromame scallop.
It was grilled scallops, served with mushrooms and asparagus, bathed in a delicious black bean miso. The mushrooms and asparagus added a nice texture and there was a nice balance of flavors in this dish that was one of my favorites.
Then came another fusion dish: Beef short ribs.
It is one of their popular dishes. The short rib is marinated in sake overnight, then slow braised for 4 hours before being smothered in a house made BBQ soy sauce. The result, a meat that falls of the bone without the help of a knife.
I liked it, but it was my least favorite, surprising considering that I love short rib and BBQ, The sauce was delicious, not too salty and nicely sweet, but the meat, although tender, had a bit of cartilage.
After that, we tried the rock shrimp tempura:
Rock shrimp are a variety of shrimp that has a hard, spiny shell similar to a lobster. The shell is "hard as a rock", hence the term rock shrimp. This tempura version was crunchy with a nice kick. It was so good, I could not stop eating them!
We then tasted the Chilean Sea Bass, fish that was imported from Japan, marinated in Saikyo miso, then broiled.
It was served on a sweet potato mash. The fish was perfectly cooked, flaky and moist, with a nice caramelization. This was a delicious dish, perfect for fish lovers who only eat cooked fish.
At that point, I started to be really full and Kevin proposed to have some Sake. They have a nice selection there, with tastings graded standard, expert and premium.
Kevin served us the premium tasting:
It was composed, from left to right:
- Sayuri Nigori: Japan's number one selling unfiltered sake. The restaurant describes it as "refreshing aroma, natural sweetness & smooth aftertaste".
- Wakatake Daiginjo: rice milled to 50%. The restaurant describes it as "full body, medium dry and rich, smooth as silk with aromas of pineapple, papaya and roasted nuts".
- Horin Jumai Daiginjo: rice milled to 50%. The restaurant describes it as "delicately fruity nose, well balanced, smooth & clean finish, with a hint of pear".
Not being a connoisseur of Sake, it was great to be able to compare each of them. I sipped the sake for what was unexpectedly coming: a sushi and sashimi sampler!
It looked fantastic and we could not not try this amazing selection!
It was composed of:
Sushi made of salmon, yellowtail (bon-hamachi) and big eye tuna:
Octopus:
Sashimi made of slices of big eye tuna and yellowtail:
As well as salmon sashimi:
Next to the damon was the fresh wasabi. They serve fresh wasabi because good quality fish deserve good wasabi!
Monster roll (salmon and avocado inside, topped with grilled Alaskan king crab and Louisiana blue crab meat, served with eel and chili sauce:
Okinawa roll (spicy white tuna and blue crab, wrapped with soy bean nori and topped with albacore white tuna and avocado, served with yuzu creme and pineapple chili puree.
The freshness of the fish was again undeniable and the creativity of the rolls sensational, bringing different flavors together perfectly.
At that point we were really full, but could not resist a dessert...They brought us a home-made mochi ice cream:
One was made of peanut butter and the other one mango. It was the perfect way to finish this incredible meal.
Aji 53 is definitely not your regular Japanese restaurant: it proposes creative dishes, fusion or not, at reasonable prices, made with high quality ingredients. My only regret is that they are not in our neighborhood!
Enjoy (I did)!
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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!
Please note that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!
Please note that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!
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