Foods I crave when I go back to the US: fresh, cheap sushi (yes, it’s a category), bagels and pizza. Having been raised in the New York area, I consider these three items a birthright. It’s just too bad that the closest I came to NY during the last trip was Connecticut.
Still, the straightforward sushi I had at Kazu in Norwalk, CT was the best of my three sushi outings during this last trip. The restaurant, which has a sleek, a-little-too-ready-to-be-franchised decor, was pleasantly busy on a Thursday evening, but I could still easily hear myself talk over the buzz in the room (important!).
Kazu’s sushi offerings were all classic and basic, which was fine by me, especially because everything I ordered tasted fresh and flavorful. My shrimp tempura roll, for example, was warm and crispy from a recent frying, and the shrimp still tasted sweet, sea-creaturey and not rubbery. And it was only $6.50. Take that, evil doers.
Service at the resto was super-attentive and perky in that unique American way that annoys Europeans. I figure, on the balance, it’s better to be overly-perky and attentive than rude and indifferent. (Cue American flag waving in the front yard).
On another evening, Jon and I met three of our fave friends for sushi at Oishii in Boston. The resto is all black slate sleekness, but the cool factor diminished for us when we were seated by the bathroom. To be fair, we’d made a reservation only three hours beforehand, so I guess if someone’s going to be by the bathroom, it’s reasonably us.
An American in London 