15 East

Description
Toqueville co-owner Marco Moreira has returned to his aquatic roots—he was trained as a sushi chef—in the restaurant’s former space. Architect Richard Bloch (Masa) has muted the colors and created a distinct sushi bar and dining room, turning what felt like a country inn into a solemn temple of Japanese cuisine. Sushi is very expensive (ten pieces of nigiri for $55; à la carte still more punitive), but consistently luscious: The scallop is as smooth as chocolate mousse, and almost as sweet. For tuna aficionados, a $75 sampler with six different cuts includes an otoro on par with the city’s best. Choose the raw offerings over the cooked (they still haven’t found their sea legs).