Andie and I got dinner at Saigon Grill, a popular, sprawling restaurant in our neighborhood that’s billed as Vietnamese, but which touches on many aspects of Asian cuisine.
I got a Thai iced tea and the Sushi Tokyo because I was amused by its description as “chef’s inspiration.” It was strange and half-tasty. It included your more typical sushi, raw tuna and such, but also featured eel, which was like eating jellied sandpaper, only not as flavorful. Also present was one of those scary orange roe-topped pieces that tastes super-fishy. In addition, there were two largish, cone-shaped items fashioned from nori and stuffed with rice and either raw fish or avocado. Those were good.
But for the finishing touch, sushi chef Shinsaku Yamakage’s inspiration was to deep-fry a small sea creature (a prawn? a trilobite?), artfully preserving its many spindly legs and tiny, dark eyes, which regarded me unblinkingly throughout my meal as if to say, “Why did you deep fry me, Shinsaku? Why?”
I didn’t eat it and half-heartedly got it boxed-up to go. It’s still in the fridge but I don’t want to dispose of it just yet, as it may serve useful in some sort of prank.
Saigon Grill
- 620 Amsterdam Ave. (at W. 90th Street)
- (212) 875-9072
- Meal 16/52: random sushi plate ($19.50).