NY Post: Cirque de Sushi
Inakaya, one of the most exciting Japanese barbecue restaurants in Tokyo's Roppongi neighborhood, has landed Stateside. Acclaimed chef Kozo Matsuo brings the energy of authentic robatayaki to the city, with a theatrical dining experience on par with Cirque du Soleil. Select your fish, meat or vegetables from an eight-foot iced display and then your yakikata (grill person) will cook it with flair and serve it like art on a plate. The 3,000-square-foot space, with soaring, 19-foot ceilings, includes communal tables, a bar and lounge and the central Robata counter, where all the action takes place. Must-have meal: Kumamoto oysters in ponzu ($18 ); choice of a main from the Robata-like okra ($8 ), yellowtail ($24), kinki (deep-sea snapper straight from the Tsukiji market, $65), Wagyu skewers ($45); and, for dessert, house-made mochi ($5).
Many foreign residents in Tokyo will know Inakaya in Roppongi because it is a popular (but expensive) tourist destination. Britney Spears was there on her last visit. The New York branch opened a couple of weeks ago and reviews are generally positive but virtually everyone thinks that prices are far too high which suggests that it is at least an authentic copy.
