His approach to shari is very detailed, and I really appreciated that he altered shari temperature and even packing density to match whatever neta he was serving. In part, he is able to do so because he is using a very old fashioned vessel for rice that allows him to do so but the nuance of how he does that is above my pay grade.
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@PorkyBelly and @beam , how was the soup?
My most distinct memory from my meal with Derek Wilcox back in March 2020 at 69 Leonard in NYC was that it was the best soup I had ever had in my entire life. Since the world shut down two weeks later in March 2020 and I then I hibernated for a long time afterwards, refusing to dine out, the memory of that soup sustained me for a very long time, just like Proust’s madeleines in Remembrance of Things Past. . .
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the lobster broth with the lobster brains was excellent, one of the highlights of the night.
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Love your Proust reference. As for the soup it was delicious, full of flavor and richness. The soup preceded nigiri courses, I told my wife that we will not be leaving hungry (does not apply to @PorkyBelly ) but I pondered if I would have preferred this soup after the nigiri.
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the sushi chefs that are really considered do a fair amount of adjustment to match the shari to neta throughout the meal. when the rice was cooked / “cut,” not only for temperature but also for how much the vinegar has been absorbed. then also packing, maybe their gaeshi technique, etc. in consideration of the neta’s characteristics and also the progression of the meal over time.
we’re kind of led to think that there’s a somewhat canonical progression of neta, and there are some sensible styles. but, really lots of chefs are doing different things in consideration of the timing/temperature/marination of the rice vs. the topping. like starting with kohada or starting with chutoro (due to rice’s absorption of vinegar when it’s freshly done), or starting with a particular textured whitefish so you can get a sense of the rice, etc. or when they serve kohada, kurumaebi, etc etc. quite a few sushi chefs have been experimenting to add their style but they don’t talk about all of their work too much. i kind of wish that more of them did, because there are a lot of good minds out there in search of always improving sushi. it’s nice to see that in recent years, sushi chefs here in America can put forth a vision and generally the dining public is quite receptive. i think maybe it was around 2014ish when the scene kind of started to level up.
that’s a nice memory
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If I recall correctly, at 69 Leonard, the soup was served sometime in the middle of the meal.
This is really good! We were fans of Shibumi, but we like this more. The seafood quality was exquisite, and everything was prepared “right.” Wilcox’s sushi skills are impressive. My only quibble would be that I prefer sushi rice to be a touch less starchy / tacky.
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wilcox
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Oops, edited
Dined at Miura on Saturday night alongside @Jpwyche. Chef Derek is very friendly and obviously very skilled. Ambiance, service, presentation, and techniques were all first class. His shari is very punchy and maybe slightly below room temp, which worked well with some neta and no so much with others in my opinion. Miso soup was incredibly rich and delicious. Everything here was traditional edomae. Great addition to the scene. I agree they should get one star. I’m not rushing to return, but that being said it’s worth coming here maybe 1-2 a year if you enjoy a good omakase. I prefer Kaneyoshi or Mori Nozomi.
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when we went last week I recall that shari temperature varied depending on the neta, and in some situations shari was warmer than room temp for sure.
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Interesting, I noticed the rice seasoning and temp on the first nigiri and made sure to pay attention to it in the subsequent pieces.
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