Sly And Cheeky Mr. Shiki
There are five remarkable things about the tiny Shiki Kitchen, all beget by Hikaru Shiki, the great progenitor of Shiki Style from which all of Shikidom descends. This "Original Shiki," as he describes himself, is the owner, founder, adventurer, inventor, boxer, sushi chef, karaoke master and paper snowflake maker responsible for the best down-heeled sushi experience in the East Village.
Like all truly great places (Iceland for one), Shikidom sounds unforgiving and spare, when in fact within its borders is a realm of bounty and delight. "Shiki Value" covers the bounty part, with an invitation for all-you-can-eat sushi for $17.95.
Drinks and desert are separate, but everything-else-sushi is fair game, including "Shiki Creations," the house name for Mr. Shiki's Brazilian inspirations. The Sao Paolo Roll (crab, mango, avocado) and the Rio Roll (tuna, yellowtail, avocado, and mango) are some of his more successful intellectual imports. Both taste clean and fresh, on account of the mango ratcheting down the fishiness factor.
But be advised of anything more complicated or ambitious. There are powerful reasons, maybe even natural laws, behind why no one before Mr. Shiki invented a cream cheese, mango, banana, eel roll (Amazons Roll). And while shrimp tempura is almost always fantastic, banana tempura has a tendency to taste like rotten-fruit in a candy shell.
On the other hand, all the standard fare rolls up tight and fresh. Mr. Shiki himself (who else?) travels to the Fulton Street Fish Market (well, now to Hunt's Point, but same market) every morning to select the best catch. About the only thing he doesn't do is delivery, though his offspring are happy to make a trip for $11.95 and up, or about one standard roll and one salamander-sized special.
Aficionados of atmosphere should opt to dine out, however, on account of "Shiki Songs," and "Shiki Originals." The former refers to our benevolent maestro, Mr. Shiki, singing the Japanese blues (or so it sounds) on a pre-recorded karaoke tape; the man slices sushi rolls to the sound of his own voice. Add to that vision an environment so decorated with "Shiki Originals," intricate and colorful construction paper cutouts of famous people, and you have a restaurant like the inside of Japanese piñata. But then again, the sushi is fresh, Mr. Shiki is a likeable character, and, for once, the $17.95 all-you-can-eat sushi deal isn't $22.95. A "Shiki Celebration."
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