BONDST

Victoria Beckham once said something along the lines of, “People expect to see me strutting down Bond Street and stopping at every other store.” While this famous Bond Street is across the Atlantic in London, it shares similiarites with the Bondst (pronounced as Bond Street) in New York City. For one, they’re both extravagant and quite expensive. The only difference is that Bondst in NYC is a restaurant, not a street. However, Bondst is on Bond Street (how original, right?) which is nothing like its London counterpart.

While Bondst has the flair of a hip high class sort of feel within the restaurant, outside, it blends quietly within NoHo. I actually had difficulty finding the place and I’ve passed this restaurant many, many times throughout my years at NYU and never noticed it! Its signature red dot is embroidered onto a flag which is the only way of identifying the restaurant, unless if you pay close enough attention to the “6 Bondst” that’s plastered above the door.

All traces of a recession disappear once you walk inside. The place has heaps of people dining and even more people waiting for their reservations. We made reservations a few days before the Thursday night that we went, and they had only two seats open during the time that we wanted. However, it was at the sushi bar and not at the sushi table.

But, sitting at the sushi bar is a totally different dining experience. There’s a line of chefs in front of you, hard at work assembling the sushi. It’s like getting front row seats to the kitchen arena except you’re sitting and enjoying your food. I personally like to see how my food is made especially if it’s at a sushi restaurant. If you can smell the fish, then it’s off. This place was  fish-scent free.

Even though it was Restaurant Week, Eman and I decided to order the Chef’s Selection of Sushi/Sashimi. The chef directly working in front of us took our orders and started working away. In the meantime, they gave us a plate of edamame and a complimentary amuse-bouche. Basically, it was, as Eman elegantly put it, a fish meat ball made of Yellowtail. I was surprised at how genuinely meatball-y it tasted through the flavor. For Eman though, he became convinced through the texture of the meat.

Before we knew it, we were presented with a long slab of elegant looking sashimi and sushi. It was all simply yet beautifully plated. The sashimi was served in a tiny glass cup in back of the line of sushi. It was playfully colorful.

Here is a list of what the chef had selected for us (courtesy of Eman’s impeccable memory):

Sushi

Scallop with sea urchin roe

Salmon with egg

Toro tuna with caviar and gold foil (Not pictured)

Mystery fish with silver lining

Sashimi

Sweet Shrimp with crisp fried legs on cucumber

Spanish Mackerel with tomato and pepper salsa over shredded daikon (Not pictured)

Hamachi (or a young Yellowtail) with shiso leaf over shredded daikon (Not pictured)

Red Snapper with Monkfish liver over bonito vinegar gel and seaweed

Here were my favorites:
Sushi: Salmon & Toro tuna
Sashimi: Sweet shrimp & Spanish Mackerel

I almost did a double take when I found out that I ate Monkfish liver. I guess it was a good thing that I found out after and not before. Although the texture grossed me out a bit (the creamy liver and the slimey gel) the flavors weren’t too bad.

I can see what the hype is all about. I was impressed by how well the  salmon sushi tasted compared with the ordinary salmon sushi you get at other places. I’ve never understood why people liked fish eggs so much, but it was essentially flavors bursting out of each egg that went wonderfully with the salmon.

Our service was pretty good, although there wasn’t much they needed to do. I’d come back again but I’d probably be less adventurous.

MENU
6 Bond St.
New York, NY 10012
nr. Lafayette St.  See Map | Subway Directions
212-777-2500

• Takeout Available

You should also check out:

• David Burke Townhouse: Brunch for $39
• Sushi Azabu & their Koi Course ($32 for a sample Nigiri tasting)
• Ippudo (revisited)
• Minetta Tavern & the $26 Black Label Burger
• Hagi Sake Bar, take two

Tagged as: recommended, Sushi