Sendo is thankfully more than Instagram hype
I wasn’t sure what to make of Sendo. Like many of you I’m sure, I’d seen it splashed wall to wall across the socials. Reminded me of that one year of baseball playoffs that we couldn’t escape Dane Cook.
(Editor’s note: Dane, if you’re reading this – keep your chin up. I know you get a lot of hate online, but you got me into stand up when I was a teen, like many others. Waiting was one of my favourite movies. Let’s grab sushi).
The entrance to Sendo marked only by this card
Any time a restaurant takes over Instagram I get suspicious. I’ve gotten too many PR emails about new sushiya openings – and you should see these things btw – to not be. The next email that doesn’t mention “wagyu” or “temple” will be the first.
So I was skeptical
The menu. I got the “hokkaido”.
One thing working in its favour was the concept
It’s modeled in part after the standing sushi bars of Japan. It’s also a tribute to the genesis of Edomae sushi in the 19th century, which used to be served from carts in Tokyo. Order, eat, run. No reservations, no tables. Tableall could never.
I recently called the New York City sushi scene a mile wide and an inch deep in a blog post (or maybe it was an instagram DM? Or was it to myself in the mirror? We’ll never know). There are plenty of players in the sub $100 price range, but, for the most part – these recommendations notwithstanding – they follow a very similar model. I avoid most of them.
Sendo is an exception; though affordability is a tenet, Sendo avoids the common pitfalls you’ll see at the other ‘cheap omakase’ options in New York. More later.
Alannis Morrisette is a Canadian icon
Ironic – the concept of dropping in for sushi has proven so popular that it’s become difficult to do so. Sendo gets busy, but there’s ways to guarantee you eat quickly. It’s open for lunch and dinner, so peak hours likely means put your name down and leave. But if you go when they open – 11:30 for lunch, 5 for dinner, I think you’ll be fine.
Finding it is part of the charm
You have to basically stop at floor 1.5 of an office building, the sushi equivalent of Harry Potter going off to Hogwarts. Lord Rolldemort awaits.
Fuck me…Lord Rolldemort. I’m a genius. If you have a better Harry Potter sushi pun, email me info@thesushilegend.com (spoiler: you don’t).
Up the stairs to Sendo
If you hit here, you’ve gone too far
Sendo serves two nigiri at once
Very similar to neighborhood sushiya in Japan, including two of my under-the-radar favourites in Tokyo and Osaka. It’s smart operationally – the meal moves quicker. And don’t worry, there’s gari to cleanse between chomps (are you reading this, Omakase Room by Mitsu?).
If you look at the pictures below, you’ll see the pattern – for the most part, the pairings seem to follow a stronger/leader tasting model (I’d love a better name for this, but I’m currently rocking a 344 degree fever and I don’t even know what planet I’m on).
2: Masu (Ocean Trout) and 3: Sea bass (suzuki)
4: Hamachi and 5: Madai
Not lowest common denominator shit
This is no shade on sushi rookies, but given the pricing, I would have expected the sushi rookie hits: Blowtorch, sauces, wagyu uni, etc. Sendo doesn’t do that. I didn’t see one butane cannister, and the nigirizushi is as simple as you like. Credit to the legend behind the counter, whose name I didn’t catch.
6: King Salmon and 7: Hirame (Fluke) with shiso, delightful combo
9: Akami and 10: Hotategai
11: O Toro and 12: Botan Ebi
Courses 11 and 12 exemplify the Sendo experience. Yes, there’s maybe too much shari on the Botan Ebi, but that O Toro was legitimately well made, and again, context is important. Sendo cost me $48 plus tax and tip. I’d be shocked if you’re getting Botan Ebi and O Toro at this price range elsewhere. Shit, it’s the same as my semi-annual Kiehl’s purchase at Saks (gotta spend that Amex credit somehow).
12: Toro Taku
13: Kaisen don with Uni and Torotaku
Sendo avoids a common mistake with Kaisendon
This course was a highlight, but it was what wasn’t there that I really enjoyed. If you’re unfamiliar, Kaisendon is a donburi; donburi can mean a pottery bowl, but in the food world, it often means food served in that bowl, usually over a bed of rice. Unadon (unagi over rice) is another example. Sometimes you’ll see sushiya serve these things – especially when they’re mini – and stuff them with ingredients, like they’re a haddock special at Burrito Boyz (shout out Burrito Boyz – your haddock was lifechanging). Bad idea. The entire point is to leave room for mixing. More is less, legends.
Some research on Sendo
I do crack research at this blog. It’s why it can’t be duplicated. In my deep dive on Sendo, the most common criticism I saw were the wait times. So let’s be clear: if you complain about waiting when there’s no reservations, you shouldn’t just be banned from Google reviews. You should be named from Google altogether. Sent right to Bing or ask Jeeves or some shit.
In fact, Sendo is another example (icca was the first) why I basically ignore google ratings. Who’s more likely to leave a review: someone who loved their meal, or someone who waited forever and eventually gave up. And yet, I’d rather hear from the former.
Expansion and new head chef
It’s different enough that I think it will work despite the bubble.The fact it’s hidden on platform 3/4 is a good thing; it means people will make an effort for the concept, and it means they’re coming back. More importantly, it means it would work elsewhere. I’m told Sendo hired a new head chef, Tsuyoshi Takahashi, ex of Sushi Noz, and part of his mandate will be helping with expansion.
In the mean time, Sendo is a worthy addition to the New York scene.
Recommended.
