a late lunch at Iron Chef

A good friend (and probably one of my favorite hometown-transplants to the city), John, called me up this morning, to meet in Brooklyn Heights, for lunch. He suggested sushi at Iron Chef. One stop from Wall St, I didn't argue. We settled into the exposed brick and slate dining room- tucked away from the dismal rain. I ordered a house cold sake, Vadim a crisp and light Asaki.


While impressed that the server brought ice to keep my sake cool, I felt inclined to ask for a cucumber garnish after my first sip (much improved). We sank in good conversation and spent our time with the menu. John chose a few rolls: Monkey (shrimp tempura topped with avocado and three sauces) and a spinach roll. Both came in a massive portion, the key to the Monkey was the sauces, mentioned John.

I started with a house salad and decided on the B.B.Q Squid (broiled with sweet and sour brown sauce) for my entree. The mollusk was quite firm and well matched with the sauce, shaved carrots and cabbage. I simply couldn't finish it. John and Vadim were glad to assist.

Vadim chose a few rolls to share with me: Iron Chef Roll (tuna, fresh scallop, avocado and caviar) and the Sumo (Japanese white tuna, eel, vegetables and caviar). While these rolls lacked the aesthetics in presentation to the other dishes, they were quite satisfying. The balance of rice and contents is spot on.

In terms of ambiance: the crowd was mixed: couples, small groups and singles. It should be noted that the servers/sushi chefs are massive fans of early to mid-nineties new age music.