kyo ya

wah i'm so sorry for being MIA... the amount of time i have to eat good food is pretty limited right now. it's usually just delivery from seamless and office bagels.

last, last week though, i went to kyo ya following a tear-enducing harry potter 7. snape... lily... omg. it made me crave the comfort and warmth of butterbeer, though we ended up with just hot green tea at kyo ya, which we found by yelping the nearest and most highly rated japanese restaurant in the east village. kyo ya was first, so we went. (also, what is up with japanese places not having websites?! jewel bako, i'm looking at you.)

its architecture was just as interesting and unique as its food. a spiral staircase next to a wall of glass led down to a subterranean entrance, and inside, the warm gleaming wood and curved angles exude a sort of sexy zen vibe.

at first i thought these disposable wooden chopsticks were kind of ghetto and out of place, but then a friend later informed me that the best japanese restaurants all use disposable wooden chopsticks (something about the elegance of minimalism and not imparting flavours)? what?! somehow i've never noticed before...

there was a daily menu listing the sashimi and chef's specials for the day, as well as pressed sushi. we had no idea what pressed sushi was, or that it was even different from regular sushi, but we ordered it anyway.

we also got the chawanmushi -- steamed egg custard cup with seafood, chicken and vegetables. it tasted just like the steamed eggs my parents (and all chinese parents) feed their kids when they're little! really really really hot, which i didn't realize when i took the first bite, and left me gasping for cold water lol.

this was the pressed eel sushi. when it first arrived we were puzzled by the lack of soy sauce, but upon asking, we found out that the rice was already seasoned. 

each rectangle was the perfect proportion of salted rice, topped with buttery, slightly sweet eel. it may not be as showy as the typical multicoloured roll, but this was soooo good.

roasted duck, rolled with chives, mustard, and onion (which i didn't use), dipped into plum sauce. simple and very well done.

rice topped with lobster, roe, and seaweed -- basically deconstructed sushi in a bowl. it reminded me of bibimbap, with the stirring of the different ingredients and each bite filled with so many flavours and textures. the roe, in particular, was so fun to eat, like popping bubble wrap in my mouth, each little explosion releasing a tangy saltiness that mingled with the warm rice.

and then we walked to chikalicious for dessert, which i will detail fully another day!