Soto
New York, NY 10014
Phone: (212) 414-3088
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- Between Sheridan Sq and 4th St
- Directions:
- A, C, E ; B, D; F, V at W 4th St-Washington Sq
- Hours:
- Mon-Sat 5:45pm-11:45pm
Editorial Review for Soto – by Erin Behan
The Scene
Though his reputation for volatility precedes him, chef Sotohiro Kosugi's vacation from the sushi kingdom seems to have mellowed him. Perhaps it is the zen of the nearly all-white space with a handful of tables and a long sushi bar. Wait service is efficient and friendly.
The Food
Deceptively simple, pure flavors infuse the dishes, and it's in these subtleties that the taste buds tingle. A simple starter of pleasantly sweet aji tataki (chopped horse mackerel) with ginger shoots and herbs tastes lighter than air. In contrast, the chyu toro tartare gets lost under equally fatty pureed avocado, even if a caviar topping adds the right saltiness. Two standout cooked dishes are the karei kara age (crispy deep-fried flounder), whose moist flesh will have chopsticks flying, and the broiled lobster, tempered by crispy panko and mayo. The superb sushi rice can't save the surprisingly just above-average nigiri omakase, with the hotate (scallop) a notable exception.
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Insider Tips
BYOBThe restaurant is currently BYOB. Bring sake, and it will be served from the proper container.
Prix Fixe MenusFor now, the only omakase available is the nigiri plate ($45 for 8 pieces and $56 for 12), though a full tasting course is in the works.
Dine at the BarIf you want to watch the master at work, the bar is the best seat in the house.
User Reviews for Soto
05/08/2008 Posted by Hampshire
You would think that on a Tuesday night in May, any NYC restaurant would feel refreshed after a long weekend and Monday off. Someone forget to tell the servers at SOTO. While the restaurant earns its "cool factor" for being cleverly disguised off of bustling West 4th street, the lack of wine knowledge (the waiter seemed dumbfounded when I requested one of the four offered bottles of red wine from their list) and the misfire between server and the chef (a party which arrived 15 minutes behind us, neared the end of their meal as our appetizers finally arrived) both made me wonder if it is better that the nondescript exterior stay exactly that so as not to lure (and disappoint) future customers. It's fitting that Mr. Soto, who hails from a place "where there are more fish than people", paid more attention to his craft that evening (which he does well) than his clientele. When my date cozied up next to one of his assistants to inquire how our meal was coming along, the man looked at us curiously as if we were vagabond travelers in northern Japan asking when the next bus to Tokyo departs.
Pros: Wonderful Sushi
Cons: Terrible Service
04/10/2008 Posted by yek401
I've been a fan of Sotohiro Kosugi for quite some time, and this NYC effort has somehow managed to eclipse his previous Atlanta eatery, one of my all-time favorite restaurants. You could order tempura, sushi, or a small selection of other Japanese food fixtures, they're delicious, but then you're missing out on the reason to visit Soto: the masterpiece creations from the sushi-bar section of the menu! His most whimsical creation, an egg in its nest: a quail egg, atop a nest of uni, surrounded by calamari covered with shreds of shiso and flavored with a soy reduction, will rock your world. The geoduck salad is often praised, and I will too, but the lobster with uni-mouse is my favorite dish on the menu. The presentation of the dishes is exquisite--they are small and delightful. For the two of us, we ordered 4 dishes from the sushi bar, 1 dish from the kitchen, and a few pieces of nigiri. It left us room to split the menu's only desert, a selection of forgettable mochi, my only complaint with the food at Soto (go somewhere else for desert, like the nearby P*ONG). Atlanta Soto fans, the NYC location is a smaller space with a smaller menu, but the service is much faster, and Soto is much happier! A server misheard my order and we were presented with the wrong dish. Soto took back the wrong dish, prepared the new one, and handled the entire event with aplomb. Of all the Michelin starred, James Beard awarded chef, fine dining places we visited in Manhattan, Soto had the most consistently delicious food and the best taste/cost ratio in my opinion. You should check it out.
Pros: taste, presentation, consistency
Cons: decor (a bit spartan), service (well meaning, but made a few mistakes)
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