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“Lunching at Inakaya, by guest reviewer Kathleen Squires”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Lunch/Takeout	Asian	Midtown	Moderate	Great

the foot of the new New York Times tower, served the convenient kits for lunch. And while I found Inakaya to be an entertaining destination at night, (see my write-up for Paper here: http://www.papermag.com/blogs/2009/03/restaurant_of_the_week_inakaya.php), I had to go back for bento.     

I was glad I did, because it seemed almost like a different restaurant during the day. At night, the spot clamors with the shouts of the staff, serving up robotayaki specials, and drinks, to patrons on long, wooden planks (like those used to load a pizza oven). Things are a little more sedate around the pentagonal dining bar during the day. The sun streaming in through the windowed façade illuminates the walnut columns and wood accents, making the room feel a bit warmer and relaxed, while displays of fish, oysters and fresh vegetables glint more pleasingly in the light. Details like the sake barrel at the entrance stand out more. And the pace is a tick less rushed, even though most of the suits inside will eventually return to an office somewhere in the vicinity, if not upstairs.     

The menu is leaner during the day, streamlined to just sushi plates, salad, or three choices of bento. Option A includes a salad, kakuni (boiled pork), pickled burdock and carrot, baked potato, agedashi (deep fried tofu in bonito broth) and sashimi of the day ($18). Option B is filled with a sashimi salad, boiled pork, grilled vegetables, baked potato, and grilled fish of the day ($25); Option C features a salad, baked potato, grilled eel, sashimi, and broiled short rib ($32). They all arrive in gorgeous, coffee-table-book-sized black-and-red lacquer shiny boxes. Remove the lid—and happy freakin’ birthday!!    

I sampled from boxes B and C. The sashimi salad in B was a pert salmon dressed in soothing soy-vinegar and sesame oil. The grilled veggies were comprised of okra and mushroom, simply sprinkled with sea salt. Potato in both boxes were small, quail-egg-sized mountain yam. The kakuni, a soft, shreddy pork, tasted more slow-roasted than boiled, arriving on a small dab of mashed potatoes and topped with string beans. A buttery mahi-mahi headlined as the grilled fish of the day; and a slightly spicy kick dominated the short ribs of C, the soy marinade rising through the heat. All boxes also came with rice an ... [more, click below]

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Posted: June 15, 2009

Other restaurants in Midtown :
+ Lever House   + Aquavit   + RM   + Joseph's (formerly Citarella The Restaurant)   + Town   + Artisanal   + The Oyster Bar   + Geisha   + David Burke and Donatella Restaurant   + Riingo   + Amma   + Cafe Sabarsky   + The Stone Rose Lounge   + BLT Steak   + V, The Steakhouse-- Closed   + Bar Masa   + Cafe Gray   + The Bar Room at The Modern   + The Cafe at Aquavit   + The Cafe at Aquavit   + Bistro du Vent-- Closed   + Shaburi   + Xing   + The Modern   + Bar Americain   + Alto   + Park Blue   + Mainland-- Closed   + Nobu 57   + Quality Meats   + Dona-- CLOSED   + Daisy May's   + 7Square-- CLOSED   + Amalia   + Fireside   + Anthos   + Patroon   + BLT Market   + Toloache   + Mia Dona   + Park Avenue Summer   + Convivio   + The Oak Room by guest reviewer Julie Besonen   + At Vermilion by guest reviewer Elaine Weiner   + Lunching at Inakaya, by guest reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Marea, by Guest Reviewer Susan Kane Walkush   + Le Bernardin   + New York Central -- A Reason To Eat at the Grand Hyatt Again   + Pampano Botaneria by Dara Pollak   

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