by Kristen Depken
While the UES is certainly not lacking when it comes to sushi restaurants, the options available when you’re craving a California roll or some shrimp tempura can sometimes blend together. Similar names, spaces, and décor can often make it difficult to distinguish one sushi place from the next. This, however, is not the case at Hokkaido.
Located on the corner of 94th and 2nd, Hokkaido Sushi has found a way to stand out among a sea of similar sushi offerings. As I approached Hokkaido on a recent Saturday night, I was immediately attracted by the restaurant’s bright signs and ample space. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors look out onto 2nd Avenue, giving Hokkaido a spacious, open feel and making it the perfect choice for dinner on a warm spring evening.
With an 8:30 reservation, our party of three was seated right away – and right as Hokkaido was beginning to draw a crowd. The restaurant’s modern, Asian-inspired décor – complete with blue lighting, wall mosaics, and bamboo lamps – creates a slightly more upscale feel than many of Hokkaido’s UES counterparts. Yet the friendly staff and groups of 20- and 30-somethings that appear to be Hokkaido’s most loyal patrons keep the atmosphere casual and unpretentious.
Impressed with the ambience, my friends and I were also quite impressed with the menu. As our server poured glasses of pinot grigio from the bottle we had just ordered, we began to navigate our way through at least five pages of appetizers, special rolls, hand rolls, tempura, noodles, Bento boxes, and hibachi – all of which looked delicious. Divided up into sections, the menu offered every kind of Japanese specialty imaginable. We were able to narrow down our options by deciding to share an assortment of sushi rolls, although we were still stumped by which of the many rolls to order.
From the Princess Roll (an inside-out roll with lobster salad, eel, avocado, and tobiko) to the Sweet Heart Roll (a heart-shaped spicy tuna roll), the Green Fuji Roll (salmon, avocado, onions, and seaweed powder) to the Lobster Roll (lobster tempura chopped with sliced cucumber, avocado, masago, and sesame seeds), Hokkaido offers many creative takes on the traditional sushi roll, and we found ourselves wanting to try them all.
Since we couldn’t order one of everything, however, we finally decided on several items from the evening’s specials menu: the New York Spring Roll, which was a spicy scallop and crunchy tempura roll topped with avocado; and the House Ichiben Roll, tempura shrimp and avocado topped with seaweed and lobster salad. From the regular menu we chose a Philadelphia roll, a tuna roll, and a Snow Crab Naruto roll (snow crab, avocado, and tobiko wrapped in slices of cucumber), plus edamame and an order of dumplings for an appetizer.
When our selections arrived, we were pleased with the choices we had made. The pork wasabi dumplings were so good we ordered a second helping. Our rolls, prepared fresh by the chefs stationed behind the restaurant’s sushi bar and artfully arranged on our plate, were very tasty. Each roll was a colorful combination of seafood, seaweed, and innovative ingredients that, together, added up to an amazing meal.
With a chic atmosphere, a creative and appetizing menu, and a friendly, laid-back feel, Hokkaido has carved out a notable place for itself on the UES sushi scene. Next time you’re craving a spicy tuna roll or an order of edamame, head to 94th and 2nd for a taste of traditional sushi with an inspiring twist.
| Hokkaido
1817 2nd Avenue (bet 93rd & 94th)
New York, NY 10128
212-289-1902
Lunch: M-F: 11:30am-3pm
Dinner: M-F: 5pm-11:30pm; Sat/Sun: 11:30am-3:00pm and 5pm-11:30pm |
View the next Uppereast.com review:Vnyl
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