Dinner at Jōji in New York City
If you love Japanese food as much as I do and want to treat yourself to a very special and most luxurious meal, go to Jōji the next time you're in New York City. Renowned chef, Daniel Boulud, and sushi master George Ruan, along with sushi chefs Xiao Lin, and Wayne Cheng, teamed up to open the 18-seat omakase restaurant in an alcove of the city's Grand Central Terminal.
Last week, I had the pleasure of dining at Jōji. The two-hour experience features seasonal ingredients, premium fish straight from Japan, with fine sake and wine pairings. Dinner includes five appetizers, 14-pieces of nigiri sushi, and dessert. And because the restaurant space is so intimate, each of the three chefs personally oversee sushi service, making it even more memorable.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- I always love trying new restaurants. Jōji opened two weeks ago in a hidden spot below one of New York City’s busiest stations, the iconic Grand Central Terminal – a hidden Japanese gem. (Photo by Eric Vitale Photography for Jōji)
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- The restaurant is located under a staircase at the very bottom of One Vanderbilt, a 93-story skyscraper. Just outside the entrance is a Japanese Roji garden, or tea garden. Tea gardens feature traditional stones, water, and plants, and are often designed as peaceful, natural spaces where one could escape the hectic everyday world before entering the tea house. (Photo by Eric Vitale Photography for Jōji)
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- Here is a closer look at the soothing garden and water feature. (Photo by Eric Vitale Photography for Jōji)
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- The building’s owners, SL Green, commissioned Japanese architects and designers, Shinichiro Ogata, to create the space. It has a 10-seat counter made out of warm cedar wood that sits in the middle of an all-black-and-white room, dimly lit from above. (Photo by Eric Vitale Photography for Jōji)
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- The back counter is pristinely organized with just the essentials for dining and sushi making supplies. (Photo by Eric Vitale Photography for Jōji)
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- There is also a private dining room that seats an additional eight guests. (Photo by Eric Vitale Photography for Jōji)
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- This is Chef Wayne Cheng just before he begins preparing one of two seatings for the evening.
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- Here, Chef Wayne starts building a Negitoro Roll. It consists of cooked rice with minced tuna and green onion. Chef Wayne places the rice on the nori, or seaweed paper.
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- Amounts are perfectly divided for each roll.
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- All the ingredients are placed onto the nori at one end before hand rolling. Negitoro has a smooth texture and a rich flavor.
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- Each roll is delicately assembled.
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- And each chef provides a personal and special experience. The dishes change daily, and sometimes tweaked even further for returning guests.
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- Here, Chef George Ruan prepares a searing of Akamutsu or sea perch. Akamutsu, also sometimes called nodoguro, usually comes from the east coast of Japan. It is a deep sea dweller with a high fat content.
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- This is a hokkaido sea scallop – known as the most coveted scallops in the sushi culinary world because of their size, meatiness, and amazing flavor.
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- All the sushi is made right at the counter where guests can watch and join in the experience.
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- Here is a board of nigiri ready to serve.
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- This is a big favorite – an uni caviar hand roll.
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- And this is a small tasting bowl of ikura or salmon caviar. In Japanese cuisine, it is usually marinated in salt or soy sauce and sake.
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- Here is a photo of Chef George Ruan who spent almost two decades working at Masa, the Michelin three-star fish restaurant. He is standing with my friend, Chef Daniel Boulud, also a Michelin-starred legend. The two have partnered together to offer guests this sophisticated and elegant omakase dining experience – try it if you can. (Photo by Eric Vitale Photography for Jōji)
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- For more information, please go to Jōji‘s website or click on this highlighted link. (Photo by Eric Vitale Photography for Jōji)
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