Nori

Nori Restaurant Review:

This six-table Japanese spot in the East Village sits in a space that has seen umpteen restaurants come and go. We hope Nori sticks around a while. Sushi runs the gamut, from the usual Philadelphia rolls and dragon rolls to individual pieces. There’s also a portion of the menu dedicated to creative Japanese fare. The “sushi pizza” alone justifies a trip here: thin slices of raw salmon and tuna, along with tomatoes and jalapeños resting atop a sliced ten-inch pizza crust, is a very nice combination of salt, spice and tang. Likewise, the salmon “Hawaii” is a cracker bowl (so, yes, you can eat it afterward) filled with raw chunks of salmon, peanuts and pineapple. Only the slow-cooked baby octopus, with its underwhelming flavor, disappointed. Wash it all down with one of three Japanese beers available.