THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Samurai

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Samurai Restaurant Review:

A few blocks south of the celebrated Matsuhisa lies this solid, if unremarkable, sushi bar. When it originally opened, Samurai was an ambitious upscale venture offering elaborate kaiseki dinners, but a change in ownership has resulted in a more modest approach. Nonetheless, deftly prepared morsels of toro, uni, anago, and hamachi, as well as velvety slices of ankimo (monkfish liver) are served at a long bar by friendly sushi chefs who aren't afraid to tip a few with customers. The specialty here, however, are the maki-zushi (rolls): spicy shrimp, soft-shell crab, albacore tempura, and a dragon roll that's shaped like one with a spine of sweet-and-sour freshwater eel and a fiery breath that's ignited with considerable flair just before it's served. All told, there's close to a hundred different rolls available here, including the don't ask roll which is tailored to the customer's own specifications. Samurai offers tempura, noodles and teriyaki as well, and an evening here is generally well-spent---and at a significant discount to its neighbor up the street.