New York City's Upscale Japanese Restaurant, TEISUI, Launches Four-Course Tasting Menu

Teisui is one of the most recent international outposts to open in New York.  Entrepreneur Takuro Hirabayashi, who owns the Teisui Hotel located on top of a remote mountain in the Akita province of Japan, opened this upscale restaurant in Flatiron. The modern, sleek, and serene 17-seat space hopes to recreate the experience of a traditional Japanese ryokan.

This traditional Japanese yakitori kaiseki restaurant is offering a four-course TEISUI Lite menu: an abridged version of the standard seasonal 10-course tasting menu.

Originally, only the 10-course menu was available at $150; however, diners looking to experience the upscale dining experience at a more affordable entry point can now sit at any of the tables behind the counter and order the four-course TEISUI Lite menu for $40.00 (gratuity included).

I had the pleasure of being invited to the restaurant to try out the lite menu first-hand. The dishes presented to me were each delicately plated in an artful and skillful manner. Simplistic, yet complex in flavors, each small plate incorporated ingredients that I honestly would have never thought to pair together.

The first course offered is a Hassun with a uni junsai, Hamachi sashimi, and Matsukaze water octopus Sumiso-ae; next, the Tsukune (my favorite, though least adventurous), the signature chicken meatball paired with a semi-cooked egg yolk; the third course was the Natsu Tori-Mune, a chicken breast with scallops, Brussels sprouts, cherry tomatoes, and truffles; and the last course was the Tori-Momo with chicken thigh, mashed potatoes, eggplant, and couscous.

Wine and sake are available by the glass to accompany the lite menu, with expert pairing suggestions from the staff. 

While I will say that the menu is quite adventurous for someone not familiar with traditional Japanese food, the dining experience at TEISUI is unparalleled.

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