Wasabisabi is one of my favourite Japanese restaurants, but I this was the first time I visited the venue at lunchtime. I didn't make a reservation and by the looks of it, I was quite lucky to get a table all to myself, because they do get busy. The service is really nice and efficient and while you can spend quite a bit of money on your dinner, they have excellent lunch deals. To wash off the heat of the crowded streets around Times Square, I ordered an exotic non-alcoholic cocktail with yuzu and passion fruit, which was very nice indeed. After brief contemplation I opted for one of the popular daily bento boxes that come at an affordable price. When the box arrived, I was very pleased with my choice. The bento box consisted of various little delicacies: First I tried the pickled fish, which brought back loving memories of Scandinavia. Then there were pickles veggies that are so typical of Japanese cuisine, with a real crunch and excellent to clean the palate. The rice was shiny and steamed to perfection; it had just the right stickiness to be easily consumed even with the thinnest of Japanese chopsticks but without being pulpy or dry. The miso soup was nicely balanced, not too salty, not too seaweedy and came piping hot with cubes of smooth tofu floating in it. The mixed vegetable tempura was incredibly light and crisp, and I particularly loved the sweetness of the pumpkin, which was perfectly offset by the slight saltiness of the tempura dip and the cool sharpness of the white radish mousse. The salmon sashimi was flavourful and fresh, and the perfect temperature - just as I know it from the sushi bars in Shinjuku / Tokyo. The best however, was the beef tenderloin steak! It had been seared to lock in the juices and came with a delectable mustard sauce that made me crave for more... But this was lunchtime and duty called, so I asked for the bill and promised to be back.
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