Simple, fresh, and nothing less than outstanding, Yasuda has won the hearts of chef like Marc Meyer, Sara Jenkins, and Damian Sansonetti, and for good reasons. But then again, calling Naomichi Yasuda’s artfully prepared sushi simple might be a bit of a dis-service.

He doesn’t go in for the flash and dash of larger, showier sushi denizens of the present day, but instead allows the beauty of fresh fish dictate what will be on your plate in this airy, bamboo-wood respite. One day it might be rare Japanese mackerel from the Saganoseki Sea; another soft shell-crab with a smattering of delicately seasoned rice or white sea eel cooked on the special Japanese grill whose sole purpose is to prepare eel and only eel.

The sushi bar, too, is the perfect spot for a solo meal in peace and quiet – which is exactly what Tony Bourdain and Daniel Boulud do.