HanaMichi: The “Hippest” Sushi Joint in NYC
By: Sofia John

My secret strategy for getting fit for bikini season is stuffing myself with sushi (note: not all strategies are successful). So on a recent search for sushi in Manhattan, I came acrossHanaMichi, a few blocks away from Grand Central Station. Upon entering, it struck me that it was a very “New York” restaurant in the sense that it was desperately trying to take advantage of every square inch of space. So instead of booths or tables with chairs, there were a series of benches divided by bamboo screens. After getting used to the occasional physical contact with the guy on the other side of my screen, I was able to focus on the rest of the experience.

HanaMichi has a really hip, artsy urban feel. Therefore the clientele—including myself—are in turn really hip, artsy, and urban (because that’s how it works, right?). The ambiance embodies “East meets West.” The walls are lined with stainless steel painted with Japanese-style art. There are large vases of cherry blossoms next to a speaker system that plays hit music. But the most important aspect of the restaurant was of course, the menu.

Due to my great sophistication and elevated palate, I always judge sushi rolls by their name. I chose the “Kiss of Fire,” a remixed spicy tuna roll. The serving size was perfectly ample and perfectly affordable. Since I was eating at a hip Manhattan restaurant I anticipated having to promise my first-born child in exchange for dinner, but, in an unexpected stroke of good fortune, dinner and drinks were under 20 bucks! Win!

The rolls were so big that I was full after one, but I like a challenge so I proceeded to eat my friends’ meals. Therefore, I can testify to the overall quality of the food (I’m only greedy for the sake of writing reviews, I promise). The moral of the story is if you’re in Manhattan and craving sushi, find your way to HanaMichi.

Article Link: HanaMichi featured on Jetset Times

Thank you for the feature, Jetset Times.