Food Of The Day: Saikyo Miso Cod At Zenkichi In New York

Zenkichi, located in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Broooklyn, New York, is my all-time favorite restaurant (so far). This intimate, Japanese brasserie, offers both excellent service and an amazing prix fixe Omakase menu for a reasonable price.

Out of all the eight seasonally changing courses on the Omakase menu, it is quite hard to pick my ultimate favorite. The Zenkichi salad is always great, as the bitter greens blend together with the creamy homemade tofu. The tempura is always a hit (think shrimp, corn, and camembert cheese wrapped in a thin, crisp, crust). But after several visits and opportunities to try the delicious small-sized Japanese dishes, I think there is one that I can label "the best:" Saikyo Miso Cod.

Served skin on, this lightly glazed cod is the most decedent fish. The sweet flavor of the miso and mirin marinade is perfectly balanced, and the fish is flakey, soft, and almost "butter like" as it melts in your mouth. Prepared on a grill, the fish has a slight char, and is served alone. Needless to say, no sides are needed, as the fish alone is packed with flavor. And, if you take the Omakase menu, you have already eaten five dishes before this, and have two left to go. Maybe next time, I'll skip the prix fixe and go straight for the cod. But then again, there might be a new, interesting dish I'll just have to try...

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