Sachi's on Clinton

Originally uploaded by lools.

As exquisite, elegant and intriguing as a fine Japanese painting, Sachi's on Clinton in the Lower East Side is the perfect pick for a mellow, romantic night out in Manhattan.

At Sachi's, the traditional and the modern blend harmoniously. The dark brown hardwood floors, red walls, stark white ceramic dinner ware and the quintessentially Japanese service create the unique Sachi's experience.

Sake, soba, sushi and skewers are all on the menu at Sachi's. In fact, they even have the reputation of being one of the best sake bars in town. Not wanting to drink sake straight up, I ordered the Kyoto Affair, a sake and lychee cocktail. Every sip was deliciously naughty.

We ordered plenty of appetizers and sushi rolls. Our waitress figured out the best sequence in which to bring the dishes. She served us no more than one at a time in steady succession. We started with a sesame infused tofu which, as Harsha pointed out, was like caramel custard with a spicy soy sauce. To me, it was a little heaven of texture and flavour that I thoroughly relished. The tomato and mozarella skewer was also delicious - it was lightly fried like a tempura but was nice and gooey when you bit in. The miso soup had a nice and rich smokey flavour with tiny, slippery mushroom buttons and bits of tofu.

The sushi rolls were outstanding. Sachi's just hired the sushi chef who used to work at the Sony Corporation kitchen in Tokyo and I'm told that his slicing of fish and rolling of sushi is close to perfection. Even my cucumber rolls and plum rolls were unlike the ones I've had in other restaurants. The rice is rolled in a light sesame seed which adds a nice nuttiness to the roll!

Dessert was green tea icecream and a cup of green tea. Very calming and a perfect mouth cleansing after the soy intake throughout the meal.

My only regret is that I forgot to check out the lush Japanese garden at the back of the restaurant, beyond the sushi bar. I'm definitely coming back for lunch so I can enjoy the garden on a gorgeous sunny day.

Sachi's on Clinton
25 Clinton St.
at E. Houston St. 212-253-2900