Midtown Lunch

Recently I found out that one of my coworker started eating California rolls for breakfast (along with her cup of coffee). It may sound a little weird but why not? So obviously that got me craving sushi. Luckily Dainobu is right around the corner from my office and since I still haven’t tried their sushi I thought it would be a good time to do so (also I was still on the lookout for their fantastic looking spider roll that Zach got few years ago). Once I got there, I found something else completely that caught my attention: kaki fry! (aka fried oysters) Dainobu, selling fried seafood?! It was too crazy for me not to try it. Also, the box was still warm, a good sign that they were still some what fresh. (Freshly cooked, anyway.)

Was it possible for Dainobu to have restaurant level fried oysters ($4.99) served a in plastic container that were actually good? YES, a very big YES. These were surprisingly delicious and perfectly fried. It came with a packet of tartar sauce but all you really need is a little squirt of lemon juice and ponzu sauce.

While the outside was nice and crispy, the inside was soft, gooey and tasted fresh. Give me a bowl of steamy rice and I’m all set.

Another thing I spotted at Dainobu were couple boxes of spider rolls (score!) but sadly the price per box has gone up since 2009 (from $5.49 to $8.99).   The box came with 5 pieces of spider roll and admittedly they were on the larger size. The rolls were okay. The rice felt a little gummy and definitely wasn’t fresh rice but the pieces of soft shell crab still had bits of crunchiness to them.

While the spider roll was a little disappointing, the mixed pickled squash and cucumber rolls were not. These were simple, light and the tanginess of the pickled cucumber was a good balance after eating so much fried seafood.

Even though most of their hot food items aren’t very successful, the fried oysters prove that there are still a few jems to be had at Dainobu.

Dainobu, 129 E 47th St (btw. Lex+3rd) (212) 755-7380