Jewel Bako

"We have some OUTSTANDING fish tonight!" enthused Jack Lamb, the owner of sushi nirvana Jewel Bako. Sitting in the small gilt and bamboo-appointed room, my companion and I exchanged a look of anticipation. After briefly perusing the menu, we decided to go with the chef's choice (omakase), which ended up being ten courses of utter delight!

First up was a small "gift from the chef" of grated daikon, salmon roe and a tiny shiso leaf. This was served with Yatsushiku sake, which tasted to me of caramel. We also sampled the Cherry Blossom sake, a lighter variety, and the intense "Dragon's Quivering Tongue", described by Lamb as "diabolical". (Throughout the evening, we delighted in listening to Lamb's wealth of information; he is a walking encyclopedia of Japanese food and culture. Who knew that there were over 2,000 kinds of sake in Japan?)

We then enjoyed a refreshing salad of wild greens and green tea noodles in a light soy dressing garnished with pine nuts and shimeji mushrooms. A gorgeous cylinder of tuna tartare was next, then a foil package of three types of steam-roasted Japanese mushrooms.

Next up was our first taste of what makes Jewel Bako a local legend. An extraordinary sashimi course included three kinds of yellowtail, baby firefly squid with a sweet miso dip, red snapper and live shrimp ("Just tickle it and it wiggles," joked Lamb). Everything was at the peak of freshness; I could have been at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo.

A clear soup tasted mildly of bonito and featured two crumbly yellowtail "meatballs" and tart strips of citrus zest.

Finally, it was time for the piece de resistance: an oblong plate dotted with 11 pieces of sushi! Among the standouts were: fresh sea eel as rich as liver (never will I eat that microwaved barbecued eel ever again), the ultimate belly of fatty tuna, a sweet clam, lightly seared Japanese black bass, salty white salmon, Kyoto-style pressed sushi, and the chef's special: jack mackerel tartare with spicy baby ginger under a peelaway shiso leaf. Every bite was so delicious that I had to close my eyes.

As if that weren't enough, we were in for three dessert courses: a rich, floral coconut lychee sorbet, a special pastry from Payard which was a teardrop of green tea cake filled with strawberry jam and topped with vanilla mousse, and some crunchy peanut cookies from Kyoto with organic Yamaguchi plum wine.

The courses were spread out so that we had an opportunity to bask in a Zen-like appreciation of every dish. Each edible landscape of colors and textures was presented to us on a plate of a different shape. Jewel Bako's aesthetic, combined with its absolute passion for freshness and attention to detail, made for a top-notch sushi experience!

Jewel Bako: 239 E. 5th St., (212) 979-1012.