15 East: What Delectable Fish!

Walking past the loud, rambunctious Park Bar and a construction site, I almost missed the elegant, Zen-like oasis of 15 East. "I'm sorry, there's no room at the sushi bar tonight," said the hostess, ruefully, when I entered the room. Although I was crestfallen, I accepted the consolation of a table. And how glad I turned out to be!

Although the cooked entrees looked intriguing (BBQ frog legs, anyone?) I decided to go the traditional route and spring for the $75 three-course sushi/sashimi tasting. (It's $120 if you add kitchen items). The bliss began with tomato "tofu": a cube of rosy gelee tasting of ripe tomato and a bit of bonito, decorated with a tiny sprig of green shiso. In short order came the sashimi course: two pieces each of grey-veined fluke, slightly fatty gruntfish, tender clouds of octopus, slivers of red-tinged shima aji yellowtail, wild salmon, melt-in-your-mouth chu-toro and one sweet jumbo head-on shrimp. Mmm!

The soup course was next (interesting order): a bowl of fragrant bonito consomme with a light puff of yellowtail that resembled a matzo ball. Mitsuba leaves and tiny fragments of enoki mushrooms floated in the clear broth; the soup was as beautiful as it was tasty.

My favorite course arrived on a giant ceramic rectangle: seven pristine, healthy-sized pieces of sushi and three pieces of tuna roll. The sushi consisted of sweet, almost custardy freshwater eel, meaty soft chu-toro, scallion and ginger-topped black-striped needlefish, baby yellowtail, bonito, aji tartare (to be eaten next-to-last, advised the waiter), and soy-marinated tuna. I couldn't resist and added a piece of sea urchin. I would go back to 15 East just for the sea urchin; it was that fresh, creamy, sweet and delicious.

As for dessert, I found the cilantro leaves in the passionfruit pudding confusing, but I loved the scoop of coconut lime sorbet on top.

15 East is now my favorite sushi restaurant in the Union Square area. I've always liked Japonica, but you can't argue with true love.

15 East: 15 East 15th St., (212) 647-0015.