Mike Eats Greenpoint, Volume 2.1: Sapporo Haru, Revisited

Sapporo Haru
622 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 389-9697

THREE REASONS WHY this topic is worth revisiting:

First, the original MEF! post on Sapporo was anything but comprehensive.

Second, there is now an over-abundance of sushi places in Greenpoint, all within a few blocks of each other, which only furthers the debate about where to purchase one's raw fish around these parts. Sapporo Haru and Wasabi were both excellent choices when they were the only games in town. Ah, but for progress. A couple of upstarts makes the decision tougher, the debate worth clarifying.

Third, in light of a recent conversation with Kevin (note: the two of us are no masters of sushi knowledge, unless Kevin is keeping something from me), expectations have been raised. It was pointed out to me that perhaps the test of good maki is whether or not each of the roll's individual pieces is distinguishable in texture, flavor, etc. An excellent point. Kevin finds that Wasabi's chefs do a better job of accomplishing this feat than do Sapporo's.

Roxie, on a recent trip; ume shiso roll as it should be, top

I have no desire to eat at all of the sushi newcomers and mainstays in Greenpoint to determine which is tops. That's expensive, people. I've been going to Sapporo for a little over three years now and I have no plans to stop. I enjoy the menu, I find the fish to be fresh, the service to be warm (on occasion hilariously erratic), and the prices to be reasonable. The green tea has the flavor of toasted rice, and the miso is exceptionally sweet without being salty. The waitress calls me "sweetie." That's enough for me.

That said, my ume shiso roll arrived with pickled plum paste rather curiously plopped atop my roll rather than inside it (see detail, left). I've never had that happen before. I can't explain it. My Brooklyn roll, which involves fried mint leaves and spicy tuna on the outside, arrived as Kevin might have predicted--a muddle of tastes (however delicious) with only the mint leaves recognizable by their crunch. Score one for Kevin.

It's enough to make me want to try Wasabi, just to see how the two stand up. But once, and only once!

MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: Perhaps, just perhaps, at Wasabi.

Hungry for Art

AARON WAS KIND enough this afternoon to offer me and Steph a quick tour of the Met's awesome new Greek and Roman galleries. It's quite the space. The main gallery is impressive enough on its own, letting you meander in and about an assortment of ancient works, but so are the galleries surrounding it. They're the perfect excuse for the Met to show off its expansive archives. In fact, my favorite room might have been the least conspicuous one--a side gallery full of glass-enclosed collections of pottery, glass, miniature terracotta figures, and other such assorted ancient goods. It's wonderful to be overwhelmed by art, be it the stuff in the main gallery that's just physically larger than you or a collection so expansive, sprawling, and revealing you fear you could never take it all in.

A room with a view

And there was lunch involved: Pintailes, a pizza joint, which was nothing spectacular, but certainly worth the walk up alongside the park. I can imagine--whether you're visiting the Met, the Guggenheim, or the Cooper-Hewitt--five minutes makes all the difference if you're looking to ditch the crowds for a bit and score some lunch.

You'll find creative thin-crust creations at Pintailes, but you're better off grabbing it to go and searching for a seat in the park nearby--seating is limited on premises. We grabbed a couple slices each (plus a bottle of water or pop, $5.50-$6.50) and chowed down on a bench outside.

Fast-forward six hours and five comics later. Mint and I finished up another fine set of Monday Night Comedy at Pete's Candy Store and set off in search of our favorite Monday night feast: Sapporo Haru. Again, after promising a while back tales of server insanity we've failed to deliver, opting instead for our sushi delivered or, as we did tonight, take-out. So, I'll leave you with more pics of Met grandeur and send you to bed without pictures of dinner (find more over at Aaron S. Hitchcock Presents):

Mike Eats Greenpoint, Volume 2: Sapporo Haru

Sapporo Haru
622 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 389-9697

IF ANYONE ACCUSES me of exaggerating or puffing up what I eat because I'm posting it here, I will refer them to today's Menu. If you'll scroll down, there you'll notice that prior to dinner, I had eaten (yes, mom, I'm sorry) tater tots. And that's it. My excuse? I had a headache?

Honestly, there just wasn't anything else in the fridge. I've been gone for almost two weeks! Mint was cat-sitting! And that's the way it is.

Which means that by dinnertime I was, yes, very hungry. And I don't normally advocate eating raw fish on a wholly empty stomach, but I really do love Sapporo Haru quite a bit. Part of my love for it is the wonderful (read: slightly crazy) waitress who makes dining there a surreal experience. That, and the green tea that tastes slightly of toasted rice. That, and the miso soup is some of the best I've had anywhere.

But we settled for rolls and tofu teriyaki tonight (both which come with the aforementioned miso soup). And had it delivered because we were lazy. Which, you'll notice from the Menu, was pretty much my day.

MIKE EATS NEXT TIME: Yes, we'll stop in and come back with a better story.