If you think of your standard temaki as pleated khakis, a white button-up, and a Patagonia vest, then the handrolls at Mari are like red leather pants, a zebra print top, and a hot pink fur hat. The 12-course $135 tasting menu here consists mostly of unique handrolls that are stuffed with things from the ocean and seasoned with various Korean sauces and spices. Even if you find similarly inventive handrolls elsewhere (which seems doubtful), they’re not going to be as memorable as the ones at Mari.
At this Hell’s Kitchen spot from the team behind Kochi, you’ll start with a platter of five small bites followed by a little dome of steamed egg submerged in a complex sundubu-like broth with littleneck clams, mussels, and shrimp. A parade of eight U-shaped hand rolls comes next, and while it’s hard to pick highlights (since all are outstanding), the soy-marinated raw shrimp with its crispy fried leeks and thick egg yolk and seaweed sauces is the best. The king salmon topped with a big heap of sturgeon caviar and the tender Long Island duck breast with ssamjang sauce are another two favorites.
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Mari is for anyone who’s ever wished for a more aggressively-flavored sushi omakase. The space has a minimalist feel to it, and there’s a nondescript back area with tables—but you’ll have more fun sitting at the rectangular counter where you can watch the chefs construct courses with shaved white truffles and candied anchovies. Even if you hate taking pictures of food, you’ll feel compelled to snap photos of each handroll. When you eat something this special, a memory just won't cut it.
Food Rundown
Note: The kitchen occasionally tweaks the seasonal menu, so the courses described below may not be available when you visit.
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Hansang
Think of this introductory course as five amuses on one platter. There’s a good chance you’ll get a different selection than what we were served, but if they have the raw oyster with tapioca pearls and the wagyu tartare in a fried spring roll-like wrapper with a tiny dollop of egg yolk on top, consider yourself lucky.
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Caviar Salmon
This first handroll course is the least interesting one on the menu. It’s king salmon, sturgeon caviar, and white sesame. Nothing revelatory going on here. But it’s still damn good. You’ll also get an assortment of pickled banchan (which may include cucumbers, onions, celery, and jicama) before this course, which you’ll want to dig into right before you try each subsequent roll.
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Shrimp
This tasting menu is full of surprises. (Read about the spicy tuna below.) Shrimp isn’t usually the best course in an omakase, but it is at Mari. Here, soy-marinated raw shrimp is mixed with seaweed and egg yolk sauces and covered with fried leeks. For some reason, this is the only handroll that comes wrapped in an extra thick and crispy sheet of nori.
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Spicy Tuna
This roll isn’t filled with the spicy raw, chopped tuna concoction of unknown freshness that you find at most sushi spots. Instead, creamy cooked tuna salad with gochujang, pickled serrano peppers, and garlic oil is topped with golden fried potato crumbles. Needless to say, it’s a lot better than whatever pre-made tuna salad you’re stuffing in between slices of Wonder Bread.
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Duck
It takes four days to prepare this duck, which comes from the long island that all your lawyer and Bitcoin-hoarding friends head to every weekend during the summer. The duck is cured in pink salt and a pastrami rub, cooked sous vide, then topped with garlic chips. The meat is tender, smoky, and salty, and it’ll probably take you exactly five seconds to say, “Gimme another one of those, please.”
photo credit: Emily Schindler
A5 Wagyu
A5 wagyu is a part of pretty much any omakase these days, so it’s notable when it actually stands out. This intensely-marbled beef is seasoned with galbi marinade, so it’s a little sweet, and you get some crunch from puffed rice and pickled onions. We can see why the kitchen serves this as the final handroll course.
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Guksu
You might already be stuffed by the time this last savory course arrives, but in case you’re not, this bigger-than-expected portion of bone broth with thin noodles and slices of braised pork belly will probably do the trick. (And if you're still not stuffed, you can always add extra handrolls.) Give the soup a stir, and mix in the spoonful of chili paste plopped in the middle. You’ll eventually resort to picking up your bowl and doing some slurping.
