New York Eats

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Yakitori-Taisho is owned and run by the Buddha-like Taisho, a squat, goateed man who occasionally makes an appearance behind the grill, if you're lucky. When he is, he's like the Shiva of chefs, with 16 arms going in every direction to flip skewers and grill rice balls, all while taking a sip of Coke.

In fact, dining at Yakitori-Taisho is half about watching the people behind the inch-thick plexiglass shield that separates the bar seating from the "kitchen," which is little more than a 4x20 closet with a grill.

The food--excellent. The restaurant specializes in barbacued skewers of beef, chicken, scallions, shrimp, and a host of other things good enough to eat off a stick. The grilled rice balls and harumaki cheese are also excellent, as are any of the boxed dinners. Don't bother with sushi here, though--stick to the sticks, and you will not be dissappointed.

One downside is the long wait most people have to get in. If you can, try to limit it to two to four people, which will ensure you a seat.

This is the place to go for unfettered, fresh, cheap sushi. Sandobe's house rolls almost all incorporate avocado, are wrapped around a core of real crab meat (not imitation), and can be ordered in regular (full order) or special (half order) sizes. The Rich roll is a personal favorite--sweet pieces of eel wrapped around rice and crab.

Also recommended are the miso soup and the seaweed salad appetizer, which is doused in some kind of dressing that I still have not been able to identify.

It's not pretty inside, it's not trendy, and it's not hip. But the sushi is fantastic, and it's cheap compared to most other places I've been. Simple sushi, well done.