Tanuki Tavern

NYC, Meatpacking District. After some shopping and Soho House, we met up with Laurie and Patrick for another quick snack down the street at Tanuki Tavern located inside the Gansevoort Hotel. Instead of an intimate smoky tavern vibe we were hoping, I found it to be irritatingly dark. Thank goodness for the flashlight app on my cell. The menu was interesting and the food was very good and reasonably priced but the atmosphere was, sadly, plain and kitschy. 

Yellowtail Jalapeno, $16.  (Sashimi style with ponzu and crispy mountain potato)  Delicious but not enough to go around.

Can't remember the name of this one, but looks like a standard with shrimp, cucumber, tobiko topped with avocado.

Tuna Tataki, $16.  (Sesame crusted tuna, shaved cucumber, sweet pickled daikon & soy)  This was pretty and flavorless. Bummer.

Kinoko Roll, $12.  (Japanese mushrooms wrapped in white soy topped with crispy enokis & truffle oil)  The sesame soy paper was a refreshing relief from seaweed. The mushrooms were bursting with ridiculously rich flavors. The truffle oil and the tempura enoki toppers were insane! One of my all-time favorites.

Beauty Roll, $14.  (Spicy tuna, salmon, hamachi, king crab & masago wrapped in cucumber)  Beautiful, but missing some kick.

Spicy French Fries, $7.  (Togarashi spiced think-cut russets & spicy mayo)  Couldn't stop eating these.

xoxo