Sushi as an Everyday Luxury

I LOVE sushi for its straightforwardness and ease: one big bite; a few clear and clean flavors; nothing too florid, nothing too brash. I love it for its texture, at once firm and pliant, giving you something to chew if that’s your game, something that can almost be swallowed whole if you like.

I love the combined silkiness and meatiness of some of it, the connotations of luxury in that. I love its completeness: protein and starch nestled together, with just a little something extra — wasabi, shiso — for spark. I love its light impact. It can fill you, but not with guilt.

What I don’t love is the check. Sushi doesn’t come cheap, not if you insist on a modicum of quality, and not if you want to savor it in a setting with more aesthetic appeal than a Port Authority waiting area.

Audio Slide Show: Frank Bruni on Affordable Sushi Restaurants
Kanoyama, in the East Village, and Sushi Azabu, in TriBeCa, stand out in part because of their prices.