Quick sushi at Hasaki in East Village

Yay ! My camera is repaired ! 

Thank you for all your prayers.  I reward you with this picture of a baby octopus salad from Hasaki.  My friend George once told me that this Greek restaurant used to tenderize its octopus by tumbling it in an actual clothesdryer.  Because this octopus was so tender and light, I was imagining it being tumbled dry low also. (It's just fun imagining octopus in dryers though, right?)

It was also fun eating this - soft tentacles accented by the sharp tang of thinly sliced scallions and sweet squish of slightly ripened tomatoes. 

Roll options are limited here, but well executed - tightly rolled, perfectly sized and fresh.  Our favorite was the yellowtail special roll with burdock root, smelt roe and sesame seeds.  

The mackerel and ginger was sharply spicy and a touch tart.

And the spicy tuna was solid.  It's nice when spicy tuna isn't completely pulverized into a mush - Hasaki's has good-sized chunks lightly spiced.

Han's Nonsensical Rating: Not an earth-shattering meal, but great service, comfortable ambience in the basement of a brownstone, and solidly priced.  It's worth a visit if you need sushi in a pinch in the East Village.  (PS. I hear the red miso soup is the thing to get here though we didn't try it.)

Hasaki

210 E 9th St

New York, NY