2005/06 Westchester Hudson River Valley Restaurants
25 | 14 | 21 | $31
"Manhattanites would love" the "spectacularly fresh and imaginative" rolls and "innovative seafood specials" at this
Dobbs Ferry Japanese owned by the "ultimate host" ("we love Mike!"); "more crowded than a Tokyo subway" it may be, but
for what many consider "the freshest sushi in Westchester", it's "well worth tucking your shoulders in" and enduring
the "ridiculous lines."
July 2003
Best Sushi Maki
"Okay. So perhaps Holy Mackerel roll, French Dynamite and American
Hero aren't exactly authentic (you won't find them in Kyoto), but who
cares? They are delicious. Our secret lunch-time passion: the Out of Control
Roll made with spiced tuna, avacado, scallions and eel."
October 20, 2002
WESTCHESTER WEEKLY DESK
DINING OUT; At a Village Crossroads, Sushi and More
By M. H. REED
DOBBS FERRY -- SUSHI MIKE'S sits on Main Street, U.S.A. (or at least Dobbs
Ferry's version of it); it features jazz and blues recordings to dine
by; it offers a specialty roll called American Hero; and it hangs a framed
print of Madama Butterfly -- all of which calls into question the spirit
of the place: Eastern or Western?
This restaurant may sound like a hybrid, but one look at the menu, with
its full range of sushi and sashimi, its one-pot dishes and interesting
broiled items will put to rest any doubts about culinary allegiance. The
delightfully long list of starters includes a number of items rarely found
elsewhere. Especially delectable was grilled cheek of yellowtail, which
arrived still cradled in half the fish's jaw. Negitoro, another terrific
starter, was a roll of finely chopped yellowtail and mild Japanese leek.
That chopped yellowtail appeared again as tataki with touches of scallion,
caviar and spicy wasabi sauce.
This kitchen has a wonderful knack for balancing texture and seasoning.
Grilled salmon skin, glazed with sweet soy sauce, came in a salad with
crunchy vinegared cucumber and a fine julienne of seaweed. Octopus in
sweet vinegar sauce had been cooked to just the right texture, between
tender and satisfyingly chewy.
A juicy nugget of shrimp (shumai) was held together by a wrapping of dough
so thin it was almost translucent. Standard pork dumplings (gyoza) passed
muster. The only disappointment was yakitori; the skewered nuggets of
chicken were tough and dry.
Simple rolls, generous chirashi (raw fish on a bed of lovely seasoned
rice) and excellent sushi were all on hand, but the creative, irresistible
specialty rolls made up the core of this restaurant's offerings. It would
be hard to go wrong choosing at random.
At $12 the most expensive single roll on the menu, Fantastic Roll arrived
oversized and wrapped in white seaweed. Inside the roll, salmon, tuna,
yellowtail, flying fish roe, avocado and other vegetables were employed
in such careful proportion that no one ingredient overwhelmed another.
Shrimp and avocado, with smoked eel adorning the top, were the main ingredients
in Sushi Mike's Special Roll. Red flying fish roe speckled the impossibly
thin avocado ''scales'' covering sinuous Green Dragon Roll, packed with
eel and cucumber.
Dishes labeled ''spicy'' had unmistakable incendiary notes.
Cooked entrees in general seemed less interesting. Diners who enjoy the
tang of jalapeño will find the peppers strewn atop broiled chicken
in spicy teriyaki sauce. Most teriyaki dishes were also available without
peppery heat. Both salmon and jumbo shrimp versions were decent without
being outstanding.
Tasty and not at all oily, pan-fried noodles (yaki soba) with seafood
was a goodlight choice, as was soft-shell crab tempura with spicy sauce.
For a different dessert, try mochi, a sweet rice paste that enclosed a
center of ice cream.
Toasty green tea was particularly flavorful, and ended a meal nicely.
A couple of wines by the glass were available for those forgoing Japanese
beer, the best drink with this food.
It's rare to find a Japanese restaurant that offers fare much beyond the
expected sushi and teri combinations. Sushi Mike's, where everyone goes
-- from young families to young couples to grandparents -- boasts a long
and interesting menu that makes up for its small size.
VERY GOOD
ATMOSPHERE Tight, bright, charming corner restaurant with a tiny sushi
bar. Service is gracious but can be slow at peak times. Parking on the
street or in the lot off Cedar Street, in the back of the restaurant.
RECOMMENDED DISHES Shrimp shumai, grilled yellowtail cheek (hamachi kama),
beef negimaki, negitoro, broiled octopus, salmon skin salad, Fantastic
Roll, Sushi Mike's Roll, Green Dragon Roll, tuna roll, shrimp and salmon
teriyaki, mochi.
PRICES Lunch, main dishes, $8 to $13 (soup or salad included). Dinner,
main dishes, $11 to $25 (soup and salad usually included).
CREDIT CARDS Major cards accepted.
HOURS Lunch, Mondays and Wednesdays through Fridays, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dinner, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 4:30 to 10 p.m.; Fridays and
Saturdays, 4:30 to 11 p.m.; Sundays, 3 to 10 p.m.
RESERVATIONS Accepted.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS Two narrow steps at entrance.
THE RATINGS Excellent, Very good, Good, Satisfactory, Poor.
Ratings reflect the reviewer's reaction primarily to food, with ambience
and service taken into consideration. Menu listings and prices are subject
to change.