Off the Beaten Path: There is Excellent Sushi in Crown Heights
Welcome to Off the Beaten Path, a dining and travel guide of places that are just under the radar. Where to eat great sushi in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
I know. When I say the words I can still hardly believe them to be true. But let me reassure you that I have experienced it, twice now. The community at large needs to know about this.
Just off Bergen and Nostrand, resides a modest restaurant front. A Japanese awning waving in the breeze serves as the entrance to Uotora. I had passed by Uotora a few times on the bus and it always caught my eye and looked cute. One day I decided to give them a Google search. The site says, “Uotora restaurant in Crown Heights, Brooklyn serves fish of the highest quality mainly from Japan. Chef Atsuomi and Chef Hiroyuki have over twenty years of experience in Sushi restaurants. Uotora specializes in omakase, a menu specially chosen by our chefs. Please come and experience Japanese-style hospitality in Brooklyn”. I read that and thought, ”Seems legit” and immediately texted a friend to make a plan to eat there.
For the most part, I had avoided sushi in Brooklyn because it never lived up to the sushi I experienced at my favorite Manhattan spot. I won’t even eat at many popular sushi spots in Manhattan because they are never as good as I want them to be. So to find comparable sushi in Brooklyn, not just Brooklyn, but Crown Heights, that’s within walking distance from my apartment, is pretty exciting.
I’m from the West Coast so I have been developing a palate for sushi for most of my life and developing my palate professionally for a decade. While I’m not an expert expert expert, I’m knowledgeable enough to tell you what mid-level sushi is and what is worth spending your money on. For me, a great sushi restaurant comes down to a few details, freshness, quality, and the overall taste of the final product. I also appreciate good vibes and service. Uotora has it all.
On my second visit, I started with the seaweed salad, which was delicately dressed and topped with thinly sliced vegetables like radish, cucumber, and tomato. The restraint on the seasoning really allowed the seaweed to shine in the dish, lightly briney with lovely textures from the seaweed.
I will always order sashimi and some sushi rolls. My family loves toro, specifically chutoro and otoro. Its buttery texture makes angels sing in my mind and I melt away along with the fish. My sushi fever dream involves unlimited fatty tuna. I could achieve that Uotora. A spicy tuna roll is always on my order and I’m also a fan of a shrimp tempura roll. The shrimp tempura roll was textural perfection – tender sticky rice and nori wrapped the fried shrimp and offered the faintest crispy contrast that sparkled on the palate so dainty and light. A second bite would quickly come just to get to experience it again.
When it comes to sashimi, I tend to aim for fish over shellfish and I guess you should know this about me, I am very ambivalent about uni (blame the guy who surprise-shoved a finger full of uni in my mouth in a restaurant walk-in of my past). While I have really enjoyed it from time to time, it has to be done right (my specific specifications of “right”, probably not yours). But if you really need to know about the uni, all I can say is, that the fish was so fresh that I feel confident that the uni will be as well.
I am moderately allergic to soy, so I rarely eat it. Sushi is a special occasion meal where I give myself a pass on my restrictions. I won’t go for the miso soup or edamame, but I will enjoy a few dips of soy on a roll of sushi or brushed up on a piece of fish. Their soy sauce had a smokey essence that I really enjoyed. Next time, I will ask what the brand is. Instead of having a bottle on the table, the server would refill our small soy tray when it would get close to empty.
Aside from the many rolls available, they also offer a variety of appetizers, sake, and omakase. If you are with someone who doesn’t love sushi, there is an option of miso cod or teriyaki salmon. They have a delicious dessert menu with typical classics like mochi but also a fantastic cheesecake. I really enjoyed a crisp cookie that was filled with sweet bean curd and ice cream.
They have been open since 2018. I just found this place and could have been eating here for years! I share this information as a public service for anyone looking for a fantastic sushi spot a little closer to home (if your home is in Brooklyn). It was sitting right under my nose! If you live in, around, or just happen to find yourself in Crown Heights, please give Uotora your business. You won’t find them on Resy or Opentable, the only way to make a reservation is to call them. I’ll make it easy for you. 718-513-0724
What are your favorite sushi restaurants in Brooklyn and beyond?