Chopped Parsley
Homestyle Japanese cooking, uptown
You know when your friends won't stop talking about the new restaurant they just went to, and you don't know if they're serious or just blowing smoke? Not me! My friends always seem to have the scoop on the fresh local yummies, so when they mentioned a low-key homestyle Japanese restaurant (basically a one-woman show) up in Hamilton Heights, I wasted no time in joining them for a meal.
Everything-fusion may still be the rage in some quarters, but I'm always glad to sit down to simple fare prepared with traditional ingredients and methods. And while I will need to go back to sample more of the menu, it was clear that the proprietress does an expert job of choosing the fish: the cured and vinegared mackerel and the salmon ceviche I had were delicious and fresh. (My table-mates, meanwhile, happily emptied their soba bowls.) I also enjoyed the wider-than-usual selection of Japanese beers, the easy-listening '70s and '80s soundtrack (lots of Sade and Steely Dan) and the quaint decor of this uptown gem.
Chopped Parsley is small and intimate, so while reservations aren't required, they're recommended.
Update: Nearly 10 years later, Chopped Parsley is still going strong in its new location, listed above. Gohan dekita yo! ごはんができたよ Dinner's ready!
