15 EAST: Live Lobster Sashimi!

15 EAST 1
Dear Food Diary:
ALERT! the title pretty much sums up this post, so if you’re gonna get all animal activist on me after reading, please stop right here. Otherwise, if you’re like Underground dining and I, and “live lobster” just tickles your excitement, enjoy! (video, pics and all, this one’s for you).
15 EAST 3
15 East has a really sleek, spacious and modern dining room.
15 EAST 2
Would of been better if we had a seat by the bar, but our corner table was comfy enough to get us ready for that “live” friend we were about to devour. The $19 Sparking Yuzu Cocktail (hou-hou shu, yuzu juice) didn’t justify the price, though citrus sparkly was a good start.

UNI ANKIMO steamed monkfish liver & sea urchin
15 EAST 4
15 EAST 5
Anything with uni gets my vote, specially that creamy sweetness paired with the foie gras of the sea. The liver is firmer with a shellfish aroma while the sea urchin just melts away.


SEA SCALLOPS & SQUID INK RISOTTO
15 EAST 9
This wasn’t what I had in mind, at all! There was barely any risotto, and what was there wasn’t anything worth writing about. The scallops were cooked nicely, but again, nothing to be jumping up and down for. And the sea urchin butter didn’t add any extra flavor. 


Now to the main event!!!
LOBSTER SASHIMI THREE WAYS
They asked if we wanted to see our dinner “live” and of course we did! Duh! We weren’t going to pay $120 for no reason. But apparently our waiter peed his pants and didn’t want to participate, so he asked another brave soul to bring it to us. 


LOBSTER TAIL SASHIMI

Yep, as you can see the sashimi came very much “live”. There were 2 girls sitting a couple tables down (with valley girl accents, who must of been like “omg”) stormed out after seeing our first course. We scared them away, awesome! more room for us. 
15 EAST 6
The sashimi lover in me always preferred lobster sashimi over all else. Sweet and meaty, think sweet ebi shrimp but even better. 
15 EAST 7
This of course was as good as any I’ve had, not sure if it was that much better from the “live” factor, but I fully enjoyed it.


LOBSTER TAIL TEMPURA
15 EAST 10
The batter was a tad more doughy than normal. Lightly fried and slight crunch nonetheless. The lobster however, had that nice bounce and meatiness you can only find from lobster or shrimp that’s this fresh and obviously live. 
15 EAST 11
A sprinkle of salt, all that was needed to enhance the sweetness. Totally enjoyed every bite (which weren’t many).



LOBSTER HEAD BOUILLON
15 EAST 14
So the lobster did sacrifice for our tasty enjoyment, but we didn’t let anything go to waste. The head, roe and all that goodness in between added a deep rich flavor to our broth. 
15 EAST 12
There was also some lobster meat left to pick on. This was good but a little bit salty.


MATCHA & WHITE BEAN CREME BRULEE
15 EAST 15
We were intrigued by the white bean part. Which well, tasted pretty much like red bean paste, but smoother and less sweet. The dish was so shallow, there really wasn’t much. It was aight. Sweets to end the meal always helps. 


15 EAST 17
The chocolates and macaroons were bla, it was in front of us so we ate it. 


The live lobster “fun” factor died real fast. It’s different and a novelty if you will, but was it worth paying $120? Probably not justifiable a second time. I’ve had great lobster sashimi in Boston and NYC for a half the cost. Would I go to 15 East again and try their tasting and sashimi? Maybe.

P.S. Chubby’s RATING:
www.15eastrestaurant.com
15 East 15 St.
212.647.0015

9 Responses to 15 EAST: Live Lobster Sashimi!

  1. Anonymous says:

    Hehe I had lobster sashimi in Hong Kong as my husband had had it before and said it was delicious. I didn't expect a wiggling head to come out with it & it totally freaked our then 16 year old son out. He kept saying "Mum it's looking at me" Was a fantastic meal.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Wait, so . . . the bottom half of the lobster is cut off and ready for eating, while the top is still moving? I'm so confused! If that's really how it's served, that's the craziest thing I've ever seen! Way weirder than just being served a whole live thing.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Sara,
    Yeah lobster sashimi is good! but it's not for everyone!

    Donut,
    So it was killed just seconds ago, so it was technically still "alive" when they brought it to us, that shock hasn't passed so thats why its moving… not the nicest thing to do to a creature, but no fur so im ok with it… i know, im an animal!

  4. Anonymous says:

    I like a slightly cooked lobster sashimi served with wasabe and soy sauce on the side. We usually prepare this easy to cook recipe when we go camping.

  5. Anonymous says:

    15 east has amazing sashimi and a fair selection of sake. It's a bit pricey, but the along the tab comes excellent dining experience other cheap Japanese sushi bars couldn't provide. In Yelp, they received good reviews, with at least 80% of customers giving them 4 to 5-star ratings.

  6. Anonymous says:

    I haven't been there, actually, but judging from what I have seen- the raving reviews whatnot's, I concur it's a fine diner I should try.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Do they also serve the famous dancing squid? It's another variation of seeing a sea creature move in your plate.

  8. Anon says:

    Worst $400 spent!!! Went there after seeing that they serve lobster sashimi, when we got there they said its not in season??? So be talked us into getting the sampler for $120 pp. worst decision ever. The fish was nothing extraordinary, def not worth the money. The service was mediocre. We noticed that the “white” people next to us got treated so much better. I will never go back to this place again and I strongly recommend anyone who wants authentic Japanese food to avoid this place!!!

  9. Disappointed says:

    Went there and got the chefs sampler for $120 pp. worst deal ever can u believe one of the courses was a deep fried shrimp head!!! Are u kidding me, I guess white people really think its exotic, really?? A fried shrimp head . What a scam . The fish was nothing extraordinary everything was over priced. $16 a beer!! Service sucked seems like they treated the “white” people way better. So not go to this place!!!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

14 − 13 =