Bond Street Lounge

The menu at this sleek, nightclub-like sushi spot is considerably more limited than that at Manhattan's original Bond Street, but many aficionados consider chef Hiroshi Nakahara's artfully plated sushi, sashimi, and hot or cold small plates the most sophisticated and solidly creative Japanese restaurant fare in town. Bond Street's specialties rely on imaginative yet admirably restrained fusion combinations. A roll of sesame-crusted shrimp, for instance, is garnished with drizzles of zingy orange curry-Dijon mustard sauce and a contrasting dark, rich balsamic reduction -- accompaniments that make the usual soy-wasabi soak totally unnecessary. Similarly stand-alone and unique are dishes such as thin-sliced usuzukuri sashimi garnished with bracing shiso-leaf sorbet or seaweed salad with an exotic sesame-orange dressing. Service can be spotty, verging on snotty, and prices are high, but a selection from the interesting and relatively reasonably priced sake list will mellow out the minuses.