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At 7:00 last night I found myself walking up 1st Avenue to 82nd Street to meet three friends for dinner. What the hell was I doing on the Upper East Side, I wondered. Fortunately, my foray into the land of geriatrics and kids whose parents pay their rent proved to be well worth it. We were eating at a Japanese restaurant chosen by our friend who is something of an expert on Japanese cuisine having once been the manager of a Japanese restaurant. How he found this place I don’t know, but with his knowledge and guidance I had the best Japanese meal I can remember. Handing over control of our collective gullets and ignoring pesky details like cost, we feasted. Course after course of top notch fish, ordered in a sequence that allowed us to experience the unique flavors and textures of each made for a memorable if pricey meal. We ate our way through Tuna, Toro, Yellow Tail, Mackerel, Fluke, Salmon, Aji, and Urchin. All really lovely, with the Yellow Tail and Aji standing out as the consensus all stars. A few glasses of sake (more on that below), and a few beers later we were full but lighter in the wallet by $100 each.

The contentment that comes from a great meal required that we continue the evening so we headed to the subterranean East Village sake bar – Decibal. If you’re looking for a cool authentic-yet hybrid Japanese drinking experience in New York, this place hits the spot. At this point, there’s not really much more to be said, drunkenness and merriment ensued. I stumbled out of a cab into my apartment a few hours later.

Inase Sushi is located at 1586 1st Avenue between 82nd and 83rd. Decibal is located at 240 E. 9th Street between 2nd and 3rd.