Manhattan, New York City
Business trips have a way of producing memorable dinners. This one came courtesy of a direct report who wanted Japanese food near our Fifth Avenue office, so I rounded up a couple of employees and we headed to Aqua for dinner. It was a good call — mostly.
The Concept
Walking in, I had to do a double take. Yes, it was Japanese. But Aqua operates two complete kitchens under one roof — one Japanese, one Italian. My head is still processing this. They offer a tasting menu that spans both cuisines: one appetizer of each, one entrée of each, one dessert of each. The concept is genuinely interesting. The execution of combining these two culinary traditions in a single sitting is a puzzle I’m still working through.
We were there for the Japanese, so we mostly stuck to that. Mostly.
The Crystal Sushi
The item that stopped us cold was the crystal sushi. The name tells you something is different, and the photo tells you the rest. Instead of rice, the outer layer is a crystal jelly — different flavors pulverized, infused with liquid until translucent, then set solid around the filling. The visual presentation was extraordinary. I have eaten a lot of sushi in a lot of places, and I have never seen anything like it. Whether you’re wowed by the flavor or not, you will remember seeing it.
The food was good. The eye-popping presentation was better.
The Sushi and Sashimi
We went with a chef’s choice, and the chef chose heavy on the sashimi — which was fine by me, since I can eat fish straight without complaint. My employees preferred sushi and rolls, so there was some good-natured struggling. We worked it out. The quality was solid across the board: fresh, well-prepared, nothing that disappointed.
The other appetizers and side dishes were good without being remarkable. Aqua sits comfortably in the three-and-a-half to four star range — genuinely enjoyable, not transcendent.
The Desserts: Switching Cuisines
When it came to dessert, we made the obvious choice and switched to the Italian kitchen. This requires no defense. If you’re choosing between Japanese and Italian dessert, you’re choosing Italian. Every time.
We ordered two.
The stuffed peach cream puff was the winner of the evening. The dough was crisped slightly — not crunchy like a cannoli, but not doughy either. Easy to bite through, easy to cut. The peach filling was well-balanced and genuinely good. I was pleased.
The tableside tiramisu was the head-scratcher. I’m a devoted fan of tableside desserts — if you’ve read this blog, you know this — because tableside means fresh, and fresh usually means better. But tiramisu presents an obvious problem: it’s a dessert that requires time in the kitchen to come together properly. So what they did was bring out three components — a bowl of mascarpone cream, espresso cocoa powder, and ladyfingers with a small vial of liqueur — and assemble it at the table. Layer the ladyfingers, soak them, add the mascarpone, dust with espresso powder. Visually entertaining.
The result did not crack my top twenty tiramisus. Not even close. It was a good idea that the format couldn’t quite deliver on. Now I know.
The Epilogue
After dinner I was heading back to the hotel, and my employee Paba’s partner offered to drive me rather than letting me take an Uber. It wasn’t far. I said sure.
I did not know her partner drove a Mercedes coupe.
Getting a person of my height into the passenger seat of a Mercedes coupe requires engineering. They cranked the seat all the way down, leaned it all the way back, and I was lowered in like something requiring a crane. But we managed. They got me home, no Uber necessary, and I arrived with my dignity roughly intact.
Always good to have dinner with your employees without talking shop. Just good food, good company, and the occasional vehicular adventure.
The Verdict
Aqua delivers an experience worth having — especially the crystal sushi, which alone justifies the visit. The Italian dessert kitchen bailed us out at the end. Skip the tableside tiramisu and order the cream puff instead. And if Paba offers you a ride home, ask what she’s driving first.
The Menu
Aqua — 20 E 21st St, Manhattan, New York City Cuisine: Japanese / Italian Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½
