Jonathan Cheban opens Sushi Mikasa at the Shelborne hotel

Sara Liss12/21/2012

The goods: Reality show personality (and Kim Kardashian pal) Jonathan Cheban opens Sushi Mikasa at the Shelborne hotel.

Ambience: The clubby, 65-seat lobby space has a separate outdoor entrance, lacquered black chairs, gold geometric wallpaper and grey leatherette banquettes.

The grub: A modern spin on traditional sushi from “Chef Kevin” (New York’s Sushi Seki). Fish is flown in from Japan (via New York) daily and prices reflect the expense: Rolls range from $8 to $20, small plates average $12 and omakase is $70-$140.

Starters include a diced tuna-avocado salad, spicy tuna over crispy rice and yellowtail jalapeno roll. Hot dishes include beef negamaki, shrimp tempura and chicken yakitori. Toro is offered in three price levels, the highest running $15 a piece. Creative renditions include tuna over crispy tofu topped with whipped tofu, sautéed piper fish nigiri, a Golden Flower roll pairing salmon and a fried tomato and a spicy scallop hand roll wrapped in seaweed paper.

Verdict: You might catch a Kardashian here, but don’t let that distract you from the high-quality sushi.