Welp, Maison O is definitely not a winner. If anything come here when you aren’t hungry and just thirsty for booze and need a few nibbles. Serge Becker, the guy behind La Esquina and who opened Miss Lily’s knows how to make a scene and throw a party, but the food here is not acceptable and (sigh) at times inedible. The Black Cod* which was actually half delicious was extremely fishy on one piece of our dish and perfect on the other. I think they forgot to cook the other side. It was a bit shocking because I’ve really never thought a fish tasted too “fishy” or incomplete. You’d think I’d grown up swimming with the fishes… but I really love all fish and this pungent taste was inappropriate. However, if you get a good piece, it’s really good!
The most interesting dish I saw at Maison O was the Unagi Pie. It’s baked eel wrapped in phyllo. Very creative and sweet for a savory dish. It tasted like dessert and was pretty thrilling and something different to try. The Yakitori selection is huge ranging from Chicken parts such as: Momo (leg), Shiro (breast), Sunagimo (gizzard), Hatsu (heart), Vegetables such as: Shitake, Shishito, Japanese Scallion as well as Meats: Gyu Tan (Beef Tongue), Gyu Bara (Beef Short Rib), Buta Bara (Pork Belly), etc. The dipping sauce they serve with the Yakitori Grill items is perfect. It’s sweet and similar to a mix of ponzu and soy sauce. We ordered the Tsukune (2nd pic) which is like a Chicken Meatball. It’s almost hard to tell how it tasted because the way it looked was just well, confusing. It was thick and fat. The Shitake’s were also pretty bland and seemed as if they had been cooked hours before and just waiting for someone to order them. The Whole Squid (4th pic) is a good idea and grilled with Soy-Ginger Marinade. It’s only $19 and is a pretty large, shareable portion. I’d try this again for sure. The Yellowtail Yuzu Kosho sushi roll was definitely the highlight. Skip the Blue Crab Cucumber.
While the food here may not be up to par with other sushi/Japanese joints nearby such as Bond St. Sushi, Blue Ribbon Izakaya or The General, the drinks are tasty making it a great pre-grame spot. There is a bar to the right handside when you walk in that makes for a killer first date spot for drinks, and the staff is fun. Our waiter Shelby was awesome aka the “hostess with the mostess” and really the most positive part of the experience. He was so much fun, and lets just say even invited us to his birthday party the next day. Maison O has a young vibe and a cool downstairs karaoke lounge, StarDust Lounge, late at night. However, if you are looking for standout sushi, ramen or yakitori I’d try somewhere else.
