Gari

Masatoshi Sugio, owner of the Upper East Side's beloved Sushi of Gari, has something different in mind for diners on the other side of the park, and it doesn't involve much sushi. At Gari, the expertly crafted raw delicacies that made his other spot famous are a side note here to a long list of cooked Japanese-fusion dishes. Instead of the sushi and sashimi platters, you're directed to hot numbers like a pile of sliced mishima rib-eye beef-it's kobelike in beefy flavor and buttery texture, and in price ($45)-or Chilean sea bass seared crunchy-crisp on one side and left smooth and slippery on the other. Desserts are from an outside source and aren't worth your time or money. It's just as well: The bill adds up quickly, and after our entrées, the rude servers seemed eager to usher us out the door.