Pupi - Flushing, Queens
Pupi - 300 Roosevelt Ave. Flushing, Queens
Pupi specializes in ykasisi, a form of cuisine said to have originated in sixteenth-century Tokyo, initially as an accompaniment to a meeting with a geisha. To eat the full, 17-course meal at Pupi, you have to book a week or two (or three) in advance, since many of the esoteric ingredients are delivered via steamboat, directly from Japan.
The ambiance is calm, yet hectic. The clientele largely consists of authentic Japanese people. Foodies are catching on to this Flushing hot spot, so that may soon change. Men’s and women’s toilets are marked by a hammer and a flower, respectively. The chopsticks are individual works of art. They range from thin glazed porcelain to splintered, asymmetric, almost dangerous Birchwood. Despite the precision, there’s no anxious effort to impress, and you get the feeling that the staff, while not making you feel welcome, are engaged in ancient Buddhist ceremonies in their single burner kitchen.
Pressed fern leaves are covered with a thin speckled film of nokaku, edible sawdust: it looks and feels as if you are eating glass…then grass. A simple apéritif of moga, garnished with tiny morsels of starfruit cut in animal shapes shapes, tastes the way you imagine wet animal crackers might. Octopus liver is presented in a vase of poisonous orchids; Careful not to be tempted by the silken petals. Dried snake roe (which you grill over an open flame) looks like carrot, has the consistency of granola, and tastes like anchovy, only more so. (In Japan, people occasionally suffocate while eating it). The ykasisi meal culminates in a dish that might seem plain: steamed rice. Don’t be fooled. This white gelatinous ball is actually edible paper slivers. If you can’t finish, you might be given a ykasisi doggy bag: rose water encased in nori seaweed, and wrapped for the journey home in a yellow cheese cloth. There may be no geishas on the 7 train, but that’s no excuse to miss this authentic ykasisi feast.
BEST DISHES: Traditional Ykasisi ($265; serves 14)
CREDIT CARDS: No, cash only
HOURS: Ykasisi is offered every third Thursday.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes, via laundromat on 1st Floor.
