02.18.09
Review of Mr. Jones, February 2009 & September 2008 (friends & family)
243 E.14th St. & 2nd/3rd Ave., 212-253-7670 (now closed – Lesly is turning it into a Mexican place, sadly)
Great for: trying lots of inventive yakitori, dates (the booths are cozy), having a grown-up drink in a mostly-student area
Mr. Jones keeps a low profile; the door is almost as hard to find as when it was hidden behind plywood. I was lucky enough to go as Bar Owner’s guest during Friends & Family, when it was already very good. I was back for my birthday in February; they’ve improved the food from its already high level and added a large cocktail menu. (Full disclosure: I happen to know Lesly, the owner, a bit through a friend.) The prices are surprisingly reasonable for the quality of the ingredients. If you go with a large party, they can do a very decent omakase from $30 (!) per person.
Bar Owner & I started with daikon and chilies salad sprinkled with black sesame seeds. There were a generous number of square daikon logs and I actually liked it a lot. I’m not a fan of radish, so that’s saying a lot. Our first yakitori was four skewers of Wagyu harami separated by sliced leeks and garnished with fresh wasabi. I didn’t even mind the mushroomy flavor, they were that tasty. The kara yuzu, chicken with spicy yuzu sauce, were small, exceedingly spicy skewers. Also a success. The BLT yakitori was cute. It was peppered bacon plus a big, cooked cherry tomato on a small bed of lettuce. I was persuaded to be brave and try it and I’m glad I did! I think I hate whole tomatoes for their nasty pulpy texture but that problem is gone here since it’s cooked. Plus, the bacony goodness covers the tomato taste, which basically just adds juice.
The ton toro wasabi shiso, Berkshire black hog belly with fresh wasabi & shiso, was miraculously not fatty; instead crispy, juicy and succulent. I guess hogs get more exercise than pigs. The calamari (ira tempura) in spicy mayo came in big crunchy pieces and were delicious, tender enough to distract from the knowledge that I was eating squid. Next up were the tori tatsuta age, chicken wings with daikon paste, They were fantastic – juicy, basically chicken meatballs with actual meat held together by bread (not ground up) around tiny bones. I could have eaten at least twenty more.
From the big dish section we got the escolar goma ponzu, Hawaiian walu with black sesame and citrus sauce. I was surprised to adore the sauce, which sounded like it’d taste weird. Walu is a white fish; they made the top crunchy and the flesh a bit too firm but the center was perfect. Our second one was still a tad overcooked but less so. It might have been because the fish came in a giant tofu-looking thick slab. It was still really good. We’d ordered the lamb chops but the kitchen ran out of them, so we contented ourselves with the Kobe meatballs with foie gras centers. They were very juicy with a crunchy outside and much improved the second time I had them. They’re not over the top, just delicious and subtly decadent.
Mr. Jones has an extensive sake and shochu list, as well as lots of delicious cocktails. Try them all, every one that my birthday table of 13 people ordered we enjoyed. I liked the pretty model/waitresses in brown dresses and the really cool mod-ish (’60s, ’70s) décor. The very warm yellow and orange light was a nice touch, as was the spacious setup. The tables aren’t squeezed together as so frequently happens with East Village restos and there is plenty of room to stand at or around the bar in front. There are also comfy curvy couches in the back dining room, presumably for bar overflow. Try to get one of the cozy, circular, corner booths near the fireplace in back. It’s not just great food – you can eat dinner and then have your friends come hang out at the bar, which is exactly what I did for my birthday. It feels welcoming and upscale at the same time.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
No cost first time. My birthday cost: $80/person, but that’s 13 $30 omakases split 12 ways with a lot of heavy drinkers
Noise level: you may need your outside/club voice, but it’s fun
Chance of walking in: it’s pretty packed even on off nights with inclement weather.
