Tora

On our list of the best romantic restaurants in New York.

Hand-pinched wasabi and made-to-order rolls come out of this Himrod Street kitchen, where bluefin, yellowtail, and salmon go into nigiri and a panko-crusted katsu curry. The room shifts through the day: casual enough for a quick lunch, then a back-lit bar and dimmed lights take over once the sun goes down, with toki highballs a regular order. The sushi rice draws particular praise, each grain seasoned individually rather than in one big batch, though the yakitori misses the smoky char you'd expect from something grilled.