New York City College of Technology, CUNY
Department of Hospitality Management
Janet Lefler Dining Room
Memorandum
To: Prof. R. Abreu
From: Keon Blair
09/26/2018
Re: Sushi and Kaiseki in an Exceptional One-Man Show
In this review Pete Wells visits the Shoji at 69 Leonard street. It is an Japanese style restaurant owned by the Chef Derek Wilcox. Mr. Wilcox grew up in Virginia but has a Japanese background. He worked at a kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto called Kikunoi for seven years and then spent three more at a traditionalist sushi parlor in the Ginza district of Tokyo before opening the Shoji. The Shoji is a small restaurant where sitting can accommodate for 12 guests at a time. Upon arrival to the restaurant Pete Wells was disappointed because he seemed to be the only one in the restaurant at the time. Chef Wilcox did mention that people always say summer is a bad time for Sushi but went on to say he had no idea what they were talking about meaning anytime is a good time for sushi. The restaurant is essentially a one man show but they are assistants in the wings of the restaurant. The menu is omakase-style, with frequent seasonal changes. Overall Pete Wells did mention that the service was exceptionally well, the only thing they could improve on is the knowledge of the wines, sakes, shochus and Haitian rums. The restaurant overall is expensive; a short menu is $190, the medium menu is $252, and the long menu is $295. The cheapest item on the menu was a bottle beer for $12. I would try this restaurant just for the experience and to try different types of sushi, but I would not recommend this restaurant to a friend because it is very expensive, and most items on the menu is sushi; if you are paying that much you should have other seafood alternatives.
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