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"I gotta give a shout-out to Grandma, she's a big part of what we do here. She brings out the more traditional approach, and then me and my wife [Theresa Sin] try and fill in the more modern... what would be fun and cool? What would be tasty? What are people feeling right now?" Shinsen's menu is comprised of sushi sets, sake, matcha, starters, specialty dishes, Chirashi Bowls, hots dishes, and rolls. During our visit, we trust Tony to lead our culinary journey. He starts us with the Grilled Shishito Peppers with Sea Salt and Fried Baby Octopus on Skewers. The peppers are tasty and tender, while the octopus is crispy and delicious. Next up, the pièce de résistance: the Ahi Tower —Grandma Sin's recipe, which was served at her restaurant in Alaska thirty years ago. It. Is. Divine. All the flavors and textures fuse together to create perfect sweet-salty-spicy bites. From the salty goodness of the roe to the creamy avocado and plump pieces of spicy tuna, it's everything you imagine it will be and more. If you order one thing off their menu, make sure it's this! We sip our sake and savor the last few bites. Then, the Hamachi Kama with homemade ponzu is delivered to the table, which is perfectly fried, nice and crispy on the outside, with tender, flaky fish on the inside. I tell Tony that uni is a favorite of mine, and he brings over the Otoro with uni and black caviar. Again, it's a hit with my taste buds. And last but not least is the Hendo Hand Roll made with fresh yellowtail, fried garlic, garlic sauce, and jalapeno peppers. The heat from the peppers and garlic combined with the fresh fish work together nicely. Everything is so delicious. Shinsen offers omakase Tuesday-Saturday only, and requires a reservation. Though Shinsen is fairly new to New York City's food scene, the restaurant is receiving a steady stream of locals, tourists, and even celebrities, including Atlanta Hawks' Jeremy Lin, rapper Q-Tip (who is a friend), actor Vanness Wu, and Night at the Museum's Mizuo Peck. If you could invite one celebrity to Shinsen, who would it be? "The Beastie Boys —I've been outta touch with them, but I used to hang out with them a lot —that's how I met Q-Tip… But they, two of them, moved to California. If they could come in, that would be great, 'cause they're friends," Tony says about Mike D and Adam Horovitz. Expect a fresh culinary experience at Shinsen —from the vibe to the fish and the traditional- meets-today menu. "I think if you don't come for the food, just come to check out the restaurant; I think it's a cool vibe. I used to be a DJ too in college. I had a radio show. I deejayed at clubs in New York. I'm all about vibe —it's fun, young, downtown." ML Shinsen is located at 44 Bowery, New York, NY 10013. For more information, visit www.boweryshinsen.com or call 347-688-5404. Follow Shinsen on Instagram: @ShinsenBowery Photo Credit: Tony Bo Chan