Nisen One Ten in Melville: First bites
Kobe beef sliders are an appetizer at Nisen One Ten in Melville, April 2014. Credit: Newsday / Erica Marcus
The eagerly awaited Nisen One Ten has opened.
But ignited or detonated might be more accurate.
To judge by the first month, this has to be the most in-demand lunch spot in the full field that is Route 110. The joint almost pulsates midday with an overflow of customers. The decibel level rises to match.
It's the latest member of the Nisen group, which includes Nisen Sushi in Commack and Nisen 347 in St. James. And, given the flash and the style, you could consider it the direct offspring of the glitzy, departed Nisen Woodbury.
Nisen One Ten is Japanese in theory and eclectic in practice. Actually, one of the better appetizers is a trio of Kobe beef sliders, with spicy aioli, yuzu ketchup and mustard cream aioli. The lobster taco, with black olive and jalapenos, also evokes something other than a sushi bar special.
But, early on, the results are as mixed as the cuisine. Black-pepper tuna tataki is overwhelmed by the seasoning. Vegetable tempura: routine. And the "2014 volcano roll" erupts ridiculously with coconut shrimp and a coverlet of "molten kani crab" that has the impact of room-temperature lava.
For now, you're better off with straightforward sashimi and nigirizushi, presented with flair but not undone by it.
Then again, the over-the-top dishes and ambience define the experience. And if that's what you're looking for, join the crowd.
Nisen One Ten, 1197 Walt Whitman Rd., Melville; 631-421-8000.
