Review of Nisen's two eateries

A tale of two Nisens

The Nisen restaurants, where sliders vie with sushi, light the fuse in fusion. Sometimes, they detonate everything, too.

Nisen Woodbury, now closed, was the dazzling showcase for the group and made a vivid impression. Maybe the calendar has caught up with the concept, but what once seemed exciting currently will make you yearn for sashimi.

Nisen 110 took over the site of Barolo and, for many years, Herrmann's Black Sheep. Only the address remains at this striking, sharp-angle, high-decibel, sleekly modern spot. At lunch, it's jammed; the staff, overwhelmed. At dinner, the crowd doesn't arrive at once, so there's a semblance of order and more attentiveness.

So, go straight for the glistening sashimi or traditional sushi, especially the fatty tuna. After that, you can nibble on the flavorful trio of beef sliders, with spicy cream aioli, mustard cream aioli and yuzu ketchup. Or the fried oysters with garlic-butter sauce. Maybe a lobster taco.

Skippables: limp tempura, over-peppered tuna tataki, flat spicy tuna gyoza and any roll or tartare that turns seafood to near-paste approximating baby food. Avoid the "2014 volcano roll," a travesty en route to parody under its lava of "molten kani crab."

Instead, consider the pretty, fanned-out yellowtail-jalapeño appetizer, which provides just enough heat. If you're feeling western, Nisen 110 prepares rack of lamb, roasted chicken and filet mignon. The theme continues with a Ring-Ding-shaped version of Black Forest cake; and a fried Oreo categorized as a funnel cake.

SEE PHOTOSNisen 110

The "funnel Oreo," which could spur a skit on "SNL," appears at Nisen 347, too. The two-level St. James restaurant includes a bar area suitable for a Jetsons' revival and a more sedate upstairs dining room. A spirited special, "fish-n-chips," stars diced tuna and mango with capelin roe, citrus-chile sauce and seaweed-wheat crackers.

But "Cajun filet mignon lettuce cups" are chewy and will make you remember fondly the black-cod version. Meat balls with teriyaki glaze and wasabi aioli improve the concept. No need for anything dubbed quesadilla or pizza. Salmon teriyaki is better. And, as at Nisen 110, ask about toro sashimi.

The "monkey jump" roll may be the spiciest around, overwhelming tuna, yellowtail and tongue. It makes sorbet an excellent dessert.