Soto, opened last year in the West Village by third-generation sushi chef Sotohiro Kosugi, is breathtaking in its elegance of presentation, purity of ingredients and obsessive Japanese attention to detail. My Japanese-American husband makes fun of me for being more difficult to please when it comes to Japanese cuisine than even native Japanese. At Soto, I could find nothing to nitpick, as I gloried in the omakase (chef’s choice) feast unfolding before me at the blonde-wood sushi counter, starting with a carafe of artisanal sake. Uni lovers will rejoice at the intriguing variations offered at Soto, such as the miniature smoked uni/ankimo terrine dusted with uni powder that would give Hudson Valley foie gras a run for its money; the visually tantalizing uni “cocktail,” a generous mound of that glorious seafood butter formed inside layers of squid sashimi surrounded by thin shreds of nori to mimic the black, spindly appearance of an actual sea urchin; and the deeply satisfying teacup-size bowl of scalding hot uni-lobster miso soup. With fresh fish flown in from around the world five times a week, it goes without saying that the sushi is also impeccable.
   

If you happen to travel to the Big Apple, do not miss Soto – especially because there is no sign outside, only soft light filtering through the vertical wooden slats by the glass window, shielding the calm, quiet interior of the restaurant from the bustling street outside. Final note: This is for advanced sushi eaters only. Please do not ask for a California roll.         
  

Soto: 357 6th Ave. (at Washington Pl.), New York,212-414-3088; dinner only, Monday through Saturday