The Tamesis
New York City has excellent sushi restaurants, with several nearby sushi restaurants, specialty hand roll shops, and numerous chef counters. But in a crowded market, the most exciting players are focused on high-end products. While the à la carte menu is extensive, diners seeking a more traditional Japanese experience compete for a seat at some of the city’s best chef-owned restaurants.
Omakase allows chefs to curate menus that focus on seafood, rice and techniques. Diners can enjoy fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market, sea urchin from Santa Barbara and scallops straight from the frigid waters of Hokkaido. Typically, dinner will begin with raw nigiri, sashimi, maybe a hand roll or a thick roll (a “fat roll”), maybe marinated raw fish, or even feather-light tempura—and that’s part of what’s so special: You’ll never have the same meal twice.
Over the past decade, New York City’s omakase scene has exploded. The sky-high price Yūgin, two-Michelin-starred Sushi Noz and three-Michelin-starred Sushi Sho have become some of the most popular restaurants in New York. Omakase, especially in New York City, is now more than just dinner; It’s a refined, precise experience, and in many cases overpriced with sake pairings, driving up the price and elevating the night at all costs. Some places are centered around pomp and show, while others are quieter, more sparsely decorated and lean toward tradition. With so many top-notch options, even sushi lovers can use a cheat sheet.
Consider this your road map to must-try omakase counters around New York City.
181 E 78th St, New York, NY 10075
Photo: Courtesy of Sushi Noz
Over the past eight years, Sushi Noz has become one of the city’s most enduring and exceptional omakase destinations—a place without frivolity or gimmicks. Hokkaido-born chef Nozomu Abe runs his two-Michelin-starred Upper East Side restaurant with great skill and precision. The streamlined, almost sacred, temple-like space, supported by a 200-year-old hinoki counter, is devoid of any decoration, reflecting the subtle seduction and restraint of the meal itself. Ohsumi (hot and cold small plates), followed by 12 to 15 pieces of nigiri, miso soup, Chef Noz’s signature tamago (Japanese omelette) and seasonal fruit for dessert.
767 Fifth Avenue 37th Floor, New York, NY 10153
Photo: Adam Slama
