Omakase faveorite anywhere in NYC ???

Price no matter, thanks.

New and bombing the place with posts? Thatā€™s fine we could use more life here.

I donā€™t have a single favorite as my old standby is gone. I was a fan of 15 East. Actually had one of my last pre-lockdown meals there in March 2020. Havenā€™t tried it since it was shut down and reopened in a merged fashion with Toqueville.

Otherwise, price matters a lot. I know a fair amount of people who have been to Masa and they tell me its stupendous. I have never been able to justify the price. Silly me. When I look back at what the price was when he first opened, it doesnā€™t seem so crazy now when I see what so many places charge.

At the low end, I adore Sugarfish and Sushi on Jones. Not inventive but for the price both are great.

When I am not doing bargain omakase I like Cagen, Azabu, Yasuda and Uogashi. Have not yet gone to Nakazawa. Unlike many, I was never a fan of Jiro Dreams of Sushi and so hearing that an apprentice from there opened up a place in NYC was never a draw for me. But everyone I know who has gone says it is very good. I was planning on going to Shuko b/c of the Masa DNA of the chefs but a buddy of mine went and told me it wasnā€™t worth it. For old school under the radar I like Hatsuhana.

I have not had the chance yet to try any of the $400 spots.

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Well, howā€™s that for a welcome ??

Yes, Iā€™ve heard 15 East closed down.

Did you go to the OG Jiro in Tokyo ?? Or ??

Sushi on Jones is decent for the price, and if I remember correctly it was about $42 for a smallish, prixe-fixe meal of sorts.

One problem with Masa is the eponymous Masa Takayama is usu not tending bar there any longer. Presumably he stopped after the first couple years ??

And those $400 spots are sure killing it these days.

Did you search? I posted the same over the summer and got great leads. Sorry canā€™t seem to post the link from my phone.

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Sushi Noz.
Ginza Onodera.

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I tried Sushi Nakazawa two weeks ago for the first time. I had been reluctant to go as I may be one of the few people who found the documentary about Jiro tiresome. I went with a small group so we sat at a table instead of at the bar. Sushi came in 7 flights. 20 pieces in total. I quite liked it. At $150 for the omakase in the dining room, I also thought it was a relative bargain. The famed egg sushi elicited nothing more than a shrug from me. A bit too sweet for my taste. Was almost like pound cake in flavor.

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That is quite reasonable. Do they have a proper wine list? Itā€™s difficult to find good wine lists at sushi-ya. I donā€™t like beer and while I do like sake, sometimes I want a lovely bottle of wine with omakase.

The bonus just hit the account, so I may realize the dream of SHION at 69 Leonard. Have you been?

Yes there is a wine list. Available on line if you want to look. The somm was very helpful.

Have not gone to Shion. Iā€™ve thought about it but I have a mental block at the $400 point for an omakase. I donā€™t know why that number bothers me for sushi but have spent close to that amount on a tasting menu. May have something to do with spending that much and being done in a hour or so and wondering what to do with the rest of my night. Spend that much anywhere else and it takes the whole evening. I want a longer event when I spend so much.

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on the uws, we like sushi yasaka and, even with the post-pandemic price increase, seems like a bargain as the fish is very good. They used to have a $50 omakase, the fish was excellent. I think theyā€™ve come in for criticism from some quarters that some of the sushi chefs arenā€™t japanese which just seems stupid to me. not sure if they shut down omakase, sushi bar was closed when we visited two weeks ago.

sushi W, an omakase-only joint recently opened on broadway btw 101 and 102, $48, generous portions, one hour dining, need reservations, rave reviews from people that I donā€™t think know an awful lot about sushi. anyhow, a lot of food to eat in an hour, sushi was not memorable but for $48, great value.

we have gone to some expensive sushi restaurants here and in tokyo, the two recommendations above are not contemplative, fine dining experiencesā€¦

Similar thread with some recs that still hold:

I am also a fan of Cagen.

There is a place in Yorktown I went to at the end of 2021 which I was also impressed with. It isnā€™t fancy, but it is BYO and the sushi is fantastic. It is Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar.

I havenā€™t been to Tanoshi in a few years ā€” iirc the chef passed away prior to COVID, but friends in the neighborhood have stayed loyal.

All right been avoiding this thread but I like Sushi West 35 and I have done my share of $400+ japanese omakase. Yes it comes in plastic tray. Yes itā€™s takeout unless you want to eat in a concrete hallway. Yes you get it through a literal hole/window in a wall. Yes itā€™s amazing and the best deal in sushi in the entire city.

Iā€™ve gotten it so much Iā€™ve spent well over $400 there anyway but Iā€™ve gotten many meals and have been absolutely stuffed every time. Iā€™ve eaten this whole omakase by myself once and Iā€™m not ashamed lol.

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That looks fantastic. How much was the platter?

Ah forgot that detail. $110 before tax/tip if you just call in. I think itā€™s $120 or $130 online through those parasite delivery apps. 35 pieces! A typical ā€œinexpensiveā€ omakase in the city is around $85 - $115 for 12 to 18 pieces. So itā€™s around 1/2 to 1/3 the price and I assure you the quality is very good, and while I havenā€™t eaten it on the spot, doesnā€™t really suffer from travel. In fact the temperature becomes pretty ideal, and likely the biggest thing is oxidation but seems fine. (Although I will admit I can taste a difference between cut per piece and pre-cut, which is why I tend to go for sushi on weekdays, some places pre-cut on weekends.)

As a whole, the trade-offs are a smart, good, and valuable compromise. The excitement of finding a ā€œhiddenā€ place makes this the speakeasy of sushi right now even though itā€™s an open secret, making up for some of the loss of kubuki theater with your counter chef.

I have eaten the whole platter by myself and was soundly full, although maybe adding one roll would have finished me off for sure. I would have to eat 2 or 3 ā€œomakasesā€ anyway to get full at these entry level high end places, Iā€™d be spending $400 easy and everyone would be looking at me like Iā€™m a glutton. (Iā€™m not, I just have to eat a lot, Iā€™m still my high school weight.) The thing is in Japan, the joy of sushi is that you eat until you are full. So I rather enjoy this. A lot. As you can see. Omakase is nice, but being full is good haha. *For normal eating, this really is for two, they provide two chopsticks. And for most, two people would be pretty satisfied with 17 pieces, and you can thumb wrestle for the last 5th piece of salmon, the only odd numbered piece.

I highly recommend it and also to try it very soon before something changes. I canā€™t tell you how excited I was when I picked up my first one in December and jumped in an Lyft. Felt like I struck gold and it still feels like it everytime!

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Agree about Yasaka for regular sushi on UWS (my ā€˜hood), but for best omakase Iā€™ve had in the area, my moneyā€™s on Takeda, Amsteradam between 87 &. 88. Iā€™d travel for it, if I didnā€™t live within walking distance. Expensive, more like $200 expensive than $400.

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Went to Cagen on Saturday. It was excellent as always.

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