The Resy Guide to Omakase in New York

Hidden below a staircase at the very bottom of the One Vanderbilt skyscraper, Jōji reunites Masa vets George Ruan, Wayne Cheng, and Xiao Lin, all of whom worked at New York’s preeminent sushi counter and became close friends. But don’t expect your quiet temple to sushi here, the stunning space — designed by renowned Japanese architect Shinichiro Ogata — stands in dark contrast to what New Yorkers have come to expect of omakase counters, with a playlist that spans from Biggie to French rap.

As for the omakase itself, the three chef-partners always look to Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market to inform Jōji’s procession of nigiri, which use a base of vinegared Nanatsuboshi and Koshihikari rice. And though rooted in traditional Japanese technique, the omakase — especially the appetizers — tend to look to other flavor profiles and ingredients.

Cost: $275 for lunch (three appetizers and a 13-piece sushi omakase); $375 for dinner (five appetizers and a 15-piece sushi omakase).

Click here for everything you need to know about Jōji before you dine there.

Chef Nobuyaki Shikanai shines at this Michelin-starred spot where the service is personal, cozy, warm, and gracious. And while you can — and should — stop by Kanoyama on the regular for its fantastic a la carte menu featuring izakaya-style bites (like deep-fried baby octopus) and a wide variety of sushi bar offerings, you should really head here for Shikanai’s oustanding reservation-only omakase meals, which are served in two seatings Wednesday through Saturday. Pro tip: Do not sleep on the extensive sake list. 

Cost: $195 per person. 

Two Sushi Zo veterans lead the charge at this 16-seat sushi counter in Tribeca where you might feast on bluefin tuna sashimi topped with garlic tataki, or ikura combined with Hokkaido bafun uni. It’s all from the creative minds of chefs Masa Ito and Kevin Kim, who don’t hold anything back when it comes to their progression of nigiri and small plates. 

Cost: $295 per person. 

From the same hospitality group behind sushi favorites like Ume in Williamsburg, Shinn East in the East Village, and Sanyuu West in Chelsea, Thirteen Water is the latest in a number of relatively affordable sushi omakase restaurants to open in New York. And better yet? It’s one of the best.  

Cost: $75 per person for a 13-course sushi omakase. 

For two decades, sibling restaurants Tocqueville and 15East coexisted on the same stretch of 15th Street as two separate restaurants and today, they’ve come together in one sleek space on the same street. Luckily for us, 15East remains a haven for sushi aficionados who love Edomae-style sushi, thanks to chef Sakai Katsushi and chef-owner Marco Moreira (who also spent seven years working in sushi restaurants previously, too). “We are always collaborating and always looking, first and foremost, for ingredients that speak for themselves,” says Moreira. “That’s the best lesson that I learned from being a sushi chef: to always respect the ingredients.”  

The restaurant has a variety of different omakase menus from which to choose, depending on where you are seated: There’s a six-seat sushi counter, with 10 nearby tables, as well as a small mezzanine where you can order sushi omakase, and if you sit in the main dining room, there are two- and three-course omakase formats, too.   

Cost: Omakase menus at the sushi bar range from $75 to $225 per person. In the main dining room, you can add a sashimi omakase to your $125 prix-fixe a la carte menu for an additional $35. 

French techniques combine beautifully and seamlessly with Japanese ingredients and culinary traditions at this very special chef’s counter in Greenpoint. House Brooklyn occupies the back of 50 Norman, a new multi-use retail/dining space, and it’s designed to feel like a hideaway — and a home — simultaneously: a wooden door slides open to reveal a long chef’s counter that looks onto an open kitchen. 

Here, chef Yuji Tani composes a seven-course omakase (soon-to-be nine courses beginning in February) that’s highly seasonal, contemporary, and downright whimsical at times. The dishes change all the time but Tani is especially known for his rich foie gras-laced rice pilaf and his sculptural burrata dish, often made with fresh berries. 

Cost: $180 per person for nine courses. 

Click here for everything you need to know about House Brooklyn before you dine there.

The original location of Kissaki, which inspired the others that followed, remains a standard bearer for high-quality sushi omakase that’s relatively affordable, and balances traditional Japanese traditions with uniquely New York-style flourishes, like bluefin tuna with caviar, yuzu zest, and plum sauce, or broiled kinmedai with a honey-infused radish crisp.  

Bonus: Kissaki’s sibling restaurant, Saishin, serves up sushi omakase with a view from the top of the Gansevoort Hotel. Choose from a 12-course omakase ($135) or 15-course omakase ($175), topped off with a complimentary glass of sake for every diner.

Cost: A $65 lunch omakase (six nigiri pieces, one hand roll, and miso soup) is offered on weekends from noon to 3 p.m.; $150 for a 15-course dinner sushi omakase at the counter or a table; and $80 for a 10-course dinner sushi omakase.  

When you want exceptionally good sushi omakase without the astronomical cost, Sushi Lin is a steadfast stalwart where the focus always remains on the freshest fish and you can enjoy classic sushi in its simplest, delicious form. At the original Brooklyn location, omakase options range from a mini version to a full one (three appetizers, one sashimi plate, nine pieces of sushi, one handroll, and a dessert). At their newer location in Soho, omakase is your only option, with either a 12-course or 17-course omakase available. 

Cost: Omakase options range from $35 for a mini omakase to $120 for a full omakase at Sushi Lin in Brooklyn; $85 for a 12-course omakase and $125 for a 17-course omakase at Sushi Lin Soho. 

The pandemic convinced Nublu, a New York institution of a jazz club, to hire chef and DJ Kamui Sumida to serve handrolls and omakase out of their upstairs space, which is now known as Studio 15/Ichi Go Ichi. And it’s been a hit ever since. Whereas most sushi counters tend to be very quiet, Studio 151 is most definitely not — and the atmosphere and music are a huge part of the draw.  

Cost: $80 per person for omakase. 

Michelin-starred Sushi Ginza Onodera, with its locations in New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Honolulu, and Shanghai, has long been an incubator of sorts for many of the sushi chefs here in New York (case in point: see Sushi Mumi). In New York, chef Takuya Kubo leads the counter where he prepares sushi with traditional Edomae-style techniques, like aging red snapper in kombu for anywhere from four to five days. Kubo also uses Yukitsubaki rice, a premium koshihikari rice from Niigata, as well as two different types of red vinegar (akazu), one dark and one light. Because the group’s executive chef Akifumi Sakagai hails from Hokkaido, you’ll often find plenty of ingredients from the region on the menu, including hairy crab, scallops, and sea urchin. They also work closely with Yamayuki, a renowned tuna wholesaler from Japan, who sources tuna for the restaurant year-round. 

Cost: $130 to $250 per person for a lunch omakase offered on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; $450 per person for dinner omakase, gratuity included. 

Bonus: Beginning March 7 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursday nights, Sushi Ginza Onodera is offering a limited spring “haru” omakase menu with six appetizer courses and nine pieces of nigiri, followed by tamago, miso soup, and dessert. The menu will change often, but may feature dishes like kasugo (young sea bream), sakura masu (cherry trout), and Mizudako octopus with a beets-tosazu gelée. The spring omakase menu costs $350 per person, including gratuity, but not including beverages or tax.

Call (212) 390-0925 to make a reservation.  

At this intimate spot in the East Village that used to be home to Kura, chef and owner Marco Lin, a New York native, combines traditional Japanese kaiseki elements and Edo-style sushi practices into a unique omakase experience. Lin, who worked in kaiseki cuisine for three years at Seattle’s Nishino and has 15 years of experience working with Edo-style sushi, including time spent at Sushi Ginza Onodera in New York, says it’s the rice and dry-aging fish techniques that set Sushi Mumi apart. “We use 40% koshikari rice and 60% is a secret,” he says. “Mumi means ‘tasteless’ in both Chinese and Japanese, and in zen Buddhism, no taste is the best taste — it’s another level of flavor of taste.” Reservations are highly recommended. There are only six seats at the counter, and just two seatings nightly. 

Cost: $250 per person for 18 to 19 courses. 

Chef Toshio Oguma’s generous spirit, warm hospitality, and exceptional sushi skills live on at this Upper East Side staple for omakase sushi that’s charmed New Yorkers with its “loosey-sushi” style whereby each ingredient melts in your mouth, combining a mix of flavors and textures that you won’t soon forget. At Tanoshi, you’re encouraged to savor every piece of sushi by using your hands, not chopsticks, and avoiding dipping your nigiri into any soy sauce. The affordable price points, coupled with the fact that Tanoshi is also BYOB, have made it a favorite among New Yorkers for the last decade. Pro tip: Because this is New York, and split dining rooms are not uncommon here, it’s important to note which day and which meal you choose to have at Tanoshi.  

Cost: $60 to $65 per person for a lunch omakase, offered Mondays through Saturdays; $120 to $125 per person for a dinner omakase, offered every day of the week. 

Read this for more information on making a reservation. 

Chef Shion Uino, formerly of Sushi Amane, might be relatively young in age compared to other sushi chefs here in New York, but he’s definitely more of a traditionalist in his approach to sushi — something you can clearly see and taste. At Shion 69 Leonard Street Uino uses time-honored techniques, applying them to fresh seafood sourced directly from Japan. Some specialties you might find at Shion 69 Leonard Street include fresh murasaki uni from Amakusa, Uino’s hometown in Japan, or silver-skinned kohada (gizzard shad). And, of course, one of chef Uino’s signature dishes: crab served in its own shell. 

“I am always thinking about how I can capture the individuality and characteristics of the ingredients, and how I can make the customers understand and enjoy the ingredients the most,” he says. 

The sushi counter at Shion 69 Leonard Street only seats eight diners per seating, of which there are only two per night (6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.), so reservations are highly encouraged.  

Cost: $480, including gratuity, per person. 

Read more about chef Uino’s thoughts on sushi omakase here in New York here. 

Ushiwakamaru has been a beloved sushi institution among New Yorkers for decades and the reasons are simple: it’s the sushi — and chef Hideo Kuribara, a fixture of New York’s sushi landscape for nearly five decades.  

Kuribara trained at Kintaro Sushi in Asakusa, Japan, before making his way to the U.S. in 1989. He opened his first restaurant in Cliffside Park, N.J., in 1992, before opening Ushiwakamaru in 2003 in Manhattan.   

At Ushiwakamaru, Kuribara takes particular care to source Yujihotaka koshikari rice from Gunma, Japan, his hometown, and he seasons the rice with two types of vinegar, molding it just so that it melts in your mouth when you eat it.   

Cost: $250 per person for a 16-piece sushi omakase with two small plates; $350 per person for an 18–piece sushi omakase with three small plates; and $500 per person for a 20-piece sushi omakase with four small plates. At least one-week advance reservation is required. 

Within a hidden corridor in Chinatown, Nakaji is a secret spot to savor a marvelous sushi omakase. Here, third-generation sushi chef Kunihide “Nakaji” Nakajima painstakingly selects each fish and ships it directly from Japan, thanks to the extensive network of purveyors his family has built over the generations — even though he’s lived and worked in New York for the last 24 years. “My name in Japanese characters means ‘Japan and abroad.’ It is my mission to connect different cultures through sushi,” he explains.

Nakajima’s kobashira (baby scallops, or surf clams) are sweet and pleasantly bouncy, often sourced from Tomakomai on Hokkaido Island. All of his fish is wild-caught, with one exception: the sea urchin from Hamanaka, also in Hokkaido. Fed with only cabbage instead of seaweed, this uni has a delicate sweetness that is utterly unique and distinctive.

Cost: $295 per person.

Growing up in Hokkaido with a grandfather who owned a seafood company, chef Nozomu “Noz” Abe learned what exceptional sushi should taste like at a very young age. After working at authentic sushi restaurants in Hokkaido and Tokyo, he moved to New York in 2007 and eventually became the executive chef at the venerable Sushi Den. His classic Edomae sushi demonstrates his more than 20 years of experience at the sushi counter. In 2018, he opened one Michelin-starred Sushi Noz with David and Joshua Foulquier.

Together, they’ve created a space inspired by Kyoto’s Sukiya-style of architecture and one that pays close attention to the whole sushi-making process. Behind the Hinoki counter, there is a rare, antique hinoki ice-chest refrigerator, which maintains the moisture of fish inside better than more modern air-blown cooling systems. Seasonal nigiri takes center stage inside the Ash Room.

Bonus: Last December, the Sushi Noz team opened Noz 17 in Chelsea where they have a $400 omakase featuring alternating courses of otsumami (small bites) and nigiri throughout the meal — making for a more casual and spontaneous omakase experience in comparison to what you’ll find at their flagship location on the Upper East Side. At Noz 17, chef Junichi Matsuzaki, who trained under chef Abe, runs the counter. Reservations are highly encouraged; there are only seven seats at the counter here. 

Cost: $495 per person (Hinoki Counter and Ash Room).

Call 917-338-1792 to make a reservation.

Since he began his sushi apprenticeship in Nagoya, Japan, at the age of 15, Yoshihiko Kosaka has been on an endless pursuit to make the perfect sushi rice for more than 40 years now. “Every sushi restaurant serves seasonal fresh ingredients. What makes a difference is the rice underneath them.” He blends rice from Hokkaido and Hyogo, Japan, and mixes it with akazu, or red vinegar, to give it rounded acidity, adjusting the water content each day to produce a texture that’s both silky and sticky enough to hold together. The result is airy rice that pleasantly collapses in your mouth with each bite.

Kosaka’s style is classic but he’ll also adds imaginative elements to his omakase, reflecting his 11-year experience at the legendary Jewel Bako. He tops scallops with a yuzu-flavored foam made with dashi and seaweed salt, and he flavors Ora King salmon with housemade smoked soy sauce to deepen the taste.

Cost: $225 (table) or $250 (bar counter) per person.

Call 212-727-1709 to make a reservation.

For years, chef Atsushi “ATS” Kono worked at acclaimed, Michelin-starred yakitori specialist, Yakitori Torishin as its executive chef and general manager, and now, he finally has a namesake restaurant all his own. In the same Canal Arcade where Nakaji is located, you’ll now find Kono, a kappo-style yakitoriya that showcases a multitude of different cooking techniques with seasonal ingredients and, of course, chicken (he sources three different types of chickens specifically for the 16-course omakase here). 

Some standout dishes you won’t want to miss here include a chicken pate monaka with black truffle miso and rice cracker, as well as a chochin skewer, which features an unfertilized egg yolk that’s grilled in its own membrane. 

Cost: $175 per person. 

Find out everything you need to know before you go to Kono here. 

Chef Toshio Tomita has a beloved following, having cooked for New Yorkers for the last 37 years, including spending nearly 20 years at Nobu. Eight years ago, he opened Cagen with an aim to introduce rare and delicious fish from Japan to this city, and to spotlight the hard work and expertise of Japanese fishermen and distributors. He even keeps photos of these rare fish to show his guests. “I am grumpy. Pictures will do a better job in telling the preciousness of my fish,” he laughs. Regulars often ask him for something new, and Tomita obliges. He loves applying creative elements to his sushi here, just as he did at Nobu, like using chimichurri and jalapeño thoughtfully to enhance each fish’s unique potential.

There are two omakase options to be found at this East Village gem. The Nadeshiko omakase offers 12 pieces of sushi and one hand roll. The Tomita omakase include 17 pieces of sushi and 1 hand roll, and it takes place at the chef’s counter in an exclusive back room. The Tomita omakase experience is bookable by referral only.

Cost: $150 per person for the Nadeshiko omakase.

Omakase is not limited to sushi. At this new intimate spot where elegant, curved beams of wood wrap around the room, it’s all about kaiseki — a traditional Japanese multi-course dinner. Eating here, you’ll feel like you’re miles away from the hustle and bustle of Midtown.

“My motto is ‘ichigo ichie,’” says chef Isao Yamada, quoting a refrain from traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. It means “just once, never again” — in other words, this precious moment is unrepeatable. He tries to make every moment of your dinner at the chef’s counter as joyful and memorable as he can.

After training at three-Michelin-starred Kiccho in Kyoto, Japan, Yamada spent the last 15 years in New York, mostly working with legendary chef David Bouley at Brushstroke, where he was most recently the executive chef. Yamada’s dishes are classically prepared, but he finds ways to present them in an approachable way, like his appetizer of caviar and tuna otoro packed in a tiny choux pastry made with Japanese sweet rice powder and nori.

Cost: $300 per person on Friday and Saturday; $225 per person on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Manhattan is where you’ll find most of New York’s acclaimed omakase restaurants, but Koyo is one delicious exception, located in Astoria, Queens. Chef-owner Jay Zheng applies a thoughtful approach to kaiseki here, sometimes even introducing a few subtle influences from his own Chinese American heritage, too.  

The kaiseki-inspired omakase at Koyo always changes seasonally, and it also includes a sushi course. For spring, Zheng is featuring Hokkaido scallops and soft-shell crabs, and there’s also a variety of uni supplements, including his signature uni toro toast with uni, toro, caviar, milk bread, and soy. 

Cost: $168 per person. 

Considered one of the O.G. sushi specialists in New York since it opened in 1999, Sushi Yasuda still stands out for its reliably good, classical sushi omakase. Here, the omakase is tailored to each diner, and the fish is sourced from all over the world. Today, chef Tetsuaki “Tomo” Otomo is at the helm of the sushi counter, having trained under co-founder Naomichi Yasuda and his successor, Mitsuru Tamura, since 2009. 

Cost: Ranges from $150 to $250 or more per person for a meal at the omakase bar. 

At this highly venerated sushi temple, sushi master Tadashi Yoshida makes magic of sushi omakase. Unafraid to put his own artistic embellishments to classic flavors and combinations, he’ll sear mackerel sushi with live charcoal right before your eyes. Or serve you a perfectly made tamago with burned sugar on top that makes it taste like crème brulée.  Or perhaps he’ll offer you some shirako (cod milt) over ponzu sauce. Whatever he delivers as part of his omakase, it’s bound to be a memorable experience, and one well worth savoring. 

Cost: $500 per person for a 20-course omakase. 

Call (917) 444-1988 to make a reservation. 

Chef Daisuke Nakazawa, a protege of celebrated sushi master Jiro Ono (yes, that Jiro from Jiro Dreams of Sushi), opened this one-Michelin star sushi bar in 2013. After training under Ono for 11 years, he’s since established his own take on “New York sushi” with the best ingredients from the U.S. and Japan.

Nakazawa, like Kosaka, is obsessed with rice. He imports his rice directly from a Japanese farmer and he polishes the rice in-house daily to maximize its flavor. That same rice is used to make the housemade sake, too.

While many sushi omakase experiences cost a fortune these days, Nakazawa has always tried to keep his prices approachable. A full sushi counter experience here has increased by only $30 since he opened the restaurant nine years ago.

Cost: $180 per person at the counter, and $150 per person in the dining room.

Trained traditionally in Japan, chef Keizo Seki came to the U.S. 30 years ago and opened Sushi Zo in L.A. in 2006. Now, his omakase-only restaurant has multiple locations throughout the U.S., Japan, Hong Kong, and Thailand.

He attributes his success to a philosophy of “ittai-kan,” or harmony, of everything involved in making perfect sushi. “Sushi is a very simple food. So, you need the perfect harmony between the seafood and the rice,” says Seki. “But sushi is also made by fishermen, suppliers, and all the other people that we don’t see at the sushi counter. My job is to create harmony in our guests’ mouths. It is not just a harmony of taste and flavor — it is also the reflection of the efforts of these hard-working people.”

Cost: $280 per person.

There used to be a belief that only Japanese chefs could make great sushi. Nick Kim and Jimmy Lau, who have Korean and Chinese backgrounds respectively, have proven that notion entirely wrong. Both chefs studied sushi under Masa Takayama of the three-Michelin-starred Masa, and since 2014, they’ve been wowing New Yorkers with their sushi omakase at Shuko, which feels more like a lively wine bar than a sushi bar.

Kim and Lau gently push the envelope of what defines traditional sushi, without losing its foundations. Their omakase starts with several appetizers, including toro tartare and caviar on milk bread — an unusual, but surprising dish for a sushi restaurant. They’ll also amplify the sweetness of scallops with crunchy grains of sea salt and refreshing lemon peels.

Cost: $270 per person.

Hasaki is consistently reliable; if you’re looking for high-quality Edomae-style sushi at a reasonable price, this is the place to be. Chef Hirokazu Kogure has worked at Hasaki since 2007, and the menu here features different omakase options for sushi, sashimi, and for both sushi and sashimi. Here, omakase applies to the choice of ingredients made by the chef; it doesn’t denote a full multi-course meal.

Don’t sleep on the delightful chirashi omakase, a bowl of sushi rice beautifully decorated with various sashimi, egg, and vegetables. You can also add classic Japanese izakaya-style appetizers like seaweed salad, edamame, and beef tataki for a full experience.

Cost: Ranges from $70 to $90 for different omakase options. There’s also a specific sushi bar omakase experience that’s bookable for $85.

If you’re the type of omakase afficionado seeking a fast-paced meal with good-quality fish and few frills, consider this Upper West Side counter where you’ll be seated, served, and on your way within an hour. We highly suggest you spring for the premium omakase for a chance to try the akami zuke (marinated bluefin tuna) and the chutoro with sea salt (bluefin medium fatty tuna). 

Cost: $53 for person for a basic omakase (12 nigiri and two handrolls); $68 per person for a premium omakase (15 nigiri and two handrolls); and a $38 per person for a lunch-only omakase (10 nigiri and two handrolls).  

The newest location of Momoya differs from its other outposts in the city where the menus feature a range of handrolls, tempura, and other izakaya-style dishes. While you can still get some signature Momoya favorites at the Soho location, the real focus here is on omakase in a classic Edomae style, presented by chef Subhash Gurung, the former executive chef at The Lobster Place.  

Both of Momoya’s omakase meals in Soho, only offered at the long bar, progress from seasonal appetizers to nigiri sushi and a handroll, and end with a seasonal dessert crafted by pastry chef Norie Uematsu, formerly of Cha-An Teahouse in the East Village. 

Cost: $150 per person for the omakase menu and $210 per person for the more extensive omakase kiwami menu.