In my opinion, this is the only destination-worthy sushiya outside of Japan.
Nakazawa-san is a legend and his style is singular, with many original creations.
His NYC shop evolved the legacy of his Yotsuya and Honolulu locations.
The focus of the meal here is mastery of the history of sushi, including various forms of preservation and fermentation. It is not the place to come to if you expect piles of toro, uni or caviar.
Diners should also be aware that at all Sushi Sho locations, service is split between two chefs. So a reservation does not guarantee that you will be seated with the more senior chef. There is no detectable impact on the food or pacing in my opinion.
Similarly, at all Sushi Sho locations the okonomi portion of the meal, including presentation of all the add-on items, is typical. Whether this format suits you is a matter of personal taste.
Chelsey Grafrath
Some friends and I did pick-up of the Bara Chirashi boxes and enjoyed them in Bryant Park. All of the fish was fresh, cut beautifully and seasoned perfectly. Pick up is simple, you bring the doorbell and the greeter welcomes you in, just have to give your confirmation code and name for the order. Would highly recommend the pick-up options for a nice sample of their cuisine for a more informal setting outside of the restaurant.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Guan Li
This is probably some of the best sushi I've ever had. After many years of watching Chef Keiji Nakazawa on the Iron Chef show, seeing him in person and having him prepare sushi for me and my wife is a dream come true, and we are deeply honored. I will definitely come back..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Albert K
Very different experience omakase with traditional Japanese bites. The omakase was unique in that the flavors, fish, and selection was extremely different from your normal Omakase of trying 20 different sashimi.
Lots of bites were ranging from fish, to tofu, to fruit. You had to eat a pear, different soups, and a small ice cream and cold noodles at the end.
Strictly no pictures allowed inside.
It is definitely different and if you prefer the original sushi only type of omakase this place isn’t for you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Rick Poppell
We picked up and enjoyed our Bara Chirashi yesterday afternoon. It was an amazing assortment of top notch goodies! Just like eating a mini omakase, all at once, in a box. Every piece was perfect and super fresh. Quite enjoyable with a nice bottle of Junmai Ginjo at home. We will definitely do this again (and at some point we will actually be able to get a reservation to eat inside)!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Veena Sankar
Perfection and warmth are hard to pull off at once, but sushi sho does just that! Hubby & I returned again for the second time and the experience was just as magical as the first. The decor is pristine and precious. The sake pairing is perfectly paced. The fermented dishes and fish and rice were explained so well and with such pride I didnt want to leave !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Piggly Wiggly
💰$450 prepaid per person, no tipping — love the policy.
Every dish was beautifully crafted. The Santa Barbara uni was incredibly sweet, and the ankimo (monkfish liver) had a mousse-like texture — absolutely divine. Even the mackerel, which I usually dislike, was rich and clean.
Downside: portions were small, had to order a few extras to feel full. Highly recommend adding salmon roe, uni, mackerel, and the Ika Uni Kyu roll.
📸 No photos allowed during the meal (just menus and restroom).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dean Smalligan
The format (shorter omakase, then exuberant a la carte okonomi) is not for me. At their price point, it’s tacky and offensive. Go to Noz (or Masa if you plan to splurge on the Okonomi portion) instead.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Christine S
When I first visited Sushi Sho Hawaii in 2023, I thought there was no other omakase that could top this. I was wrong - Sushi Sho NYC was a truly exceptional experience that was worth the investment.
Come with the expectation that this is Omakase (“I’ll leave it up to you”) AND Okonomi (“what you like”). Okonomi signals a return to the traditional style of sushi before omakase as a cuisine took over the world as a form of entertainment…
If you love geeking out about process and technique, this is the place for you. A variety of dried, pickled, fermented, and aged items were showcased, with several courses that fit into the NYC theme. How can Chef Nakazawa showcase New York in omakase, as he did for Hawaii? Pickled apples to snack on between bites, seasonal items like strawberry jam on squash and pickled peach, and ingredients like homemade mustard and onion jam highlighted Nakazawa’s creativity. I was so impressed by one dish featuring two types of dried roe that nearly resembled a wine and cheese course when paired with the Born sake.
Standouts included the signature ankimo (monkfish liver) with miso and their 3-year pickled watermelon (a staple at the Hawaii location), smoked pickled daikon with fermented rice, and the aged Chubou toro roll. Definitely recommend trying their vegetarian options on the Okonomi menu - the shiitake and apple Kanpyo roll were surprising hits of the night.
Lastly, do NOT skip their sake pairing featuring 8 breweries. It was the most well-thought out sake pairing I’ve ever tried, featuring Sushi Sho’s own sake and a rare 2019 Aramasa sake that were amazing.
I ended up ordering 10+ items during okonomi because I am a glutton. Because tax and tip is already baked into the final bill, I consider Sushi Sho well worth the price.
Thank you Chef Nakazawa and Chef Miyazono for an unforgettable experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bill Huang
Don't skip the wine pairing. Chef Nakazawa's passion for sake shows through. There's a great variety of styles, and the food pairs the sake just as well as the sake pairs the food.
We were a fan of the format, though it helps to go in expecting to throw in another $200+ per person on the Okonomi. The appetizers and sushi courses were interspersed, and the use of various forms of fermentation and aging gave the experience a sense of adventure. I've had various forms of fine dining liver over the years and the monkfish liver here was the first one I'd happily take another order of.
The service was impeccable and hospitable. We had to reschedule our reservation and then arrived late due to rain, but the staff were respectful at every step. The waitress explained all the courses and Chef Nakazawa even answered some of our questions directly (and with sincerity).
And if the price tag feels hard to stomach, just remember that tip is included, so all the prices are actually 20% lower.
Very disappointing and offensive experience; we paid 3000usd for 4 for an apprentice sushi chef, as Chef Keiji Nakazawa only took care of a Japanese couple and did not say a word and did not prepare one sushi to the other guests. Shameful and show no respect. We recommend the other sushi places in New York like Ichimura, Noz, Amane but avoid the rudeness and robbery of chef Nakazawa
Monica P
The ambiance is beautiful. The service is great, except my partner and I can’t help but feel they constantly haggle and ask non stop if you’re full and had enough to eat before and after the okonomi experience. My husband can’t help but feel as if it’s part of their sales tactic. The sushi was good, but when you enter New York City territory where we have such immaculate omakase it’s hard to justify the value of this place. It didnt had wow factor the way Yoshino, Noz and even Nakazawa had on us. For the price their, you don’t get mantis shrimp or any sort of shrimp, you don’t get chutoro or even otoro with the $450omakase. But instead they include it in their “second part” of the dinner course as your ala carte even though you’re already paying very high top dollar for the omakase. Otoro was $50 for one piece, uni $60 for one piece. So do what you will with that info. For $450 price tag we paid already I feel like it should already be included. We didn’t leave full, and even the icecream of the dessert portion were tiny bite size. I can totally see why they don’t allow photos here. Overall i wouldn’t return nor recommend it- my husband & I felt like it was a rip off. At this price point you’re better off going to Masa.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
kevin wong
NYC has many high end sushi omakase places which makes it fairly competitive. I’ve been to a few and although most of them are in a similar price range, this one felt the least value for your money.
The place looks amazing and the staff/service is top tier. Hence the 2 stars.
Value is where it gets tricky. It’s quite expensive, and the amount of food you get a bit on the lighter side. All the serving sizes were small. Quality and taste wise everything was pretty good, but nothing stood out. The monkfish liver was probably my favorite thing.
At one point maybe at the halfway point or more towards the end, my chef had asked me if I still had room or if I was full yet, I thought there might’ve been many more courses coming. In fact, the a la carte portion was approaching.
It’s a no tip establishment, so maybe it justifies the higher menu posted prices. A few I remember off the top of my head was $60 for uni, $50 for o-toro and $40 for chi-toro per piece. To me it seemed quite expensive, but that was only half the issue. During the “presentation”, it almost felt like an infomercial or as someone else said “used car salesman” vibes. They kept pushing a few “signature” PCs, but they weren’t included in the set menu. There was also no toro or Chu-toro included in their omakase set which is pretty standard at such a high price tag in my opinion.
Everyone kept asking if we were full, it almost felt like they were shaming us for not ordering more. I told my wife that the only way it could’ve felt sleazier was if they had a menu with no prices… which someone had commented was the situation a couple months ago.
My opinion is I would probably not come here again. Maybe it’s only the NYC location and their Hawaii and Japan location doesn’t operate this way. There are definitely better omakase options at a similar price tag.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Qiulei Bao
The atmosphere and service are very good, there is no doubt about that, but ultimately people come to restaurant for food. The dishes are creative in a way for sure but personally I feel you don’t get enough of the premium ingredient you would expect. We’ve been to our fair share of high end omakase experiences in NYC and around the world, but cannot imagine a $450 omakase menu doesn’t even include o-toro and it only lasts an hour. The amount of food you get from the omakase is so tiny that I feel I’m not even half full. The length of the add on list is much longer than the omakase itself, with an average of $30 a piece. The entire experience feels like I’m paying the omakase just for an appetizer, if you want to get a decent amount of food, be prepared to spend at least another 200. I had a full lunch and low expectation and yet still they’ve managed to disappoint me. If you don’t care about money at all, feel free to go, should be a good experience. Otherwise would recommend you to think twice. You would be much better off at the like of Sushi Ichimura and other high end sushi places.
In my opinion, this is the only destination-worthy sushiya outside of Japan.
Nakazawa-san is a legend and his style is singular, with many original creations.
His NYC shop evolved the legacy of his Yotsuya and Honolulu locations.
The focus of the meal here is mastery of the history of sushi, including various forms of preservation and fermentation. It is not the place to come to if you expect piles of toro, uni or caviar.
Diners should also be aware that at all Sushi Sho locations, service is split between two chefs. So a reservation does not guarantee that you will be seated with the more senior chef. There is no detectable impact on the food or pacing in my opinion.
Similarly, at all Sushi Sho locations the okonomi portion of the meal, including presentation of all the add-on items, is typical. Whether this format suits you is a matter of personal taste.
Some friends and I did pick-up of the Bara Chirashi boxes and enjoyed them in Bryant Park. All of the fish was fresh, cut beautifully and seasoned perfectly. Pick up is simple, you bring the doorbell and the greeter welcomes you in, just have to give your confirmation code and name for the order. Would highly recommend the pick-up options for a nice sample of their cuisine for a more informal setting outside of the restaurant.
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is probably some of the best sushi I've ever had. After many years of watching Chef Keiji Nakazawa on the Iron Chef show, seeing him in person and having him prepare sushi for me and my wife is a dream come true, and we are deeply honored. I will definitely come back..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very different experience omakase with traditional Japanese bites. The omakase was unique in that the flavors, fish, and selection was extremely different from your normal Omakase of trying 20 different sashimi.
Lots of bites were ranging from fish, to tofu, to fruit. You had to eat a pear, different soups, and a small ice cream and cold noodles at the end.
Strictly no pictures allowed inside.
It is definitely different and if you prefer the original sushi only type of omakase this place isn’t for you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
We picked up and enjoyed our Bara Chirashi yesterday afternoon. It was an amazing assortment of top notch goodies! Just like eating a mini omakase, all at once, in a box. Every piece was perfect and super fresh. Quite enjoyable with a nice bottle of Junmai Ginjo at home. We will definitely do this again (and at some point we will actually be able to get a reservation to eat inside)!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Perfection and warmth are hard to pull off at once, but sushi sho does just that! Hubby & I returned again for the second time and the experience was just as magical as the first. The decor is pristine and precious. The sake pairing is perfectly paced. The fermented dishes and fish and rice were explained so well and with such pride I didnt want to leave !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
💰$450 prepaid per person, no tipping — love the policy.
Every dish was beautifully crafted. The Santa Barbara uni was incredibly sweet, and the ankimo (monkfish liver) had a mousse-like texture — absolutely divine. Even the mackerel, which I usually dislike, was rich and clean.
Downside: portions were small, had to order a few extras to feel full.
Highly recommend adding salmon roe, uni, mackerel, and the Ika Uni Kyu roll.
📸 No photos allowed during the meal (just menus and restroom).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The format (shorter omakase, then exuberant a la carte okonomi) is not for me. At their price point, it’s tacky and offensive. Go to Noz (or Masa if you plan to splurge on the Okonomi portion) instead.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
When I first visited Sushi Sho Hawaii in 2023, I thought there was no other omakase that could top this. I was wrong - Sushi Sho NYC was a truly exceptional experience that was worth the investment.
Come with the expectation that this is Omakase (“I’ll leave it up to you”) AND Okonomi (“what you like”). Okonomi signals a return to the traditional style of sushi before omakase as a cuisine took over the world as a form of entertainment…
If you love geeking out about process and technique, this is the place for you. A variety of dried, pickled, fermented, and aged items were showcased, with several courses that fit into the NYC theme. How can Chef Nakazawa showcase New York in omakase, as he did for Hawaii? Pickled apples to snack on between bites, seasonal items like strawberry jam on squash and pickled peach, and ingredients like homemade mustard and onion jam highlighted Nakazawa’s creativity. I was so impressed by one dish featuring two types of dried roe that nearly resembled a wine and cheese course when paired with the Born sake.
Standouts included the signature ankimo (monkfish liver) with miso and their 3-year pickled watermelon (a staple at the Hawaii location), smoked pickled daikon with fermented rice, and the aged Chubou toro roll. Definitely recommend trying their vegetarian options on the Okonomi menu - the shiitake and apple Kanpyo roll were surprising hits of the night.
Lastly, do NOT skip their sake pairing featuring 8 breweries. It was the most well-thought out sake pairing I’ve ever tried, featuring Sushi Sho’s own sake and a rare 2019 Aramasa sake that were amazing.
I ended up ordering 10+ items during okonomi because I am a glutton. Because tax and tip is already baked into the final bill, I consider Sushi Sho well worth the price.
Thank you Chef Nakazawa and Chef Miyazono for an unforgettable experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Don't skip the wine pairing. Chef Nakazawa's passion for sake shows through. There's a great variety of styles, and the food pairs the sake just as well as the sake pairs the food.
We were a fan of the format, though it helps to go in expecting to throw in another $200+ per person on the Okonomi. The appetizers and sushi courses were interspersed, and the use of various forms of fermentation and aging gave the experience a sense of adventure. I've had various forms of fine dining liver over the years and the monkfish liver here was the first one I'd happily take another order of.
The service was impeccable and hospitable. We had to reschedule our reservation and then arrived late due to rain, but the staff were respectful at every step. The waitress explained all the courses and Chef Nakazawa even answered some of our questions directly (and with sincerity).
And if the price tag feels hard to stomach, just remember that tip is included, so all the prices are actually 20% lower.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
It’s great. Very nice people. Amazing sushi.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very disappointing and offensive experience; we paid 3000usd for 4 for an apprentice sushi chef, as Chef Keiji Nakazawa only took care of a Japanese couple and did not say a word and did not prepare one sushi to the other guests. Shameful and show no respect. We recommend the other sushi places in New York like Ichimura, Noz, Amane but avoid the rudeness and robbery of chef Nakazawa
The ambiance is beautiful. The service is great, except my partner and I can’t help but feel they constantly haggle and ask non stop if you’re full and had enough to eat before and after the okonomi experience. My husband can’t help but feel as if it’s part of their sales tactic. The sushi was good, but when you enter New York City territory where we have such immaculate omakase it’s hard to justify the value of this place. It didnt had wow factor the way Yoshino, Noz and even Nakazawa had on us. For the price their, you don’t get mantis shrimp or any sort of shrimp, you don’t get chutoro or even otoro with the $450omakase. But instead they include it in their “second part” of the dinner course as your ala carte even though you’re already paying very high top dollar for the omakase. Otoro was $50 for one piece, uni $60 for one piece. So do what you will with that info. For $450 price tag we paid already I feel like it should already be included. We didn’t leave full, and even the icecream of the dessert portion were tiny bite size. I can totally see why they don’t allow photos here. Overall i wouldn’t return nor recommend it- my husband & I felt like it was a rip off. At this price point you’re better off going to Masa.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
NYC has many high end sushi omakase places which makes it fairly competitive. I’ve been to a few and although most of them are in a similar price range, this one felt the least value for your money.
The place looks amazing and the staff/service is top tier. Hence the 2 stars.
Value is where it gets tricky. It’s quite expensive, and the amount of food you get a bit on the lighter side. All the serving sizes were small. Quality and taste wise everything was pretty good, but nothing stood out. The monkfish liver was probably my favorite thing.
At one point maybe at the halfway point or more towards the end, my chef had asked me if I still had room or if I was full yet, I thought there might’ve been many more courses coming. In fact, the a la carte portion was approaching.
It’s a no tip establishment, so maybe it justifies the higher menu posted prices. A few I remember off the top of my head was $60 for uni, $50 for o-toro and $40 for chi-toro per piece. To me it seemed quite expensive, but that was only half the issue. During the “presentation”, it almost felt like an infomercial or as someone else said “used car salesman” vibes. They kept pushing a few “signature” PCs, but they weren’t included in the set menu. There was also no toro or Chu-toro included in their omakase set which is pretty standard at such a high price tag in my opinion.
Everyone kept asking if we were full, it almost felt like they were shaming us for not ordering more. I told my wife that the only way it could’ve felt sleazier was if they had a menu with no prices… which someone had commented was the situation a couple months ago.
My opinion is I would probably not come here again. Maybe it’s only the NYC location and their Hawaii and Japan location doesn’t operate this way. There are definitely better omakase options at a similar price tag.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
The atmosphere and service are very good, there is no doubt about that, but ultimately people come to restaurant for food. The dishes are creative in a way for sure but personally I feel you don’t get enough of the premium ingredient you would expect. We’ve been to our fair share of high end omakase experiences in NYC and around the world, but cannot imagine a $450 omakase menu doesn’t even include o-toro and it only lasts an hour. The amount of food you get from the omakase is so tiny that I feel I’m not even half full. The length of the add on list is much longer than the omakase itself, with an average of $30 a piece. The entire experience feels like I’m paying the omakase just for an appetizer, if you want to get a decent amount of food, be prepared to spend at least another 200. I had a full lunch and low expectation and yet still they’ve managed to disappoint me. If you don’t care about money at all, feel free to go, should be a good experience. Otherwise would recommend you to think twice. You would be much better off at the like of Sushi Ichimura and other high end sushi places.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
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