The $400 Omakase Club of New York City in 2025
Editor’s Note: This blog is part of the “2025 New York City Sushi Guide‘, presented by Ledge Headwear. The digital guide features a number of articles, collections, “best ofs” and “What to dos” for the Big Apple, and can accessed directly at NYCSushiGuide.com. As always, we appreciate your support of the blog and Ledge Headwear, the designer cap brand designed in New York and handmade in the hills of Piemonte at a generational family factory.,
The rise in popularity of sushi in New York City means that there are more sushiya than ever that will cost you a small fortune for a meal for two. Now, that may not be a bad thing. If you asked the folks at these 11 sushiya, they’d tell you that quality ingredients and world renowned Itamae cost money. Duh. I approach the value proposition like an accountant; I can amortize the memory of these visits over the (hopefully many) years of my life. To wit, I’ve gone to and reviewed most of these, and I’m both better and broker for it.
Think I missed any? Drop me a line at [email protected] or follow me on Instagram at @TheSushiLegend and slide into the DMs.
Thanks for reading.
Masa is the holy grail of sushi in New York City. “That’s just your opinion”, a hack might say. No, it’s fact. Long before there was a sushi boom in the United States (aka 2004), Masa (and a few others) brought higher level sushi to the masses. For many years, it’s price and location meant that it catered to expense accounts and tourists; even as sushi’s popularity grew, the price did too, while still maintaining it’s famous “no pictures/videos/phones” policy. That means that even your favourite food bloggers and influencers haven’t soiled the 3 Michelin star sushiya yet. It’s on my list for 2023 (as soon as I get this blog sponsored). $950 (gratuity included).
My words – as pithy, witty and intelligent as they may be – will never do Sushi Sho justice. I visited twice in 2024, and both meals were excellent and uniquely different. So it goes at a sushiya that changes its menu daily – a menu that holds almost 50 outrageous courses (you don’t have to get them all) blending tradition with complexity and simplicity. Presiding is Keiji Nakazawa, a renowned – RENOWNED – itamae. Nakazawa-san may not be in NYC for long, so if you can get a reservation and don’t need to take a second mortgage out, go. On second thought, even if you need to take a second mortgage…
$450 + more
There are a few truly upper-echelon sushiya in New York City. Since opening in 2018, Sushi Noz on the Upper East Side has been considered one of those. It’s not just the cost.It’s the care, expertise and quality that Itamae, Nozomu Abe, has brought to a small oasis on a residential street in the Upper East Side.
It’s the feeling. Yes, that sounds like bullshit. Trust me, no one hates that sentence more than me. But you’ll understand when you walk through that beautiful Noren (curtain). It’s a transformative feeling; step in from the United States, emerge in Japan. $495
Inside of Sushi Noz but straight ahead is the Ash Room, a small secondary sushi counter. To the left, the Hinoki Counter (mentioned above), the main event, where Abe-san himself presides.
Before May 2022, the Ash Room was $295. On May 1st, the price jumped to $495, to match it’s Hinoki Room brother. The restaurant’s rationale is that equalizing the prices will remove the stigma of “better vs worse” between the two rooms while reflecting the similarity of the ingredients, a key driver of the price. $495.
Shion Uino is at the helm. Experienced diners will know Uino-San from Sushi Amane, the midtown-east sushiya that earned the whispers I mentioned up front, as well as many years at revered Tokyo sushi-ya Sushi Saito.
Uino-san certainly brings a new style. Like other itamae – including Takashi Saito himself – he spends time aging his fish. And like Saito-san, you’ll notice right away that he spends very little time forming his nigiri. Two flips and place. As Kikuo Shimizu put in his seminal ‘Edomae Sushi’ book, “there’s no one royal road” to making nigiri. But the child in me is always fascinated by expediency. Credit my ADD I guess. This is a truly fantastic sushiya. $485 (gratuity included)
Even in a city that has been recently inundated by openings of high-end sushiya, the online buzz around Yoshino in the East Village has been a surprise. I guess it shouldn’t have been.
That’s because by all accounts, Tadashi “Edowan” Yoshida, the Itamae and co-owner, is the first itamae to close their high-profile sushiya in Japan and re-open in New York City (no clue who actually tracks this stuff). Even for a city that is extremely addicted to sushi, and familiar with similar-echeloned spots like Shion 69 Leonard, Sushi Noz and Masa, that means something.
From 2012-2019, Yoshida’s world was in Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefercture, hometown of his wife, and change point for me and my wife on our trip to Ise Shima. There he built Sushi No Yoshino, 4.64 on Tabelog (Japan’s Yelp), one of the best restaurants in the region. In 2019, he moved to New York, and with the assistance of a who’s who of architecture and restaurant management, he began to build in the big apple. $646 (gratuity included)
The third sushiya in the Noz empire to make this list, Noz 17 is helmed by Junichi Matsuzaki, who formerly trained under Abe-san at the original Sushi Noz. Noz 17 differentiates itself through the sheer volume of courses (30) including otsumami (small plates), nigiri, and more. $465.
Speaking of Sushi Ginza Onodera, Icca’s Itamae will be familiar to folks who have been to their Tokyo location. Kazushige Suzuki moved to New York in 2021 to open Icca, and the results have been outstanding: a Michelin star in Year 1 plus acclaim throughout the New York City food universe. The space itself is tucked away on a non-descript storefront, like many of the best sushiya are. Reviews online are mixed, likely the result of the hit or miss bar that offers a reduced price menu. Loved my visit. $495 (bar is cheaper).
It’s impossible to write the story of New York City sushi without Eiji Ichimura, the legendary Sushi Legend who has had four – FOUR- renowned sushiya within the river walls. His latest is Sushi Ichimura in TriBeCa; it plays his hits, and is worth a visit to stare royalty right in the face. $450
Joji is the brainchild of George Ruan, ex, like so many in New York, of the legendary Masa. It’s located in Bryant Park’s One Vanderbilt, and is, by all accounts, a refuge from a bustling area. $410
I don’t know why I haven’t visited Noda, the starred sushiya from Shigeyuki Tsunoda. I’ve heard nice things, and the cocktail bar looks fantastic. Perhaps because the six-year old sushiya has always been in the background of “best of” lists, like a reliable but boring character in one of those 90s teen movies we (read: I) loved so much. Basically Noda is Josh Lucas. 2025 resolution: visit and review. $400