Shion Uino is leaving Shion 69 Leonard on December 31, 2025. No decision has been made on the future of the space.
They announced it themselves on their Instagram.
It’s a disappointing turn of events for sushi in New York. 69 Leonard has always been a bastion of Edomae sushi here; two previous iterations, with Ichimura-san and Derek Wilcox, were well-regarded.
But it was Shion Uino, formerly of Sushi Amane, that arguably elevated the sushiya to new heights. I went in 2021, my first post-lockdown NYC omakase (review here). It was a special meal, despite the food writer with a 3 foot camera seated to my left. There’s no word on what will happen with Shion-san, but I’m told the restaurant itself is evaluating all options for its future.
Another sign of a popping bubble in New York?
When fellow TriBeCa sushiya Sushi Ichimura announced its closure earlier this year, I wrote that I was mildly concerned about the future of NYC sushi.
This only excerbates/exasperates/whatever the word is my fear. This city’s sushi scene is a mile wide and an inch deep. It’s part of the reason I fell in love so quickly with the throwback Sushi You (review coming).
Not sure the solution. Maybe we move to LA?
Just kidding. I’d rather sell the blog to Vox.