Sushiya openings in New York City are a mile wide, inch deep.
I’m a data legend. Blame the forensic accounting background. As I tell clients (who then immediately fire me), I don’t like to think. I like facts.
But I have no facts for what I’m about to tell you. Just raw, unadulterated, guttural instinct.
Though it may seem like there are thousands of new sushiya opening here monthly – and, to be honest, there probably is – they’re sort of similar. And by “sort of similar”, I mean they’re perfectly identical, like those kids in The Parent Trap.
“Omakase by _______”.
“______ Omakase”.
Sound familiar?
I still love this city’s sushi scene, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tad concerned. Perhaps worthy of its own article.
In the meantime, I’m going to use this page as a running diary of new sushiya I’m excited about. A few to start, with more to come, so check back regularly/ And if you want your sushiya added to this list, shoot me an email [email protected]. My only rule is be up front. If you’ve got a vested interest, tell me. Nothing bothers me more than secret pumpers (you know who you are). Actually, one thing bothers me more – I almost fought someone at the gym for not putting the supplemental weights back.
Thanks for reading.
Ps: this doesn’t include sushiya I’ve heard whispers are making their way over from Japan, like Mekumi and Sushi Takamitsu. Not enough concrete yet.
Pole position to the most anticipated sushiya opening since Sushi Sho, though it remains to be seen who will actually be operating the counter. Masahiro Yoshitake is a bonafide sushi legend; his sushiya, Sushi Yoshitake in Tokyo’s ritzy Ginza district, is a notoriously difficult seat, and he was one of 20 masters featured in Andrea Fazzari’s seminal coffee table book, Sushi Shokunin, alongside Keiji Nakazawa at Sushi Sho. When Sushi Yoshitake New York City opens, it will be located at 550 Madison Avenue. Anticipated launch date is late 2025, though I’m told it could stretch into spring 2026. The team producing (aka: financing) the project is reportedly Gracious Hospitality, the same that runs Cote, the popular Korean steakhouse in New York and Miami.
I had Sushi Mitani on this list last year, which reflects how much mystery there is around this particular sushiya. Tokyo’s Sushi Mitani is notorious for three things: Excellent sushi (duh), a multi-year wait for reservations, and their wine pairings. There has been no official confirmation that they are opening an outpost in New York City, but a legend I trust tipped me off. Since I have zero journalistic standards, up it goes on this list.
It probably deserves a larger article, but here’s what The World’s 50 Best says about its Shinjuku honten (flagship):
Comprising just eight seats hidden behind a wooden door marked with a sign no bigger than a bathroom tile, you could easily walk past this gastronomic giant without blinking an eye. Yet this is the sushi fan’s equivalent of El Dorado. Reservations are famously taken only from 10am on January 1, with most years booking up within the hour. Yasuhiko Mitsuya has a particular interest in techniques that originated in Tokyo’s Edomae period and much of the fish he uses is house cured.
The Upper West Side’s Takeda is one of my favourite sushiya under $300. The husband and wife team that run it aren’t just sweet, they focus on ingredients from the fishing-rich area of Toyama Bay, nearby one of Japan’s great fish markets.
According to the TriBeCa citizen, they’re opening on Murray Street this year. It’s unclear if it’s a second spot, or just a relocation, but either way it’s a fantastic addition to a neighborhood already rich in sushi.