Best New York City Sushi Markets
I did this exercise last year for Toronto, which also has a fantastic sushi market scene.
But a recent visit to the terrordome – aka Sunrise Mart in SoHo – reminded me that I was overdue to make something similar for New York City.
Oh ya, Sunrise is a disaster
It pains me to say that. A few years back, Sunrise was one of the best spots in the city to get your DIY sushi fix. The Ika was fantastic, the Ikura and Uni were reasonable, and I used to load up on plastic-thingies (technical term) of salmon and shiso, a delightful combination.
But a few things happened. Their prices got worse, their ingredients got worse, their selection got worse, shit, even their hours of operation got worse. In my last visit, they just turned the lights off 10 minutes early and kicked everyone out.
And then their competitors got better. I’ve highlighted a few of my favourites below.
What’s a Sushi Market?
Let’s give it two paramaters:
- Grab-and-go prepared sushi ingredients OR fishmonger style market
- A modicum of ability for the establishment to make sushi from the ingredients you select ON-SITE
That easy. Don’t forget to access general thoughts at NYCSushiGuide.com.
Have any suggestions? Feel free to drop me a line at info@thesushilegend.com or follow me on Instagram at @TheSushiLegend and slide into the DMs if not.
These are in no particular order. Thanks for reading.
1. Osakana | East Village and Grand Central
If you know about Osakana, it’s either for one of two reasons:
- Its reputation as a source for educational classes and take-home sushi ingredients; or
- A lawsuit against Wegmans for essentially mimicking Osakana with its own sushi market, Sakanaya. I posted an update to that lawsuit here.
Osakana, which opened on the east village/astor place border in 2016, is the brainchild of Yuji Haraguchi. It’s stated mission is to make “quality take-out sushi and sashimi more accessible for everyone throughout New York City”, and by any measure, it’s succeeded. It’s not just the myriad of seafood and sushi-adjacent ingredients available, it’s the group classes that Osakana offers, including Uni shucking and sushi making.
2. Mogmog | Long Island City
I’m pretty sure MogMog is Long Island City’s best sushiya. It also may be the most diverse sushi market; it has tons of ingredients for the sushi aficionados. Kinki (channel rockfish), AoriIka (Big Reef Squid), Hiramasa and Gindara were all friends that I rarely (if ever) see at sushi markets. There’s also various delicacies, including Uni from recognizable brands, Koji and the Shinko Pear, which Fruits and Shoots Plant Farm describes as a “Large Asian pear with attractive russet skin, pale yellow freckles, and firm ivory white flesh. Sweet floral-forward flavor with tangy citrus undertones”. Thank you Fruits and Shoots Plant Farm.
You can read my review here.
3. Roy’s Fish Market | Upper East Side
Where do Upper East Siders go for lunch when they’re on break from Constance Billiard or St Jude’s? No clue, but I’m guessing it’s Roy’s Fish Market.
Unlike most sushi markets, which are centered around the sushi process, Roy’s is a fishmogner first and foremost. It opened 30 years ago, and has been the stewardship of the same family since. First, the eponymous Roy, then his son, Pom.The fish prices and offerings change daily, but Roy’s sushi menu remains plastered on the wall. As someone who still reads picture books (plus Anthony Horowitz novels), the simpler the better.
Full review here.
4. Genkiya | NoLita
I’ve been to Genkiya just once, but that was enough. Sure, the ingredients seem excellent, but who really knows after just one visit. Shit, anyone who’s ended up with a shitty boss will know that you need more than the introduction to figure them out.
But Genkiya makes the list for two reasons:
- They sell Azuma’s Shimesaba Kobujime (mackerel marinated in kelp, a traditional prep method). They are, as far as I know, the only market in the city that sells what is my absolute favourite food on planet earth besides McDonald’s Pizza (gone, but not forgotten).
- At 8pm every night, they sell a ton of their stuff for 50% off, and the line is insane. Star Wars Episode One levels. People start getting there at like 7:30, grab their stuff, and wait. Hilarious.
5. Katagiri | Upper East Side and Grand Central
This may be cheating since Osakana has a shop-in-shop inside Katagiri’s Grand Central location, but how can you not have the OG?
Katagiri opened in 1907 – you read that right, and both locations offer Japanese groceries along with prepared foods, sushi ingredients and a slice of the pre-sushi boom New York that I waxed poetic about in my Sushi You review.
