Kissaki Sushi — Restaurant in New York

Service: The staff were attentive and willingly answered all our questions about the food. They started with warm hand towels for cleanliness, and the chef was friendly and approachable. Vibe: Despite the limited seating, the restaurant provided comfortable seats and even had a hanger for my wife's purse. Cardamom Mule: This cocktail had a pleasant ginger aroma and a subtle sweetness that I enjoyed. Nagano Soha Cha: The toasted buckwheat tea had a peaceful aroma that my wife particularly liked. First Appetizer: The combination of flavors in the fluke wrapped around grapefruit, garnished with summer truffle, and dipped in homemade ponzu sauce was truly delightful. The tanginess of the grapefruit added a refreshing twist to awaken our taste buds. Second Appetizer: The Hokkaido Uni with egg yolk sauce, caviar, lemon zest, and Japanese squid offered a delightful balance of flavors. It had a slight richness, which was perfectly contrasted by the squid and caviar. The texture was luxuriously smooth, and the overall taste was absolutely delicious. Third Appetizer: The Hokkaido Scallop topped with truffle and cream sauce showcased the outstanding freshness and sweetness of the scallop. The creamy sauce added a delightful balance, resulting in a scrumptious combination that we thoroughly enjoyed. First Bite: The Japanese amberjack (Kanpachi) topped with Mirin Dashi had a delightful bouncy texture and a pronounced freshness that shone through with each bite. It was a satisfying and enjoyable treat. Second Bite: The Kinmedai (Goldeneye Snapper) fish, while not as sweet as the amberjack, had a pleasant aroma that enhanced the overall experience. It was another delightful creation from the chef that we thoroughly enjoyed. Third Bite: The Shima Aji (Striped Jack) topped with Black Garlic offered a richer flavor profile compared to the Kinmedai, and it tasted even better. The addition of black garlic added depth, creating a truly enjoyable experience. Fourth Bite: The Akamutsu had a slight saltiness from the charcoal salt that enhanced its overall flavor. As the richness increased, it became even more delicious. Fifth Bite: The Monkfish Liver (Foie Gras of the Sea) had an enticing aroma, and the sweet sauce perfectly complemented its richness. It was an outstanding dish with excellent flavor combinations. Sixth Bite: The Baby Hamachi topped with roasted paprika had a unique and slightly spicy aroma from the roasted paprika. It added an extra dimension to the already delicious bite, making it another enjoyable dish. ... The culinary experience surpassed our expectations with each subsequent bite. Words fail to capture the exceptional quality of the dishes at this remarkable establishment. The overall dining experience was simply outstanding, and we will definitely be returning. We highly recommend it to anyone who...

It is NOT recommended!

The purpose of this visit was I've been there before for $150 for 15 courses, it was so great that I wanted to introduce this restaurant to my friends by taking advantage of NYC restaurant week, hoped my friends would like it too.

BUT THIS TIME THE EXPERIENCE WAS AWFUL!

We arrived there 10-15 minutes early, the restaurant was empty, an employee asked us to leave, the reason was the restaurant was not ready to open, our appearance would interfere with their work. ???  We asked if we could sit somewhere, and the employee reluctantly agreed. Apparently she was not happy.

For restaurant week, there is a 3 course fixed menu, but the portion was so small that we had to eat somewhere else after Kissaki.  FYI, all of us are fit and diet oriented, we control the amount of food we intake, but the amount of Kissaki 3 course fixed meals was too small.

The dessert option is Vanilla Ice Cream or Chocolate Chip Mint Ice Cream. Nothing special, you can have these 2 ice creams anywhere.  We asked if we could have a Kissaki dessert, and the employee said it would be an additional $12.

When we were there, the whole time, only 1 employee was working behind the bar, doing his own things, he had nothing to do with us, no greeting, no eye contact. Another employee who tried to reject us in the beginning was a server, she didn't greet us, didn't smile, and looked unhappy all the time.  She showed us a kind of attitude that SHE ONLY WORKED THERE, THAT IS IT!

In short, the quality of food including appetizer and main course was good, but the amount was small, the food was prepared in the kitchen, you couldn't see how the chef made food artistically and you wouldn't have interaction with the chef.  The ice cream as dessert was ordinary, you could have it somewhere else.

So why Kissaki?  Kissaki used to bring us warmth, hospitality, a state of art when a chef was making food in front of you, having interaction with you ...  it was a fine dining experience in the restaurant, and a fond memory after leaving.  And now, it was so down that we were quite disappointed!

A personal suggestion to Kissaki: if you can't do NYC Restaurant Week well, don't do it; you can just focus on your $150 for 15 courses which was successful. You don't want that 3 course meal to ruin your reputation.  However, how to manage the restaurant, how to train the employees are essential to run a restaurant, a fine dining restaurant requires...

I'm not typically a fine dining person so please read this review from an average Joe's point of view. I eat out often and enjoy trying new places. This was my first Omakase experience. I took my wife out for our Anniversary and wanted the experience of a Chef preparing a meal in front of us - the intimate counter experience. We tried the 16 course Omakase for $150 per person. The food was quality food and everything tasted great. We were told the traditional way to eat Nigiri (Sushi) is using our fingers (not chopsticks) and to place the fish side down on our tongue, and trust me that it makes a drastic difference in taste. We were really able to taste all the unique flavor combinations. Service was top notch. Amy was our waitress and she did a great job of explaining the menu options and telling us a bit about what to expect for the 2 hours. Our Chef was funny, friendly, clean and served everything with a smile. In light of the pandemic, the restaurant felt safe and follows all Covid protocols with plexiglass partition separating each group and hand sanitizers available.

Now the reasons why I took 1 star off:

1. For nearly $500+ (with drinks, tax, tip, etc.) you would think we walked away satisfied and somewhat full, especially for a 16 course meal. We did not. We ended up having a second dinner elsewhere.
2. The suggested tip alone is equivalent to the amount we typically pay for our family of four at other restaurants. That hurt the wallet a bit
3. Drinks were well crafted but after our first round of drinks (Ringo Sour and Senor Sandia), we ended up getting a bottle of wine instead. The Ringo Sour in particular was just a few sips for $18.
4. Lastly, I'm not sure if it's the masks, the plexiglass partitions, the noise level or the accent of the Chef, but for most of the night, we did not know what fish we were trying. We asked the Chef for the first few Nigiri pieces but gave up after #3. Management, I would highly recommend mini cards that explain what we are eating.

All in all, we're glad we had this experience. We likely will not...