Omakase OSUKAA Midtown East — Restaurant in New York

If you're on the hunt for an exceptional omakase experience in NYC without the months-long reservation scramble, Omakase Osukaa in Midtown East is the place to be! A friend and I dined in for their 17-course omakase, and from start to finish, it was an absolute treat.

The Ambiance: Tucked away in Midtown, Osukaa has that perfect blend of intimate and welcoming. The counter seating gives you a front-row view of the chef’s meticulous craftsmanship, and the cozy setting makes it feel like a hidden treasure. Whether you’re an omakase veteran or new to the experience, the chefs and staff make you feel right at home.

The Experience & Service: The service was impeccable—warm, attentive, and perfectly paced. The chef took time to explain each piece, its origin, and the inspiration behind the flavors. The balance of precision and hospitality here is top-notch, making the experience feel both luxurious and personal.

The Sushi – 17 Courses of Pure Bliss: Some standout bites: Madai (Sea Bream) with lime zest, salt and lemon juice - This was the first nigiri we had, it was so vibrant and refreshing, the lime zest really brings out the flavor of the sea bream, it was so bright and light, an excellent first nigiri! Hokkaido Sea Scallop with Yuzu Jelly - Oh my goodness, the yuzu jelly paired with the scallops was so light and citrusy, it was so good! The jelly made the scallop flavor pop in your mouth! I need to know how to make that yuzu jelly, it was very delicious!! King Salmon with chopped onion and foie gras - Just melt in your mouth deliciousness; the premium cut of salmon paired with the seared foie gras with some chopped onion the cut down the richness of the overall bite, what an amazing combo! Toro Tartare with foie gras toast - Whoa, just whoa, what a bite, this toast was so delicious! I wish I ordered more of this! A5 Wagyu seared with scallop, uni, and caviar - I love that they have A5 wagyu, this was essentially the last bite before dessert, it was so decadent and rich, I absolutely loved that this was the end before our dessert! Homemade Black Sesame Pudding - Wow, this dessert was a great end to our course. It was light, not overly sweet, just sweet enough!

Extras & Drinks: Before our dessert, we had the option to purchase additional add-ons, this includes everything we just had along with many more handroll options which we just had to get. We got an additional king salmon with foie gras handroll, hokkaido scallop with yuzu jelly handroll, and eel and foie gras handroll. And these handrolls were pretty huge, definitely worth it if you can eat a lot like my friend and I did. Add-ons range from roughly $10-20 per piece depending what you want, they are worth getting if you're still hungry for more!

For drinks, for now it's BYOB, until they get their license to sell sake which should be very soon. My friend brought a bottle of Dassai Blue 35, which paired really well with some of our courses! I was told that they will be getting an amazing selection of sake soon, so be on the lookout for those!

Final Thoughts: At $109 per person, the 17-course omakase at Osukaa is a steal compared to some of NYC’s more hyped-up spots. The quality, presentation, and overall experience are absolutely worth it. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or just treating yourself, this is a must-visit for any sushi lover.

💯 Would I return? Absolutely. Next time, I will try different add-ons and also try the sake there with my experience.

🔥 Pro Tips: If you have any allergies, they'll be sure to accommodate you! If you don't like a specific fish, the chef will listen to you and try to adapt your experience! Make sure to make a reservation and list your allergies so the people know advance of your allergies or aversions! They do offer a 13 course version for dinner but in my opinion, you will get better cuts and pieces for the price of the 17 course! Oh and if you work around the area, they do have a lunch 10 course for $48 from 12-2PM Monday-Saturday, but you have the option to upgrade to 13...

TL;DR: Underwhelming experience with repetitive flavors and gimmicky presentation. Service was clumsy, and the tipping system is deceptive. Not worth the price—I’d rather go to a regular sushi spot.

I came in with high expectations after reading a review calling this place a hidden gem, and coming from out of town, I hadn't had a disappointing high end meal in NYC yet... until this.

The meal began with the server pouring hot water over a compressed hand towel, causing it to expand—a neat touch. However, she used too much water, even spilling some into the ginger, and leaving the towel dripping wet. It wasn’t a major issue, just a small misstep. Soon after, I noticed that the drinking water tasted like it came straight from the tap.

As for the food, every piece felt repetitive—just sushi after sushi with little variety, and the flavors didn’t harmonize. It felt more like random toppings were added to perfectly fine sashimi rather than a thoughtfully crafted experience. Some pieces tasted slightly fishy, while others were overly salty from excessive soy sauce. Overall, it seemed like I was paying for presentation rather than quality, with gold flakes that contributed nothing to the flavor or texture.

Midway through, I ran low on ginger. While refilling our water, the server offered to replace it but got distracted after accidentally spilling water on her tray and my partner’s hat. After cleaning up, she forgot about the ginger entirely and only brought it later without a word, which didn’t reflect the attentiveness expected at a high-end restaurant.

Finally, the tipping system was deceptive. In a rush to leave, I tapped the lowest option (18%), only to realize afterward that the tip was calculated after tax, not on the subtotal. This kind of pricing trickery left a bad taste in my mouth ($79 per person * 2 * 1.0875 * 1.18).

Overall, I paid $202 for a 13-course omakase for two, but the experience fell short of what I’d expect from a high-end restaurant.

EDIT: The review didn't really address the tipping. Tips should not be based on total (after tax). Also the quotes after each paragraph suggests the reply was partially written by AI,...

New omakase spot with an incredible value lunch deal. $48 for 10 pieces in under 30 minutes.

These days, it’s hard to get excited about a new omakase opening in NYC. Still, when I see a deal this affordable, I get curious. Most omakase I’ve had under $60 have been underwhelming, so I had some doubts coming in.

Despite the price, it didn’t feel like an omakase stripped down to the basics. Rather, it was just a concise version of a mid-premium omakase. All the pieces I tried were either 3 or 4s (out of 5), though there were mostly 3s. Still, it really exceeded my expectations, and was surprised to see that they kept all the premium pieces like chutoro, wagyu, foie gras, and king salmon with uni and caviar.

The only real miss was the shari (rice). The chefs behind the counter seemed relatively inexperienced. Perhaps 2 to 3 years of experience at a neighborhood sushi spot. In several pieces, the rice was either off in proportion or slightly inconsistent in density.

Traditional omakase is built on a chef’s ability to craft a course around quality and availability, but that kind of curation comes at a cost. In the U.S., where experience and expertise are expensive, this kind of accessible omakase can’t be about artistry. Instead, it’s about value, and this place gets it right. As long as the fish quality is solid and clearly better than a standard neighborhood sushi combo, that’s more than enough at this...