Sanyuu West — Restaurant in New York

Came in for an early Valentine's Day dinner on the Saturday before the made up holiday because 1. We weren't trying to deal with any Valentine's Day crowds on the actual day 2. We weren't trying to go out on a Monday night. But really, we were just looking for an excuse to have some omakase since it's been a while since we have. Plus this was a new spot that looked promising and at $78 for 15 courses, it was pretty reasonable. I texted about a week before for a reservation for 5 pm and they were able to accommodate us. We were hoping that no one would want to eat at 5 pm, but the 16-person sushi bar only seating was filled up. There are also no partitions between each dining couple, so we were a bit uneasy about that but we decided to just go with it.

I missed a few pictures/notes but here are all the courses I marked down:

Hamachi/anchovy paste - this had lots of yuzu and it was a bit overpowering Japanese sea bream - lots of wasabi Stripejack Seared yellowtail with banana pepper Japanese golden eye snapper Soy marinated salmon King salmon Spanish mackerel with tomato slaw Scallop - this had too much yuzu and wasabi Lean tuna with garlic Kama toro and sturgeon caviar - this was my favorite of the night, but I also just love toro Uni - this was a good one too Baby white shrimp Toro roll

The main reason we went with this spot was because the menu seemed pretty unique. It wasn't your typical omakase but it seemed they like to use different ingredients you wouldn't necessarily associate with sushi (i.e. banana pepper). Unfortunately, nothing really stood out to me. It seemed that yuzu and wasabi were main notes of the meal. Still, I'm glad we got the chance to check it out.

Tip - it's BYOB right now (as of Feb 2022) since they don't have their liquor...

I enjoyed my experience dining at Sanyuu West but noticed a few things that could be improved on.

I liked the cozy atmosphere in the restaurant with quiet music in the background. The portions were big and the taste and quality of the ingredients were fresh. However, nothing from the 15 course omakase really amazed me and some of the pieces could improve on the overall texture and taste. My biggest issue though was that the whole experience felt very rushed and impersonal. No interaction from the chef other than him mumbling the name of the pieces every time he sets it down on our plates. He was making the pieces so fast that it resulted in proportions being all over the place with each piece getting different amounts of sauce/toppings. The presentation was also sloppy with the chef setting a piece on my neighbor's plate and the fish falling off from the rice onto the plate. The seaweed of my hand roll was ripped in the middle so when I took one bite and it all fell apart. Little things here and there that shows there wasn't enough attention to details. You can sense the pressure it had on the chef for a quick turnover and it made the whole experience feel transactional. Not the best omakase I've had and next time, I would prefer to just pay a little more for a...

I’ve been here a few times now and felt like i had to share my experience. First of all this is probably my favorite Omakase in the City. The pairing of fish and unique toppings that this restaurant offers is unmatched from an omakase perspective. Not to mention the rice is the PERFECT compliment to each and every piece i’ve eaten here.

The staff and chef are incredibly friendly and attentive if you decide you want anything at all throughout the meal.

The ambience is great. I love the lighting and open space that the restaurant has and the vibe of the place is fun. There was even one time that I ended up having a great conversation with the couple next to me throughout my meal and we shared conversation of each piece that came on our plate.

This is a place absolutely worth checking out and i’ve been telling everyone i know to go try it out because it truly takes Omakase to the next level with their creative ways of pairing toppings...