Sushi Nakazawa — Restaurant in New York

Ate at Nakazawa a few times when they first opened. I enjoyed it but would have preferred higher quality fish to be used. As much as I respected Daisuke-san's take on sourcing, I felt that talent could only make up for so much.

I recently returned for lunch at the lounge counter. I had expected to be served by Daisuke-san. When I found that he was not there I looked back at the reservation page and was disappointed to have overlooked the "a" in "Lounge Counter will have the Omakase menu served by a Chef directly to guests." Despite feeling a bit misled by a capitalized "C" I had hope that after the tsumami, perhaps the nigiri at least would be served by Taisho.

In a lot of sushi-yas of a certain calibre that have side counters etc, will have tsumami served by a sous chef, but the nigiri served by the main chef. Otherwise, side counters or meals served exclusively by sous chefs will be at a lower price.

I understand you can get away with a lot more outside of Japan, but I certainly did expect more from with a namesake sushi-ya.

I have no problem with meals served by sous chefs. However, the chef had no knowledge of the fish he was serving. I had asked to clarify the exact crab and fish being served, and he had no idea. All fish was pre-sliced and kept in the fridge. The chef probably was not even on the level of being allowed to cut fish and appropriately so, since he did not know enough to at the very least let the fish rest at room temperature before serving. All nigiri was cold. I was actually happy that the quality of fish seemed to have improved since their opening, but it was served colder than supermarket california rolls.

To top it off, the uni supplement we added on was spoiled. I'm sure it was a fluke and that their ordering and sourcing are good, but clearly there was no quality control at the final stages. Also, no shokunin with any self-respect would ever allow for blowtorches in their kitchen.

I have no doubt that if you're lucky enough to be a regular and are always served by Daisuke-san that the dining experience is brilliant. However at the end of the day, you have to account for every experience put out by your restaurant. At the very least, charge a lower price to reflect the drop in quality when dining with another chef.

I did try to give feedback privately to the restaurant because it seems like these are all fixable problems of an establishment resting on their laurels. Sadly, there was no response. If they really respected all of their guests and wanted the respect of all their guests, I thought management would have...

I will never forget this place because it is, honestly, one of the worst sushi restaurants that I have ever been to in my entire life of avid sushi eating.

I did not eat a single piece of nigiri that was fresh. I have had fresher sushi from the Cantonese sushi maker at my local ShopRite.

Not only were the fish not fresh, the chefs did not even try to remedy the lack of freshness with proper seasoning. Needless to say, not a single bite had any complexity at all.

The rice to ikura and uni ratios were completely off. There was way too much rice because the chefs were too stingy with the ikura and uni.

The temperature of the rice and fish was inconsistent. Sometimes it was room temperature, sometimes it was too warm, sometimes it just fell apart upon touch...

By the time the tuna course arrived, I gave up on the restaurant. I gave my husband the maguro nigiri immediately without a second thought. To no one's surprise, my brother immediately said, "Maybe the second one will be better" after eating the maguro. Guess I didn't miss anything.

The o-toro was a complete joke. The toro that I ate in middle-of-nowhere Carpinteria, California is better than this somehow overly torched (which I have never encountered in my life) aburi o-toro with zero fat.

The tamagoyaki was so bad I decided to wrap it in my napkin and bring it home to my dog. Unlike me, my dog loved the tamagoyaki. Thank goodness because that was the only positive from this dinner.

The dessert was a "Japanese crème brûlée" that had a typical crème brûlée crust but with something that tastes more like a panna cotta underneath. It was okay. Nothing special. I am really expecting more from a Michelin one-star restaurant, because I have had so much better from zero-star sushi restaurants.

Not a single server asked once if "everything is/tastes okay."

I honestly do not understand how this has one Michelin star. Either Sushi Nakazawa bribed the Michelin reviewers or Michelin reviewers do not understand sushi or both.

The three of us finished the meal feeling utterly awful because we were so unsatisfied and knew that we would have been more satisfied if we had ate supermarket sushi instead.

We have no problem dropping $150 for sushi--we frequently drop double or more. However, when commanding such a high price, we always expect quality, and quality we...

Celebrating a birthday at Sushi Nakazawa is less of a dinner reservation and more of an entrance into a beautifully choreographed world where sushi becomes performance art—and you’re the very lucky audience. This is high-end omakase with a capital O, and it delivers on every quiet, exquisite detail.

From the moment we were seated—three of us at the counter—we knew we were in good hands. Two servers emerged in perfect synchrony, placing plates before us as if conducting a culinary ballet. It was subtle, deliberate, and oddly soothing. Then, in a moment of quiet brilliance, they noticed I’m left-handed. Without a word, every single round after that was presented in reverse, just for me. Not a single “oh wow you’re lefty!” announcement, just graceful, thoughtful accommodation. That kind of attentiveness? Rare. And deeply appreciated.

As for the sushi itself—every piece was a study in balance, temperature, texture, and technique. Impossibly fresh, impeccably cut, and served at the exact second it wanted to be eaten. Each bite made the case for silence at the table, not because it’s stiff or formal, but because you just want to focus. Truly, sushi that demands your full attention—and rewards it.

Now, the one hiccup. At one point, my phone—traitor that it is—accidentally flashed mid-photo. And the server’s reaction was immediate and intense, cutting through the serene atmosphere like a needle drop in a meditation room. I understand the sanctity of the experience, and that preserving ambiance is important, but the reaction was… a bit jarring. It momentarily shifted the mood from reverent to rattled.

That said, it was a blip in an otherwise extraordinary evening. The service was still exceptional, the ambiance largely serene, and the experience—especially for a birthday—felt thoughtful and refined in a way that’s hard to come by, even at this level.

In short: Sushi Nakazawa is a masterclass in detail and discipline. Come hungry, come respectful, maybe leave the flash at home—but...