Sushi Sho — Restaurant in New York

TLDR: A lot of folks consider Sushi Sho helmed by Keiji Nakazawa to be one of the best sushi-yas in NYC. I'd be inclined to agree. Chef is a legend in the sushi world and although they have a policy requesting no photography - this meal is certainly special. This is definitely special occasion territory but it is one of the best experiences to be had in New York.

Chef Keiji Nakazawa has relocated to NYC from his restaurant of the same name in Waikiki. Their photography policy means, there's no images or videos of the food. If you want a glimpse of the level of precision his craft is, watch the Eater video they did about 5 years ago.

Let's not mince words, this is not a cheap place and with alcohol and any add-ons, it's likely to be one of the most expensive meals you've ever had. That being said, if you're someone who's really into omakase - especially Edomae.. it might not get better than this.

I've eaten a lot of sushi, at every end of the spectrum. There's some really unique preparations to be had here. Of course, the bluefin tuna is delicious and he has some very premium cuts. I actually found the lower-priced okonomi to be more interesting and I might even like the flavor better. Great toro is like excellent wagyu - it's going to be good no matter what. The variations between them is pretty nuanced and unless you eat a lot of that kind of protein - you probably won't notice the differences.

While for this much money I'd love to be able to document my meal - there's something liberating about not having to care about getting that perfect shot. Why? Because you can't! That lets you focus on the meal and is the premise behind their policy. It's like being without your phone for a day, it's awesome and it lets you focus your attention to everything else going on.

In short, it is worth it. Definitely a once in awhile place, unless you're made of money perhaps. I feel fortunate to have tried it and although it'll be a bit before I return - there really is nothing else like it in New York. If you don't feel like going to Tokyo to try that true Edomae sushi; now you can get around the corner from the New York...

When I first visited Sushi Sho Hawaii in 2023, I thought there was no other omakase that could top this. I was wrong - Sushi Sho NYC was a truly exceptional experience that was worth the investment.

Come with the expectation that this is Omakase (“I’ll leave it up to you”) AND Okonomi (“what you like”). Okonomi signals a return to the traditional style of sushi before omakase as a cuisine took over the world as a form of entertainment…

If you love geeking out about process and technique, this is the place for you. A variety of dried, pickled, fermented, and aged items were showcased, with several courses that fit into the NYC theme. How can Chef Nakazawa showcase New York in omakase, as he did for Hawaii? Pickled apples to snack on between bites, seasonal items like strawberry jam on squash and pickled peach, and ingredients like homemade mustard and onion jam highlighted Nakazawa’s creativity. I was so impressed by one dish featuring two types of dried roe that nearly resembled a wine and cheese course when paired with the Born sake.

Standouts included the signature ankimo (monkfish liver) with miso and their 3-year pickled watermelon (a staple at the Hawaii location), smoked pickled daikon with fermented rice, and the aged Chubou toro roll. Definitely recommend trying their vegetarian options on the Okonomi menu - the shiitake and apple Kanpyo roll were surprising hits of the night.

Lastly, do NOT skip their sake pairing featuring 8 breweries. It was the most well-thought out sake pairing I’ve ever tried, featuring Sushi Sho’s own sake and a rare 2019 Aramasa sake that were amazing.

I ended up ordering 10+ items during okonomi because I am a glutton. Because tax and tip is already baked into the final bill, I consider Sushi Sho well worth the price.

Thank you Chef Nakazawa and Chef Miyazono for an...

NYC has many high end sushi omakase places which makes it fairly competitive. I’ve been to a few and although most of them are in a similar price range, this one felt the least value for your money.

The place looks amazing and the staff/service is top tier. Hence the 2 stars.

Value is where it gets tricky. It’s quite expensive, and the amount of food you get a bit on the lighter side. All the serving sizes were small. Quality and taste wise everything was pretty good, but nothing stood out. The monkfish liver was probably my favorite thing.

At one point maybe at the halfway point or more towards the end, my chef had asked me if I still had room or if I was full yet, I thought there might’ve been many more courses coming. In fact, the a la carte portion was approaching.

It’s a no tip establishment, so maybe it justifies the higher menu posted prices. A few I remember off the top of my head was $60 for uni, $50 for o-toro and $40 for chi-toro per piece. To me it seemed quite expensive, but that was only half the issue. During the “presentation”, it almost felt like an infomercial or as someone else said “used car salesman” vibes. They kept pushing a few “signature” PCs, but they weren’t included in the set menu. There was also no toro or Chu-toro included in their omakase set which is pretty standard at such a high price tag in my opinion.

Everyone kept asking if we were full, it almost felt like they were shaming us for not ordering more. I told my wife that the only way it could’ve felt sleazier was if they had a menu with no prices… which someone had commented was the situation a couple months ago.

My opinion is I would probably not come here again. Maybe it’s only the NYC location and their Hawaii and Japan location doesn’t operate this way. There are definitely better omakase options at a...