Sushiichi — Restaurant in New York

The food at SushiIchi is truly exceptional—each piece is delicately prepared, beautifully balanced, and shows real craftsmanship. As someone who deeply appreciates Japanese cuisine and was celebrating a personal milestone, I was excited to experience this omakase. The quality of the fish and rice absolutely met that expectation and the praise I have found in reviews from different platforms.

That said, I left feeling disappointed by the pacing and overall atmosphere of our visit. The service felt noticeably rushed—so much so that it bordered on impersonal and even slightly uncomfortable. We were seated at a table, and from the very beginning it felt like there was an urgency to move us through the meal, rather than invite us into an experience. The waiter in particular seemed ready to wrap things up, which is unfortunate, because the food deserved to be savored and honored with presence.

We came to celebrate a meaningful professional moment, and I truly wish we had been given the space to enjoy what was, without a doubt, excellent sushi (however some pieces felt just brought out from the freezer, which is one thing to avoid of course for fresh fish). I hope others are given more time to appreciate it fully, because mind you a 130 dollar omakase is not particularly expensive but it is also not “cheap”, since there are plenty options in the city in a similar price range, good quality and amazing service...

Look: In NYC, omakases are more ubiquitous than Starbucks. You either pay under $90 for lackluster quality or $400+ for Michelin-star quality that makes your wallet bleed. The latter option is idiotic to me, since I'd rather spend that money on an actual trip to Japan to have real sushi. And only fools pay the middle range, which is the worst of both options.

So when the cold weather derailed my original dinner plans, I begrudgingly agreed to go to Sushiichi because it was close by and because the 12-course omakase was $90 on the dot.

The food was fine but forgettable. I honestly couldn't remember a single standout item two weeks later. That doesn't mean others might not enjoy it--it just wasn't memorable to me.

Below is a list of what we got, for what it's worth.

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12-course omakase menu:

Appetizer: Hokkaido sea scallop with uni, paragon truffle, and uni miso Appetizer: Smoked king fish Nigiri: Kampachi amberjack with pickled jalapeno Nigiri: Sea bream, plum paste, shiso flower Nigiri: Striped jack with pico de gallo Nigiri: Seared yellowtail with shishito pepper Nigiri: Seared lobster, shiso leaf tempura, Mira Nigiri: Seared trout with tomato confit Nigiri: Toro with French truffle Donburi: Toro donburi with uni, forbidden rice, soy sauce marinated salmon egg Dessert: Yuzu panna cotta with raspberry glaze and raspberry bits...

Best omakase ever! We beat the crowd with a 5.30pm sitting and ordered the 15 course spread. Chef Hiro was personable and explained the intricacies behind dishes, where the fish are from and how they're prepared.

I could only record the flavors with photos as I wouldn't be able to remember every detail that was passionately shared with us.

Uni (sea urchin) can sometimes taste very fishy, but Hiro explained that they buy those that are pre-packed and already graded. Uni bought directly from the markets are fresh but it's like a lottery as you'll never know whether it's good or not. I can testify to that as I visited the Kyoto fish market and my uni wasn't nice at all. Definitely not so here.

Everything was delicious. Tip: definitely sit at the bar, so you can watch the preparation and interact with the chefs to hear their stories. That is what omakase is all about.

My least favourite dish was the yuzu panna cotta dessert. I wish it was black sesame ice cream or some green tea mochi.

The price was $130 per pax before taxes...