U Omakase — Restaurant in New York

So let's start off with its service. Louis and Isabelle were very friendly, warm, attentive, and kind, occasionally socializing with us diners and refilling our complimentary sake/water without being asked to. Service is 5 stars. Now the food:

First - Oyster with ponzu, sesame oil and chives. 3/10 Although the oyster was fresh, the sesame oil that accompanied it was so overpowering that it completely masked the ponzu, which made the overall oyster a lot less citrusy and more sesame oily.

Second - Miso soup with leek, shiitake mushroom and shrimp. 4/10 This unfortunately wasn't anything too special, was just miso soup with little bits (1-2 small piece) of shrimps.

Third - King salmon with chili oil, chives, tobiko and fried onion. 8/10 Aesthetically pleasing and delicious as well! The smoked component of the dish was unique and infused the king salmon perfectly. The fried onions were a delicious addition to the dish and complimented the soft king salmon deliciously!

Fourth - Soft shelled crab with cauliflower purée and pickled cucumber. 9/10 The soft shell crab was so delicious and paired greatly with the soft cauliflower purée, which was so smooth it tasted kind of like mashed potato haha.

Fifth - Fluke with ponzu I guess? 6/10 You can definitely taste the ponzu and the fluke was fresh. It was tiny, however, and because of its small portion, I couldn't really make out its taste that well.

Sixth - Bluefin tuna carpaccio with wasabi and yuzu. 8.5/10 Very fresh bluefin tuna, which was fatty enough that it paired greatly with the yuzu sauce and wasabi! I liked this a lot, but I think they can enhance this dish even more by using a bit of soy sauce to bring out its umami!

Seventh - Shima aji with preserved vegetable. 7/10 Very meaty and fresh shima aji, where the preserved vegetable brings out its otherwise plain flavor.

Eighth - Wild caught salmon. 6/10 This was hard to grade because the freshness of it was impeccable, but there was either none or a very mild droplet of soy sauce brushed on. Hence there were nothing bringing out and enhancing the incredible freshness of the salmon.

Ninth - Langoustine Shrimp with beurre blanc sauce. 10/10 It comes with a cream sauce (beurre blanc) that paired with it perfectly, which adds a non-Asian twist to the dish. Would totally order another one if possible, that's how good it was!

Tenth - Madai fish from Shiba, Japan. 5/10 Fish was fresh as well, but the lack of soy sauce didn't bring out the fish's flavors. Easy fix!

Eleventh - Baby Marilyn - chefs unique creation with scallop and chef's unique sauce that can only be found here. 10/10 This was both a fun and delicious dish to eat, for the head chef came around torching our scallops one at a time until we hear a crackle, signaling the perfect timing to eat it! It was extremely delicious and the sauce tasted both like a creamy Mayo/butter infused fish roe.

Twelfth - O-Toro tuna with Santa Barbara uni. 10/10 The name says it all, can't really go wrong with seared o-toro and uni!

Thirteenth - Sea eel from Japan. 5/10 The sea eel was fresh but kind of too bland to my liking unfortunately; maybe a little sprinkle of sea salt may help bring out its natural flavors and freshness! (:

Fourteenth and last - gooseberries infused with sake, mirin, and fresh cream! 10/10 Very unique dessert and my first time trying gooseberries. The cream was so fresh that it really complimented the sake-infused gooseberries! You can't get this kind of dessert anywhere else, so I hope you can try it!

Our overall experience was an interesting one and definitely an omakase experience that varied creatively than many others. There's some areas where they can improve upon, and some where they shined incredibly blindingly. There are some special dishes that you simply can't get anywhere else, and that's where they give you the best, delicious experience. I hope they will continue to grow and come up with new, unique, and...

How do I live a few blocks away and did not know this place existed? Maybe because you can literally walk right by it and not notice there is restaurant there… it almost has this speak easy mystery vail sort of vibe. From the moment you walk in however, you know that this will be a magical experience. U shaped table that sits about 15 around it stands in the middle of a very stylish interior. Chef station in the back is bustling with preparations and the staff carefully sets up the table for the guests. Chill music playing, giving off a very welcoming and not at all stiff vibe. Dim lighting adds to the amazing ambiance of the space. It almost feels as if you came to your fancy friend’s house for a holiday dinner. And then the magic happens! The small plates come out swiftly and are placed in front of all guests. Each plate is carefully curated and beautiful, and the staff makes sure to explain what is being served. There is not one dish that was mediocre. Every plate was stunningly beautiful and even more delicious. This really was the BEST sushi I had in all of NYC! The staff is amazing and super friendly and by end of the evening you will probably make friends with the others at the table. Luis and Isabella make everyone feel at home and go above and beyond to assure that everyone feels welcomed and at home! I can’t recommend this place enough! Although it may seem that the dinner is pricy, I assure you that it is worth every penny and you will be dreaming of the experience for days! We are already looking for the next occasion to celebrate at U Omakase. Thank you for one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in a long while! Can’t wait to...

It was a fantastic time, best omakase we’ve had in nyc so far! (+ A couple of the dishes were the best food we’ve ever had!) Where they shine is their intimate, down to earth hospitality paired with exceptional, creative dishes. Definitely a must try!!

More Info: 75min seating, but plan for ~2 hrs It truly feels like a gathering of friends, but no need to be intimidated as it just feels very comfortable, no pressure to mingle Look out for the street sign for the entrance, it looks like a house from the outside You will not get to see the chef’s at work up close, as their kitchen is in the corner (but open concept) BYOB no corkage fee (but your new friends may share some of their drinks with you ;)) Menu may change, depending on the fresh ingredients sourced that week

Room for improvement? (With love): The seats at the very middle (bottom of the U) were always served last, meaning we had to hurry and eat to return the dishes so as not to hold up the next course, get less of the birthday cake, and also the unfortunate ones not to get the planned dish if there aren’t enough (the alternate dish was just not as exciting and felt like a rushed after thought…) Perhaps the serving order could be alternated, to start from the middle/ends. It did feel like the worst seat at the table for food. The creative dishes were sooo exceptional that the simple nigiri’s seemed average in comparison. Mixed feelings within my group on which ones we did enjoy.

Overall an amazing place, hence the 5 star. Can’t wait to be back again, thanks for the amazing...