Next Door by Wegmans

Inside Wegmans’ Upscale Japanese Restaurant in NYC

"An elevated, fine‑dining Japanese restaurant tucked inside Wegmans' Astor Place store in New York City, it features a luxurious interior — golden hues, a marble sushi bar, custom mosaics, and velvet banquettes — plus Champagne, tableside service, and plenty of caviar. The menu, developed by chefs Kazuya Matsuoka, Oliver Lange, and John Emerson and modeled on the original Rochester outpost, emphasizes premium sushi and seafood sourced via Wegmans’ supplier relationships (including fish flown from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market) alongside robata‑grilled meats like ribeye, Tokyo‑style tenderloin, and A5 Japanese wagyu. Signature and high‑end items underscore the fine‑dining intent: a chef’s‑choice nine‑piece nigiri plate priced at $72 (versus $16 for the supermarket nine‑piece), uni at about $42 for two pieces (compared to Nobu’s roughly $18 per piece), and a seafood tower featuring oyster, king salmon pâté, lobster, and Hokkaido scallops. Still, surprisingly affordable vegetable plates under $20 — notably a baked sweet potato mashed with black garlic ponzu butter served with sweet potato chips — have emerged as crowd favorites. Though designed for special occasions, the team hopes it becomes a neighborhood staple for the many devoted Wegmans fans who helped make the Astor Place grocery a sensation; reservations are recommended given likely high demand." - Amelia Schwartz