KOMA Sushi

A 200-pound tuna is the star of a very fun show at Koma Sushi - Review - New York - The Infatuation

"341 days of the year, Koma is a pretty run-of-the-mill sushi restaurant in Midwood with an abundance of fake flowers and a standard line-up of nigiri. But every other Monday, it transforms into a stage for a 200-pound tuna. The fish is laid upon the counter and carved by a head chef and four tuna technicians, who work swiftly and methodically to provide one of the most fun sushi experiences we've had in years. The show starts promptly at 7pm, so show up on time. Even if you're not seated at the counter, the whole restaurant (and their iPhones) gather around for the carving. The dismantling takes nearly an hour, so at some point most people retreat to their seats to nibble on edamame until the pieces of tuna start to arrive. video credit: Molly Fitzpatrick video credit: Britt Lam video credit: Britt Lam photo credit: Willa Moore photo credit: Willa Moore Pause Unmute The sake and sushi feels unlimited. Maybe it’s technically something like 33 courses. In practice it's around the point where you decide you cannot possibly eat another piece of tuna, and then have just one more. It's all tuna. There is nothing else. You might not be able to eat tuna for a long while after this, but what a wonderful problem to have. Koma only does one seating a night—crushing a fish the size of ten dachshunds takes time—and it's booked out for the foreseeable future. We got a table by calling on the Sunday before (you can try day-of as well), and we'll be forever indebted to that four-top who decided that they just weren’t cut out for a Monday tuna and sake deluge. If you get the chance, don't be like them. Food Rundown The Tuna Event The Tuna Event costs $125, and includes miso soup, edamame, and cold house sake that is definitely more lukewarm, but we’re not really complaining. If 33 rounds of tuna sounds repetitive to you, you must be a sensible person with a sane head on your shoulders. But against all odds, the good people of Koma Sushi keep it interesting. Pieces of tuna are topped with scallions, jalapeños, and mayo and crispy onions. The tuna ribs are scraped clean with a spoon and made into a salad with cucumber and sesame oil. Perhaps most innovatively, they also top tuna with tuna. There's seared toro topped with toro tartare, a tuna avocado roll topped with spicy toro, and the most maniacal piece of all: chutoro topped with chutoro. Our least favorite? The only cooked piece. PlayMute video credit: Britt Lam" - Willa Moore