Koyo

We’ve been ordering from/ coming to Koyo for years and it is still our go-to “fancy” sushi in the area. They even make the take out omakase special if you have to have a date night at home! Love the seasonal rotation of fish featuring what is best at the time, and the little appetizers are always surprising and creative.

It's the restaurant I've loved for many years. The new Spring menu at Koyo is now available! There are two different Omakase menu priced at $90 and $155 . The squid in the sashimi is very smooth and tender. I really like the firefly squid with mayo sauce, and the uni is very fresh and sweet💓 Come enjoy the spring special😊

Koyo refers to the changing of Japanese maple tree leaves as a metaphor for seaonsal. Koyo utilizespeak seasonal ingredients to create an Omakase experience by Chef Jay. We stepped inside this beautiful simple restaurant and quickly seated at the sushi bar by their friendly hostess. The gold tier Omakase consists of three otsumami’s, twelve nigiri’s, a temaki, and dessert. Each otsumami course is prepped with detail that you can taste. Rice is on point with the perfect seasoning. A miso soup cooked with fresh eel was served to clean our palate before dessert for a perfect experience. Reserve your spot on Resy and come taste Koyo!

My wife and I have been coming here for almost 2 years now, so this review is long overdue. We've had 7 of their seasonal menus, some multiple times, and each one has been incredible. The ingredients are always fresh, and each dish is always so creative and thoughtfully crafted to match the season. The current head chef, Chef Wayne, and front of house/pastry chef JoJo are always friendly and attentive. Finally had a chance to try their patio menu and it was spectacular! The highlights are definitely the Koyo Bowl, and the creme brulee cheese cake. And of course no meal is complete without the Uni Toro Toast. Other places make their own versions, but none come close to this one.

Great experience! Was a little skeptical before visiting, didn’t expect a great sushi restaurant in such a local neighborhood. But wooow definitely worth the price. Super fresh fish and uni (who doesn’t love uni) and you can tell the chef put a lot of effort into the manual. Chef Wayne was super nice too and you can ask him a lot of questions about the food and thoughts behind it. Will visit again!

We came as a group and was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately the sushi wasn't fresh, some were fishy. The worst part was a fly came through the door and I saw the fly flew by and went into the kitchen. And the chef appeared to be angry and we all thought he was going to replace the sushi. Moreover, three of my friends all saw the fly landed on the sushi, yet the chef continued to serve that sushi to us 😔

My girlfriend and I visited Koyo for Valentine's day, and we got to enjoy the winter menu. Each bite was both beautiful and delicious, and the service was lovely. We enjoyed a sweet dessert and left with a rose. Definitely try some sake, if you can—their selection is great! I'm very grateful for the experience.

Omakase for $150 includes 12-16 courses. Koyo rotates their menu seasonally to incorporate new dishes and fresh catch from different regions in Japan. This menu is more creative than your average omakase, constantly trying new combinations and textures and somehow everything hits. Definitely a personal favorite

Was excited to try this place out. Parking was easy in the area with residential and metered parking. The omakase counter is in front with a few tables in the back. I wish there was something to help pull the seat in or rest your feet on at the counter. It was very awkward trying to scoot in, not just for me (since I am short), but for my friends as well. The Genmaicha came in a cute little pot and little cups. Well brewed and great accompaniment to the food. The first appetizer was a flaky fish (not sure which) with cucumber, kombu, and mountain yam covered in a citrus vinaigrette. This was a nice light starter. The second appetizer was a tuna tartare on summer squash in a rice paper shell topped with truffle oil. This was a perfect sized bite and a delicate balance of flavors. The third appetizer was creamy Murasaki uni with rice, and charcoal grilled scallops topped with wasabi. The texture of the uni was so creamy and went well with the rice. Then to the nigiri, which was a bit disappointing. The marinated sushi rice and the brushed soy sauce on top of every nigiri kinda overpowered the fish. The sushi rice was so marinated that I thought it was brown rice at first, which I would have preferred. A couple nigiri also fell apart because the consistency wasn't right. Some of the cuts of fish were also on the smaller side... it gave a bare minimum feeling, which was unfortunate since it was $155/person!!! We did get a variety of fish, but again, couldn't taste the difference between the milder fishes. We got the following nigiri for the Gold Tier: -Young sea bream -European sea bass -Yellowjack/stripe jack -Hawaiian amberjack -Torched kanakawa barracuda -Artic char -Spain 5 day aged lean tuna -Torched chuutoro -Saba (makeral) marinated in rice vinegar -Horse makeral -Sake steamed CT Dunganess Crab * -Murasaki Hokkaido Uni We ended the sushi portion with a marinated tuna handroll, which was more seaweed than tuna. A couple of us went to the bathroom at this point and he almost forgot to give one of them this handroll. We then got a miso soup with pike conger and shimegi mushroom. This was flavorful and a good way to wrap up the savory portion of the meal. We ended the meal with a creme brulee lava cheesecake, which I enjoyed as it was not too sweet even with the creme brulee! We ran into the second timing for the omakase but they had tables in the back for the customers to wait (which was weird, because when we arrived early, they asked us to wait outside, so I initially thought the people sitting at the tables were regular customers), and they didn't rush us. They did prep work while we were finishing up. The non sushi foods were better than the sushi, which is disappointing since we went for an omakase! It was also an awkward omakase experience, because the chef spoke softly, and was a wearing a mask, which furthered mumbled his words. At least the bathroom was nice with motion sensing light and individual hand towels to dry your hands. It seems the quality has declined or it was just a really off day for them.

I am going to put the same amount of effort into this review that I felt the Koyo did with our recent $155/pp omakase experience, which is to say not much. I must say after reading the Sushi Legend's https://thesushilegend.com/ reviews and this place getting high praise from their 2 visits my expectations were pretty high. Unfortunately they weren't met. Frankly if I didn't see this place was closing soon I probably wouldn't even have written this review, but it seems they are just coasting to their ultimate end. There was a weird tension during our meal. We arrived a few minutes early and weren't allowed to sit inside and asked to wait outside even though it was fairly warm out. (The later seating was allowed to sit inside while we were finishing up) Our sushi chef seemed annoyed and a little flustered the entire service. At one point he ran outside to get some pickled ginger that he forgot. The food had issues - the rice was poorly seasoned, maybe overly so giving it a sour taste. You can see from some of my pics that rice almost looks like brown rice, and wet. Some of the pieces fell apart as my friends tried to lift them. I appreciated that the cuts of fish were served fairly simply with little embellishment, but they were all similarly seasoned coming off more citric acid and metallic tasting. Anyway, I could go on, but I think I made my point. I am happy they are realizing when its time to hang it up. Perhaps they will go out in flourish and you may get an experience that the Sushi Legend experienced in the past, but for our group of 5, dropping close to $1,000 combined we all left pretty disappointed.

This Kaiseki-inspired Omakase restaurant changes its menu four times a year to reflect each of the four seasons. It was the best Omakase experience I've had in a long time! The chef's incredible attention to detail while preparing each course had me captivated throughout the meal.  The meal begins with four small dishes and is followed by the sushi segment. I especially enjoyed the maguro tuna cone and the black rice soba dish with uni/truffle ponzu sauce. The seasoned rice in the nigiri pieces was exceptional, setting it apart from other dining establishments. Every piece of nigiri was incredibly fresh and melted in my mouth. The meal concluded with a delicious truffle rice dish and dessert, leaving me quite full.  However, if you don't want your meal to end, they offer incredible supplements. My personal favorites are the Truffle King Salmon Handroll and the Uni Toro Toast.  Make a reservation for the Chef's counter and watch him create these beautiful dishes right in front of you! I can't wait to return and try their new menu.

Koyo is brought to you by Chef Zheng, and the menu offers a seasonal omakase with various supplements. We came here for an early seating, and we were able to try the fall-focused omakase: +Otsumami +Saba Zuke - mackerel and nori ponzu +Suzuki - binchotan grilled suzuki and uni rice +A5 Wagyu - wagyu, mesclun greens, and tofu dressing +Dobin Mushi - with roasted madai, matsutake, and seasonal sweets +Sushi +Temaki +and, dessert We also opted for the Uni Toro Toast (with uni, toro, and caviar on milk bread with soy) and the Unit Tasting (which included seasonal uni selelections). Unfortunately, we were disappointed with the set, as while the presentation was nice, the quality and the lack of variety on the omakase didn't warrant the price point. We felt that one had to 'make-up' what the tasting lacked with the provided optional supplements. The interior is modern with clean lines. +underwhelming omakase

Fantastic omakase place in Astoria! My friend and I tried the kaiseki omakase menu. We also shared a pot of buckwheat tea and black tea. Overall all of the courses were so delicious. I especially enjoyed the 15-day aged ootoro piece, which was just such a unique take a on a typical omakase piece. The menu is very dependent on what is available that day, so everything tastes so fresh The tea was also so delicious - just so light and comforting. The staff were so accommodating - they even made the effort to adjust the plating for left-handed people. Definitely looking forward to another visit here too!

Took my boyfriend to koyo for his birthday, and it was incredible! I had been eyeing this for a few years and finally pulled the trigger on grabbing dinner here. The food was delicious, it was a very calm beautiful delicious dinner. They will be closing soon due to their lease being up so I'm glad I was able to go before that happens. I hope they find a new spot locally

Cute small restaurant with good food! Loved the omakase and sitting on chef counter for the experience. Would Return.

Would give 4.5 stars if allowed. Koyo intrigued me with the concept of a seasonal omakese menu. And living just 10 minutes walking distance away, I was sold. It was serendipity. We nabbed a same day reservation on a Sunday night. There was only five of us in the entire restaurant: a couple celebrating a birthday, a solo diner returning for his second time, and us. The night started with four small plates. My favorite was the uni rice with sujiko (sweeter ikura) and yuzu zest. Our server explained that ikura tends to be salty, but sujiko is sweeter. She was right, and each bite was heaven-the creamy uni paired beautifully with the little flavor bombs. I agreed with my fellow diner when she said "you should make this bigger." The nigiri portion of the night was also excellent. My favorites were the arctic char and the uni crab. One of the magical elements about the omakese is the anticipation of the bite as you see the chef at work preparing it. As we watched the chef assemble the sushi pieces. we guessed the name of fish and even took a bets on whether the chef would blowtorch the fatty tuna (he did and I lost!). The sushi ginger (cubed) was delicious and a great palate cleanser between pieces. We each had two rounds. After the 10 pieces, the chef gave us pieces of abalone and a tuna handroll. I would be remiss to mention, we had REAL wasabi (grates from the root)! It tasted fresh and spicy -- but I have to say horseradish is a great imitator and is an accessible way to try the taste of wasabi. And chef Wayne was fantastic. He was very willing to entertain our questions--even teaching us tuna anatomy at one point! We supplemented the tuna uni toast to top off the meal. Not only was it visually stunning, unsurprisingly, it was delicious. In all, it was a 2.5 hour affair. Normally I would find this excessive for dinner, but it essentially came with a show and the opportunity to pick a sushi chef's brain. I would love to come back again. Thank you to Chef Wayne and the Koyo team for a great experience!

This is a great omakase place in Astoria. Loved the decor and the service. The food was pretty good too: fresh, delicate, great presentation. We had the spring omakase and every thing was lovely. Our server explained everything very clearly each course. She was attentive but not over asserting. I think the food was just the right amount but I am also have a light appetite. I think for people who really enjoy eating, the amount would not be enough. The ingredients were very fresh. They are nicely prepped for sure. The only reason for me to take off one star is for the overall value. For $168 per person, the most expensive pieces were uni, o toro, and firefly squids sushi. It seems a little lacking. I would like to have something with scallop or ikura or sweet shrimps. The dessert was super cute - rabbit shaped, hojicha pudding. Not too sweet and just the right amount. Overall it was an enjoyable experience. This is def not a every week fanfare. Would love to see them to be successful.

Wow! This place is such a fine dining experiment. We had an 8 PM seating. This has an intimate bar seating for the dinner dining experience and a back room for regular dinner. This is not your traditional omakase exerience, which I love. Instead, we had the kaiseki fall menu (the menu changes seasonally which is exciting). I came here for a special occasion and did feel very special. The ambience was classy but relaxed and I felt very comfortable the entire time. We started off with some non-alcoholic drinks (moshi sparkling yuzu and white peach) and they were delicious and satisfying with the meal! Not too sweet, and fizzy - I'll be searching for these at home. We started off with the sakizuke which was an inventive and beautiful dish topped with uni and caviar. All of the small dishes were delicious and fun, from a fish soup you poured out of a teapot to the dessert, which was a squash tart! The omakase part was tasty (9 pieces of fish). I did also enjoy the uni, rice, and fish roe bowl at the end, but wish that the uni was not mixed into the rice, but rather, left in whole pieces. Overall, we had an excellent dining experience and felt comfortable and relaxed while enjoying our meal. In addition, this place definitely did not break the bank for the quality of ingredients. I enjoyed seeing the chef prepare food for other tables not at the bar seating and saw the love and care put into each dish.

The quality and presentation of the fish was amazing, The service was excellent And the ambiance is very clean and relaxing I highly recommend this place . I plan on going all four seasons

The best omakase I have had so far!! I came on the last week for their winter menu and I was so surprised. Every course was so fresh and the flavors were so compatible. They have seasonal fish which most places dont serve so that is already awesome. It is $175 per person which is expensive, however it is worth it for the quality of fish they serve. Everything was so great, the chef was so knowledgeable and masterful. The host was great as well, constantly checking up on us to see if we needed anything else. They also have a separate menu after your course is over before dessert if you want to try something else! I made my reservation the day of on a sunday night for the 6:00 and it was just me and 2 other guests, so very intimate. Definitely recommend!!

Went in for the early spring kaiseki and added a sea urchin tasting with urchin from Maine, California and Japan. The whole meal was wonderful, including pacing between each dish. It was even capped with a wonderful little pudding mouse (the animal, not a misspelled mousse). Looking forward to going back once the menu adjusts again!

Good value omakase with lots of uni in every other dish. The rice was very interesting and quite good - it looked brown due to rye but was not brown rice. We had the fall menu, and my favorites were the rice bowl with sujiko and uni, the salmon and mushroom soup in a teapot, and the torched otoro nigiri. The sakizuke had too much radish that overpowered the dish and covered the taste of everything else. The assistant chef needed to work on his skills though. The extra scallop nigiri we ordered at the end was very loose and broke apart, ruining the entire piece.

Easily the best meal I've had in my life, would rate the food Koyo a 6/5 if I could. Every dish served was beautifully constructed, and the flavors wonderfully balanced. FOOD: I got the Fall Kaiseki Inspired Omakase, priced at $168/pp, which included a few starter dishes, soup, sushi, and dessert/tea to end. Each dish and piece of sushi was absolutely delicious, with subtle flavors that helped balance each ingredient. My favorite starter dish had to be the Suimono consommé (miso ginger, salmon, mushrooms), which was served in a lovely tea pot and had a light touch of ginseng to add an earthy taste that beautifully blended with the richness of the salmon and umami of the mushroom. My favorite piece of sushi was either the King Salmon served with fresh truffle, or the Kasukodai / Baby Sea Bream. FEELS: The restaurant has a lovely modern vibe, with aesthetic plating along with wooden fixtures/furniture. They have an outdoor patio out back that is also quite pretty and is perfect for drinks and more casual bites. The staff were wonderfully friendly, helping us answer questions about each dish, quick to serve and refill water, and even helped my partner and I take photos together. Overall, treat yourself and enjoy an extraordinary meal here.

Intimate setting, simple design, clean environment and friendly service! My favorite were the toro, scallop, eel, abalone, razor clam, soup and snapper. Because it's omakase and it's luxuriously priced, we would come back once in a while for special occasions.

Worth the price, this is luxury sushi done right! Let me preface my review noting for 2, without alcohol, we paid $475 for omakase at the bar including tip. We got very lucky and were the only ones sitting at the sushi bar for our anniversary date night. It's a beautiful dining experience -- service is top notch, well informed, friendly, and the actual atmosphere is really charming and calming. Good chill music to vibe to, while eating some of the best sushi in your life. Simple menu, a seasonal omakase offering with some Uni add-ons if you want. The omakase alone was plenty filling for both of us! Also I just loved the tempo between each bite. Nothing felt rushed and I love watching the sushi chef create. The actual food and plating is just gorgeous! This is sushi that will make you want to chew more slowly, that's how good it is. I loved the variety of texture in the omakase. It really is such a fun range of fish and seafood to experience. This is somewhere I'd definitely go back to celebrate something major in life. And if I ever hit the lotto, this is somewhere I'd go every Friday.

Came here when it use to be called something else. Thought it was different but same owner just different chef. The quality and flavor was still very good. Highly recommend! Should definitely try the toast with toro and uni add on. Thinking about it makes me want more of it.

I think if you live in Astoria, this is a great fine dining experience that's nearby and easy to access. If you have the ability or desire to leave Astoria, there are much better omakase and fine dining experiences for the price. I thought the meal in totally was nice but not extraordinary, and I thought the price was astronomical for what we actually got. My favorite part was the plating, which was absolutely beautiful.

Came to koyo from different borough of New York and it's worth it . The vibe is very zen cultural and peaceful it's much needed food therapy you will leave feeling grateful and recharged. For the food wise . I've tried many omakase restaurant in the city koyo is definitely more creative side every piece of fish stays its own flavor but also shows how talented the chef is to bring different elements to the fish . Chef wayne is so humble and skillful . Watching him prep the fish makes the meal lot more satisfying. The host was amazing too very attentive and knowledgeable. I love my experience at koyo and will definitely be back

Absolutely loved my experience here. Came on thanksgiving day and sat at the chefs counter. The decor of the restaurant is adorable, very minimalistic but looks very classy. The food was incredible! We started with some non-nigiri items which were so unique and creative. The sushi was so fresh and the flavor profiles were just perfect! They were also very generous with the truffle and uni. They have a seasonal menu so I would love to come back and try another menu! The chef explained each course very thoroughly and happily answered all of our questions, you could tell he's very proud of his work as he should be! There's an outdoor seating area that is beautiful! It wasn't open when we went but they invited us to go take a look and take pictures. Will definitely be back and highly recommend this place!

So far I've been here twice and you can bet I'll be here again! The first time was for their spring menu and my GOSH what an experience!!!! Every staff member was so nice and knowledgeable. The food was outstanding.. a nice variety of options. Plus the bathroom has a bidet lol. Would highly recommend this place for omakase! I've tried to summer menu too and it didn't disappoint either.... Easily one of my fave omakase spots in the city

I was very surprised to be able to find a super cute little omakase spot in Astoria! I really enjoyed the dishes with the truffle. The sushi sizes were a bit on the smaller size, but they were all delicious regardless. The uni was super sweet and fresh. I loved the little dessert, wasn't expecting to see a little bunny and loved the jam that came with it.

One of my favorite restaurants in all of NYC. I love the changing seasonal menu (been here 3 times so far for the different seasons), love the intimate setting, love the staff here. Such high quality kaiseki/omakase! From beginning to end, you're in for an experience. JB is great and always has amazing recommendations for sake pairing!

Located in Astoria, an upscale Japanese Kaiseki and Omakase combination that couldn't be more different than it's surroundings. Rounded down to 3 stars. Over half of the dishes were good. But some of the omakase pieces were a bit below average, and that's not something you can have in the competitive omakase scene here, especially at this price point outside of the city. Super creative dishes that rotate every season. There are two different chefs, one for cooked dishes and one for sushi. It did seem that we got the less experienced sous chef serving us that day, which kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. Though he was skillful, that's not what you expect when you're paying upwards of $200 for a meal. Akami was good for the 8 pieces of omakase, but nothing else was memorable. While scallop was used in the Chawanmushi, I would have liked scallop, golden eye snapper, and other essential pieces there. Highlights: 1. First course, Sakizuke. Nori cracker with langoustine and uni was unique and showed the boldness of the store 2. Chawanmushi. My favorite dish here, but ultimately a simple dish that many restaraunts have perfected. 3. Chutoro handroll. Was incredibly fresh and used expensive ingredients. Overall they were very generous with caviar and uni. Which were both standard but nothing exceptional. Some noticeable misses wer: 1. The rice, which Jiro has claimed to be more important than fish. Also the quality of the fish was subpar for about half of the pieces. Tough, bland, and uninspiring 2. I watched closely as the Kaiseki chef cooked the eel. While it did have nice charring, it was severely overcooked and tasted like rubber. 3. The Abalone was a bit bland and overcooked as well, lacking bounciness and texture. 5. Miso soup. Nothing really stood out in this dish. The crab felt out of place and was not the right pairing. Something simple as miso cod or homemade tofu would have been much better. 4. Dessert. Worse than cake mix. The mirin-marinated pear had a few flavors that did not match very well

While the service is friendly, it was a bait and switch, they DO NOT HAVE the Uni Toro Toast anymore, even though their website proudly shows video and pictures of it, along with reservation instructions to order ahead, which is did on the reservation form. When we sat down (to celebrate mother's day no less), the menu still proudly showed the toast, wasnt even crossed out/covered but was told by server that they do not have it anymore and wont bring it back. Then why not update your materials?? Was hyped up all week for the toast, but that aside, the Gold tier, the omakase was very lackluster. Just a lot of fish, much of it very similar. Their materials showed very special seasonal dishes, like squid and interesting glass bowl platings, but we just got piece after piece of white fish. Except for the salmon, toro and uni sushi, much of the omakase including the under seasoned miso soup and sloppy cheese cake dessert was underwhelming. I cannot recommend this experience. Maybe it was good a few years ago but it was not at all worth the price and not delivering a special occasion vibe. I felt i had to apologize to the guest i was treating, but still had to pay through the nose.

I have to give a 5 stars because this place is amazing! The kaiseki inspired omakase is worth every penny although Koyo just raised the omakase menu price from $165 to $185. I can only blame inflation. Food was so good and every dish was made with love. I bet the chef put so much heart and effort to create this menu. Fresh and good quality ingredients and interesting presentation. Just to mention, most ingredients were fresh from Japan! I love the plating!! Staff super friendly and nice. I have zero complaint. My only regret was not able to dine at the counter because I didn't make reservation in advance. This place definitely exceeded my expectation and I love it. I would go back again for the next season menu. Hopefully pricing won't go up too much and quickly. I'll make sure to book the counter for an even better experience next time.

4.5 stars rounding up. Got delivery as a treat for my birthday (during covid times) and really enjoyed this meal! Tried the A5 wagyu roll ($24), unagi don ($28) and uni and ikura don ($45) and both were terrific and fresh. They aced the sushi rice, which imo is such an underrated aspect of a good sushi meal. The beef looked very lightly seared(? or maybe was completely raw) and it was wrapped on the exterior of the roll (8pc) served w/julienned radish and fresh wasabi. I'm not a beef expert, but there's only been a few times I've eaten super raw beef and enjoyed it this much. Even without any sauce the roll was very flavorful and basically the beef needed less chewing than normal, which isn't a particularly appetizing way to phrase it, but I'm not sure how else to describe it lol. The unagi rice bowl came with two sizeable filets of eel, well sauced and the eel was very tender. The uni and ikura bowl was served with oyster mushrooms, julienned radish, and fresh wasabi. Plenty of salmon roe and about 5 good sized pieces of uni. Very fresh and creamy--yum! What took it over the top for me were the extra touches like fresh wasabi and the fresh pickled ginger cubes. I'm not sure what type of ginger they use but it's crisp and light, almost the texture of pickled daikon but with that ginger zing. I ate all the ginger even after finishing the main meal, which has never happened for ginger from other sushi restaurants.

*Review reflects management* We hope you never have to encounter Koyo management. If you do, prepare to be blocked. My wife was booking a birthday dinner for me and we were looking to enjoy a lovely meal. We booked via Resy and it wasn't until the day of where we realized we booked the wrong restaurant and wrong location. We called and explained our situation to them. They canceled our reservation which resulted in a $150pp charge ($300 total). The lady on the phone was kind and told us to email their management. Once we emailed management there was little to no empathy or understanding. They essentially said, we have a small restaurant and rely on every seat that comes through the doors. Which we get and understand, but there has to be a middle ground, some basic understanding, and human kindness. They told us to email Resy, which we did and Resy told us to start an email with the restaurant. Which we did and then they never responded. We emailed them a week later to follow up and no response. Then she went to call them and her phone number was blocked! We were not malicious or had any wrong intentions we just wanted to resolve the conflict. We understand everyone's money is tight. We understand that there are many people involved in a restaurant that are relying on it for their livelihood, but to avoid and block her number?? That's pretty sad, shocking, and rude.

Koyo is a truly outstanding dining experience. My initial reaction when I think omakase is "$$$ and need a slice of pizza after because I'm still hungry" but my husband wanted to try Koyo for his birthday and it was worth every penny. One of my top five meals of all time and we definitely didn't leave hungry. The space is intimate, ambient and chic and the service is among the best I've ever experienced. I was very grateful for the explanations and tips on how to best experience each dish because the presentation is very creative and I didn't want to miss any of the unusual flavor combinations. I'm not an omakase expert by any stretch so I'll say each dish was fresh, inventive and really delicious. They were also all really different and incorporated countless flavor combinations. I live for dessert and I was not disappointed. The butternut squash custard topped with chestnut and maple was the perfect finish to the fanciest fall dinner. My husband loves uni and I love toro so we couldn't resist the uni toast, and it was a worthy splurge for both of us. I highly recommend Koyo for any special occasion (or night out if you're a baller like that ha). I definitely hope to return to try a menu for another season.

Awesome Omakase experience! Very nice and comfortable counter seating. Service was excellent, very attentive. All the dishes were excellent, some first time selections for me. You can tell the Chef takes pride in presenting new and exciting dishes in addition to the delicious sushi offerings. Had the wine/sushi pairing and it was perfect. Would not hesitate to go back...

Fav omakase spot of 2022! The chef's counter is an experience. There's a rotating seasonal menu with various non-nigiri courses that really showcase the chef's creativity. Love the vibes and the people there are kind.

I've been eating sushi since before I could walk and this experience? Absolutely blown away! Chef Jay, Lisa, BJ and the rest of the Koyo crew deserve maximum praise for the outstanding level of service that they provided me during my late afternoon visit earlier this week. I had the current seasonal menu, "Spring Kaiseki" + the supplemental Uni Toro Toast which is an absolute must when dining here. From the moment I arrived, I was welcomed warmly by the extremely friendly host team of Lisa & BJ and directed to my seat at the Chef's Bar. I brought my fancy new camera (as you can probably tell by my photos) and managed to capture images without being too distracting, hopefully! Then the appetizers started to arrive and wow. Just freaking wow. Chef Jay broke down every detail of each dish so well. My favorite might be a surprise but it was the Snap Pea & Dungeness Crab bisque. Don't get me wrong, each featured dish in this seasonal menu has the quality to earn the top spot but the flavors in this particular dish were so rich and complex and actually made me feel nostalgia for my childhood. Now keep in mind, I had regular pea soup as a kid but the feelings were very similar :) The quality of the fish throughout each dish was 10/10 melt in your mouth amazing. And I'm not exaggerating. Chef Jay obviously put a lot of thoughtfulness into the order of dishes. One strategic squeeze of yuzu lemon underneath the sliced fish can completely transform a bite. And it absolutely did. This epic meal ended with a really unique and satisfying tapioca pudding that looked like a bowl of jewels. I mean like the pirate kind that always looks really amazing. Think the treasure in the cave of wonders from Aladdin. Yeah. Like that! It was the perfect palette cleanser. Before leaving, I was generously invited to see the back dining area and snap a few photos of the beautiful intimate space. In terms of pricing, I feel that it's appropriate for the experience that I had. With this in mind, I don't imagine that I'll be eating here regularly however when I'm planning my next celebratory meal, Koyo will 100% be number one on that list. Huge thank you again to Chef Jay, Lisa, BJ and the rest of the Koyo crew!

This experience was beyond amazing. This place is nicely tucked away like a nice secret waiting to be discovered and once you find it, it feels like you escape to another world. Everything is so clean and sleek right down to the bathroom, which is also a moment itself. The staff are very knowledgeable and open to questions about the food coming out. They are also extremely polite and really know how to make the guest feel welcome. The food itself is an experience, nothing was left on the plate and everything tasted absolutely wonderful. Don't forget to pair with some sake! I unfortunately only have pictures but no names, at least you can imagine how delicious it is with these pics. 10/10 recommend for a special occasion as it can be a bit pricey, but it's completely worth it! You can't put a price on such a wonderful dining experience.

After seeing many reviews, instagram and trying out other omakase places, I decided to try this place. I went for a 5:00pm reservation due to the fact I do not live in the surrounding areas. When I walked in, the host greeted me immediately and sat me at the counter and then the chef greeted me. I assume I was their first costumer of the day and had the place all too myself. I ordered a yuzu peach drink and then the service began. The chef was friendly and I was having a comversation on the different omakase place i've been to and he also suggested a omakase place for me to try. The quality of the fresh is great and I do love this place. I love the fact they serve ube ice cream. Great service and great service.

Nice omakase spot in astoria. Not very expensive, although there wasn't, ebi or eel sushi, it was good overall.

A $250 worthy omakase at $168 - this alone should tell you how great it is. Koyo is not the most innovative. The aged tuna and skipjack tuna with ponzu broth were not stunning, but undoubtedly solid and hits other omakase restaurants at this weight class hard.

It's a great experience at koyo. The sushi selections were fine, but the appetizers are great. The hand roll is my favorite, wagyu is 100/100! Uni is excellent. I wish next time the sushi selection can be more varied and more fresh.

Ordered a takeout. The package is very delicate and foods are elegantly arranged. Love the uni which is so sweet. Chirashi Don also has nice salmon and tuna. I am not that into some salted fish or roe though. Unagi Don is also good. But pork belly has too much fat that you will feel creamy very soon. Overall this is a good Japanese restaurant offering takeout in LIC.

My experience at Koyo was disappointing, aided perhaps by the fact that I had such high expectations going into my reservation. I booked a table on Resy, where I selected that I would be eating the regular omakase menu. Upon sitting down I was informed that the restaurant was only serving the kaiseki omakase menu, and that I would not be able to have anything not off that menu. I would not normally have stayed but it was 8:00 in the evening already so I decided to stay anyways and pay for what I was assuming would be a delicious, seasonal omakase. I've enjoyed a handful of omakase places in New York but by no means am I a connoisseur, so these are just my thoughts as an enjoyer of sushi: I like wasabi as much as the next person, but more than half of my pieces were overly seasoned with it, taking away from the flavors of the sauce and the fish. Of the three toro (my favorite fish) courses, all of them had been treated either by searing or seasoning with truffle, and the mouthfeel of the fish (the staple of toro) was ruined. Lastly and perhaps my biggest concern was the wait times in between each course. The timing between courses and the waiting and discourse among friends is part of the omakase experience, but 15-20 minutes in between each course is far too long, and I left at around 10:45 after a meal that comprised a relatively small number of plates. Overall just felt like a very lackluster meal.

I love sushi and miss dining in with omakase style. I have been eyeing Koyo for a few months since I moved to LIC and decided to give it a try. I ordered through their website which is convenient . I ordered for delivery but they put my order as pickup . The foods finally came 20 minutes after the estimated arrival time . Their overall fish quality is good . The food packaging was nice presented.Here is what my orders : - truffle king salmon- not so flavorful . - koyo omakase- 8 special nigiri , seasonal appetizer(not good), a tuna maki roll and miso soup ( need some salt) - Tekka Don- tuna rice bowl and the fish was fresh

Wonderful place all around: great ambiance and aesthetic, fantastic service, and delicious food and drinks. It's the best.

Koyo interior design set up is elegant but the atmosphere and rules enforced did not align. The customer next to us were allowed to watch television on their phone disturbing our omakase experience. I felt like I was at a sport bar.... The ingredients were fresh but it didn't blend well together. It was either too salty or too zesty taking away the freshness of the seafoods. Every time I used their wooden spoon it would taste like dish soap (At least you know it's clean). I dislike the mochi desert soup the most. I would recommend Sushi Lab instead of Koyo due to price comparison.

TLDR: Revamped omakase in the space that Gaijin occupied. Chef Darry offers a sushi/kaiseki omakase tasting menu. Prices are $135 for sushi and $175 for kaiseki. Excellent restaurant, worth the cost. We ended up here on Christmas Eve because, well just because. The previous group was still wrapping up so we had to wait a bit at the tables in the back. Wow, they really did a terrific job renovating the space. The bar is pristine, lots of maple, marble - it all just works really well together. Because this was a holiday, they only had a $160 tasting menu available. We ordered a sake and a tea for beverages, then we got started. Sakizuke, a spotted prawn topped with uni and caviar, nestled in an egg yolk aioli. Sweet, succulent, the bursts of caviar and that creamy sea urchin. A terrific way to kick the meal off. Zensai. Some sliced yellowtail sashimi, a whelk braised in dashi (unique) and a "shirako" tempura. So I've had shirako or cod sperm sacs before but not in a tempura preparation. This one happened to be topped with shaved black truffles as well. It's still not my favorite but the tempura batter certainly helps tone down the creaminess and richness of this bite. Mushimono. A chawanmushi or egg custard, with some of the tiniest baby shrimp at the bottom. A bit looser than I'm used to but good. Takiawase. Here's something new, A5 wagyu is on plenty of sushi menus but usually it's torched, raw or grilled. Here it is steamed. Chef Darry explains that letting it steam in this way is a very Japanese technique (done in a much larger format) but also preserves the true taste of the beef. I still prefer it grilled but I can't say he's wrong here. We were sat directly in front of Chef but this is when he first started speaking with us Sunomono. This was my favorite non-nigiri dish of the dinner. In fact, this one piece alone may have sold me to try the kaiseki next time I come back. A piece of monkfish liver or ankimo wrapped first in perilla leaf and then bundled by a slice of sea bream. This is topped with salmon roe and white/black sesame seeds. It's a lot going on in one bite but damn, it was delicious. The creamy liver is cut through by the crispness of the perilla leaf and the sea bream. This in combination with these briny bubbles of flavor in the salmon roe.. wonderful. Nigiri. The sushi begins. Finger wipe is presented and the ginger for between pieces. I absolutely love when I get ginger that's cubed. The regular shavings of it are fine but having it cubed saves me the time of wiggling the excess slices free. One thing I'll point out is that Chef Darry's rice here is phenomenal. The sushi rice he prepares has a very bold vinegar taste, red vinegar to be exact. Perfectly al dente, each piece is prepared to a specific temperature meant to highlight that bite of nigiri you're served. Simply put, rice was on point. Golden Eye Snapper - Always solid. Striped Jack - I used to never really appreciate this piece but I do now. Like a lean piece of yellowtail but with the right note of fattiness. Sea Perch - Oh yes, dial the flavor up. I love this fish and even more so when it has that kiss of flame. It's like the pork belly of the sea, it's so fatty with so much flavor. When it's torched though, it's like that nub on the end of a steak that's perfectly charred. Arctic Char - This was a complimentary piece from Chef that night. We love gifts, especially ones that taste like this. Scallop - Good. Very few scallop pieces really amaze me but they're always enjoyable. Horse Mackerel - Served with a drop of chives on top. That allium accent just rounds out that fishiness perfectly. Japanese Barracuda - If there's another fish I love torched more than sea perch, its probably this one. The skin tends to flower with this crispy bits and that deliciously smoky flavor. Bravo. Fatty Tuna - Probably one of the best pieces of very fatty tuna I've had. It was just glistening from every angle. Sea Urchin - Served just atop the rice, why add more ingredients to something that only needs one. Excellent. Salt Water Eel - This one is braised in a Crockpot full of sake. Great. Cut Roll of Fatty Tuna, Sea Urchin and Onions - As you might imagine, crispy roasted seaweed wrapped around a very creamy bite. The fatty tuna and sea urchin make an incredibly delicious filling, with these crunchy little bits of onion. Fabulous. Dessert. Mochi with berries. All very good but obviously, sushi is the star here. During dinner we spoke with Darry and he gave us his background while serving. It was nice being able to talk with him about sushi and just all types of food and he was preparing pieces. He's moved around through a variety of fine dining establishments, most recently from Shuko/Uchu. I thoroughly enjoyed this meal, there is no need to discount it because it is not in Manhattan. Koyo gave me a culinary experience equal to or greater than some of the more established sushi restaurants we've tried in Manhattan.

I was looking for an omakase restaurant for a nice dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I found this place on yelp and ended up booking it because of the good reviews. I thought the food was more of a 3.5 experience, but rounded up for great service. While we enjoyed the dinner, we both didn't think it was worth the price tag, and my husband said he wasn't completely full after. The omakase included a couple of courses of sushi, including both nigiri and hosomaki. There was also a cold sashimi appetizer, a chicken soup, and cooked quail. The quail was just okay and felt like the odd thing out - it was cooked in spices that were reminiscent of South East Asian, or Indian cuisine, and I wasn't a fan. There was one oyster dish that looked like they had experimented with molecular gastronomy. The aesthetic was impressive, and the taste was good, but like the other dishes, not amazing. Dessert consisted of a blueberry cheesecake. This was pretty average, and not overly sweet. Staff are all in masks, and they have a cute backyard garden set up.

Impeccable unique chill low key high quality; tastes I've never tasted. Service so perfect they think one move ahead of you. Rhythm so fine the next dish is always perfectly timed. Atmosphere. Sit at the bar. No other way. Other diners are not your standard NYC Karens yelling over each other about their intstagrams, so you can have a pleasant conversation with your date. Not one "meh" dish, they were all delightfully delicious. Best experience in Astoria. Thank you Koyo.

Really wanted to love this as the environment and service were both good. However, the food was a little disappointing to be honest. I went for the sushi omakase, which includes 12 pcs of nigiri and some accompaniments. Out of the 12 pieces, only 4 pieces were really good quality seafood. I'm not saying the rest were not fresh, but they were not the quality and species of fish you expect in a $135 omakase (e.g. Spanish mackerel, rainbow trout). They were the kind which in Japanese restaurants in CA are $8 for 2 pieces. Honestly. I know this is NYC but the Bay Area CA is arguably more expensive to live in and it's not cheap to eat out there, so I think it's a fair comparison. Like I said, I really wanted to like the place but the quality of the nigiri was just disappointing.

Best service and quality if you know you know! Some of the most exotic cuisines I ever had

Big fan of Koyo!! I go at least once every time their menu changes with each season. The menu is very creative and beautifully presented, with unique ingredients unseen in most omakase spots around the city. Gorgeous execution of dishes, lovely interior, the nicest staff... this place checks off all the boxes!