Nakaji
Japanese restaurant · Chinatown
48 Bowery, New York, NY 10013
![Nakaji by Nakaji [Official]](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73902398/Nakaji_Chef_Kunihide_Nakajima_3_Photo_Credit_Melissa_Hom.0.jpg "Nakaji by Nakaji [Official]")
![Nakaji by Nakaji [Official]](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69524848/Nakaji_Chef_Kunihide_Nakajima_3_Photo_Credit_Melissa_Hom.0.jpg "Nakaji by Nakaji [Official]")
Highlights
Edomae-style sushi & Japanese whisky bar with curated omakase
Edomae-style sushi & Japanese whisky bar with curated omakase
"A discreet 10-seat Chinatown counter from chef Kunihide Nakajima offering a deeply traditional omakase (around $365) that typically begins with five seasonal tsumami—sashimi, soup, or chawanmushi—then moves into nine pristine nigiri, a hand roll, and dessert. The menu rotates weekly with seafood flown from Toyosu Market three times a week and highlights bites such as silky bluefin and aori ika; the once-optional uni tasting is now included. Patrons can also arrive early for one of nine seats at the elegant front whisky bar, which houses over 400 rare bottles and cocktails like the Katsurahama (milk-washed chamomile rum, yuzu sake, white peach, and apricot honey)." - Kat Odell
"Like many of Tokyo’s top sushi bars, Nakaji is tucked away in an unassuming hallway partially decorated with charred cedar wood. Look for an illuminated box bearing the chef’s name in calligraphy, and press the doorbell to enter what might be the city’s most exciting sushi concept right now. Helmed by longtime sushi vet Kunihide Nakajima, and launched right before the pandemic, this wholly Japanese experience — which takes place at a 10-seat sushi counter and involves Japanese seafood like ice fish and sea cucumber — has quickly ensconced itself as one of the city’s most traditional Japanese experiences, from its minimalist aesthetic to its standout menu. Compared to the sushi Nakajima served during his previous tenure at Sushiden, Nakaji is a step up in price and quality, currently running $365 for a menu that includes tsumami, a hot plated dish, Edomae-style nigiri, soup, and seasonal Japanese fruit." - Nadia Chaudhury
"Like many of Tokyo’s top sushi bars, Nakaji is tucked away in an unassuming hallway partially decorated with charred cedar wood. Look for an illuminated box bearing the chef’s name in calligraphy, and press the doorbell to enter what might be the city’s most exciting sushi concept right now. Helmed by longtime sushi vet Kunihide Nakajima, and launched right before the pandemic, this wholly Japanese experience — which takes place at a 10-seat sushi counter and involves Japanese seafood like ice fish and sea cucumber — has quickly ensconced itself as one of the city’s most traditional Japanese experiences, from its minimalist aesthetic to its standout menu. Compared to the sushi Nakajima served during his previous tenure at Sushiden, Nakaji is a step up in price and quality, currently running $365 for a menu that includes tsumami, a hot plated dish, 12 nigiri bites, soup, and seasonal Japanese fruit." - Eater Staff
"The number of high-end omakase sushi restaurants in NYC seems to proliferate week by week. But Nakaji has a few distinctions in the fancy sushi landscape. First, there’s the setting. This place is located in a little alley running between Bowery and Elizabeth in Chinatown, so you’re probably going to walk around confused for a few minutes before you find the doorway. The menu ($365 before tax and tip) also stands out from its peers, mainly through its dedication to seasonality. If you’re more likely to be impressed by the chance to try shirako (a.k.a. cod sperm) during its short season than by a torched piece of wagyu, get Nakaji on your list." - bryan kim, neha talreja, hannah albertine, will hartman
"If you’d like your apartment to temporarily feel as luxurious as a Moira Rose daydream, a 13-piece omakase along with a bottle of white Burgundy or snow-aged sake would be a good place to start. You’ll find all of it available for delivery from Nakaji in Chinatown." - matt tervooren
