Sushi Akira

I had an incredible omakase experience here. All of the sushi was so fresh, flavourful, and beautifully presented. There was such a wide selection of high quality dishes but some ones that stood out were the hairy crab with uni, fatty tuna, and Spanish mackerel. The staff/chefs were incredibly welcoming and accommodating. The atmosphere was a very clean and intimate venue providing the best sort of environment for an omakase. Overall, really happy with my experience here and will be looking forward to coming back.

I had an unforgettable dinner at Sushi Akira. Every single bite offered a unique and thoughtful flavor, and the chef absolutely nailed each course with precision, creativity, and balance. It was truly remarkable from start to finish. The service was warm, attentive, and perfectly paced, enhancing the overall dining experience. The ambiance is elegant yet inviting, calm, intimate, and ideal for appreciating a high-quality omakase. I paired my meal with a glass of Mâcon-Villages, which complemented the earlier courses beautifully, and finished with a Riesling for dessert, a perfect way to complete the experience. Overall, an outstanding and memorable meal. Highly recommended.

An incredible omakase experience at Sushi Akira. Every course was beautifully presented and incredibly fresh, with fish flown in from Japan and prepared with amazing precision. The chef’s attention to detail and the intimate counter experience made the entire meal feel special. One of the few female omakase chefs in NYC, Chef Nikki has refined her craft at Masa, Sushi Nakazawa, and Sushi of Gari, bringing Michelin-level precision, artistry, and service to Sushi Akira’s intimate 12-seat setting, 19-course omakase experience. Truly one of the best omakase experiences in NYC—can’t wait to come back. 🍣✨

An absolutely amazing dining experience! The ingredients were incredibly fresh and full of flavor, each dish uniquely crafted with great attention to detail. Our chef was super friendly and took the time to explain every ingredient and course, making the omakase feel truly authentic. A genuinely memorable meal — we’ll definitely be coming back again!

As much as l would love to keep this place all to myself, I also wish them all the success and I foresee a star in their future. Once I forgot to mention my wife's dietary restrictions, but they remembered and created a customized course just for her. World class hospitality and service.

We had a wonderful experience here for our anniversary celebration. Food was creative and fresh with unique flavors and old favorites. The atmosphere was great with both chefs being so wonderful and welcoming. We had a wonderful night!

This Omakase sushi restaurant has beautifully presented appetizers, but only the crab and soup stood out. The sushi was exceptional—light, refreshing, and rare to find in New York. Both chefs were friendly, making the dining experience enjoyable.

I came here for dinner at their last seating one evening and thought that it was a wonderful meal. Their dinner is 195pp and consists of 18 courses. The staff is wonderful and the chefs are professional and fun. The ambiance of the restaurant is a bit more upscale, bright, clean, and comfortable. We started the meal with a couple appetizers consisting of foie gras, beautifully presented sashimi, and abalone. Each bite was amazing and I loved how the dishes were garnished in a way that highlighted the fish, rather than just adding more flavors into it. Although I loved the foie gras and sashimi, my favorite was definitely the abalone, which was grilled and served with a creamy sauce. All of the pieces were so delicious and unique. Following the appetizers, you are met with the nigiri course, which was phenomenal. The pieces were so fresh, and the quality was amazing. My favorite nigiri pieces were definitely the hairy crab and uni (which I've never had together before) and the scallop. Their uni was probably one of the richest and buttery pieces of uni I've had. The meal finished off with a dessert course of melons and hojicha pudding. A great meal and phenomenal experience.

Sushi Akira is one of my favorite omakase experiences in NYC as good as any top tier place especially for the value. Chef Nikki Zheng with chef Jeff create and intimate but engaging setting, so personable and kind, along with Queenie on staff with excellent sake recommendations and perfect amount of attention. Appetizers: Foie gras- such an intricate, artsy presentation w/ flowers and so delicious Mackerel- served in unique box initially smoky Abalone liver w/ small side of rice - FAVORITE. Tons of flavor and reminded me of Icca's abalone rice nigiri. Wagyu sando - mini wagyu sandwich, so tender w/ hint of char Nigiri highlights: Overall rice felt perfectly seasoned and cooked Madai - best madai i've had in NYC. Period. Hairy crab w/ hokkaido uni, generous pouring including for uni roll, very rich Akami and Otoro - so much umami, especially the latter and so rich Anago They have add on menu with options depending on availability - I got monkfish liver that was just incredible and so much flavor. Ended with panna cotta dessert and melon, sweet endings, though would love to see their take on tamago in future (personal love for it)

Can't get any better than this. Sushi Akira is simply the best when it comes to quality and experience. I was happy to celebrate my 4 year anniversary here. Thank you Sushi Akira! Food: 5/5 Price: 4/5 Experience: 5/5

Sushi Akira offers an 18-course omakase that feels like a curated culinary journey--from appetizers to premium nigiri and dessert. Seating is limited (around 12 seats), giving it a personal and intimate atmosphere. Chef Jeff & Nikki Zheng is young but highly trained, with experience at top-tier sushi restaurants. His knife work, ingredient handling, and plating show clear precision and attention to detail. The menu often features premium ingredients such as uni, toro For an omakase of this quality, the price point under $200 per person is considered very reasonable in New York, especially compared with other high-end sushi counters. Despite the premium setup, the restaurant maintains a relaxed and comfortable mood. The chef engages with guests, explains ingredients, and shares stories behind the dishes, adding to the overall experience. Sushi Akira is recognized for its thoughtful course progression, high-quality fish, and meticulous preparation. Many diners praise the hospitality, pacing of courses, and consistency.

We've become weary of the many so-so omakase joints springing up in NYC, but Sushi Akira rises above the pedestrian pack with its ultra fresh sushi, reasonable prices and friendly attentive service. Unlike other sushiyas offering cheaper domestic or European ingredients, Akira sources virtually all of its premium seafood straight from Japan. We came for the 6:00 dinner seating. Immediately seated by friendly staff in comfy seats, then Johnny helped us pick out the perfect sake bottle from a well curated list. Wine, beer and soft drinks are also available. The 18 course meal was utterly mind blowing. Started with a foie gras appetizer studded with fresh flowers, beautiful as well as melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Grilled abalone with liver sauce, a premium offering not often seen around here, was rich with umami flavor. Wagyu beef sandwich was so tender and flavorful. Of the nigiri course, my favorite pieces were the hairy crab and uni sourced from Hokkaido, plump autumn sanma (pike mackerel), and shima aji (striped jackfish). They didn't stint on the uni! We enjoyed generous dollops of uni including purple and another ultra-creamy type (whose name escapes me now). Premium melon and hojicha pudding dessert was the perfect ending to this magnificent feast. Sushi Akira is less than a year old, but already a major contender among top NY omakase restaurants. My advice is to reserve seats on Resy before they get too booked up. Two seatings of 12 people per evening (6:00PM and 8:15PM) are available. I can't wait to return for more of Chef Nikki's seasonal delicacies.

My wife and I had a great omakase experience. Staff and chefs are very friendly. Service is excellent. Of course all the appetizer and sushi were top notch. Ingredients nearly all freshly delivered from Japan. Get in quick before it gets a michelin star in the next year (mark my words) and resys will become hard.

TLDR: Sushi Akira is a new addition to the UES neighborhood and one of the better sushi-yas offering omakase at the moment. The venue is clean/comfortable, the hospitality is fantastic and the food of course - is excellent. Sushi Akira was a place I had made a note to visit, especially after several friends who eat omakase a lot recommended them. Pricing is at $190 with 5 otsumami (apps), 11 nigiri/courses and dessert. While it's pricier than the budget omakase, it is fair for the quality, etc. Chef Nikki Zheng is knowledgeable, skilled and an incredibly friendly chef. The otsumami definitely stood out. The foie gras monaka, a French/Japanese bite with texture, lots of flavors and done very well. The apple wood smoked sawara (Spanish mackerel) I enjoyed with the micro greens, jelly and crispy binchotan skin. My favorite definitely was the abalone, grilled and served with its own liver sauce and a small ball of sushi rice on the side to mix in with that luscious richness. All the nigiri was excellent, the shari was seasoned well with a nice chew to it. For me my favorites were the uni kegani (sea urchin + hairy crab), the seared kinmedai (goldeneye snapper) cured in kobujime (kelp) and the anago which is grilled super crispy leaving a soft inside. The double desserts was great, a sliced Japanese crown melon and a hojicha pudding with actual cold hojicha over it. Sushi Akira was one of the places that I was very happy I found and will definitely visit again. Few restos leave an impression like that on me but very again - definitely should be on your list to visit.

I came here for dinner at their last seating one evening and thought that it was a wonderful meal. Their dinner is 195pp and consists of 18 courses. The staff is wonderful and the chefs are professional and fun. The ambiance of the restaurant is a bit more upscale, bright, clean, and comfortable. We started the meal with a couple appetizers consisting of foie gras, beautifully presented sashimi, and abalone. Each bite was amazing and I loved how the dishes were garnished in a way that highlighted the fish, rather than just adding more flavors into it. Although I loved the foie gras and sashimi, my favorite was definitely the abalone, which was grilled and served with a creamy sauce. All of the pieces were so delicious and unique. Following the appetizers, you are met with the nigiri course, which was phenomenal. The pieces were so fresh, and the quality was amazing. My favorite nigiri pieces were definitely the hairy crab and uni (which I've never had together before) and the scallop. Their uni was probably one of the richest and buttery pieces of uni I've had. The meal finished off with a dessert course of melons and hojicha pudding. A great meal and phenomenal experience.

Incredible experience! I enjoyed the 18 course Omakase, and let me tell you- it was amazing. The popularity of Omakase restaurants has risen in NYC, but this definitely blows others I have tried out of the water. We started with 5 appetizers, 10 nigiri, 1 handroll and 2 desserts. They have a wonderful beverage selection, and my server even assisted in picking out the perfect bottle of Sake (based on my preferences). It's a wonderful addition to the UES, and I can't wait to come back!

Outstanding Omakase experience from start to finish! Every bite was thoughtfully prepared and creatively presented. Chef Jeff was incredibly skilled and helpful explaining each course as it was presented. Every bite was delicious and unique, from the appetizers to the outstanding 10 nigiri pieces to the showstopper desserts. The servers were knowledgeable about the wine and sake lists and helped to recommend the best bottle for our meal. We can't wait until we're able to come back, it's an exciting addition to the UES and is a must for anyone in the neighborhood!

Absolutely loved Sushi Akira! The food was incredible, and every dish was a work of art. The quality of the fish is some of the best I have had in New York, and was more reasonably priced compared to other omakase restaurants around Manhattan. The restaurant was beautiful, with a gorgeous wooden sushi bar. The service was also very attentive, and the chefs were very kind and informative. I will definitely be back!

Exceptional meal. Every bite was crafted with care and precision. Bravo Chefs Jeff and Niki! Can't wait to return.