Sushi Zo

Lovely small little restaurant. Head chef Hiroyuki is a delight and was an excellent host for our evening. His pleasant demeanor and quick wit made the experience and food especially enjoyable. Highly recommend. You will feel full and satisfied and wishing you could remember the taste of each individual sushi as it arrived.

It was a special day for me and I couldn’t be happier that I chose Sushi Zo to celebrate the night. Every course was stunning and very impressive. My favorite ones were aji & shima aji that they were the best taste I’ve ever had. The vibe of the restaurant was private and only 7 people were there during the service. Chef Kurosawa and his sous chef made my night. Absolutely recommend.

You must have to love sushi if you plan on dining here. It’s $299/person and omakase only. You can only dine here by making a reservation. If you cancel they will charge you the $299 per person. The sushi is flown in daily from Japan. You get your own personal sushi chef for the evening. I would suggest coming hungry. It is definitely a dining experience for taste, texture and art of the making and presentation of each sushi. With a few glasses of wine and bottled water as well as tip was about $850. It’s quite expensive but I feel that the experience and quality of the food is worth it. It’s perfect for a special occasion. It’s a small establishment. It seats 10 people. It was only my husband and I and another couple. The chef was super nice and watching him prepare the sushi for each course was a treat. The portions and food was just the right amount for me. However , my husband was full but he did eat 3 slices of Joes afterwards. Overall, a once in a lifetime dining experience. The sushi was the freshest sushi I’ve ever ate in my life.

Excellent omakase experience. A great selection of pieces, all high quality. My personal favorites were the otoro and the fatty yellowtail. Chef is funny and engaging. I was alone as I was coming back from a business trip, but he made the experience very enjoyable.

One of the best sushi dinners I’ve ever had. Top quality fish. Top quality service. The chefs are absolutely amazing as well. Every piece was mouth watering delicious

One of the best sushi I've ever had in my life. Every single piece was made with such care and precision. $200 per person is a bit pricey but it was worth every penny.

Omakase was DELICIOUS. Service was excellent as well. Would highly recommend this place. I told the waiter that didn’t like strong tasting seafood and the chef respected my preference and really wowed me. I particularly like the ones with truffle. Yum yum

Exceptional omakase. Certainly one of the best in the city. Well-priced, excellent quality. Stellar service. The quality of ingredients was superb. Everything was simply sublime. Highly recommended.

What a phenomenal experience! If you know me (or have read any of my previous reviews) you know that I typically enjoy recording in great detail every nuance of the ambiance, service and food I've enjoyed while dining. Well, this experience called for something different. It was the type of exclusive, intimate experience that demanded one's full attention and presence in moment. Consequently, this review has fewer words than my norm, and no pictures. In a small, comfortably decorated restaurant, the chef opened the locked door and welcomed us by name. A cozy, contemporary decor greeted us, and most auspicious, was the number of place settings set out. We were fortunate to receive the VIP experience, just the two of us with the chef, with no other patrons to vie for his attention. The chef, Hiro (@chef_kurosawa), is all at once a culinary artist, master of the knife, ingenious pervayor of novel flavors and personable, even jovial bar tender. Every single dish of the omakase experience was an exquisite and delightful stepping stone in a culinary journey. But what made this restaurant, or shall I say this chef, stand apart, was that every single dish exhibited a vastly different and ingenious flavor profile. I've never experienced this level of variety in an omakase sushi experience before. The joy of unbridled experimentation is readily evident in each dish. Standouts include fresh shrimp with a generous portion of caviar and shaved bottarga, smoked buttery rockfish, crab in an egg custard and truffle broth, and a unique fish broth ramen with fish cake. Dessert was also a surprisingly delicious fair with an earthy, matcha gelato and an over 25 layer semi-sweet crepe cake. Needless to say, I'm excited to return to this restaurant again with friends. For those who appreciate one of a kind dishes, this is the place to go for an exclusive sushi experience.

A quiet place in a busy area. Sushi Zo transfers you into a world of Zen away from the bustling concrete jungle streets of NYC. Executive chef Kurosawa is an absolute delight to be served by and the overall experience is high class and what you would expect from a professional Omakase. If memory serves me right, there are around 18 courses you would end up having. As a pro tip, you definitely want to be on time as I think you might get an extra one! In our experience, we were graced with three kinds of tuna, four kinds of snapper, Uni (short and long spine variants), shrimp with roe, torched barracuda, yellow tail, a hand-roll and more. A great place for a nice small celebration (they will have cake for birthdays!), intimate date nights or just a break away from the busy world we live in!

It's been a minute since I've done a long form review... and even longer since I've sat down for an omakase (thanks Rona...) Sushi Zo is part of a larger group of high-quality omakase restaurants globally, and their detail to elevated experiences shows... the restaurant is immaculate and set up in a COVID safe way. You could be in any fine dining setting and feel the consistent and thought put into the service and layout of the restaurant. So here's where things get broken down: 1. Chef Hiro does an excellent job with his presentation. Everything looks beautifully done. 2. I have a hot take about omakase... some feel like it should be solely focused on the freshness of the fish and the quality of the basic ingredients coming together. I, on the other hand, want to enjoy omakase as part of the chef' creativity and imagination. Sushi Zo is really focused on the former. It's basics done well with some of the best ingredients but nothing that blew me out of the water. 3. The price tag for Sushi Zo is pretty hefty. I honestly don't think that I would come back knowing that there are other options that are just as good in the city. 4. Staff is wonderful... they are attentive. Sushi Zo is a good spot to go to if you want to try a more traditional omakase experience. You do get a good experience for what you pay for... but I'm not sure if it's worth its price tag more than once.

Awesome experience. Party of seven. Omakase plus 3 bottles. Service is impeccable, always attentive and helpful, especially with sake recommendations. In terms of the food, there are the obvious crowd pleasers with uni and toro. What stood out were the more uncommon cuts (including shirako, mackerels, perch and tilefish), as well as some composed bites that would be bland at lesser establishments. Definitely more nuanced and restrained than other places that pile on the garnishes (however luxurious), but there are still some pleasant surprises.

Hands down some of the most delicious sushi I've ever had. Lovely cosy, intimate bar seating, where you can engage with the sushi chefs who are charming and personable, providing explanations for each piece. Great sake and drinks menu as well. Didn't feel rushed at all.

Probably the best omakase I've ever had in NYC, Comparable to Japanese sushi, just not the great price of Japan but still worth it for special occasions. Every piece of fish was delicately prepared and the flavors of the appetizers meshed so well together. I still think and dream of dining at Sushi Zo.

Happened to snag the last two spots for their opening seating a couple nights ago and am so glad we did! The food was fantastic and the service was really great. The setting is very intimate with only about a dozen seats available. Since it is omakase, the only menu offered to you is their drink menu. I'm not a drinker so cannot comment on their options, but a couple next to us did order a bottle which they shared with the chef throughout the meal. Every morsel served was truly a delight. Several pieces felt like that scene in Ratatouille where he eats a strawberry and some cheese and fireworks go off behind him as the flavors meld together. Their sushi rice was also exceptional and the ratio of fish to rice was really perfect. The chef was very fun and took the time to banter with guests and get to know each group. He was smiley and friendly and just a lovely host. Our omakase experience ended up being around 15 pieces with a hand roll at the end to top off our savory fare and a matcha mousse to finish off our meal. The mousse was a little bit thick and sweet for my liking, but still exceptionally good!

ART IN MOTION. THE SUSHI WILL RUIN YOU FOR OTHER RESTAURANTS. This was the Greenwich Village location in NYC. You need to reserve at least a week or two in advance. This is not a "turn tables" type restaurant and there are no "walk ins". Customers reserve 'seatings" according to specified times. The place is tiny. Only ten people can sit at the Sushi Bar (This is the place to be) however there are two, yes, just two tables and one couple was seated behind us. My Wife and I had reservations two weeks in advance for a 6PM seating, however, we had to change to a later, 8:30 seating with only four days notice, and we were surprised to be able to. We arrived in the Village and wound our way through the noisy streets to the tiny place. The door was locked and we knocked on the door. The hostess popped her head out and said they would open in 5 minutes, however just moments later she let us and another couple in. We were amazed how quiet it was inside compared to the noisy ruckus of NYU college students and bars outside. You could hear a pin drop. We were seated at the sushi bar immediately. We ordered our drinks and we could see two Japanese Sushi chefs, skillfully slicing and trimming the various sorts of fish into slices. One older one on the other side of the bar, and our chef a slightly younger one who enjoyed mugging for our photos and had great sense of humor. The sushi bar was soon filled with four couples, and another that arrived a half hour late! Sin of sins!. The sushi experience here is Omakase. Not the chef's choice Omakase platter you get at most sushi restaurants. This is the REAL Japanese Omakase. This means your sushi is prepared carefully and skillfully in front of you and served ONE AT A TIME! Just watching these master sushi chef's make the sushi in front of you is a treat and a spectacle in itself. their hands seem to glide and dance in a fluid motion almost like a musical conductor. So graceful and fascinating, even mesmerizing to watch! There is no rush here. You are given ample time to savor and contemplate each delectable sushi masterpiece before the next one is prepared and served. The entire experience was fantasia and worth every penny of the $$$$ you must pay to secure a place at one of the seatings. I wholeheartedly recommend Sushi Zo. The sushi is amazing. The chefs are a pleasure to watch. The service is perfect. And is an experience you will never forget. And for those reasons, I am awarding 5 stars. I would award 6 if I could. If you read THIS far you must have enjoyed my review. So please say so, by clicking one or more of those little Useful Funny or Cool buttons. And while you're at it, go ahead and friend me! I Just moved to the Seattle area last October and I need all the friends I can get. So, go ahead, press that button, and never miss even one of my epic reviews in the Seattle area and beyond. Excelsior!

Sushi Zo is in the category of amazing omakases, no doubt. It is still pricey for what you get, but it's definitely better than a Ginza, which has entered stratospheric pricing, for a quantity that doesn't quite match what they are charging. Sushi Zo is still at a reasonable price, and the quality of fish and attention to how all the food is made is great. Not only are the fish pieces very diverse, but the techniques to bring out the best of each flavor is highly paid attention to. For example, there is a bluefin tuna piece that needs around 15 minutes of marinating (btw be sure to ask for that piece early if you want another). One of my favorite pieces was a golden eye snapper, that had a bit of salt and soy sauce, and then was charred with a torch. Adding long lasting smokey and caramelized flavor into a fatty fish is pure bliss. In addition, pieces like yuzu pepper and amberjack make for an intense and long lasting flavor. That level of prep, experimentation to get there, and amount of quality in that piece makes every piece worth scrutinizing and spending time to thinking about while you chew and taste all the delicious flavors. There is one appetizer, which is a set of 3 different kinds of fish sashimi, 2 pieces each. After that, it's pretty much all nigiri. So if you're into nigiri heavy omakases, this is definitely an experience for you. I think all-in-all, there were around 18 courses, including dessert and the appetizer. Dessert is simple, but decadent and extremely satisfying. It's a matcha mousse that's not too sweet, but bold flavors, and a red bean with a gold flake. It's a dessert that many omakase places have, but so far this is my favorite rendition. One interesting part of my experience was that the two chefs serving that night had decent English, meaning conversation was pretty fluent. There are omakase places I've been where I feel like I was just unable to really talk to the chef either because of personality, or the chef just couldn't communicate what he wanted to say. I learned quite a bit about their process, sourcing fish, and even what materials they use for certain parts of their food. Very cool.

Best Omakase I've ever had in my life!! I won't spoil the experience with all my photos and thoughts, just trust me, you will not be disappointed. The attention to detail in everything is truly special. Thank you sushi zo fam

4.75/5 Sushi Zo delivers a consistent experience that prioritizes flavor, texture, and simplicity. Chef Hiro is a load of fun and in tune with his craft and the customer experience. Last night was my second visit to Sushi Zo with my colleagues. Sushi Zo is the favorite sushiya of my boss, so he makes it a priority when we go out for sushi. Chef Hiro's product is high quality, varied, and delicious with little room for disappointment. Highlights for the evening, for me, included barracuda, stone snapper, sanma, fluke with yuzu, uni/ikura/caviar rice, bafun uni sushi, and the torotaku handroll. The rice was sufficiently warm and well tended to. Chef Hiro was welcoming and lively; he cracked jokes through the evening and kept the guests engaged. The atmosphere was less serious than other high end sushiya - I think this is a good thing. It's a good restaurant for a group. The menu focuses on nigiri and adds one sashimi course, an uni/ikura small plate, a handroll, and dessert. Unfortunately, there was no tamago or eel. The disappointing aspect of the restaurant, which keeps me from going as often as I would like, is the price. Sushi Zo has raised prices multiple times in the past few years and now sits at $250. The challenge with this price is that Zo doesn't offer anything that the other sushi restaurants don't at this level. With Sushi Ikumi at $180, Noz (Ash Room) at $225, and Sushi Ginza Onodera (Lunch) at $150 it becomes difficult to recommend Zo over them in context. That being said, the food is delicious and plays to my preferences. It's a restaurant I want to visit and show friends. Since price is the only negative factor, I better just save up.

I have experienced a few high end Omakase places before and each one has been a great experience, but I truly think the Omakase at Sushi Zo has been my favorite so far. The quality of the fish and rice have to be top notch for what you pay at a high end Omakase place and they definitely don't miss here but what they do to go above and beyond is the flavors they are able to incorporate with every piece. The accoutrements to each piece just takes the experience to another level and adds to the bite each time whether it is citrus or heat, it's more than just a piece of fish. The service is great and the fish is fantastic, but I think the depth of flavors you get here makes it well worth a visit which is something you don't really say when describing Omakase

Had an excellent dining experience from start to finish. Loved sitting at the sushi bar (seats 10 people), seeing the chef prepare the food. I've done several omakase style meals and I was so impressed with how many of the pieces I loved. We also did the sake pairing, which I recommend if you like sake. The chef (Hiro) was great--entertaining but not infringing on an intimate dining experience. Def recommend as a great place for a date night. It's definitely on the $$$ side, but it was a great experience and would definitely return. I even loved the music they played overhead.

The omakase experience had delicious entrees that were fresh and was on the lighter side. Portion size was small. My experience felt rushed. My experience lasted 45 minutes. Once I consumed a dish, the waitress immediately replaced it with the next item on the menu. (Referring to previous omakase experiences there usually is a minor delay between course items. One of the highlights of indoor dining is being able to enjoy the restaurants ambiance and setting). I always try and read the room to determine if there is an urgency for quick turnover per table, otherwise I follow the standard 90 minute maximum duration. Our reservation was on a week day, and was booked 2 weeks in advanced, so unsure why our experience was so short. The interior ambiance was simple, and clean. The restaurant is well maintained and has a nice presentation. Sushi Zo has been the most expensive omakase experience I been to so far. I expected a stronger impression, but unfortunately I do not feel Sushi Zo was quite there. Although the omakase items were great, I do not think its significantly better compared to competitors to justify its higher price.

Beautiful presentation but this omakase experience fell short to that of Hirohisa for a few reasons: service felt very rushed, the waitress immediately replaced our empty plates with the next course as if they were trying to usher us along our meal for the next customers. The food was also not that filling as Sushi Zo focused more on fish while Hirohisa had more diversity/range in offerings as well as volume. For the price of $250pp (compared to Hirohisa's $180pp), I may have came in with higher expectations

With all the omakase options in NYC, it could be difficult to pick the right one, but Sushi Zo is a solid choice! High quality cuts of fish and very fresh ingredient. Chef Kurosawa was fun & interactive, often repeating his catch phrase "thank you for coming." The courses are well sequenced with sashimi as a starter followed by several sushi pieces, small bites in between, additional sushi pieces, a hand roll and lastly dessert. Each course was prepared with such precision... it was like watching art in the making! I didn't leave overly full and was able to enjoy every portion of the meal.. in fact, I probably could have indulged a few more pieces of sushi. Pricey but very well done, authentic omakase. Highly recommend and would definitely be back!

Went here for our anniversary a while ago, just getting around to posting this review. Sushi is very good. It is definitely fresh and high quality fish. It is a great omakase experience for sushi purists. If you are into toppings, etc on your sushi, not quite the place for you. There are only 8 seats, so quite an intimate experience. Uni was particularly good as was the tuna... both just melted in your mouth. The rice was perfect here! Mildly acidic and wasn't falling all over the place or coming apart. Service was very on point. I think it was around 200 pp when we went here, but looks like it's increased since the pandemic. Not somewhere I'd go frequently due to the high cost, but a great place for a special occasion.

Delicious sushi, very fresh, very nice atmosphere with a very kind chef who loves his art and is very happy to make the clients discover good food. Sushis are served one by one by the chef who prepares it in front of you. Please make sure to book in advance and enjoy!

I gave Nakazawa 4 stars so I have to give Sushi Zo 3. For the omakase that's $200 ($50 more than Nakazawa's) I was expecting more. Overall the food was good but not the best nor mind blowing nor better than the cheaper Nakazawa. Truffle: The chef used a good amount of truffle for several dishes and I thought it was overkilled. Uni: fresh from Hokkaido but they removed it from fridge too late, it was so cold that I barely tasted it's flavor :( Rice: sometime too warm and sometime too cold, not consistent, fell apart easily (again, for $200 I was expecting more) Service/Ambience: not as fancy as Nakazawa Popularity: definitely easier to get a reservation here than at Nakazawa, I got a reservation at 6pm for party of 2 at sushi bar one week prior. You can't get a decent dinner time slot (last time the only time I could get was 930pm) at Nakazawa in 30 days in advance. Overall I think this place is overpriced. I would choose Nakazawa over Sushi Zo with cheaper price, better food and ambience

Thank you @chef_kurosawa to make our celebration of birthday + anniversary so special Every bite was fresh, clean, and sweet. Love the #omakase such a perfect meal

So, this is the real deal. I've probably been to 20+ Omakases and this is #1. Tons of food, all superior quality and fresh, and cool vibe of a small elite few. Chef was respectful and jovial. Loved the miso soup and dessert surprises. Best were the first course, fluke, white fish, and salmon.

Came for a friends birthday dinner. It's her 2nd favorite sushi place in NY. I expected it to be amazing. Since her and her boyfriend are also big sushi lovers. The chef was great. Had some sake with us. The fish fresh. But nothing amazing or interesting with their flavors or any unique fishes. It's okay. I expected more from how much my friend likes it here. But good nothing less. Just not amazing. Would recommend here for any sushi lovers. I will bring my other friend next time and see what he thinks. He's not a sushi lover. But when it's quality sushi he will like.

Omakase sushi in a small setting - ten seats at the bar and a few walk-in seats away from the bar. Jackets in a small cubby to enter, and then a small hand-towel after you're seated along with the drink menu. Chefs Masa and Kevin (I believe) at the bar that night - Kevin handled our side with a lot of great humor and clear explanations of our selections. Omakase, the selection here is $200 plus any extras you may want (drinks + extra pieces after) otherwise. There were more than twenty parts (including the sorbet at the end), and that made for a pretty heavy meal. The start was a savory miso soup with crab, piping hot and delicious. We moved onto a sashimi plate with four items - a oyster, some tuna, mackerel, and a spoon of delicious scallop with Japanese Hokkaido uni and seaweed combination. The oyster and scallop/uni spoon were fantastic, sweet and mellow. Followed by a number of Japanese and international fish and seafood selections including yellowtail, scallop, red snapper, Japanese barracuda (a personal favorite - lightly smoked, a touch spicy, salty, and delicious), Japanese ebi (shrimp) shredded with a touch of caviar, akami, chutoro, and oh toro (lean, medium and rich fatty tuna), salmon roe, cherry trout, seared mackerel, and uni. A piece of A5 wagyu beef to round off the sushi. Then a hand roll of otoro. The yuzu sorbet was a nice clean crisp palate-cleanser at the end. At this point, we were over-stuffed and a couple of fish had been served in a couple rounds could probably have been safely not and still been very satisfying. Definitely should have asked for less rice on the sushi pieces to compensate for so many pieces of rice. Definitely a reminder for the next time we go. The comments from my fellow diners focused on the definite difference between the rice temperature and the fish (a sharper gradient between the two), and the most unique of the dishes was the scallop spoon with the uni and seaweed. Truffle seemed to be on a number of dishes though didn't add much as sometimes overwhelmed by the heavy-handed application of sauce on some pieces. Much of the sushi was simply excellent quality but preparation sometimes was not as consistent (fish and rice fell off periodically before/as we picked up the sushi). Fresh house-made ginger in thick slices (may not be everyone's taste). Yes, the $200 is steep, you will be full coming out of here, and the service is friendly, it was noisier by far than Nakazawa or similar traditional omakase restaurants, an almost American atmosphere to the Japanese fare. There are some delicious combinations here, I wish they would do more of those!

Good sushi, but definitely not amazing. About 50 percent of the courses were some sort of mackerel, and tasted similar to each other. We were often served the next piece before we had eaten the prior one, so it all felt a bit rushed and out of balance. All in all enjoyable, but compared to other top notch sushi places too pricey and plain for the overall culinary experience.

Absolutely the best in New York City, I don't think I can go anywhere else anymore. Every single piece was truly something!

Food: 5/5 (for fish quality, rice, and preparation) Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 I always come back because I know I won't be disappointed. Sushi here leans more creative and more flavorful, always making me excited for the next piece. My other omakases have been good, but there's usually 2-3 pieces that I don't enjoy, and that has never happened the 4 times that I've been here. Every piece is enjoyable. Several are memorably good. The sashimi came with a plump sweet oyster (amazing) and a glorious bite of scallop + uni + black truffle. I chewed slowly to savor that incredible combination. Last night, our scallop sushi was unbelievably plump and sweet. Their shrimp sushi is the only one I've ever loved, baby shrimp topped with caviar... so sweet and less slimy than a large shrimp. Quite a few pieces I look forward to are topped with a sprinkle of truffle salt (to bring out that meatiness of A5 miyazaki wagyu), the use of charred marinated shishito peppers to mirror a torched sea bass, and yuzu to add brightness like on the red snapper (always buttery and tender). Pearls of ikura are perfect and sweet. Hokkaido uni is always a highlight, as is the blue crab handroll. But order a handroll with both... it's out of this world good. At $200, it is expensive but it is always worth it (many omakases are now $250-300+, crazy!). Zo is generous with their fish portions and luxury items: chutoro, otoro, scallop, Santa Barbara + Hokkaido Uni, wagyu, truffle. Service is another reason for going - both chefs (Masa and Kevin) are incredibly friendly and easygoing which makes that experience all the more enjoyable and personal.

Absolutely outstanding, really the definition of a 5-star sushi restaurant. Now, as others have noted, keep in mind the flavor profile is distinct. It's more LA. So, you'll have slightly warmer, sweeter rice, but not too much. They use a little bit less. They use a lot more yuzu and sweeter soy or miso sauces. The emphasis is on the nigiri and the knife work is good. You'll start with soup then a sashimi platter and there are a couple other bites, but it's all nigiri, nigiri, nigiri, and they do that well. They close with a waygu beef nigiri and then toro scallion hand roll. Very classic yet modern at the same time. I loved the meal, the servers are pleasant and polite, and there is a decent, though not overly long wine, sake, and beer list. Think of this as a more inventive and flavorful Yasuda, with less variety of fish but maybe more toppings such as caviar and shaved truffles.

This place is amazing! Top notch customer service, great & delicious filling food!! I reserved 2 weeks before & they told me that they don't have bar table left. I still agree & did the reservation for 2 people. After a few days I called again & told them that if someone cancel maybe they can put us on the bar. Good thing after 2 days they called me back & informed me that we got a bar table. Yay! So exciting! Haha. We got there around 8:20pm. The place is simple with 2 tables that can seat 4 people & bar area that can seat 10 people. We sat & the chef is still chitchatting with us waiting for everyone to arrived. I like it because its like a private event kind of dinner. You can't just walk in & ask for a table. You need to reserved ahead of time. He started serving us at exactly 8:30pm. We got 16 pieces of omakase, 6 pieces of sashimi, a piece of oyster, snow crab chawanmushi, clear broth soup made with perch, toro roll, for dessert watermelon cucumber sorbet a total of $200. Drinks is not included so I ordered green tea for $5. Were very impressed & satisfied! It was actually filling. Each piece of omakase melts in your mouth!! What a wonderful dinner! :)

Sushi Zo is an icon. I have been to the LA location but never NYC. I am so glad a found a reservation and decided to try this place. Every bite was outstanding and I did not want the dinner to end! One of the best omakases in NYC for sure! Do not think twice- you MUST come here

They opened up the bar again only a few weeks ago, and that is exactly what we were waiting for. We prefer the more intimate experience of being able to admire the chef's work and interact with him or her. We had the pleasure of being chef Hiroyuki Kurosawa's guests for my husband's birthday! We are so grateful to have experienced his artistry and skill through this absolutely delightful experience! That was easily the best meal of my life. I wish I took the photo of the black sesame crème brûlée, it was as beautiful as it was delectable. Bravo Sushi Zo! Impeccably fresh ingredients combined with the skills of master chefs! Still my number 1 omakase place in NY.

What a great place to finish off the year in New York. I've wanted to go to Sushi Zo for a few years, especially where it originally opened up in LA. Heard great things about the chef and the experience. You'll notice how intimate the restaurant is. With only 9 seats, the attention from staff and the chef is all to you. The restaurant is located in the heart of the west village - aka best village! - and has 2 omakase per night, for 5 nights a week. Make sure you get your reservations early so you can secure your spot. We started off with some sake and champagne, and then the first course was crab miso soup. A lot richer than your normal miso, and the crab melts in your mouth. Some highlights of the 22 courses: shrimp and uni 'salad,' melts in your mouth and is the creamiest. Fatty tuna is always a favorite, all uni pieces, yellowtail, shrimp, and the blue crab hand roll. Chef Masa is truly amazing. He's very friendly and presents each fish with a description and where the fish is from. What I like about Sushi Zo compared to other omakase places is that chef Masa does not skimp on the fish. It's disappointing when sushi chefs skimp on the fish (ie, Sushi by Bou), but Chef Mass's cuts are pristine and large. Sushi Zo is more expensive than your 'average' omakase in New York (ie Sushi Nakazawa is $150) coming out to $200 without the extra hand roll at the end. Is it that much better for a $50 difference? That I'm not sure, but I can say that disregarding price, Sushi Zo has excellent flavors, a truly mastered chef, and the service is one of the best I've received. I definitely recommend visiting, and I will definitely be back.

By far the best sushi I ever had in USA. With a Michelin Star quality, service, and every aspect of what a sushi place should be. Kevin was our sushi chef and really has his skills in preparing and explaining each dish very well. If you find a reservation open, do it. Each dish is unique but my favorite is the Otoro hand roll with truffle and uni. Special side dish upon request only.

Simply delicious omakase with a tiny bit of a twist. On a scale of classic Edo-style to inventive omakase, Sushi Zo falls slightly closer to the traditional end of the scale compared to its sister restaurant, Sushi Zo Hanare, in Midtown East. Each piece was perfectly seasoned, but the standouts of the night were the chutoro and the torched toro, which we had to order second pieces of! The wagyu piece was a bit more cooked through than I personally prefer, but that's my only (subjective) complaint of the whole night.

This is a great intimate place to have sushi with loved ones. I was pleasantly surprised by how fresh the fish was. I liked the decor and actually both times I've been here I've randomly bumped into people I know (reminds you it's a small world and that people really do appreciate the smaller more intimate atmosphere). I would say the uni and salmon were my favorite. They also end the dinner with a very tasty ice cream. I'm not sure how to describe it but it was delicious. I definitely want to come back. The sushi chefs were very kind and the sake selection is very good. Highly recommend!

LOVE THIS CHEF. love this sushi. my wife and I are sushi purists and this unassuming place delivers every time. the detail applied to each and every piece is worthy of it's own 5 stars.

Just do it. Spent a week in NYC, and this place was amazing. Every piece tasted so fresh and the service was bar none. Chef Masa we will be checking out your other location in West Hollywood, thank you for making our dining experience memorable! Reservations were done online two weeks in advance, and they fill up quickly!

Probably the best fish I've eaten in NYC, arguably my life. The environment is intimate, cool music and a great chef who gives you a real taste of Japan. MUST TRY if you love omakase.

Went here with my boyfriend for New Year's Eve. Everything was fresh and taste authentic. The staff was great and professional. Really enjoyed everything.

One Michelin Star restaurant that totally deserved it. Omakase is pricey but that's already expected and is money well spent. Every fish/dish served fresh. Service on point. I was asked if any of us had a food allergy and poor 'lil ol' me unfortunately is allergic to crabs. =/ The shellfish. When we were served the chawanmushi with crab, I had to ask again to make sure I heard it right that there is crab in the dish. Chef heard and immediately had it removed. I would have preferred that they actually took it to heart when we mentioned my allergy but it wasn't a biggie that they didn't. What I'm a little disappointed with was the replacement did not have anything in it lol. Maybe a piece of shrimp next time, chef? I'd definitely come back again and again in a heartbeat.

This is definitely one of the best omakases I've had - top 3 depending on what you value. The space is intimate - about two tables and the sushi bar, very typical of a traditional sushi bar. The omakase is not cheap ($200/pp), even by NYC standards, but it did "feel" ok with the amount of "courses" (21 in total) and the sushi pieces are just right. Our experience was as follows, but obviously yours will depend on the freshness and seasonality of the fish (in plain English): halibut, Spanish mackerel, scallop, medium tuna, horse mackerel, baby shrimp, snapper, yellowtail, ocean trout, amberjack, Alaskan salmon roe, snow crab in egg custard, fatty tuna, black cod, sea urchin, sea eel, wagyu beef, tuna hand roll, soup with red snapper, egg, and yuzu sorbet. Three things stood out to me - the rice (and the pickled ginger for that matter), was noticeably sweeter than every omakase that I've had in Japan or NYC. Less of the rice vinegar acid that cuts through the fish, much more candy like. If I read this review, I'd think that was odd, but it works very well with a lot of the pieces that had a salty component due to either the fish itself or the "topping". Second, a lot more pieces that I have not had (probably due to the season), which made the experience feel "new" such as a version of yellowtail, ocean trout, black cod, and wagyu beef! Lastly, there was quite a bit more torching of fish than I was used to, but wow, those were some of the most memorable pieces I've had. Key standouts: ocean trout (looks like a regular salmon, but with some salt at the top instead of the layering of soy), black cod torched in miso, and the anago (sea eel) that was done without the glaze - the natural sweetness was so good against the salt. While I can't say with absolute conviction this was my favorite (Nakazawa still holds that spot for me), Zo has a strong argument (my husband thought on an absolute basis, this was the best). I thought the key difference was my preference for a more vinegar tasting rice and a relative price point. I think I can say with confidence, Zo has some of the most memorable individual pieces I've ever had. You must go if you love sushi and willing to splurge!

One of the best sushi omakases in NYC. Kevin and Masa are both great sushi chefs! You can definitely see and taste the quality of their craftsmanship! And... we actually leave on a full stomach. Normally, we're looking for a pizza joint to grab a couple of slices after an omakase. But not here! Highly recommend!

This cozy sushi den tucked in the middle of Greenwich Village was a great meal. We started off with bubbles and moved onto sake. Omakase was a series of super fresh fish and ingredients. The chef was great at balancing the pace and socializing with the patrons. A lot of places serve their sushi too fast almost as if it's a race to the finish line. We didn't feel that way at all. We weren't rushed. The rice was made well. Not mushy at all. Temperature of fish was perfect. Most of the fish didn't need much soy sauce just relying on the natural sweetness and brininess of the fish plus some lemon zest or some good salt. Staff was professional and kept our glasses filled with bubbles and chilled sake. In total we had about 18-20 pieces and with alcohol came out to be about $400 pp. This was one of the spots I would come back to next time I feel like splurging because everything was done quite well.

Oh man, this was def the best omakase experience I've had in New York. The meal started strong with a beautiful plate of oyster, tuna, hamachi, and my favorite - scallop with uni and truffle. That was the most satisfying bite I've had in a long time. Following that, every piece was a delicious work of art, with enough sauces and toppings to bring out the flavors, without masking the sweetness of the fish they are meant to accentuate. I couldn't stop talking about this meal after with other sushi enthusiasts and can't wait to be back again soon!

Actually highly impressed, more than I expected! Brought the boyfriend here for his annual birthday dinner omakase and had Chef Kevin, who reallyyy was so great to talk to and really knew his stuff. Sushi Zo has easily bumped to my top 3 favorite omakase in NYC so far. The omakase will set you at $200/pp for soup, appetizer plate which consisted of oysters, two types of sashimi, and a scallop with uni topped white truffle shooter that day then followed with about 15 pieces of sushi, one hand roll and dessert. The Chilean seabass soup was amazing and really hit the soul, appetizer plate was already an impressive starter, and the first piece of sushi, which was red snapper topped with yuzu and some cool salt already blew me away. Now normally I'm never excited nor care for fishes like snapper, it was always whatever to me - basic, boring and sometimes those white fishes has a little dry texture to me. But WOW that one realllyyy caught me off guard and it was almost every diner's favorite piece of the night. And that is how you know if a place is good and that you are in for a serious good omakase. If they can make something like red snapper nigiris taste so luxurious, then like our chef said, they did their job right and they surely did. Sure toro and uni is everyone's favorite but those speak for themselves already, they're already naturally the Bentley of the sea. So our chef even said those don't require much special skill. I couldn't even help but notice the sushi rice was PERFECT, and you can see it constantly coming out freshly cooked and prepared. Everything was total UMAMI. The cost of the omakase is leaning towards more on the high end in NYC, but it is definitely worth every dollar. Each nigiris are so expertly crafted and artfully presented. You can tell they really use all fresh top of the line grade fishes. I'd come here over and over again. Not only was this a surprise birthday dinner for my boyfriend, but it took me on a surprise through the meal!

Definitely a four-star! My favorite thing about Masa's sushi is the rice. I think it was lucky that I was there for the first seating, otherwise the rice might have stiffened up a little bit and not tasted as good. The fact the rice was blended with Japanese and Californian varieties gave it a special texture - soft, gelatinous, but not excessively gluey. Extremely sweet rice in taste, too, on top of the amazing texture. Flavor-wise, sushi zo was rather light. Maya loves citrus flavors, and there was a wide adoption of yuzu salt and yuzu peels. I absolutely love citrus flavor, but it would be nice to have more saucy / stronger flavors, too. The fact that there was not a single salty fish piece (mackerels or others) made the dinner slightly bland. Still the fish was extremely fresh and there were awesome fishes that I had not tasted before, or Masa's pick made the fish fattier than usual.

Gotta love their online reservation system that makes securing seats at the bar a breeze. I left a note stating that it's my friend's birthday and the hostess greeted him by name and wished him a happy birthday. We got seated at the end of the sushi bar next to the doorway to the kitchen/bathroom in the back. This sucked because every time someone (usually the staff) went in or out, the flaps of the noren would hit me. It got pretty annoying and really not okay for a Michelin-starred restaurant. The food is 4-stars and at a decent value. $200 omakase gets you 22 courses: a 10-piece sashimi appetizer, 16 pieces of onigiri, chawanmushi, toro temaki, soup, tamago, and yuzu sorbet. Most omakases are 10-12 pieces, so this is a good deal! Another bonus is the miyazaki wagyu! My friend was telling me about how rare this beef is and impossible to find in Japan, so we were pleasantly surprised to find it here. So what happened to the 5th star? There's the noren issue, but also some courses were a bit underwhelming... Chef REALLY (and I mean REALLY, REALLY) likes to use yuzu and the blow torch. The oyster in the appetizer had yuzu. The sorbet is straight up yuzu (would've been nice to add a touch of Shisho imho). I think at least 3 pieces were topped with a yuzu sauce and 4 of the pieces were torched. The searing of the fish does elevate the flavor (for some pieces), giving a slight (but not overwhelming) smokiness. I'm a purist at heart, so I prefer a fresh, beautiful piece of fish to be serve unadulterated. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the chef's play with texture and flavors but It was a bit overdone overall.

One of the best sushi omakase in NYC. Now, with a Michelin star. Same price as before ($200 pp). Wine by the glass - inexpensive Omakase includes sashimi, chawanmushi, soup, salmon roe rice, handroll, about 17 sushi, and dessert (yuzu sorbet). Personal favs. were the seared sea perch, otoro, miyazaki, yellow jack, Spanish mackerel, salmon roe, aji, Hokkaidio uni, and the hand rolls. You can also order more individual sushi after the omakase. Little easier to get a reservation now. Excellent service. Highest recommendation. : 10 calendars

There is something wonderfully blissful about perfect fish. Sushi Zo served us some of the best sushi that we've had in the States! Each bite was beautiful, delicious and extremely unique. I will never experience sushi the same way. Sushi Zo is a sushi bar in the West Village that offers seared sushi and sashimi. We went there for a friend's birthday dinner with 4 other people. And I loved sitting by the bar and having Chef Masa chat with you while you savored the great sushi. It was such a warm, personable experience. I was so hungry, 2 hours prior to meeting our friends. I wanted a slice of Lady M cake but good thing I didn't! Sushi Zo serves you so much unctuous sushi, that you are stuffed at the end! Starter was the sashimi platter: tuna, abalone, sea bass, oyster with yuzu sauce, and amberjack. The tuna was perfectly firm and great texture. It was a great cut of tuna. The sea bass was ok but the amberjack was slightly sweet with great texture. I loved the amberjack! The oyster was sweet, plump and briny with was accented by the sour sweet yuzu. So good! The group's favorite out of the platter was the yuzu oyster. Too bad we only got one! My favorites: The seared scallop smelled so delicious! Chef Masa blow-torched this sushi in front of us. The tiny cooked layer on top was a savory sturdy contrast to the velvety taste of scallop underneath. I think one of my dining companions made a soft moan while chewing this piece. A5 Miyazaki Sirloin- This was fatty unctuous savory sirloin was torched and melting in your mouth. The texture was amazing! Velvety uncooked beef mixed with the seared firmer layer. Two of the guys in our group said this was their favorite. The Chutoro was delicious fatty richness in your mouth. It was painted with a mild house-made soy sauce. I heard a lot of Mmmmms going around our side of the sushi bar. Otoro- was seared until the fat popped and crackled. It smelled wonderful in the cool room. The searing makes this piece less pretty but brought out some richness while leaving some of the tuna still raw underneath. This was so good! Two of the guys nodded and said this was their favorite out of all the pieces. The Botan ebi (sweet shrimp) was perfect. It was the best that I've ever had. Firm, naturally sweet and so delicious. My friend loved this one! Hokkaido uni- I loved the sweet savory richness of this piece. You just cannot go wrong with fresh uni. (More Uni please!) The Anago (eel) was fluffy light savory cloud on rice. One of the best eel pieces that I've ever had! The amazingly unique pieces: Akamutsu (black throat seaperch or rosy seabass) with pickled lemon. This piece hit you with all the flavors at once: sweet, savory, salt and sour. So amazing! Your brain didn't know what to make out of it! The black sea perch was seared and so sweet and fluffy that was so harmonious with the sour pickled lemon and the grains of salt between the fish and rice. Belt fish with pickled Sansho pepper and yuzu sauce. This was like eating a savory cloud with unique peppers. I really liked this fish. Chef Masa was telling us that you could buy this and grill it. I will definitely try! The very good parts: I loved the silky steamed egg with King crab and jewel of scallop in the center. I scrapped every morsel off that beautiful brown bowl. The Blue crab hand roll. So much Blue Crab! I loved the soft crab in the sushi rice and crispy seaweed. The Hirame (Japanese flounder) was soft, smooth sweet and from Japan. I liked the pickled lemon rind on top. The cherry trout was sweet, firm and pretty. I liked the contrasting colors. I've never had cherry trout before! The King crab was just a great piece of fluffy perfectly cooked briny King Crab. Very good. Salmon roe were soaked in a homemade sauce and placed on top of vinegar sushi rice. I usually don't love salmon roe, but they were flavored so there was a mild umami richness and not salty at all! The red snapper soup- very savory bone-warming fish-soup with a tender cube of red snapper at the bottom. We got yuzu sorbet for dessert! It was good but I was so full! Come in, come hungry and make a reservation! The sushi bar seats 10 and the tables seat 8. You can reserve online (which we did) but you need to call to confirm bar seating and party size if your group is bigger than 6. The reason I gave Sushi Zo 4 stars instead of 5 is the price. There is only one choice for dinner: omakase at $200 per person. I know this sounds steep and it is. At this high price means I can only visit once a year or less.

The best omakase I've had in a while. I've lived around the corner for a while and finally made it--well worth the wait! Chef was great, explained where everything was from (kind of a sushi snob). Sake was a great accompaniment. Hand roll at the end was so good, ordered another. I feel bad for such places during Covid, should be sharing their food with so many more people. Will be back soon and more often!