Sushi Zo | New York

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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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.

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.

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

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!

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