Chef Nakazawa–a former apprentice of the famed Jiro–serves up fresh, traditional, and perfectly simple sushi from behind the Italian marble bar at his eponymous omakase restaurant. Since Sushi Nakazawa opened its doors a few months back, connoisseurs of the Japanese fare from around the world have flooded its quiet West Village block in droves–making it one of the hardest reservations in town. While much of the eatery’s success no doubt lies in the sublime freshness of its fish, it is the focused simplicity with which Chef Nakazawa approaches each dish that really makes the restaurant shine. Despite its Michelin snub, Sushi Nakazawa is destination dining that won’t break the bank. At $150 for the sushi bar and $120 in the dining room, the omakase menu is very competitively priced (Masa, anybody?), with the sea urchin, ikura, and tamago shining the brightest of all of Nakazawa’s spectacular fare. Of course, no tasting menu is complete without alcohol pairings, so we recommend springing for the very reasonably priced ($40) sake pairing.
23 Commerce St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 924-2212