The first time I visited Sushi Nakazawa, it was as if that oft-cited eighty percent of the unexplored ocean had been revealed to me—the toro, uni, squid and salmon simply swimming in a different class than anything else I’d ever had. The expensive, expansive, multi-course omakase’s items could not have been fresher; their presentation, even more beautiful than the quietly elegant surroundings.
That initial visit was a little closer to the eponymous chef made famous by the film Jiro Dreams of Sushi’s 2013 NYC debut, but more recent visits have elicited the same delight. At $150 in the dining room and $180 at the counter, it still isn’t cheap, but it’s a heck of a lot less than its present-day peers for enduring excellence. Nakazawa also opened another terrific spot, Saito, in 2022.