The West Village has dozens of sushi restaurants ranging in caveats from "not the best but cheap" to "incredible but exceedingly expensive." The relatively few places that split the difference are the best of them all.
Sushi 456 quietly opened on Hudson Street in the former Takashi space this past August. It has no known PR or apparent email address, and its social media presence is scant. It is, however, a more polished looking spot than its similarly analog contemporaries.
Function-over-communication-convenience operations like this often appear to be held together with a wish and the blow of a kiss, but Sushi 456 is all lean lines and gleaming surfaces, with a large, pale wood center chef’s counter surrounded by a few more tables and chairs and high, wide windows that look out onto the sidewalk.
The airy restaurant quickly developed crowd-accruing word of mouth buzz by the early fall that led to its own caveat: Chefs pre-cut fish throughout the day rather than to order. They were so busy in the beginning, I’m told, that all that slicing à la minute led to untenably long wait times. But, aside from however deeply some guests desire knife theater, few casual consumers will detect a difference compared to seafood slivered on the spot.
Sushi 456’s fish is flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market and occasionally U.S. providers a few times a week before it’s expertly formed into blossoms of hirame, fanned-out rectangles of bluefin tuna arranged like a hand of three card poker, thick squares of king salmon and little cucumber cups overflowing with buttery uni or popping crimson ikura pearls.
Plenty is available à la carte for $4 (tamago) to $14 (Japanese uni). Sets like an attractively plated five-piece sashimi lunch are available for $35 in the afternoon, when the understated space is a pleasant, peaceful place to have lunch alone.
Crowds grow denser in the evenings for Sushi 456's 15-piece omakase. It's among the city's latest additions to the $100 price point, and it also comes with one hand roll. Rather than the typical piece-by-piece presentation, it arrives in two groupings that might include the above, plus ocean trout, eel and Wagyu aburi.
Vitals
The Vibe: Casual, relaxing and quick at lunch, busier in the evening and inviting all the time.
The Food: Well-sourced sushi available à la carte, in lunch sets and and as a 15-piece omakase for $100.
The Drinks: Alcohol is not yet available. Inquire about the present BYOB policy.
Time Out Tip: Golden Rule Wine & Spirits has a nice variety of sake across the street.
Sushi 456 is located at 456 Hudson Street and is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 5pm-11pm, Thursday and Friday from 12pm-2:30pm and 5pm-11pm and Saturday and Sunday from 5pm-11pm.
