Owner-chef Kenji Takahashi rolls out a no-nonsense, at-whim menu of top-tier seafood to rival more highfalutin Japanese dens, without the sucker-punch price. In Takashi we trust! Read more.
Between the first-rate fare, classic Bouley service and dapper Shinto-shrine decor, this Michelin-starred sanctuary earns every dollar of the weekly paycheck you’ll have to fork over. Read more.
Masato Shimizu employs first-rate seafood flown in from Japan, deftly molding lightly torched golden-eye snapper or luscious soy-lacquered cherry salmon on beds of loose toothsome grains. Read more.
Now a neighborhood favorite, Jewel Bako maintains its downtown cred with buzzy young crowds and a stylish bamboo-tunnel dining room. Try the sushi omakase, which gets you a dozen raw-fish marvels. Read more.
The corner East Village eatery, run by laid-back kitchen vets Nobuyuki Shikanai and Daigo Yamaguchi, turns out top-notch nigiri that stands toe-to-toe with some of its pricier counterparts. Read more.
Takayama prepares each perfect bite-size gift, then places it in front of you on a round slate; you almost eat out of his hands, and the sushi seems to melt in your mouth. Read more.
Pats of rice are crowned with superb seafood specimens: a tumble of velvety glass shrimp, lush slips of fatty red snapper and meaty, soy-lacquered eel, served on a glinting black plate. Read more.
The late hours lend a boozy, jovial atmosphere, but don’t drink too much—you’ll want to remember Seki’s artful, picture-perfect offerings with more than just Instagram’s help. Read more.
