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.
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.
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.
The nontraditional omakase (featuring Americanized novelties like spicy salmon, and is punctuated with ultracreamy peanut-butter ice cream) rivals even that of the staunchest of sushi classicists. 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.
Toshihiro Uezu’s 12-person sushi bar turns out jaw-dropping nigiri in its purest, most traditional form, delivered from his hands to yours. 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.
Reserve a seat at the bar of this bamboo-clad space to watch Tatsu and Mitsu—as they’re called by regulars—dispatch purist renditions of nigiri onto wooden trays in elegant, efficient movements. Read more.
Masatoshi Sugio's fanciful creations continue to draw thrill-seeking Japanophiles to his tiny Upper East Side flagship, where they shell out a hefty sum for a pay-per-piece spot at the L-shaped bar. 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.
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.
