The Best Japanese Restaurants in New York City

At Sushi Sho, Chef Keiji Nakazawa offers a masterful two-part dining experience that MICHELIN Guide Inspectors say is “utterly unique…with a dazzling variety of fish, shellfish, vegetables and more.” The meal begins with omakase, a chef-driven selection that features aged, fermented and cured Edomae-style seafood such as baby snapper nigiri with shaved egg yolks and vinegar. After the omakase has ended, diners have the option to order a selection of a la carte items. There is only one seating per night and no photos are allowed.

Tucked away on the fourth floor in The Shops at Columbus Circle, Masa is a jewel-box that reflects Chef Masa Takayama’s philosophy of shibui: complexity refined to simplicity. Here, the food is prepared quickly and plated for guests as soon as ready to preserve the idea that each dish is still in a living, being state. Diners can sit in the dining room or opt for the Hinoki Counter Experience, where each party is guided by a dedicated sushi chef. MICHELIN Guide Inspectors note: “Few have both the imagination and the know-how to make foie gras nigiri, and few serve abalone so meltingly tender. It is a captivating experience that is singularly memorable.”

In 2018, Chef Hiroki Odo opened odo, his eponymous restaurant tucked away in a speakeasy-like space. The restaurant offers a contemporary take on kaiseki ryori, the traditional multicourse Japanese meal in which each course follows a distinct method of preparation and reflects the season. The progression moves through elements such as soup, sashimi, grilled fish, simmered vegetables and a rice course, all designed to balance texture, taste and presentation. Dishes may include a savory broth with tilefish brightened with locally grown yuzu, or house-made soba noodles topped with salmon roe.

Sushi Noz is shaped by Chef Nozomu Abe’s Japanese upbringing and classical Edomae training, brought to life in New York through a serene, temple-like dining room inspired by the architecture of Kyoto. ​​The centerpiece is an eight-seat sushi bar crafted from 200-year-old hinoki wood, alongside an authentic icebox chest made by Japanese craftsman Kozo Uchida where Abe stores fish for the evening. (Sushi Noz is the only sushiya in the United States with an Asakura-icebox.) Expect jewel-like sushi here, as well as cooked dishes like sea perch with fresh ponzu dipping sauce and slender pieces of meltingly tender ice fish, and miso soup with silky-soft eel “noodles,” salted egg yolk cream and crispy tofu.

Chef Isao Yamada has dedicated his career to kaiseki and is a true master of the craft; he introduced one of New York City’s earliest kaiseki dining experiences more than 15 years ago. Yamada’s multicourse menu unfolds as a multisensory meal guided by the principles of seasonality (shun), harmony (chōwa), and mindfulness (ikigai). Dishes — such as chawanmushi (savory egg custard) with snow crab, uni and foie gras dashi, and gohan, a rice dish folded with Maine lobster, Nantucket sweet corn and maitake mushrooms from the Catskills — reflect hyper-seasonality.

This multicourse menu is centered on yakitori, a traditional Japanese style of skewered chicken that uses the whole bird, including organs, alongside select vegetables. At Torien, Executive Chef Hideo An uses binchotan charcoal imported from Japan, which imparts a distinct flavor to each ingredient. The meal begins with a chicken spring roll, then — as expected — moves through parts such as the thigh, wing, heart, skin and even a meatball, with breaks that might include aged sweet potato or broccoli.

At Tempura Matsui, the focus is on tempura, the technique of lightly battering and frying that dates to the mid-16th century. Here, the team spent years perfecting a thin batter that just lightly coats each ingredient. The omakase begins with an amuse-bouche, sashimi and chawanmushi, then moves into a selection of seasonal tempura, like tender squid, Hokkaido scallop, cauliflower and snow crab wrapped in shiso leaf. For those interested in seeing the technique in action, nab seats at the counter.

This laid-back East Village omakase has a neighborhood feel that sets it apart from other Japanese spots. At Bar Miller’s eight-person counter, the team serves multiple courses featuring local seafood and produce, using both Japanese and Western techniques; fish and shellfish are selected with guidance from NOAA’s Smart Catch program and Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. The menu changes but expect dishes like pickled oysters with smoked unagi (freshwater eel) sauce, Montauk fluke with apple granita in sweet soy, and nigiri that highlights regional seafood such as Maine uni and South Carolina shrimp.

Set on a quiet street in Williamsburg, Shota Omakase serves traditional Edomae-style sushi, where marination, curing and aging showcase the best of each ingredient. Chef Cheng Lin sources everything from Japan, including a rare seven-year aged vinegar, rice from the most ideal mountainous terrains of central Japan, and fish for courses like tokujo uni (sea urchin) from Hokkaido, zuke akami (lean tuna) from Ehime, and sawara (king mackerel) from Fukuda sourced directly from fishermen in Japan. The progression moves through a delightful parade of nigiri as well as prepared dishes. Lin is part of the joy of dining at Shota — he engages guests and shares insight throughout, leaving you feeling like you’ve not just eaten splendidly, but learned something, too.