Takumi Omakase: Our Favorite New York Sushi

The omakase sushi dining experience is definitely a thing in New York City. Roughly translated to “chef’s choice,” omakase dining has exploded in popularity in the last ten years, and many restaurants offer this type of sushi tasting menu. Typically 8-12 seatings around a counter, prices range from around $100 up to almost a thousand dollars per person (plus drinks, tip and tax).

We discovered Takumi Omakase, located in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, in September 2024 and had a terrific experience. We’ve now dined there twice and it’s on the menu every time we are in New York. The fish is of a very high quality, super fresh and flown in from Japan, yet quite affordable.

15 Course Omakase $89

We arrived at our appointed time and were promptly seated at Takumi’s cozy counter. The waiter brought water and took our drink order right away. There is a small selection of sakes, beers and wines; we selected Sapporo draft beers, which were delicious and served ice cold. According to their Resy listing, they offer free unlimited cold sake to their customers in the months of June and July.

The omakase dinner includes 3 appetizers, 11 premium nigiri and 1 hand roll. All their sushi chefs have worked at omakase restaurants in Japan and are extremely knowledgable. Our favorite chef is Cody, and we talked with him at length during our first visit. It was clear that he knows a lot about the ingredients, where they come from, how to handle them, how to mix the flavor profiles, and how to prepare each dish expertly. We watched him work and he has a very careful, deliberate approach.

The Appetizers

The first appetizer was a magical start to a nice meal: oyster with yuzu foam. A little salty, a little tart, and overall a creamy burst of flavor in your mouth.

The second appetizer was kanpachi (amberjack) salad with tomato, seaweed and some kind of delicious dressing. All the flavors complemented each other perfectly with just the right hit of acidity.

The final appetizer course was miso-marinated branzino with cucumbers. This dish is typically prepared with cod, like it was for us the first time around, and it is our favorite course. The flavors are sensational, buttery umami. However, they were out of cod and had to substitute branzino. It was delicious in its own right and we would have really loved it if we hadn’t already had the cod. They have spoiled us.

The Nigiris

Next came a rapid succession of nigiri, fresh fish on subtly vinegary rice, lightly brushed with soy sauce.

Bluefin tuna from Spain was the first, and the tender, fresh tuna just melted in our mouths.

The course of sea bream madai was light, fresh and lemony.

Our other favorite nigiri is seared King salmon, so we always look forward to this course. This salmon came from the cold waters of New Zealand and was torched and finished with truffle salt for an amazing salty, fatty mouthful.

Hamachi (yellowtail) with pickled jalapeño was delicious.

Fatty tuna (o-toro)with Russian caviar and green onions – another favorite mouthful. We used to avoid fatty tuna because sometimes it is stringy, but this one was succulent with the caviar providing a little saltiness.

Hokkaido scallop with lime juice and zest and a touch of charcoal salt was yet another favorite bite.

Arctic char with miso paste was fresh and delicious with a burst of umami.

Kinmedai (goldeneye snapper), fresh, mild, firm, and delicate.

A greatly anticipated course is the seared A5 wagyu beef. Served warm and smoky after a good torching, it’s simply sensational and will definitely light up the pleasure centers in your brain.

The last nigiri course was Hokkaido uni (sea urchin). Creamy and indulgent, it was a nice combo of flavors – the sweetness of the rice and buttery uni. Silky and briny, it melted in my mouth with a burst of flavor. A truly great bite to end on.

The (Magical) Hand Roll

The hand roll they typically serve here is quite special – and one of our favorite bites. I already love unagi (freshwater eel) and I didn’t think it could get any better. Also, I’m not a big fan of fois gras (goose liver paste). However, here they pair together so unbelievably well! The chef finishes the unagi, places a chunk of fois gras on top, then torches it until it begins to melt. Then, gently, he ensconces the whole thing in a sheet of crunchy nori and places it in your hands. It’s warm, tender and sweet with the eel sauce, but unctuous with the fois gras. Simply sublime.

Once the last course is complete, you have the option to order additional sushi, to reprise your favorite bites or add something you haven’t yet tried. We ordered more unagi (with foil gras damn straight), buttery wagyu and seared salmon. Upon recommendation, we tried the kinki, a high-end rockfish that was delicious, then we were officially full!

Conclusion: Our Favorite New York Omakase

After several visits, Takumi Omakase still holds up. The selection changes according to the preference of the chef, based on what is fresh or seasonal, but it’s always good. Most importantly, it is an excellent value: the best New York omakase for under $100.

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