We dined at Yamada this past Friday. WE had the best meal to date in NYC. In addition, it was the…read morebest Japanese meal outside of Japan that we have experienced. The service and pairing were exceptional. Chef Yamada kaiseki had all the heart and soul in it. I would also make a comment on the reviewer who also dined at Yamada who left a pathetic review about the servers taking his glass. Alec R was asked twice by the servers if he would like another beverage. They NEVER tried to remove his glass of whisky which was completely EMPTY. I rarely write reviews, but i strongly felt i should this time. Its an injustice that foolish patrons try to ruin the evening of others by making a scene. He is probably from a rival restaurant since he knows about the profit margins lol. i am a whisky connoisseur and the Toki bottle which was presented by the lovely team retails for $30 a bottle. SHAME ON FOOLISH ALEC R Restaurant staff are not Professor Xavier, who can read minds!!! They asked you if you wanted another beverage.

A really great restaurant. Yamada focuses on Japanese kaiseki and does an admirable job bringing a…read moreform a dining that you can only find in Japan. The food at Yamada follows a traditional kaiseki path: featuring a variety of traditional cooking techniques from steaming, frying, poaching and grilling. The plating is a work of art, and the ingredients are as fresh as can be. Serious technique is featured here, and the food is authentic (but may be a bit bolder than what you normally find in Japan). The service and warm and friendly, and the servers do a great job making you feel at home. The restaurant is small and features around 10 or so seats, surrounding where all cooking happens. Yamada is a pricey meal, but it's memorable. If you're deciding on a kaiseki spot in NYC, it's as good an option as any.

Food 10/10 Service 10/10…read moreAmbiance 10/10 Wow, you got come try this place the favors are something else. Made a reservation to on Resy for 5:30pm on a Wednesday evening. The place was small and cozy , it felt very intimate just 6 guests in total sitting at the bar in-front of the chief. This experience was truly special, and I would 100% come back again no doubt about it . My goodness you have to try this Smoked Hamachi / "Japanese Amberjack" , the flavors are so complex it's like nothing else I've ever tasted! I wish I they sold that sauce I would dip that with everything ... my 2nd favorite thing was this delicious Kani / "Crab" with truffle aoli and potato crisps Handroll, once again the flavors were top tier the sweetness of the crab combination with the truffle and topped with the crispy texture was fantastic. Seriously please try this place, and kudos to the chef he was explaining everything to us from how they prepare the fish to the ingredients of the sauces . 10/10 you'll love it !

So I rolled the dice with Mori as my choice to try a new Omakase experience. To begin, the…read moreexclusivity this restaurant has is automatically attention grabbing! They only have 3 times a night available for 10 guests. My first visit left me in such awe that I went back a month later! I got to experience their 5:30pm and 7:30pm seatings. Both are great times but I recommend 5:30 so you have the day ahead of yourself to explore Soho. Ok the important part: FOOD! Simply saying that everything was delicious really underestimates what it truly is. The price of it all reflects in the chefs' presentations, the quality of seafoods used, and the warmth and welcoming atmosphere the entire team brings. Both chefs and host were involved throughout the entire experience and constantly checking in on how we were feeling about each bite. Every question we had for them followed up with detailed answers which was extremely helpful. I can't help but to give another huge thank you for both experiences as they radiated with so much joy and love for our occasions (birthday and anniversary)! I can't spoil the rest! Just add this hidden gem to your NYC itinerary!

Decided to splurge on a meal and landed on this spot. Excellent sushi quality, rice, and texture!…read moreOur fav bites were the baby sea bream and red snapper. The sesame noodle amuse-bouche was also addicting, I definitely could have had additional bowls of it! Sweet corn ice cream was a unique and delicious ending to the meal. I found it strange that they only let us in exactly at our dining time (8:45). We were left standing outside for 10 mins. Upon entering, they were still setting up so we had to wait in the hallway for another 5 mins. Service during the meal was excellent, however. They provided additional cushions for our items and promptly got anything we needed. Absolutely worth!

This was honestly one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. This is far from a place…read moreworthy of celebrating a special occasion. It feels more like an overpriced small family business trying to present itself as a high-end fine dining restaurant. The first thing every guest is told by the staff is to use the restroom because there is no waiting area or lounge. For a restaurant positioning itself as a premium experience, that's disappointing. We weren't even greeted with something as simple as, "How are you today?" Considering it was summer, the dining room also felt uncomfortably warm. When I mentioned that the air conditioning didn't seem to be working well, the staff simply dismissed my concern and told me the temperature was fine, rather than acknowledging how we were feeling or trying to make us more comfortable. Throughout the meal, the waiter kept correcting where I placed my spoon and how I should use the phone holder. Instead of politely guiding guests, it felt like every small detail was being enforced as a rule. Fine dining should feel welcoming and refined, not restrictive. The chef also seemed unusually defensive. When I simply asked if I could have extra sauce for one of the dishes, I was told, "You don't put sauce on this," in a way that felt dismissive rather than accommodating. Even more concerning, some of the fish did not seem fresh. Another customer nearby even asked, "Is that aged? Because it doesn't look fresh." Rather than addressing the concern professionally, the chef appeared offended again. I also witnessed another guest repeatedly request that her food be prepared without wasabi. Despite her request, the chef continued adding wasabi to her dishes. At one point, her partner ended up eating the dish instead so it wouldn't go to waste. Even for the final course, which was prepared all at once, the chef again added wasabi despite her repeated request. There was no acknowledgment of her preference or attempt to accommodate it. Watching a clearly communicated dietary or taste preference be repeatedly ignored reflected a lack of consideration for the guest. The experience became even more uncomfortable at the end of the meal. Because we were dissatisfied with the overall experience, so we left a smaller tip than we normally would. A staff member who had very little interaction with us during dinner approached my partner with aggression and asked if there was something wrong with the service. He then insisted that we should leave at least an 18% tip. When my partner chose to leave less, he said they would rather not have the tip at all, handed back the merchant copy, told us to keep the tip ourselves, and walked away. The interaction came across as entitled and unprofessional. Tips should reflect the guest's experience and should never be demanded or negotiated. The worst part came after we got home. I began experiencing vomiting and stomach pain shortly after the meal. At first, my partner thought I was overreacting, but about two hours later he developed the exact same symptoms. While I can't say with certainty what caused it, it was deeply concerning that we both became ill after dining there. I've eaten at many Michelin-starred and other acclaimed restaurants, and one thing they consistently do well is make guests feel comfortable while maintaining high standards. Here, it felt like the staff cared more about enforcing rules than creating an enjoyable dining experience. We came here fully aware of the price and expecting an experience that justified it. Unfortunately, the service, the attitude of the staff, the uncomfortable interaction regarding tipping, and the fact that we both became ill afterward made this one of the worst fine dining experiences I've ever had. It is genuinely saddening because we came in with high expectations but left feeling disappointed from beginning to end.

This was the first meal I had when I landed in NY & it definitely did not disappoint! I've had…read moreomakase around the world & Tsumo is on par with the ones I've had in Japan. It's a 13 course omakase with options to add on à la carte pieces. It doesn't seem too difficult to get a reservation since I was able to make it a few days before the date. They run on an hourly schedule so be on time! It is quite a tiny restaurant but has plenty of seats. The host & our chef were extremely welcoming and friendly. They were fairly fast with prepping the pieces, which I appreciated because I was starving. My favorites were: chutoro, otoro, hotate, & botan ebi. Honestly, all of them were so delicious but these 4 were the ones that stood out most to me. We also ordered a yuzu beer to drink which complimented our meal well. My partner ordered a crab hand roll on the side & it was exceptional too! I would definitely come back again & recommend this to others. 10/10!

Solid spot for really affordable omakase! I did a walk in on Saturday as soon as it opened and half…read moreof the restaurant was filled. I think it's a really chill spot and the sushi quality was pretty good considering the price. I definitely felt full from the 13 piece omakase. The sushi chefs were really quick and it was fun to watch them in action and the staff was really attentive with water refills. The interior was nice because all guests surround the center of the restaurant and are facing inwards so you can see everyone. Super clean inside and enjoyed my experience

I thoroughly enjoyed my private dining experience at @tsubameny! It is a Kaiseki inspired omakase…read more Chef Jay took the time to explain every beautiful dish that was meticulously prepared. Make sure to check them out. #tsubame #nycrestaurants #finedining #nycfoodie #foodie #food #chilebougie #chilebougieeats #foodreview #chilebougietravels #foodiegram #champagne #chiamakalkalu #blackfoodie #foodcritic #tastemademedoit #blackgirltravel #FoodGoals #LuxuryDining #newyork #sushi #sushilover #omakase #kaiseki #japan #japanesefood #privatedining

I came here during the grand opening and really enjoyed it. Was really excited to come back again…read moresince it was a favorite for me. Really disappointed last night, I'm not sure if 8 people at the counter were hard to serve or something. I noticed he had to remake some other couples sushi cause the rice was falling apart. If I'm paying this much I'd at least expect the seaweed on our hand roll not to get stale, my bf and I had to chew and try REALLY hard to rip it. My uni piece was falling all over the place on the sides. My bf really enjoyed the sake pairing though. Maybe it was just that night but just disappointed in the quality compared to the first time.

Sekai offers a 16 course omakase meal for $108 that includes seasonal appetizers, fresh pieces of…read morenigiri, a handroll, and a yummy buckwheat pudding at the end! I went at 5 PM and my friend and I were the only customers, which I liked. I'm sure it gets busier for the 6:45 PM timing. Their course runs for 90 minutes and the chef is very attentive and descriptive, which I appreciated. Some parts of the course that stood out to me was the akami, chu toro, sea eel (which is super different from freshwater eel), and their ebi. They have one clean bathroom.

I've had the pleasure of dining at Sekai twice and both meals have been delicious. I absolutely…read moreadore the beautiful plating they use for each distinct course. I love how the different flavors compliment each other and don't over power the fish. One of the servers comes around with photos of the fish you're eating if you're curious! Highly recommend :)

Great value for lots of solidly sized pieces. We did the dining room, which was cheaper than the…read morebar omakase ($160 vs $190), but I honestly enjoyed having our pieces come in groups rather than one at a time. For example, I liked trying the different tuna types in a row (from least fatty to most fatty I think). The fish was extremely tender and well flavored. Came for my friend's birthday and they didn't allow us to bring in outside food, but put a candle next to the crème brûlée dessert.

Food: 4.5/5 Service: 4.5/5…read moreAmbiance: 4.4/5 Value: 3.7/5 4.3 is the prevailing rating at this time and I feel it's accurate. I paid $372 including tax and tip for the chef's omakase at $250 and a $38 glass of Riesling. Yikes. I wasn't given the creme brulee, as they said that dish was for the classic omakase not chef's, yet the couple next to me got theirs. Whatever. The nigiri selections were fairly commonplace, though there were a couple that I hadn't tried before like Meichi and Aori Ika. But no Nodoguro or Kinmedai which was disappointing. Overall, it was pretty good, and a better value than some of the outrageously priced omakase offerings elsewhere, but maybe not as good of a value as Noz Market or Noz 17. The lineup: 1. Wagyu osetra fried leeks 2. Fuji salmon w/ Japanese sea salt 3. King salmon from New Zealand 4. Hotate scallop from Hokkaido 5. King squid (Aori Ika) fermented plum, sea salt 6. Tiger prawn (a bit rubbery) 7. Steamed king crab topped with sea urchin. 8. Meichidai ginkgo fish with yuzu 9. Japanese belt fish; heavily salted 10. Japanese sea bream with tomato broth and thin clear noodles 11. Spanish mackerel from North Carolina 12. Shima aji. Striped jack. 13. Saba. Japanese mackerel. 14. Lean 15. medium 16. fatty tuna 17. Hokkaido uni 18. Toro and pickled radish hand roll 19. Unagi. Sea eel. 20. Tamago. Egg custard. 21. Genmaicha. 22. Crown melon from Japan.

Amazing! Very precisely crafted experience, phenomenal atmosphere and welcoming people. Food was…read morefresh and delicious, staff kind and helpful. Can't wait to come back!!1!

Still thinking about my visit to Kyuubi almost 2 months later!!! I'm not the biggest fan of omakase…read morebecause I am a little bit picky and if the fish is pretty out there I don't like it, but everything I was given here was a 10/10!! I didn't ask for any substitutions and it was still perfect. The chef and the hostess/manager that run the place are so lovely and we had a wonderful time chatting with them throughout our delicious meal. I wish I could eat this every day. GENUINELY!!!!!