Our second try. The first one was over 4 years ago so before the pandemic. I'm happy to report Kosaka is even better (how is this possible?!), more delicious, as sophisticated as ever, as delicious as sushi can be. Supplemented omakase with otoro with caviar. Highly recommend this restaurant!! We will definitely be back sometime in the future. What a great way to celebrate our anniversary. Thank you read more

Kosaka - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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VERY fresh fish on a Thursday night, and it was a pleasure to watch the chef at work from the counter. Good meal with some memorable stand out pieces and a few big misses: GOOD: - Toro nigiri was amazing.. regret not taking a pic as it was gorgeous - Toro hand roll with the pickled radish strips was the best hand roll I have ever had, period! Very very good - the tiny ikura rice bowl was lightly sweet and very different from all the saltier ones I have had in the past - the Hokkaido uni nigiri was amazing - amuse bouche was pretty good - the "special salmon" from Japan was interesting - the clear broth was very refreshing, amongst the best clear dashi soups I've had - finished with a very fragrant apple green tea which was perfectly light and palate cleansing while also warm (finishing sushi with something iced always feels a little hard on the stomach) BAD: A few non-fish things that can be much better IMO. (This is relative to other traditional, edomae sushi restos I have been to. If you like e.g. Sushi Seki or Sushi of Gari please feel free to skip the next part.). - a little too much wasabi on a number of the pieces. I had to scrape off 95% of the wasabi from the ikura bowl which was amazing in every other way. Sometimes the wasabi overwhelmed the subtleties of the fish. - rice was a tad warm on some of the pieces and sometimes too mushy (as several other reviewers also observed). Ideal sushi rice should have fully individual grains. - I am usually a fiend for high end sushi ginger but was not a fan of the sushi ginger here. Tasted a bit generic for a $$$$ omakase resto which supposedly custom makes house ginger. - some of the more fusion-y pieces (i.e. flavored with stuff other than traditional house soy sauce) while creative didn't quite work for me in the combination of tastes. All in all, a number of great pieces, definitely worth a trip even if a few other things can be improved. read more

Kosaka is probably one of the best sushi experiences in my life, make sure you get on the chefs table (there are two sittings) and be prepared for a truly special night! Starting with the attentiveness of the staff, to the explanation/description of the food to gain better awareness of what one is eating, to the excellent sake pairing. Every piece is mouth watering and prepared to perfection. Hands down a place that needs to be experienced to be believed! I was blown away by the quality, freshness, and creativeness of Kosaka. Its absolutely amazing work! It's very upscale, delicious, reasonable charged compared to ingredient! read more

Kosaka - Scallop, sea salt, yuzu juice, sea grapes( seaweed from Okinawa) - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

When you finally stray away from the abundance of $100 and below "Omakase" spots. You will find yourself here at Kosaka. Dark dimmed lighting gave the ambience a mysterious yet curious vibe of what's to come. You will find to appreciate good sushi when it's at the most simplest form. Mackerel was the highlight. To be done correctly, fishy and irony taste is nonexistent. read more

Poor service, not Michelin level. We ordered omakase and food was good, but the experience was ruined by a few incidents: -waiter greets you with a question 'last name', no welcome or anything -first appetizer was a croquette, which they serve without any warning. It was so hot inside, it burned my mouth and for all the subsequent sushi it was hard to distinguish the taste -when we told the waiter about the hot croquette, he just briefly said 'sorry' and didn't seem to care much -when serving (obviously) hot steaming soup, waiter was condescending and said 'be careful it is hot' -with such poor experience, we left minimal tips, which the waiter saw and rolled his eyes on us We felt disrespected and that we wasted money, I would not recommend this overpriced place with poor service. Not sure how they managed to receive a Michelin star. read more

Total garbage. I have no idea how this place got a Michelin star. We arrived 5 mins earlier and our table was not ready. After 20 minutes it was still not ready. There were two empty chairs and the porter still was telling out that our seats are not ready. I mean this is just basic courtesy. Business like this needs to be closed. Go to Sushi Nakazawa and see what quality sushi means. Awful! read more

Last night, we had a table for two at Kosaka. I made the reservation a while ago for 9:15 on a Friday night, and we were looking forward to a pleasant experience. Kosaka delivered. We arrived and were seated immediately at the sushi counter, directly in front of the restaurant's namesake, Chef Kousaka. (It was marked as table 3 on our bill, for what that's worth) - I'd say the best table in the house as we were witness to each item carefully created at the hands of the chef. It was a pleasure to watch chef and the team at their craft; each item we were served was amazing in its own way (at least as well prepared as one can expect for sushi in this price range; not the cheapest in NYC but also not the most expensive), and even our one minor preference (no uni, sorry all you lovers out there) was handled well - king crab and caviar was a replacement ripped right from my heart's wish list. The service was pleasant and perfect in the unobtrusive but always at hand way you'd hope. As the night wound to a close around 11:30 (prepare for a slowly paced dinner) and tables began to leave, Chef chatted with us a bit about the trials and joys of running a sushi restaurant in NYC and we prepared to slowly roll ourselves out, a lot happier and a little bit poorer, but rich with a new and memorable experience. One minor note; I don't know if we would have had as amazing of an overall experience if we had sat in the side dining room- it would have been a wonderful pure food-based evening rather than what was partly live theater, so plan ahead! A fantastic night - thanks again. read more

Kosaka - The best seat in the house. - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Hands down one of the best kept secrets of NYC fine dining. Would come here for the Omakase In a Heart beat. Despite the $$$$ label, it's actually much more reasonable for the high quality vs the others that are in a different bracket read more

Why did they get a Michelin star?!?! Fish was not fresh. Sushi chef was not skilled. Wait staff was stiff and uninviting. I'm so disappointed in having spent my evening literally dreading what next would come. So sad that this place has greAt reviews and great pictures but honestly can not produce something even miseo read more

Kosaka - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

This is a joint review for our anniversary, which we went to Kosaka for. Four favorite bites: 1. The chu toro (fatty tuna) - a perfect balance in a fish. Tender, tasty, smooth, oily tuna. 2. The o toro (fattier tuna) - melts more in your mouth, less fatty but just as oily and delicious. 3. The uni from Santa Barbara - had a pungent and smooth yet, wrapped in flavorful nori. 4. The temaki with toro, scallop, and chopped sweet pickled radish - a hand roll that's sweet and savory, balance of taste, creaminess, crunchiness and sweetness. We also got the uni platter, which is good to get once and then probably not again. The seared uni is remarkable and such a rare flavor. The service is warm and easygoing, and when we mentioned we like the apple green tea, they gave us a couple of free tea bags to take home. Company was great. 5 Stars!!!!! read more

I went to Kosaka for the third time this week and it is still so amazing. Probably the third-best sushi in New York (after Masa and Nakazawa). And the best part is that they almost always have reservations available! We got the nigiri omakase, which is 15 pieces of the chef's best sushi. Their fish is always fresh, delicious, and very well-seasoned. I've gotten the sashimi and nigiri omakase before, which was also great, and they have some specialty platters that you can order in addition. They also have an extensive sake and wine menu. What is wonderful about Kosaka is that the ambiance is fairly casual, even though they're serving you some of the best sushi in New York. It's so refreshing to have a place that you can go to for a great sushi dinner that doesn't have to be super formal. read more

Kosaka - We ordered some more sushi after the omakase to relive the highlights! King salmon, chu-toro, and scallop with yuzu foam. All delicious. - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Best Japanese made sushi in NYC. Most of Sushi Materials from Japan. Traditional Japanese sushi with work of art. Omakase will gave me wonderful moment on every piece. Highly recommended if you are looking for high level sushi of art. read more

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My friend and I had a fabulous birthday sushi omakase dinner at Kosaka. What a warm and friendly chef and staff! They guided us and explained all the pieces. Since we love uni, my friend and I had uni caviar. It was so fresh and so good! Extra great thing was they used Osetra Caviar. The sushi was pristinely fresh.  We savored and enjoyed every piece.  I especially loved the scallop, salmon roe, and medium fatty tuna. The scallop with yuzu foam was creamy, meltingly tender with a lovely gentle read more

Kosaka - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Walking in to this dimly lit Michelin praises restaurant, you are quickly immersed in a fusion of ancient Japanese art with a modern twist. You are quickly offered a short menu with an extensive wine/sake list. We chose the sushi/sashimi omakase. As expected, only the freshest of ingredients were offered. There were a few questionable pieces that we were not too fond of, but we enjoyed the majority of the meal. There was minimal interaction with the chef, as they pretty much kept to themselves as they prepared the next piece of fish. The service is spectacular as they were always quick to refill your drink. We got an additional order of uni and toro, but of which were spectacular. With the omakase for two, one order of the toro and the uni, and two bottles of sake, the bill with tip ended up to be $777. Would not rank Kosaka as one of my favorite omakase spots(New York has some tough competitors), but it is definitely worth checking out to judge for yourself. read more

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At this point, there's almost a surfeit of top-notch sushi omakase options in NYC. I recall when it was Yasuda, Kuruma, and Ichimura and maybe a few others, but now, Omakase by Tetsu, Sushi Nakazawa of course, Onodera, and others have been popping up every few months or so! Kosaka stands out in its balance of creativity, attention to traditional methods, surprisingly flexible menu, and elegant but casual vibe. Very high quality neta (fish) with some creative toppings here and there, but overall Kosaka leans toward the traditional. The shari (rice) is slightly above room temperature with a touch of vinegar, and is very good and stickier than places such as Nakazawa. I enjoyed the ginger and wasabi, both of which are fresh and the former is vinegary à la Kuruma. There are a bevy of add-on options, in addition to the core sashimi + sushi or sushi-only omakase. Most folks opt for the sushi omakase, which I did and found well paced and balanced between lighter flavors to start, a tuna flight in the middle, and a few sweeter pieces such as uni and tamago to round out the omakase. Since I am a glutton, I opted for probably too many introductory add-ons, which delayed the enjoyable sushi omakase and capped my capacity for additional nigiri upon the end of the set menu. Here is how things proceeded: - Amuse-bouche - firefly squid (4/5) - this is in season and was very good. I liked the piece of cucumber to complement the taste and texture - Two add-on nigiri (4/5) - foie gras and fresh crab with caviar - too strong after the amuse and a bit unusual up front. I would have much preferred this later in the coursing, as a finale. The foie gras was great and interesting draped in shaved radish, and the crab was a sizable bite, the caviar always great - Seasonal sashimi (3/5) - I'm a sashimi aficionado, and was only okay with this particular course. The portion was surprisingly large and the three fish well chosen, but the plating could have been better, rather standard, the cuts were imprecise and prepared in the back not by the sushi chefs up front, and finally the shiso leafs were wilted! At least the wasabi was freshly grated - Japanese pickles (5/5) - this was almost the opposite of the above, perfect plating, great mix of textures and tastes (smoked to slightly sweet burdock to refreshing), and was prepared by one of the main sushi chefs - Nigiri course (5/5) - this is where Kosaka shines. I have already delved into the sushi up front, but one should expect Michelin-level nigiri and not too much. There will likely be room for a couple other pieces at the end. I particularly enjoyed the toro-taku hand-roll (again, the pickles!) and the kohada, which was perfectly vinegary. read more

I had the privilege of coming here to celebrate my birthday. Atmosphere was comforting, tranquil, and intimate. As soon as we sat at the bar, a lovely little birthday memo greeted us (how sweet!). We ordered 15pcs omakase sets and an uni platter. Each piece made was exceptionally fresh and high quality, and put me in an awe with every bite (i feel like its freshness still lingers in my mouth). Our chef was very skillful, attentive, and was kind enough to explain each piece to us in detail. Service was impeccable and we have thoroughly enjoyed our time here at Kosaka. I would not hesitate to come back again or share with friends. read more

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Came here for dinner and had a great time, the food was excellent and beautifully presented. The service was good and great! The atmosphere was relaxed but loud. Would definitely come back. read more

Kosaka - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Came here for dinner with friends and it was overall an OK omakase. When you make a reservation online there is no option to choose bar or table seating so you need to make sure you call the restaurant. For $225/pp I expected more from the experience. Because they serve the pieces staggered to everyone, the experience was not that great and not as intimate as some other spots. The chef was constantly in a rush and he had two people helping him who did not engage with us. Towards the end as we were waiting for pieces, the guy in front of us was washing dishes which really took away from the experience and was a bit of a turn off. Overall the pieces were decent, some were better than others. The fish was definitely fresh but the execution was not always perfect and we found bones in our pieces. The soup (dashi with mushrooms and sweat peas which did not taste that special) and the small bite (tuna croquette that was OK) was average at best and I question their decision to include those in the omakase course. Of all the pieces the clear standout for me was the toro hand roll that was delicious and interesting and something I have not had at other omakases. read more

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Cheerful, unpretentious and seriously sublime. Tokyo style at a Tokyo price that I believe is fair.

Kosaka was named after its executive chef Yoshihiko Kousaka, by dropping the second vowel of his last name. Have horned his skill at the Michelin-starred sushi bar Jewel Bako for more than ten years, Kousaka san eventually decided to open up his own sushi restaurant and present his technique. Unlike other sushi bars which usually feature only one Omakase set menu, Kosaka left its menu open - guests could either go with Sushi Omakase, or if less hungry, the sushi/sashimi Omakase, substituting half of the sushi pieces with sashimi. Decided to try a bit of this and that, my friend and I each opted for the combo Omakase. With the help of the artistically designed ceramics which used to hold the fish meat, the entire tasting experience was more like a journey to Japan, exhibiting the context of traditional Japanese culture and how it evolved with the western environment. Going back to food itself, I would say while the sashimi plate was as fresh as you could imagine and sushi was delicately presented; the last piece tamagoyaki was rather disappointing - it was like a piece of frozen omelet just being brought out of the fridge, with a very weird shape. It also tasted frozen and lack of flavor. The dessert however; has completely made it up. I fell in love with the cheese cake bite right away, even though I am not a cheese girl at all. The rice cracker with red bean paste was another highlight of the night and served a perfect ending of the meal. Needless to say, Kosaka successfully demonstrated the high-end Omakase, in a down-to-earth way. I would not complain too much about the speed, as chef were busy preparing the fish while about 10 people were waiting for the food at the same time. In order to earn a star (I would assume that is the goal of chef Kousaka san), felt to me that they needed a more consistent performance, and a complete recovery of its shortcoming (in this case, the tamagoyaki) read more

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Me and my boyfriend have been to many Omakase places in nyc, and in my opinion no other place beats Kosaka for its taste and service so far at the similar price range. The waiters were so welcoming and the chef was funny and kind. Although I love every single piece of sushi from here, the fatty tuna is my favorite, which literally melted in the mouth. Will definitely come back! read more

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After coming across this review when recommending Kosaka to a friend for an anniversary dinner spot, I felt like I had to write a comment in response. This review is sexist and should really just be taken down. The review seems mostly about Eric W's problem with a female sushi chef and having his sushi prepared by "a lady". Sushi chefs work in a sexist industry anyways, but if you knew who she was, you'd know she's one of the ONLY female sushi experts in the field, trained under Sushi Master Yasuda. Her entire career is legendary and empowering to women everywhere. I've never had anything less than amazing service and food at Kosaka. This review is just sexism hiding under the guise of a man complaining about his wine. --Yelp, take this sexist review down. Sorry that Eric doesn't want "a lady" serving him in a high end Omakase Japanese restaurant. read more

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From the Chef from Jewel Bako brought you one of the most anticipated sushi place in the city. Sadly I was a little underwhelmed. To be clear, whenever I have omakase, I always sit at the sushi bar. Unfortunately this time we didn't because there's four of us and could only be seated at a table. Not sure if this is part of the reason, but honestly I think the sushi omakase here is very average. Details: - Rice was too cold. This is mentioned by some other reviewers, so I don't think this is a one off incidence just because I sat at the table. For all the pieces, rice was distinctively colder than the fish and it's a big no no when it comes to sushi. - Fish was too warm. This may be due to the fact we sat at table, so whoever made the sushi had to make 4 pieces per person for 4 ppl, so 16 pieces total, then brought all of them out to our table, etc. etc. In short, it just lacked all the freshness I've had at all the other places, even though I'm sure the fish here is amazingly fresh. - I do like the use of yuzu here. At least three pieces the chef either incorporated yuzu as sauce or wrapped the leaf around it. - LOVE LOVE pickled ginger here, and in general I don't even like ginger. I think pickled ginger is an underrated factor when it comes to sushi. It serves as a palate cleanser between pieces to so you can enjoy the next piece 100%. All the sushi places I've been to do pickled ginger in house, here is my favorite - it has the perfect balance between sweetness and spiciness. I can't name all the pieces I had, partially because how underwhelming they were, also partially because it wasn't being served at the sushi bar one piece at a time. Everything was just a little bleh. In contrast, service here was top notch and you can tell they want it to be Michelin-star standard. From clothes checking to folding napkins when you go to restroom to the way they pour sake, everything was impeccable. Also our waiter noticed it took long for the first few pieces to come out and brought us edamame to snack on. It's a shame I wasn't amazed by the omakase. Maybe when I have more disposable income, I will stop by and sit at the sushi bar and give it another try. read more

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"If you think Tiffany's is a bargain...." I thought that $10 juices and $9 coffees couldn't be topped in the golden cobbled streets of the West Village. But apparently I was in error. If I imagine it's 2003, then yes this place has amazing unique cuisine, attentive service and star quality chef aura. Unfortunately for this establishment, It's 2016 and there are many Japanese restaurants in the East Village that top this place at half the price. Jewel Bako alumni or not. What's to cheer: - fresh fish - good selection of fish in the Omakase. Even some unique fish I haven't had before (and I've had sushi nearly all of the continents & Japan) What's to jeer: - $145 Omakase! - nothing else really on the menu as a main besides the Omakase - "Light" pour of wines/sake. Sorry, at these prices, "better fill 'er up!" - dated music - over stuffy environment If you are one of those guys with a lot of money, don't know sushi, and want to impress your collagen lipped, Breast implanted date, come here! read more

Pros: friendly and attentive service; great dessert. Cons: ...hold on, I need to get a list going: -THE RICE! Warm, mushy, over-vinegared - this was probably what triggered me the most about our omakase experience, and sadly every single piece of nigiri was served with this craziness. With good sushi rice, you should be able to taste each grain of rice and the taste should highlight the fish served on top -Most of the fish served was undeniably fresh, but there were a few pieces that left a fishy taste in your mouth, or even worse, hard-to-chew sinewy strings. Cuts were also unbalanced with too little fish, so the fish:rice ratio was off for nigiri sushi -Price. For $155/person exclusive of tax and gratuities, Kosaka gets a hard pass from me read more

What a treat! After an OpenTable snafu one evening and a reservation not working out, we came back on Mother's Day and snagged a table at prime time thanks to everyone in the world going to Brunch that day! Everything was very authentic and simple- a true nigiri omakase. The place only has about 12 seats at the bar and a few dining room seats. Ambiance- Quiet and simple. Perfect for a date. Food- Stellar. Sushi was fresh and we tried some unique items that even I hadn't had before. Service- Wonderful. The manager never let our glasses go empty and the sushi chef kept a leisurely pace for our meal. No wonder this place is on all of the top lists of sushi for NYC! It was one of the best sushi dinners we have had in the city and luckily it is right down the street, so we will be back! read more

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Uni to know that Ebi-thing was phenomenal and Yuzu definitely give this a try! Yes miso lame with my puns but seriously, the ingredients were super fresh. Timing was perfectly paced. Comfortable environment and attentive service. Did I mention the food was delicious? Oh and they use fancy soap (Aesop). That's always a plus read more

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3.5 stars Food overall was good, but serving Maine uni in the omakase was such a let-down and the sushi rice was not great and overwhelmed the taste of the fish at times. Less sushi rice would have been better. There were two pieces of the Maine uni in the omakase - not sure if that was a mistake, but I was very disappointed. I also tried the uni appetizer, which featured uni from Maine, Santa Barbara, and Hokkaido. The Maine uni really stood out as not tasting good at all, but I have never been a big fan of East Coast uni, which has a unique chemical taste that stands out (at least to me it tastes like chemicals). The Hokkaido uni was the sweetest and very delicious (as expected), and the Santa Barbara uni was very clean and light in taste (as expected). The caviar and toro appetizer was decent. Only a couple pieces in the omakase were unique and exotic. I think this place is a touch above Jewel Bako, but not as good as the top tier guys such as Shuko, Kura, Ichimura, etc. For dessert, there was a matcha almond cookie (OK) and a strawberry daifuku (delicious). Service was excellent. read more

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Wow! what an experience. The moment I walked in it hit me. I thought I arrived in Japan! From start to finish the experience was out of this... country :) Omakase was on point, started slow with a interesting selection of whitefish I have never heard of. Adventurous I like it. Then the rest was Toro and temaki with an out of this world Anago. Sake selection was a lot longer than I expected and the service staff were very pleasant to ask and talk to. Price was a bit high but I left feeling I got what I paid for. Overall this Chef Kosaka emphasizes simple simple simple with ties to tradition. Loveeeed it read more

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Called for a reservation a few hours before opening and was told the only resv left for the sushi bar was at 6pm. when i got there at 6pm there was only one other couple at the bar and throughout the whole meal (1.5 hours) only 1 other couple came in. I dont get why the receptionist would tell me that 6pm in the only time slot left when the sushi bar was 1/2 empty the whole time i was there? Food was very BLAND and not worth the price of other high end Sushi Kaiseki places like Shuko, Neta, ichimura, nakazawa, masa, and even O Ya which I didnt like but thought it was still better than Kosaka Opted for the Chefs tasting menu ($175), 1 sake pairing(70), also added the Uni platter and toro with caviar (both $40). Bill was $600 for 2 of us with tip -Uni was fresh but was not very flavorful and was hard to tell the difference between the 3 - monkfish liver tasted like plain tofu - miso sea bass was overcooked - way too much toro vs caviar so the dish ate very bland. The gold flakes and chive didnt add anything - Sushi was avg but 2-3 pieces that i picked up as soon as it was placed on my dish fell apart - dessert was a merengue cookie dipped in chocolate and a green tea butter cookie?!?!?! So this might have bothered me the most. There were 3 sushi chefs including Kosaka himself but not once did Kosaka make a piece of sushi or cook. He pretty much stood there and watched over the other 2 and supervised. There were just 2 and later on 3 customers at the bar, why wouldnt you as the head chef want to be more involved? Overall everything was very BLAND and BORING. Service on the other hand was polite and attentive. I have no clue how anyone can give this place over 2.5 stars when there are so many other good places (read above). read more

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Kosaka-- I had such high hopes for you. Fish was fresh and delectable, no qualms there. However I take issue with the inconsistent rice -- some were perfect, yet others were almost overcooked. Some were room temperature while others were served warm. Also, used to having the sushi chef serving only the patrons sitting in front of him, the service felt oddly strange and unprofessional with one chef running from patron to patron. During the same visit to NY this time I had a much better omakase meal at Kura and previously at Shuko. Sadly won't revisit. read more

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Nice looking restaurant with decent service. Presentation of all the dishes were on point. Wait staff is attentive enough but not quite as informed as you'd like. Cost was definitely a factor in scoring. The quality of the fish was mediocre and disappointing, especially when you're paying upwards of $200 per person. One of the pieces was just outright bad. How bad? It still had the fishbone in it and was so chewy I discreetly spit it out instead of attempting to gnaw on it. Rice is very, very mushy and a bit too strongly flavored when the fish should be the highlight. This is not to say it was inedible or I hated every piece in the meal (chuutoro was quite nice) but this is quality I expect when I'm spending maybe $50-70 per person. I also left quite hungry - I wasn't asked if I'd like to add additional pieces to my meal...which is frankly a first for me during omakase. If you're planning on spending $200+ per person just go to Nakazawa ($150pp last I went) instead. They have a shiny Michelin Star now too, serve you 12-15 pieces. You don't leave hungry (even without supplements) and best of all, the fish quality is out of this world. read more

Unforgettable sushi experience. ...period!!! Yelp force me to add more comments. .. so I would like to add incredible services..... read more

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This is a top 5 Omakase place in NYC. The quality and attention to detail are all noteworthy.

Everything I had tonight was amazing. There's not one thing I didn't like. Our sushi chef was amazing too. If you like the omakase style Japanese food. This is definitely highly recommended. read more

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My mouth sang all the high notes tonight! An exquisite sushi omakase meal prepared by sushi craftsman, Chef Yoshi, formerly of Jewel Bako. Undoubtedly, the best sushi experience I had. Elegant and intimate space, attention to detail, impeccable service, and then the top-notch quality fish, expertly and lovingly prepared by a chef who is passionate about his métier. We supplemented our omakase meal with a generous serving of the uber fresh Santa Barbara uni. As soon as we walked into the restaurant, I eyed the artfully arranged three spiny uni on a bed of ice on the juncture of the sushi bar. A rare treat of sweet, creamy, mildly nutty sea gift was served on the spiny sea urchin shell. Then the pièce de résistance, and the true talent of chef Yoshi, nigiri sushi. This is where chef Yoshi shines the brightest, an impeccable morsel of seasonal fish and perfectly prepared rice. I had a memorable chutoro, scallop, and extremely tender seasonal fishes kinmedai and akamutsu. We ended our fabulous meal with a surprising raspberry truffle mochi and a matcha dessert. It was that good! A must experience for a sushi afficiondo! read more

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I'm really torn here between 4 and 5 stars. This place truly excels in some areas, and in others, falls a little short. Let's get the most important part out of the way. The sushi here is really excellent; up there with any of the usual suspects that show up on every list. Generally speaking, the sushi here is done in the traditional edome style, with a few pieces that forayed into modern / fusion sushi accented with truffle soy sauce or smoked soy sauce. It all works, and the modern style pieces were done with restraint that kept it nearly true to traditional style, but just far enough away from tradition to open your eyes, and slowly roll them into the back of your head. So that all sounds good, so what's the dilemma? The price point. Here, for a mere $270 post tax and tip per person, you get 16 pieces, soup, and a couple beers, and a third of a bottle of the cheapest bottle of sake on he menu. Not saying every place has to have the value factor of Dojo, Kura (excluding their sake), or Tanoshi, but at this price point, you are better off going to Nakazawa or Sushi Zo. Looking at what you pay and what you get, it is probably the lowest value in terms of quantity for any of the big boys, and more less on par in terms of quality. So what's the verdict here? It's worth going to simply based off of the quality of the sushi, but once will suffice. It falls below Nakazawa, Dojo, Zo, Tanoshi, or Kura, and is probably on par with Ushiwaramaku or Brushstroke, in my book. read more

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We ate here on 1/5/16 and had an excellent experience. Chances are, if you are obsessively checking Yelp for new reviews, you should probably just make a reservation. IMO, I feel like this place will get more expensive as it gains popularity. Personally, I'm trying to think of another excuse to come again. Chef Yoshihiko prepared our omakase, and I enjoyed all 16 pieces (plus appetizer, hand roll, miso soup, and mochi) immensely. My stand-out favourites were the Hokkaido uni (usually I prefer SB uni, but this Hokkaido one was not too briney), Ikura (somehow much less salty than I've ever had it before, but full of rich flavour), and the anago (simply divine!!!). This is possibly the nicest omakase we've experienced (for context, we've been to Ichimura at Brushstroke, Cagen, Kura, and 15 East in NYC). Other than the appetizer, handroll, miso, and dessert, all pieces were nigiri (no sashimi). The rice is a little loose compared to other nigiri I've had, but I think that's Chef Yoshihiko's style! In terms of service, we had no issues. Pieces were ready 5-8 minutes apart (judging by the time stamp differences of my photos). Atmosphere is nice, but not overly formal (for example, I felt very self conscious at Ichimura taking pictures, but not here). Staff is very polite and friendly. I think they are told to obsessively check for wet spots at the counter or moisture on your serving plate, because they are always camping you and wiping/blotting any wetness away (which is a *little* intrusive, IMO, but I understand that some customers might like that level of attention). For drinks, we shared a 300ml of warm sake amongst three in our party (there's just 1 choice of warm sake), and as a person who very rarely imbibes alcohol, it was really easy to drink. So this is a great option for newbie drinkers! Dessert was mochi: I received a chestnut one, my husband got a strawberry one, and our friend got a yuzu one (I think that's what he said). We think these are from Rin NYC. read more

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KenScale: 8.5/10 New York City already has tons of great sushi restaurants; I haven't been to Tokyo yet (but will soon in the spring), so I can't compare the level of sushi there to what New York City offers, but what struck me most about the sushi scene in the city is the diversity of style (from traditional edomae to more fusion incorporating a variety of non-fish ingredients). At the same time, the freshness of fish at top-shelf sushi institutions in the city is certainly at the very high level. Kosaka, led by chef Yoshihiko Kousaka (formerly of Jewel Bako in East Village), is another new entrant to the sushi game in the city, and I must say, a pretty good one. I was surprised when the server approached me to take orders in Korean (I was with a Korean friend as my dining companion). Apparently, the owner and the staff are all Korean while the chef's team is all Japanese. A rather interesting mix, but I digress. Let's get to the food. The style at Kosaka is more geared toward traditional style; there is nothing really fancy that goes into each piece although the fish is all properly seasoned so there is no need to use soy sauce. There are two tasting menu options ($145 per head for sushi omakase and $175 per head for chef's tasting menu), as well as some a la carte options. I went with the sushi omakase option and (obviously) sat at the bar where chef Kousaka began serving all the pieces himself after a very delightful crab and avocado salad. I was really a fan of many of the pieces, which were incredibly fresh and had proper balance of seasoning. Rice also had the right amount of firmness that worked very well with the fish. Tuna was really the strength at the bar that night, whether it's the Bluefin tuna, medium fatty tuna or the toro. All three pieces were just literally melting in my mouth! Uni, another favorite of mine in sushi restaurants, was also incredibly fresh and had the silky smooth texture that was just so memorable. Sea eel and shrimp were also winners. My favorite of the night, however, came from an unexpected piece. I usually think of maki (seaweed hand rolls) as an afterthought, as they have a hard time shining compared to the other sushi pieces, but the one at Kosaka which consists of toro, pickled radish and scallion was simply outstanding. The ingredients inside the seaweed wrap were working together so harmoniously that I wished I could've got another even though I was getting pretty full by that time. Some pieces were slightly off, such as Tasmanian king salmon or sea scallop with yuzu (nothing wrong with the texture, but seasoning was slightly off for both), but overall the omakase at Kosaka was a very pleasant affair. The meal ended with tamago (I haven't had these egg dish in a while but wasn't my favorite here), followed by miso soup (a little too salty) and the assortment of desserts (green tea pudding was delightful, but chocolate mochi was a bit funky) accompanied by tea. My dining companion got the reservation so I'm not sure how difficult it is to get seated, but the sushi bar area is relatively small, so my suggestion is to try to book early (and as always, for the bar not the dining room inside). I liked the modern décor of the restaurant; service was attentive and there are some nice sake selections to choose from the menu. Kosaka is another welcome addition to the sushi scene in NYC, and I definitely recommend having a visit at some point if you're a sushi aficionado. read more

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We ordered the omakase and Uni tasting with supplement. We have many pieces of sushi, among them Toro is amazing. I also love the eel sushi and chopped tuna hand roll. The highlight is the dessert. I promise I had the best matcha chocolate cookie here! read more

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