I can't believe I haven't submitted this review, which has been sitting in my draft for a while, lol. I'm running a busy life, pardon me! After returning from Montreal, we visited this restaurant in the city. The Chef, Take-San, used to work at Hatsuhana, another Japanese restaurant we visited years ago. He decided to part ways and open his own place. This is a cute sushi place. The service was terrific because you enjoyed the conversations with the Chef, being up close and personal. We had Omakase, which included pieces of different fish, whose names I can't remember, but I remember the taste so well. Every piece was unique, and I enjoyed them all. At first, I wanted to order chirashi but picked Omakase by accident. The accident was worthwhile. It's a small place with tons of excellent fish to try. Will definitely return to try that chirashi. Highly recommended! read more

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So good! Fast service, nice atmosphere, a lovely house Sake that was heavily poured. I got a sushi set and just the house sake, spent $90 with tip read more

I found this place quite by accident. And am I glad I did. I'm writing this after two separate visits. I decided after the first to wait. They were a year apart, I don't live in NYC-but this is in my daughter's neighborhood. I grew up in Vancouver eating sushi since I was 8. I'm in my 60s. I know sushi. The fish was superb. The sushi man was slicing bluefin. He presented me with a piece of Toro. It melted in my mouth. He then made me a tekkamaki that was first class. The chirashi was a pleasant surprise. No sirimi crab and a nice dollop of Ikura. But the show stopper was the uni. I could tell from the color it wasn't Californian-too dark. It was flown in from Tsukiji Market in Tokyo. It was amazing. The Miso soup was quite good as well. I've been there for lunch only, but would imagine dinner is as good. read more

Omakase Sushi Dairo - Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Had the lunch omakase which includes miso soup, 11 pieces of sushi, negitoro roll (and sparkling water). I liked the different variety of fish served such as the branzino, arctic char, and baby snapper. Chefs were also very friendly. Seasoning was a bit too much for me though and I was expecting the sushi to really wow me at $100 read more

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I have been here twice and loved it every time. This is easily one of the best Omakase spots in NYC.

Very disappointing experience. We reserved the $95 omakase but were mistakenly served the $160 menu. When we realized the error halfway through and asked them to stop and adjust the bill, they refused. To make matters worse, the restaurant had an unpleasant smell that took away from the experience. Mistakes happen, but what separates great restaurants from mediocre ones is how they handle them. There was no accountability, no flexibility, and no effort to make things right. For a restaurant charging premium prices, I expected much better customer service. I left feeling taken advantage of and very disappointed. I won't be returning. read more

Very inflexible. The yellowtail was very chewy - I've never had chewy yellowtail. The tuna was shaved very thin. I had the "Stylish Don" and it was disappointing. There has to be better sushi in the area. I will be looking for it. The service was fast - but it should have been. I am not impressed. I live in the area and Had tried it years ago and now I remember why I hadn't gone back there. The room is nice looking with the chefs working in front of you. Price is very high for the product. read more

Cuisine: 5 Service: 7 Decor: 7 Value: 5 Overall: 5 If you had enough sushi omakases, you'll know immediately from the first bite that this establishment is average at best. I have had hundreds of such meals over the last two decades from around the world and this one really fell short of expectations. For the $95 lunch omakase, you get a miso soup, 11 pieces of nigiri, and a hand roll. Depending on the quality, this price can be viewed as expensive, or possibly even cheap. Unfortunately, the poor quality here did not match the price tag. Here is what I had for lunch on 8/2/2024. *** notes additional pieces I added Starter: Red Miso Soup Nigiri: Madai (Red Snapper) - light, bland Arctic Char - wasabi stem sauce was salty Hotate (Sea Scallop) - garlic butter Uni (Sea Urchin) - Hokkaido, too much wasabi Kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper) - seared Katsuobushi (Skipjack) - smoked, dried flakes Chutoro (Medium Fatty Bluefin Tuna) Kanpachi (Amberjack) Saba (Mackerel) Binchyou Maguo (Albacore Tuna) Scottish Salmon Belly - enoki & daikon Nodoguro (Black Throat Sea Perch)*** Hand Roll: Toro (Fatty Bluefin Tuna) The biggest issue I had was the mushy rice, which was also under seasoned. It really did not do its job and enhance the nigiri, but instead distracted my taste buds from the neta (ingredient on top of the rice) with its texture and flavor. Moreso, the often overuse of wasabi (made from powder) was evident and overpowered many of the lighter fishes. This was a regular occurrence that definitely was noticeable. Furthermore, why does the chef pre-torch fishes (Kinmedai, Nodoguro) and put them back in the refrigerator. Doesn't that ruin the idea of releasing some of its fat content by putting it back in the cold? Anyway, there were too many small issues that made this a very sad experience. For example, the chutoro appeared off color the minute I received it. I asked the chef and he said that it's some of the best from Japan. However, the taste was so bland, and the texture was not what I'm used to at better quality sushi restaurants. I don't mind paying for quality, unfortunately, you won't get that here. If you live nearby and have no better options, then maybe it's worth checking out. But honestly, walk a bit south to East Village and there are way better options. read more

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The service there was great. Their knowledge and professionalism was A++ of both sake & sushi Would recommend the sushi here to anyone. Fresh, great tasting. Enjoyed it & will be coming back as soon as I can. read more

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Unassuming little joint. Great service of Omikase prepared at bar seating. Small Sake selection. The Omikase selection was delicious, with imports from Japan. Highly recommend read more

I wanted to share the gift of omakase with a friend and this was close to my job. This place amazing but, I definitely needed to budget ahead of time because once I had one bite I wanted the whole menu! Food + Service: 5/5 I am a sushi lover and I can't stop dreaming about this place. It literally changed the way my friend thinks of sushi! Every piece was fresh and delicious and the level of service was better than some high end spots. I was so grateful and suprised to find such a nice place in Union Square. The chef is so kind and gives you an amazing array of fish like barracuda within the regular omakase experience. Ambiance: 5/5 The vibes here were so relaxing, quiet, and chill. The chef and staff speak Japanese and even some of the guest do as well! I felt like I was transported to Japan! All in all, I can't wait to go back! I just need to make sure I save up to have the deluxe omakase experience (Starting $150/pp) either by myself or with a friend. read more

I've been here tens of times and it's our regular sushi place - always a delightful experience!! Go for the omakase sushi, lots of hidden gems that's hard to find at a sushiya in this price range. read more

I brought a friend this evening. The staff kept coming by our table too many times asking if we were done. We felt rushed as they kept coming by to take away our dishes, to place the check, to pick up the credit cards, and to clean our table after we finished paying for our meals. The place was only half full this evening. It was uncomfortable as my friend and I were busy catching up and I felt rushed to leave. After 1hr and 30 minutes when they started to clean our table as we were still talking, we got the message. Don't think I'll be back. I've gone to so many restaurants in the city and averaging 2 hours at a half-full restaurant isn't asking for too much, or so I thought. read more

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Delicious, highly recommend trying this spot. Very fresh with a great menu. It's a great quiet lunch spot. read more

Omakase Sushi Dairo - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

I cannot reiterate enough that this is the most underrated hidden gem of an omakase/sushi spot in NYC. The fish is SO fresh, the sushi rice temperature and integrity is perfect, and it's authentic. Some of their omakase pieces add just enough creative flare without being too over the top. The price point is incredible for the impeccable quality--I would go as far to say that this is considerably better than most sushi spots in the $200+ pp omakase range. These are REAL sushi chefs that know what they're doing. I come here frequently and I've never had a bad meal, and everyone I bring here loves it. All of the staff is incredibly nice. My only recommendation is that they should play their music a little louder because it can be super quiet. This is SO much better than any of the other trendy/new spots downtown, especially in the east village. read more

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The food here is always great and the sushi chefs are lovely but this was the worst service I've ever had in New York. I had an 8pm reservation booked on yelp days in advance, showed up a few minutes early and was told there was no reservation in the system. I showed them the confirmation and they still insisted I had no reservation. When they showed their monitor I pointed out my name which was listed and they apologized but said I would have to wait because I hadn't specified omakase eventhough there were many seats open at the bar and tables open and I'd said I was fine to sit at a table. We waited 15 minutes to be seated while walk ins were given the tables. Once seated we quickly ordered but after another 30 minutes we had yet to be served any sushi or even been given a placemat for the fish. Neither of the sushi chefs seemed aware of our order with the one in front of us handling to go orders and quickly serving ad hoc orders from the man next to us and the other sushi chef serving his side of the bar. It being 45 minutes after our reservation time we decided to leave. I flagged our waitress to let her know we were leaving due to the wait and halfway through my sentence she told me to hold on and walked away. I waited another 2 minutes and when she didn't return we had to walk out. No one seemed to care. I'd booked the reservation for a special occasion and it was really disappointing to say the least. read more

The sushi at Omakase Sushi Dairo was fresh and expertly prepared, with a great balance of flavors and presentation. The service is attentive and friendly, ensuring a smooth dining experience. Nice modern ambience. A great spot for sushi lovers. read more

Omakase Sushi Dairo - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Sushi Dairo is a new sushi restaurant that I came to for dinner on a Monday night while visiting NYC. The restaurant is located near Union Square station, and opened sometime in 2022. The restaurant's ambience is simple and casual. They only have indoor seating, which comprises of a counter where you have a direct view of the chefs, and tables. My friend and I sat at the counter. We came with a reservation on a Monday night. When we came, there were a couple of other diners also eating. Their menu includes omakase, and a la carte sushi options. My friend ordered the sushi set, which included 15 pieces of sushi in total. I went with a few a la carte orders of nigiri. The sushi we had was super delicious and fresh. The service was efficient and welcoming. Would definitely recommend this place as a sushi restaurant worth going out of the way for. read more

Omakase Sushi Dairo - Sushi Set - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

I love this spot! Do you like omakase? Do you want a low key spot? Do you need quiet? It's like an island away of solitude and sensory underload. I enjoyed this spot, because it felt like one of the very few places that has simplicity and minimalism. The waitstaff were helpful and approachable. There's just so much subtlety and tiny details that were handled so well. The restaurant itself is small and closes pretty early, but it has the freshest fish...just memorable. I had the chirashi, and my friend had the sushi set. I just very much enjoyed how the sushi was presented and how it tasted. It was an amazing experience! read more

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Discovered the ultimate sushi haven in NYC! From impeccable fish quality to a delightfully creative Omakase, every bite was a delicious. And that otoro hand roll at the end? Like butter. Not to mention the uni, hands down, the best I've ever tasted!. read more

Omakase Sushi Dairo - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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A hidden gem by Union square, as many seek out affordable omakase under $65, this place is worth the extra bucks. We got the 11 piece omakase with miso soup and toro hand roll. The chefs selection included salmon, toro, sea urchin, hamachi, scallop, yellowtail, and even anchovy which I've never experienced having at a sushi joint. The fish were very fresh and delicious and came with their speciality three blend sushi rice. I was looking forward to eel and was surprised that it was not part of the selection. However, I loved the simplicity and quality of the pieces with many of them being imported from Japan. While many other omakase places offer wagyu with uni and cavier, this place didn't have to go over the top to provide the best tasting omakase and experience. Also the hot green tea is only $1 and comes with refills! read more

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What a hidden gem! We came here for my birthday dinner and splurged on the $140 set dinner menu. It was sooo much food! The fish was incredibly fresh and high quality. The 11 pieces of sushi were sizable portions. I didn't love some of the courses, though, like the liver, but that's just my personal taste. We left so stuffed after the meal. You definitely get your money's worth! Next time I'll go with the smaller $75 omakase. read more

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5/5 this place was so so sooooo delicious! you might walk right by this place like i did bc it's really unassuming and looks like any other sushi takeout spot. even when you walk in, there's a room divider to your right and you might walk right into a small table but don't you be fooled! this spot is LIT (do kids still say this?)!! warning: this review includes! a lot! of! exclamation! points! it's a tiny spot with 10 seats at the bar and maybe 4-6 two tops? i wouldn't recommend this place for a big party unless you take the entire bar which, now that i'm thinking about it, would be so fun! i recommend you make a res as it gets packed quick! you have to call and make it, they don't have any online booking service. my bf has come here several times and has wanted to bring me here for a while and i know now why. we each got the $150 omakase with an extra order of uni and the temaki handroll and biiiiiiiish.. bruh.. i'm at a loss for words! before they start, they ask you if you have any allergies or thing you don't like and we said no but for next time, i'd say no monkfish liver or mackerel (personal preference). keep in mind here that they don't give you much soy sauce to eat with the fish as you really don't need it, everything is seasoned to perfection! first course, red miso soup: 5/5 deeper than your regular white/yellow miso. has bits of wakame, tofu and mushroom second course, 3 amuses: 4/5 only bc i didn't like the monkfish liver but again, personal preference! we got cooked tuna with a sweet sauce, this almost tasted like a lean piece of beef! avocado and some white fish, and monkfish liver third course, platter: 5/5 the salmon is AMAZING and completely melts in your mouth, the shrimp and scallop were sweet! fourth course, steamed tamago: 5/5 comfortable, subtle yet flavorful, this preps your mouth for the flavor bombs that's to come. fifth course, nigiris and temaki handroll: 5/5 everything so freakin fresh and seasoned to perfection!! standouts were the uni (uNEEd to get this if you just do a la carte), the two salmons, the squid, the tunas, snapper and the temaki roll. i mean, the uni and temaki were so good we got extra orders dessert, ice cream: 5/5 you get a choice of green tea, black sesame or brown sugar and even the ice cream was bomb.com service was kind, fast and attentive! this place is incredibly priced and will leave you full - something these other affordable omakases don't do. 10 out of 10 out of 10 out of 10 recommend this place but please don't all rush at once bc i don't want to have to wait the next time(s) i come here ;) read more

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Visited this place for lunch with a friend. We got the sashimi lunch and the chirashi lunch. Both came with miso soup and rice. The fish was fresh and cut thick. Absolutely delicious! The chirashi bowl had sushi rice underneath, made from anspecial combination of a few different types of rice. It was good. We also tried a "Yuzu" drink, not realizing it's a bottle yuzu soda. It's alright. I usually get hot green tea, but it was so hot outside (June in NY) that I asked for iced green tea. The waiter looked confused, but it was on the menu. Maybe it's not ordered that often. The tea was pretty strong, even as a cold drink using really good green tea. None of that tea bag business. One thing I did not enjoy was that the waiter kept hovering and waiting to take our soup bowls as soon as we set it down. I actually didn't get to finish my soup. read more

Omakase Sushi Dairo - Sashimi Set -Lunch - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Amazing experience. They deserve more recognition, a real hidden gem of nyc. The nigiri is well seasoned so it is totally understandable that they don't give you soy sauce during that portion of the tasting course... because you don't need it!! The rice is perfectly packed so well that you can tell an expert made it. They also have the biggest sweet shrimp I've ever had, my favorite. Most of their fish is sourced from Japan. Makes me want to go there because it really felt as if I was there. You're going to have a great time when you go. I will return!! read more

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Awesome and authentic Omakase meal. It is super hard to find decent sushi in Florida; sushi was the ONLY meal I wanted to enjoy while in NYC. There wasn't 1 thing I would change. Service was spectacular they were on everything and the food was A-MAZ-ING!!! read more

I was super excited to try this place on the recommendation of a blog. Nigiri here are bigger than other omakase places, but quality was inconsistent. Some pieces were great while others were mediocre. There's so many great sushi spots in NYC that I'd rather try someplace new than return. read more

Each person has their own preference, so my review might not fit the rest. I also heavily respect the chefs, and I believe my opinions are due to the choice of fish, not the professionals. However, I had the omakase sushi dairo dinner, and I truly disliked the choice of fish and the flavor pairings. I've had omakase in Seattle, Atlanta, Boston, NYC, etc., but this is the first dinner that I terribly disliked. SERVICE: The place was clean and small/intimate as most gems are in NYC. It was pouring rain outside, and they let us sit inside a few minutes early while they prepped our bar table. However, I found the service much more rushed in terms of serving food and not as genuine as other places I've tried in New York. They did not take time to explain the fish; rather, they simply listed the names. I also did not finish the handroll and one piece of sushi, and the server was quite rude. AMBIANCE: There is bar and table seating, but you will be able to see the master chefs at work regardless. There is some beautiful sake and bowl decor behind the bar, and everything is bright and clean. FOOD: Omakase SUSHI DAIRO dinner (~$150) - Soup (5/10): This was an underwhelming salty miso-like soup with tofu, mushroom, and seaweed. - Three Amuses (1/10): This came next after the soup, and I was not a fan of every single dish. There was fish liver, a white fish sashimi, and cooked monkfish with wasabi. I am a big texture person, so each of these dishes being so heavy, dense, and/or slimy, which ultimately ruined my appetite. - Daily Sashimi (8/10): There was a variety of fish: cooked trout with house sesame sauce, fresh oyster, crab, white fish, and shrimp. These all seemed very fresh and flavorful, but the white fish texture was too slimy for me. - Chawan Mushi (4/10): This is an egg custard with scallop, mushrooms, and a mix of seafood. It came out steaming hot and fresh. I would have enjoyed this more if I didn't have the amuses. - 11 pieces of sushi (6.5/10): These were prepared beautifully. Some of the fish was fresh, and there were many options like two types of uni, amberjack, salmon, toro, etc. I found the wasabi too strong for each piece, and at a point, the pieces became monotonous in flavor. My favorite was the toro. - 1 hand roll (5/10): This was okay but not memorable. I wanted to be done at this point. - Ice cream (9/10): There were 3 options: brown sugar, matcha, and black seasame. I tried the matcha and brown sugar, but the brown sugar was definitely better. TLDR: I highly recommend the straight omakase set if you come here. Otherwise, there are much better omakase places for cheaper in NYC in my opinion. read more

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Chef da was amazing. The Resturant is new. Do used a yUzu koshu sauce and each bite has the perfect amount of wasabi and was handled with a lot of care in front of us read more

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Tl;dr - I think overall, with quite Japanese interior/service at $95 pp before tax, this place offers a decent exp for NYC omakase. My experience of the omakase course was that of hit-or-miss pieces ranging from ok, strange, and amazing at times. Some were great (ex: tuna), but there were several that were either disappointing or too adventurous (lots of additional sauce/flavors that competed with the fish). It also felt like each piece was slightly inconsistent with rice/wasabi, since we disagreed on the flavor balances for quite a few pieces even when they were the same fish. read more

The service here is very attentive and they made every effort to accommodate whatever it is that you need. The food here was delicious, especially the rice! I believe that it is rice blend all from Japan and the seasoning was perfection. The fish is fresh and they pair it with different assortments. The sake was also great, although they do not have the largest selection. Overall great experience here, would recommend. read more

Omakase Sushi Dairo - Counter sitting - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Came in here on quick notice by myself around 5:30 PM for dinner. Called 10 minutes ahead and was offered my seat at the bar when I got in. Omakase is decently priced for experience; had some great sake alongside the meal! I was definitely full by the end of the meal, it was definitely a good usage of money. I respect how involved the head sushi chef was in creating the omakase and showcasing everything. Everyone on staff was nice, actually! I would definitely go on a date here, nice vibes. read more

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Had a reservation for two last night. Was seated promptly, at the counter, closest to the chef. It was an absolute pleasure watching the master sushi chef go to work, meticulously creating each piec. Love how thought out the order of the food coming out. It was like a symphony. The uni was melt in my mouth delicious! Clean, bright, simple decor. A super solid omakase spot. Highly recommend' read more

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Was searching for a quieter omakase and this one certainly was. We got the full dinner omakase. The appetizers were okay, nothing too special. I would've been fine with getting the $85 omakase instead. The fish was good, but a bit average tasting. read more

Omakase Sushi Dairo - Sashimi from omakase - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

We went for my partner's birthday and got omakase. The first couple of dishes were pretty good, but when the nigiri started coming out things really picked up. High quality fresh fish, attentive staff, and delicious yuzu soda read more

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I was really excited to try this place especially for Valentine's Day. I got a call the day before confirming my reservation for two. When we went the day of, we thought we were going to sit at the bar but the bar was full and was told that we were sitting at a table. Nothing of this was mentioned during the reservation confirmation call nor was it explicitly noted in the reservation. When we sat at the table, we received the full menu along with their Omakase set menu. Since we weren't sitting at the bar, we decided that we would skip Omakase and get the sushi set with additions. However, the waitress said that they are not allowing anything other than Omakase to be ordered cause they were busy. This was never mentioned during the reservation confirmation call. We were forced to order Omakase which did not meet our expectation at all in terms of quality and the waitress did not put any effort in describing what each nigiri was. The only thing that made this a 3 star instead of 2 was the toro roll at the end. read more

Omakase Sushi Dairo - $85 11-piece Omakase (miso soup & toro roll not shown) - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

This is a NY hidden gem. We stumbled onto this spot and although it looks like another sushi bar, their $85 Omakase offer a much higher fish quality with unique flavor profile. The fish selection was standard (meaning I've seen them before) but high quality and well executed. My favorite piece is the Smokey uni. I've been to 10+ omakase now and none served it like this. Their fish to rice ratio was good and it was a fun culinary experience to dine here. They also serve their sushi on banana leaves and I have not seen this before. Ordered 2 items from the a la carte menu and it was delish The chef was very attentive and interacted with us. This place is also BYOB read more

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Small restaurant that does omakase right. The smaller $75 omakase is a steal. Made reservations easily for a party of three but can see reservations getting harder to nab once word spreads about this hidden gem. read more

Omakase Sushi Dairo - Ikura - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Amazing Omakase in NY. Charming little place that opened a little over a year ago and it's already popular with locals and regulars. The chef is masterful in his skills and each dish was done with so much precision and detail. The components of each flavor was paired so well and every pieces of fish melted In my mouth. I cannot wait to come back next time I'm back in NY. read more

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Omakase Sushi Dairo is an average sushi restaurant with a well priced omakase menu. I was expecting to like it much more given the 5 star Yelp reviews and very positive mention by thesushilegend, but the experience of my friend and me was underwhelming. What seemed to be good quality fish was overtaken by too many very strongly flavored toppings, oversaucing, or way too much wasabi. I was happy to see a number of fish from Japan and a variety not featured at most sub-$100 restaurants, but the style detracted from my ability to enjoy the pieces. The chef featured items like barracuda, Hokkaido scallop, big eye toro, and tasty ikura. The chef was unable to procure uni for this visit, which is understandable given the price. I would have liked to see eel and tamago. The rice was average and a bit mushier than I would have liked. At $75, the menu was priced well but not nearly enough food. While we could have ordered more, it would have eaten away at the value proposition of the restaurant. I can't imagine that the $140 dinner would have been worth it. I'm struggling to ascertain whether or not budget omakase restaurants are able to deliver on a consistent, well executed, and delicious product. Shinn East is my favorite omakase in this range, but there's definitely inconsistency and not much variety in the menu from visit to visit. I think the best bet for budget diners is to stick with restaurants like Zawa and Hatsuhana, which offer $30-50 sushi special dinners. Their fish is soft and tasty and the restaurants deliver versus expectations. read more

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