We ordered takeout in mid January. The space was small and packed. If it was more spacious and not pandemic times, I would've considered dining in since the omakase sounds amazing (from Yelp and other reviews). We got the Kai Sashimi & Nigiri with a side of uni, and a Kai Nigiri. It came with soup and salad. - The salad dressing tasted like lemon juice. I regret not tasting the dressing before putting it on the salad - ended up not eating the salad. - The sashimi was good and fresh. - The rice for the nigiri was surprisingly very disappointing. It immediately fell apart when we picked it up. Will eventually give it another try. read more

Sushi Kai - Kai Nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

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$155/person Omakase Includes: * 3-Cold Appetizer Dishes * 15-piece Sushi (incl. 1-Handroll) * 1-Miso Soup * 1-Chocolate Macron (for dessert) Pros: * Sushi was cured to perfection and the chef who served us was exceptionally detailed and careful upon serving. Kudos to him for the excellent service! * Servers were all pretty nice and attentive as well. * All the flavors balanced well and had a nice freshness to it. Cons: * Cold Appetizers we're pre-made and was off putting as we expected to be served fresh dishes start to finish. * Rice was too wet/mushy & temp was a little too warm for the sushi. (This is 50% of the dish!) * Bit overpriced for an inauthentic experience. Atmosphere: Atmosphere felt a little pretentious; the restaurant mimicked an omakase experience without putting in the work (cold pre-made appetizers & wet rice would be dishonorable with real Japanese sushi masters who take great pride in their work). Bear in mind, nobody here is Japanese (not the chefs nor owner). So don't expect an authentic Japanese omakase experience. Overall: Opened for 2-years so far, this place currently stands as one of the best sushi omakase in all of Northern Jersey. Which is good for people who don't know sushi well, but terrible for people who have higher standards (or some would say, basic standards). If the rice can be perfected, and there's no pre-sliced fish (which was just sitting in the fridge for a while), then this place could do well. Highlight of the entire experience would be the fish pieces; they were absolutely perfect! Additional Note: I was informed by the owners this restaurant is NOT affiliate with the Sushi Kai in NYC. Please keep this in mind if you dine here. read more

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Booked a last minute reservation at Sushi Kai. They are usually booked out a 1.5 weeks. There are not many true omakases near the Hudson County area, so we were excited to finally try Sushi Kai. Upon entering, the space is your typical intimate omakase space. The staff was quick to serve water and serve any BYOB that were brought in. The first three courses were presented sashimi style. One of them highlighted truffle but we could not taste the truffle flavor. Negiri courses were served and explained typical omakase style. There was a person in our section that delayed the next-ready piece due to taking back focusing on the food/experience. Dessert was very good and different from other omakase we have had Overall, the service and food quality was a 10. The negiri curses were a mix between traditional style omakase vs experimental/modern omakase. Based on the menu served + cost, I will likely not rush back or recommend for a top omakase option. read more

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Finally got to grab a reservation at sushi Kai and they absolutely didn't disappoint. They have a really simple and elegant design with a 12 seat sushi bar. They had three sushi chefs for all that were seated which gave it an even more intimate feeling. They started us with a snow crab in ponzu sauce and then a beautifully prepared tuna tartare. Next came the fantastic Sashimi. Following that came the what felt like nonstop nigiri pieces! It was amazing. They really give you a great value for the 155 a person. The desert was also worth drooling over. They really put the time and effort into creating pieces with a great flavor profile which highlighted each cut of fish. The service was incredible. There was never an empty dish in front of me for more than a minute. My water was constantly filled and they made sure everything was always wiped down. This is also a BYOB spot so if you are looking for some good sake make sure you stop beforehand. Word on the street is that they are opening a spot in edgewater which is right near our house. Super excited for this and can't wait for it to be open!! read more

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We loved it here! The fish was super fresh. The omakase came with appetizers and dessert. The service was incredible. Very welcoming and organized and our glasses were always full. The decor was minimalistic and very clean. Our sushi chef, JP (John), was the absolute best!!! He knew just what to pair the fish with to make the dish go from a 10/10 to a 100/10. I'm not a fan of uni, so he was able to create something I'd like from observing what tastes I liked in the prior dishes!! It was my birthday and he asked which fish was my favorite and then made me a special treat at the end with truffle, caviar, and gold flakes on top. Thanks, John!! My dessert (a DELICIOUS black sesame crème brûlée?) came with a "Happy Birthday" chocolate on top. A simple addition yet a nice acknowledgment. read more

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Superb fish love the quality the ambience and the service Always a new menu and the chefs and workers are so on point it's hard not to keep wanting to come back read more

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I'm mostly used to the omakase experiences in Manhattan and Queens but I was yet to try one in Jersey City. I've also never been to Japan but it's number 1 on my list. This quality of the fish was outstanding as it was delivered from the markets in Japan the morning before I sat down to enjoy the menu. Yeah! Fresh! I sat comfortably in the middle of the chef's table/sushi bar and was served some legendary bites from their executive chef. It was a BYOB but I was snapping photos so I didn't really have time to drink anyway. Apparently there's a place they recommend for delivering wine and other spirits right to the restaurant. As you can see from the photography, the level of presentation is very high and the flavors are insanely fresh and delicious. The order of how you receive the omakase selection works incredibly well though I obviously wouldn't mind eating any of the selections out of order ;) The staff was very friendly and (like most omakase) they explain the type of fish you're eating and share it's deepest most wants and desires. Ok that last part isn't true but that's how it felt. The pricing current sits at $150/pp at the time of this review. With that in mind, I think it's pretty competitive with other choices in Manhattan and one in Queens that is my current favorite. If I'm ever in the Jersey City region, I'll definitely be swinging by again! read more

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Manhattan level omakase in Fort Lee. Three seatings of 12 guests each - 5pm 7pm and 9pm.. Intimate experience with very nice atmosphere. Highly recommended. read more

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We can start off with the first three courses, the appetizers. The first course was edamame, which were extremely fresh and lightly salted. Next to it, was grilled shishito peppers which were finished off with a touch of salt if any. I forget what was in the middle. Next two courses were sashimi salads if you will. A mixture of raw fish with some dressings in one and without dressing in the other. Both had phenomenal flavor and very fresh. The next 10 or so courses were just VERY fresh fish that I lightly dipped into soy sauce so I will just mention the highlights of this omakase. The seared raw beef was absolutely phenomenal. The texture, meaty umami taste was enthralling! I can't leave out my favorite sashimi/sushi otoro. It is the most expensive cut of the blue fin tuna, almost analogous to the filet of beef from a cow. The chefs topped off the otoro with caviar and it was just so delectable. Cheers! read more

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A friend told me about this place after seeing an ad on Instagram. I booked our reservation the same week he told me about it. I've been wanting to try omakase for quite a while, and with this place being located in NJ, I was excited to try it as soon as I could. Interior: Minimalistic and clean design. It's small - a sushi bar and 3 tables, but we didn't feel cramped since they're taking reservations only. Service: Our server was very attentive and came around frequently to clear the bar table in front of us as well as to refill our glasses with water. Our chef, Daniel, was super nice. Gary, the owner, checked in on us often, and we chatted for a little. Food: Seriously the best fish I've ever had. We had 14 courses with dessert: tamago brûlée and Japanese baby peach. My favorite was the chutoro(?) - the fatty part of tuna - from Japan, closely followed by the king salmon from New Zealand and the unagi from Japan. Both the tuna and salmon were incredibly buttery. I will be thinking about this meal for a long time. We also ordered two dishes à la carte: uni from Japan (Hokkaido) and octopus from Japan. Both were amazing, but the uni was melt-in-your-mouth amazing. Our omakase included uni sourced from Santa Barbara but we noticed that the one from Japan was somehow MORE melt-in-your-mouth. Final thoughts: as a grad student, this was definitely a splurge for me, but I was not at all disappointed. Sushi Kai will be one of my go-to's for special occasions in the future, at least until I'm finally a full-time working adult Finally, for those who are going to take advantage of the BYOB, I recommend a dry champagne. Okay, we Googled it, and Google recommended it. But Gary affirmed us that champagne pairs great with sushi, so there's that! read more

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I would give the sushi here 10 stars if I could. I enjoyed my omakase experience so much I cant go back to any other sushi spot because the sushi here was so fresh. I was so impressed with the presentation and quality and service!! It really surpassed my expectations (compared to other omakase experiences ive had). ...not me dreaming about eating their sushi on a DAILY basis hahaa read more

BEST OMAKASE This is by far our family's favorite omakase experience anywhere (and we've been to Masa)! The quality, service and setting are outstanding and the restaurant deserves a Michelin star in my book. It's our go-to for a special occasion dinner, and we love going every couple months to see what the new season and Chef Hiro brings to the table. read more

Overall it was a great experience. The quality of sushis were good. Probably this is the only omakase sushi restaurant in NJ. I always had to go to New york for omakases but I am glad we have a new omakase restaurant in NJ. read more

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One of the best omakase experiences I've ever had. Truly a work of art. Chef Danny blew our minds with his stunning masterpieces. It was an amazing dinner, I'd recommend 10/10 to any sushi fanatic. Quality, taste, visual was all just so perfect. The beautiful lighting says it all. I personally hate super dimly lit eateries. I want to eat with my eyes before I actually devour it. Check out my pics & check them out yourself. Make sure to RSVP as it is a small establishment with limited seats. Oh & byob. read more

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Amazing food, service and ambience. Highly reccomened. We came here for my wife's birthfay and we loved it.

Food was decent but, the host+waiter? had a really bad attitude. Due to the heavy traffic, I called the restaurant in advance and told him about the situation, so I was only allowed to be 20 min to our reservation. Me and my mom arrived at the restaurant at 5:22 but, the host said that we couldn't sit at the restaurant any more because we late 2 min. 2 min!! and he said that he will charge us $70 per person for cancellation fee. $70 x 2people = $140 cancellation fee is insane without having anything. He literally stared at me and kept saying that they have very strict rule in the restaurant but, what is all the strict rule for?! Is the rule more important than making customers feel so bad??! I wanted to treat my mom with nice dinner, we were little late but we were there and the seat was empty! I asked him that if we get seated we would speed up and finally the chef allowed us to be seated. The staffs were rushing us throughout entire serving and made us feel pressured while eating. Frankly, there were plenty time left to our reservation after we finished the entire course because omakase is not a big portion of meal. I would NEVER recommend this place because of their service. I spent $350, a very expensive dinner, but it was the worst experience ever. Highly unprofessional service for the quality and cost the restaurant has. Not worth the price. read more

Recent visit and the quality of fish and service was very good. Intimate setting of maybe 12 people at the sushi bar only, no table service which adds to authenticity of the experience. Fish and courses were fresh but not sure if selection changes weekly or daily, but my courses did not look like the other pictures in more recent reviews. Agreed with other Yelpers quality is high, and combination of fishes and toppings/sauces were on point. They were interesting and I loved the size/cut of the sushi pieces. Small, and was not awkward putting in your mouth in one bite. Although service from servers or hosts, not sure what to call them was excellent, I did feel there could have been more interaction from sushi chef. There were 2 chefs and ours just told us what the fish was and that was it. The experience was not the same as I have had with other omakase. I'm addition, I did feel rushed since it was one piece after the other and little to no interaction. The dessert was disappointing, not the pretty dessert, but a Japanese cheesecake I literally could have bought at one of the many bakeries in town. I would try it again as I said the food quality was lovely, but for the price I would have enjoyed a better experience. read more

What a special experience! It's definitely pricey ($150 pp and other charges if you want appetizers) but worth it. BYOB and great attentive service. I wish our chef talked to us more but we did learn a whole lot about the art and what we were eating. The chefs take their time with every slice so you could savor each bite. They even showed the entire tuna after they took the meat off. Everything about this place exudes precision and style. read more

Booked under Nikki Nguyen, january 2, should be contacted to fix this.. Invite for another try or partial refund or something.. Overpriced..! The starting ones are great but the few pieces of fish sushis towards the end are small and average.. Definitely felt ripped off.. Sigh.. Jersey.. Your prices arent right.. My lovely wife's hard earned money to treat me to my birthday.. Smh.. 155$ each? A brutally bad deal.. Look at these pieces of fish sushis and tell me if its worth that insane price.. read more

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Pros: - very nice, minimal atmosphere - waiters were attentive and came over often to fill our cups and clear out extra plates - the fish was great quality - an overall good experience Cons: - the pricing is a little high for the quantity (I've been to several omakases in both the NYC and in NJ and the price is on the higher side) - the pieces were very traditional, as in there wasn't anything super original or unique about the pieces of fish or how it was prepared - the course had some repeats with the types of fish (two scallop dishes and two octopus/squid dishes) Some things to note before you go: - They charge $75 per person for cancelling your reservation if you cancel within 48 hours of your appointment - They don't do anything for special occasions - BYOB The rundown: I decide to go to here to celebrate a birthday and wanted to go get omakase without going over the bridge to the city. Based on the pictures and the price, I thought this would've been a great place to try and had some expectations. To ensure that I would get a good experience, I dmed the restaurant's Instagram to ask some questions. I told them it was for a birthday and asked if they did anything special, but they said they didn't. I also let them know that this would be the first omakase experience for many people in my party and wanted to ensure that the chef and host were attentive. Overall, we had 14 courses and 2 desserts. And though each course tasted fresh and clean, there was nothing that was special that made the dishes memorable. I was also disappointed that no one acknowledged or asked about the birthday, especially since I added that to the reservation and even told them directly through Instagram. Overall, this was a good experience. If I could, I would give it a 3.5/5. As some would imagine, I went home not feeling quite full. And I feel that a part of the omakase experience, the feeling of hospitality from your sushi chef and the engagement, wasn't present here. I would recommend this to those who like more traditional pieces of sushi or if you have never had omakase before. But for those who have had the omakase experience, I would say it's safe to pass. read more

If you haven't tried Omakase before, you have to try it at Sushi Kai! It's a very intimate and exclusive experience, I felt so boujee. There's only 12 seats so make sure you reserve your seat. The cooks prepare everything right in front of you which is so fascinating to see the attention to detail for every course. It's a 19 course dish which is well worth your month. There were so many dishes I would never get the opportunity to try normally that they offered. And on top of it they are BYOB so we brought a bottle of champagne and sake to pair with the food! If you like sushi and sashimi, I would 10/10 recommend coming here! read more

Food was great but I've definitely had better! I would probably not go back! Although, it's nice to try it once.

This was my first (restaurant) dinner back in NJ (let alone the States) in 3 years since I've left. Didn't even know such a place existed, but so glad I went! We came for my mom and brother's birthday - they raved about the food and experience. Our chef explained everything that he served and was incredibly pleasant and sweet. The sushi just melts in your mouth - 10/10 cuisine! We also parked right outside and one of the managers gave us some quarters after our first hour was up. It's BYOB - we didn't know that but apparently you can order from Hudson Wines right next door and they'll deliver it to you in 10 min. You can handle payment over the phone or pay up-front in cash. The only "meh" thing is that it's an incredibly small space. So if you get up to go to the bathroom or stand up or whatnot, you might bump into a waiter or someone walking in the narrow hall. When we went, there were some customers who brought over some tv crew and they were getting filmed and it was super loud and really hectic, but they promised they wouldn't get us in any of their filming and they had their own space down the table so it didn't really bother us that much. The personalized touch of the chefs and the managers always checking in made the whole experience very personal and intimate, so thanks so much to the staff for all their hard work! read more

Good interaction with guests. Great host. Amazing chef! Food was great. You saved us a trip to the city, by bringing city level quality minutes away from home. We'll be back. read more

I was really excited to find an omakase place in Fort Lee and hoped this would be my new favorite so I don't have to trek to NYC anytime I was craving! The fish quality was OK, but I was a little disappointed. They pre-prepped the food/sushi instead of making it/cutting it on the spot. Also the selection that they served was underwhelming. There wasn't any particular piece that really felt special or premium. For the price of $150+ per person, the places in NY give you a lot more for your money. (and I mean quality more than quantity, but both apply.) The service from the waiters were great but I couldn't help but notice that the chefs treat you very differently based on whether or not you speak korean. They spent the whole night chatting with the korean couple that was siting at the bar and completely ignored the rest of the diners. I took my boyfriend here for his birthday and he said he actually preferred the cheap $50 course at Sushi by Bou over this place, which speaks a lot. lol I think there are a lot of other options even in NJ that offer better quality, even if it's not an omakase course menu. read more

10/10 one of the best omakase places in the Jersey area. The service is phenomenal with extremely fresh quality of fish. Each intricate planned piece just melts in your mouth. If you're in the area, I would definitely recommend coming here for a quiet healing meal. Thank you Chef Sung for taking great care of me and my family on Saturday ‍ read more

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Plates were presented pretty. Fish were fresh and service was good. Toro with caviar was the best. Miso soup at end destroyed the experience as everything tasted amazing. Hopefully they have new menu and plan to book again. read more

Finally, after two years of waiting and ordering take out, had a fantastic experience tonight at Sushi Kai under Chef Hiro. The combination of flavors are amazing and exciting. Few of my favorites are the Botan Shrimp, Heavenly/Heaven's Bowl, Scallop, New Zealand Salmon and Artic Char. Hope they serve alcoholic beverages soon and open omakase every night. Hope to come back again soon! read more

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Great spot to try nice creative dishes. The service is amazing but then again it's a very small spot. I wish there was more variety. We had I think 5 or 6 different version of red snapper. Why? There was no scallops. No salmon. A bunch of different red snapper though. The highlight of the dishes were the last 3/4 pieces. Wagyu is now included in the omakase. Presentation by the chefs was also great. It's an 1.5 tasting and the timing is precise. You walk in and the starters are already done. As your paying the bill the chefs are already making the starters for the next group that are sitting in the waiting area for you to leave. They coke close to Sushi Lin in Brooklyn but don't reach it. Sushi Lin still takes the cake and that's sad for a person who just moved from Brooklyn to Jersey. read more

It would be a sin to give Sushi Kai anything less than 5 stars. My experience here was nothing less than breath-taking. I have never had such high quality sushi before in my life. The omakase experience is a must try and this place has set the bar very high. I will most definitely be coming back. Compliments to the chefs and owners. read more

The sushi and food were excellent. I loved the sushi chefs as well. Nice ambience and clean restaurant. There were 2 problems here though. 1. The Caucasian dudes serving and seating guests don't fit the atmosphere at all. Most high end omakase sushi places have everyone working dressed in business formal. They usually look professional and wear nice suits. These guys at sushi Kai were wearing t shirts and not a suit and it killed the whole vibe. They should either dress up or at least hire some Asian waiters to give it more authentic omakase/sushi atmosphere. 2. The bathroom has no ventilation. It was very hot and stuffy. Could be very dangerous situation for covid. read more

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Ordered the Kai Sashimi + Nigiri and Maguro Futomaki for take out. Unfortunately, the Futomaki was a disappointment as it was too plain and small. The fish was fresh, but I have tried better sashimi for the price. Overall it was still a decent dinner! read more

Sushi Kai - KAI SASHIMI & NIGIRI - Japanese Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

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This place serves some amazing food! All so fresh, tasty and well prepared. The service is outstanding and the chefs really go out of their way to explain the dish to you. They even tell you some good stories!! Great ambiance and overall a 5 star experience worthy of trying! read more

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Nice spot in jersey, way more convenient than going into the city for omakase. I believe they are Korean owned, the chefs were Korean. Food was delicious, surprised there was no wagyu included in the meal, we had to order separately. Staff was very friendly. Overall 8/10 read more

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Really good!! Quite pricy, but worth it. Defn come for the omakase experience. The upgrades (a la carte)- are sooo delicious! read more

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No need to go into NYC for omakase sushi. Save your toll money and head to Sushi Kai, which opened in late 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. Gary and Simon have brought NYC-quality sushi (maybe even better than NYC) to Fort Lee. Take a look at my photos if you have doubts. And they are BYOB, so bring your best bottles (definitely more than one) to quaff down with the sushi. I will definitely be a regular here! read more

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Absolutely amazing, from start to finish. An experience, not just a restaurant. Fish is from Japan, Spain, etc., and is so, so flavorful.

Visited this establishment when they first opened and have dined multiple times after. Safe to say it is the best sushi spot -- food is exceptional, service (waiters, chefs, hostess) beyond attentive and friendly, extremely clean, and the quality is unbelievable. The experience overall is unreal and has been consistent from the very beginning (if not better!!) highly recommend, you will not be disappointed. read more

This is another great example that northern New Jersey is home to the best sushi restaurants around. The menu is deep in imports from Japan including: Hokkaido Scallops, Amberjack Belly, Madai, Ora King Salmon, Striped Jack, and Snapper. The rice is well seasoned, but not overly vinegared, but it is the omakase that is the star. Beautifully presented, the nigiri arrived sauced and in a progression that chaperoned the palate through a culinary adventure that is truly memorable. The uni this particular evening was from Maine leaving it sweet, nutty, with just the right amount of funk. If you want a true, authentic sushi experience without breaking the bank. I highly recommend giving Sushi Kai a try. read more

Sushi Kai - Torched toro, uni, and black caviar. Simply divine. - Japanese Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

Authentic Omakase experience at a gorgeous venue with excellent sushi and service. All of the pieces in our Omakase selection were very diverse and delicious. I personally loved all of the tuna pieces (akami, toro, skipjack, amberjack). Each piece was carefully topped with pickled plum, lemon/lime zest, truffle, ginger, caviar and more. The rice was also really good. You also can't beat the price at $120 pp and BYOB. Their takeout menu also looks great with reasonable prices starting at $40 for omakase. Highly recommend! read more

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