“While the space and service are truly wonderful, the quality of the fish was subpar. We had several pieces that were half sinew and poorly cut, as well as a few pieces that tasted fishy and not in a good way.”
H3
All 312 rated mentions, most helpful first
“While the space and service are truly wonderful, the quality of the fish was subpar. We had several pieces that were half sinew and poorly cut, as well as a few pieces that tasted fishy and not in a good way.”
H3
“Overall I wouldn’t give either branch a star or recommend them.”
H3
“I also went to nakazawa recently and had a pretty lame experience, I noticed he was putting something that looked like stone ground mustard on the pieces, we asked him what it was , and he said mustard because Americans can’t handle wasabi, kinda blew my mind, I left there pretty disappointed.”
H3
“It is well worth it and half the shit I read about this place doesn't seem remotely true. I was served 21 pieces of fantastic nigiri, there was no western performative stuff like truffle, caviar, wagyu unless you paid extra for the supplement and the staff did not push it on to you.”
H3
“I would say nakazawa is the most accessible of the really-good omakase spots given its heavy focus on tuna; if you haven’t done a lot of omakase but do like sushi it’s worth going to”
H3
“Nakazawa's strength is that its 21 course nigiri only omakase that is under 200$ that is substantially better than what you get at a 120$ place.”
H3
“I went pre-covid and loved it, went back last year and it did not hold up IMO. Not bad, just not especially creative, small pieces of fish, and somewhat sterile service.”
H3
“I’ve dined at Nakazawa twice,and it was incredibly inconsistent experience.”
H3
“Then I got reservations at the counter and it was fantastic. Their chefs are (in my experience) all chatty and engaging, they really round out the experience.”
H3
“Same here. Had the most miserable sushi chef as well as an unchecked drunk diner that kept buying the staff shots, who in turn kept downing them and got drunk. Fuck this place.”
H3
“I think the thing that Nakazawa does well is its straight forward, shut up and eat some high quality Nigiri.”
H3
“Nakazawa is also worth looking at. 20 pieces for 190$. The sourcing is good and I think they only pull blow torch out for one piece and maybe do caviar. The rest is a pure nigiri only omakase.”
H3
“the sushi was absolutely amazing, 10/10 would recommend based just on the eats.”
H3
“We both had stomach aches after and some pieces tasted super fishy so not sure it was very fresh.”
H3
“Nakazawa is kinda become underrated in a weird way. They basically have barely raised their prices over the last 10 years. Its 21 courses for 190$ and when you think about the fact that most of those sidewalk Omakase places are 115$ for like 15 pieces its a surprisingly good value for Michelin Star Sushi experience.”
H3
“Your going to get some mixed opinions on this one, but my strong recommendation for 200$ is Sushi Nakazawa (so think 260ish after taxes and tip).”
H3
“Its kind of the 'no frills' michelin sushi restaurant in New York. The sake pairing is also worth it.”
H3
“Tried the location in DC and had a super similar experience where it was super meh. And rice was falling apart. And was mad for how much it was dinner time wise. Over $200 and not a great variety of fish or bites either??”
H3
“My take on Nakazawa is that it’s extremely good - almost a benchmark NYC omakase experience”
H3
“I also had a terrible experience, though for other reasons. Our dinner had an obnoxious drunk dude that no one did anything about. Our chef had a terrible attitude and did not ask for our preferences before service, and half the staff was half drunk cause the drunk guy kept buying the staff shots. Fuck this place.”
H3
“I think in the mid price tier, Yasuda, Nakazawa, or Tanoshi”
H2
“At that price you can't serve subpar food. Doesn't matter if the head chef is out, your staff is a representative of your restaurant”
H2
“The quality of the fish was unparallel - the sake pariing was genuinely life changing in that it opened my eyes in ways i never expected. Overall this place deserves all the hype.”
H2
“I've been doing an exploration of Omakase's in Manhattan that cost 130$ and Sushi Nakazawa seems to run circles around all of them.”
H2
“I enjoyed it, it was a significant upgrade from sub $100 omakase for me and worth the price for a special occasion imo.”
H2
“Paying however much Nakazawa is to do a veggie omakase is a rip off.”
H2
“Honestly, Sushi Nakazawa is great at this price range. 21 Piece Nigiri fish forward omakase.”
H2
“A good Omakase at the counter. Nakazawa is probably the cheapest entry point at 190$ for 21 pieces of just nigiri.”
H2
“Honestly its my favorite omakase in the city. There are a few that are 'better', but they're also $100+ more per person and they're definitely *not* that much better.”
H2
“I think your girlfriend will enjoy semi-Japanese (no actual Japanese trained sushi chef employed) omakase at Sushi Nakazawa (~$185 per person plus tax and tips) for omakase.”
H2
“Went back recently and was slightly underwhelmed, but certainly not to the degree you’re talking about. The fish was good in my experience, they just didn’t nail the flavors.”
H2
“They do a great sake pairing, staff is well trained and attentive, it’s consistent, and the price point is one of the best in the city for the quality that you get.”
H2
“Of the ones you listed, I’d probably say Zo > Shuko > Nakazawa, but none of these is the best in the city, even in that price range ($250ish).”
H2
“Sushi Nakazawa is still our go-to for price/quality/consistency (haven't perceived a change in quality)”
H2
“The fact that nakazawa is the only high end omakase spot in town where you have no idea which chef is going to serve your meal is proof of its illegitimacy as a high end sushi spot.”
H2
“I don’t think it’s bad for the price!”
H2
“Nakazawa is a good value but the menu had a lot of salmon + tuna which isn’t what I go to omakase for.”
H2
“I felt nakazawa was much better. They give a lot of pieces and service was amazing too.”
H2
“IMO, and I've been to Noz, Yoshino, Sho and other $400+ places, they are only slightly better than something like Nakazawa at $160-$200.”
H2
“They are better than Nakazawa (decent quality but feels a bit like a factory), Shuko, Office of Mr. Moto...”
H2
“fish quality was good but the rice was bad throughout the meal”
H2
“Nakazawa was also underwhelming, with a larger price tag to boot.”
H2
“Sushi Nakazawa used to be mind blowing, now it's not worth the money I think.”
H2
“I’ve been multiple times, and it represents very good value in 2023.”
H2
“It’s not bad, especially in its price range, but it’s fairly impersonal and cookie cutter”
H2
“I would pass on Nakazawa. It can be wildly inconsistent. I’ve gone 3 times, twice it was great, once it was definitely subpar for what you’re paying.”
H2
“At your price point : Shota, Sushi Nakazawa are michelin star places with Omakase (190$).”
H2
“At Naka Zawa the servers will literally lift up your chair to push you in, and I’m a big guy!!!”
H2
“If your only takeaway is the food, it was delicious. You could probably have a similar or equal omakase quality at a less expensive restaurant than this one, however.”
H2
“I think it’s solid. I used to go often pre-covid and really loved it. ESP for the price point.”
H2