Noda

9.0/10Japanese

AI-generated summary

People rate the here above almost anywhere in the city, seasoned strong and on the sour side. The chef gets credit for the technical work, and regulars say the room, the service and the drink pairings are what set it apart from the other counters. It runs around $400, so people point you to cheaper spots if you only care about the fish.

37 W 20th St, New YorkChelsea, ManhattanGoogle Maps

What Reddit says39

View all
  • in:Sushi Nakazawa Disappointment4 pts
    replying to u/tunitg6: I don't think you're a sucker who only likes American omakases. I'm also not sure that Nakazawa is actually a good sushi restaurant. Nakazawa may have been good many years ago when it was featured in Billions but is Nakazawa's claim to fame not simply that he worked for Jiro-san, a restaurant popularized by a documentary? It's not even a top 20 sushi restaurant in Tokyo. There's a new class of edomae sushi restaurants that opened in New York starting with Sushi Noz in 2018. Let me be clear, *all* of the best sushi restaurants in New York City are <= 6 years old. It's upsetting that you had such a poor experience at Nakazawa. Unfortunately, everyone I know who has been there has said the same thing. There's no excuse for poorly cut, sinewy, and bad seafood. I think it's extremely challenging to read reviews and/or take recommendations from Reddit, Yelp, Google Reviews unless you know the experience and preference of the people giving the recommendations. It's clear to me that some individuals say one place is the best or their favorite but they've only been to a few places. You mention budget restaurants like Sushi By M, Thirteen Water, Sushi Lab, etc. They're fine but I think just because they're "cheap" (relatively) doesn't mean they're a good deal. Low quality uni, caviar, wagyu, etc. is cheap. They use farmed, non-seasonal seafood and the multi-chef platform leads to inconsistency. In fact, I'd say many of the workers are more line cooks than sushi chefs at some of the…

    “Spots mentioned above are all great but I personally really like Noda or amane (post shion departure), specifically because the chefs here use stronger flavored shari without overwhelming the palate.”

    H2

  • in:Thoughts on Noda?4 pts

    “If you care about drinks, pairings, ambience Noda was the best I’ve been to.”

    H2

  • in:Best Sushi Omakase2 pts
    replying to u/MrCakemeat: Yasuda is pretty far from the others on your list. They have the widest variety of fish (sushi/sashimi or both). They will offer way more flexibility in the meal itself, but is a very different experience. The rest are basically tasting menus, done in an omakase style. They all have similar structures to the meal (kitchen dishes followed by sushi). You’re unlikely to get a consensus between Yoshino, Noz and Shion 69 - they’re all similar price and similar caliber. Imo, Yoshino > Noz > Shion 69 but not by much. I haven’t been to Noda so can’t comment, but it seems to trail slightly behind the others.

    “I think Noda has the best rice and execution edges out Shion even though they come from the same lineage.”

    H2

  • in:Sushi Ichimura vs Shion 69 Leonard St2 pts
    replying to u/tunitg6: Shion 69 Leonard is a top 3 sushi restaurant in NYC (my favorite). Sushi Ichimura is not. Shion Uino trained at Sushi Saito for 8 years in Tokyo before coming to New York City. His sourcing is unique in that he bypasses Toyosu and sources directly from his hometown of Amakusa in Kyushu. When you go to Shion you are treated to technical excellence and a differentiated experience. The service is meh and the counter is cold marble instead of warm hinoki wood but the food is excellent and differentiated. Sushi Ichimura, despite the star, is not a topic of conversation among serious sushi consumers in the city. While I haven't visited his new restaurant (by choice), I did visit the popup he was doing at L'Abeille while they were building the restaurant. Ichimura is obviously a talented chef who specializes in aging but his style doesn't match my preferences. He's a crowd pleaser - for the chutoro and otoro, he double and triple stacks the pieces but the otoro is so heavy that it just flattens out. He serves his uni too cold. A friend went and noticed the lack of consistency with the neta/shari ratio, huge cuts of maguro to please NYC guests who like to spend money and don't appreciate the craftsmanship of sushi. All you need to do is look at the pictures and you'll see what appeals to each of you. If you can't agree, go to Icca instead!

    “I personally think Tsunoda san(Noda) does a better job at technical execution than Uino san with their Sushi Kanesaka style, probably the best shari in NYC.”

    H2

  • in:Intimate birthday dinner2 pts

    “Noda is also sushi, SO FUN. The chef and managers are so nice and friendly it’s always a party.”

    H2

  • in:NYC restaurants1 pts

    “at this level of quality I think it’s less about the differentiation in preparation or quality and more about vibes, drinks, etc. and Noda has that unlike any other omakase spot imo.”

    H2

  • in:Traditional Omakase Recommendations1 pts

    “some think (myself included) yoshino is not as good as the apprentice shops in nyc (shion 69 Leonard - saito disciple, Noda - iwa disciple).”

    H2

See all 39 mentions