Tsumo Omakase is one of many sushi/omakase restaurants in New York City. I was shocked by how cheap an omakase experience can be out there while still maintaining exceptionally high quality. Out in Manhattan, there were so many sushi restaurants to choose from. The high competition and easy access to the fish market help customers like us!
The tsumo Omakase Experience
It is highly recommended that you make a reservation for Tsumo Omakase in advance via Resy. This restaurant operates in a very scheduled manner. Lunch will run you through an 11-course experience over 60 minutes for $48 per person, while dinner will run you through a 13-course experience over 75 minutes for $58 per person. Everyone gets to enjoy a sushi counter-top bar experience. All of the fish is pre-cut earlier during the day, and all the sushi chef has to do is assemble the nigiri. You can order additional pieces after you finish your course.
I opted for the dinner option, which came with 13 pieces of specially curated nigiri. It’s not some plain ol’ nigiri where they serve a slice of fish on top of rice and call it a day. At least they put effort into seasoning the fish with different flavor combinations. You don’t even need soy sauce!
I was absolutely in love with the omakase experience, but for some reason, I was still hungry afterward and had to go to an izakaya for some skewers to hit the spot.
The Dinner Omakase
Sea Bream
Sea bream is a white fish. It can look different between cuts and types, depending on the quality. This sea bream was amazing, with a sweet flavor and cuts right through. This can be prepared with a sprinkle of salt or a hint of citrus.
Hamachi
Hamachi is also known as yellowtail. I love hamachi way more than salmon; given the texture, it bites through like butter.
Amaebi
Amaebi is sweet shrimp, one of my favorites in sushi! This is traditionally larger shrimp, and it actually tastes sweet. Expect a crunchy texture.
Ikura
Ikura are salmon eggs, my next favorite! Many restaurants will try to pass off trout eggs as salmon eggs. There is a size difference: the slightly smaller ones are trout eggs. Salmon eggs are larger and have a saltier taste.
Hokkaido Sea Scallop
I totally forgot to grab a picture of this! The Hokkaido sea scallop is special for sushi because they’re typically larger in size and cut in half to serve over a ball of rice.
Kanpachi Amberjack
Kanpachi Amberjack is like a cousin to yellowtail. This is a type of white fish with a tougher texture, but it still bites through really nicely while giving you a hint of sweet, buttery flavor. Although it is a white fish, its taste has a totally different profile than the sea bream.
Bluefin Tuna
Bluefin tuna is a premium type of tuna. You can tell the difference between this and a standard tuna. This was the akami cut, which features a deeper red color with a leaner profile. I personally prefer my fish with some fat, so this is great if you’re on a health vibe.
Chutoro
Chutoro is the medium-fat trim from a bluefin tuna. If you’re looking for a softer chew where the fish will melt in your mouth, chutoro has you covered.
Fatty Tuna with Caviar
This is otoro, the fattiest cut of tuna. This is my absolute favorite dish during the omakase experience. This is also the most expensive cut; I absolutely loved how the chef seared this and served it with caviar. How fancy!
Salmon
Salmon used to be my favorite, given that it is very fatty, I somehow became attuned to loving yellowtail more. The salmon nigiri here was phenomenal.
Unagi
I loved how this unagi was prepared. Aside from unagi, which comes from freshwater eel, has a fish-like consistency, and is heavily seasoned with prepared soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake (also known as unagi sauce). The unagi here was pretty good!
Wagyu
This was my second favorite dish during the omakase experience. The wagyu nigiri was prepared seared, enhancing the flavor with a charred taste.
Tuna Hand Roll
The meal was finished off with a tuna hand roll. I loved how the tuna handroll was prepared, because the sushi chef inserts a small flap on the bottom, which prevents the rice from falling off the handroll. Not going to lie, this is something Sugarfish/Kazunori should take note of. This was prepared with minced tuna.
Tsumo Omakase
132 E 28th St
New York, NY 10016