

(Credit: 663Highland)
New York has some extraordinary sushi restaurants. Tough as it was, we winnowed this huge pool to a few favorites. Read on for our picks, then let us know who we missed or who we should try in the comments. By Jessica Allen.
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credit: 15 East / Facebook
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Consistently ranked on ‘best of’ lists from Esquire to Zagat, 15 East boasts some of the most enjoyable sushi around. We also love its unadulterated, almost brutally minimalist décor — all the more to concentrate on the delectable slices of fresh cuisine. While other restaurants will wow you with the superficial; 15 East concentrates on wowing you with technique and flavor. Check out the omakase specials at lunch: just $35 (sushi) or $38 (sashimi) for seven pieces—chef’s choice! Easy on the wallet, easier on the gullet.

credit: Brushstroke
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A collaboration between the famous Tsuji Culinary Institute of Japan and chef/restauranteur David Bouley, Brushstroke re-interprets kaiseki, offering its own take on the traditional, seasonally appropriate Japanese tasting menu. Right now, for example, the menu includes uni, mushroom chawanmushi, and red snapper. A restaurant inside a restaurant, Ichimura is the sushi bar, where you’ll find omakase specifically tailored to each diner’s preferences. You’ll pay for the experience, sure, but it’s an experience you won’t soon forget. Both Ichimura and Brushtroke have been recognized with separate Michelin stars, the only restaurant-within-a-restaurant to be honored in North America!

credit: 663highland
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No website, no Facebook, no Instagram account. No tweets, no Groupons. This tiny restaurant is about as off-the-grid as you can get these days, except for its abundance of five-star Yelp reviews. And you know what? A ton of reviews can’t be wrong, and they aren’t: the sushi here is exceptional. The sushi chef, Norihiro Ishizuka, serves you what’s fresh and what works together each day, so you’ll never have the same experience twice. The omakase menu ranges in price, depending on the pieces of sushi and whether you get any cooked dishes. Hint: get a lot.

credit: Shuko / Instagram
Shuko displays a more playful disposition than many of the other restaurants on this list. Indeed, if Shuko were a dog, it might be a lab, as opposed to a pointer or poodle. The owners earned their chop(stick)s at Masa, and pride themselves on offering customers the very best fish, sourced locally and internationally (including from California and Japan). Named one of Esquire’s best restaurants in 2015, Shuko offers two dining options: a sushi-only omakase or a kaiseki-style omakase. Our advice? Make multiple reservations and try them both.

credit: Sushi Katsuei

credit: Sushi Nakazawa

credit: Peterjhpark
Perhaps it’s the proximity to the United Nations, but east midtown has some of the city’s best Japanese restaurants, including Sushi Yasuda, our go-to spot in the nabe for sushi. We won’t lie: it’s expensive, especially if you go the a la carte route for nigri, maki, and other items. But, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for, which means fresh-from-the-sea scallops, eel, shrimp, etc., all traditionally prepared and served without adornment. (Not sure what “traditionally prepared” really means? The restaurant’s website has an awesome primer.)