New York Sushi Ko

The omasake selection was great! Enjoyed exchanging stories with Chef John. Highly recommended, I will definitely be back soon.

Was expecting the sublime and something unique from a Japan trained sushi chef who might not be constricted by the traditions and formalities of Japanese sushi chefs. Sorely disappointed that this was not the case. If you have been to Japan and /​or experienced great sushi at top restaurants, you quickly realize this place is not one of them. Fish shipped in Tsukiji doesn’t mean it is the best in the world. One of the interesting Japanese chefs in London I know sources most of his incredibly fresh and delectable ingredients from the North Sea and tries new combinations of non-​Japan sourced seafood successfully. I get the the chef’s mastery is his connection with Tsukiji fish suppliers through his master’s master. For the exorbitant price you pay the fish and shellfish are ok. The size of nigiri was one the smallest pieces I have ever been served. The individual sushi pieces seem to be portioned for blushing Geishas and Maikos with dainty cherry-​sized mouths which can only hold 10 grains of rice per bite. More disappointing was the lack of sincerity and appreciation of the customer from the chef. Service was different from what one would expect of an Omakase service. No tea offered during service nor a bowl of soup to end the service. Maybe appreciation for the customer is reserved for the chef’s vetted customers or VIP clients. Go ahead and try this restaurant for yourself and decide if it is what you expected but be warned that this will be a very expensive trial.

So I’d been walking past this place and was hoping to one night, after my strenuous blue collar job, an especially hard night, treat myself to a chef’s selection of sushi, something I enjoyed growing up in California and, partly because of higher prices but mostly because of East Coast sushi bars’ classism, I don’t get much out here.
I was very hungry, and my phone was dying, but I had cash and a book and felt willing to delay my trip home longer than it takes to get street meat. The waiter/​host/​non-​chef asked about a reservation and said all the bar seats were taken. Table seating is not ideal for omakase but I took it. They attempt to take my jacket and bag and move them upstairs, because they need to preserve an uncluttered space, I guess, but I had things I needed on the bag. Luckily this weirdness resulted in my doing a body check and realizing my wallet was gone.
Now, when you’re starting to get a feeling that restaurant staff might be judging your appearance or attitude as below them, it helps to have the money to prove otherwise. I did keep my manners about me despite emergency phone charging and the outré retaining of bag, on special dispensation from the chef. Which bag I desperately check after ordering.
There are bottles of wine or possibly just very expensive glasses. There’s only one beer, an IPA. I hate IPA, but I need a beer, so that’s what I get. I know how empty my stomach is and I sip.
Then when it comes to ordering, there seems to be no omakase dinner option. I choose the closest thing — 9 nigiri and a roll for $ 75 — hoping the portions will be large enough, as they often haven’t been. The waiter checks with me later and has gotten my order wrong (a single menu item with a single other, not similar menu item) and I’m so confused I end up calling the correction across the room.
I read for a bit, try to find my wallet with an app that turns out to be useless, then apologetically excuse myself to retrace steps to go find my entire pocket sized life. I return and they bring my carefully preserved beer back out covered in plastic.
I call a friend to come bring money and join me. Maybe this resets the clock again on preparation. The chef seems to want to take better care of me than the unsure waiter but he has bar diners. But the chef also tells me I can’t use my phone where it’s charging. My friend asks about menu items and the waiter doesn’t know about them. He doesn’t order anything. I start to get upset due to hunger and frustration. My friend gives me rescue cash and leaves, having less toleration for discriminatory service. I wait 5 more minutes for food I ordered an hour previous, then follow.
There’s a star more than is fair based on my experience, here, because I grant that the food may be good if they ever give it to you and you’re the right kind of people, in their eyes. And they didn’t charge for the beer, but that was probably to get me to leave faster.

My fiancée and I had an amazing meal New York Sushi Ko! We had the late seating at 9:30pm, and they were running a bit behind schedule, we were seated at the only table in place and served sake until our seats at the sushi bar were ready. There are 8 seats at the sushi bar, and the Chef John Daley serves each group individually. Watching him prepare the sushi was one of the most intricate food experiences I’ve ever had up close. We have some food allergies and he was able to easily accommodate our restrictions, while offering a wide variety of amazing sushi! Be prepared to be surprised by the flavors and textures of every piece of food he serves you. He thoughtfully plans the order of the menu and we really enjoyed the food and our experience! I would highly recommend this spot, it’s probably not the place for a casual evening out, but for an occasion or fun date night I would absolutely go back! Additionally as we were the last seating of the evening, we had the wonderful opportunity to chat with Chef for quite a while finishing our bottle of sake after everyone else had left.

Chef John is nothing less than a master of his craft! I’m allergic to selfish and he made sure I had the best experience ever for my first time giving sushi a try!
Everything is prepared fresh and right in front of you, he walks you through and explains everything to you’re about to eat right there. For my first time having sushi I was a little hesitant to eat but after I took that first bite I needed more! Explosive taste and incredibly fresh! John is a genius and I highly recommend this place if you love sushi because you will not be disappointed!

Had pleasure of coming here on a spontaneous invite from a friend. The sushi was fantastic and the company of Chef John was equally enjoyable. I would recommend this restaurant for sushi lovers.

This place is a hidden gem for sushi lovers. Jon the chef is a character. You’ll be entertained and happy with your meal. Enjoy !

John Daley’s NYSK is probably one of the top five sushi restaurants we’ve tried in NYC, to judge on the admittedly limited basis of a single, basic «sushi mono» meal. We have tried all the legitimate operations, except Masa (15 East, Nakazawa, Yasuda, Ichimura at Brushstroke, etc…) and NYSK compares quite favorably. The shari is beautifully made and shaped, the neta is just the right temperature (not too cold) and nothing short of silky where it ought to be. I can think of only two possible criticisms depending on your tastes: (1) The seasoning sauce (the house soy sauce mixture that’s brushed over most of the neta) is more strongly flavored than it is at more traditional establishments. In our opinion, it didn’t obscure the freshness or intrinsic flavors of the neta, but I could see where a more hidebound traditionalist might find the seasonings overwhelming. (2) There wasn’t much variety in the fish offered for the basic sushi mono. This could be a plus — it was interesting to see how different the same fish could taste depending on the preparation — but some may prefer greater variety. (It may very well be much more varied for the chef’s omakase, which I didn’t have the stomach capacity for, unfortunately.)
It was a bit hard to hear Daley-​san where we were sitting, but we enjoyed our interaction with him and his staff! I surprises me to read that some patrons found him or the experience intimidating. He’s slightly eccentric, perhaps — but most of the best people in the world are, no?
Tight quarters, but it’s a completely doable tradeoff for the high quality to price ratio.
We hope to be back many more times.

The best! Love this place! The staff is great and the food is top notch. A bit pricey, but this is NY. If you don’t want to spend money than move to Omaha and eat at the outback. They have a Riesling here as well which was huge for me because I only do a sweet wine. The Tuna is some of the best I’ve ever had!!! Well done guys!

I have eaten sushi around the world, including the top spots in Japan. Sushi Ko is at the bottom of my list. Avoid this place. The chef was rude and obnoxious, the fish was not fresh or top quality, and the experience was just awful. There are so many better options in this city. Do not go here.

Came here Friday night with my wife. We tried the chef’s omakase with wine pairing and loved it. The sushi bar only sits 10 – 11 people, so the experience is very personal and intimate.
The omakase was superb. I won’t get into all the details (you can google some reviews that will do it better justice) except to say it was uni heaven! The fish quality, variety, and artistic preparation was excellent and definitely on par with the best sushi restaurants in the city. For the wine pairing, we had several different white wines, followed by sakes.
What pleasantly surprised me was that Chef John Daley and his team has standards! No pictures and no cell phone calling allowed inside the restaurant. Some people will not like that, but I think it’s refreshing and appropriate because it is being respectful to the art. John wants you to fully enjoy and sushi art making, and that means getting rid of distractions.
You can feel John’s passion and intensity in making sushi. One of the reviewers earlier described John as «intimidating,» but I would describe him as «genuine.» He’s not fake polite in his conversation (unlike a typical fine dining restaurant), but then again would you expect a martial art master to be fake polite? Where he really comes through is in his intention to execute the perfect sushi.

Came here Saturday night with my boyfriend for our dinner date night!
First things first. The vibe was already set when the maitre d ran over to us the second we took a picture and scorned us of our phone use. «No pictures!» … Why though? I really just want to know why. I’ve never been told no pictures are allowed at any and all of the places I’ve been prior.
Aside from taking the fun out of our meal, the fish was absolutely delicious. The sushi was so fresh, so soft, so savory. Yummmmmmmmmmm. We both did agree though, that there wasn’t enough rice with each piece. Just a couple more grains would have been perfect. I get that the chef probably did that to focus more on the taste of the fish, which is a great idea, but it also made the meal less filling. I’ve never finished an omakase and needed another whole round to satisfy my appetite.
Now why did I take away a star?
1. Because the maitre-​d had hawk eyes and as soon as either of us touched our phone screen he came closer to us about eye distance to make sure we weren’t misbehaving and it started to get quite annoying.
2.We look forward to the end of omakase meals because we like to repeat all the pieces we liked the most… Well apparently this place doesn’t seem to do that regularly. Not sure if they stock their inventory precisely for each night and the amount of customers? Or the chef just wasn’t about that game. Either way we ordered about 8 more pieces, and only got 2 that we actually wanted. I specifically asked for a torched toro and didn’t get that either. He was torching all night! But refused to do that for us on request for some reason I didn’t care to investigate.
Overall, come check out what they have going on at Sushi Ko. You’ll be pleased !

One word, intimidation. I haven’t felt this condescended to since I was in Catholic high school. No sign, no menu outside, all I knew is it’s cold and they were the only place nearby with a temporary antichamber outside to keep the space warm. In a space ¹⁄₃ the size of a New York City bus, they have a maitre d’ looming over you the whole time, staring at you, smiling with a grin that screams hostility. If he had pulled out a Billy club and beat me senseless, it wouldn’t have felt the slightest bit shocking. Everyone who enters is promptly told they are not allowed to photograph or speak on the phone while inside. I was asked not to put your phone or tablet on the counter. I tried writing about the experience in the moment but their dungeon master in a suit kept watching me. I felt like a grammar school kid trying to pass notes without getting busted. I ordered miso, tea, and the sashimi since it seemed like the only thing that was under $ 50. Sure enough, all 12 pieces were barely slivers. The entire thing could fit in the palm of your hand. Maybe I’m just not at that level, but it didn’t seem any better than the sushi places I actually like. Better than the hundreds of mediocre sushi places that infest New York, but at this price range I should be knocked off my feet, not trying to figure out if it’s as good as Avenue A. When I asked for the check, I thought I was going to get thrown out into the street for daring to be so cheap. They were disappointed but gave me my check.
If you’re not sure if you’re into paying for BDSM or not, go to this place once. If you come away feeling really good, take it as a sign.

Great sushi place if you’re looking for high quality sushi and a great experience!
Chef pays attention to detail and knows his sushi!

It was the worst experience We ever had .4 friends went for dinner, never mind that check was $ 1000, (not complaining when its worth it) we were treated like shit. They really are trying way too hard. It was almost funny — and they seem to take themselves way too seriously. all of us been to Japan and had amazing dining experiences but we didn’t want to say anything, we just watch how far he could go. food is great but not worth a penny, when we left the place we were horrified and felt so stupid to let someone treat us like that… dont ever ever go there, we are in NY where you can find much better places. food was great but not worth it.
go to sasabune if you want amazing meal its much better that this!

Yes, they take their job very seriously and they are perfectionist, which is not a bad thing in my point of view like some others pointed in a bad review. It was very clean and both the sushi chef and the host/​sommelier were polite with us even when they asked us to not take pictures but enjoy the food or asked one of us to talk on cellphone outside of the restaurant.
I think it’s fair… For a real sushi chef, food is art so I totally understand it.
I loved everything since the beginning of my course including the delicate but delicious misso soup.
All the 15 pieces were amazing and full of flavors. The sushi chef made my pieces smaller than my friends so I could enjoy each piece to the end of the course without feeling I was about to explode. He also listened carefully to each of our requests, in my case, I’m allergic to shrimp.
I couldn’t understand some of the previous comments here like someone that said the omakasse costs 350 usd. (Actually Jiro in Ginza costs that price… Lol! Sushi Ko NY omakasse was 75 usd for 15 pieces.)
I think some people just got really confused with other restaurant with similar name, I think.
I lived in Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Indonesia… I’ve been traveling all over the world and I love Japanese cuisine! Saying that:
***** It was an awesome gastronomic experience for me and I will go back for sure.

350 per person to be treated like shit…
Never seen that in Japan or actually anywhere in the world!
20pct service charge included is a steal!
Fish is fresh but getting insulted isnt worth it.
Avoid at any price

This place is legit.
The sushi here is fresh, high-​quality, flown-​in from Japan daily, and just amazingly delicious. It is on par with the likes of 15 East, Sushi of Gari, and reminds me quite a bit of Sushi Dojo where I’ve just been last week. Note: Owner/​Chef John Daley did a stint at Masa when it first opened and is a protégé of the head sushi chef at 15 East; i.e. he knows his shit.
The full omakase started off with some inventive dishes all of which were great– definitely new-​age sushi but the quality, taste and essence of the fish were never compromised. There was also a bowl of hot soba with uni, porkbelly and ikura in it– pretty good but soba noodles themselves were okay (did not have the feel or Q-​ness of handmade/​pulled versions). The meal ended with a string of sushi. assembled in front of you, that were all very very very very good. Favorites were the scallop and o-​toro.
Anyway if you’re seeking to enjoy a great meal of authentic, high-​quality sushi definitely check this place out. There is definitely an experimental tinge to the chef’s approach, but just know that everything that goes into your mouth is fresh and delicious, which are basically the two critical criteria for any sushi journey.
Personally my experience was also enhanced by the fun, casual and entertaining atmosphere of the place; they had some hip-​hop music in play last night (very faintly though, so don’t get put off if you prefer sushi consumption in quiet, zen-​like environments). My friends and I arrived pretty early so we had the undivided attention of both the sommelier and the chef for a bit. Get an early res and chat them up if you can. They may look a bit intimidating/​unapproachable at first but they’re actually pretty fun to talk to.
Anyway take yo (hopefully) fat wallet and go check em out!

Ad hominem is Latin for «to the man,» and I’ve noticed most of the negative reviews were personal attacks on the chef, not on the food itself. For those who were put off or offended by the chef, I say this. How bitter are you? These folks seriously can’t take a little joke or some jesting. Or they’re not sophisticated enough to eat anywhere nicer than the Olive Garden. The chef is quite the character, but he’s very talented, hilarious, and made my meal memorable. Talking with him was a part of the experience, made this meal wonderful, and for someone to insult his reputation or honor on this site is just not very polite.
As for the food? If you like uni and fatty tuna like me, you will be in sushi heaven. Every type of uni and tuna you could ask for with the pricey-​but-​worth-​it Omakase menu. It was a religious experience for me. If you’re not an uni or fatty tuna fan, but want an omakase dining experience, maybe look elsewhere.
Unconventional preparation, very creative. The chef takes immense pride in his work, and you can taste the pride in the sushi. Enjoy the sushi. Uni-​gasm away.

I have only one word to say after the Omakase here: uni-​gasm.
Let me put this upfront: you won’t experience traditional, edomae style sushi here. Instead, if you can keep an open mind, you will be led to a brave new world where creativity and innovation meets quality and dedication to perfection.
Some previous review trying to compare Sushi Ko to other more established sushiya in the city, which I think it is unfair. have been to Ichimura, 15 East and Azabu, which are my top 3 picks in the city. But I would not compare Sushi Ko to them and other more traditional style sushi, say Nakasawa (I also been). They are just in different category.
Onto the food. While I do think John, the chef, needs to continue improving his techniques, what he presented to us was top notch quality of seafood and bold creativity. I I gave it on extra star because of the quality and quantity of uni I was served. I had a uni tasting including 5 different uni from JP and US (check out my pic). It was epic! My favorite dish of the night was torched Santa Barbara uni on top of fine chopped chu-​toro (medium fatty tuna), uni risoto — so good that I forgot to picture before I finish up last spoon :(Every single piece of sushi was amazing, especially the fish/​rice ratio, though rice was slightly warmer than I would like, not a big deal.
Last but not least, wine pairing was flawless. Maybe not known to many, sake is not the best match with sushi since they don’t compliment with each other (sake made of rice). Also, there are multiple courses, not just sushi, during an omakase. So your choice of alcohol shall progress as your course. If you are not sure what to order for each course, do not hesitate, ask Davis, the wine program manager there.
Yes, it is a bit pricey but dollar/​quality ratio is also high. Needless to say, I would return return from time to time as i expect the menu will change seasonally.