New York City’s sushi scene has never been more spectacular. You can find Michelin-starred sushi parlors and buzzy omakase counters presenting the freshest fish from Japan in practically every neighborhood.
Changing times have challenged dine-in restaurants to get more creative recently, but translating a multi-course omakase experience to takeout is no easy task. Fortunately, several of the city’s most acclaimed sushi dens have found success with inventive pickup and delivery offerings boasting the same high caliber ingredients, beautiful seafood and precise technique.
Whether you’re craving classic rolls or an ultra-luxe omakase (or anything in between), here are 11 of the most outstanding options for sushi-at-home satisfaction.
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Wasan
Image Credit: courtesy Wasan This Brooklyn gem offers a fantastic selection of raw fish, sushi rolls and rice bowls for takeout and delivery, but their unique, create-at-home sets are the must-try menu offering. Channel your inner sushi master while DIY-ing savory eel buns or order Wasan’s hand roll for two kit, which includes everything needed to assemble 14 fresh and flavorful handhelds: tuna, salmon, fluke, yellowtail, scallops, snow crab, ikura, avocado, cucumber, lettuce, spicy mayo, sushi rice and nori seaweed.
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Sushi Noz
Image Credit: courtesy Sushi Noz Known for its $300 aged fish omakase, this Michelin-starred restaurant was notoriously hard to get a reservation at—there are only eight seats at the Hinoki counter. Sushi Noz’s new delivery and pickup program, which quickly became popular with the Upper East Side set, makes its edomae-style sushi more accessible to the masses. Some of the most in-demand offerings include the bara-chirashi (an assortment of seasonal sashimi over seasoned sushi rice), a soft-shell crab roll (with separately plated crab legs) and a rotating assortment of maki.
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Sushi Ishikawa
Image Credit: courtesy Sushi Ishikawa This intimate, high-end omakase restaurant from master sushi chef Don Pham is offering top-notch takeout at its Upper East Side location. Sushi Ishikawa’s current selection has innovative a la carte nigiri, rolls and rice bowls, along with two signature sets: the Mini Matsu Omakase (nine pieces of seasonal nigiri and a makimono roll) and the Sakura Maki Set (showcasing three of the chef’s daily specialty rolls)—available to pick up Tuesday through Saturday evenings.
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Sushi Ginza Onodera
Image Credit: courtesy Sushi Ginza Onodera Within six months of opening, this luxe Midtown sushi den received its first Michelin star. Ginza’s phenomenal edomae-style sushi, made from the highest-quality fish imported from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market, is available for weekday pickup. Indulge in menu standouts like prized uni from Hokkaido, grilled sea eel ‘anago bo’ sushi and the Temaki set for two: toro, lean tuna, wild yellowtail, snapper, trout, fluke, sea eel, sea urchin and salmon roe, plus everything needed to make-your-own hand rolls. (Pro tip: enhance your meal with the two-bottle sake pairing set).
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Sushi by M
Image Credit: courtesy Sushi by M This intimate, no-frills East Village sushi parlor focuses on unique flavor profiles and a regularly-changing, one hour omakase showcasing the best fish available. Thanks to Sushi by M’s loyal following, local pickup has become a well-received option in the neighborhood. Selections include excellent nigiri, donburi rice bowls, seasonal omakase and specialties like snow crab uni rice and chef M’s original “cheeseburger”—a decadent creation consisting of a Japanese cheesecake with toro topped with uni and caviar.
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Sugarfish
Image Credit: courtesy Sugarfish Multi-hour waits have long been the norm at this hotspot from famed chef Kazunori Nozawa, who has garnered more than 50 years of experience mastering the art of sushi. Shifting focus on to-go has led to special menu additions such as New Zealand pink lobster and the “Don’t Think. Just Eat. Trust Me.” offering, which boasts Sugarfish’s most popular pieces. All three locations (Flatiron, Midtown West and Soho) offer vibrant boxes of exceptional sushi, which comes unsauced to provide the best takeout experience. A comprehensive condiment guide gives instructions to pairing each fish with the packaged ponzu, soy and sanbai sauces.
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Nakaji
Image Credit: courtesy Nakaji With their grand opening just two weeks before the shutdown, third-generation sushi chef Kunihide Nakajima and the Nakaji team had to switch gears from chef’s counter dining to an at-home experience—and quickly. Treating it as an opportunity to showcase traditional edomae-style sushi, served in wooden containers called oribako, the Bowery sushi den offers authentic omakase and chirashi options for takeout and delivery. The individual sushi pieces are slightly larger than normal and packed tightly by design, to ensure the exotic fish, special in-season shellfish and premium grade delicacies from Japan stay intact during transit.
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Juku
Image Credit: courtesy Juku Since the omakase culture is highly social—from interacting with the chef at the counter to enjoying a bottle of sake with friends—the Juku team was concerned with how business would fare in the changing times. “Fortunately, many of our loyal customers have helped support the business through delivery sales,” shared owner Lucas Cohen. Stunning presentations and the highest-quality ingredients are showcased in sushi sets, maki rolls, izakaya dinners and bento box samplers for two—available for takeout and delivery.
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DOMODOMO
Image Credit: courtesy DOMODOMO This Michelin Bib Gourmand awardee is best known for their DOMOKASE—a multi-course meal consisting of hot dishes, premium sushi and clever hand rolls served one by one at the sushi bar. Challenged to translate that experience into a takeout and delivery format, DOMODOMO created a two-tier bento box with a sampling of dishes in a creative, aesthetically-pleasing package donning the phrase ‘FRESH THINGS INSIDE.’ Lifting the top section reveals another layer of Japanese deliciousness underneath. You can order takeout and delivery from DOMODOMO’s Greenwich Village location, or pick up sushi at the Jersey City outpost.
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Sushi Dojo
Image Credit: courtesy Sushi Dojo This small East Village sushi spot remains one of the city’s best omakase values. Now, you can experience Sushi Dojo’s supremely fresh fish, which is flown in from Japan daily, at home thanks to the new takeout and delivery offerings. Choose from an array of tempting appetizers, specialty rolls, a la carte sushi, signature entrees and five omakase options such as the Deluxe—a stunning box showcasing 15 pieces of chef’s choice premium sushi and a salmon tomato hand roll.
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Masa and Bar Masa
Image Credit: courtesy Bar Masa Known as the most expensive restaurant in New York City, three-Michelin-starred Masa—from esteemed chef Masayoshi Takayama—is offering two extravagant ‘Masa at Home’ packages for evening curbside pickup: the $800 Temaki Box (sliced sashimi, tartare, toro, caviar, uni, seasonal vegetables, sushi rice and everything else needed to DIY exceptional hand rolls for up to four people) and the $450 Nigiri Box (42 pieces of outstanding sushi and accompaniments).
Bar Masa, the more casual offshoot to its illustrious sister restaurant, located next door in the Time Warner Center, has several of its signature dishes—such as premium sushi assortments, salmon or toro and uni chirashi, beef fried rice and pan seared chicken dumplings—available for weekday curbside pickup at West 58th Street (at the entrance to The Shops at Columbus Circle).
