Sushi Zo

There’s a new restaurant to the sushi scene. Well, at least it’s new to the New York City scene when its soft opening took place in December 2015. Sushi Zo has been focused on serving fresh traditional Japanese sushi since Chef Keizo Seki opened its first location in West Los Angeles back in 2006. He would then open a second location in Downtown Los Angeles in 2013. Now, this omakase-only establishment has made its way to NYC’s Greenwich Villlage.

Reservations can be made online and I was only able to obtain a 7pm Saturday night two weeks away. Not too bad. I was looking forward to this night ever since the reservation was confirmed. The place is brightly lit with a long wooden sushi bar taking up the majority of the intimate space. There are a couple tables as well. Upon arrival, I was greeted at the door and asked for my name. I was running a few minutes late, but was politely seated at a seat towards the far end of the sushi bar.

I was given a warm towel as soon as I sat down. A small drink menu was handed to me and I had the waiter suggest a sake. It’s served in a wine glass and the sushi chef asked me about any allergies and preferences. Then, it was time to begin the omakase.

It started with a Kumamoto oyster with a light sauce, ginger, and scallions. Down it goes! It was so sweet.

The sashimi course was being prepared next and consisted of three different varieties, two slices each.

The big eye tuna was topped with a dab of freshly grated wasabi.

The mackerel was delicious! It had a slightly smokey flavor that was exquisite.

The sea bream was clean and refreshing with some citrus notes.

It was time to get ready for the nigiri. I small moist napkin was given to clean your fingers between each piece. Every single sushi omakase restaurant should offer this, but there are still many that don’t.

I loved the ginger. It wasn’t your usual paper thin slices. It was a couple nice chunks of ginger sliced thickly making it easier to grab and a more profound palate cleanser.

Let the omakase begin! I have to say, I enjoyed every single piece.

The trout was topped with shishito peppers. The trout was so tender and the roasted shitshito pepper gave it a slightly smoky flavor. This may have been my favorite piece of the night.

The chawanmushi, egg custard dish, was served next.

It was very hot and I had to give it some time to cool down. When I finally dug in, I discovered nice pieces of snow crab.

After the chawanmushi, it was time to continue with more nigiri.

The scallop was fantastic. It was very tender.

I love my uni. Even though they did not have my favorite variety from Japan, the Santa Barbara uni was excellent.

The next small dish was Ikura and seaweed over rice.

The salmon roe was nice and salty. The fresh little salty morsels burst in your mouth with every bite.

There were still a few more pieces of nigiri to enjoy. The following piece was snapper wit truffle salt. It had a deep rich truffle flavor.

A piece of orange clam from Maine was up next. It was tender and not chewy.

A nice black cod nigiri topped with a yummy miso sauce concluded the nigiri. I think you’re served every single type of fish that’s available that night. It was a a satisfying omakase.

The negitoro handroll was handed to me and I wasted no time enjoying it. The seaweed was nice and crispy.

The snapper soup was very good.

The entire meal concluded with a soft fluffy piece of tamago. I only wish that there was some kind of dessert to cleanse the palate after all the savory items. Maybe a sorbet of some sort. That is my only minor complaint. Otherwise, it was a wonderful meal.

I highly recommend Sushi Zo. From the peaceful ambiance to the attentive service to the delicious generous omakase, it as definitely worth it. I am looking forward to coming back.

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Sushi Zo
88 W 3rd Street
New York, NY 10012
(646) 405-4826
Website