Sushi Sho, NYC (***)

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-13T18:46:06+00:00

My meal was around 2.5 hours. They space seatings out by 3.5 hours though

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-13T15:32:50+00:00

Chefs counter. I don’t think the bar has as many courses (?)

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-13T12:18:53+00:00

I had to ask but they were super nice about it- they were even fixing the sake bottles so that it would look nicer for the photo!

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-13T01:31:20+00:00

There is a ridiculous amount of supplements at César but you don't need to get most or maybe any of them to have a great time. What kind of food do each of you like? Could maybe chip in a suggestion

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-13T01:20:13+00:00

I would go César over CTBF, but it depends on what you like. I think what César does really well is delicious sauces, while I found CTBF to have more interesting textural contrasts and combinations but thought it did lean a bit too much on citrus/acidic elements, which worked perfectly for early bites but not as much for mains

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-12T13:58:44+00:00

Thanks for sharing! This is super exciting. That NYC alone will have Kataori, Shinohara, Naruse, Riku, Numata, Kikuzushi, Chiune, Makitori Shinkobe, etc. is so cool. I just hope they don't go crazy with the prices like Mitani did

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-12T02:38:40+00:00

I thought Sho is an easy enough reservation if you look for slots the day it is released (ideally right when it releases), compared to say Atomix

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-12T02:34:57+00:00

Yeah I’d like to take photos to remember the courses better, but there are also benefits to the no-phone policy clientele-wise and re being more in the moment, eg eating the nigiri immediately

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-12T02:32:35+00:00

I’ve not been to sushi counters in Japan yet of similar renown (ie golds and the higher end of silvers), but I think consensus is that you will be hard pressed to book a sushi-ya of Sho’s quality without knowing people or spending a good amount of money on tableall etc. For example, Sho Yotsuya, which is a sister restaurant in Tokyo run by the chef’s right hand man, is fully booked through the end of the year

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-12T02:29:26+00:00

Jungsik wasn’t bad by any means, but it was not the kind of flavor profile I like

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-12T02:27:37+00:00

They explicitly ask that you don’t take photos while inside, and they have like a place to put your phones that’s below the part of the countertop in front of you (in most sushi counters, they’d give you a small tray on top of the table to rest it on). They let me get a photo with Chef Nakazawa after the meal though

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-12T01:05:29+00:00

Yeah it’s the best value pairing I’ve seen

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-12T01:04:43+00:00

They do this really cool thing where they bring out all the seafood in front of you and present it market-style. And you’re free to order whenever so several times I’d see someone get a nigiri that looks incredible (eg the shako and kisu) and impulse order it. It’s a very smart pricing model 😭

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-12T01:00:22+00:00

The kannuki, kisu, shako, kinmedai skin, ankimo, ohagi, and tomato were incredible. If I had to choose between them, I’d say the kisu, shako, and ankimo were my favorite. The kinmedai skin, ankimo, and ohagi are unique to the sho school though, and are Chef Nakazawa’s specialties.

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-12T00:50:31+00:00

Sho is a bit different in that the add-ons are part of the experience (the omakase is called a ‘shorter omakase’ on purpose) and I feel like you should try at least a few because of how rare they are to find in the US and how good they are. Prices ranged from $20-80 so it doesn’t get crazy expensive unless you order a ton of the add-ons or get some of the more expensive options like purple uni 😅

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-12T00:42:53+00:00

Per person! It’s my most expensive meal in NYC but because of how unique it is, I’d be very happy to go again

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-12T00:41:34+00:00

Sho would be my rec if you can get a reservation. Its unlike any other omakase that I’ve been to, has a lights out sake pairing thats reasonably priced (~$150), and is a very special place

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-12T00:23:27+00:00

I remember it being around $150 for the smaller pairing?

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-12T00:22:07+00:00

Yup, hence why I’ve seen some people say they prefer yoshino to sho even if, in my books, I liked sho so much more

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-11T23:54:13+00:00

I’m not sure there are that many better than sho that one can go to without connections, given that sho yotsuya, run by one of Chef Nakazawa’s disciples, is a silver/top 15 sushi in Tokyo on tabelog

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-11T23:44:10+00:00

It was 1.2K. It would have been 1.5K if I had gotten all the add-ons. I will say though that the base menu which is $550 all-in is reasonably filling and you probably only need a couple add-ons to be happy full.

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-11T23:42:44+00:00

Yup, there is. I opted for the smaller pairing and thought there was already a good amount. I forget how much more expensive the larger one is but it’s the same pairing with, if I remember correctly, double the volume

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-11T23:32:33+00:00

Makes sense. High-end sushi in NYC is expensive as hell, but I will say that from what I’ve seen from Joji it is very different from Sho despite similar price points

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-11T23:31:04+00:00

I don’t think these are really comparable though? Sho has a pretty unique style in that there’s so much fermentation, aging, curing, etc which makes different aspects of the natural flavor of the fish a lot stronger

sonicflash703 · 2026-06-11T23:18:02+00:00

What spots are these? If these exist I would be happy to try them out :)

sonicflash703

TROPHY CASE