#japanese

  Kintsugi Omakase NYC, a sleek chef’s counter-style sushi “atelier” in lower Soho, recently upped their game by bringing on Chef Victor of Sushi Ko. To find out what the buzz was about, we stopped by this week to sample their new menu, which changes with the seasons for the freshest ingredients. 

Chef Victor follows the traditional edomae (referencing the style originating from Edo Bay) style of sushi-making, but puts a modern twist on his art. He uses non-traditional, non-Japanese ingredients to flavor some of his dishes, and his close relationship with NYC fishmongers allows him to source the freshest, finest seafood available. The difference is palpable – one bite of Kintsugi’s Hokkaido Ikura (salmon roe) or uni and it’s clear how high-quality the ingredients are. 

In addition to technique and ingredient excellence, Kintsugi Omakase stands out by its use of seasonal ingredients. Typical of new Nordic or farm-to-table style restaurants, Kintsugi brings flavors of the month to sushi, where most establishments would stick to the tried-and-true traditions. Since it’s autumn, our dishes featured a green apple puree paired with a smoked Sawara and apple cider, baby corn with crispy fried fish, and other winter seafood delicacies. 

When I asked Chef Victor what his favorite season of ingredients was, he told us “fall and winter, because they have the weirdest items.” Weird as they may be, he prepared them to perfection – half the dishes were items I’d never heard of, and I’m a sushi aficionado. Host Ko told us they aim to “take your palate on an adventure you’ve never been on before.” This delectable adventure featured a codfish sperm sac (winter only), crispy fried Amadai (tilefish) with its scales (dubbed by Chef Victor as natural fish and chips), a pickled fish similar to the herring popular in northern Europe, and barracuda. 

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In addition to the sushi tasting, each menu option includes a handroll, the best miso soup you’ve ever tried, bruleed tamago, and a dessert (the current one is black sesame and ginger ice cream – a scoop of each). Finishing off the meal with these comforting plates was the perfect way to wind down from the experiential tasting. We also highly recommend the restaurant’s singular cocktail: a yuzu and violet syrup enhanced sake. I’d come back for this item alone; clearly the team at Kintsugi has the expertise to open a successful bar, if they wanted!

Dining at Kinstugi Omakase NYC is an experience that can’t be missed if you’re a foodie in this city. Their 10-person dining room, carefully designed by creative partners Ashe Yeung and Tim Madrid, feels intimate and sophisticated. But definitely not stuffy – Chef Victor’s lighthearted jokes and sarcastic commentary make you instantly comfortable with him, and we enjoyed hearing his descriptions of his craft while watching him expertly assemble each mouthwatering bite. We can’t wait to come back. Book your reservation at Kintsugi here ASAP!