Tucked away on the fringes of SoHo, Tribeca and Hudson Square is Kintsugi Omakase, an understated, fashionable sushi atelier from New York-based creative partners Ashe Yeung, a designer, and Tim Madrid, an Art Director.
They, along with Executive Chef Victor Chen (formerly of New York Sushi Ko), and General Manager JC Myska have brought the name “kintsugi”—the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold to embrace imperfections—full circle.
The team has removed much of the rigidity found in many omakase sushi services around the city in favor of a more relaxed experience that focuses on care and passion.
The small jewel box sushi counter seats 10 and serves three tiers of premium omakase which include seasonal appetizers and sushi: The Kintsugi Omakase, a 16-course service for $195; The Soho Experience, a 13-course experience for $155; and The Grand Street Classic, a 10-course meal for $95.
All tastings also include a sushi chef’s choice of handroll, gourmet miso soup, tamago, and seasonal dessert.
Chef Victor prepares his sushi in the traditional edomae style, but unlike many other sushi chefs, he does not solely use Japanese ingredients.
A long-standing relationship with fishmongers allows Kintsugi Omakase to offer locally sourced fish, enabling for a broader selection.
Regardless of which experience is chosen, Chef Victor’s service always includes some of his imaginative starters with exciting flavor combinations: Spanish Mackeral lightly smoked and served with grated green apple, representing “the Big Apple”; Ankimo, monkfish liver topped with a piece of Narazuke (melon pickled in sake lees); and his signature Amadai, tilefish with crispy scales and accompanied by baby corn and shishito pepper, which remains constant.
The nigiri progression may feature selections such as: Seabream sourced from Greece; Toro Sarawa, the winter season Spanish Mackerel, that fishermen branded “Toro” to emphasize the extreme fat content; Akami-zuke, lean bluefin tuna marinated in soy sauce; Otoro, tuna sourced from Boston, which is currently in season; Keiji baby Salmon; and Nodoguro, blackthroat seaperch that is often referred to as the “Wagyu of the sea”. Chef Victor’s signature Smoked
Uni Nigiri, a blend of four uni varieties lightly smoked and served draped over rice wrapped in nori, is served nightly in each omakase tier.
The nigiri portion of the meal is followed by Chef Victor’s signature Grilled Black Cod with soy-cured egg yolk rice donburi; a handroll, made with tuna tartare with minced tuna and scallop; and Unagi, freshwater eel that is sourced from Maine, delivered live to the restaurant, and fileted in-house.
Seasonal desserts rotate, with an emphasis on Tamago, which is lightly sugared and torched for guests to enjoy warm.
Also offered is a broad selection of ice cream imported from Japan such as traditional Japanese flavors of Hojicha and Black Sesame ice cream.
The Kintsugi Uni Tasting is the perfect addition to any of the three premium experiences utilizing different types of sea urchin sourced from around the world based on seasonality and market availability.
The beverage program was developed by Partner Ashe Yeung. Its Sake program highlights rotating seasonal selections—now serving fall/winter, and sake pairings for each omakase experience.
Featured Japanese Spirits, headlined by a selection of rare Japanese whisky and gin, as well as Japanese beer and wine.
The dining room is centered around the natural wood 10-seat sushi counter, which is framed by dark charcoal walls. Soothing light is filtered through Japanese wooden slats creating a relaxing mood.
Each course is presented on dinnerware in collaboration with EM Ceramics and Spark Bird Studio who created an exclusive line of handcrafted, gold-fused dinnerware for Kintsugi.
Located at 28 Grand Street, New York, NY 10013, learn more at their website.
