Restaurant Review: Kosaka (NYC)

Over the New Year's Day weekend, one of our out-of-state friends came to stay with us and visit NYC. For his last night, we met for dinner at Kosaka (Yelp, Website) in NYC. This Japanese sushi restaurant opened in mid-December, and Cory and I were both excited to try their omakase dinner. Priced at $145 per person for 15-18 nigiri pieces, this is not the most expensive omakase you can get in NYC by a long-shot, but I would group it as mid-to-high-end for omakase.

Spoiler alert: it was awesome, and possibly the best omakase we've had to date. For context, we have had omakase at Ichimura at Brushstroke, 15 East, Cagen, and Kura in the city.

Here are my pictures from our meal, with my notes (but I may have jotted a few down wrong). Let's be honest, ya'll are just going to scroll down without reading anyway. And that's OK. More thoughts after the picspam.


A demure exterior

Restaurant Review: Oiji, NYC (Korean)

So... we visited Oiji (Yelp, Website) in July 2015 for dinner with a friend, and between the three of us, we ordered quite a lot of the dishes on the menu.

The food was good. Not your traditional Korean place, but a lot of really nice dishes. Since it's been 6 months since I ate here, this is just a photo dump. The beef tartare was awesome, and I'm not even a huge fan of beef tartare!


Cold Buckwheat Noodle with Preserved Spring Ramps

Restaurant Re-visit: Cagen Japan Restaurant, NYC (Japanese)

About a year after our first visit to Cagen (Yelp, Website), we came back in May of this year. There were more than a few repeats compared to last year, and I don't know if that's because we ate at the same time of year, or if the omakase does not change too much. Regardless, I enjoyed it just as much as the first time, as the food is all super yummy.

Cagen received a star in the 2016 Michelin Guide as well - well deserved!

Here are the pics from our second visit:


Gazpacho amuse bouche with okra, chia seeds, corn

Restaurant Review: Cagen Japan Restaurant, NYC (Japanese)

Cory and I went to Cagen (Yelp, Website), and enjoyed the $120 "Cagen" Omakase which is a kappo-style omakase (meaning cooked food in addition to sushi). Chef Toshio Tomita previously worked at Nobu, so the food here does carry a bit of fushion flare, IMO.

We ate at the counter (when you call to make your reservation, you need to request this, and apparently it is only for those ordering the Cagen Omakase).

Every course was delicious and memorable. Service was attentive, but not suffocating, and the chef and servers explained each course in detail (both in terms of ingredients and cooking method), which I like very much (especially at omakase).

Most memorable dishes for me: the sashimi and nigiri (along with the chimichurri sauce), and the soft shell crab dish (I love soft shell crab!)

Bottom Line: 5*, I will definitely be back (hopefully sooner rather than later)!

Entrance