Kintsugi New York - Buy Reservations

The experience was intimate, extremely educational and the service was attentive. We had The Kintsugi Omakase featuring 15 Selected Classic and Seasonal Nigiri with a sake pairing and I'll be dreaming of it until I experience it again - Highly recommend it for a date night.

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This establishment in particular, with the Soho Omakase at its current price ($125) is completely worth it and you should go now. The fish (and the level of preparation that goes into some pieces) that Chef Victor serves is way beyond what other establishments are serving. The pieces are unique and so are the prep styles.My favorite piece, as Chef Victor described it, is "Wagyu of the Sea", Rosy seabass/Blackthroat Sea Perch. It was the softest piece of fish I have ever had and I cry tears of joy just thinking about eating that again. I was pleasantly surprised that dessert was of their own creation (and not the typical half mochi). They dream up their own ice cream flavors and bring those ideas to life. Our server was beyond nice and warm. He was extremely welcoming and took so much time to explain the different drinks to us. He even let us sample some before deciding on our orders. There are a lot of polarizing reviews for Chef Victor. Some sushi chefs are pleasantly quiet while they work, only announcing the details of each sushi piece. Some are conversational, chatting occasionally with the diner. Some are very passionate about the craft (and the chef falls in this one). Just find the one that works for you, and stick with that. Regardless of your sushi chef preference, the fish quality here is undeniable. I would definitely come back!What I ate:THE SOHO OMAKASE, $125Seasonal Appetizer[13] Selected Classic and Seasonal NigiriChef's Choice HandrollTamagoGourmet Miso SoupSeasonal Dessert (sesame and ginger ice cream)

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The sushi counter seats seemed far too close to each other that I felt I was bumping elbows all night with the party next to us, which was uncomfortable and awkward. The chef also did not interact with us at all the entire night - just slipped sushi on our plate underneath a large plexy glass. I did really appreciate that the waiter let us sample some sakes before ordering and also loved the plates and cups, which had cool gold markings on them. But I do think the restaurant could make some effort to vamp up the place and that the chef could be more friendly to help make the overall experience better, which imo, matters once you start paying 3 digits per head.

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True Omakase with great awareness of their inventory and seasonal variations. We talked with a chef for a while about his experience with their current stock, and how it varied this year, and how that drove his choices in preparation for us. Exactly the kind of great depth of experience you'd like to get out of a full Omakase

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Wanted to like this place but chef victor has made it very hard not to leave a bad review.As we got close to the end of the dinner, I asked the chef if he can reduce the quantity of rice in the Shari since we were getting quite full. He was very pissed by the request and questioned "then why you ordered so much food?". Ive been to many of the top omakase in the city, and I remember both chef from Yoshino and nakaji asked all the lady guests if they wanted smaller rice towards the end of the meal. Most of the time I can finish the regular rice portion but it was nice to be asked. Victor's attitude was just Wowwwww.Oh and please never mention if you like uni or toro to the chef. He will dismiss you for having a "cheap palate". Here at kintsugi, if you don't compliment on the extremely poorly prepared kohada (where he wrapped it with salt and put it in the fridge for a week and call it "dry-age"), you will be deemed as someone who doesn't understand sushi culture.I later found out through a friend that the owner of Kintsugi is on a tight budget for purchasing fish, so don't expect to find top grade tuna or uni here. I do understand that since for a $175 omakase I don't expect it's fish selection to be comparable to those $400 omakase places. However, please don't blame your customers and recount them for having "cheap palate" for liking high quality tuna and uni that you can't afford to serve. That's just straight up hilarious. If you are looking for high quality omakase in NYC with a moderate price, I strongly recommend Sushi Ikumi ($185pp) and Nakaji (surprising $265pp).

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If you are looking for reasonably priced, not Americanized omakase, here is a place to go.I opted for 10 piece grand street set.Pieces I really like:Kohada: strong flavor, "fishy" in a good way.Monk fish liver: mixed with white miso, better than foie gras Smoked uni: the smoky flavor makes the sweetness of the uni more concentratedUnagi: warm, fatty, not overly saucy Ume shiso roll: simple yet delicious, love the refreshing combination of plum and shiso, the seaweed is so crispyWill come next time when I crave for tasty sushi and will recommend my friends and family who are also sushi lovers

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Had a truly fabulous omakase experience with two friends at Kintsugi last night. We opted to go for the Soho Experience with a sake pairing and it was perfection from start, to finish. The service was stellar and chef was so personable. He guided us through our journey and we got to try things we'd never had in the past including Uni from four parts of the world all in one perfect bite. The eel and fatty tuna were other highlights but you know you've come to the right place when every course felt like your favorite course. Highly recommend this tucked away gem in Manhattan

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Good sushi and amazing service! Flavors were a bit experimental but still quite good.Came late on a weeknight for an indoor meal with a friend. We originally booked for outdoor seating but the waiter offered us an indoor spot and it was just too cold to be eating outside so we accepted. Each of us opted for the rush hour (9 nigiri + 1 handroll for $65) and were more than satisified. Each of the pieces were so fresh and the rice was amazing (do not overlook the rice!). There were some interesting flavors like BBQ sauce used which I've never had with sushi before, but it was a good experience overall. I'm more of a classic nigiri type of person but it was fun to try a few new flavor combinations.At the end, the waiter offered us some sake based on the pieces that we liked, and we were offered "cherry bouquet" sake, which was the best sake I've ever had - so light and sweet! I was very very impressed by the selection and his knowledge. He was also very attentive throughout, constantly filling our classes and answering any questions we had.

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Now that we are in 2022. Omakase prices have reached an insane 400 plus at most places... It was a pleasant surprise when I stumbled upon Kintsugi. The attention to detail to every single course rivals all the big name sushiyas in Manhattan. Highly recommend the beverage pairing to go with the incredible meal.

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If anything avoid coming here on a Friday ( because apparently there is a frequent diner who would talk to the chef loudly all night long). Due to covid there was a plastic divider between the diners and the chef and yet he was literally shouting thru the plastic to get the chefs attention. It wasn't helpful that the chef was constantly responding. If he was a chefs friend he should of waited after service instead of interrupting other guest the whole night. So I would not blame the guest for talking but the chef for continuously responding and not taking other guests experience into consideration. Food was 5/5Service was 2/5Ambiance 0/5

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I had my birthday Omakase here ( 10 pieces) with a 3 sake pairing. It was great! The fish was so fresh and the chef took the time to explain where it came from. The professionalism from the staff and chef was great! I was a bit intimidated because it was my first omakase, but I am so glad I did it here. Everyone was kind and understanding. Also, the etiquette was explained before eating which helped a lot.

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The omakase is a great deal for what you pay for (approx. $125, but you can choose to add on pieces and customize your experience ahead of time). It's tucked away on a side street near Chinatown/Tribeca, where there's not much else happening but this tiny place serves delicious pieces of nigiri and great drinks to go along with it. The sake pairing was excellent. They also sell adorable tea cups with sushi/nigiri painted on. Not related to food, but excellent. We met a few very interesting people there as well, and it lends itself to the omakase diners for each time slot getting to know each other over the course of the meal. It's not as high falutin feeling as some other omakases, and feels accessible without taking away from the fancy dining experience.

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I tried the soho omakase for $125. Each piece tastes great, and a few of them are grilled/smoked. I like all of them and even order one extra uni nigiri. Not a big fan of the hand roll and tamago, but they are ok. The overall experience is awesome. Considering the reasonable price, it is unbeatable in NYC.

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Chef Victor at Kintsugi works tirelessly to serve a broad menu that features aged, smoked, pickled, and rare nigiri. The Soho Omakase was well priced at $125 and was a good way to explore the restaurant's offerings and original recipes.The polarizing and opposite reviews on Yelp of Kintsugi made me initially hesitant to visit the restaurant but recommendations from 2 friends who spoke highly of Victor and the quality of his food pushed me to make a reservation. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed getting to know the chef and learning more about his sourcing, technique, style, and aspirations over the course of the evening.I was particularly impressed with the smoked uni, pressed sanma roll, and hojicha ice cream served for dessert. Chef Victor's attention to detail and acute awareness of customer preferences and sensibilities improve the guest experience at the restaurant. The host was also well versed in sakes and made excellent recommendations. I especially enjoyed the Tenryo Koshu aged junmai daigingo that he recommended.As for the rice, I agree that it wasn't my favorite but I would have difficulty explaining why. I noticed that since the chef worked predominantly by himself, he was unable to tend to / replenish the rice as frequently as he might be able to if he had an assistant. Though, the time that Victor spends on slicing in real-time and preparing the courses is time well spent. The nigiri were consistent in temperature and flavor.I noticed comments that diners' experiences can differ based on where they're seated and how they get along with the chef. As I was seated in front of the chef and engaged with him beforehand and throughout the meal, my experience was lively, informative, relaxing, and fun. But I can see how the service might be inconsistent. I recommend the 5pm seating and the $125 menu.Victor-san is a rising star who is working incredibly diligently to improve and impress. I hope in the next few years that he and his restaurant gain more popularity - I would love to see Chef Victor shine as a chef separate from the restaurant too. Follow him on Instagram (@victorsanfk) and watch his stories to see his creations!I think Kintsugi and Ushiwakamaru are comparable on nigiri quality and price. While Ikumi remains my favorite in the mid-range, Kintsugi is a great option.

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