Nakazawa Dreams of Sushi (NYC)

Located in the West Village of New York City, notorious for the online reservations that are next to impossible to obtain, Sushi Nakazawa has been on my radar since the well-known documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”.

To get a reservation, you must plan a month and a day in advance. Literally. You better be on your computer at 11:55PM the night before you make the reservation for 30 days later. They take reservations for the bar on OpenTable.

There are only 10 seats at the bar, which is really where you want to be if you want to be served by Chef Nakazawa. $150 for 20 courses. Sake pairing optional — my dining companion chose the $40 sake pairing.

There he is. Chef Daisuke Nakazawa, operating with precision and passion at the same time.

Chef Nakazawa is playful, friendly and down-to-earth. He’ll try to accommodate all his guests and make them laugh. I truly enjoyed his presence.

With only a finger towel (for eating with your hands) and a bowl of ginger, your sushi is placed on this black slab. Simplistic. The focus is on the sushi.

Chef Nakazawa prepares the uni.

After the hand roll, we had an option to get another serving of any course we had. We chose the scallop and uni. Keep in mind this costs extra.

Freshly grated wasabi.

We finished off the meal with green tea and lychee sorbet.

It was a great experience that spanned about 2+ hours. There were so many highlights throughout the meal and each course was exquisite. Although I am not a food connoisseur of any kind, I would say that was one of the best meals of my life. Note: There is only one bathroom.

Sushi Nakazawa
23 Commerce St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 924-2212