Icca

This is a review for their bar Italian Kappo menu. My husband and I decided to make a last minute reservation for our wedding anniversary and we were pleasantly surprised with our experience. Below are my review for each of the dishes offered: Snow Crab, caviar, Turnip, Yuzu zest - refreshing with a great balance of textures between the ingredients. The turnip puree helped neutralized the saltiness of the crab and caviar and the touch of yuzu zest brought out the sweetness of the crab. It was the perfect dish to start the meal. Hokkaido Salmon Tartare, Salmon Roe, Daikon Radish - the salmon tartare was sweet, moist, and tender and I love the added texture from the daikon radish and salmon roe. The radish sauce was used well to balance out the roe's saltiness. Sautéd Threadfin Bream, White Truffle, Celery Root Puree, Napa Cabbage - the fish was cooked to perfection with the meat moist and tender, the skin was crispy. Every ingredient complemented each other well without one ingredient overpowering another. Butternut Squash, Chilled Egg Custard, Tomato Jelly, Sea Urchin - I love how the chef makes traditional dishes with a twist using seasonal ingredients. The butternut squash egg custard was sweet and smooth and the sea urchin added some salty and umami flavor. However, I thought the tomato jelly was brilliantly used to balance out the creaminess so you won't feel the dish being too heavy. Assorted Mushrooms Risotto, Grouper - I normally don't like risotto given the fact it's normally too creamy and heavy to my liking. To my surprise, this risotto was very aromatic from the mushrooms and not heavy at all. The rice was perfectly cooked without it being too hard or too soft. The grouper was again cooked perfectly and I love how it was rolled to make it thicker giving it more texture. "Tokachi Herb Beef" Steak, Pear Compote - the beef is raised from their farm in Japan. I love how the beef is not as fatty as Wagu yet still has a moist and tender texture. It was also well seasoned, nutty and flavorful. The pear compote has a refreshing flower taste which I never knew would pair so well with beef. This was one of my favorite dish.Bolognese Pasta with "Tokachi Herb Beef" - this is not made with your traditional pasta. The noodles had an unusual crisp texture. There's Napa cabbage to add another level of crunch. The meat sauce was hearty and flavorful.Sweet Corn Creme Brulee - I normally don't have much expectations with desserts since most desserts from omakases are very simple and minimal. However, I was surprised to be presented with the sweet corn crème brûlée which was creamy, smooth with a pungent corn flavor. I also love how the caramelized sugar isn't too thick hence making the dessert less sweet. This was also paired with green to help neutralize the sweetness.Overall, I loved the progression of this menu. I was a little worried the menu being too substantial when I saw the bolognese pasta as one of the course but the chef used fresh seasonal ingredients to create dishes that was well balanced in flavors so you won't feel too heavy or overwhelmed. Every single dish was on point, well thought out and executed. Our server was friendly, attentive and very knowledgeable of every course down to the ingredients and the methods of cooking. The bar area was inviting and comfortable. This was a scrumptious meal and my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We are looking forward to returning in the future when they change to their menu.

I was about to cancel my reservation the day of because I was hungover from drinking too much last night. Glad I didn't because this was the best omakase I had so far in the US and made me forget I was hungover. Chef Kazu's showmanship, the attention to details, the staff, and the food was a 10/10. The highlights:-Abalone liver sauce nigiri (super buttery with rich umami flavors)-Sake steamed abalone-Fattiest otoro I ever had from miyagi shiogama-Gizzard shad-Homemade ginger ale (trust me on this)-Japanese pear with yuzu(?) sauceeven the box they bring the receipt in was detailed and I'm a sucker for small detailed things like that. chef also gave a little gift of Japanese salt once the meal ended. 10/10. Worth the hefty price tag for dinner.

My wife and I have been trying to go to Icca for maaaaany years now, but finally got to take her for her birthday to celebrate.Icca received a michelin star and i can see exactly why. The chef is extremely personable and his staff were extremely accommodating to my allergies throughout the meal. The pieces were nothing out of the ordinary but the execution was on point for everything. I remember thinking, what a clean and amazing meal. One of my favorite pieces was the hairy crab, soooo good.I really liked their whiskey selection more than their sake selection but that's okay.At the end of the meal i was very happy and my wife as well, we just felt like we weren't wow-ed by this meal. After going to so many omakase places, sometimes things just end up tasting a bit... similar. However, this place is definitely a must try for anyone and I would like to come back to try their winter menu since we went there during the summer.

My friend an I went for the Italian Kappo. The staff was awesome. We chose to do the sale pairing and they introduced each and every one. (I'm not a huge fan of dry sake, I like more on the sweeter side. Hence they asked the chef for a replacement for one of the sakes. Very considerate). We had a very nice conversation with the staff and the food was amazing. None of the dishes were a disappointment. We are looking to come back to try their omakase.

Kinda funny, so Sushi Ginza Onodera has always been my favorite sushi place, which was sad since the NYC location closed (I know when I was at Icca I told chef Kazu I go somewhere else now...gonna try to keep that place as secret as possible). And when I came here, everything reminded me of Ginza -- the thick fish cuts, the harder and savory and heavier seasoned rice...and of course, turns out Chef Kazu spent 10 years there! So I came here for my anniversary dinner. Came in with high expectations, and left very satisfied. There is a LOT of food served here, so I would highly suggest fasting for a day if you want to fully enjoy everything. I also opted for the sake tasting, which was very impressive not only for the variety of sake -- you get to try from at least 3 different regions (Miyagi, Niigata, Yamaguchi) -- but also Kimoto style, sparkling, and even an Iwa 5 if you're lucky. The other part that I was so amazed at was the use of different glassware for every single sake drink. With 10 sake sips, that is a lot of glassware! And each one was so beautiful. I believe they use Kimura glass for some, but not sure about everything.So onto the food. Some pieces I've never had at other places in NYC -- sea snail (chewy, bite. Onion garlic yuzu was a beautiful taste). Abalone liver sauce nigiri was very cool, the flavor lasts a long time, and you get a sneak peek at the longer grain, harder and savory sushi rice that is to come. The beltfish tempura was really cool, it's like a cloud of meat in the tempura shell, and was very pleasant. I wonder if the beltfish is naturally that soft or they did some aging. Some twists on classics like the golden eye snapper sashimi with mustard instead of wasabi was really cool. I've seen it done with shirako, but mustard was very cool. As you can tell, the flavors here are big!Nigiri procession -- thick cuts, savory rice -- lots of rice. Big bites that will take you 10-20 seconds to chew through, and you can't help but thumbs up when Chef Kazu comes by to you while your mouth is full of goodness. I really think the harder rice helps you taste more of the flavor. Some favorite pieces -- the cherry trout was amazing, I think Chef Kazu mentioned he ages it in some sort of leaf to get it smokier. The black throat sea perch (nodoguro) was so juicy that it literally explodes in the handroll when you eat it. I kind of wish it was a sushi though, as that's how I prefer it. But still a cool variation. The sweet shrimp was an amalgamation of thick coating texture and flavor. Just amazing. As people have mentioned, yes it is pricey. But I do think it is worth it. You will definitely leave full, the service does so much (switching plates, glassware, little wipe for your finger during nigiri), and it is just such a friendly and enjoyable place. Icca firmly sits in the best of best for sushi.

It's expensive. Let's get that out of the way. Since when did $500 omakase become the norm in this town?But is it worth it? I'd say yes. Quality of the ingredients were top notch as to be expected. I liked the special touch of serving beef grown on the owner's own farm. Other special item included tuna flown in from Japan (as it should be), hairy crab, and salmon preserved in shiso leaves. This is a fairly traditional edo sushi but with a little bit of creativity mixed in so it's not boring. The highlight was the nigiri sushi made with abalone liver. Something I've never had anywhere. It surprised me in the most fantastic way. Staff was very attentive and chef was friendly. Dining room was small but very well decorated and didn't distract from the wonderful sushi. If you're loaded come here weekly to satisfy your sushi craving. Even if you're not it's definitely worth a splurge for those special occasions and this place deserves to be in the discussion of best omakase restaurants in NYC.

It's becoming impossible to rate omekase in NYC because there are about a million great ones. This honestly is probably one of the best flavor profiles I've had with really unusual fish (like filefish) so it's not just another place serving yellowtail, tuna, and snapper. The only reason it's not getting the fifth star is because it's REALLY expensive. And again, there are a million omekase places out there (this probably doesn't even fall in the tier of expensive ones, but it definitely does not fall within the more reasonably priced ones either.) So, yes, good, but still not worth the money with everything else around.

It doesn't get any more authentic than Icca. Really transports me to an omakase experience in Tokyo where it's not just nigiri but carefully crafted dishes with some of the finest ingredients. However, it's not for everyone. Some dishes did give you that ocean, fishy taste. Some might be turned off from the abalone liver nigiri but for those that appreciate the fresh ingredients and the art, they will love Icca. For ~24 pieces at $400, it may seem pretty hefty but that's the average these days for enjoying craft by these master sushi chefs. Personally, I didn't find anything that exactly wowed me. I liked it. Didn't love it. Hard to justify $1000+ for two.

TLDR: Bonkers. One of the best birthday meals I was fortunate enough to have. Obviously - not cheap but if you want to splurge, this is a proper place to drop some coin. What sets Icca apart is some of these pieces, you really won't get anywhere else.As the short version explained, this was a birthday meal I was lucky to be able to enjoy. It's in the back of the restaurant and what followed was arguably one of the best meals I've had - period.Chef was wonderful to watch as he worked and prepared each course. What an interesting opener, a cut roll of trout rolled with chives and shiso leaf. Fatty, refreshing, herby. We're off to go a good start.Sashimi with salt and wasabi for contrasting flavors. A bunch of sushi rice mixed with abalone liver. Whoa - so rich and flavorful. I could eat a hand roll of just this. The abalone itself was delightfully soft and so full of umami.Japanese hairy crab or kegani. This was topped over herb pasta and served cold for a wonderful Japanese/Italian combination. Icca's owners also have access to this Olive beef from Japan which is just ridiculously tasty. Think wagyu but more beef forward. A grilled scallop sandwiched between crispy nori - the meal just keeps getting better and better. The nigiri hasn't even started yet!Most memorable dish, smoked firefly squid with leek sauce. I have not found this again since and yet - I can still taste the flavors like yesterday. Sweet, smoky, charred leeks, so friggin' good. All of the nigiri was wonderful but the aji (horse mackerel) was especially good. The squid ink risotto mixed with uni. The hand roll was especially signature. Nodoguro temaki! WTF - it's that super lux nigiri piece but let's make a handroll with it. It's like making a Salisbury Steak with Wagyu. So smoky, fatty, luscious and wrapped in this perfectly crisp seaweed shell.If you're going to take a dive into the $300+ realm, I'd highly recommend giving Icca a try.

Chef Kazushige Suzuki is a master at his craft.My bf and I greatly enjoyed our time at Icca. I liked that they didn't give you a menu, so you're anticipating what magic will come next. Chef Suzuki did an amazing job highlighting the star of each dish (i.e., the fish, shrimp, scallops, etc). He was also just a great mix of professional but funny, so the meal didn't feel pretentious/stuffy. The value you get for what you pay is insane!!! It will rank high on memorable NYC meals for me. I salivate thinking about the sweet shrimp, mackerel roll, uni galore and basically all the nigiri.