SHION 69 Leonard St

Shion can do this with no theatrics because he doesn't need to distract you with a show. Perfect.

High-end, intimate, masterful simplicity. Shion 69 is top tier Omakase. The uni tasted like peanut butter and the tamago was, as the Michelin guide says, "unrivaled." Though other reviewers have called the chef "stuffy," I didn't get that impression at all, he was a joy to interact with and the food was excellent. Only complaint is that it was way too cold inside even after I asked for the heat to be turned up.

TLDR: Pricey but if you're looking for purist sushi - this is a great choice. Chef Shion does everything solo and his craftsmanship is something to witness over the course of your meal. Not just the nigiri - the ostumami are very memorable as well. Save it for a special occasion but the question is - is it worth it? Yes, it is.Shion was a place I had heard about for a long time and I did have the chance to dine with him at Amane. This is many years ago but he's clearly honed his skillset because this was a very enjoyable meal. Much more traditional than most places, there are a ton of otsumami (starters) followed by the nigiri course. Many of the apps are very unique and super flavorful. I especially enjoyed all the different cooked fish plates with different styles. The uni tasting was great where there were three types of uni, including one from his hometown.The shari (as expected) was excellent, nice texture and chew - not too salty/sour. All the nigiri was excellent, the aji and kohada were especially noteworthy. Just the flavor profile, the mouthfeel, the bite - outstanding. The standout for me was the temaki. It's what really blew me away. This is the cylinder-shaped hand roll and it's packed nicely with a very fatty tuna mince. What's different is he uses chopped raw onion, which balances this out so beautifully. I would put this in the top 3 hand rolls I've ever had, might even be the best omakase temaki.This a traditional place and definitely on the more serious side. Very light music, piano jazz as is typical. If you're looking for a "vibe" - this is not the place. If you're hear to really bask in sushi perfection, then you've found the right one.

There's only a few stops left in the elite NYC omakase tour for myself and Shion 69 didn't disappoint. Uino-san's skill is on clear display at his sushiya, especially so as he doesn't have an assistant helming the counter with him. He's essentially a one man show that can handle a full seating with adriot efficiency and pacing.Our menu for the evening included the following: kue and sawara sashimi, grilled kanpachi with julienned shiso leaf, ankimo, Hokkaido hotate on nori, kegani with vinegar sauce, crispy amadai with grated daikon, a full flight of nigiri (shima aji, hirame, amaebi, hon maguro akami, chiaigishi, chutoro, aori ika, kama toro aburi, Hokkaido uni, anago, nakazumi, kamasu, kajiki), a hon maguro temaki, and a very unique custard tamago.There is an honest simplicity with the otsumami he serves; there are only a few components for each appetizer.The very clean, delicate, and subtle shiromi flavors of the kue (gigantic/longtooth grouper) and sawara were displayed with a simple dollop of freshly grated wasabi and dipping sauce. The herbaceous and voluminous julienned shiso leaf provided a light accoutrement to the buttery kanpachi with crisped skin. The ankimo was extremely soft and smooth to the point where even slight pressure from the chopsticks caused it to fall apart; some of the best I have had in recent memory. The crisp nori enveloped the marinated, grilled hotate without empowering salinity from the marinade.The acidity of the vinegar sauce balanced the sweetness of the kegani very well, the strands of the horsehair crab on the top of the mound had a more pronounced sweetness than the bottom strands as the sauce settled at bottom of the shell. The amadai (tilefish) had its skin perfectly oil blanched where each scale was individually crispy and provided a clear textural contrast to the succulent, steaming white flesh.A blend of non-Yokoi akazu is used as he doesn't like the dark color of the Yokoi brand. The rice is allowed to rest for approximately an hour after the akazu solution is applied to the steamed rice. I would say that the shari is somewhat stickier in the center but still has a distinctive feel of the individual grains once you start chewing the nigiri. The flavor imparts a sweet acidic flavor that is distinctive but not overly aggressive or overpowering; some may prefer this over shari that is offered at establishments like Noz and Yoshino.I would say the personal standouts for me during the nigiri flight were the hon maguro akami, chiaigishi, kama toro aburi, and Shirokawa kajiki. Basically, all the red meat "akami" selections that were offered for the evening. They each provided distinctive umami and textures paired with the optimally warm shari. The hon maguro akami was served with an otoro paste on the underside of the neta along with the wasabi, which I found interesting and unique; a first for me personally. The kama toro aburi made the grains of the shari more individualistic and pearl-like due to the heat and melting fat of the toro. The hon maguro temaki was quite large, the biggest I've seen amongst the elite omakase experiences I've had. There are various diced cuts of the hon maguro, not only finely chopped otoro; there is also diced onion inside the temaki which provided a pungent and crisp contrast to the savory diced bluefin tuna. It probably ranks as the best temaki I've tasted, the volume and heft of it definitely added to the tasting experience.As far as techniques are concerned, I noticed a few that should be noted.Uino-san very carefully scored the aori ika, with a very fine crosshatch then cutting the squid slab into 3 thin strips for each neta. If a squid varietal is not thoroughly scored, it can be more difficult to chew as the texture is firmer than that of a fish. The nigiri itself was very aesthetic and pleasing to the eye. The neta of the kajiki (striped marlin) was comprised of 3 separate slabs combined into one. Scoring in general is an aspect that is very apparent in his neta; either 3 or more cuts on a bias or parallel to the length of the neta or a wider crosshatch to help with the draping of the neta over the shari. I believe this is necessary as Uino-san forms the nigiri with fewer movements than what I've seen with other itamae. This is characterized by a press in the center underside of the shari, a quick flip, pinch, squeeze, turn, pinch, squeeze in very quick succession; the speed was almost imperceptible through my video review.Uino-san works with intention and deep focus but is also willing to converse with his guests, even though I was the only guest during the turn that was primarily focused on his food and movements. We had a spirited discussion on whether shima aji and sawara were either hikarimono or shiromi as they have silver skin. When there was difficulty communicating in English, his staff was able to bridge the gap.Shion 69 firmly has its place amongst the finest omakase that New York City has to offer.

I enjoyed an evening here with my husband. The service was hushed, respectful, and ascetic, to the point that it was just not a fun place to be. You feel self-conscious eating with 3 other couples, in a restaurant that feels so quiet and where the chef says almost nothing. I felt like I was in a temple or place of worship and not in a good way. My favorite dishes of the evening were the kegani (hairy crab) and the managatsuo, which came in a ponzu sauce that I wanted to drink. There were hardly any misses. However, Uino-san's skillful and light touch for some of the nigiri, meant that the fish was sometimes much colder than the rice. I am giving it three stars because I can't say that this particular omakase experience was better than other omakase that present a much better value for the money. For example, we had an unforgettable 26 course omakase at Endo at the Rotunda in London for ~$500, where the sushi, the rice, and the presentation were even more stunning. At over $1000, I can't say I need to have this again. There's other omakase to be had in the city!

It's alright - fish was fresh and we were content. Nothing too special though - not our favorite byc omakase.

It's unfortunate that I'm only able to post 10 photos because everything was delicious. I would definitely come back for the omakase experience. This place lost 1 star for me only because of the group that sat next to mine who were extremely loud and literally startled us every time they laughed. It obviously had nothing to to with the staff, food or chefs but it did dampen my experience in such an intimate space.

Excellent all around. The small dishes that start off the meal are so delicious. Everything tastes extremely authentic. It's the best quality fish I've had in New York. The hairy crab dish is incredible. The portions are actually well sized. This was my second time for a special occasion and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The service is so lovely. Our server was very helpful suggesting a plum wine (not sweet) before a bottle of sake. We enjoyed both very much. It is definitely pricey and it's hard to say any meal is "worth" that much but the experience is unparalleled. I recommend it for a special or celebratory night.

One of my favorite omakase spots in nyc... it is very pricey but the chef is very talented and also very nice! Staff is too. It's a very intimate space (maybe 8 or 10 people?) , so make reservations at least a couple weeks in advance. every dish was excellent but my favorite was the crab !!!! Will forever dream about this meal. Check out my tiktok of this place @ketocherri

Not the best high end omakase experience I've had. Food was good can't say great. Felt very nickeled and dimed. Only one refill for $18 hot tea and wanted to charge for refill of ginger yes ginger. chef trained under the legend Takashi Saito in Japan and he's riding on his coattails but I have a hard time believing that Chef Saito taught him the art of making customers feel nickeled and dimed for $300+pp sushi it was a one and done experience for me.