Sushi Koya

We did the 13 course omakase and my goodness was it delicious. It was as treat to have every dish explained to us and watch every cut of fish prepared. Every single piece was delicious and the warm rice paired with the excellent quality fish was something unique I have never experienced.Service was fast and we were nice and full in probably an hour and half because we took out time to savor everything. The free glass of sake (yuzu) was yummy and honestly had a great time y ey ing some new combinations!

I love the omakase experience, and have dined at several Manhattan sushi bars seeking out excellent quality fish, creative preparations and a price-to-value ratio that makes sense. It is because of this exceptional combination that I give Sushi Koyo a five-star review. I was lucky to have joined a friend who frequents this small, wonderful Japanese establishment. We were greeted warmly -- as were other guests -- and each of the 18 courses was perfectly prepared and explained, even though my friend was familiar with them all. While every taste was wonderful, I especially loved the raw shrimp with seared foie gras ... outstanding! After a generous gratuity, we paid just over $300. The experience was right in the zone and well worth it.

In a space that is becoming saturated ('tho no complaints) this business stands out. Delicious fish and presentation. I had the 15 course. It was wonderful. Staff were great. Its a fun and friendly vibe. They explain each piece and there is something special and unique about each piece. Be it a topping, sauce, or the fish itself. They have a dry aging fridge with fish on hooks. And you can taste what this translates into. Liqueur license pending so BYOB. Go. Nice quiet block off the fray but a stones throw from 72nd subway. My fav piece - and it was hard tochoose - the Hokkaido Scallop with frozen shredded foie gras and lime zest. Yum. The handroll had seaweed paper that tasted like nothing I ever had before. The paper was so crispy. Quality matters. Now how can I accept soggy paper??!

First time having Omakase and it exceeded all my expectations. Sushi Koya is quite small but packs a punch with the quality and care behind every piece of fish they serve you. I had the 18 course which comes with 5 appetizers, 10 nigiri, 1 mini don, 1 hand roll, and 1 dessert. Each course was so unique and satisfying and you can tell it was crafted with so much thought behind it. The flavors were simply immaculate. The service was also incredible, I was even offered complimentary sake. I would give this place a try at least once!

Pretty good omakase though given the plethora of sub-$100 or even ~$100 omakase restaurants, I'd probably go to a more affordable spot for the same quality / pieces.

Loved this spot so much. Service was fine. I thought Id be sick of omakase given what New York has to offer (too many omakase spots). But the dry aged toro and the ikura melted in my mouth. Definitely ask them about sake recs or just enjoy with your tea. Definitely recommend for a girl's night or 3rd date. Unlike a lot of the $60 omakase spots, they don't rush you out in half an hour so you get to linger.

This is the BEST omakase! My husband and I both had the 18 course which consisted of 5 apps, 10 nigiri, 1 mini don, 1 hand roll, and 1 dessert. Every time I thought I tasted my favorite, I'd eat the next one and it was even tastier! The ambiance was lovely and the service impeccable! We brought a bottle of Sake with us since we had read it's BYOB and they were kind enough to put it on ice and serve us during the courses. Can't wait to come back!!!

The UWS has been extraordinarily blessed by the sushi gods this past year. Sushi Koya opened its doors in January and One Bite Omakase a month after in February. Both are mid-tier restaurants in terms of pricing, but provide remarkable value.While One-Bite leans a bit more traditional, Koya serves the kind of rich, decadent sushi that probably appeals more to Gaijin -- e.g., there's foie gras and lots of it. Happily for me, techniques remain anchored in the traditional. Rice (shari) is a high-quality, short-grain varietal, prepared to an excellent texture and temperature, well seasoned, though with perhaps a smidgen more vinegar than some itamae use. (I don't know if a higher ratio of vinegar was in response to recent warm weather; it may be.) Chef Sean uses akazu vinegar in his sushi rice, which is a very nice touch.We had the thirteen-course omakase in front of Chef Sean, who was friendly, kind to our eight-year old, and patient about explaining techniques. As at One-Bite, the restaurant makes its own gari in house, and the small, crisp cubes of fresh ginger are lovely. And as at One-Bite, the meal opens with a trio of appetizers.On our visit, the appetizers were: fluke in yuzu garlic sauce; Kumamoto oyster with yuzu jelly, shiso flower and lime zest; and marinated smoked king salmon. These were delicately and beautifully prepared, the fluke tender, but still snappy in texture, not overwhelmed by the sauce as I feared it might be. I usually enjoy my oysters best with just a moderate squeeze of lemon, but the garnishes that Chef Sean uses in this preparation really worked for me. Yuzu, shiso, lime and oyster are quite a delicious combination!For the remainer of our savory courses, we had: - Hotate nigiri, served underneath an *enormous* pile of grated, frozen foie gras. The Pardner loved it; the eight-year-old and I would have preferred the beautiful, sweet scallops on their own, unadorned. They were sweet, rich and creamy enough as is. I'm a bit of a hidebound traditionalist, I guess.- Arctic char, beautifully aged and served with a wee dollop of miso and a sprinkling of popped rice. The textural contrasts there were fun! - Hamachi with a dab of pureed gari -- I like that the buttery, flavorful hamachi was allowed to shine more or less on its own- Akami with earthy, spicy black truffle paste. The truffles were lovely, but really overpowered the taste of akami. - Ebi with foie gras, all torched -- This is another one of those pieces where I would've loved to have just tasted the fresh, sweet, raw ebi all by itself, but foie gras fiends will love this, I'm sure. - Otoro with a nutty, gently saline kaluga caviar. The otoro was of course very rich and played very nicely with the caviar, which was delicate enough to not overwhelm. - Mini don with ikura, sweet Santa Barbara uni, wasabi and lime zest. The uni was surprisingly sweet for the season, the ikura pleasantly poppy and not overly salted. - Anago with tsume -- The eel itself was tender and delicate, but I found the generous drizzle of tsume to be a bit overwhelming and sweet. Functionally, it was a good dessert piece, though. - Salmon temaki with perfectly crisp nori, fried onions. I'm not a big fan of raw salmon / suzuki in sushi, but do have to admire the nice textural contrasts and excellent execution.We closed the meal with a dainty square of matcha pudding. It was not overly sweet, and the clean, gentle bitterness of matcha served as a perfect palate cleanser. Throughout the meal, we were offered cold sake or house-made, yuzu-infused sake, since the restaurant doesn't yet have a liquor license. What a kind and generous touch! The eight-year-old and I both found the thirteen-piece omakase gut busting; the significantly larger Pardner thought it was generously portioned without being overwhelming. Someday I'd like to try the 18-piece just to see what's there -- but I'll probably have to run a marathon, first, to work up an appropriately sized appetite.

I really enjoyed my time. The service was great, as was the sushi. Overall, Sushi Koya exceeded my expectations, and I'll definitely recommend it to my friends.

An excellent Omakase experience with great service, friendly staff, and outstanding value for the price. My wife and I dined here for the first time last night, opting for the 18-course meal, and it was a fantastic experience.Each bite was thoughtfully crafted, balancing creativity without overwhelming the natural flavors of the fish. Standouts included the oyster, smoked salmon, and shrimp with foie gras--each offering a unique and memorable taste. Surprisingly, the sushi rice was another highlight, standing out in every bite with its perfect texture and seasoning.The service was top-notch, with a warm, welcoming staff who made the experience even better. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is that I've had better omakase--but that was also nearly 6 times the price. At this price point, I don't think you can top Sushi Koya. From start to finish, the execution was impeccable, and this spot will definitely be in our regular rotation.