Tokyo's Acclaimed Sushi Counter Ginza Onodera Opening in Midtown This Fall

Sushi masters from the acclaimed Ginza Onodera in Tokyo are planning to open their first restaurant in New York this fall right near Bryant Park. For the uninitiated, Ginza Onodera operates four locations, in Paris, Honolulu, Hong Kong, and of course, Tokyo, serving primarily omakase style-meals to just a handful of diners at a time. The largest outpost is Hong Kong, and even there, the team only serves 17 diners at a time, always from behind a traditional sushi counter. A critic in Hong Kong explains "the expertly timed rhythm of the omakase course flows like a well practiced tea ceremony."

The price point for dinner falls at the higher end of the spectrum, starting at $160 at the Hawaii outpost, which opened last year, and going up to $250, but according to Hawaii's largest daily newspaper, it's money well spent. The paper calls Sushi Ginza Onodera is "a game-changer — nothing else is comparable." In Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Paris, there are also somewhat more affordable lunch options, though it's anyone's guess if they will be available in NYC.

This neighborhood has been seeing a lot of serious sushi action recently – Onodera's chosen location is a short walk from Boston-import and sushi star O Ya, which just opened in the Park South Hotel.