Sushi Zen to Close After More Than 30 Years in Midtown

Sushi Zen is closing after more than 30 years in business, the restaurant confirmed Monday. The restaurant, which was a pioneer in serving raw fish to New Yorkers, is serving its last meal tonight, Grub Street first reported. A manager at the restaurant tells Eater that their lease near Times Square at 108 West 44th St. is expiring, and they weren't renewing. The Japanese food pillar was previously reported to move to a new space on 47th Street that would triple the size of the restaurant, but it never happened.

Owner and sushi chef Toshio Suzuki opened the first version of Sushi Zen in 1984, according to his website, and moved it to the current location in 2001 after the first building was demolished. Since coming onto the scene, Suzuki has trained acclaimed chefs like Masharu Morimoto and been one of the few people in New York to offer "fugu," or the deadly pufferfish. Eater has reached out to Suzuki for more information on his future plans and will update if we hear back.