Sushi Yasuda Alum Takes Over a New West Village Omakase Restaurant

A veteran of lauded Midtown restaurant Sushi Yasuda will soon be helming the bar of a new eight-seat, 500 square-foot omakase restaurant downtown.

Omakase Room by Tatsu, named for the decade-long Yasuda vet Tatsuya Sekiguchi who’s taken over the space, will open Wednesday, July 12. It’s under ownership of The Group, the team behind West Village restaurants Boucherie, Dominique Bistro, and Olio e Piu. They’ve rejiggered the pricey, short-lived micro sushi bar Akashi at 14 Christopher Street into a more affordable restaurant.

That said, it’s still $120 for the omakase menu, down from Akashi’s $200 kappo meal. Dinner will include about 18 to 20 drops of nigiri, plus maki and a handroll. Fish will be sourced locally, but also from Japan and Europe. In contrast to most serious sushi bars, diners seated at the counter will have the option to order a la carte or pick the omakase menu.

Before working at Sushi Yasuda, Sekiguchi sliced fish at Yama on 49th Street, and prior to that, he was at Fukujuya in Saitama, Japan.

As for Akashi, which was commanded by Yoichi Akashi, also a Yasuda alum, the eatery plated sushi and composed dishes for just three months before calling it quits this past January.

Omakase Room by Tatsu will be open Monday through Saturday, from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m, with three seatings per evening.