Sushi Noz

On a residential block of East 78th Street, Nozomu Abe — a Hokkaido native who spent years at Sushiden before opening his own place in 2018 — works behind a pale hinoki counter. The room is quiet, precise and expensive, and it has held two Michelin stars through the 2025 guide.

The omakase opens with cooked and seasonal dishes before the nigiri: grilled king crab, a Japanese rock oyster, eel cut into "noodles" with a salted-egg-yolk cream. Then the Edomae sushi, each piece brushed, seasoned and handed across. Watch Abe's tools as much as the fish; this is a counter where the craft is part of the meal.