Bite Of The Week: Omakase At Sushi Katsuei

When Sushi Katsuei opened at 210 7th Avenue almost a year ago, it quickly became apparent that it was going to be a step above some of the (many) other sushi restaurants in our area. After a glowing review in the Times and rumblings from many neighbors calling it their favorite spot, we finally got to see if they’ve kept the excitement alive as they near their anniversary. And we can say: Boy have they.

When we sat down to dinner with friends on a recent Sunday evening, all the tables in the restaurant were full — if you’re planning to go on at a peak time, like a weekend evening, note that you can, and might want to, make reservations.

Service was quick and helpful, and we opted for the omakase — essentially a tasting menu, you leave it up to the chef to make the choices for you. If you’re adventurous and looking to stray from the California roll, this is the only way to go here, and you will not leave disappointed. It can get expensive, though — especially if you do like we did and get the sushi and sashimi omakase, and then manage to ask for even more — so this might be a great spot to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions.

As each dish is placed in front of you, you’ll learn what’s on it, but the descriptions melt away with every bite — it almost seems too trivial to worry about what exactly you’re eating when it’s just so perfectly delicious.

At some point, it was hard to tell whether heavenly orchestral music played over the speakers while we ate, or if we were just imaging it. Some comments from our table:

“It felt like a new taste.”

“It lasts and lasts.”

“I’ve never had anything like that.”

“That’s the ocean.”

“I didn’t know that’s what sushi was.”

Sake bottle empty, tea cups drained, more full than probably we should have been, we were wished goodnight by the staff and headed out to 7th Avenue, glad to know one of the best sushi restaurants in the city was right in our backyard.