Agree it’s not the greatest on the scene anymore but curious why? Wondering if I missed some scandal or something hahaha
Because it’s not good…
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sad to hear about Mekumi NY’s closing.
without having tried it, from an outsider’s perspective I think there are probably several reasons for it, unrelated to how good it may have been.
- competition for high end sushi omakase in NYC is tighter than ever
- bullwhip effect and omakase boom in NYC, particularly with its expansion to more and more diners, some of whom may have seen high end sushi as a novelty / current form of conspicuous consumption, and that may not be sustained interest. stereotypically and pejoratively the finance bros (insert Billions scene with Wags at, perhaps ironically, Sushi Nakazawa).
- tightening of spending at some points in the market except for at the top end
- boom of mid-tier priced omakase in NY, the $100-200 level. Mekumi at $300 feels close to the “top end” $550+ ish, while there’s a difference they’re already kind of in the highest quadrant of pricing. perhaps Mekumi’s margins are tighter, but also it’s doubtful that sourcing will be the same for $300, and for a cuisine that is so intimately tied to ingredient quality / specialness and naturally therefore price, someone “splurging” on $300 for Mekumi may feel like if they stretch just a bit further they’re going to get better by paying for the top
- in that regard, the “top end” will be those that feel the most special, namely those to which the oyakata has relocated. not a branch, not a sous chef, etc. so, Sho and Yoshino in particular.
- Mekumi’s notoriety is tied to Yamaguchi-san himself, the Hokuriku products, and also the crab. beyond that, there are not so many signature dishes for which they have international notoriety. many diners are well aware of Sushi Sho’s signatures and influence on the sushi scene. Yoshino quickly gained notoriety on social media and people became aware of his reputation in Japan.
- American tourism to Japan being at record levels in the last couple of years. more people are exposed to great Japanese food, which while increasing its popularity abroad, also makes some experiences with high-end Japanese food in America less differentiated or special
best of luck to Sushi Yoshitake, which is now slated for an October opening. if Yoshitake-san is not going to relocate but rather Yoshitake NYC will be a branch, they will probably have to differentiate themselves. the awabi with kimo sauce is a creation that became canonized, almost like Sho’s ankimo narazuke (and to a lesser extent, “ohagi” which can be seen as an adaptation). Yoshitake has a strong reputation internationally, both in Hong Kong and via Michelin, so they have that going for them, but it would help for diners in NY to really understand his style / contribution even more.
for example, I could see Namba doing well in other markets. Florida is a challenge because I don’t know if the culture / diners will be that receptive, but Namba does have a very particular story / noteworthy style and some signature dishes that will be instantly recognizable. Namba’s brand even carries in Japan outside of Namba himself, with Takanashi-san running Namba Yotsuya.
if the price is right and they are positioned smartly, then I could see Mitani NY doing well.
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You really know your stuff!
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Just enthusiastic about the scene / industry. I want these new openings to do well, but NY is quite competitive!
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Namba in Miami will be fine if it’s pitched the right way: as an ultra exclusive elite meal. Miami isn’t nearly as competitive as NYC in terms of omakase, and the clientele tend to be a bit less discerning as well. I wish him luck, and suspect he’ll be fine barring a major downturn.
Glad to hear about Yoshitake: I’ll try to go when they open and give them a try!
Just found out Yoshitake is opening with Cote and a bar in a new complex. Coteplex incomkng?
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In Los Angeles, when a chef discovered that my husband and I were regulars at his rival’s restaurant in New York, he abruptly put the fish he was about to cut back in the case and went off to fetch a superior slab that he’d stashed away for V.I.P.s. (If this was indeed a battle, he won.)
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and Mitani NY will be at Lotte Palace New York (455 Madison Ave), a quarter mile away from Yoshitake NY at Coteplex.
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Interesting that Mitani will be associated with Lotte.
Sushi Sho is mildly associated with Andaz (mildly, meaning they are neighbors and Andaz sends guests over, but idk if they have any special pull getting reservations or anything).I always found that amusing because Andaz isn’t even Hyatt’s flagship in NYC: that would be the Park Hyatt New York.
Waldorf Astoria, the original historic NYC one, also has a Kaiseki spot Yoshoku that I have heard literally nothing about. Can’t really think of a destination hotel dining spot in NA besides Sho in Ritz Waikiki. Europe has The Ritz, Helen Darroze at The Connaught, and Plentitude at Cheval Blanc just to name three that come to mind.
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Yoshoku seems like an odd name for a Kaiseki spot. Doesn’t Yoshoku mean ‘western food’ in Japanese?
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Yep. Found a review:
TBH $300 w/ wine tasting (!!!) (edit: now $225 + $95 for wine pairing, still not bad) was less than I was expecting for Japanese food in the Waldorf
For people who dont want to read Reddit:
“Now, the menu: Yoshoku serves a la carte dishes, but the highlight here is a $188 kaiseki-inspired tasting menu, with a $94 beverage pairing. I personally found that incredibly reasonable for the amount of food, the quality of the dishes, and the ingredients used. There is only one supplement ($32), which I’ll get to later.”
Chef is ex Momofuku, Shuko and Mr Moto, which fine fair I guess for that price point
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Andaz 5th Ave invited Nakazawa-san multiple times and eventually convinced him. Andaz 5th Ave where Sushi Sho is located is part of the Takenaka Corp, a Japanese company, which I think has significant holdings in commercial realty in Japan. They are different than say The Andaz Wall St. which is part of the Navika Group, an Indian-American company, or even The Park Hyatt’s ownership, I believe.
Anyway, I think it’s mutually beneficial for the restaurant and hotel at this point. Setting up a restaurant business abroad is complex, and I wouldn’t be surprised if being part of the hotel streamlines a lot of the tedious business details and compliance.
The Andaz as a brand has maybe a better reputation in Tokyo at Toranomon Hills, where it’s comparable to say The Edition in positioning. Andaz 5th Ave also seems distinct from some other Andaz in NY.
After Honolulu but before opening NY, Sushi Sho was considering other locations - not all of which have a Ritz-Carlton or comparable Marriott branch. So I think it’s about finding the location first then finding the right partner.
The Ritz-Carlton is a Marriott brand while The Ritz in London and Paris are not. I digress, but yes, John Williams has done a good job at The Ritz London.
Of course there are dining destinations at hotels in Japan, if you consider a ryokan, but also if you want to just consider “destination” as Michelin 3-star then Paris has Le Gabriel at La Reserve, Le Cinq at the George V, and Epicure at Le Bristol. Italy had one in the Dolomites at a hotel, Munich had Atelier for a while, etc. In Hong Kong, there are several notable destinations at high end hotels, too.
Maybe a bit out of left field but on second thought I’m not that surprised that a South Korea-based hotel group would be wanting a destination sushi place.
Outside of Japan (and with a few exceptions in the US when the oyakata relocates such as Sho or Yoshino), I wouldn’t be surprised if the next great sushi destination comes out of Korea, just based on how many South Korean employees one may see working at high end sushi shops in Japan.
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Andaz Wall Street got reflagged a while ago, but yes, the Andaz has a stronger reputation in Asia than the US. PHNY is directly managed by the Hyatt group but they’ve been trying to offload it for a while. Didn’t know they had a relationship like that hahaha, was just amusing because I don’t see relationships like that often.
But wow, I totally forgot. Somni 1.0 at SLS
Also didn’t mean to imply RC Waikiki was the same group as the Paris or London ones. Just a weird coincidence that they came up in th same sentence hahahaha
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Meanwhile, Amanjunkies who care about food usually still have to leave their six-star digs in order to get decent grub…
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Food at every level – from train stations to hotels – is much better in Europe and Asia than the U.S. People in the U.S. just don’t care as much. I don’t have a great theory as to why that is.
Maybe theory #1 is American corporate culture and marketing got people hooked on junk.
Theory #2 is something like: Americans are scrappy immigrants who historically have been focused on making a living as opposed to enjoying life.
The myth of everything is better quality isn’t necessarily true of all of Europe and for all history. The time I lived in the UK was well before a renaissance of caring about quality of food or ingredients that rapidly shifted. In Italy you can find some of the worst food in major cities as you would in the US.
the states is 1. A massive fucking country compared to countries in Europe that have a longer history of cooking their respective cuisines. And 2. Don’t support a restaurant industry from every angle. Many countries subsidize organic and quality agriculture. They provide free healthcare making working in a restaurant a sustainable or feasible way to make a living. 3. Have tax programs and incentives that make opening and running a restaurant significantly easier and also provide that added layer of insurance to give your employees. So not only historically do fhey have a foundation for food culture, but in modern times they have the politics and infrastructure to support it.
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Not disagreeing with the general direction of you reply but just to correct a few things - it’s a myth that health care in Europe is free. It is easier to get, less additional costs etc. but there are higher taxes and mandatory deductions from your salary which go towards healthcare - so it’s far from free
That is at least debatable and most restaurant owners in many countries in Europe would disagree. Bureaucracy in many parts of Europe is much higher and more costly compared what you have in the US. There are some incentives towards opening restaurants but they are getting less and less over the last 10+ years as the overall financial situations are changing
Overall, I agree that you can find quite bad food in many parts of Europe but the general standard and expectations by many in Europe is overall higher which pushes restaurants to perform on a higher level. And ultra-processed food as the main form of food is also unfortunately popular in Europe but the use in the US by large parts of the population is still on a very different level.
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I was being broad. We can get into the specifics but even on an agricultural level there are many more things that would contribute to “quality” perception in Europe. Of course there are exceptions.
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on Mitani NY, getting the sense that chef Hiroyuki Takano from Kioicho Mitani branch will be coming and may be the chef here. he was the managing chef at the branch when it opened in 2016.
it will be expensive. i don’t think as expensive as some sushi blogs rumor it to be; i think something got lost in translation there. but they’re known for otsumami and high end rare sake and wine so it certainly won’t be cheap.
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I have to imagine they are targeting 550-650 pre tax. Yoshino, Noz and their peers are there, and Sho is 450 but the otsumami takes you to 550 pre tax pretty fast even with a small appetite.
At above 550-650 I’d have a hard time going over Sho, especially in a city full of rare wine (sake less so, but wine is the main alcohol of choice in NYC).