2 counters of 6 seats, appears lunch and dinner. prices all inclusive of service:
"Sushi Mitani – $700 per guest
A seasonal course featuring 6–7 small appetizers, 10–12 sushi, 4 curated teas, and dessert.
– Mitani Mariage – $1,500 per guest
The “Sushi Mitani” experience, with selected champagne, wine, and sake brought together in perfect unison.
– Premium Mitani Mariage – From $2,000 per guest
An elevated “Sushi Mitani” experience that resonates with a prestige selection of exceptional champagne, wine, and sake.”
a big appeal of Mitani’s restaurants is the alcohol pairing. rare sakes even for Tokyo and I don’t just mean Juyondai, though of course there’s lots of that. i’m hoping the higher end menus have additional appetizers.
If prices include service, it’s in the upper band of what I was expecting (around 600 base assuming 18% autograt). The 2k price was what I saw reported w/ pairing.
Wonder how they’ll do given the competition. Masa is doing ok but they have the benefit of being ex 3* and having a baller space
Edit: I also see three turns for dinner, which seems crazy. They have two counters so I guess it’s possible but part of the premium you pay for at Yoshino or Sho is to be sat with the chef.
Sho, Yoshino, Mitani, etc. these will be the real draw, Michelin or not. yes Sho has 3* Michelin now but what will sustain them regardless of that rating is Nakazawa-san, his prolific influence/position, and the creativity. Yoshino certainly has his space and Mitani will have to craft his. with Yoshitake coming too, things are heating up. I’m sure Masa has their own regulars who may not care about Sho, Yoshino, Mitani, etc.
they may have the blessing of some of the rare sakes that don’t have any legit US distribution yet. also of course big name Juyondai and a hardcore double pairing at times. Japanese patrons were saying 200,000 jpy which is about $1300 US, plus tax is right around the $1,500. I believe the $2,500 USD report was mistaken and something got lost in translation, though I guess just about 20% off.
where they can really make a name for themselves though is the otsumami, which are great.
the buildouts look alright from the pictures, but they’re nicer in Japan.
i am surprised how many covers it seems they’ll do.
2 counters - similar to how in Akasaka there’s has Kioicho Mitani and Kioicho Mitani Bettei right across from each other (I never understood the difference in the food).
i don’t think that Mitani-san will be leaving NY, but hopefully he’ll make a visit from time to time. pretty sure he’s still going to be at the Yotsuya honten.
but yes, you do pay a premium at Yoshino or Sho to be sat with the oyakata directly, and their relocation is key.
i’m quite convinced that the main chef in NY will be Takano-san of the Kioicho Mitani branch (which is still good). people have reported that a bunch of long timers had left the Kioicho Mitani branch recently and some lamented what they considered a dip in quality in recent months because of that. i’m not sure who else will be manning the other counter.
Agree with everything. Comparison to Masa was only because they are the only ones definitively more expensive than Mitani (at $1200 for his most premium seating before alcohol, wow). The others are plus minus the same after supplements.
Take your word on his sake, but idk what the market is for that in nyc. Wine pairings are always fun but some of the best sources for super rare wine (along with the biggest collectors) are in NYC, so it’s going to have to be something wild.
I wonder if they’ll coravin the super premium tasting or if it’ll be built into the margins.
this is true. i’ve had some pretty decent Vosne and Chambolle-Musigny at Kioicho Mitani / Mitani Bettei but I know he does Musigny at the Yotsuya honten a lot, Cristal, Krug, D’Yquem, all of which which maybe carry extra weight in Japan but aren’t all that rare in NY of course.
part of the intrigue is that Mitani Yotsuya has a 2-4 year waiting list, though Kioicho Mitani and Mitani Bettei are very easy to book like on a moment’s notice. Kioicho Mitani in particular usually has a fair amount of foreign guests, too.
yes i really think New Yorkers won’t care too much about these smaller breweries. i know some wine professionals who have never heard of these or anything near the like. NY will certainly know Juyondai, though Skurnik distributes it in NY so the mystique is a bit lessened. looks like Skurnik has Bessen and Tokujo Omachi, though I can definitely see Mitani serving things like Souku, Ryugetsu, Hakuun Kyorai, and Ryusen.
more important than the rarity or novelty of the alcohol of course is the so-called marriage with the food. that’s something they do very well at so hoping for the best for them especially after Mekumi closed.
(to clarify, i have no affiliation with Mitani at all)
Honestly even if he does the foreigner thing of Aramasa, Ubusuna, Juyondai, Jikon he’s ahead. I don’t know anyone who has all of those in stock consistently