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Best Omakase Under $200 in NYC? Reviewed | USA East Coast Series

Finding great omakase in NYC isn't hard. 

Finding great omakase that doesn't flatten your bank account is the real challenge. 🍣 With the city's huge East Asian population, quality sushi is everywhere — at every price. After a lot of research, I set myself a budget and landed on Noz 17 — a one-Michelin-star counter in Chelsea.

Noz 17
Cosy side room in typical omakase style, the main room looks grander

A Little Background 📜

Noz 17 is the Chelsea sibling of Sushi Noz, chef Nozomu Abe's revered Upper East Side counter. It opened in 2021, bringing the Noz approach downtown in miniature: a seven-seat main counter led by head chef Junichi Matsuzaki ("Chef Matsu"), plus a separate four-seat counter — billed as the smallest omakase counter in New York — run by a second chef. The format is Edomae-style, around 15 courses.

Noz 17
A solid meal but lacing a wow factor/ very impressive dish

✨ Decor & Ambience 

Intimate by design. Two small rooms means you're always close to the chef, with nowhere for the kitchen to hide.

Noz 17
Boston tuna - really average

Noz 17

👋 Service 

Very attentive, and the chef explains each piece in simple English. That said, I'd have liked a bit more fluency — you're in the US, and a clearer explanation would have added to the meal. Small thing, but it's part of the experience at this price.

Noz 17

🍽️ Food & Drinks T

his is a sushi-only omakase, which I prefer — no filler courses, just the thing you came for.

Noz 17

The shari is good: nicely balanced acidity and properly formed. The fish is fresh and tasty, handled simply with some curing, exactly as it should be.

Where it slipped was the sourcing. Kohada is good but the Boston tuna was so-so, if I'm honest. Locally sourced is a lovely idea, but the quality didn't clear the bar — Spanish tuna is better, and Japanese is the best still. The uni was Japanese mafun, decent quality but not sweet enough for me, similar to the scallop, from Hokkaido but just a average one.

💰 Value 

You get what you pay for. By NYC standards this is entry-level omakase, and the food quality is OK for the money. If anything, the real drawback is my wallet not being deep enough for the tier above.

Does the Star Mean What You Think? ⭐

Here's my honest reservation. Noz 17 has a Michelin star, and a one-star sushi counter in Japan would, in my experience, serve noticeably better fish for the money.

Read the star as "excellent for New York", not as a global ranking. On that basis, Noz 17 earns it. Just don't go in expecting Tokyo level. 🇯🇵

Verdict 🏁 A skilled, sushi-only one-star omakase at the affordable end of NYC's scale. Good rice, fresh fish, sourcing that doesn't quite match Japan.

Ratings ⭐

  • Food: 4/5 – Well-made shari and fresh, simply handled fish, but underwhelming Boston tuna and uni that lacked sweetness.
  • Service: 4/5 – Very attentive throughout, though the course interaction could be more.
  • Decor: 4/5 – Intimate two-room counter setup that puts you right in front of the chef.
  • Value: 3.75/5 – Fair for entry-level NYC omakase; you get what you pay for.
  • Overall: 4/5 – A solid, honest introduction to omakase without the four-figure bill.

💰 Estimated cost per person: $195 (exclude tips and drinks)

📍 Noz 17 

Address: 458 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011, USA

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Location: New York, NY, USA

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