Sushi Ikumi

“We’re used to high-end sushi restaurants with engaging omakase experiences in the $400–$600 per person range, with Masa being the extreme — where dinner for two can easily top $2,000. So when I reserved this place and saw that it charges $220 per person for an omakase dinner, I’ll admit I was worried about both quality and quantity. To make matters trickier, my wife and I had both recently caught colds and debated until the last minute whether to attend or forfeit the reservation. Since I was on antibiotics, I couldn’t have any alcohol — a real downside for me, since I usually enjoy a sake pairing with sushi. What happened next completely exceeded every expectation. I received here one of the greatest surprises that NYC can offer. The sushi was of the highest quality and craftsmanship, every appetizer and every stunning sushi bite uniquely flavorful, balanced, and thoughtful. The experience never once felt repetitive or dull. I want to sincerely thank Chef Jongin Jeong and the entire staff for a magical evening. Everyone — including our fellow diners — made us feel right at home in this intimate space. Sushi Ikumi stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best sushi restaurants in the city, including Masa, but at a fraction of the cost. I wholeheartedly applaud Sushi Ikumi and will definitely return.”

“Great experience! The space felt cozy but spacious. Service was very attentive. Compared with other omakase places at similar price point, you get lots of course. All the appetizer/amuse dishes were delicious, especially the fired unagi and the Japanese amberjack sashimi. Super fresh fish and seafood and you get a great variety, and uni from Hokkaido was sweet and creamy. Ikumi also has two seaweed pieces which I don’t see commonly in other places, and both were very flavorful, and my guess is that these are their way to replace the more commonly-seen hand roll. Chef doesn’t talk too much but is very friendly :) Would love to see Ikumi receive a star soon.”

“Been here three times and honestly this is one of the best omakase in the city. Every dish is art and seafood quality is top notch. Service is wonderful, too. There’s too many omakase doing those “wagyu+uni” or “salmon + turuffle” those kinds of things. I love how Sushi Ikumi only focus on bringing out the best flavor of the fish, and not over complicating it. Highly recommend.”

“I had a chance to eat here this weekend and Chef Jeong delivered just an amazing line up of 19 beautiful and delicious courses. He started off strong with an egg custard with sweet corn. We’re at the summer peak of corn season and it just captured the essence so well while wetting the appetite for what was to come. From there we moved on to the fish and nigiri courses and they were just so good. The chefs keeps to a traditional style which I very much prefer - just enough to elevate the fish without too many elements getting in the way. The quality of fish was excellent for the price point - some of the plumpest and delicious shrimp I’ve had, an incredible sea perch, and two cuts of tuna from Montauk among my favorites. One of the new dishes for me were cockles which were served live and tasted fresh out of the ocean. No wagyu on the menu here but I think it’s been overdone at omakase restaurants and again, the fish was divine. The atmosphere was perfect for the experience - intimate with just a small simple counter and the chef working his magic. I will return.”

“TLDR: Sushi Ikumi should be in your rotation of sushi bars if it isn't already. Reasonably priced, quality omakase, more traditional style. If you're into more edo-mae omakase, you will love Sushi Ikumi. I'm not quite sure how I haven't written a review about this place. The first time I tried Sushi Ikumi, I couldn't quite figure out why but I wanted to come back. This was in the prime of COVID so I never got to see Chef Jongin's face until quite some time later. Since then, we've been revisiting regularly around every month or so. Sushi Ikumi is a sister restaurant of Hirohisa, so you know they've got great pedigree. What stands out to me is how relaxed the restaurant is and how unpretentious it is. I've come here in a suit for business lunches and also in workout shorts and a t-shirt. You come here to enjoy quality omakase, amongst other likeminded individuals. The shari or sushi rice is top notch. It has that nice depth of umami, some sourness, some saltiness, that perfect al dente texture. No matter how many times I've visited, it seems to get better and chef always finds a way to put something new in the mix. Although we can all enjoy the cheap omakases, ballin' on a budget gets boring. That same progression of wet truffles, lackluster caviar and some random sauce on top of the neta (topping) that's too acidic or too sweet - it just gets repetitive. I've had too many lean tuna cuts with that soggy truffle slice with some chives and mid caviar. There's of course, the signature items. The saba miniature temaki, the nodoguro which is seared just enough to impart that smoky flavor without rendering too much fat. A squeeze of lemon citrus helps make sure that it's a balanced bite. The flesh of the fish is still cool-ish but the outside is just lukewarm. It's not dripping of fish fat with the pillow of sushi rice disintegrating as you rush into your mouth. That final bite of futomaki before you get the house-made ice cream. Yes, I've eaten here way too many times.”