Noz 17

“This experience was phenomenal. Would definitely come back again. Being well traveled, especially to asia, and grew up eating a variety of fresh catch fish, id say this restaurant is one of the best ive had. Quality is fresh. Cut/technique is refined. They are aware while they storage/handle the fish - no contamination. Im impressed. A little hard to find since is a very lowkey entrance. You are greeted by a gentleman who brings you to your seat. Theres 4 seats total. Very intimate. Tepe was our Chef. He seemed so humble and was incredible. He was so gentle yet quick with handling and cutting. You can tell he is proud of his work. A lot of training and practuce. He was constantly cleaning his space. Rearranging items after use - as every item has a very specific home/location on the counter. He was soft spoken and focused; introduced every course while serving. All the fish were tasty. Most were standard items you can find at other high end omakase places but the heavy hitters were the scallop, pufferfish and tamago. I mean, truly, I have never had those 3, the way this restaurant had served. Im very particular about my scallop - cannot have any hint of sliminess and very sensitive to smells. It was soft, not mushy, yet had a bite to it. The way Tepe cut the scallops gave it a texture - like it bloomed onto my taste buds. The pufferfish and tamago melted. It was so light and airy; texture almost like whipped marscapone cream. But the flavor was distinct. The tamago blew my mind. Such simple ingredients and so many attempt it but its so difficult to make well. It wasnt too sweet, the dimension flavor profile wasnt overwhelming (some people do too much that it becomes confusing for the taste buds) and the texture was just so fluffy. I cant get over the texture. Honestly, when you eat every course, dont move the fish to the sides of your mouth and chew. Dip the top (the fish), into a little soy sauce if you need. When eating, flip the nigiri upside down and put the fish on your tongue. Then just lightly press down and let the fish melt. Its honestly divine. The rest is standard high end omakase but would 10/10 come back just for the scallops, puffer and tamago. this place is THAT girl.”

“Been here thrice and it gets better with each visit! Noz 17 is hands down my favorite edomae omakase spot in NYC! Each fish is prepared differently (cured, seared, steamed, grilled, smoked) and handled with utmost care. The menu changes regularly to showcase the best seasonal fish.”

“It was an amazing experience. Thanks to Teppei, who made our night unforgettable. The food was absolutely delicious. We went to the private room for four people, and it was excellent. We will definitely come back.”

“Overall food was fine. Subtle and delicate. Similar to the atmosphere. Nothing exceptional other than the service. Service was outstanding and I left wondering why the food wasn’t on par. Expensive for the quality of fish. For example, I was served cuttlefish, kohaba, liver pate, and a brown edge otoro. I thought did the restaurant have sourcing challenges or leftovers for this particular evening. Furthermore, crispy puffed rice was used multiple times in the omakase (hand roll, dessert, and takeaway gift). Laziness and limited preparation entered my thoughts. Maybe expectations were set too high given all the positive accolades.”

“This was honestly one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. This is far from a place worthy of celebrating a special occasion. It feels more like an overpriced small family business trying to present itself as a high-end fine dining restaurant. The first thing every guest is told by the staff named SAI is to use the restroom because there is no waiting area or lounge. For a restaurant positioning itself as a premium experience, that’s disappointing. We weren’t even greeted with something as simple as, “How are you today?” Considering it was summer, the dining room also felt uncomfortably warm. When I mentioned that the air conditioning didn’t seem to be working well, the staff simply dismissed my concern and told me the temperature was fine, rather than acknowledging how we were feeling or trying to make us more comfortable. Throughout the meal, the waiter kept correcting where I placed my spoon and how I should use the phone holder. Instead of politely guiding guests, it felt like every small detail was being enforced as a rule. Fine dining should feel welcoming and refined, not restrictive. The chef also seemed unusually defensive. When I simply asked if I could have extra sauce for one of the dishes, I was told, “You don’t put sauce on this,” in a way that felt dismissive rather than accommodating. Even more concerning, some of the fish did not seem fresh. Another customer nearby even asked, “Is that aged? Because it doesn’t look fresh.” Rather than addressing the concern professionally, the chef appeared offended again. I also witnessed another guest repeatedly request that her food be prepared without wasabi. Despite her request, the chef continued adding wasabi to her dishes. At one point, her partner ended up eating the dish instead so it wouldn’t go to waste. Even for the final course, which was prepared all at once, the chef again added wasabi despite her repeated request. There was no acknowledgment of her preference or attempt to accommodate it. Watching a clearly communicated dietary or taste preference be repeatedly ignored reflected a lack of consideration for the guest. The experience became even more uncomfortable at the end of the meal. Because we were dissatisfied with the overall experience, so we left a smaller tip than we normally would. A staff member who had very little interaction with us during dinner approached my partner with aggression and asked if there was something wrong with the service. He then insisted that we should leave at least an 18% tip. When my partner chose to leave less, he said they would rather not have the tip at all, handed back the merchant copy, told us to keep the tip ourselves, and walked away. The interaction came across as entitled and unprofessional. Tips should reflect the guest’s experience and should never be demanded or negotiated. The worst part came after we got home. I began experiencing vomiting and stomach pain shortly after the meal. At first, my partner thought I was overreacting, but about two hours later he developed the exact same symptoms. While I can’t say with certainty what caused it, it was deeply concerning that we both became ill after dining there. I’ve eaten at many Michelin-starred and other acclaimed restaurants, and one thing they consistently do well is make guests feel comfortable while maintaining high standards. Here, it felt like the staff cared more about enforcing rules than creating an enjoyable dining experience. We came here fully aware of the price and expecting an experience that justified it. Unfortunately, the service, the attitude of the staff, the uncomfortable interaction regarding tipping, and the fact that we both became ill afterward made this one of the worst fine dining experiences I’ve ever had. It is genuinely saddening because we came in with high expectations but left feeling disappointed from beginning to end.”