I’ve spent years in New York wanting to go for an omakase at a price I won’t feel deeply guilty about later. It’s a tall order. But when I heard about Shin’s omakase, which will run you $175 for 14 courses, my ears perked up. Then, I ate my way through a meal of sweet seasonal clam broth, gorgeous sea bream nigiri, a decadent hand roll stuffed with Japanese uni, plus 11 other tasty things, and I realized I’d found what I’d been looking for. Chef Shin, for starters, is a subtle comedian, and a tactile teacher—so sitting at this intimate sushi bar not only means delicate, fresh seafood, but good chats; and questions about ingredients might mean a hunk of wasabi or a tray of artfully arranged shiso flowers is thrust into your hands for you to sniff, taste, and inspect. The Midtown location, on a cut-through between W 53rd and W 54th, is surprisingly laid-back for this part of the city, but really convenient if, say, you’re splurging on dinner-and-a-show for a special occasion: Broadway is just around the corner. —Megan Spurrell, associate director, articles
