Matsunori

"Matsunori on the Lower East Side is a casual BYOB spot with reasonable pricing. For $68, you’ll get 12 pieces of high-quality and decently-varied fish, plus an appetizer, a handroll, and homemade mochi for dessert. Past highlights have included soft-then-crunchy needlefish and a crispy piece of eel with a tiny square of melted foie gras on top. Bring a date to one of their five nightly seatings, and make sure to stop at September Wine & Spirits nearby for wine or sake." - neha talreja, bryan kim, kenny yang, hannah albertine, will hartman

"Affordable omakase is both exciting yet infuriating. Matsunori and Takumi have been our sub-$100 favorites this year." - Eater Staff

"Do we need any more sushi omakase counters in NYC? Don’t answer that. It doesn’t matter. They’ll just keep on opening anyway. Matsunori on the Lower East Side stands out because of its reasonable pricing and casual feel. For $68, you’ll get 12 pieces of high-quality and decently-varied fish, plus an appetizer, a handroll, and homemade mochi for dessert. Fish highlights include soft-then-crunchy needlefish and a crispy piece of eel with a tiny square of melted foie gras on top. Matsunori uses their blowtorches more than we’ve seen at other similar places—but slightly charred yellowtail tastes delicious, so we have no problem with that. Book a date at one of their five nightly seatings, and make sure to stop at September Wine & Spirits nearby for wine or sake. This place is currently BYOB." - Hannah Albertine

"With the popularity, restaurateurs sometimes gain benefits beyond initial sales. Wong was able to open a restaurant in Manhattan in February, called Matsunori." - ByMaggie Hennessy

"I felt the same eating the $68 omakase at Matsunori in the Lower East Side, a BYOB counter where you book a seat for an hour-ish reservation. Our 8:15 seating was completely sold out, which is common, and explains why these small counters are able to afford such high-quality fish, though I had some initial doubts after my first dish, a confusing appetizer of hamachi sprinkled with actual Frosted Flakes. The next hour or so consisted of an evenly paced succession of delicately garnished lumps of nigiri, one with pickled mustard seeds, another simply with flaky salt or sesame seeds to bring out the fish. Wagyu was sliced and warmed by blowtorch, atomizing smoky fat into the air. Fire always leaves a good impression."