Nicole B.
Yelp
First. May I say: If you want to try Omakase for the first time and you don't want to spent a lot of money and you happen to be in the Flat Iron (???). I'm going to recommend Sanyuu West to you. The Omakase is $78 (!!), the pieces are good, you can add on a la carte pieces or handrolls at the end if you're still hungry (that will obviously increase your bill). There is also a completely decent Sake menu.
That being said. I think we have reached The Inflection Point for omakase in NYC. I have said, in previous reviews, that Manhattan is The Capital of the World for Omakase right now. And it is. But we're also actually experiencing an "Omakase bubble." Sanyuu West opened last year with different ownership/different concept. But that concept failed and now we have the current version. I'm not that hopeful for it...
Now, it was my fault that I somehow did not figure out that the $78 Omakase was going to be a half hour service. No joke. Entire service prepared, served, eaten in 30 minutes. Whew Chile, that is NOT for me. And I'm not sure there is the room in the Omakase ecosystem in Manhattan right now for more fast casual, speed Omakase. Particularly on W 18th Street. Like what are we rushing to get to from here??
The Inflection Point is that nothing being done/served at Sanyuu West is even the tiniest bit different from your "basic Omakase service." All these type places that are currently proliferating and opening and closing these days and popping up and changing hands serve the same pieces, the same fish, the same flavors. How are you going to stand out? Why come for speed Omakase at Sanyuu West?
I'm not sure.
Omakase is not just about the pieces, it's about the service and interacting with the chef and, hopefully, your fellow diners and The Vibe.
The Vibe at Sanyuu West is so bad I almost laughed out loud, more than once. Like I actually completely lost track of the fact that it was just me and one other woman seated beside me (who I never interacted with even once and, in some VERY WEIRD WAY, I felt like I might be in an eating competition with...!!! HAHAHAHA). I mean she wasn't speaking to our chef either. So the only talking was really him telling us what each piece was. Weird.
And...And!!! Almost the ENTIRE TIME we were eating it sounded like someone was shoveling ice with a giant, metal snow shovel right behind the counter.
I'm not kidding. It was deafening. At one point I thought our chef was actually going to tell whoever was doing that to STOP! But he didn't. It was laughable. Candid Camera type laughable. Like, are these people even serious??
After the second time I had to stop myself from laughing out loud I messaged a friend, "I kind of hate myself for eating here!"
You need to make an effort in this whole restaurant biz. How do I know? I'm in the damn business.
Sanyuu West is one small room with a horse shoe counter. The room is almost entirely bare. There isn't a single thing on any wall. The colors are beige. The music isn't terrible. But it's mainly drowned out by the shoveling of ice. For some reason there are ALL these people working (host, waitress -she brought me water, tea and sake and then she never visited again until the end of my meal - I poured my own sake - the, sushi chef, various other people passing back and forth behind the sushi counter). No one seems to be having any kind of fun. (The host was smiley and friendly when I did initiate conversation with him.) They seem, in a word, miserable. And THAT vibe permeates the entire experience. Oooof.
The problem, IMO, is lack of professionalism. You're selling not just pieces of sushi, you're selling an EXPERIENCE. Slap a smile on your face, interact with your clientele and STOP SHOVELING ICE DURING SERVICE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. #eyeroll
I got the feeling no one was in charge here. No one who could say, "Hey! We actually have customers eating at the counter. Right now is not the time for ice shoveling." Someone needs to lead. Someone who has an idea of how to create a welcoming experience.
That does not currently exist at Sanyuu West.
I had two handrolls after my Omakase and the Otoro ($28) with Caviar (+$5) was REALLY GOOD. Salmon with Foie Gras was also good.
Then I used the restroom and I DID laugh out loud. Because, my people, THE LIGHT IN THE RESTROOM IS DEAD. They've got a scented candle burning and this like floor, accent lamp plugged in so you can find the toilet and the sink. It is as close to pitch dark in there are you can imagine.
I mean...there is a ceiling light fixture. I could see it. There's a switch on the wall. I'm assuming the bulb died...and no one could be bothered to change it!!!
That is legit the only explanation I can come up with. None of those ice shoveling people wandering around could make the effort to change the light bulb in the bathroom. In hindsight, if I had started this review here it would sum up the entire experience.
Lack. Of. Effort.