sendo

"I am tempted to gatekeep such an impressive, well-priced, and high-quality sushi spot, but it undoubtedly belongs on this list. Sendo may look like your classic hand roll bar or omakase counter, but they are anything but. The offering here is simple: a Tokyo-style sushi bar on the second floor of an NYC walkup, masterfully led by Head Chef Kevin Ngo, an alumnus of Sushi Nakazawa and Masa. At the core of Sendo’s mission is speed and affordability—you can walk into this no-reservations spot (go for lunch or their first dinner seating to avoid a long wait) and be in and out in under 30 minutes. Menu items include sets of nigiri and hand rolls for $45 or less, or you can order as many pieces of buttery Otoro as your heart desires à la carte. Everything on Sendo’s small but mighty menu has been meticulously designed to a T, and the craftsmanship here is palatable (literally and figuratively!)—their team went through a 6-month testing period to choose their favorite strain of rice, a smooth and polished short grain from Hokkaido, and then thoughtfully crafted a vinegar to pair best alongside it. While you can likely find this attention to detail in other expensive corners of the NYC sushi scene, no other players have perfected the top-tier reasonably-priced option quite as well as Sendo has. Sendo’s menu is also entirely gluten-free aside from their unagi eel—an incredibly difficult, and appreciated, accommodation to find in the world of sushi. —Emily Adler, associate social media manager"

"Opening: April Two hundred years before every block of downtown Manhattan featured a sub-$100 omakase joint, sushi was more of a casual street food sold from stalls and carts. Sendo, from a Nakazawa alum, wants to bring that back. Sort of. The restaurant is opening on the second floor of a Nomad building, and it’ll have room for exactly 10 people to stand at a counter. (No chairs in sight.) Expect nigiri, handrolls, chirashi, and sets that range from $30-$50." - bryan kim

"Sendo in Koreatown is modeled after the standing sushi counters in Tokyo, where you can grab a quick bite of sushi for a relatively cheap price. There are actually seats inside this speakeasy-esque sushi bar—and a bit of a wait to get one—but once the eating commences, you can still get out in under 30 minutes. The chefs move quickly through handroll sets of three to six, with base prices ranging from $18-$28. Sendo’s fatty cuts of tuna and salmon rival those at more expensive spots, and you can also add some luxury options like toro taku, scallop, and botan ebi prawn for an extra charge. " - neha talreja, bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick

"Sendo is modeled after the standing sushi counters in Tokyo. And if this were a city without wait lists and high prices, it might even function like one. You’d waltz into their casual walk-in counter in Koreatown, eat some fancy cuts of toro and buttery shrimp, and then leave in less than 30 minutes without spending more than $50. For the most part, you can still accomplish this goal at Sendo, as long as you’re not too hungry and the wait isn’t too long. On paper, Sendo’s hand roll and sushi sets—the only things offered on the menu—are pretty good deals. Go for the sushi, and you’ll eat bouncy scallops, fatty toro, and vinegary rice sourced from Hokkaido, all for around $30 or $40. Pieces lean on the smaller side and toppings are restrained to a squeeze of lemon here, a dot of yuzu there. You’ll have the option of adding a la carte hand rolls or nigiri at the end of your meal. In our experience, we’ve felt hungry enough after our set to order two extra hand rolls and some nigiri, jacking the price up to around $65. That’s still not bad for a total of 16 pieces, but there are plenty of sub-$100 omakase spots with more exciting selections. photo credit: Franceso Sapienza If you’re not bothered by the price, or you’re in the area and want something light-ish, Sendo is a great option for lunch or dinner, in large part because of the speakeasy-esque, quick-service set-up. We walked past the entrance, marked only by a palm-sized sign, a couple of times before noticing it. But once you find the staircase, head up a flight of steps and into the first door to your right. The tiny room is gently lit like an aquarium, with just enough space for a host stand and a 12-seat black marble counter. Chefs stay in continuous motion, palming pre-sliced fish and serving each person two pieces at a time. This pace keeps anyone from lingering too long, as does the lack of booze. If Sendo is meant to be a secret though, it isn’t a well-kept one. During dinner, there’s usually a 30- to 60-minute wait. Put your name down and head somewhere else in the neighborhood while you wait for a text. If you want a true, Tokyo-style quick stop, you're better of coming for lunch on the weekends instead. Food Rundown photo credit: Franceso Sapienza Sushi Sets Sendo serves three sushi sets, ranging from $32 to $47. The most expensive set is the best deal, with nine pieces of nigiri, three hand rolls, and one mini kaisendon with chopped toro. For the most part, they stick with crowd-pleasing salmon and tuna cuts, but expect some delightful interludes of buttery shrimp and sea bream. You won’t leave super full without some add-ons. We like the unagi hand rolls from the a la carte menu that they pass out at the end. Hand Roll Sets Hand rolls come in sets of three to six, with base prices ranging from $18-$28. You can choose your own rolls from a list of eight, including three luxury options (toro, scallop, and botan ebi prawn) for an extra charge. If you’re here for a quick lunch, the hand rolls are the way to go." - Neha Talreja

"Sendo has one of the best sushi deals we’ve seen lately. The second-floor Koreatown spot is from a former chef at Sushi Nakazawa, and they do sets from $32 for seven nigiri, two hand rolls and a kaisen don; or $45 for nine nigiri, three hand rolls and a kaisen don." - will hartman