ShinBay

"Although sushi maestro Shinji Kurita left his eponymous ShinBay in late 2023, this lovely, serene space is still an excellent go-to for an all-out omakase splurge, priced at $250 per person. Sushi chef Ken Tanaka (whose resume includes a stint as executive chef at Kaiseki in Japan) runs the show these days, and it is still an orchestrated performance of beautifully composed courses, including a series of otherworldly nigiri. For an even bigger blowout, try a bottle of Junmai Daiginjo (the highest grade of sake) from ShinBay’s noteworthy list." - Nikki Buchanan, Eater Staff

"Instead of maxing out your credit card for a table at an overcrowded nightclub, lock in seats for Shinbay’s omakase room for one of their two, reservation-only seatings a night. The seven courses are a parade of sea urchin, blue shrimp, ocean trout, barracuda, and other fish that you won’t usually see on menus around town. Everything is pretty relaxed at Shinbay, so you won’t have to shout at your date or fumble for a menu in the dark, and the wraparound bar is positioned in a way where every spot is the best seat in the house.  " - lauren topor

"Veteran sushi chef Shinji Kurita, who learned the craft at his parents’ eatery in Japan, is a true shokunin—an artist who has dutifully practiced over many years and become a master. His omakase counter in Old Town, Scottsdale serves just two small seatings per night, and these meals are a marine adventure. Given the distance from the market in Japan from which Kurita overnights his fish, he liberally employs curing and other methods of extending freshness. Omakase flights tend to start with a non-fish opener, perhaps eggplant or yam variations, and then plunge into creative seafood-centric preparations before flowing into a final parade of nigiri. All the while, the Kurita slices and molds fish to downtempo music with the grace of a dancer—at Shinbay, omakase can feel like a movie. Meals cost $225+, so people tend to dress up some and devote their full attention to them." - Lizbeth Scordo, Chris Malloy

"Instead of maxing out your credit card for a table at an overcrowded nightclub, lock in seats for Shinbay’s omakase room for one of their two, reservation-only seatings a night. The $285, seven courses are a parade of sea urchin, blue shrimp, ocean trout, barracuda, and other fish that you won’t usually see on other menus in town. Everything is pretty relaxed at Shinbay, so you won’t have to shout at your date or fumble for a menu in the dark, and the wraparound bar is positioned in a way where every spot is the best seat in the house." - Lauren Topor

"Shinbay’s multicourse omakase dinner makes for the kind of breathtaking evening diners think (and brag) about for months afterward. Priced starting at $185 (and worth every penny), Shinji Kurita’s menus highlight seafood, some of it hard to find and much of it imported from Japan. The meal progresses from a trio of traditional Japanese vegetable dishes to sashimi “salads” to a plate of seafood bites such as jellyfish, snow crab, oyster, or bluefin tuna belly. These are followed by custard-like chawanmushi, then sashimi, and finally, 10 courses of spectacular nigiri. The sake selection is also first-rate. Kurita never books more than eight customers per seating, so a two-hour meal is always serene and well-paced." - Nikki Buchanan, Chris Malloy