Ask a random person in Brooklyn what their favorite food is and there’s a good chance they’ll say sushi. With revenue from the U.S.’s nearly 17,000 sushi restaurants expected to total $34.9 billion in 2024, it’s inarguably one of the most popular foods in the country.
Sushi is also one of my personal favorite meals to eat. And, ever since traveling to Japan, I’ve enjoyed bopping around the borough in search of rolls as authentic as the ones I ate overseas.
Luckily, there’s no shortage of sushi spots in Brooklyn. However, certain metrics make some stand out among the rest. We graded restaurants on their portion sizes and the quality of ingredients – was the fish flown in from Japan? If so, how recently? Did the chefs use any unique seasonal ingredients? – as well as the range of items on their menus, the value of the meals, and the overall experience.
Yes, we acknowledge these are imperfect metrics — omakase and takeout sushi are clearly two different worlds of dining. But sometimes stuffing yourself silly with a little all-you-can-eat is just as satisfying as a high-end experience.
So here, in no particular order, are 11 of the best sushi restaurants I’ve come across in Brooklyn.
Shota Omakase
50 South Third St.
If you want the best sushi in Brooklyn, go to Shota Omakase. Chef Cheng Lin’s 18-course omakase is Edomae style — which is focused on the aging, curing, and marinating of fish — and features rice that is 1.5 percent bigger than traditional sushi rice, giving each bite more texture. This unique combination results in a series of delicious small bites, nigiri, rolls, and hand rolls, making the $195 price point well worth it. Highlights from a recent visit included the tuna nigiri —lean, medium fat, and fatty cuts that all melt on the tongue — buttery uni (sea urchin), tender wagyu beef, and two plump pieces of smoked and soy-marinated New Zealand king salmon. If you need any extra convincing, Lin, a veteran chef with stints at Sushi Seki, Blue Ribbon Sushi, and Ito Tribeca, just earned the restaurant a Michelin star.
GEIDO
331 Flatbush Ave.
Fans of this neighborhood spot have been doodling on the walls and ordering outstanding sushi to the soundtrack of R&B since it opened in 1985. Not much has changed since then. The spicy tuna ($8.75) and dragon rolls ($12) continue to defend their spots as some of the city’s best and most affordable iterations. Their hand rolls, meanwhile, are inventive and fun. We recommend the Brooklyn ($19) and the Mexican ($16).
Sushi Lin
78 Clark St.
This one’s like the character in a fighting video game with equal stats in every category. Sushi Lin has bomb omakase options at varying price points, a greatest hits list of rolls and hand rolls, the best sushi appetizers you could think of (shoutout to the sliced octopus with cucumber and ponzu), the Meguro (diced tuna and avocado dressed in soy and wasabi for $15), and an uni tasting, featuring sea urchin from Maine, Santa Barbara, and Hokkaido (market price). But the best way to fill up and get a taste of what this place has to offer is the sushi and sashimi combo. At $45, it’s not ridiculously expensive, especially considering the amount of food that covers (you get nine pieces of sashimi, five pieces of sushi, and one roll).
U Omakase
173 Greenpoint Ave.
U Omakase’s namesake 13-person U-shaped dinner table is a vehicle for spontaneous conversations with strangers and a delicious $89 15-course omakase meal (which comes with a lot of sake). Co-owner Luis Durand and head chef Yasu Hirashiki opened the space with the intention of throwing omakase dinner parties. The duo will frequently stop by and ask for feedback on new dishes and check on regulars to see what’s new since the last time they visited. “I make people try [my dishes] like they’re at my house,” Durand told Brooklyn Magazine. Highlights from the tasting menu include a fried soft-shell crab, a cauldron of smoked king salmon belly, sweet botan shrimp that bursts with umami, and Hirashiki’s signature Hokkaido scallop topped with roe.
Gohan Sushi
533 86th St.
When thinking about Gohan Sushi, two things come to mind: a killer lunch special and some of the best A5 wagyu beef you can find in the borough. Starting in order, the lunch special, available Monday through Friday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., has two great offerings — a $35 sashimi lunch box featuring 15 pieces of sashimi, sushi rice, edamame, and soup, as well as a sushi lunchbox with nine pieces of nigiri, a salmon mango roll, edamame, and, of course, soup. For the quality, quantity, and variety of fish offered, you simply can’t beat these deals.
As for the wagyu, it’s often a special bite reserved for omakase tastings. But at Gohan, you can order a $35 wagyu donburi, which features a heaping amount of meat topped with a generous scoop of uni. The combination is like butter. It melts the second it hits your tongue. Gohan’s temaki — an overindulgent handroll featuring caviar, uni, scallop, A5 wagyu, and toro for only $22 — is also exceptional. And for the omakase heads out there, the restaurant offers two tasting menus for $70 and $99.
Ten Ichi Mart Japanese Grocery Store
188 Berry St.
Ten Ichi Mart is as close as you can get to authentic Japanese grocery stores in Brooklyn. Unless you live under a rock, you probably know that Ten Ichi Mart’s sushi is half off after 8 p.m. But as Jeremy Jacobwitz smartly recommended, go during lunchtime if you can and just pay the full price to get it while it’s fresh. Have I snagged half-off sushi uncountable times? Yes. Is the food still fresh? Most of the time. While you’re there, try one of the nigiri combos or spend a couple of dollars extra and order our favorite, the chirashi rice bowl ($14). And before you head out the door, treat yourself to some fun Japanese snacks and/or candy. You deserve it.
Kinjo
11 Adams St.
Kinjo is a new 11-course omakase experience from the minds of veteran chef and co-owner Johnny Huang (formerly of Masa), co-owner Alex Lee (formerly of Momofuku), and chef de cuisine Eddie Lee (also previously of Momofuku). Despite opening in October, the restaurant has already amassed a dedicated clientele and earned itself a spot amongst the best Japanese restaurants in the borough thanks to its stellar and unique $95 tasting menu.
If you go, expect six pieces of nigiri plus five courses, comprising Kumamoto oysters dressed with ikura, scallop and yuzu crudo, king salmon with finger lime, botan ebi with curry glaze, wagyu with truffle, and koji-cured duck with pineapple hoisin. Kinjo’s adventurous spirit is what helped it stand out so soon after opening. Ingredients like finger lime and curry glaze bring a delicious and unexpected flavor to the traditional sushi medium. And don’t forget to stop by the lounge before or after your meal for a cocktail; the yuzu Negroni ($17) and miso martini ($18) were standouts from our visit.
Hibino
333 Henry St.
Hibino’s lunch specials are a great place to start if you’ve never visited. The Tekka Don ($29) features soy-marinated tuna sashimi over sushi rice and a shredded omelet, which combines for a hearty, umami-filled bite. If you’re in the mood for some rolls, there’s a two-for $20 deal that is worth it depending on which rolls you order (some are under $10, so pick wisely). We’re big fans of the shrimp cucumber roll, the spicy scallop roll, and the kanpyo roll, which features delicious soy-simmered strips of squash. And while it’s not technically sushi, you can’t leave without trying some of Hibino’s tofu. The agedashi tofu (deep-fried tofu with shishito peppers, shiitake mushroom, and dashi broth) is a great accompaniment to any meal.
E Sushi II
2971 Ocean Ave.
All-you-can-eat sushi is a dangerous game at some restaurants; the quality can be spotty, the price can be too high, and the penalty for not finishing your order can be astronomical. But at E Sushi II, that’s not the case. For $31.95 per person, you get access to an array of rolls, sushi, sashimi, maki, and specialty rolls, not to mention tempura, teriyaki, and other delicious appetizers like seaweed salad. If you’re feeling gluttonous and want to down an ungodly amount of food, E is an excellent option.
Koma
1618 Avenue M
If you’re a Brooklyn sushi fan, you’ve probably already seen videos of Koma’s all-you-can-eat bluefin tuna carving on TikTok (RIP). The $125 experience starts with a 21-course omakase and unlimited sake. If you’re somehow still hungry after the tasting, you can order as much sushi as you can finish, which is a great value for such a unique experience, but reservations sell out quickly. If you can’t grab a seat for the bluefin carving, Koma offers various chef’s tasting menus ranging between $40 and $120 depending on how many courses you opt for, as well as numerous specialty rolls, sushi, sashimi, handrolls, and entrees. We tried the Sake Sakura Maki ($18), the bluefin tuna steak ($58), the salmon carpaccio ($16), and the maguro avocado ( $18) and found it all to be just as worthwhile of a trip as the carving special.
Bondi
156 N 4th St.
Whether it be the $75 12-piece tasting menu or the five hand rolls for $40, Bondi makes for a really nice treat-yourself meal. If you go for the hand roll special, we recommend picking the wagyu, lobster, hot and spicy blue crab, toro scallion, and the spicy tuna. We also love Bondi because you can substitute for cauliflower rice if you have dietary restrictions, which most other restaurants don’t offer.
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