Shiki Omakase

Is it really an omakase if you know exactly what you’re getting? Debatable. But we’ll give Shiki Omakase the benefit of the doubt. The quiet and generically white 12-seat Soho restaurant offers many of the same pieces—salmon, scallop, hamachi—you’ll find at other affordable-ish omakases , but at a more reasonable price point, and with added flair in the form of starters and toppings.

There are two routes you can go here: a $100, 17-course meal and a $65, 12-course one, both of which are mapped out, piece by piece, on a menu. For the unsurprising fish selection, $100 seems steep—but the less-costly option feels spot-on. Either way, you’ll begin with a meaty kumamoto oyster, followed by a few strips of sashimi, and a parade of nigiri accented with things like sea salt, yuzu, and crispy garlic sauce. The hour-long experience (shorter if you don’t get add-ons) isn’t life-altering, but if you’re planning a semi-luxe meal and don’t want any curveballs, Shiki is a reliable choice.