Sendo opened its second location in Greenwich Village with little fanfare this spring — and it deserves a spot in your sushi rotation. Owner Guy Allen has built a counter modeled after Tokyo’s casual neighborhood sushi bars, where quality fish is an everyday
meal instead of a once-in-a-while splurge. In Manhattan, where a decent omakase can quickly cost hundreds of dollars, Sendo keeps things attainable: Nigiri starts at $3 apiece; sets range from $19 to $48; and omakase starts at $34.
What to order
- The Hokkaido set ($48) is the move. It comes with 10 pieces of nigiri, two handrolls, and a kaisendon, giving you a tour of the menu without locking you into an omakase. Chef Tsuyoshi Takahashi, a 30-year sushi veteran who previously cooked at Michelin-starred Sushi Noz, focuses on simplicity — you don’t even get a pair of chopsticks here. The Hokkaido rice is seasoned with small-batch aged vinegar, the fish comes from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market, and even the shoyu is aged for five days with kelp, dashi, and sake. None of that feels showy or pretentious, however.
- The nigiri lineup ($4 to $8) is solid: buttery, three-day-aged otoro; sweet Hokkaido scallop; two-day-aged Nagasaki sea bream; akami marinated in sake, shoyu, and dashi; three-day-aged kingfish amberjack; Alaskan snow crab; Hokkaido sweet prawn; and savory monkfish liver with shiso.
- Don’t rush through the hand rolls ($6 to $14). The miso-marinated king salmon is both sweet and savory, while the otoro with pickled radish hits that perfect balance of richness and crunch.
- Then there’s the kaisendon ($30), a bowl layered with aged sea bass, akami, otoro, marinated king salmon, amberjack, sake- and dashi-marinated ikura, pickled radish, shiso, and wasabi over seasoned rice. It sounds like a lot, and it is. And it was a memorable ending to the Hokkaido set (it’s also available a la carte).
What to drink
A crisp junmai sake ($14 by the glass, $90 for the bottle) is the obvious pairing, but an ice-cold Sapporo ($8) works just as well.
Best for
An affordable sushi fix, a casual weeknight date, or those nights when you want excellent fish without making a big deal about it.
Insider tip
It’s an excellent place for takeout, too, delivered in very nice packaging.
