Tsumo's $48 Sunday Lunch Omakase: How to Get the Full Value | Jack Maguire

Tsumo's $48 Sunday Lunch Omakase: How to Get the Full Value

By Jack Maguire

Tsumo Omakase, 132 E 28th St, Kips Bay. Sunday lunch: $48, 11 courses, 60 minutes.

The Tsumo storefront at 132 E 28th St, with bamboo screens and subtle signage that is easy to walk past

Bottom line: arrive five minutes early, eat the set in order, and put any extra dollars toward a second otoro.

  1. Let the order work. Eleven courses run lean to rich: madai and hamachi first, otoro and the toro handroll last. Don’t reshuffle it. The salt and acid up front sharpen the fat at the end.
  2. The best bite is the cheapest upgrade. Otoro with caviar is the piece reviewers name most. A second otoro ($16) or uni ($10) à la carte beats the wagyu add-on.
  3. Go light on soy. Dip fish-side down, once. The rice is already seasoned; drowning it flattens the balance and the salt stacks up fast.
  4. Drink one thing. There’s no pairing, so pick a single clean sake and stay with it. One glass keeps the palate sharp through course eleven.
  5. Expect sixty minutes and no dessert. The set ends at the handroll, and lunch often leaves you short of full. Plan the next stop; don’t fill up here.

Otoro nigiri topped with caviar, the piece worth a second round

Photos: storefront via Novacircle; otoro via Resy.