Hit or Misso? Hanaya Omakase NYC
Updated: Sep 4
“It was soooo good. Everything was like… wow.” — my cousin, Fatima Ahmed, August 2026.
Honestly, I really didn’t know what to expect from Hanaya Omakase in Midtown. I hadn’t heard of the place before, and with so many of NYC’s more affordable omakases blowing up on TikTok, I was curious to see if this one would be as good. We were also 2 of only 4 people dining in the restaurant, which made the whole experience feel surprisingly low-key.
Fatima and I went during restaurant week. Hanaya was offering a 12 course meal (dessert included) for $60.
We started off with a small hand roll: air-fried chilean sea bass in a sweet miso sauce. It was cooked perfectly - tender, moist, and flavorful. Wrapped in a crisp, crunchy piece of seaweed, it was the perfect little bite to start the meal.
The next bite was even better. Being a sushi chef myself, I was getting bit tired of scallop sushi, but the way they served it was just divine. The scallop nigiri was topped with truffle butter, and seared slightly. It was sweet, buttery, but also somehow, very light.
For $60, I was very impressed by the quality of the fish. Everything was super fresh and many of the bites were quite unique, though others I have definitely seen before (like the yellowtail topped with shishito peppers, ama ebi and uni, akami and truffle, etc.). Nonetheless, it was still good.
A couple of small notes: the salmon was a little mushy in texture, which made me wonder if it had been previously frozen. The botan ebi topped with foie gras was a bit bitter.
Lastly, dessert was a small serving of tiramisu topped with ice cream. The tiramisu itself was good—nothing groundbreaking, but a solid way to end the meal. The ice cream was a little icy, but honestly, we didn’t come here for the ice cream. We came for the sushi, and that part was great.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I really enjoyed the meal. At $60, I thought the omakase was fairly priced, and I’d definitely come back for the deal. That said, the regular menu is $75 for 13 courses, and at that price, I’m not sure the experience would be quite as compelling. While I really enjoyed the first two courses, the rest of the meal was pleasant but not particularly memorable.
Food: 7.5/10 - Good!
Fatima's rating: 10/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Service: 8/10 - Good service. I save my 10s for a place like Eleven Madison
As always, these are simply my personal opinions, shared with the hope of offering constructive feedback. Every dining experience is unique.
What do you think—do you agree with my thoughts on Hanaya Omakase? And more importantly, where should I review next? Drop your favorite omakase or sushi spot below!
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