Kanoyama

Reviews

• Mabel Y.

  star star star star star_border 19 July 2026

  This Michelin starred restaurant has takeout sushi and turns into a late night ramen house. It feels like such an oxymoron.
  
  We were craving sushi and gave my date search parameters. More formal than Sugar Fish but less fancy than Yasuda.  The sushi special plate, though not omakase, was the perfect level of interest for a weekday dinner.  Three of the pieces were seared.  We started with fried chicken in a basket and silky chawanmushi with shrimp.

• Jennifer Y.

  star star star star star_border 16 July 2026

  Been here for many years, it's a staple of the neighborhood as being one of the mid-to-high tier sushi restaurants. Personally, I have yet to try their full counter omakase but I've dined several times in their main area. Their sushi and sashimi combos/dinner courses are always reliable and the quality of their fish is very good compared to others in the area-but of course with the price tag.
  
  I like their seasonal items that they have from time to time, this past summer they had a corn tempura which I absolutely love. If you get a good server, they are able to recommend dishes like that. When it gets crowded and busy, the servers tend to have their hands full and we don't always have someone attending our table as frequently which can be a little bit of a nuisance.
  
  I recommend making reservations ahead of time, especially during peak hours. They are a bit strict also with your full party being there and showing on-time-they've given our table away after having us show up a little late and we had to wait for another one to open up unfortunately-this is probably to ensure that the traffic continues to move and they don't have stalled tables.
  
  Overall, great but could use some improvements in some areas-If I'm remembering correctly their counter omakase actually received a Michelin star for 2019, so will have to try that next time.

• Gui G.

  star star star star star 4 July 2026

  A michelin star restaurant with affordable prices, attentive service, and intimate but laid back vibe? all checked.
  
  We arrived without reservations on a weekend night and got a perfect corner table. The shrimp and veggie tempura app was perfectly crisp, and the miso soup was as good as any miso soup can be. then we ordered a sashimi for 2, and the sushi for 2 - certainly a lot of food for a couple. The only weird thing was the appearance of the sushi rolls - did not seem like something that a michelin star restaurant would do - still, everything tasted fresh and was superb.
  
  The price point wasn't bad for the quality, location, ambience, and service. Would recommend for any sushi lover.
  
  Bonus tip: the plum wine is inexpensive and pretty good (if you like plum wine)

• Patrick W.

  star star star star star 3 July 2026

  TLDR: A sushi restaurant of two worlds. The front is great for high quality casual sushi and the back houses the Michelin-starred sushi bar that serves a top tier omakase. Good for a special occasion or if you're just looking to satisfy your sushi craving. I love Kanoyama. If you're eating in the main restaurant, ask for the maguro nakochi or tuna rib.
  
  I've been eating at Kanoyama for many years but only recently had the pleasure of dining at the rear counter. The rear counter is in the back dining room so it can get a bit loud, especially on a weekend night. However, you're so busy watching chef prepare each piece that you kind of forgot about your surroundings.
  
  Chef Noboyuki Shikanai is laser-focused when he serves that back counter. It was mesmerizing to watch him move, slice and form each piece. I didn't take many photos here because the omakase started when he appeared out of nowhere. Nigiri in his palm and simply said "fluke" then waited for me to take it. Each piece he described the fish and how it was dressed. His pace is good because you're not waiting endlessly for the next piece. There was nothing he served I didn't like and.. I got the fried botan ebi head too! Dessert also came with the meal which was a monaka (rice cracker) ice cream sandwhich with mochi and red bean. So good.
  
  If you're eating here for casual sushi, you absolutely must get the maguro nakochi or tuna rib. It's around $50 to $60 depending on the weight. The tuna rib is presented with a stack of nori, wasabi, scallion and spoons to scoop the tuna off. Here's a tip, order a side of sushi rice and have yourself a hand roll party. When you're done getting the easy meat off, they'll take it in the back and grill the rest of it. It's a twofer!
  
  Their standard rolls though are pretty great. Kanoyama is one of those restaurants that you do for literally any occasion. An excellent spot in the East Village.

• Sara L.

  star star star star star 27 June 2026

  Kanoyama has been on my sushi list for awhile, and I finally had the chance to go quite recently. We reserved for 3 of us for the nakochi at the table, then their omakase at the counter. The magura nakochi (raw tuna rib) is one of their unique dishes, especially for tuna lovers. It's literally scraping tuna meat off the bone, eaten alone or wrapped in nori and topped with some scallion and soy sauce/wasabi. It's honestly not the prettiest looking dish, but it's pretty fantastic when it comes to the flavor. Don't let any of the tuna go to waste if you can handle not only the top but also bottom side of the rib. We started with the nakochi before heading to omakase, and this was by far not a small dish. It's alot portion wise, but if you're with a group with a hearty appetite, consider the nakochi.
  
  Our omakase included a long list of excellent fish selections, and then dessert at the end. List includes (in order) --
  
  hirame konbujime (fluke)
  mahada (grouper) w/ ponzu radish
  madai (red snapper) w/ goma (sesame)
  isaki (threeline grunt) (delicious skin)
  taragai (pen shell clam)
  botan ebi w/ shrimp liver
  ika with uni
  Dungeness crab w/ uni
  akami (lean tuna) in seaweed
  chutoro
  otoro
  mackerel wrapped in kombu
  ebi head w/ matcha salt
  baby kanpachi w/ yuzu kosho
  hokkaido uni
  toro & ikura on rice
  anago
  tamago
  fish soup
  
  vanilla & matcha ice cream monaka w/mochi and tsubu-an
  mint tisane (tea)
  
  The sushi started off great, but tasted familiar and more standard. It then progresses and becomes more complex in flavor, as you'd come to expect at omakase. There were initial standouts. The isaki had amazing texture and flavor especially coming from the seared skin. Dungeness crab with uni was the perfect melding of flavors. The ebi head was fried to perfection, and it was like eating a potato chip. The obvious but always awesome chutoro and otoro was rich in body and flavor. It's hard to go through this list entirely, but I can say overall that the omakase here was amazing. It's traditional when it comes to fish selection, but something about this was completely unique from alot of other sushi I've had. You shouldn't be disappointed if you ever get to try.
  
  To end it all, the fish soup was super soothing and helped aid in taking down all that food. The omakase is really substantial when it comes to quality and portion. The dessert is an ice cream sandwich with green tea ice cream, mochi and red bean paste. The accompanying mint tea was so good as well. They steep several fresh mint leaves in hot water, and the aroma is so strong. It also helps aid in digestion, so you'll definitely want to drink this at the end.
  
  Overall, it was a great time and meal at Kanoyama. The price point is also reasonable next to some other sushi restaurants. I think we each paid less than $200, if not about that much, and this includes the nakochi. Their owner is also the sweetest and friendlest. Consider adding Kanoyama to your sushi destination list if you haven't!