SUSHI BY SCRATCH
Location: New York City
On Offer: Tucked behind the unmarked door within a graffitied vestibule on 21st St. is the newly unveiled Sushi by Scratch. The New York outpost of the omakase concept takes cues from its locale, juxtaposing the dimly-lit sensibility of city with traditional Japanese elements.
Designed in-house by the family-run team, the space unfolds like a matryoshka doll; guests enter the candlelit whiskey bar—where chef Phillip personally laid the brick and draped the Japanese fabric from the walls—before continuing deeper into the restaurant. Dark tatami panels give way to burnt cedarwood, where cabaret lighting puts meticulously prepared sushi center stage.
Standout Features: At the Brooklyn-made butcher block counter, chef Lee guides guests through the 17-course omakase menu designed as a “concept album as opposed to a playlist.” Ingredients are scrupulously sourced: fresh seafood from Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market, brown rice from Doyuuno Farm in Koyama prefecture, and sea salt from Big Tree Farms in Bali, known for its low salinity and effervescent crunch.
Highlights include hamachi doused in sweet corn pudding and sprinkled with breadcrumbs, and unagi fried in rendered bone marrow and brushed with handmade poblano yuzu kosho. To finish, pastry chef Margarita’s matcha bonbon, a Makrut lime, white chocolate, and shortbread confection, paired with umeshu plum wine tea with smoked lavender honey and yuzu.
