"Tomoyuki Hayashi brings Sushi Azabu's Edomae discipline to an eight-seat Midtown counter — book it to impress a client."
Sushi Amane opened in 2017 and reopened in 2021 under chef Tomoyuki Hayashi, who had spent twelve years leading the kitchen at Sushi Azabu downtown. The counter seats eight. Dinner is a single $200 omakase that changes daily with what flies in from Toyosu market, built around four small dishes, nine nigiri, a hand roll and miso soup. The restaurant has held one MICHELIN star, and reservations open about a month out and vanish in minutes.
Tomoyuki Hayashi apprenticed under sushi masters in Tokyo before moving to New York, where he ran the kitchen at Sushi Azabu for twelve years. In 2021 he took over the eight-seat counter at 245 East 44th Street, on the lower level in Midtown East.
The omakase is built around four small dishes, nine nigiri, a hand roll and miso soup, opening with the small plates before the nigiri run. Hayashi works exclusively with wild, sustainable fish, and two courses stand out: nama-yuba, a silky soy-milk skin that takes several days to prepare, and Japanese uni paired with Kaluga caviar. The rice is seasoned with red vinegar and served close to body temperature in the Edomae style. One seating is $200 before sake, with two services a night and eight seats each. The single MICHELIN star undersells a counter this serious; the precision shows on every piece.
The counter is a quiet, low-lit eight seats of blond hinoki wood on the lower level, reached by a stair from the street entrance. Sound is hushed, close to silent during the nigiri run, with conversation kept low out of respect for the chef working an arm's length away. Lighting is soft and focused on the cutting board. There is no real table spacing to speak of; everyone sits shoulder to shoulder at the wood. Dress is smart-casual, and the pace is brisk across two seatings, so latecomers throw off the rhythm.
Book Sushi Amane to impress a client because the format does the work for you: eight seats means undivided attention, the MICHELIN-starred counter is a name serious diners recognise, and a $200 omakase signals care without a wine-fuelled spectacle. Reserve the first seating so conversation can continue after. Sit your guest beside you at the counter, not across, so you both watch Hayashi work. For a livelier sushi alternative, Sushi Nakazawa runs a bigger room. Compare counters in the best sushi worldwide guide.
Not for a long, chatty group dinner. The counter seats eight, the omakase moves fast across two seatings, and the room expects quiet attention on the fish, not a running conversation.
Yes, if you value sushi craft over atmosphere. Chef Tomoyuki Hayashi led Sushi Azabu for twelve years, and his nama-yuba and uni-with-Kaluga-caviar courses rank with the best Edomae sushi in New York. At $200 the omakase is high but fair for this pedigree. The eight-seat counter is austere, so come for the fish, not the scene. See the best sushi guide.
Book online through the restaurant's site, where new dates open roughly a month ahead at noon Eastern. Eight seats over two seatings means inventory is tiny and clears fast, so log in at release time. Weeknights are slightly easier than weekends. Cancellations sometimes reappear within a few days of a date, so check back if you miss the drop.
Smart-casual. There is no jacket requirement, but the counter is an intimate, high-end setting, so neat clothing fits the room better than shorts or athletic wear. Avoid strong cologne or perfume; it interferes with the delicate aromas of the fish, and you are seated inches from other guests and the chef.
The omakase is $200 per person before drinks, tax and tip, covering four small dishes, nine nigiri, a hand roll and miso soup. Sake and beer are extra, and a pairing pushes the total higher. It is one of Midtown's pricier counters, in line with chef Tomoyuki Hayashi's Sushi Azabu pedigree. Payment and reservation deposits are handled at booking.
Edomae craft. Chef Tomoyuki Hayashi is known for nama-yuba, a soy-milk skin that takes days to prepare, and Japanese uni served with Kaluga caviar. Red-vinegar rice served near body temperature anchors the nigiri. The Edomae style and Hayashi's Azabu pedigree define the counter more than any single fixed dish.
Sushi Amane seats eight per service with two seatings a night. New dates open online roughly a month ahead at noon Eastern and go fast.
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Sushi Amane sits in our global list of counter-only rooms, where the meal is the chef working an arm's length away.
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