Signage is up at 411 Amsterdam Ave. (between 79th and 80th streets) for One Bite Omakase, set to replace Bardolino Pizza after last year’s closure. The space was previously home to T&R Pizza.
One Bite Omakase’s Instagram page describes the new establishment as “contemporary premium omakase” at a “modest price.” The restaurant’s name seems to reference the omakase etiquette of eating each piece in one bite.
So what exactly does “modest price” mean? A recent post says the forthcoming eatery will offer a 13-course meal for $89 per person. The post also mentions chefs John and Jason, who have apparent experience working at Masa NYC and Blue Ribbon. Masa NYC, located in the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle, was once named the most expensive restaurant in the country by Eater.
Omakase means “I leave it up to you” in Japanese. With the chef in full control of each course of the meal, most traditional omakase restaurants do not have menus.
READ MORE: A New Cafe Opening at the Ansonia
“Few formal dining experiences are as revered or as intimidating as omakase,” a 2021 Michelin Guide article states. The piece goes on to quote a line from “The Story of Sushi,” a book by Trevor Corson: “Omakase is what the sophisticated customer says to the chef when settling down at the sushi bar.”
One Bite Omakase enters a sushi-crowded area of the Upper West Side, with Momoya, Sushi Ishikawa, and Sushi Nokoya all within a block of 411 Amsterdam. Omakase is available at both Sushi Ishikawa ($175 per person) and Sushi Nokoya ($120 – $175 per person).
There’s no word yet on an anticipated opening date. Follow One Bite Omakase’s Instagram page for more info.
