Sushi Nakazawa alum opens up an affordable sushi counter in midtown
New York has no shortage when it comes to sushi restaurants. But when it comes to finding sushi that prioritizes sourcing and fresh ingredients while still hitting an accessible price point? That’s where things can get a little tricky. Guy Allen ran into the same issue. While Allen was willing to spend big bucks on sushi—the former real estate agent once flew to Tokyo because a reservation at a restaurant opened up—he reckoned that there was still a gap in the market.
“I think everyone who eats sushi, the majority of the time, you just want something good and quick and affordable. No one wants to sit for three hours every time you’re eating sushi, right?” he tells Time Out New York. “Or if I just want to watch a movie on a Friday night, let me get some good takeout. It was hard to find even places that were average quality.”
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Using his connections with suppliers and distributors he met along the way, he launched Sendo in 2021, a direct-to-consumer sushi operation that worked well during the height of the pandemic. But when he realized the wholesale model wasn’t working out, he thought back to the type of sushi restaurants he loved in Japan—fast-casual, standing counters where fresh quality sushi can be had at an affordable price. Scouting for a chef that would fit the bill, he reached out to chef Kevin Ngo, a former alumnus of two of New York’s finest for sushi: Sushi Nakazawa and Sushi Ginza Onodera. Today, the duo opened Sendo (876 6th Avenue), an Edo-inspired sushi counter for the rest of us.
Hidden behind a nondescript black door on the second floor, the 10-seater counter space can be found up a flight of narrow wooden stairs. A former threading and beauty salon-turned-restaurant, Sendo, like most New York spaces, is tight. To your right, you’ll find a small kitchen barely hidden by curtains. To your left, the counter with just 10 chairs. Looking to emulate the minimal sushi counters of Japan, Allen used AI to produce “several thousand” iterations of a space. However the end result is a relatively simple design decorated with dark walnut wood from Japan, soft lighting and a black marble counter.
And as for behind the counter? Chef Kevin Ngo bar is stocked with quality ingredients mirroring higher-end sushi restaurants. Here, premium fish is sourced from Tokyo’s Toyosu market while rice is flown in from farms in the Niigata and Hokkaido Prefectures. Small-batched vinegar and sauces aged with Japanese kelp and citrus are made in house. And on the plate (or in this case, the bamboo leaves as Sendo doesn’t use plates) features Japanese sea bream, springy Hokkaido scallops and the delightfully buttery Alaskan botanebi with roe. But even with all this, the price here doesn’t go higher than $50. Three handrolls are priced at $18 and cap at $28 for six. Meanwhile, the curated Sendo Sets—which feature nigiri, handrolls and kaisendon or a rice bowl dish inspired by the Edomae chirashi—start at $32 and tap out at $45. All the sets plus the a la carte nigri is also available for takeout. And with only 10 mouths to feed, chef Ngo can have you in, fed and on your way in 30 minutes.
And while the day-to-day dealings are more affordable, don’t be surprised if Sendo dabbles in higher-end pop-ups down the road, evident in their April pop-up with legendary Tokyo sushi chef Hidefumi Namba (attached with the legendary price of $1,000 per seat). But for now, Sendo is here to bring us good sushi in good time. And for that, we are grateful.