Thanks to Ilya Kapovich for the tip and photo!
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A storefront that used to handle your dry cleaning is about to start serving you sushi.
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Iki Sekai Omakase, a new 14-course Japanese tasting counter, is opening at 1203 Second Avenue, between 63rd and 64th streets. The space — tucked next door to B&B Bagels — was most recently home to a dry cleaner. Its first service is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, and reservations are already live.The pricing may turn some heads. At $85 per guest for 14 courses, Iki Sekai is arriving at a notably accessible price point for Manhattan omakase, where tasting menus regularly climb into the triple digits and well beyond. The menu leans on seasonal Japanese fish and seafood, with ingredients sourced both locally and from Japan, according to the restaurant.
The kitchen is led by two chefs with downtown and Brooklyn pedigrees. Chef Gary Ke comes from Kinjo, the 14-seat omakase and cocktail lounge set inside a former torpedo factory in Dumbo, known for its seasonal sushi program and one of Brooklyn’s more unusual spirits lists. Chef Po Shing Ng joins from Ito, the 16-seat Tribeca counter that built its reputation on a modern, inventive take on traditional sushi.
Iki Sekai — which translates roughly to “stylish world” — is promoting its menu as chef-curated and seasonally driven, with offerings spanning sashimi, nigiri, and other Japanese specialties. The team says it can accommodate a range of dietary needs, including kosher, gluten-free, dairy-free, pescatarian, shellfish allergies, and soy sensitivities, if noted at the time of booking.
Seatings will run daily from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., with four time slots per night. Reservations are available now through Resy.
You can follow along with the restaurant on Instagram as opening day approaches.
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