We took the hush out of high-end sushi.
SourAji started with a simple frustration: the best omakase in New York was priced like an occasion and paced like a library. Xu Lu and Jake Weng wanted the same grade of fish in a room you would actually want to spend a Friday night in.
The first counter of its kind in New York.
When SourAji opened at 23 Avenue B, nobody in the city was serving unlimited premium omakase. The economics were supposed to be impossible: you cannot hand out endless otoro and A5 wagyu for a flat $100 and stay open. The fix was not cheaper fish — it was a tighter operation.
Every seating is 90 minutes, which lets a small counter turn cleanly and lets us buy at volume from the same suppliers that stock the city's most expensive rooms. Encore rounds come out a few pieces at a time so nothing sits and warms. And the leftover charge means what we buy gets eaten rather than binned.
The result caught on faster than we expected. Within a year, the East Village room was booked out weeks ahead, and a second counter opened at 177 9th Avenue in Chelsea to take the overflow.
What has not changed is the feel of the place. The chefs still talk to you. The music is still on. You still leave a bit too full, having drunk a bit too much sake, having eaten fish you would normally save for an anniversary.
Who runs it
The founders.
What we hold to
How we run the counter.
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Grade first, always
Bluefin, Hokkaido scallop, A5 wagyu and seasonal Japanese catch. Unlimited never becomes an excuse to trade down on quality — the encore fish is the same fish as the set.
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Cut to order
Nothing is pre-portioned and left waiting. Rice is seasoned in small batches and held at body temperature, fish is sliced when you order it, and aburi pieces are torched in front of you.
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Zero waste, honestly enforced
The $10 leftover charge exists so we can offer unlimited premium fish without throwing it away. It is the only rule we ask you to respect.
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A room with a pulse
Music, conversation, chefs joking across the counter. We think great sushi tastes better when nobody is whispering.
Two counters, one flat price
Ninety minutes. 14 courses. Then as much as you like.
$100 per person, tax and gratuity additional. Weekend seatings go fast — book the room you want before it's gone.