Shuko Review: Masa Alums Spin Luxury Sushi

Street vendors in Tokyo disrupted sushi tech in the early 1800s with the introduction of nigiri, the bite-size clusters of rice shaped by hand, covered with pieces of raw fish, which they served as inexpensive fast food to the city’s working class. Before this, sushi was mostly built like a layer cake, compressed and sliced.

Nigiri has come a long way since then, but the best-in-class are still spun in front of you, delivered bite by bite, ready to pop directly into your mouth—it’s just not so cheap, or fast. At Shuko, a sparse, luxurious sushi counter near Union Square, an omakase (chef's choice) marathon of about 20 pieces—mostly nigiri, with a few nori-wrapped rolls and a piece of sashimi here and there—costs $135 and lasts over two hours.