Giving “hidden gem” a whole new meaning, a six-seat Japanese sushi restaurant is inconspicuously tucked within the jewelry department of Saks Fifth Avenue. Go down to the basement of the store, stroll among the lavish diamonds and head toward the returns where, beyond a black curtain, you’ll find Hōseki.
The name translates to “gem” in Japanese, arguably making it the most literal hidden gem this column has ever seen. Hōseki’s path to landing in Saks is unconventional, inspiring, and a series of happenstances that could only occur in a city as full of opportunity as New York.
Like many recent success stories, Hōseki was born during the peak of the pandemic. It all began when Maxwell Weiss, a graduate of Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, was stuck at home after his place of work, like many in the city, shuttered in March 2020. Lockdown had many people reevaluating what was important to them, and Weiss was no exception. His passion for Japanese cuisine came to the forefront, so he married it with his expertise in hospitality to create Ten Homakase, where he brought the omakase experience — a multicourse sushi chef tasting — to people’s homes.
During his run with Ten Homakase, a rare opportunity presented itself for Weiss to open an omakase spot inside Saks Fifth Avenue’s jewelry department. Hōseki opened its doors in June with its name and logo giving a nod to its unique location.
Hōseki offers a 12-course omakase. Immediately after preparation, single pieces of nigiri or handrolls are placed on green art glass podiums in lieu of plates. A blond, white woman prepared the delicate pieces of fish — not exactly the face you expect to see preparing sushi. In awe, I watched her squeeze finger limes onto Canadian spot prawns, zest fresh yuzu onto scallops from Hokkaido and roll sweet, succulent crab in a crunchy seaweed wrap.
They say you eat with your eyes first, and when someone prepares your food directly in front of you, it inarguably elevates the taste. The herbal, earthy scallop nigiri ended up being my favorite bite of the day, but it had stiff competition in the buttery fluke from Montauk, bluefin Akami from Spain and briny uni from Maine.
New York is full of secrets, but among the best kept is Hoseki head chef Morgan Adamson.
Chef Adamson took an unconventional path from her hometown of Battle Creek, Mich., into the sushi world. She got her associate’s degree in science with intent to be a nurse, but life threw some curveballs that led to a temporary move to Texas. When she returned to Michigan, she became a barista and realized she really loved working with her hands. In 2019, she found a new calling when she began working at a Japanese restaurant in Michigan and decided to go to culinary school in New York City.
Though she didn’t know Weiss yet, her life was also disrupted when the pandemic led to the school shutting its doors. Still in Michigan during this time, she didn’t give up her dream and applied for a job opening at Kissaki. Since she didn’t have a ton of experience under her belt, she sent photos of the dishes she had been making in Michigan. Kissaki flew her out for a trial shift and she got the job. While working at Kissaki, guests told her about Ten Homakase.
She picked up some shifts with Weiss’ company on weekends here and there. When he first approached her about working at Hōseki, Adamson at first turned it down. But eventually they reached a sweet enough deal to get Adamson behind the counter, and the rest is history.
Everything about Hōseki is detail-oriented, from the incredible team behind it to the edamame chopstick holders to the dishes themselves. Even the green hand-blown glass podiums the sushi is served on, which were handcrafted by Adamson’s grandfather back in Michigan. Hey, working with their hands seems to run in the family.
If you want to dine here, you’ll have to be proactive. Hōseki is only open five days a week for four seatings of six, meaning only 120 people will dine there per week.
- Address: 611 5th Ave, New York, NY 10022 (Inside Saks Fifth Avenue)
- Phone: N/A
- Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 12 p.m.- 4 p.m. closed Monday and Tuesday
- Prices: $95
- No takeout, no delivery; Reservations available via Resy (daily seatings at 12, 1, 2, and 3)
Have a suggestion for a great hidden dining gem in your neighborhood? Reach out to Kaitlyn with your recommendations at nomannomad.net@gmail.com.
