The omakase sushi counter, where the chef dictates a procession of pristine bites, has proliferated across New York at a startling pace. Once a rarefied splurge, the format now spans every price point, from budget counters to temples charging hundreds per seat.

The democratization has brought the experience to far more diners while raising the overall standard. The fictional counter Ao in the East Village made waves with an affordable omakase that critics said punched far above its price.

Purists worry that rapid expansion dilutes the craft, and quality varies widely across the boom. But the format's intimacy — a handful of seats, a chef arm's length away — has made it one of the city's most coveted dining experiences, at any budget.