Sendo, a new Edo-inspired, fast-casual sushi counter is opening soon in NoMad. Guy Allen is the owner of Sendo, and Sushi Chef Kevin Ngo, who previously worked at Michelin-Starred Sushi Nakazawa, will lead the culinary program.
What Now NY connected with Guy Allen, the owner of Sendo, over the phone to learn more about Sendo.
Before solidifying the idea for Sendo, Allen ran a business in the wholesale seafood industry. Allen had been inspired by the way that restaurateurs in Japan prioritized high-quality ingredients. There were some hiccups he encountered running a business based on transporting fresh seafood across an ocean, but Allen knew he was moving in the right direction.
As time went on, he realized that his true aspiration was to make an accessible, engaging and high-quality sushi experience for people. Allen wanted to bring an affordable fast-casual sushi concept to New York.
“In Japan they have a popular model of Sushi bars where you can walk in and out within 15 minutes and eat an incredible meal,” said Allen. “I saw how successful this was in Japan and knew it would also succeed in New York.”
Sushi chef Kevin Ngo has created a menu featuring sets of nigiri, handrolls, kaisendons and chirashi bowls. Allen is particularly excited for the signature Sendo Don. The dish starts out as a rice and seafood bowl with toro, salmon, ikura, scallop, shrimp, and uni. Once guests are halfway through their bowl, a chef will top it off with a delicate hot sea bream broth to get an entirely new sensory experience for the second half of their meal.
“The ingredients we will use at Sendo set us apart from other affordable sushi options in the city,” said Allen. “In the United States, the core of traditional sushi is usually an afterthought, but for us the ingredients come first. We import award-winning rice from Japan and create homemade sauces that age for five days before serving. Sendo is made up of extremely qualified chefs working with high-quality ingredients.”
Per a press release shared with What Now NY, “Sendo is the first restaurant whose design is created entirely using AI technology.” Allen elaborated on what exactly that process looked like.
“I knew for this concept we wanted a minimalistic vibe that felt like a Kyoto-style wooden den,” said Allen. “The menu emphasizes simplicity, and we wanted the interior to be simple too. Initially none of the designers seemed to capture the vibe that we wanted. I experimented with visual AI engines, and over a month we input 1,000 different prompts until it looked like what we wanted. That rendering inspiration was then sent to our architects, and that’s how Sendo got its design.”
The space is only around 300 square feet and will have just ten bar seats for people to enjoy a quick meal. As the service will be quicker than your typical sit-down sushi spot, Allen hopes to be able to serve around 120 people night. While the quarters are tight, guests can expect a lot of their dining experience.
Allen shared plans to potentially expand Sendo’s concept in the future.
“This concept has a low overhead cost but can put out a lot of volume,” he said. “One of the beauties of this model is that because Sendo is so small and affordable, I think it has a lot of demand. Most neighborhoods have a go-to sushi spot, and we think there’s an opportunity to be in most neighborhoods in New York. The feedback so far has been positive. Depending on how things go, we might look at bringing Sendo to a new neighborhood as soon as next year.”
Sendo will be open from 11:30am-2:30pm for lunch and 5:30pm-10pm for dinner. Takeout and delivery will also be available through their website. A grand opening is taking place on July 12.
