Osakana

This Japanese fish market on St. Marks Place in the East Village offers sushi-grade fish like fatty bluefin tuna belly and Hokkaido scallop, as well as sushi-making classes that make for a great splurgy experiential gift. But our favorite method of utilizing this spot - which has a sister location in East Williamsburg and is connected to great restaurants Okonomi and Yuji Ramen in Brooklyn - is to order takeout. Not only are the octopus-studded chirashi bowls and 8-piece nigiri sets as fresh and remarkable as you’d rightfully expect from a sushi-grade fish emporium, but they’re fairly priced for the quality at $19 and $25 respectively. Give them a call and place an order for lunch or early dinner the next time you decide buttery, marbled otoro sounds more appealing than an unerotic arugula-hummus wrap.