Beloved Upper East Side Market Opens New To-Go Sushi Spot

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — After more than a century on the Upper East Side, the beloved specialty shop Butterfield Market has pivoted in a new, somewhat unexpected direction: sushi.

The doors opened on Thursday at Butterfield's new "77th Street Sushi Shop," a to-go store on the northwest corner of Lexington Avenue. The small storefront was previously home to Butterfield's "express" store, and is a few doors down from its main market that opened in 1915.

Sibling-owners Joelle and Evan Obsatz said the idea was born at Butterfield's other location on Madison Avenue, where they noticed sushi flying off the shelves. Moreover, they sensed a gap in the Upper East Side's otherwise extensive dining scene, with no grab-and-go sushi spots anywhere in the neighborhood.

"The quality’s high, we’re very proud of it," Joelle Obsatz told Patch. "We just felt it was something the neighborhood was lacking."

Besides traditional sashimi and hand rolls, the menu includes poke bowls and salads, dumplings, tempura, soup and more. The head chef, Tsering Dawa, is "super creative," and plans to create a rotating menu with daily specials changing throughout the week, according to Evan Obsatz.

Thursday's opening came after the owners renovated the storefront's interior, resulting in a "chic and fun" design with products arrayed along the right-hand wall, Evan said. Customers will also earn rewards points with each purchase, usable at Butterfield's main markets.

The sushi shop will be open daily, from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekends.

Related coverage: Butterfield Market Opens 2nd Upper East Side Location: Photos