Last year, Atlanta lost what many there considered its best Japanese restaurant. But the Big Peach’s loss is the Big Apple’s gain: Chef Sotohiro “Soto” Kosugi has brought his act to New York. His West Village restaurant, which opened in May, exudes the quiet confidence of a big fish. With no sign, its white facade is easily missed from the street, where it’s wedged between a taqueria and a shoe store; and inside, there’s hardly more fanfare — just a sushi bar, tables, and white walls. Even for a beloved third-generation chef, to come compete in the crowded Manhattan market is a bold move. Watching Mr. Kosugi work — hollowing out a lime with superhuman deftness, or arranging rice with his lean fingers — one has no doubt in his ability. Every night at the bar, sushi aficionados place their appetites in his hands, to the tune of an eight- or 12-piece chef’s-choice tasting menu ($48 or $58).