Ushiwakamaru

I've heard great things about Ushiwakamaru and have been wanting to try it for a long time! And I'm sad to say that I was severely disappointed when I went this past week for dinner.

I was pretty set on the omakase and prepared to spend about $80-100 on dinner. For good sushi, I was ready to pay the price. But I left hungry and disappointed instead.

To clarify, I wasn't disappointed in the quality of the food or the service. On the contrary, both were very good! Every piece I got was delicious and I was very satisfied in that respect.

But for what I paid for dinner, around $100, I was still starving by the end and felt that I could've gotten much more food if I went somewhere else. I started off with about 10 pieces of sashimi and then went on to have 5 pieces of sushi. At the end of that, the chef informed me that the omakase is over. I was stunned! I barely ate anything! That was more like an appetizer to me!

The waitress came by to ask me if I wanted to continue. And since I gave myself a budget before sitting down, I asked her how much was everything I just ate. She came back with an outrageous number - $58!!! I definitely don't think I ate $58 worth of sushi and sashimi! The chef didn't even give me anything spectacularly expensive pieces that I saw on some other people's plates! Since I was still soooo hungry and under budget, I asked for 5 more pieces. That amounted to about $80. So I went for a negitoro roll to try to fill me up without costing me a fortune.

In the end, I spent $100 and felt like I was only half full. I definitely have gotten a better deal at Sasabune, which is around the same quality. And maybe even Sushi of Gari, since their pieces are much much larger than Ushiwakamaru.

In a city with SO many great sushi restaurants, Ushiwakamaru really isn't competing very well, IMO. You can find similar quality elsewhere for much better value. There also wasn't anything special about Ushiwakamaru that blew me out of the water. So why should I pay more for something I can get cheaper elsewhere?

Just thinking about it makes me hungry :(

PS: Oh and forgot to add... I ordered the special uni appetizer of the day cause the menu said it was special and super awesome (and I loooove uni)... I NEVER GOT IT! Siiiiighhhhh

Best selection of rare fish one can find in soho

I used to come here until I couldn't live in NY anymore.

If I could still live in NYC, I would come here weekly!

My now wife and I would come here all the time. Best date location ever!

I miss Ushiwakamaru ;/

I am excited to say that Ushiwakamaru will be re-opening at its new location on Aug. 24, 2015!!

Last night I went to the opening party and it was so delicious! I can't wait for its official opening and hang out there!

Chelsea is lucky to have a top rated sushi restaurant!

The best omakase sushi in New York City, hands down. Like, legit. This place rocked my socks off. I knew better so when I walked in, I managed to grab 2 spots at the sushi counter. This isn't my first time at the rodeo people! I know that in order to have proper omakase, one must sit at the sushi counter.

The service was amazing and once the sushi started coming

I
was
in
heaven.

Wooooooow. Words cannot describe this sushi. I eat it like 4 times a week (sometimes more). I know what I'm talking about. This is a place you can go even if you are not a HUGE fan of sushi. They make it so right that even the pickiest eater would enjoy themselves here. The sushi counter I believe is omakase ONLY so be prepared to have your senses and tastebuds be taken to a whole other level. Thank me later!

YUM.

Ushiwakamaru has just re-opened yesterday.

That was soft open and Hideo-chef said will open next week(8/24).
New place is on 23rd Street near 9th Av(362 W. 23 St).
Sushi was same excellence as before and larger place and more sushi bar seats.
I can't wait for full open.

I was alone... in Soho... craving sushi. Enter Yelp App. The choice was obvious 200+ reviews, 4 and a half stars.

I walked in right as they opened and was seated immediately at the sushi bar. I dug through some of the reviews and decided the pro-move was to go omakase. Just set a budget ($100 seems about right) and let go... you'll find it quiet liberating.

My sushi chef delivered some of the most exquisite nigiri and sashimi I've ever tasted. Many pieces were from fish I had neither heard of nor tried before... like the Japanese parrot fish (a little chewy) or the needle fish (awesome). Things do seem to take their time, so don't expect your meal to fly to your table. Bottom line: I highly recommend this place.

NYC really doesn't lack upscale sushi places but getting bar seating for an omakase can still be challenging. For the big dogs like gari, yasuda, and nakamura, you'd need weeks prior for reservation. Ushiwakamaru relatively flies under the radar so with a bit of luck, I was able to reserve a seat in the bar for prime time dinner.

Ushiwakamaru is small and crowded, but the clean and crisp wooden decor and the less obnoxious customers makes the dining experience pleasant. The restaurant doesn't give off vibes of extravagance (like 15 East). The chair I sat on was wobbly and cheap.

All this does not take away from the quality of the sushi. By no means am I an expert at expensive omakase, but the fish they offer here is different. Some sushi I did not recognize *at all* and even after the chef told me the fish's name, I still had no idea without consulting Google (right in front of his face, because I'm rude like that.) I overheard the Japanese couple next to me say they have not experienced better omakase even in Tokyo. Strong compliments.

My favorite pieces were predictably the fatty ones, specifically the red snapper and the fat tuna. There were some inconsistencies however. For instance a few pieces had way too much wasabi and I straight up teared up. No chef, that was not from happiness. Also its worth mentioning that the chefs don't speak much English and do not actively engage you, so small minuses to the experience. The bar was completely filled up during my entire stay. The timing of your sushi is random ranging from 40 secs between pieces to 5 minutes. My 11 piece omakase took an hour to complete.

In the end I was still impressed, satisfied, and happy. The sushi were innovative but doesn't stray far from traditional, creating a good balance. The sake menu is extensive and you get to choose your own sake cup (awww). The dessert menu includes the most green tea-ish icecream I've ever had, mochi and redbeans, and Lady M mille-crepe (wtf?).

If you're looking to splurge, Ushiwakamaru is very deserving of your dollar.

I am brand new to Manhattan and didn't have anyone to dine with on my birthday, but wanted to treat myself to a nice dinner. So I booked myself a seat at the sushi bar for omakase (chef's choice).

It was busy without feeling crowded, and the staff were quick and helpful. The chefs were preparing sashimi and sushi in front of me and I got quite excited as it looked so fresh and they were clearly masters of their craft. I was not disappointed.

I ordered seaweed salad, which was simply transcendental once the citrusy ponzu laced dressing was poured over. Just gorgeous. The omakase then proceeded. Chef asked me what I love/like/dislike (tuna/everything/nothing).

I was presented first with a sashimi selection with the freshest fish I've ever had in my life. Ever ever. I was absolutely floored. I had red snapper, bluefin tuna to die for, horse mackerel, and octopus (served with ground salt and pepper). All were delicious and melt in the mouth. I savoured every bite.

I noticed the couple next to me had different things when they received their sashimi plate, including scallop and shrimp, which both looked amazing too. I think chef makes every customer's omakase selection slightly different based on your preferences and his whim. Keeps things interesting!

I then had a parade of sushi, with each piece being presented to me as it was created, one by one. They were unbelievably good. Toro, soy-marinated salmon, torched eel, fresh shrimp, roe... I can't remember them all but what I can tell you is that each piece was damn near perfect, the meal was well-paced, and that you definitely receive enough food to fill you up but not feel overstuffed.

I finished my meal with a glass of plum wine on the rocks, generously offered to me as a birthday surprise. The chefs were friendly and the mood was warm and inviting.

I paid ~$120 including a glass of wine, tax and tip. Money well spent for the finest Japanese I've ever eaten.

I highly recommend this place. Great for a date or catch up with a friend. Not so much for groups over 4 people. They told me it becomes a noodle bar after midnight, too. I can't wait to go back.

I went here last night for a very nice sushi dinner. I did not have a reservation, but I was still able to secure a seat at the sushi bar with Kurihara-san as my itamae. Not bad.

I decided to order the 15 piece sushi special for $50. But as that only includes sushi and no soup, I started off with the clam soup. The soup was the only real miss of the night. It was one giant clam served in a cup of hot water with garnish. The clam meat was tender, sweet, and tasted of the ocean, but making it into a soup failed to add anything.

The nigiri was of very high quality and I was introduced to new items -- always welcoming! For example, I never had needlefish before or kohada. But they were both excellent. I really enjoyed the salmon roe, the uni, the toro, and the king crab as well. Just excellently prepared and all of very high quality. The shrimp and sea eel were just okay. Overall though, I was very enthused with this restaurant. It may be the second best sushi I have ever had, but it is still a bit behind Sushi Yasuda (sorry).

For dessert, I opted for the green tea ice cream. Robust in flavor and just delicious. The only miss here was the detection of a few stray ice crystals.

They have Kirin Ichiban and Sapporo on draft at $5.50/pint which is a very good value. I had two of these, but Kurihara-san put me to shame. When offered a very, very large glass of beer, he drank half of it in one gulp! Apparently he does drink like a fish -- very impressive!

All in, dinner came to $90.

This is one of those rare reviews where I whole-heartedly disagree with my beloved Yelp community. Before I begin, in order to provide full disclosure, I ate Sushi Azabu's Chef Omakase a week before and, yes, that wonderful meal was still lingering in my mind when I ate at Ushi.

I made reservations for a Friday night at 7PM for three people. The hostess called Friday afternoon saying they could no longer honor my reservation time. No problem, my schedule was flexible so I opted for an earlier dinner at 6PM. The hostess was extremely apologetic and ecstatic that I could move the time, which made me, the customer, feel appreciated. When my buddies arrived at the restaurant (I was running late), the hostess continued her apologetic demeanor, almost to a point of deference. At this juncture, you're probably asking why I'm stressing this situation so much, well: 1) it is always nice when a restaurant owns up to their faults; and 2) it was pretty much the only highlight of dinner.

Sitting at a table, we settled on the 10 piece omakase, which turned out to be $65 (there was no 10 for $60 option). Specifically, we requested otoro (fatty tuna), uni (sea urchin) and ikura (salmon roe). The chef started us off with a plate of sashimi that featured white pike, red snapper, shrimp and another fish. The slices were unremarkable with no real wow factor from any of them. I didn't share the oral bliss that other Yelpers experienced.

Our next plate was the Nigiri (check the pictures). We got our requested otoro, ikura and uni but they were unspectacular as well. The otoro was finely marbled, but thinly sliced. The portion was also the problem with the ikura and uni. The ikura roll at Azabu was was like the Macy's Forth of July fireworks celebration when it popped in my mouth. The ikura roll at Ushiwakamaru was like the mini celebration at your local park. Good, but not spectacular.

Overall, Ushiwakamaru's omakase did not stand up to Azabu's. I understand the price differential ($100 vs $65), but the quality and quantity was far superior at Azabu, greater than the implied 35% discount. Plus there were around 18 dishes at Azabu (vs 10), including grilled otoro, otoro sashimi and otoro handroll as the meal capper.