Food was amazing. The fish is fresh and the rice is warm. The Japanese uni was awesome. The wagyu uni was next level. The madai crudo made the list. They also have fresh wasabi. Overall stoked I came here. read more

We made an impromptu reservation for 8:45pm on a Saturday night and they were able to seat us around 8:15! I was so excited because I was so hungry at that point. We were seated at the bar - tight space but not unexpected. It was brightly lit and a big open space, not a ton of seating but it's giving fast turnaround. I don't know if it was because it was a rainy day but it was noticeably humid inside. We got the 3 roll set for $18, and they allowed 1 substitution with an associated charge if the substitute was higher priced. Overall pretty decent, I liked the salmon crispy rice appetizer we got! They topped with a little chili oil, really nice. I don't think I would 100% want to come again - the fish didn't feel as fresh and maybe it was just the feeling of being so humid inside. Still a great option for the area - the service was quick. read more

A neighborhood restaurant recommended to me by a Japanese friend. The ingredients are pretty good and is solid for the price, but still a bit more expensive than I expected for a casual spot. We went on a Friday night and they were soon filled after 7pm with people waiting in line. They have a lot of Japanese alcohol available too so I think some come for that. read more

Douska - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Such a cute little spot with amazing food! It's not easy to find vegetarian hand rolls made with soy paper, so this place was a great find. Everything tasted incredibly fresh and flavorful. The service was fast, and our server was really friendly too. read more

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Hand rolls were okay.. heavyyy on the green onion. Never heard of an automatic 20% AFTER TAX tip for a party of 2?? Won't be returning read more

I came here based on my friend's recommendation and with her for dinner. I'm so glad we came here because it is also now one of my favorites. They have a good amount of seating inside with sushi bar seating and tables as well. We sat at the sushi bar because we loved watching them work. I got the crispy rice spicy salmon, and the crunch tuna sushi roll. It was so delicious. I also tried my friend's salmon hand roll and it was so good at the end of my meal I also ordered one. A really solid spot for sushi! read more

Douska - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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really good value meal. the temaki platter is beautifully presented and it's really fun to make your own handrolls. It's also so much food - I was so full after! Favorites were the spicy tuna and nigiri like pieces (tuna, salmon, yellowtail). The rice itself was also delicious - definitely sushi rice texture and a bit vinegary. Miso soup was also good!! The toro was not very fresh though and the scallop was doused in sauce, and I also did not like the fish that basically had sriracha on the top (top middle piece). Overall though, not bad and really good value. and super fun! read more

Douska - temaki - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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A wonderful, small-ish non pretentious hand roll / sushi spot that comes at reasonable prices. I got the 5 roll Matsu combo ($30). The rolls are very well made, flavorful, and delicious. My favorites were the spicy crispy tuna and the crab. They were all unique and wonderful though! The Temaki Set ($53) is SO MUCH FOOD. Service is swift and polite. All around a great spot for a casual dinner :) read more

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Low key omakase with great service and fish is very fresh! I started with the sake flight which I enjoyed. For food, we had the crispy rice and madai crudo which were both delicious. We then got the matsu handroll set which was the perfect amount of food however, I ordered another spicy scallop handroll because it was so good. Definitely make sure to check out the bathroom as they have a heated toilet and cool plant window! read more

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Reasonable prices with decent quality Look, we all know this area is absolutely saturated with Japanese restaurants. You can throw a rock and hit three different sushi spots, so it takes a lot for a place to truly stand out to me. I stopped in for dinner and decided to go with the 5-Hand Roll Set (though they have a solid a la carte menu and some great-looking sake flights if you're thirsty ). The absolute highlight here is the pacing. There is nothing worse than ordering hand rolls and having them all arrive at once, getting soggy while you work through the first one. Here, the chef is literally watching you. They make the rolls one by one, handing you the next one only after you finish the previous one. Because of that, the quality is insane. The nori is still warm and crispy, offering that perfect "snap" when you bite into it, contrasting with the cool, fresh fish inside. read more

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Went for a quick solo lunch on a weekend and it was pretty empty so I was able to get seated right away without a reservation. Really affordable temaki sets! I got the Douska six handroll set for $38 before tax and tip. Would recommend and go again if I'm ever in LES! read more

Douska - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Douska is a cozy, casual sushi spot known for its hand roll sets, crispy rice, and unique Tamaki platter. I tried the Douzo set, which includes six hand rolls. I appreciated that they allowed one substitution (with a price adjustment). Overall, everything was solid, but nothing particularly stood out in terms of quality, flavor, or freshness. I usually love scallop hand rolls, but here the scallop lacked flavor and relied too much on sauce. Writing this review about a month later, I realize nothing about the meal was memorable. Personally, I prefer hand rolls with less rice and sauce so the freshness of the fish can shine more. The portion was filling enough, though I would've liked an extra roll or perhaps a soup or salad to start. While I don't plan to return, Douska could still be worth a try if you're a fan of crispy rice or hand rolls. Prices felt average! read more

This place probably has my favorite food in all of New York. I always get a few a la carte hand rolls and the fish is so incredibly fresh and perfectly prepared. I love watching the chefs prepare the food and love that the restaurant isn't too pretentious or stuffy. To me, it's the best of the best. read more

Douska - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I've been here twice and I... can't really find anything special about this place. I think it's at a good price point for New York, but the quality is pretty much what you'd expect at this price point (nothing special). I got the 5 hand roll set both times and wasn't disappointed but wasn't wowed by it. I think one weird thing is that the seating in the restaurant is quite narrow. We were a party of 5 the second time I came, and we were seated at the bar despite there being two open tables in the outdoor dining section that could seat 6 (in fact, the entire outdoor dining section was open except for one table of two). We asked twice if we could be seated in one of the two open 6 person tables, but the waitress both times said that we couldn't because it was their policy (and the second time was slightly annoyed when saying it). We were a bit confused by what that meant and figured it was just reserved for someone else, but no party ended up sitting at either table. It was a bit odd... probably wouldn't really come back again. read more

Douska - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Quality has definitely deteriorated since I have last been here. My favorite crab handroll is not as creamy and delicious as I last recall, most of the rolls were just not as tasty anymore. I was annoyed that all the rolls were coming out faster than I can finish and enjoy the previous one, causing the seaweed to get a bit soggy. read more

I really wanted to like this place more than I did. It's a very hole in the wall, no frills sushi and hand roll restaurant. We had a reservation on a Friday night for 2 people. We arrived and had to wait in this awkward hallway area for a couple of minutes before just asking if we could sit at the bar. It took a very long time for someone to take our order. We ordered the crispy rice, tuna crudo, and a couple omakase sets. The crispy rice was my favorite and also the most affordable. The quality of all the food itself was very good but the slow service and uninviting atmosphere made this experience unpleasant. read more

Douska - Tuna crudo and crispy rice - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Came in without a reservation and we got a nice seat at the bar. We ordered the set and the 6 hand roll set. Everything to me was okay, after a while all the fish kind of tasted the same. I feel like they didn't need that much sauce/marinade on everything. My boyfriend really like the DIY hand roll set. Service was good and they constantly were making the hand rolls as I ate. Felt less traditional than a normal omakase bar. For the price, it wasn't too bad. $53 for the DIY set and $38 for the hand rolls. read more

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Cute little spot to sit down and relax. They make the sushi right in front of you, which is fun to watch. The service was super down to earth and kind. I just had a salmon hand roll and a bite of my friend's tuna crispy rice, but it was a solid sushi spot overall with good prices. read more

As said before, I was unsure why I wrote the old review review as I was going back in a few days. Anyway, I went back for their Temaki Platter or build your own handrolls, with each of us ordering said set. This used to be $50 (and apparently $40 years ago) and it's gone up to $53 and it's still a steal. This came with two pieces each of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, striped bass, crab meat, scallop, albacore, toro, and spicy tuna which was all served with a decent/pretty standard miso soup as well as of course rice and ample amounts of nori. If you add it up, it's 18 different pieces which is pretty crazy for the price point. The spicy tuna/toro/crab meat all consist of an ample sized ball while the rest consist of two large pieces outside of the scallop which consists of a large piece split into three pieces. Most of the fish was properly cut though two pieces were connected of one (I believe the albacore) which was unfortunate. There was perhaps a bit too many sauces on them and there's a few too many tuna types but hey you get what you get at this price point and the fish tastes good. The negitoro was probably my favorite but they were all tasty. If you want to get full, get this though he Douzo set + an ikura roll is probably the tastier option. read more

The hand rolls were delicious -- tried the negi toro, seared salmon, spicy tuna, avocado, sweet potato. The plates come one at a time and while I feel badly for whoever has to do the dishes, it is nice to be able to enjoy the rolls on their own. I would describe the interior as pleasant and simple but bordering on sparse. The chairs aren't particularly comfortable and at least at the tables, it isn't the sort of spot you might linger. It feels as though this place could be a welcome surprise in an underground train station as much as a neighborhood spot. Nevertheless I would take minimalistic over flowery any day. Attentive and efficient service. Would happily return. read more

So delicious! Super fresh hand rolls and such a wide variety of choices. I loved that there were appetizer options and dessert options too. Service was friendly, fast, and efficient. Their bathroom was also stunning and clean. Overall ambiance was small, intimate, and cozy. 10/10 would come again! read more

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This is my go to spot for handrolls in NYC. Reasonably priced and is never too packed that you can't walk in (but I must say it was oddly slammed when I went today). Grab a seat at the bar for the best vibe. Staff is super friendly and efficient. The food is delicious and really fresh. I've tried 50% of the menu on my many visits and can attest that quality is high even after 2-3 years. read more

Was craving a bit of sushi so we stopped by Douska after making a reservation earlier in the day. After years of passing by back and forth the restaurant in the LES area we were happy to finally give it a shot. Douska isn't huge inside but it offers bar seating, table seating and it also appeara they kept their outdoor seating setup from the pandemic as well. Service was consistent and top notch. Since this was our first time here, we ordered the Douska and Douzu handroll sets and added a couple extras just so we can try a little bit of everything. Some of my favorites were the uni, wagyu, and ikura. All the handrolls were prepped right in front of us and were so delicious and fresh. One thing I observed was that a few of the handrolls differed in size depending on what was ordered. Some were thicker and more filled and some were thinner depending on the type of handroll being ordered. We finished our dinner sampling with the hoji tea cream brulee. It was delicious, not overly sweet and keeps you wanting more (in a good way). Overall we enjoyed our experience and will add Douska to one of our more affordable sushi restaurants downtown. Not every Japanese restaurant needs the omakase model and pricing in NYC and Douska remains an affordable option. read more

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Food Service and Ambiance was 10/10, came on a Monday afternoon and shared the Sea Bass special roll, and Ume hand roll set was to die for. The last handroll "crunchy tuna handroll" was magic! Thank you chefs and waitresses def coming back with my partner. read more

I've visited a hand full of times so I think it's safe to say, (in a butchered British accent) "can I have some more please". Although the place looks dingy it definitely does not disappoint. The fish is fresh and they know how to whip up amazingly delicious treats. It would be nice to sit out if it's wasn't all boarded up but luckily eating inside isn't a deal breaker. So pop a squat and pig out. Ive tried just about everything and I'd recommend the more tastier options (imo) like the monk liver fish, mentaiko and maguro natto. Trust me, if you're adventurous :) Enjoy. Overall looks don't match the price but it's a great lesson in not judging a book by its cover. read more

Douska - Omakase set 6/15 (sakana) - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Came here on a whim after having an omakase a short walk away (that didn't completely fill us up). This place had great reviews and we were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't too busy a little after 7pm and we were able to walk in and get seated right away. We got the scallops sashimi which was quite disappointing. It did look very nice but the scallops didn't taste too fresh. On the contrary, we also tried a hand roll set and everything tasted so fresh and delicious! We got the Sasa set which includes 4 piece hand rolls - yellowtail, salmon, albacore, and crunchy tuna. The staff maybe didn't hear us and thought we had gotten the 3 piece hand roll set but was kind enough to amend it later on. Come Again? I'd come here again! I love finding places that don't need a reservation and you can get seated without a wait which is oftentimes rare in the city. I'd probably stick to just the hand rolls though! read more

Douska - scallop sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Had a great sass meal here. The seaweed is hard to break so you really need to tear it. The fish is chewy and delicious. Really tasty. Personally don't love hand rolls because it's just not filling enough for me. You always need more! Service was incredibly nice. A bearded man in a flat-brimmed hat was super kind to us. Attended to us well, got waters. Great guy. read more

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Popped in here on a Saturday afternoon, no wait at all! Highlight of lunch was definitely the uni hand-roll! Generous servicing or uni for only $18, which is cheaper than most restaurants especially given the portion size. Wagyu uni was also amazing- wagyu serving is also generous. Highly recommend checking this place out! read more

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What a great find. Luke was our server. He had tables inside and outside the restaurant including the bar area. He was attentive and fantastic. The sushi chefs were amazing as they continuously worked patiently and gracefully without skipping a beat throughout the evening. The sushi was delicious and the sake we ordered, Brooklyn Kura paired so elegantly with every dish. The restaurant is located on busy Delancey Street, but well worth the experience. read more

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This place was not for me. I was here on a Friday night with three other people. We found a lot of our food very fishy which makes me question how fresh their seafood is. The flavor pairings were also not to my liking. The tuna yuzu truffle dish was oddly oily. The wagu beef and uni roll was probably the best out of the 8-9 items we ordered. And even then the uni had a bitter aftertaste. We were seated outside even though we had reservations and even though it was covered and had overhead heating it was still very cold. They were also severely understaffed. The two waiters were swapped. But they were very nice, the two stars are for their professionalism. We waited close to 30 minutes to get our first item and the whole experience took over 2 hours. I don't think I would be going back. read more

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We got seated relatively quickly (30min prior to our reservation). The outdoor seating was perfect for our party of 5 since most of the tables inside were 4 or less or 8-10 bar seats. Majority of us got the douzo combo, which was honestly a very standard price point of $35 for 6 rolls. My personal ranking of the rolls we got in this combo: 1) Hokkaido scallop 2) Shrimp tempura 3) Crab meat 4) Negi toro 5) Yellowtail 6) Snapper Honestly, the quality is comparable/slightly less tasty than other hand roll places in the city (Kazunori for example). read more

Douska - Negi Toro Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

This is a pretty afforable sushi/handroll spot in LES. The fish they used was also pretty fresh and the handrolls were a good size. Ordered the Douska and Douzo set and added an eel handroll at the end and left feeling pretty full. We called ahead and made a reservation since it was a saturday night but it was pretty quiet at 6:30. The server checked in with us pretty often and refilled our waters and ginger. We sat at the bar and watched each handroll get prepared. Finished the meal off with a Hoji Tea Creme Brulee! It was light and very enjoyable. Would definitely come back since we were able to get a good amount of sushi for the price! I did enjoy it more than Kazunori! There's a lot more variety here. read more

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I have been to Douska a number of times, and keep coming back for their exceptional hand rolls. Fish quality has always been excellent, and I especially love the snapper. read more

The restaurant feels cozy on the inside. Service was all right in the beginning but slowed down significantly after we got our food (dinner) on a Saturday evening. The most special dish out of what we had was probably the cucumber appetizer. The toro and the Ume hand rolls were good but didn't seem too special. This place is okay. read more

Douska - Ume handroll set - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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My two adult children living in the city suggested we go. Glad they did. It's sits in a Lower East Side unassuming store front. It may not be for everyone if you are looking for high end hospitality. It's small and casual. The food is very, very good. It has just a few small tables and about 12 sushi bar seats available. The menu is easy and the service is friendly. I had the Sasa, four hand rolls (yellowtail, salmon, albacore and crunchy tuna). We each had miso soup (cold winter day) and shared edamame with green tea salt. My daughter loved her scallop hand roll. My husband loved the wagyu hand roll and the I Love NY roll. The rest of us favored the crunchy tuna hand roll. Overall, high quality food. Very reasonable prices. Warm, casual service. Really, really good for a casual meal. read more

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Super fresh fish. I was surprised by how delicious this place was for the price. Their prices are super reasonable and I love that you can sit at the counter while they make everything in front of you. I've already been back twice! read more

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A spotless island of tranquility in a busy - and often dirty - neighborhood too often plagued by loud inebriated people. You won't find anybody ruining your day at this beautifully run Japanese spot specialized in hand rolls. They have plenty of choices to satisfy your tastebuds, including 8 different types of hand rolls combinations (2 omakase are offered). We went for their $28 Matsu, which showcases 5 hand rolls: yellowtail, crab meat, snapper, albacore and negi toro. We also added eel. They were all very good. I found that some hand rolls had sauces that were a bit overpowering, and didn't allow me to really taste the fish. They were delicious nonetheless. I'd definitely go back and try other options. I'm not sure whether or not they are busy during peak hours, but if you show up at opening time (12p), you'll likely have the whole place to yourself. PS. The restroom has a tiny Japanese garden! read more

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Would not come back because the food is highway robbery considering the quality and portion. There's much better places in the city for quality, food, or value. TLDR; I played hide and seek with the fish in my hand rolls. The sashimi portions are appallingly small considering the cost of a hand roll. You can normally see the fish poking out from the rice at other restaurants (and no it's not just stacked here instead of spread thinly). If the portion is that small, I'd expect the quality to be great, which it wasn't. The seaweed also lacks the expected bite because sometimes they'll let it sit by the chefs even when you're sitting on the counter right next to the finished hand roll. I'm genuinely surprised by the number of great reviews for this place and feel quite disappointed and confused. Let's hope it was just a fluke...something tells me it wasn't. read more

Douska - Example of a roll. Sashimi portion is so small you can't even tell there's fish inside based on this photo. Terrible. - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Stumbled across this place with my sister and we were super excited to try the hand rolls. We chose the 5 hand roll option which came with a variety of different fish. I swapped my crab for albacore because I typically don't love crab. Man was this a great decision! This place was sooo delish. Every handroll was a hit. And they made it with such art. Each had a different topping / sauce which made each one so unique. I honestly think I could have eaten 10 of them! read more

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Unfortunately, kind of mediocre. The service was good, and it was easy to get seated on a Wednesday night, but the food didn't live up to my expectations. I had the Matsu Temake Set. It included five hand rolls for $28. My favorite was the Yellowtail. The nori got pretty soggy on all of the hand rolls- it wasn't crispy at all. Maybe the nori would've been more fresh if we were seated at the bar. The Spicy Salmon Crispy Rice wasn't bad. I would've preferred a little more crunch to the rice but the dish had nice flavor. I think the bar area of the restaurant is really cute, but the rest of the seating is lackluster. The patio area outside looked nice, but the inside kind of reminded me of a dungeon, with cardboard covering all the windows by the tables. read more