Mike S.

**** MILESTONE 1,000th YELP REVIEW **** Inatome is a classic - my cousin's husband turned me onto this place in the 90s when it was strictly a hibachi (teppanyaki) spot and I've been a handful of times. In recent years my buddy Gordon Y has probably told me every time I saw him that I have to check out the Omakase here. My bad, I slept on it for a while, until he finally texted me to join a group dinner on a recent Friday night where we took over the entire Sushi bar. I waited a bit to write this to make this my SPECTACULAR 1,000th YELP REVIEW EXTRAVANGAZA! (cue the music, dancers and fireworks.. wooot woot!) Unfortunately my writing is probably not going to do this milestone review or Inatome's omakase justice because simply put it was fantastic. The beautiful cuts of fish with little embellishment, well made rice, the friendly service and comfortable vibe all with a Sapporo draft in hand... and just $85 to boot! (incredibly, only slightly up from $65 when Gordon wrote his review in 2020) This is certainly my idea of a perfect night. The dinner was a long one, very leisurely, with ~18 courses spread through the night. I asked Gordon a couple of times if this is typical and he insisted that it is. We did get some special treatment - since Gordon nearly makes this his second home - by way of a bowl of tender delicious beef tendon (something they have on hand thanks to all the hibachi they serve). It doesn't make too much sense to comment on the specific fish we were served (since it tends to change with what is best available) but it was a wide variety (see pics) I was extremely impressed with the quality, deliciousness and respectable cuts. For example, I appreciated the way Chef Nobu informed us that chutoro was a bit sinew-y to him, but he made cuts in the fish for a better mouth feel and to improve the flavor - it worked. If this all sounds like something you need in your life then I suggest you make a reservation this summer. My understanding is Chef Nobu may be moving on shortly (Don't worry the omakase will continue with the same quality and skill under a different sushi chef). This is one of the most fantastic Sushi deals in and around NYC where it is getting increasingly more difficult to find reasonable Omakase that is worth your time and money. Many Thanks to Gordon, Chef Nobu, Inatome and the many fish that made this all this possible.

Jeannie T.

5 stars for their Omakase Dinner service at the Sushi Bar counter. Chef Nobu was our Sushi Chef for the evening. He was very friendly and hard at work the whole evening prepping each course. It's literally the best value in town for an omakase dinner. Twelve courses at a value price -- be sure to make a reservation! The group I was with reserved and occupied all of the seats at the bar so it was an intimate dinner for 8! Thanks to my Yelp friend Gordon Y. for suggesting and planning. The sake options, martini combos, and Japanese IPA beers were all excellent. The classic hot green tea was a perfect compliment to each course. We started off with a very appetizing salad tasting, included spicy salmon over a toasted rice cracker, a mini cucumber salad with bean sprouts and topped with fried chili slivers. Even the radish as garnish was edible and beautiful. Omakase courses: first up, the Shishamo tempura (Hokkaido smelt) served with wasabi salt was a new taste for me. Never had wasabi salt before and it was amazing. I need a jar of that! Next few courses: Tai fish (red seabream), black sea cream with lean Bluefin tuna, followed by a rare and fatty tuna (which the chef painstakingly removed the sinew and tendon from each piece, known as hagashi toro. Then we had: the signature Shime Saba mackeral with lotus root and shiso leaf. Loved! There was a shrimp (ebi) with crab tamale (and miso paste) which I'm allergic to but they substituted my piece with toro and a portion of fried squid. Both were delicious. Continued with the amberjack (yellowtail), salmon belly with spicy yuzu pepper (totally recommend), and a personal favorite, uni from Maine, served with a shiso leaf (it was sweet and creamy). There was a second mackeral course, this time it was Sawara, a Spanish mackerel served with a garlic crisp and daikon radish. And a third mackerel course, Aji (horse mackerel) with scallions. A surprise dish added into the tasting, for a supplemental cost, the beef tendon. This was so tender and so delectable!! You must try it! Followed by a piece of hotate (scallop) which was lightly seared. And a piece of ika sushi (squid). We had a sushi break and each received a bowl of mushroom soup. By this time, I was really getting full. Then the last two courses from the sushi bar, chopped toro with scallions, tukuan, with radish and ikura, ended by a combination plating of the tamago (Egg omelet) and unagi (grilled eel). We finished the meal with a choice of dessert: assorted flavor ice creams - so many options! I recommend the hojicha and green tea. So if you're still not convinced you have to go here, check out the photos I've posted. A wonderful meal and attentive staff. (They also serve hibachi and a la carte sushi, a regular dining room menu if you're not going for the omakase).

Sam Y.

We made a reservation for 8 people (full sushi counter, could squeeze in a 9th) for omakase. It does get noisy since the bar is not really closed off, and you can hear the sound of the hibachi. Plan your seating accordingly, because the ends of the counter will not be able to converse. For the nigiri, the rice held together well, and was well seasoned. The fish were fresh. We got: -Ankimo: love the saltiness from the seaweed and brightness from the lemon. Not as creamy as I like, but good flavor. -Vegetable and Cod Tempura with Wasabi Salt: Great batter to filling ratio. The batter was crisp. The wasabi salt reminded me of wasabi peas, so you definitely get a kick but not overly strong. -Sea Bream: topped with lemon and salt. -Black Sea Bass: was seaweed marinated, which amped up the oceany flavor . -Bluefin Tuna: great texture. -Fatty Tuna: also great texture, can tell the difference in fattiness. -Mackerel: mixed with shiso leaf, beet marinate lotus, sesame seeds. Overall balanced flavors. -Rainbow Runner: I hadn't heard of this before! -Botan Shrimp: slight char, great texture and sweetness. One of my favorite seafood. -Uni: creamy, lighter in flavor. -Fried Shrimp Head: crisp and unique! -Salmon Belly: with kosho, perfectly lightly charred. -Horse Mackerel: topped with grated daikon marinated in yuzu. -Scallop: lightly charred like the salmon belly, I think I'd like it better not charred, but that's personal preference. -Beef Tendon: this was extra. It was super tender, and reminded me of Korean beef soup. -Bonito: topped with garlic chip. -Squid: paired with a shiso leaf. I would have preferred without the shiso, as it overpowers the squid. -Salmon Roe, Tuna and Pickled Daikon Handroll: love the crunch of the daikon! -Eel and Tamago: the eel was a softer texture than I like, it has a good amount of eel sauce. The tamago had a lovely eggy sweetness, and I can really taste the mirin. It was a bit cold. -Dashi Soup with Shiitake: there was a hint of yuzu, and I would have preferred it without it. Have to let the dashi and mushrooms shine! -Ice cream (vanilla chocolate pistachio orange sherbet hojicha red bean green tea): I went with hojicha. It was a little too sweet for me. I do wish the pacing was a bit quicker. It was 3 hours total for us, wish it was closer to 2 hours. Good spot for sushi, and hibachi, at the price point. No parking lot, but haven't had an issue with residential street parking down the block.

Gia H.

I had the omakase set curated by Chef Nobu and every piece of the 16 course set was delicious. All of the ingredients are high quality: the fish, veggies, and even the wasabi is freshly ground. The service by Nobu is exceptional and easy-going. The omakase bar is closed off from the rest of the restaurant so it feels cozy and private. Although each dish is small, by the end of the meal I was stuffed - in the best way possible.

Jeffrey E.

Second time that I've been here and it did not disappoint. Just as good as I remember it. The Chef put together another great Omasake menu and I particularly enjoyed the Red Seabream, Bluefin Tuna from Boston, Hokkaido Scallop, Spanish Mackerel, Salmon Belly, and my personal favorite Yellowtail. Don't forget to get the Hojicha Icecream at the end! I'll be back again!

Jennifer S.

The food was very underwhelming. The hibachi show non existent. The service was as good as the food. Bland dry and over cooked. Our hostess rushed us to make an order in spite of us just walking in. For the price of dinner I would have been happier with a McDonald's happy meal. To be honest my friend felt the same way . Don't waste your time or money. We are off to have a slice of pizza . We couldn't even stomach to eat it.

Shirley L.

Price for the food is reasonable. We had one cooked appetizer and the rest is sushi and sashimi. The sushi and sashimi were just okay for us. The rice that came with the sushi and chirashi was not the usual sushi white rice. It looks like brown rice, but it's not. It's some sort of seasoned white rice. It was a busy Saturday evening and it seems like they were understaffed because the service was slow. But they didn't rush us.

Joe P.

Hidden gem alert!! Our friend knows the owner and arranged for a special OFF MENU omakase dinner here and it was amazing!! If you are coming here just for hibachi, you are missing out! Their sushi was amazing!! Here is everything we had: Baby scallops salad Vegetable Tempura Sea bream Baby amberjack Bluefin tuna Toro (forgot pic! ) Mackerel White GT Shrimp Horse mackerel (better than any mackerel we have ever had) Shrimp head Salmon belly (SO GOOD) Scallop torched with butter Squid Eel cucumber Egg sushi Mushroom dashi soup Roasted green tea ice cream with red bean paste Chef Nobu explained what all of the pieces were, which was helpful because I had not had a couple of these types of sushi before. Everything was so fresh and had amazing flavors. Our host provided unlimited sake and whiskey, Which went so well. The dessert was roasted green tea ice cream with red beans, which I had never had before but will need to get again very soon! Amazing night!!

Cathie P.

There were so many more dishes, but Yelp only allows 10 pictures! This was by far the best Omakase experience I've ever had! Chef Nobu explained every piece. I don't normally like mackerel or Uni, because I find them generally too strong flavored. I gave it a try and I'm so glad that I did. I have become a convert! I'm used to dousing sushi in soy sauce but you didn't need it for most of these pieces. I'm almost afraid to leave this review as there's a limited number of seats at the sushi bar... It looks like they have hibachi here as well which I'm sure is good, but the winner is the Omakase. A lot of sushi restaurants are not serviced by Japanese. This is the real deal! Come, enjoy!

Everything is amazing food and staff.the chefs are amazing especially Georgie n carlos. Feels like family when you are here

Jennifer H.

Excellent omakase and hibachi!!! Sat at the sushi bar with the hubby. I had sushi omakase and he had steak and shrimp hibachi. Both excellent in quality and execution. I just got back from visiting Tokyo and the ambience reminded me of Japan. Fish was super fresh and rivals top omakase restaurants in NYC. Highly recommend!

Tomer S.

Such an awful experience. Came here because of the reviews and maybe I set my expectations too high. The Hibachi food comes with friend rice...nice? no, apparently, friend rice at this place is white rice and soy sauce, if you want an egg in there its another $2. The broccoli was clearly frozen and was more like broccoli paste. everything was over cooked so bad that the cook burnt our food and the hibachi table. They only have 3 ingredients, salt, pepper, and soy sauce on everything. When I asked for a little bit of garlic, I was told this is Japanese food not Chinese. When I asked the chef to not over cook the rest of the food, he smiled and asked if I'm a cook, then proceeded to talk about me in Spanish to other Spanish speaking individuals. We ordered our steak medium rare so he cooked it on the cool side of the table, resulting in poached steak. the highlight of our meal was a perfectly seared slice of tomato. its funny to me since they know how to sear a tomato but not a steak.

Alyssa C.

Love the ambiance of this restaurant. As my friend said, they do a great job of embodying the theme of Japan. This goes for the decor indoors as well as outdoors (it's dim in my pics, but they have a cute artificial pond, and the architecture gives you a feel of being in Japan). You get a variety of dishes in your order. With my chicken katsu dinner, I enjoyed potato salad, fried rice, and soup and salad with my chicken katsu. I had a lot leftover to take home (my fault, for having a late lunch prior, but that's another story). I was happy to have delicious foods to enjoy for later, but I realized later that they didn't pack my katsu sauce! :( Well, it's tasty regardless - the sauce just enhances the chicken. Like I said, love the ambiance - it's overall a serene place for a delicious meal. There were a few times, though, that unattended little kids were running through the restaurant, and I wish an employee did something about this. Thankfully no one was bumped into or hurt, but that stomping noise was a bit disturbing. Didn't note any desserts on the menu (was full anyway when asked about additional orders), but if there is, I would love to try it when I return! Also would love to try the hibachi!