Cuisine: 7 Service: 7 Decor: 6 Value: 6 Overall: 7 This neighborhood Japanese restaurant has been around for quite some time. Over the years, while other competitors have come and gone, they stayed steadfast, serving regulars who have come to expect a good meal whenever they visit. I use to dine here somewhat regularly. I always thought that they have decent quality sushi/sashimi, along with some tasty cooked items from the kitchen. The omakase was just average and I don't come here for that. Service was always good and prices were reasonable. For my most recent dining experience, I would say that not too much has changed, though prices seem a bit more on the high end. Regardless, my group had a satisfying meal on the level we expected. Not blow your mind, but certainly above average and overall yummy. The sashimi we ordered were fresh and well prepared. I thought the giant clam sashimi was particularly excellent. The fried soft shell crab, roast duck, and grilled fish head appetizers were all enjoyable too. Not sure how often I will be back since there is a million Japanese cuisine options nowadays in NYC. However, if I'm looking for a reliable Japanese restaurant in the area, I will always think of Kanoyama. read more

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A mix of the new Japanese on one side and the other you can do a very interesting modern feeling omakase (reservations required). The omakase has a number of initial cooked dishes that were a mix of wonderful starters (clam soup and ceviche, broiled eel, etc.) into pieces of sushi at the end. The fried shrimp was fantastic, and the soft tofu/grapefruit/basil/miso shiso mousse was very good. Baby sea eel was a first for me - delicious. The abalone was ok, but I don't like the cod roe on top. The sushi was all top quality and the matcha mousse was an okay dessert. read more

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Service can be slow, but for the money the sushi special is very good with an interesting selection of fish. They have recently started offering a chef's special menu consisting of a mix of sushi and small dishes, all delicious and costing only $10 more than the sushi special. read more

Very nice Japanese sushi joint, not sure if it got the Michelin *stars* but maybe highlighted by the Michelin Guide six years in a row. Exceptional service, very high quality fish (and delicious shumai as well as miso soup), and very stylish interior atmosphere. Highly recommended if you are in East Village! Was nearby for the world premiere of a film at Tribeca Film Festival I executive produced with Lilly Wachowski directed and written by Andy Fidoten called "Something You Should Know About Me." read more

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IYKYK...Don't understand why this OG East Village legend is so relatively lowly rated here. Another certified NYC classic, I've been going here for a solid 2 decades now. I would venture to challenge anyone to find a better sushi spot in the city relative to the price point. Far superior to any neighborhood spots and frankly superior to a great many hyped Omakase spots I've been to a many time the spot. Rice is consistently perfect lots of carefully selected and pristine fishes that changes daily are available for the delicately constructed sushi and the avocado wrapped lobster roll is likely my favorite sushi roll. A deft hand is also always displayed with the art of deep frying on apps like the scrumptious gyoza and perfectly light yet crispy tempura. The juicy steamed shumai come with a delicious house made Japanese mustard with a delightfully nostril clearing kick. Staff is as refined and professional as you would expect for such a longtime establishment of such consistent excellence. Ambiance is always serene and quiet the perfect place for a good conversations with a friend or small group or a great solo meal being served the seasoned pros behind the bar. Perhaps I should be grateful of this places relatively under the radar status as I've generally found this place to usually be pretty easy to get a spontaneous table at, but I also feel I very much must give a place this great it's flowers. read more

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Kanoyama was one of the best sushi places I've had in the US since coming back from Japan - not surprising given they have a michelin star for their omakase. We got the sushi regular (6 pieces of fish, 6 rolls), sashimi regular (10 pieces if i recall correctly), and the hamachi carpaccio. It was definitely more than enough food for 2 and both entrees came with miso soup and salad. All the fish was incredibly fresh, and the chefs were kind enough to substitute out any shellfish options for me with fish. There are tons of great sushi places in the city but this one felt like a good value for what we were getting. We paid under $100 for 2 and would definitely consider coming back for their omakase at some point for a special occasion. It seems pretty easy to get reservations at this place as well read more

Kanoyama - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

This Michelin-starred spot located in East Village redefines the sushi experience with its impeccable quality and attention to detail. We had the pleasure of trying their sushi special and sashimi special, and the fish was indeed very fresh. But what really set the night apart was the summer special Nakaochi--bluefin tuna rib sashimi that you get to scrape yourself! They provide everything you need to create your own hand rolls: seaweed, scallions, ginger, and wasabi. It's not just a meal; it's an experience that lets you savor the pure essence of fresh tuna in a whole new way. The service is amazing. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or just in the mood for top-tier sushi, Kanoyama is the place to be. We ordered : Soup and salad Corn tempura Nakaochi- Blue Fin Tuna rib sashimi Sushi special Sashimi special Follow @spinx17 for more NYC food recs! read more

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This used to be one of my favorite sushi spots. And although the sushi quality is still great the staff needs to be checked on their food safety protocols. The sushi chef behind the counter was visibly sick. He kept coughing and hiding under the counter to conceal his condition. Needless to say this is not how a food business should operate especially the one dealing with raw ingredients. Hope they get their act together! read more

We came here to celebrate Father's Day. The staff were friendly and very helpful. The place is located at the corner of the street with beautiful outside seating. We sat inside for our meal. They had a number for specials on their menu. We tried the tempura fresh water eel. It was delicious. The fish was crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. We also had this miso fish. It was not fishy at all. I loved the fried lotus roots on the dish as well. It was a great meal for the whole family! read more

Kanoyama - Anago Tempura - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

What a fabulous Japanese meal and one certainly goes down in the books as an exciting meal! Kano Yama is a small restaurant, there is a main room but another small room to the right of the restaurant that was even more private. Which was where we sat, it felt like it was our private area! However we were away from the omakasa sushi bar chefs. But that was ok for us. Before we even got started with our meal, I already placed an order for a medium size tuna rib, the medium size was perfect for 6 people. This is a gigantic tuna rib where you spend your arm strength to scrap off the meat and create little seaweed stuffed with scallions and wasabi delights. We had to constantly get extra seaweed wrappers, scallions, and wasabi- however our server T did an amazing job and was so attentive to us! After our tuna rib fill, then we got started with our apps, which consisted of shishito peppers, karage chicken, agedashi tofu, hamachi kama, we also got 3 orders of the sashimi special. I have realized that I never like sushi regular or deluxe. They never have the good pieces of fish. I only get specials because I know that is the freshest and most unique pieces. The sashimi special came With miso soup and salad (which had one of the most delicious ginger carrot dressing!). Overall what a memorable and unique experience! read more

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Finally decided to try Kanoyama after walking by many times. The atmosphere reminds me of a date night spot as the lights were dimly lit and seating is close together. Service was quick and attentive. Waitstaff did give as much time as needed to browse the menu and was sure to answer any questions. Ordered the bluefin tuna rib and sushi for 2. It took up much of the table space. It came with wasabi, seaweed, scallions and ginger so that you can scrape the tuna meat and make it into a roll. I enjoyed it, and it is something one has to experience for themselves. The quality of the sushi for 2 was not bad. It was chef's choice and 3 rolls. The star of the night definitely goes to the tuna rib. Hope to come back one day for another helping! read more

Kanoyama - Tuna Rib - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Stuffed from sushi and sashimi for 2! This restaurant was very cozy, although it did feel very tight in the main dining area and you could hear a lot of conversation around you. They do have another dining room area which was less crowded. We ordered the shrimp tempura, which was superrrr crispy. The veggies were also coated and fried nicely. Onto the fish! Definitely a large portion for the 2 of us since we already had the appetizer. The sashimi came first, and I loved the presentation. Although not sure why they have 3 slices instead of 2 or 4 for a set that's meant for 2 people (have to pick and choose how to share). The nigiri was also decent, but I think I was pretty stuffed at that point and couldn't enjoy it as much - a lot of the flavors and fishes are very similar. I would have loved to see more variety as they had a lot of white fish, but overall pretty good quality food. read more

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Food 5/10 Very mid sushi. Large slabs but they tasted too fishy, and it wasn't even at a cheap price either. Lowkey feel like my school cafe could do better. Was quite disappointed with what we got. The gyoza was tasty though. The sushi platter for two came with three rolls and nine nigiris. We had to dip into soy sauce ourselves, but the nigiri came with a little bit of wasabi, but I don't think it was enough to cancel out just how fishy everything was. The rice was also hard and not very flavored. Atmosphere 6/10 Typical Japanese restaurant, mid vibes. Service 6/10 It was fine I guess. read more

Kanoyama - Sushi & Sashimi for 2 - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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* Sushi special ($55) - 8 nigiri & 1 roll * Sashimi special ($59) - 9 kinds of fish The sashimi platter is served with a bowl of rice so it's essentially a deconstructed high quality kaisen don. Thoroughly enjoyed all the individual pieces, both sushi and sashimi. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed all the sashimi and sushi since it wasn't an omakase experience. I sat pretty near to the sushi bar so I got to see the sushi chef prepare my platter and he honestly put a lot of thought and effort into it. With that said, it did take more than 30 minutes from the point we placed our order for the food to be served. read more

Kanoyama - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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We visited this unassuming little restaurant for the first time on a Monday night. We had reservations but plenty of folks walked in without one. My family of amateur food critics felt that Kanoyama served us one of the best sushi meals we've had. We had top tier exquisitely presented sushi and sashimi platters, delicately crispy tempura, warm and attentive service and a convivial atmosphere that made it easy to maintain a conversation during dinner. With so many favorite restaurants in NY, it's not often that a new place gets put on repeat for us, but this one just made the list. read more

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One month after eating I was hospitalized for a parasite found in sushi and this is the only sushi restaurant I have eaten at in 2025. It almost killed me I was so sick. Health dept please feel free to contact me. This place should be shut down. read more

Excellent sushi restaurant. The sushi was fresh and flavorful. The Japanese beer options were amazing too. read more

Kanoyama - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

MY STAR RATING 0-5 Service: 5 Food: 4 Space/Ambiance: 3 Price/Value: 3 Just so we're clear on my rating. I rate as 3 stars being average and we go up and down from there based on the whole experience, not just the food. If I'm giving a 5 star review it's because the experience was exceptionally above average from start to end and everything in between. We selected this place because a relative that had gone a week or so before us (for their anniversary dinner) and got the blue fin tuna rib and that was exactly what we wanted because it looked so amazing! We had forgotten that we were trying to go here for their Omakase for a while but COVID killed that dream for us & honestly we forgot that this place was the one we were dying to go to until we arrived and saw the menu. The staff was exceptionally lovely as we were caught in traffic coming from Long Island & said they would hold our table and the rib for us. Such a stress relief as we had been looking forward to this night. What we got: Nakaochi: Blue Fin Tuna Rib Sashimi Ankimo App: Monk Fish Liver Uni In Half Shell with Ikura: Oysters from Maine Seiko Gani: Fried Softshell Snow Crab with Ponzu and Spicy Mayo Narutotai Ginjo Nama Genshu Sake The tuna ribs is quit the scene when it's brought out. You feel like you are in caveman days with this enormous fish rib that's sat in the middle of the table. Rice, seaweed sheets, scallions, and sauce accompany the dish so you can make mini hand rolls for each bite. The meat was fresh, delicious and scooping the raw pieces of tuna from the rib was fun! It's expensive for an appetizer but worth every penny! The monk fish liver is always a favorite and this one seemed extra flavorful which was perfection! The uni, ikura, and oysters were a mouth explosion and we were there for it! Should have probably ordered more but that tuna fin was beyond filling! The fried snow crab was perfectly crispy and sweet and the meat so tender. I have such a love for softshell crab and this dish presented beautifully and tasted even better. We prefer the cold sake and this "Red Snapper" was special. It's an unpasteurized signature Genshu or undiluted (18.5% ABV) sake with a very fruit forward smell and taste with slight citrus notes. It is dry and crispy and I highly recommend trying it at least once if you haven't already! I need to go back again this time for the Michelin Omakase! read more

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No frills atmosphere in the best possible way. Attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly service. Amazing quality and selection. Child friendly. Highly recommend. Will come back. read more

I've been three or four times and am usually wowed by the sushi, by the freshness of fish, its preparation, presentation, taste and the complementary sake list that is extensive. Great vibe from the ambience to the superb staff. Friendly, busy fun, excellent food. A must in NYC. read more

This was my first Michelin Star experience. First and foremost, our server was exceptional and professional. He explained the menu well and provided very quick/thorough service. We started the evening by ordering Gyoza for the appetizer, Sushi for 2, and Salmon Avocado for the entree. Gyoza were pretty tasty. They had a nice crisp and sear on the dumpling skins. Sushi for 2: served with Miso Soup and House Salad for 2. Miso soup tasted very standard, nothing too special. The salad was surprisingly one our favorite dishes of the night. The salad dressing had a mix of peanut butter and sesame sauce with a slightly sweet taste. The sushi for 2 itself tasted like a normal sushi restaurant. There were no pieces that were distinctly impressive. The sushi definitely tasted fresh. Salmon Avocado: cooked avocado on broiled salmon w/mayo. This was my least favorite dish of the night. For some reason, I thought it would have more flavor but the menu item was exactly as it sounded (bland). Overall: Service was perfect! I am glad that this was my first Michelin Star restaurant experience. However, I would not come back because there was nothing particularly special that set itself apart from normal sushi restaurants to warrant the additional costs per dish (besides the Michelin Star rating). I didn't have the chance to try the Omakase here but I am curious how it would taste. read more

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Disappointing Experience- Not Worth the Price I had high hopes for this restaurant, but unfortunately, the experience fell far short of expectations.The prices are extremely overpriced for the quality of food served while presentation was decent, the dishes lacked flavor and felt uninspired - nothing justified the premium cost. read more

A nice omakase restaurant with friendly customer service. The workers are quick and friendly, the interior looks and feels comfortable, and the food is good. They had unique appetizers such as a fried corn mochi, and vinegar jelly in oyster. The waiter provided thorough descriptions for each appetizer. The sushi was also tasty with selections of snapper, sea urchin, tuna, etc. The chefs provided a mix of English and Japanese description. The dessert was an orange jelly with cream. One small thing that would be nice to fix are the flies. There happened to be two flies that were at the tables. They have bathrooms on the first floor and basement. They take card. read more

Cannot beat the sushi quality and fish options here! Really amazing fish. A couple of areas that dampened the experience included service and rolls quality. Every piece of one of our rolls fell apart as we picked it up from the plate - not good. It took forever for a server to take our order but were rushed out of the restaurant at the end/closing time. A+ on the quality of fish but everything else was just ok. read more

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Exquisite omakase dinner. Everything is beyond perfect - the presentation with the use of glass, pottery and the bento box, the selection and freshness of the fish. Chef Nobuyaki has done an outstanding meal. It is really a treat eating here. read more

Kanoyama has really gone downhill. On a recent visit they were out of a lot of things, the fish portions were smaller, and the quality was average at best. One person got a sushi set and it was basically a bunch of the same thing. On top of that, the service (which has always been somewhat surly and inadequate) was just plain awful. Our server was just a miserable slog of bad attitude from the start. Eventually she just decided to stop waiting on us all together and a very nice gentlemen tried to help us but the kitchen kept forgetting the food. Just never again. read more

Nice ambiance & the food is good but service is ridiculously slow. Longtime customer here but seems like the service is just getting worse post-Covid. Shame. read more

Kanoyama - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Mixed experience but crescendoed towards the positive in the second half of the meal. The omakase was well deserved at one star, but the a La carte tables definitely did not live up to the expectation. The tables behind us were loud and food appears to be lower quality. The chef (owner) provided excellent service and the food was excellent across the 20 courses (except the scallop with uni sauce which was simply a disaster). We think the chefs counter should be separated from the a La carte tables since that really made things much worse until people started to leave after 9:30. My favorite of the day was the scallop as well as the toro. The entire experience was around 2.5 hrs and we believe the fourth course (scallop with uni sauce) should be eliminated entirely since it did not present/taste well at all. Another thing to point out was the presentation, the first few courses were presented in an eye popping manner (sashimi on ice, appetizers with flower decor, love the design). Again, a mixed bag as the ambiance was disappointing but paired with descent food. Service was excellent, could really feel the attention to detail from our Japanese waiter. Food 4/5 Ambiance 3/5 Service 4.5/5 Price 3.5/5 read more

Kanoyama - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Fresh, high quality sushi. I've eaten on-site and ordered takeout. Food is consistently good. Some of my faves are the miso cod appetizer, the spider roll, and the dragon roll. Great neighborhood sushi spot. read more

I had really been looking forward to trying Kanoyama based on reviews. But now I think I get the answer why there was no more Michelin stars earned these two years. It was a chaotic and unsanitary sushi restaurant. The food was nothing special, with a increased price but much less food quality. We sat at the sushi bar in the back with chef's omakase. - We had a reservation at 545, we arrived at 535 and were made to wait 10 minutes at a separate table so another party can arrive and be seated at the counter together. Was told the "chef was not ready yet". - Got served a hot towel with yellow streaks on it. - The chef and server's fingers were all lacerated and looks with ringworm of the nails which was annoying for me. - Sushi part was absolutely disaster, the rice was soft and mushy and it was falling apart. - The quality across each piece were extremely inconsistent, with no cohesion from one piece to the next. The chef would often left awkward breaks in the middle. It took us three more hours to finish the whole menu. And when the second round customers arrived, we were told to leave the counter to finish our dessert. - There was a guy (amigo) kept washing the dishes behind the counter (which should done in the back of the kitchen?) The service was poor too, our server was brusque. I ordered one more bottle of the sake in the middle, they gave me at very end of the dinner. After the tax and tip, it cost $300 pp, not worth it. Very disappointed, definitely won't be going again. read more

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Made reservations here on a Friday relatively early. I didn't want to work anymore than I had to, and also we wanted to make sure we were able to get the tuna ribs. Yep. See pictures below. This is an appetizer. But for light eaters, it is definitely not. And you have to love maguro/tuna. Or get additional things from the menu. It is straight up what it is: tuna off tuna ribs lol. PROS: - life experience you can't get elsewhere except for another restaurant uptown that is way pricier. - fresh. You're scraping it off the carcass yourself - good bonding activity with friends - unlimited nori (seaweed wrapper) and rice CONS: - $40pp and it's per share, not per order. Example: you order "3 portions of tuna ribs" and the total will be $120+ not including tip, and they bring out ONE carcass. - you better LOVE your tuna handrolls bc it is the SAME thing. I changed it up and asked for some mayo and hotsauce/sriracha. This was key bc essentially I made my own spicy tuna handrolls hahaha. Had a lot of people stop and ask what we were eating because we also were seated right in front of the entry (we asked to sit outside and the other tables only sat parties of 2, we had a party of 3). I mean...I loved the experience. The staff was always attentive, they were always present. You're ultimately paying for the experience. Man, if I could take home the bones I would've but we were headed elsewhere for dessert and it would stink. Would I come here again? Yes. Would I get the tuna ribs again? Maybe...with different groups of friends and definitely ordering other things off the menu! read more

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This long overdue review is for their 1-star Michelin omakase offering on 07/17/2019. I am a sushi fan and have had several omakase experiences prior, but this was my first Michelin-starred experience (of omakase and of any restaurants). It was a great omakase experience with varied selection and great tasting toppings (neta). Chef Shinakai's style was properly edomae, no interesting sauces and addition, simplicity and purity seemed to be the theme here. He made the ginger (gari) in house. The one memorable thing to me even after 2 years was when he presented me with a live shrimp, which he then swiftly turned into a nigiri for me to eat, and then not long after the head of the shrimp was served deep fried! I should one day give it another visit, but if you are on the fence, I'd recommend giving the omakase a try. read more

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This is a wonderful and unexpected find. My three friends and I dined here on a Sunday night - one of the two nights Kanoyama does not do their famous omakase. We were pleasantly surprised - if not a bit overwhelmed by the Sunday specials. We ended up defaulting to the classics- Shumai, hamachi kama, black cod and the sushi & sashimi platter for two--- and let me tell you it was amazing. Every piece of our super basic order was OUTSTANDING. We will be returning to try to omakase soon! Pro Tips: - Try the Black Cod, you won't go wrong. It's buttery amazing - Omakase is served on Tuesday to Saturday ONLY read more

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Just a wonderful experience ~ had the black cod app and the sushi for 3. Everything was excellent. Kanoyama is our go to sushi restaurant. Highly recommend! read more

Loved our experience here! Sushi was very fresh and service was pretty good. They were slammed on a Friday night so forgot our gyoza (the only knock on them). We got sushi for 3 + a regular sashimi for a group of 4 and there was plenty of food! Comes with miso and salad so we ended up being perfectly full at the end of our meal. read more

TLDR: A sushi restaurant of two worlds. The front is great for high quality casual sushi and the back houses the Michelin-starred sushi bar that serves a top tier omakase. Good for a special occasion or if you're just looking to satisfy your sushi craving. I love Kanoyama. If you're eating in the main restaurant, ask for the maguro nakochi or tuna rib. I've been eating at Kanoyama for many years but only recently had the pleasure of dining at the rear counter. The rear counter is in the back dining room so it can get a bit loud, especially on a weekend night. However, you're so busy watching chef prepare each piece that you kind of forgot about your surroundings. Chef Noboyuki Shikanai is laser-focused when he serves that back counter. It was mesmerizing to watch him move, slice and form each piece. I didn't take many photos here because the omakase started when he appeared out of nowhere. Nigiri in his palm and simply said "fluke" then waited for me to take it. Each piece he described the fish and how it was dressed. His pace is good because you're not waiting endlessly for the next piece. There was nothing he served I didn't like and.. I got the fried botan ebi head too! Dessert also came with the meal which was a monaka (rice cracker) ice cream sandwhich with mochi and red bean. So good. If you're eating here for casual sushi, you absolutely must get the maguro nakochi or tuna rib. It's around $50 to $60 depending on the weight. The tuna rib is presented with a stack of nori, wasabi, scallion and spoons to scoop the tuna off. Here's a tip, order a side of sushi rice and have yourself a hand roll party. When you're done getting the easy meat off, they'll take it in the back and grill the rest of it. It's a twofer! Their standard rolls though are pretty great. Kanoyama is one of those restaurants that you do for literally any occasion. An excellent spot in the East Village. read more

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Was recommended this from our sightseeing tour guide Roger. Did not disappoint. Though they have a Michalin star, do not need to be highly dressed to get in. We walked in with no reservation and did not wait on a Sunday night. EVERY SINGLE THING WE ATE WAS AMAZING. The sushi for 2 was a great way to taste the quality of the fish. You could taste the freshness and everything was so tender (as sushi should be). The rolls that it came with was a spicy tuna, California, and salmon cucumber. Was so happy to have this as our only sushi in NY and coming from Florida, there were very few places I've been to that can compare. read more

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Had a very pleasant dinner here. The staff was very accommodating - there's an indoor and outdoor option and we opted for indoor. The sushi is very fresh! Was not disappointed. read more

Kanoyama - Sashimi Regular - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

This is an OK Japanese restaurant . Their sushi and sashimi was pretty standard but quite fresh.to my disappointment they didn't have sweet shrimp, scallop or fatty tuna in the shush and sashimi set. The gyoza was delicious. I saw the other tables having the tuna backbone which was quite interesting, and maybe that's what this place is famous for. read more

Kanoyama - Sushi & Sashimi - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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This review is for their late night RAMEN! Nobu San has done it again! The ramens are truly amazing- definitely one of the best ramens in the city and comparable to ramens in Tokyo. the north is rich but not too salty. The egg is cooked to perfection and is melty in the yolk. The ramens are around 17 dollars and you can add a mini rice bowl to the ramen (this combo is around 25). The portion is on the smaller size but considering they start serving ramen at 11pm on weekdays and midnight on the weekends, then the portion is pretty big hahaha how much can you really eat at 11pm at night? DEFINITELY WORTH A TRY!!! read more

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