I was a little nervous to try this restaurant because I'm a picky fish eater. I will say I was very…read morepleasantly surprised by the delicious food! The time and attention to each piece was incredible. They also accommodated my specific food restrictions! I loved the hip hop vibe and decor too. Service was incredible and I left feeling very full. 10/10 experience.

We had Chef Jack and the overall experience was A+ Tier! Grateful the wait staff were willing to…read morewait for us (we were 15 minutes late to our reservation). Music was bopping and not too loud and the vibes were a good time. - Nanju Bijin Sake - (A Tier), sweet finish, floral and pairs well with the sushi - Yellowtail - (A Tier), gentle and sweet - Lean tuna - (S Tier), savory, sweet ginger paste definitely balances out flavors - Spotted prawn - (A Tier), silky smooth with sweet taste. Great butter finish - Salmon roe - (A Tier), surprisingly mild on saltiness. Not as fishy as how typically it is - Albacore - (S Tier) , seared, not super tough on texture, the miso glaze adds a sweetness that wraps around the tongue - chopped tuna - (A Tier), with pickled wasabi, sweet tangy finish with a gentle balance from the fish. Seaweed adds a crunch - Scallop - (B Tier), curated from Hokkaido, wasabi overpowered and not as buttery or plump as I'd like my scallop - Miso cod - (S+ Tier), mixed with a tofu sauce, first and only taste is an umami explosion from the seared miso glazed cod. - Fatty tuba - (A Tier), melts like butter, the truffle salt is subtle but noticeable. Very rich in flavor. - Salmon - (S Tier), fattiness and sweetness from the tuna, mixed with the acidity and spice from the yuzu pepper sauce. You're hitting almost all of the tastes. - Surf n turf - (S Tier), the Wagyu beef with its savory sweetness thanks to the glazed soy sauce, the uni was rich and salty with a subtle sweetness as well. An umami explosion. - Bbq eel - (A Tier), definitely falls under a "dessert"finisher, sweet and charred well. - Bone Marrow Kiss - (S Tier), melts in your mouth, an explosion of savory

It's not like I need an excuse to go to Wegmans but when I learned that Next Door by Wegmans was a…read moresushi restaurant, it became my impromptu dinner plans. The interior of the restaurant was sleek and intimate which made it the perfect backdrop while I watched my sushi being made fresh in front of me. I loved the fact that the fish for the sushi is flown in directly from the famous fish market in Japan. I had the Duck Foie Gras Terribe topped with grape jelly and Brioche Toast (no longer on the menu) and the Spicy Tuna w/ cucumber, jalapeno and spicy miso The service was prompt and the waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu.

I never thought I'd head to a grocery store for high-end sushi, but Next Door by Wegmans at Astor…read morePlace is the real deal. This isn't "supermarket sushi" by any stretch--it's a polished, full-service Japanese restaurant that can easily hold its own against some of the city's dedicated sushi spots. The Space: Sleek, moody, and tucked away on the street level of the massive Astor Place location, the restaurant feels completely removed from the surrounding grocery aisles. It's intimate and thoughtfully designed, large (artificial) trees, an open kitchen and sushi bar that bring great energy to the room. Service was attentive and professional without ever feeling intrusive. The Food: Outstanding from start to finish. I opted for the Chef's Tasting Menu, and it delivered a beautifully paced, multi-course experience that showcased both precision and creativity. Every dish felt intentional, fresh, and expertly executed. They have a full bar, I chose to have a glass shochu. Pro-Tip: Show up for their "Golden Hour" (4:00 PM - 5:00 PM). They have some great deals on small bites and cocktails that make for a perfect pre-dinner stop. Bottom line: A surprising and seriously impressive sushi experience in an unexpected location--well worth seeking out.

4.5 / 5.0 - We came to Aqua Kyoto for dinner last weekend and had a great time…read more On our way here, we were confused by where the entrance was at first, because we came to Aqua Kyoto based on the address. It says E 21st St, but there is no entrance there. It was actually on Broadway, the same as Aqua Roma. Once we arrived, we were led through Aqua Roma, which had a cool vibe, to Aqua Kyoto. The atmosphere suddenly changes to a calmer vibe and we saw an unused entrance at the end for Aqua Kyoto, on E 21st St. For food, we ordered the 3-course pre-fixe menu, which included appetizers, a main dish and dessert. First was the miso soup and edamame for the table. It wasn't a traditional miso soup and had what tasted like lobster oil added to the broth, which was quite delicious. For our appetizer, we both chose the rock shrimp tempura with spicy chili garlic mayonnaise. I didn't use the sauce (just lime and salt), but it was also very tasty. They'd only brought out one dish, so we were confused if it was just for one person or if they decided to combine our appetizers. When we asked our server, they told us another was coming, and it came when we were almost finished with the first (which we shared). For our main dish, we ordered the following to share: - Aqua Kyoto miso black cod, yuzu mayonnaise & yamagobo - Seafood fried rice, sea urchin, scallop, shrimp, snow crab & scallions The miso black cod wasn't very big, but it had nice flavor. And the rock shrimp tempura appetizer had been plentiful and quite filling, so it was ok. The seafood fried rice had the tiniest piece of uni (sea urchin) visible to the eye. I liked the shiso, which went well not with the uni, but with the rest of the fried rice. For dessert, we had a choice between black sesame & dark chocolate molten cake with matcha ice cream or a selection of ice cream & sorbet (3 flavors). So we ordered both to share. I enjoyed the molten cake, which wasn't overly sweet. The matcha ice cream was nice, too. For the ice cream & sorbet selection, we chose yuzu, olive oil and salted caramel. The yuzu was refreshing, the olive oil was milky and didn't have a strong olive flavor (which I preferred and really enjoyed) and the salted caramel was as I'd expected. Overall, we enjoyed the various flavors throughout our meal and look forward to dining here again.

Tried out this restaurant with a couple friends this past week. You actually get two menus as…read morethere are two sister restaurants that are connected - one is Japanese (Kyoto) and one is Italian. We grabbed a drink before we got seated before happy hour ended and the spritz was really good. We ordered a bunch of apps- calamari, squash blossom, meatballs and arancini. The squash blossom was definitely the highlight. And then we each got a pasta. I got the risotto with Sausage which was decent but should have gotten the Cacio e peppe because that was absolutely delicious! The ambiance is very elegant and classy. Will definitely be back.

Good value and flavorful omakase with full cocktail bar…read more The salmon and tuna truffle are easily the top pieces followed by the Hokkaido scallop. I highly recommend making a reservation since it tends to fill up. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff as well.

LOVE this spot. Did the omakase and it's a TON of food for the price, especially compared to other…read moreomakase spots I've been to. The sushi chefs are fantastic, every dish is gorgeous, and the pacing was just right (not rushed, and not one plate slammed down on top of the last). I came in starving, left stuffed, and STILL ordered a few a la carte items because it was that good. Get the champagne.

Really great. Very fresh and inspired choices. The friend who took me told me it's her favorite…read morerestaurant and her go to. I had the clam and lobster slider. So much food I needed a fork to pick up what fell out. My friend ordered the ceviche and loved it so much that she ordered another. The woman who brought us to this marvelous place had the clam chowder which she recommended highly. They also have a really good wine list and wines by the glass. Can't go wrong

Came here again since it's by the office! This time we had a group of 12. The drinks came out a…read morelittle slow but food came out at good cadence. We got dessert this time and got peach/blueberry cobbler and panna cotta. I enjoyed the cobbler! There not enough ice cream for the cobbler though. Service was great, servers were so attentive and constantly filling up our waters. Shoutout to Angie!

Absolutely delicious…read more Came here with a party of four during restaurant week and we ordered all of the available options so we could try everything offered. The service was great and the restaurant itself has two floors of dining along with an outdoor rooftop. The complimentary pretzel bread was soft and warm and had great flavor. The appetizers were honestly great! The baby bok choy salad, while bitter had a tasty underlying flavor that made it worth it. The catch roll was good and the jalapeño was a nice touch. The crunchy rice cakes were a crowd favorite. The wagyu gyoza was good, but the weakest of the appetizers. For the entrees the branzino and truffle pasta were the unexpected stars of the show! The branzino was melt-in-your-mouth tender with an amazing flavor to it, while the pasta was rich and decadent with just enough truffle flavor to justify its naming. The steak was good but not a favorite among the party while the salmon felt a bit bland in comparison to the other dishes. We got a set of fries to accompany everything and they were good! We also got a lobster Mac & Cheese and while it was amazing, it was much more of just a lobster pasta dish than anything Mac & Cheese related. Both the sorbet and chocolate cake were ordered and both were enjoyed! The sorbet flavors were nice and tropical while the layered chocolate cake was delicious without being overly sweet. Absolutely would come here again!

Angry lobster mafaldine had a good amount of lobster but had nothing else. It was essentially…read morebuttered noodles with lobster. Kind of a joke for $45 or whatever it was. Everything else was pretty good. Bread with the mustard spread was great. Fish entrees were good. Interior is nice. Service is fast.

4.5 stars. Dahla is an exciting new Thai concept that is bold, sophisticated, and creative. Though…read moreI've had plenty of Thai food in my life, I haven't had it in a fine dining format, so Dahla was both familiar and totally new for me. The menus are incredibly diverse (though I can sadly only speak to the food in this review which truly feels blasphemous coming from a cocktail enthusiast like me) and the food is presented beautifully. It is abundantly clear from the aesthetic of both the food and the decor that there is a meticulous attention to detail that is downright impressive. Came here at 7:30pm as a party of 2 on a Wednesday night. I got here a few minutes before my friend so the hostess sat me at one of the smaller booth tables by the bar while I waited. I honestly liked this table more than where we were ultimately seated, which was in a back room that has just a handful of tables and is less vibey than the main space. The decor is chic, some aspects more minimalist and streamline with floral accents throughout that gives it a bit more intrigue. As I mentioned, I didn't try the cocktails and I need to just process the immense FOMO on my own. I had already decided I wasn't drinking during this dinner so it is my own fault for choosing a place with such a painfully enticing cocktail menu that the world seems to rave about. Now that you've gotten a window in to my emotional anguish, onto the food... We ended up ordering oysters and two entree-sized dishes which was not quite enough food. That said, our server said we chose some of the smaller/lighter dishes, so I think it depends on what you go for. I was with a small-appetited (an adjective I just made up) individual so I didn't want to push too much on other dishes. Everything we got was excellent so the only thing I'd change about the spread was adding another plate or two. Eats, below: Oysters w/ greem chili nam jim, Thai chili jam, crispy shallots These were so fun. A little bit of a kick and some texture added from the shallots made these a delicate but flavor, unique and memorable dish. Khluk Kapi: charred octopus, shrimp paste riceberry, green apple, sweet thai sausage My only issues is that I wanted more of the octopus! The dish was overall well-balanced but I ultimately found myself wanting more of the proteins an less of the riceberry despite the fact that the riceberry was also fantastic -- definitely more of a personal preference thing. Lhon Golden Sea Bream w/ tamarind-coconut cream sauce, trout roe Super delicious, definitely on the smaller side for an entree and served in an interesting way. The plate was just the piece of fish surrounded by all of the broth, and then served with a side of lettuce cups in a separate bowl with which to scoop up sauce. Made the presentation a bit odd but maybe this is more typical than I realize and it's only a first for me. Service was overall very efficient except when we wanted to pay -- one con of being stowed away in the back room. But otherwise, no complaints.

This is definitely an escalated drink establishment! My colleagues and I really enjoyed the…read morecreative drinks and all the attention put forth by the mixologist. The service staff were impeccable and very attentive. The spot is a welcomed change from the dive bars littered on 14th street. Please give this place a chance and escalate your pallet for once in your life! My friend loved the Hong Kong Rose and I enjoyed the Flame Forest - mezcal and smoky.

I went here for restaurant week and it didn't disappoint! Loved all the flavors! The portions felt…read morea little big, so it can definitely be shared between two people. Get the lobster roll hot to get all the flavors just right. The banana pudding was my favorite dessert option since it was nice and creamy. The Panna Cotta was also really delicious and a light sweet ending to the heavy meals. Service was amazing. Very attentive and friendly! It got busy around half past noon, and a bit loud, but it was a overall very nice comfortable spot. Would definitely get my seafood fix here again!

My experience: Im a…read morebig believer of transparency. When I looked online, certain dish items were offered as part of restaurant week for $45. Those dishes were the reason I went to the restaurant. When I got the restaurant, some of those dishes I wanted were taken off the restaurant week menu. Talk about bait and switch for a seafood restaurant! I asked the server if they ran out of those dishes, he said no. So not coming back! Edited review: So why didnt the server know? if the restaurant makes changes, the restaurant should update both the server and their website as well as accomodate the customer for dropping the ball. So confused on how the server doesnt know what he's serving?