The sushi here is just bad. I've heard that this is more of a Chinese restaurant and their Chinese food is decent but I haven't tried that and can only warn people away from their terrible sushi. read more

Probably my favorite Chinese restaurant in Tompkins county. They have such a wide selection of traditional Chinese dishes that are executed very well. The staff are friendly and attentive, and they gave us a complementary fried seaweed roll too. We got the Fish Tofu Soup which came in a large pot to share. It was hearty and warming to the soul with lots of fish chunks (be careful of the bones). The Eggplant with ground pork could use a bit more umami but was decent overall. I enjoyed their Crispy Duck in Spicy Sauce. The sauce was sweet and spicy, and accompanied the flavors of the duck well. There were lots of bones though. Overall, great options on the menu, and I would recommend coming here if you are craving Chinese food. read more

Mitsuba - Fish Tofu Soup, Eggplant with Ground Pork, Crispy Duck in Spicy Sauce - Japanese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Got take out and it was great! The shumai was wonderful, the salad was fresh and crispy and the chicken fried rice was very flavorful! Would definitely go again! read more

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The food was amazing, we got the American roll, Christmas roll and Rainbow roll. It was some of the best sushi I've ever had, and the fish was extremely fresh. We also got sweet and sour crispy pork, again it was fantastic! The service was friendly and fast. Everything was reasonably priced, especially for the quality. It's a cute and clean little spot too. I will definitely be back in the future! read more

If you come before 7pm, it's not so busy. I ordered the beef tataki. It was ok. I then had a spicy yellowtail roll. Again, nothing special. I also had a miso soup. It was pretty tasty. My husband had an assorted platter which was beautiful and delicious. It came with the salad bar. He also ordered a humongous seaweed salad (yummy) and a miso soup. I ordered a Pino grigio. Our service was great. It seemed good value. Everything is really clean. I'll definitely return. read more

Delicious food and we met the owner she was super nice! I recommend trying the lamb and yuba dish. read more

Mitsuba - Duck - Japanese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Fantastic menu, Spectacular service and great atmosphere. I've patronized this establishment many times over the past decade. Owners are super friendly and enjoy socializing with patrons. read more

Went here for Valentine's Day. Fantastic service, delicious fresh food, and they gave me a rose and candy at the end of the meal - Best dining experience of the year! read more

Totally satisfied my sushi craving, was easily able to order several delicious rolls that didn't contain raw meat. Waitress Fanny was very nice and helpful when asked for recommendations. We'll be back! read more

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I was really pleased with my first visit to Mitsuba! We were seated right away on a busy Friday night. Sushi comes out fresh and was overall really good, with really reasonable prices and generous portion sizes. My friend also enjoyed her crispy beef entree. There was a serve yourself salad bar which was nice but I didn't see it until the end of the meal so it would've been helpful if our server had pointed it out to us, otherwise service and food was great! read more

Mitsuba - 7 Spicy Maki Combo - Japanese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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I visited Mitsubishi restaurant during the weekends whe I was in Cornell visiting a friend, it's fair to say I really had a fantastic experience. The spicy Sichuan food was incredibly flavorful and satisfying, and the teriyaki udon was equally delicious. The owner was very friendly and great to chat with. Unfortunately I forgot to take photos before I realize, but anyway, I would rate this restaurant a solid 5 stars! read more

Enjoyed the spring rolls and shrimp fried rice. Staff friendly. Home vibe w staff's kids helping.

We eat sushi in every city we visit. The sushi here was grocery-store quality crap. The miso soup tasted like water. The gyoza were pretty good, but that was it. What a waste of money. Pick another restaurant. read more

I really like this place to the point I wish I could give it a five stars rating. However, I been there multiple times and had a lot of issues when ordering. This past visit wasn't a exception. I went there on a Thursday evening. The place wasn't too crowded which is great. As a party of three we were seated quickly. We ordered several plates that included two appetizers, two sushi rolls, udon soup, and what I'm going to call a tofu stew (sorry I can't recall all the names). Most of the items that we ordered arrived early but, as it often happens, other things didn't make it to the table. We had this happen to us in multiple occasions, when the restaurant is fairly empty or full, on weekdays or weekends, and with entrees or appetizers. Not sure if is miscommunication issues or just the lack of a more digitalize ordering system but whatever it is it certainly needs improvement. Since we are regular costumers, mainly due to their food being very tasty, we have come to just bug the waiters multiple when we haven't received the items in our order. Also, we verify our bill to make sure we don't have to pay for items that were ordered but never came. These are things that we shouldn't need to do but what else can you do when you like the food in a restaurant and their service is somewhat deficient. read more

Mitsuba - Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Had lower expectations after reading these reviews but was pleasantly surprised! Ordered the beef negamaki and it was juicy and flavorful; the sauce was fantastic. The vegetable tempura was also good, crispy but without drowning in batter. For my entree, I got the tonkatsu, which was a little bit of a disappointment as I wish there had been some sort of sauce for it. However, the portion was quite big. The shrimp tempura roll was also good, lacked a little flavor. Overall, good restaurant with a large menu and an interesting ambiance. read more

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Great food. Prompt service. Everyone is welcome, spectacular ambiance. Fantastic location. Fabulous dining overall.

Got a delivery order from here via ubereats because I had 20$ off. The service and delivery is quick and great. The hibachi shrimp was good and a sizable portion. The chicken teriyaki was ok, the chicken pieces were so big/chunky and then drizzled with teriyaki sauce so non of us cared for it. The worst thing was the pad Thai. It tasted off. Something was old or uncooked. Non of us liked it. The salad lettuce was chunky and not cut up. I just felt it was a sloppy job on whomever is in charge of chopping and mixing at this place. read more

Mitsuba - a variety of asian food in trays - Japanese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Decided to give them another try. This is after calling and getting wrong orders, having to wait 1 hour after told its going to take 30 minutes. Being ignored by everyone k. Staff while waiting inside restaurant. Was told the best way to order is through app. Did just that. When shoes up guess what? The good is not there. Oh the app doesn't work. This is not a restaurant. They a clowns managed by monkeys. Time to shut down this hole so somebody who understands customer service to come to this place. Until then avoid like plague or Covid. Never mind insanitary conditions. Where is the health department? read more

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Please pay attention to the date of the bad reviews on this restaurant! I'm writing an updated review, because honestly even a few months ago, it would be VERY different! However, in the last couple months, service (which has been the biggest issue) has drastically improved and now I never wait more than 15-20 minutes for my full order and take-out usually is ready in 30! For me, the food itself has rarely come into question. Do NOT come here for the Japanese options in my opinion, the Schezuan menu is where it's at! Having gone at least once a month for the last year+, my favorite is their vinegar potatoes, spicy fillet fish in chili sauce, and crispy duck in spicy garlic sauce! Always pair with their hot tea no matter the weather and devour! Their portions are great and the prices for family style dishes can't be beat. Ever since their service has improved, they always impress new visitors I bring! This is a personal staple place for me and should be given another chance by past patrons. read more

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I have nothing but good things to say about this place. My friend and I were attracted by the near-perfect rating and the $10 for $20 deal. This turned out to be the perfect choice for dinner before a concert at the State Street Theater. We were seated immediately on a Saturday night at around 5:30 (no surprise; it's fairly early). People trickled in over the next hour including several hibachi parties. We watched some of the action and even witnessed a birthday (the birthday subject is sung a teasing birthday cheer and wears a giant mask, very funny). I knew that it was a great choice the second our waitress handed us real hot towels - something that I wish happened more often, it's nice to be pampered - and alerted us to the complimentary salad bar. The ginger dressing was as good as any I've ever had, and I was ready to go back for seconds when the waitress brought us a complimentary volcano roll. It was so crispy and delicious! I ordered the dragon roll and my friend had an avocado roll and a shiitake roll. The presentation was so beautiful, with edible orchids and a multicolored dry ice decoration. The rolls themselves were incredibly fresh and tasty, honestly flawless. I'm glad we chose Mitsuba. The staff was friendly and courteous and our bill was $6.50 per person since we used the coupon. I hope this place gains the popularity it deserves! read more

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I went for a late lunch about 3pm and got immediate friendly service in a relatively quiet, relaxed atmosphere. Food was outstanding: steamed edamame, sashimi mackerel (my favorite raw fish), and cumin beef, plus hot tea. I made an absolute pig of myself for a little over $30 including tip. Great food and an excellent bargain. I live nearby, so they're going to see more of me. If you like robust flavor in your seafood, try the mackerel! read more

I keep coming back for their rolls when in the area. Their Miso Eggplant appetizer is to die for.

First of all, order from the sichuan menu, don't order from the sushi menu. But why only 2 stars? Well, the food is good when they put effort into it. Recently, though, they have been really coasting. For example, when we ordered the spicy boiled fish, it came out almost immediately. Surprised by how quickly it came out, we asked them why. They told us that another table had ordered it, pointing to a large group that was finishing their meal. We then looked at our dish, and we could not believe what we were seeing. It was the dregs of what was obviously leftover from cooking the other table's meal. There was hardly any peppercorns, the broth was an unappetizing orange, and there was also hardly any fish in there. We immediately complained, and noted what was wrong with it. The server then went back to the kitchen and gave us pepper - just table, ground pepper - to add to our dish. What? Not only are sichuan peppercorns and ground pepper totally different things, but that was also the least of the problem. I had to complain three times for them to do something about it. If we are paying almost $20 for a dish, you had better do it right, and not just give people the leftovers. Unfortunately, this is not the only incident. Recently, every time we've went, we have had some complaint about the quality of the food itself or the quantity (e.g., ordering a beef stew that was mostly vegetables). Until they improve, I'm not going back. read more

Great reasonably priced sushi! We came for a quick lunch and found an awesome deal for a sashimi lunch combo with miso soup and salad. The sashimi was beautifully displayed and delicious! We also had a seaweed salad and a crab salad- both wonderful, light, and yummy! read more

Mitsuba - Free roll on top of a great deal for lunch. - Japanese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Mitsuba is without a doubt my favorite Chinese restaurant in Ithaca and the best Chinese food in the Northeast/Triphammer area. Mitsuba also has strong Japanese food. There are two on-the-house appetizers you'll get every time. One is a volcano roll (presumably for American customers)--a fried sushi roll with a spicy mayonnaise, fish eggs, and whitefish in the center. It's very good. If you speak in Chinese to the waiters, they'll bring out a little bowl of warm, salted peanuts and a larger bowl of chicken feet. You can probably ask for either offering, depending on your mood. From the Japanese menu, I usually order the sweet potato roll. It's up there as one of the best sweet potato rolls in Ithaca. The other rolls don't disappoint. The Sichuan menu is good. Really good. The Chinese green beans are delicious--smoky, salty, a little sweet, and perfectly blistered from the hot pan. The vinegar potatoes are also quite good. My favorite item on the Sichuan menu is ironically the Korean-style chicken wings. It's literally (as shown in my Yelp profile) the thing I would eat before I die. Let's talk about the crust. It's incredibly crunchy and just the right thickness. They dust the crust in this divine rub. I can't describe the flavor well enough--it's just the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy. The meat is always piping hot and incredibly juicy. Seriously, these wings are to die for. They are, without any doubt in my mind, the best chicken wings in Ithaca. The ambiance is okay. It's about what you'd expect from most other Chinese/Japanese restaurants--a little bit dim, well-decorated, and spacious. The waiters are friendly and attentive. Mitsuba is the most underrated restaurant in Ithaca. I hope it continues to prosper in its little corner of the Triphammer neighborhood as the gem it is. read more

My family loves this place ..we feel like family here and they remember us evertime we come in ..great food ..cozy and quiet atmosphere which we like especially in this college town and even my daughter loves the bento boxes read more

-excellent service -generous portions -teriyaki is on point and sushi is fresh -very high attention to detail. They plate their dishes with orchids, and other flowers and decorations. -mochi ice cream dessert trio (green tea, strawberry, mango)! -hot tea is free and delicious -Check in on yelp and/or foursquare. We got complimentary edamame, soup, and volcano roll! 3/22/14 I'd definitely come back! This place is a gem read more

Mitsuba - Volcano roll free w/ foursquare check in. 3/22/14 - Japanese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Ugh! Why is it so difficult to find a good sushi spot in Ithaca??? Came to Mitsuba for an early dinner. Ordered miso soup, which was free since I used their offer, edamame, spicy tuna roll, yellowtail roll, and eel roll. Unfortunately, the sushi was just below average. The fish didn't taste fresh and the rolls were pretty bland. The meal comes with two free volcano rolls, and if you write a review on yelp, customers get $5 off or a free appetizer. As for the service, the place was empty, so there was little to no waiting time for the food. With tax, my tab was only $24.84. Super cheap, in my opinion; however, service and price alone won't convince me to return. Maybe their other dishes are better, but I personally wouldn't recommend this place for sushi. read more

Mitsuba - Japanese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Watch out! There's an ADDITIONAL 3.99% Service Fee if you pay with credit card. It's not shown on anywhere - not on the menu, not at the counter. Only appears on the check. Very disappointing and dishonest. read more

First dining experience after arriving for college. I had mixed feelings about having sushi in Ithaca but this restaurant is just as good as some of my favorite places back home. Fish is served very fresh and in generous portions. I tried three of their special rolls and all were delicious, though on the sweeter side. I look forward to trying some of their teriyaki entrees and maybe even their Szechuan dishes (they have a separate menu for Chinese food). The dishes looked beautiful, with orchids and dry ice! Service was good but I did notice that they had only one sushi chef, and though our food didn't take forever I can imagine it being more slow when the restaurant is busy. When I was there it looked pretty full though. I'm really happy I found good sushi here! read more

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Very traditional Chinese dishes, out performing most among local counterparts. Spicy pot was so impressive while sushi was not bad. Small dishes were also quite impressive. Good ambience. Fine place to chat with friends. read more

Mitsuba - Japanese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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I met some friends at Mitsuba on a Saturday evening when I was visiting Ithaca because I told them I like sushi and ethnic foods. They weren't impressed with any of the other local sushi restaurants, so they decided to give Mitsuba a try. We received our Vegetable Tempura appetizer within a half hour of ordering, but I was surprised how small the portion was. I guess it was meant for 2 and not 3? The tempura was ok, but the sweet potatoes under the tempura batter were barely cooked and too crunchy for my liking. After an hour or so they brought out the noodle dish that someone else at the table ordered, but it didn't seem like much more than udon noodles with a splash of sauce. They started apologizing for the wait and gave us a free roll while we waited on the rest of our order. But it was another half hour before the rest of our order was ready. The Oneida Roll was ok (a variation on a spicy tuna roll), but the others weren't memorable. While we were eating not 1, but 2, wine bottles blew their tops into the ceiling at the sushi bar. Something was definitely not right. We were all disappointed with the long wait, and were not impressed with any of our food. They were not that busy with other tables or takeout orders, but it took over an hour and 1/2 for our rolls to be prepared. Needless to say, I won't be returning on my next trip to Ithaca. read more

Great place! Nice Chinese and Japanese food! You can get a free appetizer! A place to hang out with friends! Is this review long enough to be posted? read more

Mitsuba - Japanese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Yes! They have basically two menus: one is the basically same menu at Sumo across the way (Japanese), the other is Sichuan, like authentic Sichuan. Both are good but the Sichuan menu has some real gems, like the pork belly and the whole fish. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. You have to be prepared for a lot of spice. The tom yum soup was a real highlight too. We knew we were in for a treat when we came in and it was packed with Asian people. Service was slow but they where at capacity and doing a ton of take out. It's probably better at slower times. read more

This place charges an illegal 4% "service fee" that they tack on at the end of your bill. The money doesn't go to your waiter. The staff said it's if you use a credit card only. It's still illegal in New York State. Won't go back. read more

I have no issues with the food. The sushi was good, the other dishes as well. I am a local resident who frequented the same location under previous owners, as well as other Japanese restaurants in town. I don't enjoy giving a bad review but hope it is used to improve. The food is 3-4 stars. The service and atmosphere are 1 star. I don't think it is an attitude of the staff, it appears they have had zero training: Service. Not busy. Party of four, table settings for two. Two more table settings were not brought until we asked for them when the food arrived. Appetizers delivered... No small plates brought. After 3-4 minutes I had to ask. Dishes not cleared soup/salad/appetizer. Although we plainly stacked them at the edge to make room, they repeatedly failed to clear them, even after serving more food! I had to ask both times. No tea or water refills. Atmosphere: Very loud phone ringing several times echos throughout the place. Loud yelling conversations from front desk to chef or others. An employee sleeping, laying flat out, at the table right next to the salad bar. His feet literally 5 feet away from you as you are getting a salad. read more

I want to start off with saying it hurts me to give this restaurant a low score. I was traveling to Ithaca for a one day trip. I've done a bit of research and wanted to find the best sushi Ithaca has to offer and found this place. Having coming in around 4pm on a Friday, there was only a few tables seated inside. As I sat down, I've noticed there was a 2nd menu which was filled with Chinese dishes. On the menu, it literally says "Mitsuba Japanese Cuisine." First impressions was confusion with a Chinese menu, and Thai dishes such as the Tom Yum Soup for example. Another observation was the drink/dessert menus weren't wiped down and literally had dried soy sauce spots on them. As I'm looking through the Japanese menu, I was searching for the a la carte section (Nigiri). I was told it was on the take-out menu so here comes a 3rd menu if I wanted Nigiri. There are a couple errors on the take-out menu such as "Salmon" being spelled "Sakmon." Also, it states on the take-out menu that Happy Hour is 3:00pm - 5:30pm but on the plastic stand that sits on the table it states 3:30pm - 6:00pm. I also want to point out there is literally a picture of a hibachi table on the menu. There isn't a single actual hibachi table inside the restaurant. A complimentary volcano roll was given to us, which was 3 pieces and mainly rice. Suspicions rose and I asked what the volcano roll was filled with and I was told "white fish." A very unnoticeable amount of "white fish" was found inside the roll and it only tasted of deep fried rice. Though complimentary, I could have done without. So I wanted to start off with the Shumai and Gyoza. The Shumai came out barely lukewarm, and came with an overly strong sauce. I'm not shy of strong sauces, but this will hit your sinuses and make you lightheaded. The Gyoza was actually quite tasty. The filling was tender, and the was nicely done. I then ordered Nigiri which consisted of Scallop, Super-White Tuna, Yellow-Tail, Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel, Sweet Shrimp and Ikura (Salmon Roe). I think the Yellow-Tail, Super-White Tuna, and Scallop were the highlights. The Tuna was just alright. The Salmon was odd to me. It looked fresh in colour, but tasted off. The Mackerel and Ikura had to be the biggest disappointment. The colour of the Mackerel was off, and very dry. The Ikura is the worst I've had. Old Ikura is what I had. To the point where the shell or skin of each roe would literally stick to the inside of your teeth. As for the Sweet Shrimp, didn't taste quite fresh. Onto the rolls. I ordered the Mitsuba Lobster, Crazy Eel, and Paradise. What really gets me, is the menu is loaded with pictures left and right. Beautiful professional looking pictures of the rolls and how they're plated. None of the rolls were presented the way it looked in the pictures. I must say, once the Paradise Roll and Nigiri came out my mind was blown. I was astonished seeing how this was plated. It looked incredible, and I absolutely loved it. Seeing the effect on the plate really blew me away. But unfortunately came with a price. I noticed a thin strand growing out of the middle of the plastic flower. At first, I was really hoping it was a fiber from one of the petals but I was wrong. Not only was it a dark colour, but it was without a doubt a hair. As I started to pull it out, it kept getting longer and longer to the point where I actually pulled the plastic flower out of the cup hanging by the hair. I called the Host over and showed him and he apologized and took away the flower. The Crazy Eel and Mitsuba Lobster Roll came out and they were tasty and I have no complaints. After the meal, he came over and asked if we wanted dessert and we declined. He brought over the bill and told me he took off 10% for what has happened. From being confused entering a Japanese Cuisine restaurant with a Chinese menu and Thai dishes, to dirty menus, to a hair being dead center of the plate. I'm very saddened to give this restaurant such a low score because I see potential. The presentation is phenomenal and I truly feel the chef is creative and skillful making sushi. Unfortunately, the best way I can describe this restaurant is it's a beautiful car with a bad engine. The engine needs some tweaking and this would be a great restaurant. ---Food--- *NIGIRI* Scallop: 8.5/10 Super-White Tuna: 9/10 Yellow-Tail: 8.5/10 Salmon: 7.5/10 Tuna: 7/10 Mackerel: 3/10 Ikura: 1/10 Sweet Shrimp: 5/10 *ROLLS* Mitsuba Lobster: 8.5/10 Paradise: 8/10 Crazy Eel: 7/10 Presentation: 10/10 ---Restaurant--- Atmosphere: 8/10 Decoration: 9/10 Cleanliness: 6/10 read more

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Food was okay, but it made me sick... gave me food poisoning... Enough said, never coming back! read more

So first off the $10 for $20 deal cannot be beat. The atmosphere here feels like a normal restaurant, but that's not a bad thing. It's nice, clean and cozy. You also receive a warm towel, not a disposable one but an actual cloth towel. Kind of a nice change. Upon walking in we were quickly sat down and had our drink order taken. The waitress was very nice and very quick. We had our drinks and then ordered our meal. With our meal we got a free volcano roll to share and the salad bar. The salad bar is small but good, the ginger dressing was great. The volcano roll was great! I have started to love tempura sushi let me tell you. We also ordered some edamame which was great as well. For meals we got the Chicken Yakisoba, Chicken Teriyaki, and the Salmon Teriyaki. The Teriyaki dishes come with miso soup. We also ordered the Crazy Monkey roll, another Volcano roll and the Spicy California roll. The sushi is very good, and is good in size. I love the decoration with the sushi. The Teriyaki dishes were very good, came out sizzling and had lots of flavor. The Yakisoba was probably some of the best I have ever had too, so much flavor! For dessert we ordered the fried cheesecake and it was okay. It was still frozen on the inside so the fried exterior fell off but it still tasted good. The service here was by far the best I've had in Ithaca. It was attentive but not overly so. Our drinks were always refilled promptly and we received everything in a timely manner with a smile. The owner even stopped over to make sure we were enjoying ourselves. I want to try their hibachi sometime. I was thinking about rating this 4 stars as in comparison with Sumo it is a 4, but in comparison to most other restaurants in Ithaca this place is a 5. Would definitely come back here! read more

Best Japanese place in town (food-wise and entertainment-wise)!! I went there to celebrate my birthday. It was a lot of fun. They give you a complimentary matcha green tea fried ice-cream with a candle and decorations, plus sing you "happy birthday" and make you dance, hahaha! Atmosphere is good. Complementary volcano sushi and salad bar. Hibachi was good (a lot of food) and the chef was nice. Staff are really friendly, especially Eric (the manager). My friends and I are definitely going to be regulars there. read more