If you were to ask people what they like most about the Mitsuwa food court, they'd probably answer with Santouka. If you'd rather not wait in line to get what possibly could be mediocre ramen (it really depends on the day you go), then go for a more consistent, quick choice at Omusubi Gonbei!! I'd also much rather get a bunch of omusubi to take home with me to eat in the car or bus home, especially because they are about $2 apiece. Definitely get the more traditional fillings here; I'd recommend the okaka (bonito flakes in soy sauce), spicy tuna, or salmon. Some of the more experimental fillings like the shrimp tempura and fried chicken are much too soggy. The reason the omusubi here stands out is all in the rice. Each one is hand packed into a triangle with a nice bit of salt and a generous amount of rice. They're also packed just-right: no squished grains, no congealed parts, no hard pieces of rice; they're airy, fluffy, but not so much that they fall apart after one bite. Think of the Goldilocks story, but with omusubi rather than porridge, chairs, and beds. Likelihood of another visit: Very likely! read more

Tried this rice ball spot a few times and the rice balls are always filled with rice and very little filling... the seaweed wrap is also soggy. read more

Just got the popular spam rice ball and it has a hair wrapped inside the plastic wrap. Took it back to the store. The person working there (and older lady) gave me a new one, at the same time pulled out the hair and put that one back to the stock for resale. Right in front of me. I told her to throw it away. Very disgusting. read more

Delicious snack to eat while you're waiting in line for a larger meal. The rice balls are so fresh. I tried the unagi one. The rice had a great, warm texture and loved the way the soy sauce seeped into all the rice. The eel was a little bit small but overall very delicious. read more

Omusubi Gonbei - Unagi Omusubi - Japanese Near Me - Edgewater, New Jersey

I ordered a few items and 1 had hair wrapped inside. Very unpleasant and had to throw the rest away

If you like sticky rice, then this is your joint. 1) I got the rice balls because I always loved Japanese anime growing up, and saw them eating it. As such, had to try it. Personally, rice balls are not something I will go out of my way to eat, but if you like seaweed and stick rice, this is your Heaven. 2) The price is affordable and the service is quick of you stick with the rice balls and fried chicken. Never tried the fried chicken. read more

i've always wanted to try onigiri and i finally got to do it here! i got the shrimp tempura one, but the only thing is i wish i could feel the tempura more fried but that's fine :) read more

yum!! we got the bento box custom combo with 2 onigiri rolls, and a spam roll - for the box, you choose which two rolls you want plus the set comes with pickled daikon and radish, with a few pieces of karaage fried chicken. chicken is battered deep fried chicken thigh dark meat, not white meat (at least the pieces that I had). the onigiri- so good! we got the bomb and the spicy bomb - both seem to be really popular according to the top menu items they listed. the spicy bomb is a new addition and has chicken and peanuts in it whereas the bomb has spicy tuna and salmon. the spam roll - sliced spam on top, with sweet egg sandwiched between spam and rice, and wrapped with a thin ribbon of seaweed to hold it all together. so after eating these, I ended up going back on our way out of Mitsuwa. Wanted to get the bomb roll to go but unfortunately they were sold out!! So make sure you go early to get it (we left around 4pm and it was sold out by then) - I got the octopus brown rice onigiri and the spicy tuna onigiri. I don't recommend the octopus - the brown rice is really flavorful but there were literally two small pieces of octopus in the triangle :( Boo. On the other hand, definitely get the spicy tuna onigiri. So flavorful and decently sized tuna to rice ratio. Definitely getting again. read more

Omusubi Gonbei - bento custom combo - spicy bomb and bomb! spam egg roll in the background, also good! - Japanese Near Me - Edgewater, New Jersey

I ate 3 rice balls in one sitting. I really should have stopped after one, but they were calling out to my eyes to eat them. I'm ashamed at the gluttony, but I knew I would be sorry if I didn't. It was enough to feed me and two strapping young men. And it did. And then some. read more

Two Words: Nice Balls!! This Rice Ball stand has a decent selection of vegetarian options but be careful!!; some of the extra-scrumptious looking ones have anchovy paste. We ordered a few of their vegetarian rolls (all of which were superb) and we also ordered something like a Filet of Bean Curd with rice and it was also quite good. These balls are pretty much the only vegetarian option that I encountered in the Food Court section of the Mitsuwa Marketplace, and it still had a healthy selection of Rice Balls with salmon and other types of fish. read more

Not bad not bad. 3.5 stars really. There's a lot of rice. A lottttttt of rice. I absolutely love rice but the ratio rice to meat is off. And not so much protein. Prices are very very low and it's a great snack for on the road. The fried chicken is very greasy and not made to order. It seemed to be mostly dark meat so it's tender on its own. "The bomb" is a good choice for you indecisive yet very hungry folk, it's more expensive relatively but has many proteins all in one unattractive seafood blob lol. Very friendly staff. read more

Absolutely in love with these rice balls. They're probably the best rice balls I've ever had. They're inexpensive and make a great quick lunch. There are so many options and the portion is huge for $1.50-$3. I tried the salmon and the jako with brown rice and both were wonderful. The salmon was the perfect saltiness for the rice and the tiny fish and seaweed dispersed throughout the jako was flavorful. I also liked how they had brown rice options too, unlike all the other places I've gotten rice balls at. Yes, there is more rice than filling but I personally don't mind because the rice is good. You can watch them prepare it at the window so you know it's fresh made daily. The staff is also super friendly and polite so that's definitely a plus. I want to try all their flavors -- I wish they had this in NYC!! read more

Omusubi Gonbei - Jako w/ brown rice and salmon - Japanese Near Me - Edgewater, New Jersey

Omusubi is always clutch! Located in the Japanese supermarket in Edgewater, NJ this food establishment never disappoints. I usually end up getting two pieces of the spam musbi and the fried chicken. Both are great and it is always a cheap spot for food. Definitely recommend coming here, grab some food and then explore the market! read more

This is my go-to initial pit stop before heading upstate for school, or before any long trip. They freshly make onigiri filled with a variety of toppings, including unagi, spicy chicken, salmon roe, and much more. The prices are pretty reasonable as well, most balls being $2 - $3. This is a great place to grab a fast breakfast or lunch, as they are the first ones open in the food court in the morning. Five stars for great quality food for a good value. read more

Long line at Santouka..Super hungry..Running late..Worry Not. Omusubi Gonbei has got you covered. Fast ready to go appetizers to get started while you wait for your ramen to be cooked.They specialize in Onigris also known as Omusubis and you can pick what you want from their display case.They run out pretty fast.Last evening when we got there they didn't have too many choices left. I got the sushi bomb which is probably the most expensive item on their menu at 3.50 and a Shisho.Sushi bomb had salmon, tuna and khombu filling inside the rice which was parcel wrapped in a sheet of nori.Although the filling inside was really good, the rice was dry and was way too much.Shisho was good at $2 and although the rice was dry too but it had flavor. Next time I will probably stick to my spicy tuna onigri or the salmon one.Although their are a bit smaller, but so is the price and somehow the proportion of rice to fish is adequate. Also some days the rice is drier than usual like it was yesterday.That's why I avoid going crazy and just get 1 or two items to start with.Its kinda hit or miss.But at that price, should we be allowed to complain? I think not..!! read more

Got the Spam musubi, salmon musubi and the spicy salmon musubi. While the spam was good, it was a tad bit salty for my taste but I definitely didn't hate it. My favorite was the spicy salmon musubi which tastes just like a mega sized spicy salmon roll....except in a rice ball form. . The salmon musubi was also good but I only wish they had packed a tad bit more salmon in. Maybe it was just the one that I had gotten. Nevertheless, I hands down would order the 3 musubi again without a doubt! read more

10/10 for their onigiri options which are made with high quality delicious japanese rice. people dont realize that the quality of the rice is what makes onigiris legit. there's definitely a surge in popularity with all kinds of onigiris offered at asian cafes and bubble tea shops but none of them do it right because they use cheap rice. if an onigiri shop is advertising and informing you of their rice source then you can bet their onigiri is going to be good. their other location at grand central is also a good option if youre in the city. read more

It was my first time visiting Mitsuwa and I did my research prior to going. I had high hopes for these rice balls because of all the pictures on yelp. However, my high hope quickly plummeted to the ground. First of all, I got 3 rolls: eel, spam, and shrimp tempura. (1) The eel was the most disappointing as the piece of eel inside was the fin (either top or bottom) part of the fish anatomy, which had lots of bones. I have eaten countless of sushi and home-make them all the time and never have I seen this part of the eel being served (or able to be purchased as frozen). That was simply awful. (2) Spam was the "most popular" and I really don't understand why as the spam is not flavorful (did they opt for less-sodium spam?), the egg was milky without any egg taste, and there was simply too much rice so it offsets the flavor from spam and egg in each bite. Such a simple item that failed to deliver on taste profile while charging over 3 dollars for it is outrageous. (3) Shrimp tempura had just a tiny bite of shrimp inside, 70% of the tempura was the batter. It was also flavorless. I love the shrimp tempura rice balls from yaya tea store and they taste more than 3x better. Overall, this may have ben my first experience and I have only tried 3 of their many rice balls, but seeing how much rice they put in each of them and the lack in flavors/seasoning, I will not go back again. read more

We ordered a tuna riceball, the wife said it was bland and had canned tuna not fresh tuna (we thought it would be more like sushi grade tuna) I had a rice ball with anchovies and spices, it was okay, but again not as flavorful as I thought it would be. Everything is extremely cheap though and you only wait about 1 minute for your order, it's good to try at least once! read more

A variety of rice balls with a variety of different delicious fillings inside! What an awesome idea! Omusubi specializes in warm fresh handmade rice balls. Types of fillings include eel, shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, salmon roe, plum, seaweed etc. We tried the shrimp tempura and the eel. Both were warm and tasty. This is a great new addition to the Mitsuwa food court. Now we just need more seating. Cash only. read more

The riceballs here aren't very good. The nori [seaweed] is bland and tasteless and the rice is flavorless and abundant. The meat is paltry and not very tasteful. I had both the eel and salmon riceballs and didnt enjoy either. The fried chicken was tender and affordable-3 for $3.50. The chicken was a decent amount and although not flavorful not bad at all. This place is relatively mediocre but the price is very affordable and the food, although not at all great, is palatable. read more

Good and fresh. I'm a big fan of onigiri and found this place in Mitsuwa in NJ. This is relatively new and was pleased that the food is good. The onigiri ball is larger than what you find at most Japanese places. It is tasty and very filling. Will go back again the next time I'm in town. read more

They're... rice balls. And in the essence of the food court at Mitsuwa, this is one of the cheaper options. While I cannot taste the rice difference, like Annie H., when fresh, these are a good snack. The wasabi & rice in a sweet tofu wrap was the best one; the eel wasn't too exciting and managed to get a nice set of bones (more than one, yes) that I had to eat around. Quick and simple service, though. read more

This place offers legit onigiri (rice balls). I've never seen so much variety at a single store, not even in Japan. They're sizable and reasonably priced at ~$2-3 a piece. Combos are also available for a bulk discount. My favorite fillings at Omusubi Gonbei are the eel and salmon roe. But then again, that's just my personal preference. There are plenty of toppings offered. read more

I came here after eating some ramen, simply because one of my friends had purchased two of their onigiri and their "bomb," which was some mysterious rice cubed object. Even though I was eating some delicious ramen, his onigiri looked really good too. Since I'm never at Mitsuwa, I figured, why the fuck not? I'll just buy one to go! If I remember correctly, I bought the spicy tuna onigiri and I didn't eat it until I got home, so it had been shaken around a bit in my bag. Regardless, it was still really good and my only regret is that I didn't have more. :( read more

This place is so cool. The Musubi were really good. We got salmon, eel, salmon with roe and some famous fried chicken which was really good but we didn't try it until we got home. Otherwise we would have gotten more. Will need to remember for next time. read more

Omusubi Gonbei - Japanese Near Me - Edgewater, New Jersey

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The onigiri here sucks. They premake them with the nori on already so if you don't get them as soon as they come out, the nori's going to be very soggy. My salmon onigiri ($1.90) had WAY too much rice and a bland salmon filling that tasted even worse than some canned stuff I've had. Horrible! You can get better onigiri from the Mitsuwa market inside (with the plastic separators) but it's not that much better either. Still way too much rice. read more

Omusubi Gonbei - Salmon onigiri ($1.90) - Japanese Near Me - Edgewater, New Jersey

Review for their fried chicken only 3 pieces for $3.50, which is a pretty good deal. They also have other deals to get chicken with rice balls for a full meal. Chicken was pretty good and lives up to the hype. Would definitely recommend as a side or appetizer as you eat your way around mitsuwa! read more

Omusubi Gonbei - Fried Chicken- 3 for $3.50 - Japanese Near Me - Edgewater, New Jersey

In all honesty, I really can't taste the difference in the "rice shipped from Japan". But the unagi eel and the spicy tuna omusubi were tasty - and very, very inexpensive. Given the sparse fillings, it tempts me to make these things at home instead so I can load them up with fillings and flavor, but I will still be back to try more next time I'm at Mitsuwa. Don't get the green tea though... unless you like your green tea unsweetened and quite watered down. read more

Whoa! Want better onigiri? You'd have to go to Japan. I travel for hours to go to the Mitsua Marketplace and I keep trying to eat at the other restaurants...but I always just end up eating here. Their menu is constantly changing, but every rice ball is a winner. read more

Amazing onigiri! Salmon and the bomb/spicy bomb are my boyfriends favorites. I'm a little bit more basic and prefer the shrimp tempura. Great to take home and enjoy later or pair with any of the meals in Mitsuwa's food court. read more

The rice and the meat lacks flavor. You get a fist full of rice with a teaspoon of fish or whatever meat they put in it.

These rice balls are tasty! They also have the perfect texture. I am a fan. Now for today's scenario. After buying two as a snack, I ask for a napkin. "Oh, I'm sorry we are out of napkins. Try one of the other food court places," responds the counter staff. ...Hmm. Let's step back here. Their primary (read: only) products are rice balls....seemingly constructed TO fall apart. Having a napkin not only seems like a good idea, but fairly essential. Furthermore, having paid $2-3 a piece for the rice balls which contain only a spec of the non-rice ingredient (not to mention receiving back 97 cents in change...forget the take/leave a penny courtesy), I don't think I'm expecting too much in return. Yes, I wouldn't doubt I'm supposed to be using chopsticks, but these nuggets would require I higher level of stick mastery than I possess (think early Kung Fu Panda). BUT now it's up to me to circumnavigate the weekend Mitsuwa food court insanity, possibly having to go in front of Santouka Ramen (aka "damnation alley" on the weekend, where hoards of folks are chomping at the bit for their salt ramen fix)? And let's not forget that all the food court establishments zealously guard their prized napkins, ONLY putting them on the individual trays for their customers....FORGET finding a napkin dispenser!!! So, rather than cutting through lines to then somehow negotiate with other counter staff to take mercy on me with an over-the-top freebie of napkins, I just decide to suck it up and eat the rice balls sans napkin. You may not be surprised that I needed to then wipe my hands on my shirt (thankfully I was in dark colors and it is laundry day). I reflected that if I were at an ice cream parlor and after paying $3 for a scoop of ice cream only to find out they were out of spoons (obviously assuming I went with the dish over the cone), I would have the same level of discontent. Frankly, I will undoubtedly return, but I will be armed with a mountain of napkins (in case other customers encounter this predicament) as well as exact change. Four stars for the product and two stars for the lack of requisite infrastructure equals a three...but I have to believe that improvement IS possible read more

For a super quick, filling and inexpensive lunch this is the place to go. They have a lot of choices for onigiri I like the spicy tuna and the eel. You really can't go wrong for 2-3 bucks. They also have karaage fried chicken here they give you 3 pieces for about 3 bucks and some change. It was surprisingly good, juicy dark meat fried to perfection. You can get a really filling meal for 5-6 bucks which is the best part of this place. read more

My fav NJ spot for onigiri! Everything is reasonably priced and delicious! The staff is very friendly as well! The only thing that sucks is it's (Cash Only) read more

We swung by Omusubi Gonbei as we figured it would be good to have a snack to eat while we stood in line at the other spots! While the line moves relatively quickly here, the main thing that disappointed me was that the tracking of orders was not done well. Our order was placed on a tray at first but was handed to somebody else at some point, leaving us with a boxful of nigiri that were not ours. It got sorted out quickly enough, but the slapdash way in which orders are taken and tracked needs some work. As for the onigiri itself, it was a bit surprising that I enjoyed the spam musubi the most; the lightly-sweet strip of tamago works very well with the slice of Spam to make it a delectable treat. The unagi onigiri was decently-flavored, albeit a bit light on the eel meat. While I don't have high expectations for the salmon onigiri wherever I get it, it's pretty simple and generally appetizing no matter what. Here, there wasn't as much fish as I would expect, and although the wild sockeye gave it a richer flavor than generic salmon, there were some crunchy pieces that I had that still had the skin on it...wasn't a big fan of that. While the onigiri here is a cheap snack, I wouldn't say that it was as good as some other versions I have had. The spam musubi is worth the visit, though, and just make sure to keep an eye on your order so it doesn't get lost. read more

My sister had the spam musubi with sweet egg omelet. It was very good! The rice was cooked well and the spam and omelette were a good balance of salty and sweet! read more

I love the rice balls and the green tea so much! It is very fresh. It's reminds me about when I went back to Japan, I bought the bento box (or rice balls) and a bottle of tea at the stores in the train station. read more

Omusubi Gonbei - Japanese Near Me - Edgewater, New Jersey

Amazing onigiris.. the plum one is so yummy. Please please please to pay further attention to handling food when you guys handle cash and other stuff. read more

Usually there's a good amount of tuna or salmon inside but today there was only a teaspoon amount of fish and it was all rice.