The "Cheers" of NYC sushi places where you're always glad you came. Yes that description may sound cheesy but it's actually true of Sushi You! Entering the downstairs intimate space, one is transported to old school Japan where owner/chef Miku and his staff makes everyone feel welcome right away. I love watching their vast collection of retro music videos while eating at the counter. Their sushi is always fresh and scrumptious with an omakase menu featuring daily market specials, as well as hot and cold appetizers. If you're looking for huge delectable toro handrolls this is the place! Pricing is reasonable for generous portions, and half portions are available for smaller budget/appetites. They have a full bar with a nice array of sake from all over Japan, and Miku will pour you a couple of samples to help choose the right one. Currently open for lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday, dinner daily, closed on Sundays and Mondays. (Please check their website for current hours). Reservations recommended. read more

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Love this place! I've known about Sushi You for over 10 years, and Miku-san's sushi is simply the best. Many Japanese people know this spot, but it's so good that no one really wants to share it--like a well-kept secret. This is a truly Japanese-approved sushi restaurant. The quality, service, and atmosphere are all 5 stars. Of course, the best experience is at the counter, but the tables are great too. We sometimes come for lunch as well --the lunch specials are incredible! (Just don't forget to bring cash.) I especially love the ramen and chirashi combo. Honestly, I have no desire to go to any other sushi place in NYC. It's Sushi You or nothing! read more

Sushi You - Lunch Ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Very laid-back, cozy, and unpretentious spot--perfect for a small group. The service was warm and attentive. The sashimi was outstanding: incredibly fresh fish with just the right amount of rice and perfectly balanced seasoning. They also have a great selection of sake. Highly recommended if you're looking for authentic Japanese cuisine. read more

I've been dining here for over 10 years now and my greatest regret regarding Sushi You is not granting them 5 stars earlier. I didn't know how good I had it with this place until I moved away and secretly compared every sushi restaurant to this one. The hours have become much more limited over time but the popularity seemingly has not. The restaurant is always packed by those in the know and I recommend arriving before opening or making a reservation to guarantee a seat. It's very cozy and intimate inside which is perfect for a small group or single diner at the bar. I highly recommend dining here at least once as it's some of the best sushi I've had at this price point. read more

Good price, great atmosphere, attentive staff, and DELICIOUS food. One of the best in town. read more

Sushi You - Sushi lunch set - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Amazing place. We had two omakase, some small dishes, and had the fish head. Fish head is amazing!! read more

Sushi You - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Really good, not great. For lunch, it's very good service but pretty expensive. Had no issues with the fish quality or the really cool chirashi dish I ordered, forgot the name of the creation. I'm sure you can get it from other reviews, one of their highlights. What I didn't really like is that they have an entire menu with sushi, sashimi, tempura selections that they don't give you but they will prepare if you ask for. The server was really great, a non Japanese guy but really knew the stuff and was super efficient in his service. Very much appreciate that. I'd return but with so many other sushi options, might not be top of the list. read more

After seeing the 4 stars on Yelp and listed as a solid choice in some articles, I looked forward to trying Sushi You. Turns out, I was disappointed. When I arrived for outdoor lunch, my first disappointment was the menu. It was nothing like I viewed online. In fact, there were just a few choices such as a $60pp Omakase, a 12 piece Sushi platter, two roll special (no selections), Chirashi and a few appetizers. I selected the Chirashi ($21) and a diet Coke. Service was pretty good and upon ordering, I was brought a bowl of Miso soup. It resembled a bowl of soy sauce and was way too salty. I asked the waitress if I could substitute a salad but was quickly informed no. I didn't eat the soup. When the Chirashi arrived, I asked for extra ginger but she mentioned an additional $1 charge which I passed. It later appeared I had enough ginger integrated in the bowl. While the fish and the overall flavor of the Chirashi was fresh, the rice part was a huge disappointment. It was a steamed, sticky mess of white rice with absolutely no seasoning. If it weren't for some of the pop of the caviar sprinkled throughout, it would have been a total mess. I ended up leaving a lot of the rice. Not returning. read more

Sushi You - a green and white checkered table cloth - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Best culinary experience of my life. Food was perfectly prepared with amazing taste. Sake was top notch.

I absolutely LOVE this place! Chef Miku and his wife operate one of the BEST sushiyas around! Their playful 1980s Showa era themed restaurant was so much fun! What is there not to like? 80's japanese music playing on the TVs, Chef Miku's love for Japanese baseball and autographed by all the Japanese legends that had visited his establishment! This place is the best! Not to mention, the nigiri sushi, fresh and flavorful! Arigato Chef Miku! read more

We were recommend this spot by a local friend that had opened a Japanese restaurant in the past so we were quite excited to try it. But was soon quickly disappointed. We noticed the 2 dollar sign but the minimum for the Omakase was $110 and $125 for 2 more pieces which is standard but at least update the dollar signs so customers aren't fooled. We went for the 12 pieces. I don't mind paying for good quality food however, the sushi here, at best was below par and did not seem fresh. Each piece had too much rice to sashimi ratio so you could barely taste the fish. The customer service here was great and very welcoming but my pet peeve is over paying for bad quality food. I'm not sure if this spot was different prior to Covid. Unfortunately I can not support this establishment and would not recommend it to others. read more

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This is an amazing sushi spot. I order the nine piece omasake and some edamame. Every single piece of sushi is different, tasty, special. It's so good that I'm looking forward to my next visit. I can't describe how fresh, seasoned, sweared each piece is. read more

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Tried the chirashi lunch using a first time order discount via the Ritual app. This was the first chirashi lunch I found in the area with such a great selection of sashimi, but it is pricey without the discount. I only wish the cuts were cleaner/prettier/smaller pieces instead of giant slabs, and that the sushi rice had more flavor. read more

Sushi You - Chirashi lunch - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

This small Sushi place was clean and food absolutely delicious It has about 5-6 tables and a sushi bar with Asian TV shows playing Aside from edamame and Sapporo staples... We all shared a variety of sashimi and a couple of rolls along with a bowl ( see the pics) Sashimi was a chefs choice with some different fish than I normally eat -- such as bronzini and mackerel along side tuna and salmon. This was super tasty and fresh! See the pics Also we got two rolls and they both were fresh delicious and melted in your mouth !! I would not hesitate to eat here again!! read more

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Came here pretty last minute for a dinner. I called and they asked if I was doing omakase and I said yea and they let me in. What was different about this is that the omakase was much more of a omakase. I asked them how much omakase was and they said, 80, 90, 100, I can pick. It did seem like I say a budget and they will provide their own choices. I chose 80 I thought that most of the fish were just ok. My favorite that I got was the squid. Usually not a huge fan of squid, but for the nigiri here it was many small pieces of squid. Even my favorite, toro, was just ok. I assume the quality was the same. However, it just didn't feel as fatty and consistent. The uni also wasn't that great. It wasn't that creamy and there wasn't much uni flavor I thought. At the end I got some rolls because I think they wanted to make sure I was full, and the toro pieces in the rolls were also sub par. For a meal that ended up being over 100 bucks, the quality just wasn't there. I kept asking the chef what fish I was getting, and after a while you would think he would get the pattern....he did not and I had to keep asking... read more

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Been to sushi you for many years and Chef Mika, a maestro of the sushi, his Omakase was nothing short of a masterpiece. Each piece was a balance of traditional technique and innovative idea. The fish is fresh and tastefully flavored, the rice is rich and seasoned. Every detail was carefully put together. I would highly recommend sushi lovers who are seeking culinary innovation without compromising on the Essence of traditional sushi, you will be thoroughly impressed. read more

Sushi You - Ebi - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Great little Japanese spot tucked into a basement in midtown! Overall: 4/5 Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Value: 4/5 I've come here for lunch on a couple occasions and gotten the sashimi lunch ($18). It's around 16 pieces of thinly sliced pretty high quality sashimi (mostly salmon and tuna, but some special pieces like razor clam or octopus at times). Comes with rice and either soup or salad. Would say that this place for lunch is a decent deal but for dinner it's quite pricey... it's also a small place so if you have a big party it might be difficult. Fast and attentive service, and the space is nice enough that it doesn't seem dark and such even if it's below ground level. A nice option in midtown for sure! read more

I went to a play where the only performer asked us to raise our hand if we were hungry. I raised my hand. He asked what my favorite food was. I said sushi. He then predicted that one hour after this play was over, I would be eating the best sushi I ever had. I would like it so much that I would leave my very first Yelp review to praise it. So I went 8 blocks south to this place. read more

Their omakase is amazing!!!!! I've been to many sushi places in NYC and Japan and the quality of food here is very impressive with very very reasonable price especially in NYC. When we got a bill after our dinner, we couldn't believe how reasonable it was! I enjoyed every pieces in Omakase but toro was to die for. I can recommend this place to anyone who love real quality sushi. read more

Sushi You - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Always thought Sushi You was one of those authentic places. The atmosphere certainly is. Old school Japanese sitcoms playing in the background and noisy people at the sushi bar. However, the food was anything but authentic. The beef tongue was gross. Dried meat and they topped with peppercorns. Doesn't work. Gross. The chawanmushi was loaded like some backed potato. Caviar was not tasty. It was filled with asparagus, avocado and mushrooms. Overkill. The Charashi was fairly decent. Lots of rice. Sloppy cuts of meat. For $27, it was a little too pricey. Rather go to SenYa or even Hibino. One and done and never again. read more

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At the risk of letting the secret out... Sushi You is a great hidden gem. You know it's a winner if most patrons are Japanese business people (read: picky about Japanese food). Lunch time offerings are great value for the quality of sushi you're getting - not any more expensive than the average faux-Japanese joint in the area. Sushi chef is efficient like a robot. Place tends to get a bit crowded though. $3 off daily lunch specials if you pay cash. read more

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It used to be my favorite Japanese lunch spot near the office, specialized in chirashi bowl. The restaurant is located in the basement, you need to look down in order not to miss it, very small and cozy, with 80s Japanese MVs playing at the bar. I normally came here just for the chirashi bowl, the menu has different options for you to choose the fish combination, but I always love the deluxe version to include all. The fish tastes fresh, but if you have been there multiple times, the quality or the presentation was not that consistent. Don't get me wrong, it still tastes good, just the the texture of the fish varied (esp toro) and not sure if the combination changed or just the presentation varies based on chef? Still a lovely lunch place to enjoy some real Japanese chirashi bowl if you love sashimi/raw fish over the rice. The rice was warm and chewy. If it is within your budget (approx 20 to 25), definitely give it a try. If you pay cash, I believe you will get a small discount. Service was good, courteous and attentive. read more

Sushi You - Chirashi bowl taken in 2015 - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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We were lucky enough to get a reservation on the fly, we were seated by the bar where you can see your food being prepared. We noticed that a lot of potential customers were turned away because they didn't have a reservation plus the chef/owner was only doing Omakase and nothing else. Everything thing that was served from end to finish were just out of this world. I had the combo omakase of sushi and sashimi for $90. I didn't want it to end.The final serving was a hand roll of uni and unagi wrapped in crispy seaweedThe flavors were just amazing. read more

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Don't be tricked by the exterior. This place has serious omakase and serves phenomenal sushi. Great chef and wonderful service but make a reservation because they only have room for about 12 people and their seatings get full quickly. read more

Absolutely amazing quality. Very fresh and very tasty. The staff is very polite and helpful. Definitely a must try.

This place is an underrated gem. 4.9 - some of the freshest fish if not in Tokyo itself. The chef is an artist and service the chefs wife is pleasant and attentive. I have been going here for over a decade and I have never been disappointed . Highly reccomend read more

This is a truly amazing sushi experience. I've been here twice and have done Omakase both times. The sushi selection and quality is excellent and the staff is fantastic as well. The owner and head sushi chef Is a former fighter and has some of his belts on display behind the bar. Playing on the TV are Japanese musicians and classic wrestlers from the 1980s. read more

My coworker took me to this place on my birthday for lunch! We both ordered $45 omakase ( this price is for lunch only )and it was really good in terms of value and quality of fish. The only thing I didn't like is taco because it's really thick and difficult to chew, but the rest of the pieces are all very good. I was so full and couldn't finish the last piece. It seems like it was not too busy during the lunch time, and the sushi chef and the waitress are both very nice & polite to us. I will definitely want to come back again for sure! read more

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I came here with my gf on a Friday night. It is small and you might almost miss it as your walking down E 51st street. It doesn't have a "trendy" look to it but the restaurant itself is still nice. The waitress and the chef were both extremely friendly and courteous from the second we walked in. The Mini Godzilla Rolls were awesome and I would highly recommend them for appetizers. We had the SPICEY WHITE TUNA ROLL, SPIDER ROLL (SOFT SHELL CRAB), PHILADELPHIA ROLL, EEL & AVOCADO ROLL and a piece of the TUNA SUSHI....... all of them were delicious (but the SOFT SHELL CRAB and PHILLY ROLL definitely stood out). Along with a beer and two orders of sake the bill was about $65, not bad at all. I have already told my friends about this place and I definitely intend on coming back. read more

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Sushi You - not for me. I almost turned around as soon as we walked in when they tried to shove Omakase in our face, made it very clear there was a $25/pp minimum, and were perplexed that I could show up with an entire second person without a reservation. Despite those warning signs, we were sat at the sushi bar, which had a fair amount of room given how small this place actually is (and there were 4 seats open). I was hopeful when I saw the menu - clearly any sushi place that assumes you are here for Omakase is going to have some really excellent food. We didn't order anything I considered out of the ordinary - two specially rolls and one sushi platter with a spicy tuna roll. We didn't order anything to drink, but after the 5th water refill, they decided that we weren't allowed to sit at the sushi bar anymore. I'm not sure why, but we were moved to a table in the back corner, going from cool view to no view. Hint: maybe because we did not order omakase? I assumed that given the hasty move someone important, or at least someone that actually exists would be sitting in our chairs in no time. Nope, not the case. Actually, the sushi bar only got emptier as time went on. Perplexed as we were, we were hungry and looking forward to food. Mine came with a salad and soup, both of which were really good - but when the food got here I was a little confused. Normally a spicy roll is spicy by way of jalapeño, or fish that is chopped up and mixed with a little spicy mayo before the roll is made. These had straight up "I never want to taste the fish" amounts of spicy mayo on them. Given the majority of the specialty rolls also had spice, the two we ordered were also drowned in it. We found ourselves scraping as much of it as possible off to salvage some actual fish taste. The sushi (no mayo) was quite good, but everything else, plus the gallon of mayo, really took the experience down a few stars for me. Oh yeah, and do you know the kitchen closed at 10? They reminded us no less than 3 times and it wasn't even 9:30 yet. Honestly, I really wanted to like Sushi You. And given the reviews, it seems like this is the place to come for Omakase, minus the spicy mayo, leaving the a la carte ordering for somewhere else. read more

We saw this place on yelp and had to try it. When we arrived, there was a sign on the door that says "reservations only." Since we were already here, we decided to poke our heads and see if they would take us - and they did! The bowls here were huge!! We had the charshi and chef special bowl four course dinner for $33 each. It's comes with miso, salad and Japanese mash potatoes. Next time we come, we'll share a bowl. I took away one star because we didn't like the taste of the mini volcano appetizer. Note: There is a $25/person minimum for dinner. read more

Sushi You - Toro $11 - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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One of the best kept secrets in Manhattan. Some of the best sushi you will ever have. Nobu-like sushi without the Nobu price. . It looks like a hole in the wall, you go down below street level to find it and it's teeny tiny. But the fact that most of the customers are Japanese should key you in. Try the Omakase prix fix. It's basically chef's choice. You give up any control and they send you multiple courses of fresh, buttery seafood including things like sea urchin with salmon roe. Everything just melts in your mouth. Service was friendly and gracious and attentive. They asked us if there was anything by we don't eat ahead of time. Great sake choices. We will be back! read more

Came here on a Tuesday night for dinner with a friend. Was told we had to order at least $24 of food minimum per person (I found this quiet annoying because I was not that hungry). We ended up ordering shrimp dumplings as an appetizer. Only 3 very small pieces came out. They didn't really taste like anything. I ordered a a shrimp tempura roll and my friend had a bowl of fish (can't remember the name so 'bowl of fish' is how I am going to refer to it). My shrimp tempura roll was ok - nothing really special. My friend said he enjoyed the bowl of fish. We both came to the conclusion we wouldn't come back to eat here. We've had more enjoyable meals elsewhere. read more

Sushi You - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

First time back in the area in 25 years! Taste for sushi led me to this place. I was a bit taken aback, as they are located in a basement? I adventured a few steps down and opened the door. Found myself in a dining area about the size of my bathroom. A hostess/waitress quickly came over and peppered me with q's: - Do you have a reservation? (No) - How many? (one) - Minimum charge is $25 (umm, ok?) After the initial awkward interaction, I was seated at the end of the small counter. Food: The menu is EXTREMELY limited, as I believe they want you to get one of the omakase options. Well, I didnt and wanted to chart my own path. The menu options were limited and I settled in on two rolls. Both were very good and decent size for a decent price. Service: Overall was very good for server, none from the chef or asst; they really didnt even bother to acknowledge me (only 2 of us sitting at the counter). Overall: Good sushi, good service. worth a visit. read more

It was my time trying Omakase (on Valentine's Day nonetheless), and I LOVED it! A hole-in-the-wall sort of place, buzzing with Japanese visitors and servers. This restaurant seems to prize service and intimacy over large crowds and mainstream popularity. The walk-down front door, authentic Japanese conversation buzzing about the restaurant, and intimate setting make it perfect for any couples looking for a cute night out. Because Omakase (meaning 'it's up to you', or the chef's choice) comes as sushi (starting at $80) or sashimi (starting $80) or both for ($110), it means putting your tummy in the chef's command. Lucky for me, the chef (owner) is super dorky and an all-around people-friendly person. I loved interacting with the chef (Miku) despite his occasional struggle to describe some things in English; and thoroughly enjoyed his selected courses for us, especially when he would tell us to use our hands to be 'more Japanese'. FOOD: Starter: Tuna Miso Meal: Sashimi Omakase - the salmon & fatty tuna were particularly amazing, and the chef's own creations were so interesting and pleasing! Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake (Valentine's Day Special) TIPS: MAKE A RESERVATION! If you don't have a reservation, there's a good chance no table will be free for you! Also, if omakase isn't your thing, get a chirashi bowl! THEY LOOKED SO GOOD and so many people kept ordering them! read more

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Sushi You is located in the basement level. It's a small restaurant with a sushi bar and about 5 tables. There is also only one sushi chef, who handles all the sushi and sashimi for the entire restaurant. Keep that in mind as during busy dinner time, sushi orders may come out a bit slower. Overall, a nice and intimate place that reminds me of small sushi places in Japan. I have been there for both lunch and dinner. Their lunch special is a great deal. From the regular menu, the $14.5 chirashi comes with a good portion with super fresh sashimi. They also offer a special chirashi, which is a more luxurious version of the regular version, as well as a tuna & uni bowl that comes with huge pieces of sashimi. For dinner I've tried sushi omakase which I did not like. For $50, there was 10 pieces nigiri and 1 spicy tuna handroll. You can make it a "4 course" meal for $5 more, and that comes with a potato salad, soup, and salad. The selection of the fish wasn't special and the quality of the fish is not better than what you can get from the regular chirashi. The nori on the handroll was also not crunchy. On the other hand, the $60 Kitchen & Sushi Bar Omaskase is a much better meal. It included 6 dishes with cooked foods and sashimi, as follows: 1. Uni and sashimi on tofu 2. Shrimp & asparagus tempura 3. Fried tofu with stir fried pork 4. A plate of assorted sashimi and monk fish liver 5. Fried chicken thigh with mayo 6. A mini bowl of chirashi The quality of the cooked food is quite good and particularly good as accompaniments to drinks (they have a good selection of sake by the way). Portions are also generous, and the "mini" bowl of chirashi is actually almost half of the regular lunch portion. Note that there is a $25 credit card minimum and if you pay cash they take $3 off on the special chirashi lunch. read more

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Get the Omakase! Well worth the price. Everything is very fresh and chef definitely knows what he is doing. He has his own spin on many things. This is not another bland sushi place. BTW, space is very limited. Make sure you make reservations. read more

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As a Japanese restaurant offer omakase, I cannot understand how a sashimi can cut like that. If you want to find a high quality japanese cuisine, I don't recommend it. read more

Sushi You - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

This is a fantastic hidden little gem for sushi fans - totally authentic, tiny, basement level place where the clientle is mostly Japanese. It's got about 8 tables, and as many seats at the bar. The mama-san is this bitchy old Japanese lady - they don't sweat the gaijin in this place! The sushi chef prepares the food alone; it's a real one man show. He was charing eel with a blowtorch, and making spicy tuna rolls by scraping his fresh tuna into a bowl and mixing the filling on the fly. I had a tekka don, and it was just lovely - perfectly cooked sushi rice and unctuous hunks of very fresh tuna. UPDATE: Note that on Thursdays they have curry udon which is out of this world amazing. The mama-san, who is a right surly old lass, makes it and proclaims its greatness to me every Thursday. I agree wholeheartedly. read more

Sushi You - Udon with bean curd - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

The chef's special chirashi is worth trying, but the deluxe chirashi for $14.50 is a steal. Loaded with an abundance of large cuts of super fresh fish, they're probably among the best bowls of chirashi I've had. I was happy about the generous little pile of uni that topped the mound of other fish. While the rice could have been better, this can excused with the amount of fresh fish you're getting - also nearly perfect fish to rice ratio! And if you pay in cash, you get $3 off the items on the specials menu - so be sure to bring cash. Expect to wait a little while if you're coming without reservations at lunch time, as the restaurant is quite small. read more

Sushi You - Chef's special chirashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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