Still one of my favorite places. The food hits every time and the people are very kind.read more

Food is actually fair as compared to what we have tried for other japanese resto. Crews are…read morepleasant. Ample spacing between tables, comfortable seats. High chair seen. Restroom is clean and smells neutral. Parking is difficult if it gets busy. See images and video for reference.

Wonderful refresh in all aspects for this above average Japanese Restaurant. After being closed…read morefor a month of renovations, we came back to a beautifully updated interior with an "under the sea" motif, an overwhelming increase in staff numbers and attention, and a totally new style of presenting the thankfully great food. This is a must-visit -and-return neighborhood gem.

We ordered two love boats and some specialty rolls for take out. The sushi and sashimi were very…read morefresh and the slices for sashimi were generous. The rolls were very tasty. It was a wonderful meal. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Worth the drive!!!! Loved the pancakes and Bao. Nice meeting the owner, Yu!!!…read more Will be back.

FYI - posting this a few months late (was in the drafts)…read more I really enjoyed my first dinner at Kurobuta with a friend! We shared some small plates and tried to get a good feel for the menu. Higher end vibe with some cool fusion elements to the options available - it's clear ingredients are high quality and presentation is very important to them. Even the drinks have fun little lights in them! Service was very kind and attentive but also lets you take your time - which is lovely! We had reservations which I don't think was necessary on a weeknight, but would recommend it for weekends. They mark your reserved table with a cute sign! Overall prices were a bit high for the portions but I understand it's likely for quality. Be prepared to spend if you're hungry!

Ordered two special rolls (phantom and luck of the Irish) as well as the sushi sashimi combo and it…read morecame out on a boat and was a lot of food! All of the fish was delicious and fresh. The spicy tuna was actually spicy and we ended up with lots of leftovers.

I haven't actively looked for a lot of new sushi spots over the past few years after I discovered…read moreKenko Sushi in Lincoln Park (which has gotten a little tedious with its ordering process/app that hasn't adjusted to the post-COVID world, though that's a story for another day), but this is a reminder not to rest on your laurels. This was a very pleasant surprise and has the potential to be a regular spot going forward. I came here with my chum last Saturday night for dinner. I'm not that familiar with the downtown Madison area but it was very easy to locate street parking within a block of the entrance. Interestingly, this building obviously housed a ye olde bank back in the day, but once inside, there was nothing left in the interior to suggest that past - a little disappointing they weren't able to preserve some of that history but I obviously know nothing about the back story there so grain of salt. In what ended up being a tremendous miscalculation, we ended up ordering four signature rolls to split and didn't come close to finishing them - we likely left close to half of the pieces on the plate (don't worry, they found a new home and became a secondary meal later on), which is definitely not a ding on them. Despite having hundreds of rolls in my life, calculating how quickly they'll fill me up remains a tedious work in progress. Anyway. Hopefully I remember all of these, but I believe the four rolls were the Bronx Bomber, Roe Roe Roe Your Boat (couldn't figure out if this one was a subtle political statement or not but I doubt it), Luck of the Irish and Paradise Cove. The Bronx Bomber was our favorite, and for me probably an all-time top three or so, which is saying something. It's deep fried, which I'm usually ambivalent about (sometimes by definition it's too heavy for me and takes away from the other flavors in the roll), and I was a little leery initially about the cilantro which I don't think I've encountered before in this world. Delicious and not overly fried. I brought it home thinking, oh, I can easily eat this tomorrow for lunch, and then I accidentally ate it all an hour later. Huge recommend. The other one I really loved was Paradise Cove, which had a ton of interesting vibes going on there - the diced salmon sounded a little odd but didn't end up being different from just normal salmon (I think I assumed it would be seared or something, which it definitely wasn't). There's multiple mayos, multiple fish and it's just very unique; that type of combo with so many ingredients risks being overwhelming and it was a perfect balance. The Luck of the Irish was just okay for me; my chum advocated for that one I think in honor of a certain recent holiday, and it includes cucumber, which is my least favorite sushi ingredient. Easy to get out (and I did push the pieces out before eating) but it a little bland. The Roe was my least favorite, and that was just a personal palate issue - for me, there was too much fish roe (I think I just figured out why it's called Roe Roe Roe Your Boat) on top which made it extra salty. But that's on me. Everything was fresh and plentiful, and that to me is the ultimate standard. It's rare that I'm over the moon about service when it took over half an hour to get the rolls - sushi places overall tend to have a quick turnaround time by definition, but Blue Wazabi was SLAMMED with to-go orders while we were there (the entire time, there were multiple customers waiting for their pickups). And also to be fair, we did not get mundane, normal rolls. While we waited, the staff literally filled up my water glass five times (I'd been hiking earlier in the day and was still trying to catch up) and never let the level get below 25%. I actually started paying attention to that, and I'm honestly not sure if I've ever been somewhere where they were that vigilant about it, especially given that they were very busy. Huge points though - if you don't have the ability to get the rolls over in a few minutes, intense hydration is a pleasant plan B. I might just fill up on Bronx Bombers next time, which as a Mets fan makes me a little uncomfortable but it is what it is.

I went with my family and it was so good. The foods were…read morecoming out fast and they tasted great. I recommend "beauty and the beast" roll. I might go often if it's possible. Service was so kind.

Asahi is a tiny gem. Located in Morris Ave - a short walk from the train station - Asahi is…read moreauthentic Japanese. Exceptional sushi: fresh, all of your traditional delights as well as innovated ones. The restaurant has limited space but that has never interfered with enjoyment even in its busiest night. The lady who has always served me is remarkable. I feel like it is a cultural learning experience just talking to her. She is the epitome the ideal company representative to welcome and wait on customers. Her bows and smiles are so gracious you just want to go back to see her. Shame on me for not remembering her name. I highly recommend Asahi. Love it.

A beautiful restaurant inside, with amazing and friendly staff right off the bat. The spicy edamame…read moreand drinks (yuzu fruit aide and tea) started the meal with very positive notes. The sushi and bulgogi were also amazing. I will be back many more times to come. I strongly recommend all of these!

Yikes - I never thought I'd leave a bad review for anything associated with Kim's. Unfortunately,…read moreit was extremely apparent how much of a rush everyone was in last night. From the wait staff to the bus staff, everyone was running around like crazy. The table next to us, I heard them ask for the manager because they messed up an order with an allergy associated with it. Not good. First things first.. we got out miso soup and my bowl had rice stuck to it on the outside. I thought it was weird but I brushed it off because it was just on the outside. House salad was fine. But one of the women bussing tables tried to bring us a second salad because they were clearly overworked and overly busy. I am currently disgusted because I got to the end of my drink and there was the same old rice at the bottom of my cup as there was on the outside of the miso soup bowl. The sushi was fine. I think it's becoming more noticeable that they drench their rolls in sauce to possibly hide the quality of the fish. I'm not saying it was fishy at all, but wow the sauce is so overwhelming. I got the Elizabeth roll and I had one piece - it had too much sauce so I took some off the top and thought it would fix it. Nope. The entire inside of the roll was so unpleasantly soft and tasted like sauce and mayo.. I am still nauseated thinking about that bite. I didn't taste any piece of fish. I am so so disappointed. The seafood pancake had very long strands of squid which were hard to chew through. Another time that I ordered the seafood pancake. Everything was chopped up in small bites and it was a much more pleasant experience. Lastly.. they bussed our table and left our half eaten food on the floor next to us because I guess they were so busy they forgot about it. It was very chaotic in there last night. They brought us the wrong mochi ad well. It seemed like they were focused on getting people tables instead of pushing out quality food. Very disappointing.

Ramen here is the best. We got the Kuro ramen and it was absolutely killer. Super rich and deep…read morepork flavor with a fantastic black garlic oil slathered on it. The bamboo shoots tasted a bit weird but other than that the noodles and meat were cooked perfectly. You can tell the time and care put into this broth because it's fantastic, super layered but not too heavy. Beef tataki wasn't my favorite but I added some of their chili oil and that elevated it a TON. the chili oil here has an amazing flavor and a fantastic addition to any dish. If they sold that id buy it for home. Service was fast, order taken the moment we decided and our app came out about 3 minutes later. The ramen took another 5 minutes and then came out steaming. We were able to walk up to the front and get our check immediately as well. Overall friendly and speedy. The inside is cute with a minimalist japanese aesthetic. The kitchen is pretty on view so you can see you're sushi or ramen being prepped. Overall great find and if i'm in the area again i'll be back!

Ju-Ichi really hits the spot. I had the shoyu ramen, shrimp tempura, and the spicy crab roll --…read moreeverything was absolutely delectable. The ramen had great depth of flavor, the tempura was crisp and light, and the roll was fresh and satisfying. Even on a rainy Thursday night the place was packed, which says a lot, but we were seated immediately. Service was quick, friendly, and efficient the whole time. I also loved the ambiance of the place. There's something about it that feels very communal, and it was cool being able to watch the sushi chefs and the rest of the team at work. This will definitely become one of my staples in Morristown!

Nami Nori in Montclair was such a great experience from start to finish. Walking in, the ambience…read moreimmediately stood out, the space has a picturesque Japanese aesthetic that feels both modern and calming. It's the kind of place that feels thoughtfully designed without trying too hard. Our waiter was incredibly welcoming and friendly, which set a great tone for the meal. For drinks, we ordered the Raspberry Moon and a matcha latte. Both were colorful, well-presented, and really tasty, a nice way to start the meal. The food itself was an experience. We ordered the temaki set and got to learn how to assemble our own hand rolls, which made the meal interactive and fun. The sushi arrived in a beautiful presentation and everything tasted fresh and high quality. Overall, it was a memorable dining experience with great service, creative drinks, and delicious food. Definitely a spot worth checking out in Montclair.

Hand roll heaven! I booked this spot for a weekday birthday dinner for my friend for 7 people (5…read moreadults + my two kids, 9 and 11) on OpenTable. The reservation required a credit card but I was able to mention a birthday. We were seated right away at a nice window table with a bench, which made it easy to fit everyone. We ordered a bunch of small plates and not a single miss: Tuna Crudo -- fresh, simple, and kid-approved Japanese Potato Salad with Ikura -- lightly creamy with a salty, briny pop Asari Clam Soup -- loaded with clams, miso; buttery and comforting Furikake Cottage Fries -- hot, round crispy ridges with a ketchup-y dip, very snackable for everyone Spicy Tuna Dip -- gone in about 60 seconds For the temaki (hand rolls), they recommend 5 per person. They do something a little different and honestly pretty fun. The fillings come out on flat sticks in a wooden holder (kinda like a taco stand), and you get boxes of nori (seaweed sheets) on the side. You slide the filling onto the seaweed yourself and eat it right away, so everything stays nice and crisp. It's a little DIY, but in a good way. While they offer 3 Temaki preselected sets, you can also order a la carte. I went with the Signature Set (tuna poke, XO scallop, coconut shrimp, salmon serrano, cucumber black sesame) and was really happy with it. We also got also got 2 sets of California rolls for the girls. My brother's Everything Bagel hand roll was a fun surprise. It tasted just like one. We finished with the Lemon Curd Churros- fresh, hot, and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. The curd was a little on the firm side, but still good. Everyone left full and delighted. NOTES/TIPS: **BYOB, Wheelchair-accessible. Clean bathrooms. Modern vibes. **Entire menu is gluten-free **Vegan options available if you ask, plus a strong plant-based roll selection **Plan for ~5 hand rolls per person (including the kids) **Several parking decks a block or two away

My friends & I went around 9 and were served pretty fast! The kinya special ramen with gold wasnt…read moreworth it (not pictured). My egg i. The ramen wasnt gooey and was straight up boiled. Sad about that since I always look forward to it. The server checked up on us multiple times and accommodated to us well. The pictures on the wall are so interesting to look at

What's better than a hot bowl of Ramen when Mother Nature hits with sub zero temps. I had the…read moreTonkatsu Ramen, the broth was absolutely delicious. My better half had the spicy chicken ramen and gave it a 7/10. We were seated rather quickly and service was very good. The young lady made sure our food was delivered promptly/hit and we always had drinks topped off. Very casual environment, pleasant music at a volume comfortable enough to hold a conversation.

Cold sesame noodles. The noodles were a bit mushy, like they…read morehad not been made to order. The sauce was BLAND and excessively OILY. It did not taste like they had used Chinese sesame paste, a key ingredient that adds amazing, complex flavor. Hot and sour soup. Plenty of fresh mushrooms and tofu. But the soup was TOO SWEET.

Very interesting. I believe this is a chain restaurant like Panda Express. I have never tasted…read moregeneral tsos chicken or chicken katsu like this before. Very weird recipes. Chicken katsu was super thin and had a yeast like breading and was served with a liquidy soy sauce? General tsos was made in a tempura batter? Did not taste like Asian food (neither authentic or takeout)