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    Ushiwakamaru

    4.2 (215 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndJapanese, Sushi Bars, Salad
    Open 5:00 pm - 9:30 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Ushiwakamaru Photos

    Business Info

    USHIWAKAMARU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy

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    Tuna special
    Alisa J.

    Amazing sushi! One of the best places in NYC for sure! Great service and all the food is delicious! The tuna special was great! I loved each unique piece of tuna and the spicy tuna roll was so good! They had the best tempura I've ever had and you can tell the quality of the sushi place by it's egg sushi! The egg sushi was amazing and the best I've ever had as well. The pickled vegetables could've been more pickled and have more flavor but still good. One of the best parts was dessert! The matcha tiramisu is a must order! It was so so delicious and my mom from Japan who usually doesn't order or eat desserts at all said it was so good and she wished she had ordered her own. The other people in my party got omakase and said that every piece was amazing. The chef is friendly and great at what he does! If you're looking for an amazing and authentic sushi and Japanese food in general experience in a laid back and friendly setting with high quality people don't look anywhere else. Can't recommend enough!

    Tansy W.

    AMAZING. There was not a single piece I did not like and I actually left feeling full (rare at omakase places for me). We got the omakase - mix of sushi and sashimi for $158, which also came with soup, choice of dessert, and a few other items (see photos). Standouts were the monk fish liver (omg I could've had an entire bowl of it) and the tuna scallion hand roll with this amazing homemade soy sauce, followed very closely by the the first fatty tuna piece (forget what kind but sweet the trio photo after the soup), red snapper, shrimp and uni. But honestly there was not a single piece we didn't like. It was all wonderful. The sake flight option on the menu that night wasn't available so we got the cheapest of the 3 sake options in the junmai gingo category. I forgot the name but it was $14 for a 4 oz glass, which I found reasonable. They also had some pretty high end bottles if you're celebrating a special occasion. The sushi chef was very friendly and funny. Loved our interactions with him, even if through a plastic plexy glass wall (ugh covid). The waiter was not as attentive (rarely came to refill our drinks and forgot to come back to take my drink order) but it looked like he was the only guy working the entire restaurant, which looked fully booked, and I assume it was just due to understaffing during COVID. In sum, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE. Amazing sushi, excellent sake menu, and friendly chef. Can't wait to return! Easily one of the best places in the city.

    Omakase tuna
    Victoria G.

    This spot serves the freshest Edo sushi I have had in a while. The ambiance is amazing and everyone is super welcoming and polite. Loved the master's energy and he also had a snazzy blue sparkly mask on. There were plastic dividers between everyone, and the spacing was definitely more than 6 feet. Felt very safe inside. I came here for the Omakase to celebrate my birthday and it was absolutely delicious. The sake we ordered was called Take No Tsuyu, and it was super light and smooth. Such a fragrant scent, brewed gently in bamboo forests. From the Omakase, I enjoyed the mackerel, blow-torched tuna, uni, and otoro hand roll. The uni was SO SWEET and smooth, and the otoro was super tender. The sweet shrimp also deserves a mention for its fresh ocean flavor. The rice also deserves to be highlighted, it was just that good. At the end, the master asked us if we would like a few more pieces, and he made two more complimentary chef's choice sushi. One of which was an abalone that blew my mind. Hands down will return for the immaculate service and flavors.

    Bina S.

    FOOD The quality of the fish was very fresh but the way it was prepared was disappointing. The Uni was delicious but some of the pieces were a miss. I would give the presentation 2/5, very basic and incongruent with the price point. Unfortunately, 75% of the sushi that was part of the Omakase was salty. I could not pin point if it was the rice or the way the fish was prepared but there were a few sushi pieces that was borderline inedible. EDIT: I was informed, the style of this fish preparation is called Edomae. SERVICE Our waitress was great! She was courteous and attentive. DRINKS I appreciated how they offered half bottles of champagne and a good selection of sake. CONCLUSION For my party of three, our bill ended up being close to $900 after tip for three Omakases and drinks. With that said, I didn't think the experience nor the food were worth the price tag. If they address the salt issue and perhaps add one or two more pieces to the omakase, it would have improved my dining experience. I left feeling very thirsty and not quite full.

    A la cartes
    Michael W.

    Good old OG. Good ol service. Simply fish. Nothing fancy. Price is a bit high for the space. Needs a revamp so hideo kuribara can step up the omakase game. Place is just too old and boring. Overall still pretty ok with a great chef.

    Kawaba Sunrise Ale
    Chantel Y.

    Super easy to make a reservation here! Made mine two days in advance and there were some reasonable dinner times available then. I came here on Fri 2/25/22. Omakase was $170 (the menu online is outdated) which consists of "daily chef's choice you're welcome to make any requests includes daily special that consists of fresh and seasonal fish". I didn't make any special requests, but chose sushi rolls (instead of nigiri) and this is what my omakase consisted of: 1) ankimo with delicious chewy seaweed 2) chef's special nigiri (this was DELICIOUS and sooo fatty) 3) white miso soup with a shrimp head in it. yum! 4) steamed egg pudding 5) 8 pieces of nigiri 6) hand roll 7) choice of dessert (I chose green tea tiramisu). This was delicious and had red bean inside, which is usually not my favorite but this was so good! The fish was definitely fresh in the omakase, but it was not in the salmon sushi flight (wish i took pictures). I also love it when the rice is super fresh and warm, and most of these pieces were with cold rice. I also ordered a uni nigiri, toro taku handroll, and negi toro traditional style roll. Sake and beer selection were great. The tempura was also delicious and had a great mix of shrimp, kabocha squash, broccoli, carrot, and octopus. Overall the experience and atmosphere was great and service was excellent, but the omakase was just a bit overpriced for the quality and quantity. I'd come back here for the non omakase items.

    Fried mackerel with soy garlic sauce
    Tyler S.

    Ushiwakamaru is a solid sushi restaurant that offers a fairly priced omakase with an experienced sushi chef. It succeeds where other cheaper alternatives fail, prioritizing quality, seasonality, and tradition with a bit of flair. I was first introduced to the restaurant by Gordon Y. on Yelp. He shared with me his fond memories of returning to the counter over and over again to sit with head chef Hideo and encouraged me to with with the chef and buy him a beer! Hideo-san wowed me with some items I had never seen before: a special cut of toro sashimi, a seasonal matsutake mushroom soup served from a teapot, and fried mackerel with a soy garlic sauce. The chef's rice was slightly sour, a function of the vinegar he uses to prepare his rice. Each grain was separate and properly loose. The warmth of the rice balanced the temperature of the fish well. The nigiri featured a lot of wasabi; it wasn't too much, but it was a lot. While the construction of the nigiri was good, the gunkan maki and handroll suffered from engineering failures. His signature yuba piece self-destructed as the rice was too wet and fell out of the bottom, splattering on the counter; the uni piece was so tall, I had trouble fitting in in my mouth; and the seaweed of the torotaku handroll cracked and detached as I ate it creating a mess as I tried to hold it together. Though these negatives were minor in the context of the meal. My favorite courses of the night were the fried mackerel appetizer and the saba, ocean trout, akamutsu, and seared toro with truffle salt nigiri. The chef did use a few additional flavors like salt, lemon, and truffle, but thankfully no inappropriate toppings. The draft Sapporo was cold and refreshing. I left feeling very full and satisfied with the experience. 4/5 would dine again.

    Miso soup
    Patrick W.

    TLDR: If you're looking for an omakase to leave you feeling wowed, this is a good choice. Price is $158 including small appetizer, soup, 14 pieces, a hand roll and dessert. Solid value. Ushiwakamaru was recommended to me by a coworker and gave it a shot with wifey. Of all the sushi bars we've been to, this is probably the most comfortable. These are not high chairs, the bar counter is at a very relaxed level - you feel settled in and ready to coast at this omakase. They will ask you if you prefer your soup at the beginning or the end. Chef Hideo will then begin your tasting. The pieces here are a really nice size, still bitesize but every piece will make your smile. He has this care while he prepares your next nigiri and when he puts it in front of you, you know it is made with love. The squid, golden eye snapper and soy sauce marinated tuna pieces are always incredible. I've been to Ushiwakamaru several times and we keep coming because it's definitely in our top 5. The dessert choices are very generous too, ranging from a slice of Lady M to a frozen grapefruit dessert. I have a habit of finishing every omakase with an extra hand roll. Chef Hideo is the only one who will allow me to partake in my favorite commoner delight, a spicy tuna handroll. What I love about his is it's not minced tuna mixed with the srichacha mayo conction, his is more deconstructed. It's literaly pieces of lean tuna tossed in spicy mayo and it's just fabulous.

    Miso soup
    Mei W.

    I had a wonderful time enjoying the 16-piece omakase. The pieces were prepared well and everything tasted delicious. I had miso soup with shrimp head, simmered bluefin tuna, baby eel, bonito from Japan, eggplant with akami, baby anchovy, fried cod roe with green tea salt, red snapper, salmon roe, sea urchin, sea eel, fatty tuna roll, shiratama anmitsu (sweet red bean paste, rice cakes, kuromitsu syrup with agar cubes) with black sesame ice cream, and a few other things I ate before remembering to take a picture.

    Sineerat R.

    This is my first time trying this place. the course was nice and very traditional Japanese omakase style. Love it !

    Assorted Nigiri (plate #2)
    Masanori D.

    I was not impressed at all! They serve decent sushi, but I've had much better sushi on many occasions. On top of it, this place is not inexpensive. I ordered the (assorted) Nigiri: 7 pieces of nigiri, 2 piece of gunkan, half of a "thin" roll, and a piece of tamago yaki. The fish was fresh, but was not of the quality that I would expect from the price. What's most disappointing was the rice. High quality rice and seasoned well, but it was tightly packed. For this level of sushi, I would be happy to pay $35, but not $48. If you are looking for excellent sushi (in NYC), I assure you this is not it! If you must try this place, here are a couple of things to keep in mind. - When you make a reservation, you have to give them your credit card number. If you do not give them a 24 hour notice for cancellation, they will charge you $25 PER PERSON. - If you want to sit at the sushi counter, you must order omakase, which is market price. - If you order the assorted sushi or sashimi, they do not let you substitute even if you have an allergy. ニューヨークに住む知り合いからも情報を集め、その中で比較的お手頃で良さそうな店を選んだはずだったんですが、正直がっかりしました。美味しくなかったとは言いませんが、この値段でこの程度なのかというのが実感です。

    Gal R.

    A great omakase experience The main part of the sushi was amazing The first starters were good. But when the real show started it was one of the best ever. Sea perch, otoro, uni and other usual suspects, were amazing with an additional touch of flavor from the amazing Hideo Kuribaara sushi chef. The desert was great as well :)

    Andrew C.

    Fantastic meal sitting at the sushi bar across from chef Hideo Kuribara. It was fascinating to watch him work: Each of his movements was precise, purposeful, and understated. Each piece of fish was an explosion of multi-dimensional flavor. What an experience!

    First plate of sushi out of 3, unfortunately forgot to take pictures of the rest

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    8 months ago

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    4 years ago

    The best kept secret! Delicious sushi, authentic and attentive service. A real gem. Dine here without a doubt.

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    Page 1 of 6

    Ushiwakamaru Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Ushiwakamaru

    Is it okay for solo diners? Can a solo diner order omakase?

    Of course you could. Please call us for Omakase bar reservation! Thank you!

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    Momoya

    Momoya

    4.1
    (898 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    I had been to Momoya on the Upper West Side before, but this was my first visit to the Chelsea…read morelocation. The atmosphere here was a bit more lively and crowded compared to the more relaxed vibe of the UWS spot. I enjoyed my meal even more this time around. I started with the beet salad, which was delicious and offered great value given the generous portion size. it featured sliced beets, arugula, goat cheese, and walnuts. I also had my eye on the hijiki soybean salad--which is a bit smaller and reportedly homemade--so I may try that next time, along with the warm mushroom salad which looked very tasty. The edamame was standard but served as a nice starter. For my main rolls, I chose the salmon avocado and the yellowtail scallion. Both were very fresh and definitely worth ordering again. The salmon avocado roll had a nice touch of sesame seeds on the rice, while the yellowtail scallion was prepared with the seaweed on the outside. My boyfriend's sushi entree looked excellent, so I am considering that or the sushi-sashimi combo for my next visit. The entrees provide a substantial amount of food, and I especially appreciate that they allow you to choose which roll comes with your meal.

    Came as a group of 5 around 7pm on a weeknight and seated fairly quickly. Ordered a bunch of apps…read moreto share and several rolls. The edamame dumplings and the crispy shrimp shumai were crowd favorites.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Chirashi Lunch
    Chirashi Lunch
    Dessert

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    Dessert
    Sanyuu West

    Sanyuu West

    4.5
    (167 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$$$

    price - $87 per person pre tax…read more food - 5/5 service - 5/5 ambiance - 5/5 I got the chance to try out Sanyuu West for my birthday and I had such an amazing time! from the moment I stepped into the restaurant, the waiters were super sweet and attentive to my friend and I. the courses kept coming out and each piece was super tender and bursting with flavor! my favorite was definitely the uni, toro, and wagyu on milk bread course! I love how the flavors mix so well together, I felt like I was in heaven! the service was amazing, like the never left my water cup empty!!! (props to them) the ambiance inside was also super calm and vibey. overall, I had such an amazing time and I would love to go again soon

    Came for takeout and got the Salmon Set which includes 8 huuuuge salmon nigiri for $30. You'll…read moredefinitely want to share this one. The slices aren't thin, delicate, and melt-in-your-mouth as one usually gets in a sit down; they are extra thick, and I had to really bite down on some of the pieces. The rice was nicely seasoned and was cooked well + portions are also big to match those thiccccc salmon slices. To be honest, I was getting a little nauseated after 5 pieces, haha~ They were definitely delicious but I'd probably just eat 3 or 4 pieces and share with a friend! It was easy to text the number on the website and coordinate a pickup time, and the staff was friendly when I arrived. The restaurant is a little hard to find as the windows are blinded and the sign is a piece of paper on the door.

    Photos
    Sanyuu West
    (@joeynht)
    (@joeynht)
    (@joeynht)

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    (@joeynht)
    Mikado

    Mikado

    4.4
    (204 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    Great atmosphere, delicious and reasonably priced food, attentive service…read more Can't go wrong with crispy rice and hand roll set. Enjoyed every bite. Definitely coming back.

    Reviewing location in Chelsea - The food is pretty good and there is definitely an existing…read morestandard leaning towards quality, but the service! Now, having said that although the food was decent, there were a couple of questionable choices in the overall presentation and plating and the sauces that accompany the black cod bento box I ordered, which did not actually come in a box. Everything is brought out piecemeal so you don't get an actual meal before you, but a lot of little plates brought out at different times, kinda like the Japanese equivalent of Tapas. We have been to this location twice, hoping the first time was a fluke, and trying to give them a chance only for the second time to be worse. The waitstaff is entirely disengaged from the customers. They rush you through the order process and don't explain any of the menu offerings, such as what is the difference between the different platter options. When they do come over, you are greeted with the sweetness and warmth of an unemotionally flat "What do you want?" After you get your food, no one comes over to refill water and cups are initially filled halfway with too much ice. No one comes over to remove plates afterward, and they definitely show no interest in finding out if you are enjoying your meal in the least. The booth we were sat at had not been cleaned after the last party's use so there was sauce all over, and it got on the back of my pants, which I later discovered while walking home...the joy. After eating comes the best part, they come over with these tablets outlining your check on the screen. Meanwhile, the tablets are strapped to their bodies the entire time. They don't allow you to scrutinize the charges in peace, no, they stand there impatiently for the duration either swerving from side to side of tapping their foot signaling discomfort that you're taking way too long. The funny part is the straps have clips to remove the tablets so it's not like it's impossible to leave the tablet and come back shortly. The whole process feels very rushed and pressurized for you to tip with one of the predetermined button selections, which start at 25%. Ummm, service sucked so no, we're definitely NOT starting there. I guess now we're both disappointed. Eventually, you get no paper receipt for your records even if you ask for it to be printed. And the whole time, the waitstaff is with you judging you on your tipping and not even being graceful enough to restrain their reaction. So no, not going back, and definitely would not recommend as a place to have a good time. Now, if you're looking for an uncomfortable experience served by someone that completely ignores you during your entire time there and expects an exorbitant tip to boot, then yes, this is the place for you!

    Photos
    Indoor decor
    Indoor decor
    Happy hour taco $5 comes with 3 tacos
    Happy hour taco $5 comes with 3 tacos
    Inside large table

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    Inside large table

    Ushiwakamaru - japanese - Updated August 2026

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