Funayama Japanese Restaurant

Sad that this place closed. It was a great AYCE place with great service. It is rare to find AYCE sushi, and that they served alcohol. Had a bachelor party here once, and ate more than 40 pieces setting my personal best. (Some of my friends can boast over 70 pieces.) They had a good proportion of fish to rice at a reasonable price. Good for groups, since they freely allow you to rearrange the tables as you please.
The décor was nice, and not like other AYCE that are like holes in the walls. Not many great AYCE places like this anymore.

Too bad, they closed out for good! They had one incident with the health department that they never recovered from, never returned to the business. Sad for the neighborhood! :(

Closed! What a shame. I hope they reopen in the neighborhood.

As of May, 2012 this restaurant is PERMANENTLY CLOSED and OUT OF BUSINESS.
I live here and can confirm that my favorite local sushi joint is shuttered, and I’ll update this review if they ever decide to turn the lights back on.
As always, it is a good idea to click «useful» on my post, so more people realize this place is closed.

closed.

I love Funayama! This is my go to sushi restaurant in NYC. I have been coming here for a while and dream of the No. 7 roll.
Their fish is fresh, the service is great-they’ll let you sit for a while and will never push you out.

My first time here, I was pretty iffy about coming because of it’s «B» rating. I had a great first time there that I decided to come back again within the month and they had managed to change it to an «A». Great second impression.
I’ve been here a handful of times and each time is a funexperience. I’m a huge fan of eel and the eel they use on their sushi is huge and not fatty at all.
I always go with anywhere from 2 – 4 people and it’s always accomodated well. I have no complaints.

My friend and I came here for the all you can eat sushi. It was about what you can expect for AYCE for around $ 20. It hit the spot for cheap sushi, though.

I love this place! I’ve been coming here for 7 years, and it’s exactly the same, nothings changed. The quality is always very good, the sushi is fresh and in large cuts. You leave feeling full, which doesn’t always happen at sushi restaurants.
Service is very good. The waiter with the mustache is my favorite, been my waiter for 7 years and is always polite, and aims to make sure you enjoy your meal with your company.
I recommend the sushi regular by eating the fish from the lightest lightest to oiliest. Entrees comes with Tea, Soup or Salad, and an Orange to finish the meal.
The décor isn’t beautiful, but the food and the service really makes the meal enjoyable. Its a good place to come informally with friends and just enjoy the night.

This review is going to be as exciting as watching your wall — it is EXACTLY as 3 stars should be: a-​ok. The fish is not too bad in terms of freshness, and I’ve never had to wait there (for a table; the sushi, on the other hand, can sometimes take a while). Their fried ice cream (I’m a fried ice cream addict) is pretty good, but I’ve only eaten it when I’m already in somewhat of a food coma so it’s hard to judge. The price is somewhat steep for the quality of fish.
Their all-​you-​can-​eat is NOT worth it unless you like to be watched by the Sushi Big Brother for not wasting a grain of rice and then getting charged extra for not finishing — I feel like it screams of «why are you wasting your food when there are starving kids in Africa» when really all I feel is «I might explode if I eat another grain of rice but if I don’t I might go bankrupt paying for the leftovers.»

I don’t really know what to say about this place. «Then stop writing, Alex.» No, I think I’m going to keep going anyway, because I’m in that kind of mood and I think everyone should still get some kind of review out of my experience here.
With those auspicious prefatory remarks out of the way, let’s continue. I came here on the Sunday after «hurricane» Irene. Limbs were down in the village but little other causes for concern. Lots of places were closed but not Funayama. I’d walked past a few times in the past but never ventured in. After my third «Closed Due to the Hurricane» sign on the doors of my initial choices I just got tired and too hungry to keep trudging around the neighborhood and so went in here.
It’s a narrow setup but opens up a little in the back. Got a glass of Cabernet to start and good lord was that a mistake. With few exceptions, I’m sure it’s never a smart move to get wine by the glass at a run-​of-​the-​mill sushi joint (I never seem to follow these time-​honored maxims that I myself subscribe to) but this was startlingly bad and almost made my eyes water. So, with the wine pushed firmly to the side, I ordered a salad and sushi entrée. The house salad was standard. The sushi looked like it had been subjected to numerous regimens of performance enhancing drugs. I must be used to sushi restaurants that have abnormally small rolls because it was actually an effort to lift these bulging rice-​filled jaggedly cut slabs of sushi off the plate and cleanly eat them in only a bite or two.
As I mentioned, I was tired, so after exerting every last ounce of energy I had in reserve to dutifully consume the remains of what must have initially been a small fishery and large sack of brown rice, I paid my bill (I try to make a habit of doing that) and trudged home. I’m pretty sure I dreamt that I was being chased all night by a giant angry squid, but don’t quote me on that.

I have been here on more than one occasion. I am not saying it’s a hole in the wall, the food and service is excellent.
I did not have the greatest experience when I went last time and that’s why I am giving Funayama only 3 stars. I want to believe it was as fresh as the previous times I have been there, however I don’t know how sure I am of that.
Having been here several times, with friends and family, going out of my way to go to the West Village I guess I just expected a lot more.
I think it’s better for a quick lunch or a quiet dinner. They have pictures of most of their appetizers and entrees on the menu, so you know what to expect.
All in all, nothing crazy, just don’t expect this to be Buddakan or Tao.

I expected Funayama to be terrible. Like, puke your guts out, why did I even try this, worst sushi ever, terrible. But I was not the one responsible for picking the girls-​night-​out sushi spot, and my friend swore by it, so I just went with it. I’m a trusting and/​or lazy person like that.
The sushi was actually not terrible quality. There was way too much wasabi on some of the pieces, but it wasn’t rancid or warm or anything like that.
I probably won’t go back just because I’d prefer to eat less higher quality sushi than seemingly endless mediocre sushi, but at least I didn’t puke my guts out! Yay!

You know, as far as sushi goes, this place is pretty darn good. The fish is usually quite fresh (and the staff is usually good about telling you what’s the most fresh).
The menu offers a fair amount of variety (I really like the dragon roll — a lot) and the chirashi is great, too. I’ve never done the all-​you-​can-​eat special, but $ 23 is really reasonable if you’re hungry, because as lots of other here say, the fish is generously cut.
It’s not a fancy room, by any means, and that staff is pretty no-​nonsense. Not a lot of niceities going on. But Funayama is fun to say!

I’ve eaten here quite a few times now and I keep coming back. The fish is always fresh and of good quality. The wait staff is very nice. Every time we’ve come here, we ended up sitting for quite a long time and just drinking tea after we were done eating.
Now I have done the AYCE deal they have here for $ 23 a person. While it was good, I can say it isn’t really for me. The sushi pieces of fish are enormous. I had the eel and tomago and both of them were the length of my hand from my wrist to middle finger tip. The amount of rice to fish ratio leaves a lot to be desired. They pack in a huge dense rice ball for the AYCE sushi. The rolls were of enormous proportions as well. Mostly packed with rice. If you like rice, this might be a good deal for you. The selection is nice, they have a nice choice of AYCE options. You get a piece of paper and it lists all of the options available for AYCE and you just write in how many of each piece you would like. The catch is if you don’t find everything including the rice you will get charged $ 3 per piece that you did not finish.
Now I’ve also ordered sushi that is from their regular menu. I’ve had both a taste of their combo platters and their party sets, specifically the Roll Party Set where you get to pick 5 of the chefs special rolls and a california roll. The chefs special rolls range in price form $ 9.95 — $ 10.95 so it’s a pretty good deal considering the set only costs $ 45. You get plenty of food and the sushi is not packed with rice. The rolls are actually of normal size and tastes good and fresh. There is no densely packed rice balls or an enormous serving of fish when you order from their regular menu. This is the option I stick with and with 3 people eating, each of us leaves full and happy. There is no pressure of trying to finish everything like AYCE because you won’t be charged $ 3 per piece for not finishing. But I have to say, this tastes so good we never have a problem not finishing.

My boyfriend just took me out here last night for a late dinner for the AYCE special. We used to have our original AYCE located closer to us in Hoboken, but it recently shut down (RIP Wild Ginger, you will be missed). When we set out to replace our No. 1 we were afraid we would never find a place that could live up to the standards we were holding so dearly onto.
We really loved it. We got a checklist of the kinds of rolls and pieces available, and after placing our first order, we only waited a very quick five minutes to get four pieces of sushi and five rolls. They tasted very fresh and we couldn’t help but order two more times! 10 pieces of sushi and 9 rolls later, we were well stuffed and definitely got our money’s worth.
Some other pluses– the wait staff was so nice and friendly to me and my boyfriend, the proximity to the 9^th street PATH station is rather convenient as well. Some others might disagree here, but I actually thought the ambiance of the restaurant was cute– stuck on the outskirts of Greenwich Village, it was a small humble hole-​in-​the-​wall kind of place, and me and my boyfriend are simple and pretty low-​key (read: college students), so it definitely appealed to us.
Overall a really good experience, definitely will go back!

You can’t beat their AYCES on Mondays & Thursdays. I have been here several times and every time they see me they are not that happy… I can eat.
Last time I was here for an eating contest with a dear friend of mine and he beat me by 1 piece: 50 to 49. I gotta go back and even things out!
:-)
Despite the All-​You-​Can-​Eat thing, the quality of the sushi is remarkable. I particularly like the eel hand rolls.
It has a chilled atmosphere and the staff is polite. We always sit by the windows… brighter and cozier.
Recommended if you are craving for sushi, are a good eater and have only a few bucks in your wallet.

This is probably my No.1 favorite sushi place in the city. I have visited this place every couple months for years now, and always have come away happy with both the food and the services. The fish has always been fresh, and the portions are huge. This is the best value for your bucks. The staff is always nice and friendly, the prices are decent — something about this place really clicks.
If you are one of those who prefer your sushi to require a magnifying glass, and feel better about about yourself when you over pay for things, this is NOT the place for you. For your standard non-​snobby sushi fan, this place keeps deliverying, as it has been for years.

Julie/​Julia
2 ½ Stars
Haven’t been here in a while and I know why now… The decoration hasn’t changed in the years since my last visit and we’re talking like 6,7,8 years ago…
The deal is $ 23 bucks for all you can eat sushi which is rolls and sushi only. No sashimi and they’ll charge you $ 3 bucks for each unfinished piece even if you eat the fish but leave the rice…
That inner cheap, value driven asian in me had to go for it even though I’m really not a big eater or do well in all you can eat environments… I felt like I was on Man vs. Food as I struggled to get more food in me so that I can walk out knowing that I got the best of them… I LOST…
Honestly the fish was not bad and was fresh enough. Worthy of a 3 star for sure… The reason that I drop it down to 2 ½ stars is this fact… The thing is a scam… As I’m eating the sushi, I start to realize that the rice is different. It’s sticky and not the type that usually goes with sushi??? And they pile it up whenever they can. It’s the get you full technique and it really dimished my meal. I had about 9 pieces and part of a roll and was stuffed. No way did I get the right value.
The rice thing was just wrong and I really felt cheated. You get about twice the amount of rice when you order the flying fish roe. I thought the eel was the best you can get. And the tamago egg was scary big size with a large clump of rice that was a meal in itself… I guess because this piece is cheap and can get you full. The menu does provide other items and the sushi deluxe for $ 17 and above would have been better for us.
Listen, the food is not bad if you can put up with the rice that does really get you full… It’s just not for me and I left wishing I had gone somewhere else…

I know that the idea of paying one price for limitless sushi is appealing, but in nearly all cases, the sushi is terrible. This place is no exception.
They purposefully pack about a quarter pound of rice into a dense ball in an attempt to fill you up quicker. The problem is, the rice makes the sushi taste terrible! Seriously! There’s WAY too much rice. What I ended up doing is taking the fish off the rice and eating it sashimi style. The only problem with that is that you’re left with a dozen dense rice balls that you don’t want to eat but HAVE to eat because they will charge you if you don’t. They’re robbing naïve people blind here. The sushi slice is also disgustingly large to the point that it makes it slimy and slithery. This is a waste of money. If you can’t afford sushi, don’t eat sushi. It’s supposed to be a rare treat and a delicacy, not an all-​you-​can-​eat stuff fest!
The only reason I even came here was because my friend told me that Time Out New York claimed that this was a decent all-​you-​can-​eat sushi place. That’s the last time I trust Time Out New York. Unilocal is a much better barometer to determine whether restaurants have value or not. Unilocal hasn’t steered me wrong yet and if I would have read these reviews beforehand, I would have never come in the first place. If over 50 people on Unilocal are reviewing a certain restaurant, the average star power is a pretty good statistical indicator. I’m glad to contribute to the deterioration of Funayama’s rating.
I knew it would be pretty bad when I saw exclusively white people in here. Also, now that I read the reviews, all Japanese people hate this place and the only ones that seem to like it are white people from Brooklyn. Hmm.

Funayama: Worst Sushi Meal in my Life — Warm and Crunchy Rice Included
RUN Rayfil! RUN!
Like Jack Bauer looking for the quickest escape, I wanted to… so bad.
I wanted to dash out the door and hop over to Joe’s for a cheese pizza.
But, too late. I had been suckered into the worst meal of my life.
I was forced fed bad sushi.
Hands down, the worst SUSHI and meal in my life.
I was caught by surprise.
Located in trendy Greenwich area in New York City, this restaurant should simply not exist.
Firstly, I know my food. I was a food writer for a newspaper in San Francisco and have been to Tokyo for authentic real sushi.
Staying on point.
The all you can eat at Funayama is below par.
I would rather have eaten my mom’s cooking, and trust. she is not much better.
For around $ 23, I thought I give this place a try.
The Chinese sushi chef should have been a red flag.
Sushi rice is suppose to be slightly tart and welcomes the senses, served below room temperature.
Instead, the chef was using rice straight from the rice cooker.
No! No! No!
The rice was too warm.
Raw fish serve on a bed of warm rice.
This is not your high school home economics class.
Sushi needs to have the proper dressing and fanned carefully.
Instead, the rice had crunchy texture. Nasty.
Also, the knife skills were just lacking.
Non uniform pieces revealed this.
Under trained chef, warm/​crunchy rice, and nominal service.
If you want to get revenge on your co-​worker or your X bf/​gf, send them to this place.
TIP: for $ 25, get a reservation at Sushi Yasuda for their combo sushi special priced the same

I’m pretty apprehensive when it come to sushi. Not because I don’t eat it, but because there is such a sheer number of restaurants that do it wrong. Your odds of having a bad sushi experience are pretty high if you’re just wandering around looking for a place.
I can confidently say Funayama at this point presents some of the better quality and tasting sushi that you can get for your hard earned dollar. (At least until I discover some more great sushi restaurants.)
The all you can eat deal is highly competitive in terms of both pricing and taste. Variety on the AYCE menu is a little more limited compared to other restaurants offering strictly sushi items.
Beware of your ordering however, any left over rolls, sushi, cones etc are charged for and I witnessed a neighboring table get gouged on that.