Tanaka Sushi

Beware: I went here thinking that Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka owned the place. This is not true, there aren’t even photographs of him anywhere. Just a bunch of Japanese guys running the place. But the food is still good and a good value for the dollar. It is prepared in an acceptable time and always tastes fresh, which is a priority for raw fish! Ignore the Citicorp Bros that stop in here like it’s an afterparty. It’s not a big place, so it’s not ideal for groups, but if you have that special man or woman in your life, it’s cozy enough to touch knees!

Best sushi for your dollar in the city. The omakase is terrific… I’d say the toro is the best I’ve ever had. Enjoyed it more than sushi nakazawa (which maybe because it was ¼ the price lol)

I came back twice hoping it would be better but it’s just not. I really enjoyed myself the first time I was here but that could just have been because it was Friday night. The food here is overpriced (was really disappointed that the lunch special was not available on weekends, even though if I had sat at home and ordered in I could have had the special) making the food incredibly overpriced. The food itself just has not been great at any time– teriyaki sauce is cheap, portions are flimsy/​lacking and sushi (the speciality) is just average and a bit bland. The rice doesn’t seem to be sushi rice either and we came on a cold day and the place was empty and freezing. Should have known. The only good thing is the service. Not enough, unfortunately.

This review may not be saying much because I have not been to many other sushi places in the city but I think Tanaka is amazing. Aside from the fact that I live next door and it is extremely convenient, their sushi is fresh and delicious. They have a variety of rolls and the staff is amazing. They’re kind, friendly and accommodating and I’m sure they would be willing to make anything you like!

Delivery time was ok.
The two sushi apps were good however my first bite of my Dynamite Roll just had a bone in it.
Apparently they give a free California Roll with an order of $ 30 or more, but I can’t eat it now bc I’m grossed out :(

REALLY??? I ordered food at 1pm… estimated delivery time was 1:55. Now 4:02.
Cliffnotes version
Breakdown of the communication:
1^st est was 1:55
2^nd was when I called at 2:40– they said MAX 20 min and it was already out
3^rd was via text est time 3:07
4^th is now 3:29…
at 3:56 I got a phone call from the delivery guy telling me I had to come down to him because he was to busy to bring it up to me (Give me my tip back then.) I said «absolutely not. You are two hours late. This is not my fault and I am now in a meeting.»
So, I have no idea if the food is good or not. It’s 4:03 and I just received my food.
Funny note: The receptionist at my work called me on the intercom and said «Your food is FINALLY HERE» :you hear cheers around the office: and the delivery guy goes to her «what do you mean finally?»… I think this was a record for worst delivery service. And canceling wasn’t really an option since I didn’t have time in the day to order again, or leave, and they kept saying it would only be another 20 min. I worked in food service for years and this is ridiculous.
BTW all I ordered was lunch special sashimi.
EDIT: after eating, the sashimi was good. Just not worth the hassle. Maybe it would be better to actually go in and eat there.

Food is pretty good a little pricey for a lunch special. Stay away from the tempura I got a stomachache and gas. My friend had a similar issue and I don’t think the food is fresh.

Had salmon bento box lunch and it was great. Definitely recommend it to everyone. It may take a while but still good.

The miso soup was okay. I got the sashimi regular though and it was amazing. It had a lot of choices that you don’t normally see on a sashimi plate.

Quality sushi at a hole-​in-​the-​wall. I’d walked past this place and never went it. Then my team started ordering from there and I really like the quality. The staff is really nice (even opened early for me once when I had an early lunch meeting there).

Cheap quality sushi in Manhattan?! Are you kidding me? No, no I’m not. This is a find. If you are in Turtle Bay and want to get away for some great sushi and sake, step into Tanaka Sushi. Worth checking out for sure.

Ok this review is a stretch. First the good, service was so friendly which accounts for 1 of the 2 stars. Food gets 1 star. Sashimi ordered and received sushi. Everything was just so average. When I took the rice off my sashimi server said I should have told her no rice, so since she assumed I ordered Sushi when pointing to the sashimi on the menu she gave me the sake on the house which was nice I guess? Prices are reasonable, but the food was akin to take out from the grocery store prepared food and equivalent in price so you get what you pay for. Agree with others if you have never tried sushi —stay away this is not what it’s about. PS sushi chefs not Japanese (I should have known this would happen)!

Ordered again for a Real Time Lunch Review. This time, order was here within 30 minutes’ time.
Tried the sashimi-​style sushi. Packaging still made for a solid presentation. Fish wasn’t as glistening as I would have liked. Definitely had that «pre-​cut then put on ice» mouth feel, opposed to the soft, buttery, no noticeable chew, melt in your mouth, ZOMG feel of higher-​quality sushi. Still tasted fine. Fortunately, the Uni was up to snuff.
Also tried the Tiger & Samurai Rolls. Both were fine with taste. But there was a decent-​sized chunk of King Crab shell in my Samurai Roll. No bueno! Had that been swallowed unnoticed… it was large and jagged enough to be of seeeeeeeeerious notice coming out.
If I order again, will stay away from the King Crab (which makes me sad)…and the sashimi-​style sushi. But, with other options in the area who deliver, this will probably be my last go at Tanaka.

My wife and I had dinner here last Sunday night, and both thought it was OK. When we arrived, the restaurant was full and we had to wait about 20 mins or so. The waitress and the manager were both very nice and accommodating while we waited, and served us water, gave us menu recommendations and some generally comforting small talk.
I ordered a soba noodle soup with chicken and my wife ordered an assortment of sushi. Both items were fairly decent and I think this is overall, a pretty decent Sushi spot close to home. I’m not really a sushi connoisseur, but I think Tanaka is safe bet if you’re in the area and looking for sushi.

This is a typical sushi restaurant that is forgettable because the menu is typical, the taste is typical, and the service is typical. Tanaka Sushi is A-​OK.

So sorry to give this review.
Let’s start with the positive? The place is super cute looking and the wait staff are friendly and attentive.
The food is just… sigh.
the «chef» has no idea what he’s doing. I ordered a tofu salad and they basically served a block of it, clearly still shaped like the box it was packaged in, severed into several pieces, but not even separated… simply out of box and cut evenly, sitting fat and heavy over the greens. Greens were fresh.
The ginger/​carrot dressing was super bland.
I had sushi. Not fresh, especially the yellowtail. The crabmeat that was in the middle was you know, that fake crab meat bunched together.
After I paid my bill i was given a lychee/​pineapple palette cleanser. Very nice of them! The food though, was fresh out of the can.
I mean, maybe that’s alright for some of you who aren’t used to eating fresh fruit or fresh fish.
They had good intentions but no clue about food itself, which is, you know, insulting to the Japanese culture.
You just can’t cut corners when serving raw food.
IF YOU ARE TRYING SUSHI FOR THE FIRST TIME DON’T COME HERE. This is not what it’s about and nyc has TONS of great options. For example: Sushi Yasaka (more traditional) on 72^nd Street on the West Side is PHENOMENAL. Or SakaMai (funky style) or Blue Ribbon Sushi or… you get the picture.
peace

Not great. I went here at about 10:30 on a Sunday night because I was on my way back to my hotel, and it was a few doors away. I wouldn’t say it was repulsive, but it certainly was not great. I had the tuna tataki and sushi & sashimi combo. I’d say you get a fair bit for your money, but it was mediocre. The fish didn’t seem super fresh, and it wasn’t very cold. I’m certainly not an expert, but I would expect raw fish to at least be cooler to the touch.
I was also basically ushered out of there. The server brought my bill while I was still eating. I guess they must have been closing, but I’m not sure why they would seat me if they were planning on packing it up right away. I didn’t even consider their closing time. I guess not all places stay open late in NYC. I ended up scarfing down some sashimi and leaving my still-​hot tea behind.

What’s with making reservations even at shitty sushi places in Midtown?! Popped into 3 different sushi restaurants around the vicinity, all at which I was turned away because I didn’t have a reservation (for a mere 2).
«Stupid Ass Overpriced Midtown. never again!!» Frustrated and pissed I was, passing all these tiny «booked» (but not really) sushi restaurants from which I was just turned away. Was ready to head downtown to the always trusty East Village where I was guaranteed to encounter cheap sushi, no wait, and entertaining-​to-​observe questionable loitering humans when suddenly, something caught my eye… a sign in front of Tanaka that read ‘HAPPY HOUR FROM 6 – 10.‘
Might as well check it out, said he. Poutfully, I followed forth. It was empty inside, which was fishy at first. Thank goodness we were both at our wits end and just wanted to eat and get out of the disgusting city summer humidity. My expectations were seriously 6 feet under.
OK so… just so you know right off the bat:
+FREE beer/​wine just for eating there (choice of Asahi (Light), Sapporo (Light), Sake, House Wine)
+Rita is the beautiful waitress you will probably only have (since there are max 25 seats in the restaurant) — so friendly, warm. Will try to make your visit the most enjoyable experience ever.
+Reasonable prices!!!
I fell in love with the spicy salmon. Rolls were larger than average, and it was actually spicy and without the crunch (I LOATHE that crunch crap). Spicy mayo on the house. He fell in love with the chicken teriyaki bento box. Chicken he raved was the most luscious loins he’s ever encountered in the bento. Double date this turned into, it seemed.
I’ll 100% be back for these double dates!

Sushi was okay, nothing outstanding. Got seated pretty quickly for Midtown lunch time.

Great option for not-​too-​expensive sushi in Midtown East — Tanaka is kind of a hole in the wall with seating for maybe 20 people. It was just a few blocks from my hotel and had generally positive reviews so I gave it a try and was really happy with it.
First, I always like the places that start you off with a hand wipe, because I like to be clean.
Second, the waitress was really sweet and attentive, but not too much so.
Third and most important — the sushi was fresh and tasty. I had a few rolls and some white tuna and the quality was high on the fish. Presentation was good too.
The value here is outstanding — not sure if it’s every night but my first sake was free and they give you a small dish of pineapple afterwards too. Considering the quality, the prices were quite reasonable.
I also had a free side of entertainment as I was seated next to a table of nuns who were demolishing sushi & sake and talking some serious politics. Also, every patron in the place when I visited was female so single fellows might want to check this place out.