Ushiwakamaru

Ushiwakamaru has just re-​opened yesterday.
That was soft open and Hideo-​chef said will open next week (⁸⁄₂₄).
New place is on 23^rd Street near 9^th Av (362 W. 23 St).
Sushi was same excellence as before and larger place and more sushi bar seats.
I can’t wait for full open.

I am excited to say that Ushiwakamaru will be re-​opening at its new location on Aug. 24, 2015!
Last night I went to the opening party and it was so delicious! I can’t wait for its official opening and hang out there!
Chelsea is lucky to have a top rated sushi restaurant!

3.5 stars
The sushi is undoubtedly delicious, but you just get so little for your money. My fiancé and I both got the omakase and we were still hungry by the end. I realize that we could have added (and spent) more, but at that point we just decided to go elsewhere for dessert. I’ve had a whole lot of sushi in my life and I really really appreciate great sushi. I’ve just found better values out there. Namely, Sushi Yasuda. Sushi Yasuda really is an incredible value. I was sad that Ushiwakamaru didn’t have chirasi on the menu. I love ordering that and felt they could have done it well here. It looks like Ushiwakamaru is on its way to closing – unfortunate, but I sort of get it.

The best omakase sushi in New York City, hands down. Like, legit. This place rocked my socks off. I knew better so when I walked in, I managed to grab 2 spots at the sushi counter. This isn’t my first time at the rodeo people! I know that in order to have proper omakase, one must sit at the sushi counter.
The service was amazing and once the sushi started coming
I
was
in
heaven.
Wooooooow. Words cannot describe this sushi. I eat it like 4 times a week (sometimes more). I know what I’m talking about. This is a place you can go even if you are not a HUGE fan of sushi. They make it so right that even the pickiest eater would enjoy themselves here. The sushi counter I believe is omakase ONLY so be prepared to have your senses and tastebuds be taken to a whole other level. Thank me later!
YUM.

The best sushi I have ever had in the city (or maybe in my life). The restaurant is very casual, but the quality is superior. This is true authentic Japanese sushi, and beyond. The price seems a bit high, and the restaurant is usually packed with people, but it’s totally worth the money and wait.
Everything is carefully prepared and served. You can tell that by the taste. They even make their own soy sauce to make sushi taste better. It’s the best to sit at a sushi bar and talk with a chief. You can request what you like and they can recommend what’s good. Sushi chiefs are very very friendly and service is also very attentive. I almost don’t want to tell people about this restaurant because I want to keep it to myself, but had to share how excellent it was. Highly highly recommended!

My boyfriend and I have been going to different sushi spots every week for the past couple months now. I’m Japanese and he knows how to make me happy! :)
This place tops 15east, Brushstroke, Sushi Yasuda, Blue Ribbon, & Megu.
NOT SAYING these places arent great — except BR, idk how i feel about that place — but Ushiwakamaru takes first place.
So far, this place has to be the best sushi i have had in NYC maybe even Japan. We both ordered the omakase which is the go-​to here. The temperature of the rice was perfect and the amount of rice with each piece was just right. The ikura here in my opinion was amazing. just bursts in your mouth and the membrane is so soft. My boyfriend hates Ikura because of the texture of the tough membrane — but thats because he’s not eating it at the right places! =D His favorite would have to be uni, he was drooling from satisfaction to the point he stole my piece!
** we actually headed to a haunted house at 10:00pm which made us have to cut dinner short which i was so upset about. DEFINITELY dont plan on coming in here and rushing out. They serve you the traditional way of 1 – 2 pieces at a time so you can enjoy everything the moment it leaves his hands.
DONT FORGET TO SIT AT THE SUSHIBAR. must must must must.
We will most definitely be coming back
Trying Sushi of Gari & Sushi Nakazawa soon. let’s see the rankings then =P

Another good sushi spot in Soho area. This is actually my second time coming here since last time we forgot to make reservation as it was required… but all the sushi, sashimi, cod and fried shrimp with mushroom that we had ordered were fresh and juicy. That piece of Lady M strawberry cake was a must try as well… never thought it can even serpass the green tea crêpe! They did provide attentive service throughout the dinner so everything was auesome and beyond expectation.

Can’t do a la carte??? What??? I was trying to make a reservation at this restaurant and this lady over the phone was supper rude and sounds like she is in a hurry!
It was Oct 1 – 14 at 8:20 pm when I called, and asked for one at sushi bar. Only Omakase she said… Oh what? I can’t order a la carte? Why? This is really really bizarre!
So I asked, «why is that? that is so weird, I can’t order a la carte? «
She didn’t say shit!
With out any explanation from her so I said «that’s ok, next time.» And she did not even apologize but just hang upped on me… oh boy, is my business so not welcomed at this fucking restaurant ?
I am not one of those people who will tell u that they been to japan, or oh they ate at this or that supper expansive restaurant, but I will tell u this, I like my chu-​toro sushi comes one pice at a time! And I like to have as many pieces as I like! F your chef choice !!! And I heard this restaurant have the best sushi rice temperature and i heard that the vinegar taste of the sushi rice is also balanced well. That is why I wanted to come to try their sushi!!!
Well, Is this restaurant too good for me? Is their sushi good?
Now, I don’t really care any more.
Man I am pissed!!! I am so pissed!!!

This was my second time dining at the sushi bar at Ushiwakamaru. Both times have been enjoyable, and were somewhat later in the evening — this time we sat around 9:30pm.
The fish varieties are plentiful, and they always have the staples for less adventurous eaters. I have only had the omakase, and this time I started with the live shrimp. Literally. They show you the shrimp and then kill/​slice it up right in front of you so you cannot get any fresher! After the body is served to you — almost still pulsating — the head is fried tempura-​style and served after. Extremely tasty. The other highlight that evening was the fact that they had both Hokkaido and Santa Barbara uni. I appreciate when sushi restaurants serve more than one as they are wonderful to have back to back so you can notice the subtle differences in texture and taste.
The main reason I left this place as a 4 star and not 5 is because it is rated B. I am fearful of what B’s can mean, and when you are dealing with sushi — something that needs to be fresh and properly handled so as not to be harmful to the diner — it is even more important. Had I realized they were a B upon entering, I may have skipped my meal. For now, I will likely wait til that gets upgraded before returning.

Stick to the sushi and do not veer into the «from the kitchen» items like the lobster with asparagus. Nothing wrong with the non-​sushi items — in fact the tempura here is actually very light and quite excellent — but that being said it is not their specialty and you will be wasting calories/​space on non essentials.
The menu here is really quite simple, either go a la carte or go set, which are omakase, nigiri, or otsukuri which is basically a selection of sashimi. No substitutions and no nonsense on the nigiri or otsukuri so you annoying «hey, I gots to have it my way» types can go stick it where it doesn’t shine. The thing we have to point out here is that the sushi/​nigiri and the sashimi come out at room temperature — bit of a subtlety we noticed which makes the tuna fat melt more readily on the tongue.
We have not had the omakase here but we have had the nigiri and the otsukuri many times — go with the nigiri. It starts off with five pieces in the first course consisting of hirame, sake, maguro, amaebi, and toro. Second course is toro and scallion roll, uni, ikura, tamago, and unagi. The presentation is clean with meticulous attention to detail.
Bear in mind we favor the traditionalist places like this as opposed to the more Western-​style so for those who are looking for the more roll-​centric experience can stay away… please stay away so we will have no problems getting tables.

This us definitely sushi for purists, not American –Japanese fusion California rolls.
If you’re looking for pricey fusion rolls, go to morimoto’s
We had the omakase– 10 pieces of sushi/​plates.
The fish was expertly sliced, super fresh and the fatty toro was truly amazing– buttery perfection.
It was so good, we ordered an extra order of it.
The deep fried shrimp head was delicious and the raw baby eel with yuzu dipping sauce was surprisingly tasty.
The joint is pretty small, filled with Japanese patrons and locals– definitely a good sign

Review #100!
Nothing beats celebrating your birthday with sushi omakase, sitting at the bar, and watching your chef carefully prepare each little sushi package he delivers to your plate.
Every piece of fish we had was fresh, unique, and delicious. And underneath each piece of sushi was the perfect bite of warm, tasty rice. The grains were soft and plump, held together delicately, and easily melted alongside the fish with each bite. It may very well have been the best sushi rice I’ve ever had.
Though I also really enjoyed the sashimi platter (the clam was particularly good), I’d recommend choosing the sushi-​only omakase option if dining with a companion with a larger appetite. Not only because it’ll make for a more substantial meal, but also because the rice is so amazing.
My only complaint would be that the overall service was kind of lacking. We were accommodated, but no one was particularly friendly. Our chef served us methodically, but not very warmly.
Nonetheless, we enjoyed our meal and I can finally cross Ushiwakamaru off my list of restaurants to try.

I like Ushiwakamaru, great environment, great service and awesome omakase, very simple.
You feel well taken care of from the moment you walk in the door, great vibe with extremely friendly staff and Chef Hideo-​san is great!
Just sit down and order sushi omakase. You are welcome to interact with the chefs as well, even though some don’t really speak English. But they enjoy it. the flavors and textures of the fish are all spot on, definitely a great spot to enjoy some great sushi.
One of my favorite sushi spots in NYC. Again, this is as simple as it gets when it comes to sushi spots, that’s how it should be.

One of my favorite spots. Suprised to get in with no reservations, but I think this was an anomoly as this place gets pretty packed. Did not get omakase, but just the standard sushi meal and the hubs got the ‘premium’. It did not dissapoint. The fish is standout in freshness and texture complimented by that acidity from the rice’s vinegar. Also, the course left me surprisingly full which is always satisfying.

Great sushi place that is a bang for your buck. We weren’t hungry enough to try the omakase so we just ordered here and there. The appetizer trio was fantastic– the tuna with grated yam, raw white fish (can’t remember which one. sorry) on top of a shiso leaf, and some light veggie tempura. We also ordered a smokey flavored clam that was really interesting. All the sushi we had was very fresh and worth getting. Nice place to visit if you are nearby.

NYC really doesn’t lack upscale sushi places but getting bar seating for an omakase can still be challenging. For the big dogs like gari, yasuda, and nakamura, you’d need weeks prior for reservation. Ushiwakamaru relatively flies under the radar so with a bit of luck, I was able to reserve a seat in the bar for prime time dinner.
Ushiwakamaru is small and crowded, but the clean and crisp wooden décor and the less obnoxious customers makes the dining experience pleasant. The restaurant doesn’t give off vibes of extravagance (like 15 East). The chair I sat on was wobbly and cheap.
All this does not take away from the quality of the sushi. By no means am I an expert at expensive omakase, but the fish they offer here is different. Some sushi I did not recognize *at all* and even after the chef told me the fish’s name, I still had no idea without consulting Google (right in front of his face, because I’m rude like that.) I overheard the Japanese couple next to me say they have not experienced better omakase even in Tokyo. Strong compliments.
My favorite pieces were predictably the fatty ones, specifically the red snapper and the fat tuna. There were some inconsistencies however. For instance a few pieces had way too much wasabi and I straight up teared up. No chef, that was not from happiness. Also its worth mentioning that the chefs don’t speak much English and do not actively engage you, so small minuses to the experience. The bar was completely filled up during my entire stay. The timing of your sushi is random ranging from 40 secs between pieces to 5 minutes. My 11 piece omakase took an hour to complete.
In the end I was still impressed, satisfied, and happy. The sushi were innovative but doesn’t stray far from traditional, creating a good balance. The sake menu is extensive and you get to choose your own sake cup (awww). The dessert menu includes the most green tea-​ish icecream I’ve ever had, mochi and redbeans, and Lady M mille-​crêpe (wtf?).
If you’re looking to splurge, Ushiwakamaru is very deserving of your dollar.

You know the sushi you order when you are in sweats and have something playing on Netflix? It’s familiar, you’ve ordered from them before, you get like 3 containers worth?
This isn’t it. This isn’t Netflix sushi. This is Suit And Tie, going out to a show sushi.
There are no rolls here of the California variety, spicy or otherwise. Intimated? Good. Now convert that feeling of intimidation into a sense of adventure, provided you understand that this place isn’t your Brooklyn 50% off spot and you easily drop $ 50 a person and still feel hungry.
Realizing this after a short while, I decided to get out of the comfort zone myself. While I usually order the miso soup, I decided to go with the clam soup. There was a nice giant clam in there, but the soup itself was a bit too salty for my taste buds.
For the appetizer, I ordered the monkfish liver. I was very pleasantly surprised. First, it was huge. Like someone foie gras’d it, force-​feeding that delicious monkfish. It was tender and a goddamn fairytale.
The octopus sashimi was extremely fresh, but cut a bit thinner than I was used to, and hence, tasted like an oyster. EXTREMELY fresh.
The spicy and salmon tuna rolls came out. I took a bite and started to regret ordering them spicy. The fish was so good that it was almost a crime masking it with a sauce. Next time, I am just ordering sashimi.
The salt water eel sashimi was also different. Different good. Your takeout place probably serves out fresh water eel, broiled and brushed with a sweet sauce. This wasn’t it. It didn’t have that sweet-​from-​a-​sauce taste. It was fishy sweet, like a slight sweet aftertaste that wasn’t too overpowering.
So, if you want to experience a culinary adventure of sushi, and actually try fish for the sake of the fish, make a reservation because you will need one (the place is tiny) and bring some money. 5 stars.

You sit down with KGB you will get your pockets cleaned… This quote from rounders fits best. Sit at the sushi bar with the sushi chef that looks like happy buddha aka drunken master. He drinks throughout the night from his extra large beer mug, but churns out amazing sushi.
If you get to sit with the master chef ask for the STK which is fatty tuna (otoro) flame torched topped with truffle salt. Remember the keyword is «STK»
While sitting at the sushi bar is rewarding, pricy, but totally worth it, I opt to sit at the tables. They have 1 2-​seater reserved for walk ins daily. Order the nigiri special that has premium pieces for $ 45 dollars. The special is made by the sushi chefs and not by the help in the back kitchen like other restaurants. I usually order 3 nigiri specials per 2 people. Order before they raise prices again!!!

Four star rating would be underrated, but five would be a bit too high. I’d say four and a half to be fair since there are several sushi joints that are on a higher level than Ushiwakamaru. However, Ushiwakamaru is as good as it gets in New York City. And this is not only because they serve the most authentic, traditional sushi in the city with the highest quality, but because the price point is extremely fair. I would recommend that you go for the sushi set course or the sushi/​sashimi set as they serve most of what’s best here at Ushiwakamaru from sweet shrimp to uni. The price is decent and the fresh sushi is served at its best. Omakase experience may be better elsewhere such as Yasuda and Nakazawa.
There are many diners or fellow Unilocalers, who may disagree with my five star rating here, but please consider that I have taken the price as an important factor. There are other shops like Sushi Yasuda, Sushi Nakazawa, 15 East, but they are a bit pricier with a different style sushi from Ushiwakamaru. At Ushiwakamaru, you can feel comfortable ordering a sushi set, while at Nakazawa or Yasuda, you are expected to fulfill the Omakase experience. Although Omakase is considered a more genuine experience to approach sushi, sometimes I just want to have a set of sushi without feeling overburdened by the bill or having to wait for each piece. I think in that sense this is the best place to for me when I feel like having a solid set of sushi without feeling the pressure to go for the Omakase, which generally runs anywhere from a little under $ 100 to well over $ 100.
So, having said that, this is definitely my favorite sushi joint in the city. All are excellent here as the ingredients are fresh and seasonal. Do check with the waitresses for the seasonal dishes as they serve different dishes from time to time that are not on the menu, available shortly for the season.

Hard to find entrance. Like I was going into the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe or something. Good sashimi. Okay service. Overpriced though, like most things in NYC. The only reason it’s not 5 stars is because I’ve had fresher sashimi elsewhere. And it takes foreveeeeerrr to get refills on tea, and even longer for the check.

I am brand new to Manhattan and didn’t have anyone to dine with on my birthday, but wanted to treat myself to a nice dinner. So I booked myself a seat at the sushi bar for omakase (chef’s choice).
It was busy without feeling crowded, and the staff were quick and helpful. The chefs were preparing sashimi and sushi in front of me and I got quite excited as it looked so fresh and they were clearly masters of their craft. I was not disappointed.
I ordered seaweed salad, which was simply transcendental once the citrusy ponzu laced dressing was poured over. Just gorgeous. The omakase then proceeded. Chef asked me what I love/​like/​dislike (tuna/​everything/​nothing).
I was presented first with a sashimi selection with the freshest fish I’ve ever had in my life. Ever ever. I was absolutely floored. I had red snapper, bluefin tuna to die for, horse mackerel, and octopus (served with ground salt and pepper). All were delicious and melt in the mouth. I savoured every bite.
I noticed the couple next to me had different things when they received their sashimi plate, including scallop and shrimp, which both looked amazing too. I think chef makes every customer’s omakase selection slightly different based on your preferences and his whim. Keeps things interesting!
I then had a parade of sushi, with each piece being presented to me as it was created, one by one. They were unbelievably good. Toro, soy-​marinated salmon, torched eel, fresh shrimp, roe… I can’t remember them all but what I can tell you is that each piece was damn near perfect, the meal was well-​paced, and that you definitely receive enough food to fill you up but not feel overstuffed.
I finished my meal with a glass of plum wine on the rocks, generously offered to me as a birthday surprise. The chefs were friendly and the mood was warm and inviting.
I paid ~$ 120 including a glass of wine, tax and tip. Money well spent for the finest Japanese I’ve ever eaten.
I highly recommend this place. Great for a date or catch up with a friend. Not so much for groups over 4 people. They told me it becomes a noodle bar after midnight, too. I can’t wait to go back.

KenScale: 8.0÷10
Ushiwakamaru is a sushi restaurant on West Houston Street. The restaurant has been under the radar since its opening in 2003, but it is one of the better sushi places I’ve been to, especially with the omakase menu at a relative bargain price (when I visited the restaurant, it was at $ 70 per head).
I went with sushi and sashimi combination. All the dishes, from tuna to mackerel to eel, featured very fresh fish. While I wish the omakase included a couple more pieces, and no particular piece other than the one with sea urchin stood out much, everything is very solid across the board.
It is relatively easy to secure a reservation at either a table or a sushi bar as long as you call about a week in advance.

Excellent Japanese restaurant in New York. The chawanmushi is excellent, the fishes are fresh and every dish is brought with a perfect balance. Reserve in advance.