Yamagata

Fresh seafood, BYOB, top notch service. need I say more?
We came here for an annual Christmas/​Birthday dinner for one of my friends. (I know it was a while ago, I totally forgot to Unilocal it!)
We sat at the bar and had the omakase.
This was probably the most fresh tasting seafood I had in Bergen County.
I was blown away by the skillful cuts, beautiful presentation and friendliness of the chef and server (s).
I’m salivating as a I am writing this review.
I wish I had taken pictures of our meal.
The price isn’t too bad and the portions are good.
I can’t wait to go back.
I highly recommend this place if you are a lover of raw seafood as I am.
If you’re looking for that california roll and spicy crab roll this might not be the place for you.

Walked in and immediately recognized the 2 Sushi Chefs from another restaurant that was closed down, then we also recognized one of the waitress. The kitchen food is a bit disappointed, but the Sushi and Sashimi were really fresh and great quality, the Toros were very good too. Glad we came by for dinner and it was well worth the trip!

Came here a few weeks ago with my bf for our anniversary and had such an exceptional meal.
First off. yes, it’s expensive and the portions are small but I’ve never had sushi quite as good as the omakase here. Each piece was better than the last and I tried things I’d never normally try.
Started with oysters and the uni in ponzu sauce. The uni blew my mind wide open. I’ve tried it before and thought it tasted like licking the inside of a fish tank but Lordy I have seen the light. I’ve been converted and now I can’t get enough. But be warned: the portion is ridiculously tiny for $ 18.
They give you a free appetizer while you wait and it’s byob so bring your favorite bottle of sake to accompany.
The service was amazing and our waitress was super sweet and made recommendations and explained menu items. They even threw in a free toro radish roll because the food took a long time to come out. I wish it had taken longer because I wanted to eat more.
Can’t wait to come back.

Came here for lunch. fresh sashimi and great service. the waiter give me extra green tea ice cream on the house. yummy!

2 stars for service, food was edible but way overpriced, very disappointing!
Went there for dinner with a friend on a weeknight, I had pretty high hopes for this place based on Unilocal reviews and the fact that it was almost full when we arrived.
We ordered a few appetizers and sashimi omakase for 2 people. Our waiter was very friendly and even offered us a better table that had just become available. We first got the edamame, yakitori and 2 uni pon, chicken was rubbery and uni was drenched in ponsu sauce, couldn’t even taste it (which is a shame cuz I later tried it by itself and it was decent west coast uni…) we also got a complimentary miso cod that, although was a nice gesture, lacked in flavor and was on the overcooked side.
The sashimi was the most disappointing, nothing on the plate tasted bad, and I would probably have been fine with it if it wasn’t for the price We were charged for it, for $ 120 per person we got about 15 pieces: one shrimp and uni, a couple of chutoro and otoro (both of which were mediocre), along with your mackerel, oyster, and other fish I don’t remember…
In conclusion, for a total of $ 180pp I would rather cross the bridge for a much better experience in Manhattan. Maybe this place is good for «specialty rolls» but the taste and quality of the fish was very disappointing.

Most of the stuff we ordered was tasteless, the service is really slow I would stick to sushi and sashimi

I was pleasantly surprised to find a decent sushi place in Jersey, and while there are a few sushi restaurants around, this has become one of my favorite around the area.
The atmosphere isn’t crazy out of the ordinary, seems like a typical sushi restaurant. But if you want some good sushi, then this is the place to try out.
We started off with the eggplant appetizer and even if you’re not much of an eggplant fan, then you will be once you try their Nasu Denkatgu. It was sweet, warm and toasty with almost pudding like texture. I’m definitely a fan!
I ordered their sushi regular with 7 pieces of assorted sushi with tuna roll. While it seems like a typical order, their fish selection was definitely not typical. Their fish seemed to have been marinated in salt water, because the texture of the fish was soft and tender and did not have any kind of chewiness. Once in my mouth, I felt it melt away (along with my soul).
So would I go back? Heck Yes!
Thankfully my group made a reservation beforehand, especially because it was a Friday night, but the customer that did walk in, didn’t have to wait too long before being seated.
The only downfall? Not the best place to sit down chit chat away with your friends for too long, unless you’re ordering. They tend to keep the customers moving in and out along.

Sushi lovers, go try this place out! If you haven’t yet you are definitely missing out. Nice atmosphere, good food and very clean!
My friend and I shared 2 special rolls: Madonna and Fantasy roll. Madonna roll is basically spicy scallop in the middle with salmon and avocado on top and topped again with salmon roe and Tabiko (fish eggs). I’m not a big fan of fish eggs, but you couldn’t even taste it because the scallop itself with the salmon and avocado over powered it! The second special roll we had was the Fantasy roll, which is basically fried salmon, avocado, crust and spicy sauce. This was also bomb! We also ordered chicken teriyaki, which was very tasty and savory. All the dishes were tasty, clean and full of flavors!
One thing I would complain about is the amount of food they serve us. Chicken teriyaki was part of an entrée dish and literally I could have ordered 10 more of the same dish to be full. Cause let’s be real, 8 tiny pieces of chicken and 3 pieces of broccoli and carrots… they can take the veggies back and add more chicken! However, I still give this place a lot of credit for it’s cleanness and for it’s good quality fish. Don’t forget to drop by this place and try them dishes out!

Best sushi bar in NJ area. I am from Manhattan area and tried all those Micheline japanese restaurants but this place is on par with those. Should try Omakase menu.

Had a wonderful time here. Ordered the omakase, which is highly recommended. Fun trip into the chef’s creativity

I really cannot argue with people who insist that this is the best sushi place in NJ because this is only place I went to in NJ. So my comparison of opponent could be sushi place in Manhattan where has similar price range, which could be Kanoyama, Hasaki, Yuba, Yasaka or Sushi Dojo. They have $ 45 — $ 65 for omakase at sushi bar.
Place is small which is pretty usual thing for sushi places. They have like 5 – 6 tables and sushi bar. It was very crowded on Saturday night thus reservation should be placed as place gets filled up within 2 – 3 groups.
I did omakase 10pc. I’d say that their fish was pretty fresh, not very fresh yet it was ok quality for its price. I enjoyed all pieces with any problem yet there were few things that I didn’t like about. First thing was about how they cook and prep their rice. It was bit too sticky and hard for sushi rice. When it comes with nori, you feel nori gets stickier in your mouth because of it. It could be just my personal preference, as I don’t like rice being too sticky on sushi– Not refreshing taste to me. Another thing I want to mention is that I don’t see much specialty from their arrangement. I’ve seen the photo from other people got omakase and they were having exact same pieces even though it was 6 month, or a year before my visit. omakase meant to be chef’s recommendation by season of ingredient and freshness. When I see that it is always being with same arrangement, I think it would be harder to be called as omakase. I think it can be always worked out giving some more effort. Like Jiro always had been looking for better path for better taste.
They also gave 2 appetizer dishes and ice cream for desert. Which was generous.
Owner of location seems to be really nice person. I could see that he really care about his customer. If there’s going to be a day that I return to this place, it will be probably because of him.
Overall, I think they are mediocre and compare to other places which I’ve mentioned earlier that has similar price range, I’d say they have better arrangement and fresh food.

Quality sushi!!! My sister and I came to meet my dad and his girlfriend for dinner tonight. My sister and I are both avid sushi eaters (seki, sasabune, gari) and felt that the quality of the fish was excellent! This little sushi spot is in a strip mall and is a great stop in the area! we will deff be back here when we are around.

I did the Omakase. It was fantastic. This is the closest thing you can find to Japan. If you want authentic Japanese cuisine, this is the place to go. I have yet to find a place in NJ that beats Yamagata.
Freshness 4.5 star.
Service 5 star.
Chef 5 star.

The sushi was a bit subpar, they weren’t fresh, considering how much I paid.
Miso soup was nice and hot.
Then the payment was the major deal breaker.
I understand if they only give back bills as change while keeping coins… But this place, it seemed inconceiveable to them to understand how giving back change works. They basically took 25% of my money. No where in the menu/​restaurant had a sign about not giving back change. This is totally terrible ethics as well, illegal not to give back change.

It’s been 6 months since my last review of this place. I’ve probably frequented Yamagata about twice a month on the weekends for dinners. I wanted to update this in light of having visited Hon Tei and Hiura (again) during those 6 months. Sure, it’s not Yasuda. it’s not Nakizawa. it’s not Azabu. But guess what? You want the best of the best in NJ? Let this serve as a reminder: YAMAGATA IS THE BEST SUSHI JOINT IN NJ.
Awesome sushi at a fraction of the price and saving a trip to the city? DON’T MIND IF I DO. I can eat this everyday! I mean. I work right next to numerous Japanese restaurants (Grand Central area), and I have to tell you. I know my sushi — I’ve had it all my life more frequently than many others… I may not be FULL Japanese but when you have a mom who is, and who tells you that it’s decent AF. I have all the support I need in making this statement to you all. You won’t be disappointed.
Their sushi deluxe is a pretty good deal, too, but I’ll opt for the omakase.
Jin is the bomb diggity — the whole waitstaff is, but a special shoutout to him — always keen on details. Chef Sammy — shoutout to you: you’re hands are made of gold.
The year’s coming to an end, so I’m here to tell ya’ll that this place is consistently spectacular. Thank you, Yamagata, for bringing a peace of heaven across the street.

My new go-​to sushi place in bergen county! Come here for the lunch special.
It usually varies by day of the week– but usually their lunch special is the option of either their bento box (mackerel or salmon) or sashimi choice special for 16.75. I get their sashimi special which is 7 pieces of sashimi and one 6 piece roll of your choice. The portions are perfect– not too filling but just filling enough and definitely worth every penny. They also give you a little bowl of ice cream with the check which was a pleasant surprise :)
I always drive by this restaurant or walked by on my way to the surrounding cafes or restaurants, but never thought to stop by until recently. I was so pleasantly surprised by this place, freshest sashimi in the area hands down!
Yamagata has got themselves a new regular

Went in for omakase since we heard Sam who used to be at Tatsumi in Edgewater is now there. It was one of the most delightful omekase I’ve had in a while! Piece by piece, sushi is made to perfection. Various fish, uni and scallop were from Hokkaido, Japan. An absolute delight that sweetens your mouth.

Very authentic Japanese cuisine! I loved Chef Sammy when he was working at Tatsumi in Edgewater, so when a friend told me he was now working here, I had to pay a visit.
There are a variety of appetizers, and although they’re a bit pricey and the portion size is not the biggest, it’s about the quality not quantity =].
We ordered the following:
— sea urchin with quail egg and ponzu sauce, the quail egg is a nice touch but I’m not too sure about the addition of the ponzu sauce. Never the less it was pretty good
— spicy scallop wrapped in seaweed and fried: anything deep fried is delicious and this is no different =]
— crab croquette: perfect, even though it’s fried, it’s very light, and the insides are creamy
— tuna amazing roll: this was so yummy!
The owner saw that we knew Chef Sammy so he was kind enough to give us a free dessert. We chose the vanilla ice cream with red bean, and it was the perfect way to finish this delicious meal. I will definitely be back and maybe try their omakase next time =].

My husband and I went in around 9pm on a Friday night, it’s a small restaurant but it was still packed. When we walked in, I felt like I was somewhere in a rural Japanese city. Tables were packed in to seat as many patrons as they could, Japanese languages all around the dining area and on the wall. I felt relieved when I saw the English written menu. Okay I’m still in Fort Lee.
Small Sushi bar was packed. It looks like only it can accommodate 5 – 6 people. Saw sign says minimum $ 50 per person @ sushi bar. I didn’t like two television on the wall, I’m sure it’s different to some other people. BYOB, so we brought our favorite sparkling champagne to pair with our sushi. One of staff member came over with a hot wet towel lets and a ice bucket to chill the wine. Sushi omakase has a price on the menu for $ 55 but sashimi omakase doesn’t. Depend on what they have for that day, price can be changed. My husband ordered sushi and sashimi platter ($ 45) and I ordered sashimi omakase. There are a lot reviews complaining about the high prices for their sushi. After we received our meal the price was well worth it. I would give this place 5 stars just for the freshness and the high quality of the fish. Its also a bonus to have a skilled sushi chef to make your order.
As soon as we sat down, they served us roasted peanuts. It was a good start. We ordered fresh oysters for appetizer. It was small but delicious. I was curious where this oyster came from. If we were seated on sushi bar, I’m sure we were able to hear the explanation of how to enjoy fresh seafoods.
Whenever they served fresh seafood, they decorated platter with fresh seaweed. I thought that was good idea. It’s edible, Koreans eats them in various way.
My sashimi Omakase was good. Got toro, abalone, mackerel, uni… etc. Everything was fresh and delicious. My husband’s sushi/​sashimi platter was good also. They were all fresh and delicious. I even forgot to take pictures before I took my first bite.
After our sushi/​sashimi meal, we shared one order of Inaniwa udon. Inaniwa udon is one of the 3 udon noodle representing Japan. It is hand made skinny noodle, it’s history goes back up to 17 century in Japan. They served Inaniwa udon with very intense broth, little garnish of scallions and seaweed as it suppose to be. They divided udon into two bowl. It was so delicious. Also got simple history lesson from server related with Inaniwa udon. It was one of the best udon I’ve ever tasted. But if you expect it with fancy topping or garnishment, you’ll get disappointed. Price is bit high also. But It was well worth it.
Late evening at this restaurant reminded me of a Japanese TV series, shinya shokudo. Service was fast and efficient. Some of staffs are Korean. One waitress helped us so much on what to order. Because of her we had very relaxing and satisfying dinner. I wanna go back there and try other stuff in the menu and seat at the sushi bar. Price is bit high, but you can taste good authentic taste of japan.

I heart Yamagata’s Wednesday sushi lunch special!!! For $ 17, you get to choose 7 sushi plus a roll of your choice, salad, miso soup, and a small scoop of red bean ice cream. This unassuming no frills Japanese restaurant makes the best sushi I’ve had so far in the East Coast. I prefer Yamagata’s sushi way more than many of the shi-​shi restaurants like Nobu and Morimoto! Their sushi neta is always fresh and high quality, and they serve straight up authentic Japanese sushi unlike those Americanized watered down sushi restaurants for gaijin. I grew up around sushi chefs in Japan so I know what’s a legit authentic sushi is like. If you are looking for a good sushi place in NJ, look no further… Yamagata is hands down the best!
If you feel like splurging, try their $ 75 omakase dinner… soooooooo worth it!!! HIghly recommended!
*****3/​28/​15 update ******
I just heard that my favorite chef Yama san has retired and sold the business to a Korean person. I’m not sure if the quality will be the same anymore… Le sigh.