Sushi Yasuda

Tried omakase my very first time. Let the chefs please your palate and stop the food from coming whenever you want to. We told the waiter what we liked and didn’t like, so the chefs could just customize our dinner. The different types of fish that were presented before us were really fresh. Our waiter made sure we knew what were in front of us. I think we were full after our 4^th round. Uni lovers should try the variety of uni they have — Japanese, California, Maine. I think I liked California the best. It was sweet and not too salty. Oh, service was phenomenal, too.

I’ll get right to it…
If you’re looking for the best of the best sushi in New York City, Sushi Yasuda is where it’s at.
Without much expectation (as the reviews here are more than stellar already), I wanted to check it out for myself and I absolutely LOVE sushi.
My friend and I were seated immediately after making a reservation for regular dining two days in advance (this was a Thursday night around 8pm). Service was solid and our orders were taken almost immediately. After careful review of the menu, we both decided on the Matsu Box that had a nice sample of different types of fish along with 1 special roll. Apart from that, I tried a piece of the Otoro and Wild Salmon.
WARNING: The Otoro was as if I was biting into a Twinkie for the first time. It was an experience and one that I will keep working hard to be able to afford on a regular basis. Holy sh*t! Just writing about it now is making me salivate. Anyway…
The fish was incredibly fresh and well-​prepared (I’m no expert but it tasted as if Jiro made it himself).
This place is great for a casual dinner, date or business meeting. I also saw a nice miso black cod appetizer that I’ll be sure to get next time.
BEST SUSHI IN NYC!

Best Shush in New York!
It is very true to the Edo style
nothing but great fish and service.

I came here three times in one week. Then another time 2 weeks after. So, yeah, not joking when I say I really like Sushi Yasuda. Wish I could just live under the sushi bar and have this everyday.
Couple of tips I’ve learned on my four trips:
a) Always, always, try to sit at the bar. For some reason, the sushi just tastes better coming from the bar. Chef interaction is also key — by sitting in front of your chef, you can give real-​time feedback on what you like and what you don’t, so he can adjust to your liking
b) Try the Sushi Matsu first — it’s 12 pieces of chef-​selected sushi, plus a half-​roll. I’ve done Omakase and Sushi Matsu off the menu — don’t see a big difference in sushi selection, but a 40% increase in price with the former. You can adjust what the chef gives you in sushi matsu by letting him know your preference. I’ve had it three times and had enjoyed it every time.
c) Be specific with what you want /​don’t want. In one visit, I told the chef which fish I didn’t like, one of which was mackerel. So when my friend got mackerel as his sushi, I ended up with tamago (egg). It tasted good, but definitely not as good as fish sushi would’ve been.
d) Don’t miss out on dessert. I love the green tea mochi and get it every time after the meal
e) If you like sea urchin — make sure to get some here! I’ve only tried the California type, but it was sweet, juicy, melt-​in-​your-​mouth buttery heaven.
f) You’ve probably read this in other reviews already — tips are included, so you won’t need to do math!
Sushi Yasuda tastes just as good, if not better than many other top notch sushi restaurants I’ve been to, but costs ¹⁄₃ — ½ as much (especially with the no tips policy). Hence why I keep coming back…

Why haven’t I been here before? I pass this restaurant daily for years, always see the consistent crowd and have even Attempted to venture in a few times to be turned away for lack of reservation.
Alas, this restaurant came up in conversation again with a few coworkers, I went out on a whim to make a reservation for the next day and my wish was granted. This may not sound like a big feat, but their website recommends making reservations 2 weeks in advance. Who knows if I will be craving sushi 2 weeks from today.
The first thing you’ll notice when you walk in is how bright and simply decorated the restaurant is, but not simple as though no thought was put into this, but rather a purposeful simplicity. Very clean and sleek.
The service was prompt upon being seated. And the menus were easy to understand. Since we came during lunch we decided to go with the prix fixe option for $ 28 that includes 3 pieces of sushi, 4 sashimi and 1 roll. It really hit the spot. You pick out your own sashimi and the others are pre-​selected. You also have the option of soup or salad. I went with the miso soup. The best description for the food is incredibly fresh. Aside from being able to see the staff prepare food, you just know that every piece was perfectly selected. By the way, a $ 31 option is available that includes dessert if you’re a dessert kinda person. There are also ample a la carte options which give you access to what seemed to be a broader sushi option list.
What can I say, I’m a fan and wish I’d come sooner. Now if only I could become more in tune with the needs of my stomach well in advance enough to make my next reservation– that would be great.

My first Omakase experience was amazing. The décor was very modern and simple. My friend made a reservation for 2 to be seated at the bar and the experience was so much fun.
I trusted our sushi chef with picking everything for it and he did not disappoint us. The sushi was so fresh. The uni & toro was my favorite. I just couldn’t get enough of it.
P. S. No tip is needed!

This place was spectacular. It really feels like you are in Japan! The décor is perfect and the service is pretty much perfect too. The restaurant doesn’t allow tips which is very different but they must pay their servers well since the service was pretty top notch.
All of the details in this restaurant-​ikebana, décor, service, food, tea, and after dinner tea made this one of my favorite restaurants in nyc. I’ll definitely be back. Very unique.

One of the easier five star reviews I’ll ever write. Yasuda is either #1 or #1a along with Nakazawa for me when it comes to NYC sushi. I’ve been there twice — once for dinner, where I did the full omakase, and once for lunch, where I got the 12-​piece-​plus-​half-​roll lunch special. I was stuffed after the dinner (which only ends when you tell your chef to stop), and satisfactorily full after the lunch, which I’d highly recommend if you’re not looking to spend a ton of money (still a very expensive lunch, but something like ¹⁄₃ what you’d likely spend on dinner).
As far as the sushi itself, I would strongly suggest trying everything, as long as you’re even the least bit adventurous. I don’t normally love eel, squid, etc, but everything that’s been put in front of me at Yasuda has been incredible. My favorite of the unconventional types has been the oyster, which is just spectacular. Naturally, the salmon /​tuna /​etc have all been amazing too.
Some small things that I prefer about Yasuda, relative to Nakazawa:
— The pacing: Yasuda typically will give you three pieces at a time, as opposed to just one at a time at Nakazawa. This is obviously just a matter of personal preference and not a big deal either way, but I prefer getting multiple pieces.
— The spice: Yasuda’s rice has perfectly-​infused wasabi, which give their pieces more of a kick than Nakazawa’s. Again, this is a small thing, as I think the food at both places is more or less perfect, just something that I’m aware of and slightly prefer.
— The optionality: Yasuda’s lunch options make it much more accessible for non-​special occasions.
I love both though, and the fact that I’m comparing them is a huge compliment to both of them.

Dined here on 12/​29/​2015 for dinner and must say that everything except the price was below average.
We tried many different types of sushi, sashimi, fish roe, even a shrimp appetizer (complete with heads/​eyeballs see picture) and while the fish was fresh, everything tasted exactly the same. We’re frequent sushi eaters and kept waiting to be wowed. It never happened.
The service was rushed, bordering ever so closely to rude, and our waitress spoke very little English and was virtually impossible to hear or understand. It’s very charming you hire Japanese staff, but please assure they can communicate with your customers.
And what’s with the bathrooms? Three doors, all marked «WC». I chose door two — was it a ladies room? Men’s room? Either way, your sink is broken and I found that to be completely unacceptable.
$ 110 later for two people (no liquor) and we both left hungry and annoyed.

It is just ok-​level sushi. With the price and rating, I expect more. Like the environment, clean and nice.
Environment — 5
Service-​4
Food (compare to the price)-3
My reservation is at 9pm, this is the only spot they offer me. Probably the sushi is much fresher in the afternoon or earlier, not sure.

I go here all the time, but haven’t updated my review since the re-​design. The interior is cleaner and more spacious now, although it’s still centered around the sushi bar, or now, sushi bars. There’s a side sushi bar, which is a little more intimate. This is where you’ll find Mitsu-​san and one or two other itamae.
Service is prompt and friendly, especially as you get to know the people here. They do a weird reservation system, where they give you a special number to remember, and all, but don’t worry about it, as long as you show up on time you’re fine. I chalk it up to a Japanese-​quirky thing.
The fish is especially fresh, and quite varied. The sushi rice tends to be a touch on the warm side, and nicely packed. They’re really known for their nigiri, so I’d eschew the sashimi or only have one course of it. They don’t cut the sashimi as perfectly as some other spots, but their perfectly formed, and mouth watering nigiri more than makes up for it.
I usually try to have everything, just because, and they do a very good handroll to wrap up the meal. I’ve had quite a few varieties, as I always go omakase, although if you’re an uni-​head, try the Hokkaido uni handroll. It’s a real standout.
Also, keep an eye on the little list of specials they bring to your table. When you order omakase from the chef, they only do a variety of nigiri, which is fantastic in itself, but occasionally you’ll find gems such as steamed abalone or special rare seaweed salads which are worth an order.
One other note, this is a perfect sushi bar for people who are too lazy to apply their own sauce. The chef will apply the perfect amount of soy (or occasionally ponzu, salt, lemon, etc.) to your pieces of sushi, so you literally only have to pick up the fish and eat it. i could see them hiring someone just to place the fish perfectly fish-​side down on your tongue, but maybe the NY health inspectors would have an issue with that step toward largesse.

Went here for lunch the other day with a friend visiting from London. Apparently its even talked about over in the UK! This place is perfection.
The atmosphere is bright, crisp and clean. You are welcomed through the sliding door and take care of immediately. We were lucky enough to get a last minute reservation for the sushi bar for lunch. I recommend sitting at the sushi bar if you are solo or just with one other friend, because it’s great to interact with sushi chefs and see what everyone else is ordering. We saw the uni go out and they highly recommended we try, so they gave us an order!
My friend and I both ordered lunch specials, she got rolls and I got sushi/​sashimi. All was amazing. The seaweed used to wrap the rolls were perfectly toasted and the sashimi sliced with great accuracy were paired with different kinds of seaweed or vegetables.
Though not incredibly pricey (if you order combination plates and not a la carte) is not your everyday sushi place, but I would highly recommend it for a nice treat!

In trying to up my game in the sushi world, Sushi Yasuda was a great start for my first «fancy» NYC restaurant. At first glance, this restaurant is simply beautiful. It was clean cut, bright and minimalist in design. The service was great, constantly refilling iced water and fresh hot green tea.
Valerie G and I each got the sushi and sashimi combination which was a great deal. The waitress will give you a separate menu to check off what you want, enabling you to choose 4 pieces of sushi and one roll. For the sushi, I coordinated my decisions to what the chef recommended that day, choosing fluke, branzino, orange clam and raw scallop. As for my roll, I got the King Salmon as it too was recommended by the chef. The sashimi is picked by the chef and we received Bluefin tuna, yellow tail and Spanish mackerel. Everything was super fresh. The fish quality was amazing, melt in your mouth, full of fresh flavor. The wasabi provided was nice and mild. The ginger was wonderfully pickled. We also got an additional order of uni sushi each which was just as amazing. I have so many hits and misses with uni so I am not entirely on the uni train but this uni was definitely worth getting. So fresh, soft with a light sweet end to it. The rice on the sushi was also great. I was a bit surprised by how much rice there was on the rolls, but given the quality of the rice and it not overpowering the flavor and texture of the king salmon, it was more than fine.
The meal in total came out to about $ 40 bucks each. I was nice and full by the end of it. Given the price and amount/​quality of sushi I got, it is absolutely worth going to. I highly recommend in making reservations as soon as you can because this place will be a packed house. I had a 6pm reservation and arrived 15 minutes too early and already there was a mini line out the door.

Yes yes and yes! Fantastic surprise Omakase birthday dinner with the husband.
The ambiance is nice and the food is spectacular.
We had the Omakase and loved the variety the chef served us with. We sat on a table and not at the bar but, the service was nothing short of amazing.
Loved that they serve wild and farmed fish for you to taste the difference. The sushi is so authentic and simple and yet so flavorful. I definitely feel like I need a couple of more times here to try everything they have to offer.
P.S There are no tips! According to Japanese tradition servers are paid well and do not require tip. What a humble thought !

I’ve been to Yasuda about ten times. This is before Unilocalin’ became my hobby, so I didn’t feel it was fair to write a review with no pictures and no check-​ins. The times I’ve been before was always for dinner with family or on dates. Today was lunch — never tried their lunch before and I’m glad I did! Four of us walked across the street, but this time, not for Soba Totto’s bara chirashi. It’s a whole different level and everyone knows about Yasuda, so enough talk about how mouth watering even the sight of their restaurant door is.
Yes, this place is no secret– everyone knows how spectacular yasuda is. Their décor was once special– back then, they set a new standard… Now it’s standard in most somewhat upscale restaurants. Are they that much better than, say, azabu or nakizawa? Not really… But are they 5 star worthy? Helllll yeah! Their lunch deals are a steal. Their fish melts in your mouth. The art of soosh is real here… It always has been and always will be.

Probably one of the best and freshest sushi spot I’ve been to. We ordered Omakase at the bar — we had around 17 pieces each, two rolls and mochi– bill was around $ 300. But I have got to say some of the selection was above and beyond our expectation. Some highlights: Uni (from Cali and Maine), Toro w/​scallion, Blue Fin Toro, King Salmon, Freshwater Eel, Sea Scallop, Oyster, Coho Salmon, Ikura. The other fishes were also fresh but probably not high on our preference: Branzino, White King Salmon, Mackerel, Yellowtail, Uni from Japan, and Tamago.
Service was not as expected — with the price I was expecting overachieving service like what we had at 15 East. I guest when you’re this popular, you don’t need do go above and beyond for the guests. It’s pretty hard to get reservations, and if you’re over the 10 min grace period, don’t bother to go because they have a pretty strict policy.

Be prepared for a life changing sushi experience!
Came here twice and both times I ordered the Sushi Matsu (Nigiri Omakase) with some al la carte pieces after.
Every piece was P E R F E C T. The sushi rice is perfectly vinegary… the sea salt… the dab of wasabi and soy sauce. OMG. Seriously, perfect every time!
I don’t even know how many times my bf and I looked at each other and said «mmmmm»… the sushi chef and the guy next to us probably thought we were weird.
but seriously, every piece was amazing!
This place is also super clean and modern. SO CLEAN that when there was a TINY spec next to us by the sushi bar, the waiter walked by and wiped it up quickly. A+ for keeping this place spotless!

Some of the best outside of Tokyo. The décor is minimalist but not pretentious. The employees are nice and attentive. They’re happy you answer any menu questions.
I had sushi & sashimi combination for $ 28. Three pieces of sashimi, one cut roll, 4 pieces of sushi. And I also ordered Santa Barbara Uni on the side $ 9ea.
The taste of each fish was very good. You can feel each individual grain of rice with a hint of the vinegar. Just awesome!
I will come back next NYC trip for sure!

This ranks among my top three omakase experiences, just trailing Sushi Nakazawa and Ichimura.
The reservation process wasn’t difficult. I called one week in advance, and was able to make reservation for two people at sushi counter on a Saturday night. The guy over the phone was a little hard to understand, and he always sounded so eager to hang up every time I spoke with him (yes I called at least three times because I had to reschedule). Other than that, everything was fine. We arrived on time, were seated right away. Our chef asked if there’s anything we don’t like, and afterwards, he just started putting those amazing pieces of nigiri on our plate.
Everything was pure and simple. You can tell the fish quality is amazing, and they know it. What I like about it is the rice portion was relatively small compared to the other places, which could be damaging to the wallet because we probably ended up eating too much. My favorite pieces were lean tuna, seabass, fresh water eel, seared toro, Uni — both from Japanese and California, toro, white king salmon etc… I guess I should just say there’s really not one piece the chef put in front of me that I didn’t like.
Now let’s be clear, this is not a cheap place. But it also depends on how much you can eat. I don’t think there’s a set number of sushi if you sit at sushi counter and get Omakase. This means if you don’t tell the chef to stop, he will continue refilling your plate with amazing pieces of sushi (time permitting of course, given their ridiculous 1.5 hour rule at sushi counter). We ended up telling the chef to stop, and our total bill came at about $ 400, which included two beers. The good thing is, no tip required.

I would give Yasuda 5 stars just for the uni from Hokkaido and king salmon from New Zealand even if everything else sucked here. Fortunately all the sashimi and sushi was yummy. Egg custard tamago was out of this world good.
However I did ask for the chefs recommendations/​omakase because that’s more fun but our chef kept on asking what we liked. I said everything but he still insisted on asking. So I had to basically check off each fish I wanted. I want omakase! Lunch reservations are timed for 1.5 hours but it only took us 45 minutes to eat. The bill was about $ 250 for two so not a cheap lunch but it was worth it.

Sushi Yasuda
Una experiencia que solamente en NYC se puede tener.
Estar en la barra y permitir que el chef decida por ti la piezas que vas a comer y que cada una sea mejor que la anterior, excepcional!!!
Si no es barato, pero los ingredientes valen cada gramo que entra por tu boca.
No sólo lo recomendaré ampliamente sino que cuando regrese a NYC seguro lo visitaré.

Really good sushi, top quality, maybe just a bit overpriced. And only one white wine on the list.