NYC Japanese Food
 

My fiance and myself are traveling into New York City towards the middle of August and we love Japanese food. I was wondering where people might suggest going for great sushi, hibachi, or shabu shabu while we are in town.

For high end Japanese fusion - Nobu
Shabu shabu - Shabu-Tatsu
Sushi - Blue Ribbon
-For sushi, I also like a place called "Go" on St. Marks Place, you will probably be the only westerners in there so as long as you know what you want and don't expect great service you'll be fine.

For inexpensive, decent Japanese food, the check out the chain East. Some of their locations have those sushi conveyor belts. A higher end japanese place, always with good food is Japanica on University Place in the village. There are many sushi bars all over the city. The good, enexpensive ones, tend to have lines going out the door.

Where are you coming from? If you're coming from the Pacific NW, where good sushi is taken for granted, you may be disappointed, even by NYC sushi bars with great reviews. (Some top sushi bars on the East Coast still use imitation crab; in the NW, everyday, ordinary, neighborhood sushi bars wouldn't even THINK of doing that!)

I'm from Connecticut.

We have so many good Japanese restaurants it's almost hard to pick, but here are some of my favs.

Okura, on 3rd and 34th has an all you can eat for $20 and it's very worth it, the food is very good.

On Lex Ave there is a VERY small local and we think the food there is the best in town and it gets great reviews as well, Mishima, (30th ST and Lex Ave), and around the corner on 3rd Ave is Iron Sushi also very good.

Have a great time while you are here.

There's a place called Kura Sushi on the corner of 1st Ave and 4th St. It's my favorite place in the city... huge, fresh pieces of fish at excellent prices.

Nobu Next Door. Not quite as expensive as Nobu and just as good.

Nobu and Nobu Next Door are both excellent, but VERY expensive.

Go and Kura are good. Some other good sushi can be had at Taste of Tokyo, 13th Street, btw 5th & 6th, Meriken 7th Ave and 20th Street, Mie 2nd Ave btw 13th & 14th (downstairs). Theres also a place across the street from Mie, on the corner of 2nd Ave and 13th St.

There's also a good Japanese steakhouse on 9th Street btw 2nd & 3rd and a good soba place across the street. Can't remember the names... we go often, but I had too much fun in the 70's and those brain cells are gone ;-)

btw, the East Village has become a big Japanese neighborhood.

East village has some very good sushi restaurants. Jewel Bako is a new place that's quite good, it's pricey and expect small portions, but the quality and selection is amazing. If you're looking for mid-level, one of my favorites is Iso, also in the east village. Very fresh, very dependable. Another popular place in that neighborhood is Sandobe Sushi, the locals swear by it, the rolls are excellent.

Thanks everyone, any other suggestions?

You got some really great suggestions, but since youre asking, I'll offer one more to you. A really cool place is Avenue A Sushi (10th st. & Ave. A). Not so expensive, good sushi and fun!

If you like creative rolls, Totoya on First Avenue is fantastic.