Sushi Yasaka

Very surprised to find this gem in UWS of Manhattan. We had a reservation for 12 pm on a Sunday and it's already packed 😲. Excellent food. Had choice of lunch specials on weekends ! The soft shell crab roll showcased beefy juicy crab in perfectly thin deep fried batter. Family friendly and we found a little hand reaching out in between the partition to say hi ... Not swiping our sashimi 🤣. So cute 🥰. Will revisit and will reserve a spot before hand to be sure. Service team is wonderful. Excellent find 👍🤩

Went here on a whim last night after hearing many positive reviews for it. We went at 9. The place was packed, and we were told we would have to wait til 9:25, but we actually got seated earlier. The waiters were attentive and there were plenty of staff to attend to us and everyone else. Staff seemed happy and communicated with each other and us very well, were polite and helpful. The food was delicious! Especially for the price. I've gotten sushi at many other locations in NYC, and was really surprised by how fresh the fish was and how well composed each dish was. It really felt like the food was cared for at a much higher level than what I'd typically expect for this price point. I got the akadashi miso soup, the fresh salmon maki, the yellowtail jalapeño, and a salmon skin roll. The salmon was fresh and light. Like higher end restaurant quality fresh!!! The yellowtail was also super fresh and the jalapeño was spicy. The salmon skin was good as well, and came with cucumber inside. But the star of the night was something unexpected that my partner (vegetarian) had ordered - Sautéed mushrooms. I am a BIG mushroom fan, and I have NEVER had mushrooms this tasty and flavorful - and beautifully paired with lemon of all things! Really recommend squeezing that lemon over top for the extra tang. Organic mushrooms are so much better than regular mushrooms, and the butter was just FANTASTIC. I couldn't stop eating the mushrooms and look forward to ordering them again. My partner also ordered the corn tempura with yuzu salt which had unique textures and a nice sweetness and saltiness to it. Very satisfying! He also got a bowl of sushi rice which we ate with some of the mushroom, although the mushroom was lovely on its own. I took pics of the ginger and wasabi offerings - the ginger had a unique earthy flavor and the wasabi had little crunchy bits in it, which I've encountered before. In any case, not the generic kind of condiment, which I think spoke to the level of detail and attention this restaurant pays to every element of the meal! This was truly a refreshing sushi experience and I highly recommend. The only thing I wish was better was the lighting design of the interior. Instead of nice warm tungsten lights for an evening ambience, the establishment uses blindingly bright daylight calibrated spot lights that beam down from above - the kind of lights used in jewelry stores to make the gemstones sparkle. It makes the food look good - as you can see in my pictures (which were NOT taking with flash, only the lighting that was there), everything was brightly lit and visible even thought it was 9:30 at night... but this cold, fluorescent-type lighting was a bit uncomfortable to sit under - I couldn't look up without getting flashed in the eye by the bright spotlight above - and the lighting made the atmosphere feel a bit low-end and less intimate, more like a cafeteria than a restaurant. I will likely be going back during the day (when hopefully the light won't be an issue) to enjoy the food again!

A very cool authentic Japanese restaurant on uws. We picked it for birthday dinner and were not disappointed. I recommend booking a table in advance. We ordered tuna tartare, deluxe sushi set, and snow crab roll—all delicious with fresh fish and perfect flavor combinations. The menu is extensive with a wide variety of dishes to choose from. For dessert, we had a tea-flavoured authentic Japanese cake with vanilla ice cream. The service was quick and friendly. Overall, the place is excellent, great food quality-price ratio and we'll definitely return to try more dishes next time!

Spectacular and affordable sushi with large vegetarian selection. Tofu teriyaki was delectable and the seaweed and mushroom starters in the perfect sauce made for a filling meal. The vegetarian sushi selection was incredible and bit sized to allow for tasting. Service was friendly and fast, great vibe!

Lovely place for no frills sushi lunch. It was crowded within minutes of opening. We got seated immediately without a reservation as we came a little after it opened. Everything was timely and delicious. We got lunch specials but were debating bw the mini omakase. Next time we will probably go with mini omakase!

Loved Sushi Yasaka. Quality sushi at such an incredible price. Lunch special is a crazy value for the quality they provide. My sushi combo came with salad and my daughter’s bento box came with chicken teriyaki w veggies and side of eggplant, one roll and soup. Chicken teriyaki was one of the best one I’ve ever had. It was smoky and perfectly cooked. Vegetables were so well prepared and the rolls and sushi were fresh. Service was friendly and efficient. We got seated at 2:30 when the kitchen closed so we couldn’t order more, but planning on going back soon!

One of my favorite sushi spots from years ago, and I’m glad to see it’s still going strong! The food was delicious, they had some of the best shumai I’ve ever had. The sushi was great, the fish was flavorful and tender. The yellowtail especially was great quality. The chef’s choice of sushi for the Sushi Deluxe was amazing. The flavor combinations worked perfectly together. The service was also spot on despite them being very busy when we went. This is definitely in my top 5 favorite sushi places in NYC, check it out!

Very high quality sushi at a reasonable price. The only issue was the tuna it was a-bit watery not sure why - because everything else was perfect. Another minor issue is that they rush to close, we booked for 9pm but they really rushed us. Why let people book late if you don’t want to serve them ?

Very surprised to find this gem in UWS of Manhattan. We had a reservation for 12 pm on a Sunday and it's already packed 😲. Excellent food. Had choice of lunch specials on weekends ! The soft shell crab roll showcased beefy juicy crab in perfectly thin deep fried batter. Family friendly and we found a little hand reaching out in between the partition to say hi ... Not swiping our sashimi 🤣. So cute 🥰. Will revisit and will reserve a spot before hand to be sure. Service team is wonderful. Excellent find 👍🤩

Went here on a whim last night after hearing many positive reviews for it. We went at 9. The place was packed, and we were told we would have to wait til 9:25, but we actually got seated earlier. The waiters were attentive and there were plenty of staff to attend to us and everyone else. Staff seemed happy and communicated with each other and us very well, were polite and helpful. The food was delicious! Especially for the price. I've gotten sushi at many other locations in NYC, and was really surprised by how fresh the fish was and how well composed each dish was. It really felt like the food was cared for at a much higher level than what I'd typically expect for this price point. I got the akadashi miso soup, the fresh salmon maki, the yellowtail jalapeño, and a salmon skin roll. The salmon was fresh and light. Like higher end restaurant quality fresh!!! The yellowtail was also super fresh and the jalapeño was spicy. The salmon skin was good as well, and came with cucumber inside. But the star of the night was something unexpected that my partner (vegetarian) had ordered - Sautéed mushrooms. I am a BIG mushroom fan, and I have NEVER had mushrooms this tasty and flavorful - and beautifully paired with lemon of all things! Really recommend squeezing that lemon over top for the extra tang. Organic mushrooms are so much better than regular mushrooms, and the butter was just FANTASTIC. I couldn't stop eating the mushrooms and look forward to ordering them again. My partner also ordered the corn tempura with yuzu salt which had unique textures and a nice sweetness and saltiness to it. Very satisfying! He also got a bowl of sushi rice which we ate with some of the mushroom, although the mushroom was lovely on its own. I took pics of the ginger and wasabi offerings - the ginger had a unique earthy flavor and the wasabi had little crunchy bits in it, which I've encountered before. In any case, not the generic kind of condiment, which I think spoke to the level of detail and attention this restaurant pays to every element of the meal! This was truly a refreshing sushi experience and I highly recommend. The only thing I wish was better was the lighting design of the interior. Instead of nice warm tungsten lights for an evening ambience, the establishment uses blindingly bright daylight calibrated spot lights that beam down from above - the kind of lights used in jewelry stores to make the gemstones sparkle. It makes the food look good - as you can see in my pictures (which were NOT taking with flash, only the lighting that was there), everything was brightly lit and visible even thought it was 9:30 at night... but this cold, fluorescent-type lighting was a bit uncomfortable to sit under - I couldn't look up without getting flashed in the eye by the bright spotlight above - and the lighting made the atmosphere feel a bit low-end and less intimate, more like a cafeteria than a restaurant. I will likely be going back during the day (when hopefully the light won't be an issue) to enjoy the food again!

A very cool authentic Japanese restaurant on uws. We picked it for birthday dinner and were not disappointed. I recommend booking a table in advance. We ordered tuna tartare, deluxe sushi set, and snow crab roll—all delicious with fresh fish and perfect flavor combinations. The menu is extensive with a wide variety of dishes to choose from. For dessert, we had a tea-flavoured authentic Japanese cake with vanilla ice cream. The service was quick and friendly. Overall, the place is excellent, great food quality-price ratio and we'll definitely return to try more dishes next time!

Spectacular and affordable sushi with large vegetarian selection. Tofu teriyaki was delectable and the seaweed and mushroom starters in the perfect sauce made for a filling meal. The vegetarian sushi selection was incredible and bit sized to allow for tasting. Service was friendly and fast, great vibe!

Lovely place for no frills sushi lunch. It was crowded within minutes of opening. We got seated immediately without a reservation as we came a little after it opened. Everything was timely and delicious. We got lunch specials but were debating bw the mini omakase. Next time we will probably go with mini omakase!

Loved Sushi Yasaka. Quality sushi at such an incredible price. Lunch special is a crazy value for the quality they provide. My sushi combo came with salad and my daughter’s bento box came with chicken teriyaki w veggies and side of eggplant, one roll and soup. Chicken teriyaki was one of the best one I’ve ever had. It was smoky and perfectly cooked. Vegetables were so well prepared and the rolls and sushi were fresh. Service was friendly and efficient. We got seated at 2:30 when the kitchen closed so we couldn’t order more, but planning on going back soon!

One of my favorite sushi spots from years ago, and I’m glad to see it’s still going strong! The food was delicious, they had some of the best shumai I’ve ever had. The sushi was great, the fish was flavorful and tender. The yellowtail especially was great quality. The chef’s choice of sushi for the Sushi Deluxe was amazing. The flavor combinations worked perfectly together. The service was also spot on despite them being very busy when we went. This is definitely in my top 5 favorite sushi places in NYC, check it out!

Very high quality sushi at a reasonable price. The only issue was the tuna it was a-bit watery not sure why - because everything else was perfect. Another minor issue is that they rush to close, we booked for 9pm but they really rushed us. Why let people book late if you don’t want to serve them ?

I came here because I was craving some good sushi. The ambiance is very casual (good to come with family or friends) and the service was very friendly and fast. In terms of the food, I ordered the sushi deluxe menu with spicy salmon roll. I also added 1 piece of California uni. The uni was definitely the highlight or the dinner-- I'd order multiple pieces of uni if only it wasn't as expensive! The other sushi pieces, however, were pretty great too-- you can tell the fish quality is good and that the slices of fish are thick, not skimpy.

This was probably one of the worst sushi I had. There was a wait for dinner here, heightening my expectations. The waiter took a bit to take our orders too, whether because of the crowd or to allow us to take our time choosing. The nigiri was smaller than other sushi places'. Their rolls were also barely holding on. A couple pieces broke upon picking them up. The avocado ratio exceeded the fish tremendously. Worst of all, the tuna nigiri had the worst fishy taste to it! This was luckily in the area, but I would avoid coming here if I want quality sushi.

Sushi Yasaka is a solid place for sushi at a pretty good price. We come here whenever we're in the neighborhood and our last experience over the weekend for dinner was good. Service is nice and met our requests as needed. Sushi itself was good too. Personally think for the price, it's pretty good. I was particularly hungry so got the larger Miyabi plate and left satisfied. Also got the tofu which is always a good choice. Vibes are cute and intimate. Good for a date or just a nice time over dinner. Definitely expect to be back next time we're in UWS.

Delicious neighborhood spot for some quality sushi! Usually good to make a reservation and they get quite a few to go orders so that can also take some time! This has also been a good option for pre Lincoln Center dinners since it's good walking distance from the concert halls.

So good! Fresh sushi, great service, great atmosphere, love the special corn tempura appetizer. The nigiri and rolls were so fresh and melted in your mouth. Appreciated that they thought to ask if I had shrimp allergies and if I was okay with wasabi! Rice was seasoned lightly and perfectly with hint of wasabi but not too much, and extra on the side for for soy sauce

Was excited to come here and try the lunch special out, but I was disappointed. Arrived right around 12 and the place started filling up fast. The menu was a bit confusing as I couldn't tell which rolls were included in each item. Some of the rolls like shrimp tempura cost an extra $3z I opted to get the lunch bento with tuna avocado and fried chicken. The chicken wasn't what I was expecting, and in a bad way. There was a slight kick to it and the fry was not done well. The sushi roll wasn't bad, I should've just gotten the sushi. The bowl of rice was my favorite.

Whenever I'm on the upper west side, I always try and stop by Sushi Yasaka. It's not easy to do a walk-in here due to it always being full, but I was lucky enough to snag a reservation for 8pm and they sat me a little bit early. The servers were very attentive with water and always knew when to come check in on us if we needed anything. The ambiance is great for date night or just to fulfill a sushi craving (which I get pretty often). For starters, we ordered the tuna tartare and the fried shrimp balls, which surprisingly came in a fried donut shape. Both dishes were very good and distinct in their own ways. For the mains, we ordered the Miyabi and sashimi deluxe, both of which included exquisite pieces of fresh fish. The highlights were the seared salmon and the yellowtail scallion cut roll. The only thing I wish they had was more selection of drinks besides sake.

This was my favorite meal while in NYC a couple weeks ago. The chef's tasting sushi was fantastic! It was weird tho b/c there was one of each and it was shared so I had to bite half of one piece of sushi and keep it balanced for my partner to get an equally delicious bit lol The beef negimaki was heavenly. It was an absolute star dish! Thinly sliced been wrapped around scallion. The mushrooms!!! Mushrooms are in the glow up phase yo! I mean these mushrooms were like a freaking delicacy! Seating was nice and cozy as most nyc dining proves to be. Service was great. This place was hopping and super popular. We walked to riverside park to pass the time (45 min wait) until our table was ready. It was gorgeous. I don't remember the names of each sushi item we were given because it was chef's choice. There was sea urchin tho and that was my first time having it. Not a wow factor there but it was decent. Another review ginning it to you straight, no chaser! Enjoy!

8.5/10 Overall: the fish was super fresh and Their salmon was buttery smooth and had a hint of sweetness to it. Definitely my fav thing that I ate here. The service was amazing and ambiance was great as well. We ordered the tuna avocado and corn tempura as appetizers and for mains we got the salmon avocado hand roll, sushi deluxe, sashimi duluxe, dragon roll, and rainbow roll. My fav was the hand roll! Sashimi deluxe $33: 4.5/5 all of the pieces tasted super fresh and you can really tell that the fish they use is high quality! Came with a bowl of rice so it was a filling meal. Sushi deluxe $29: 4/5 same selection of fish as the sashimi deluxe but included 6 salmon avocado rolls which were super yummy. Rainbow roll $18: 4/5 their salmon and avocado is just so delicious. I liked that there wasn't a lot of rice so the balance between the rush and rice was perfect. Full of flavor and super refreshing.

Their lunch specials are so good! I definitely will come back to try their other options. Miyabi Lunch: Literally was in heaven the entire time I was eating. The fish was very fresh and they don't skimp either. I had the eel cucumber roll with it and it was delicious as well. Their sauce is on the sweeter side but I like it. Two Roll Lunch: My friend chose a salmon avocado roll and shrimp tempura roll. Huge pieces of fish! MAKE A RESERVATION! They get super busy (as they deserve to be!) and walk-ins may take some time to be seated as it is a pretty small space. I had a reservation for 1:30, showed up on time, was seated within 2mins :) I also liked watching the chefs prepare everyone's dishes! Lots of love and work go into their food and it does not go unnoticed. Will be back!

I hate to explode on one of my secret spots, but this is where I go when I want sushi for lunch. It's pretty quick and a calm clean setting and offers bento boxes for $17 and 2 rolls lunch special for around $13. It's a great deal, so go before they go up in price! I also almost always make a reservation. I've been coming here for a few years and it's super consistent in quality. Place is always busy.

Great lunch specials every day of the week (including weekends)! The fish is also extremely fresh. I was surprised because I typically don't like Ikura, but it was so sweet and fresh here. They are reservation only, so make sure you call in or book online ahead of time.

I was drawn to this store due to their lunch special menu and their fair pricing on their sushi dishes. My friends and I came for the lunch specials. We got seated immediately. I ordered a MIYABI LUNCH SET I'm personally glad that I ordered this because it comes with a variety of things including a choice of soup or salad, sushi, sashimi and a choice of a roll. It's a bit of everything in one set. I chose the side salad. Pretty standard. The types of fish they add on your tray seems random and hand selected by the sushi chefs. The fish did seem a bit glossier than I would have liked, but they tasted great! The fish was super soft to bite, which is a plus in my book. As expected the most common fish was the raw tuna & salmon. I also ordered the spicy tuna roll, which was smashed tuna. It had a very mild spice kick, nothing that one can't handle. Overall, I was glad that I got to try a bit of everything. Despite the looks of it, I was satisfied. It wasn't the most filing, but I did feel like it was worth the price and liked everything that was offered. Especially for a lunch special price, I can't complain.

This is a great place to go for lunch as their lunch specials (12-2:45pm) are such great deals! This place gets super busy, so make sure to make reservations beforehand. I came with a good friend here yesterday for lunch & thankfully we made reservation as it was extremely busy. I ordered the chirashi lunch special & my friend ordered the miyabi lunch special. Chirashi lunch special (14 piece of sashimi over rice, w/ side of salad/soup). The sashimi were fresh but not the best I have eaten. I think after visiting Hokkaido Japan & eating so much delicious fresh seafood, my tastebuds have not been the same. The rice quality was ok. Out of all the sashimi, I really enjoyed the salmon ones the most. The side salad was ok - I was surprised at how little amount they give you. Miyabi lunch special (4 piece sushi, 7 piece sashimi & your choice of a roll, w/ a side of salad/soup). My friend liked it & preferred the spicy salmon roll than the sashimi/sushi the most. We ended up w/ an order of green tea ice cream mochi (2 mochis, cut into 2 pieces each). It was a standard green tea ice cream mochi. Service was good, very quick & attentive. Food comes out fast, so expect them to give you the check right away once they see that you are almost done eating. This was not a great place to catch up w/ someone.

This is a great, under the radar sushi spot! It doesn't look like much outside but inside, is a fairly large space that fills up very quickly. We had assorted rolls, sushi and sashimi. All were very fresh and delicious. The only item we didn't love was the salad. The lettuce wasn't that fresh and the dressing was a bit bland. But at the end of the day who goes to a sushi spot for the salad? The prices were more than fair for the quality of the fish.

Sushi Yasaka is one of my favorite sushi restaurants in New York. My friend and I would regularly go for their lunch specials, almost all under $20. The fish are incredibly fresh and dishes are generously portioned; each plate also comes with a choice of miso soup or salad. The staff are attentive and prompt, with a simple and clean interior.

Very good lunch deals. Very good for east coast sushi . I got the sushi platter for lunch and thought it was solid

I've eaten fish in several major cities at well regarded places. This is top quality fish. If you want fresh fish prepared excellently, this is the place to be. Easily rates as some of the very best I've had. I'm personally not into exotic presentation and omakase style, so take my review with that in mind. The atmosphere is very good, but not next level. The service was fantastic, but not omakase. If you want to be the VIP and are willing to pay 5-10x as much, give the many well regarded omakase restaurants a shot. What you're getting here is some of the best quality fish at a remarkably affordable price. If I lived in town I would be a regular. I was out for under $40 with tip. Exceptional.

Casual Japanese place to stop by for lunch or dinner. We came by when they opened at noon and there were quite a few people lined up, but we were still able to get seated. I had the lunch bento box with tempura, which came with a shrimp tempura, fish tempura and some tempura vegetables. Everything was nicely fried and paired well with the dipping sauce. It came with shumai, stewed eggplant and a salmon avocado roll. Service was quick and friendly.

Sushi Yasaka is a must if you're on the upper west side! I have been dining in and taking out for years. The fish is fresh and the dishes are unique. The toppings on the sushi deluxe are so tasty!! The service is stellar and quick. Tables are small so be ready for an intimate meal with whoever you're dining with. The yellowtail jalapeño is my favorite of their appetizers, but you really can't go wrong with anything you choose here! It's all high quality and delicious.

Delicious and fresh sushi takeout! I've enjoyed takeout from Sushi Yasaka and I'm impressed with the quality of food and their fresh fish. We have ordered takeout for numerous dinners mostly to celebrate birthdays and have always enjoyed a great celebratory meal. I especially enjoyed their Chirashi tonight along with the Salmon Ikura roll. Yum!!

Great lunch deal and fast service. The sushi was fresh and tasty and just the right portion size! There was also a good amount of seating for I imagine bigger groups. Would definitely come back!

Made reservations for lunch and I'm glad I did. It was very busy around 1pm that you'll need reservations to be seated right away. The lunch specials are very affordable and delicious. I did the nigiri and sashimi and everything came out quick with generous cuts of fish. The Chirashi was also good and had lots of cuts of sashimi. Inside it was very busy but still spacious.

Get a reservation or be prepared to wait. This place is solid and has plenty of options to make your mouth water. I went for their chirashi lunch (14 pieces of sashimi over rice and a soup/salad) and it didn't disappoint. Fresh fish, good quality rice, decent size for the price. Next time I want to go with a group of friends and share a few dishes... A lot of food passed by and liked what I saw. Recommended.

This sushi place is affordable and the quality of the fish is perfect! I got the sashimi plate and was amazed by the selection of fish. My favorite pieces were the fatty salmon and ginger tuna. They also give the classic pieces of fish like yellowtail and salmon. The sashimi plate is $33 and comes with a bowl of rice as well. I will definitely come here again! I arrived at 6pm with a reservation, but didn't need one as we were seated right away. Any later on a weekend, I would recommend a reservation. The service is great as well, they are attentive.

LOVE this place! It's such a hidden gem on the UWS that even living here I forget about because it's sort of hidden. The food, sushi and everything is so decently priced for the quality you get we absolutely love it. Been coming here for years and yesterday tried the mini omakase dish Soo yum!

Made reservations but was late. However, the staff was still able to accommodate us! This is a great UWS sushi spot!! For two of us, we were able to share: - Miyabi (10 pieces of sushi, 10 pieces of sushi and one roll...which we opted for spicy scallop rolls. Spicy scallops was not overly sauced...just perfection! - lobster tempura...so good! Prices were surprisingly reasonable! Service was good as well.

I've had Sushi Yasaka bookmarked since I was still in college at Fordham Lincoln Center. Finally, after an anniversary date day at the Metropolitan Opera, we grabbed dinner here. First, I highly recommend making reservations because they filled up so fast after we arrived - and we were there basically at opening time. We both opted for the chef's omakase, which I think was about $75 at the time. It was great. Lovely fish selections, came with uni, and filled us up. We ended the meal by splitting a molten chocolate lava cake with matcha ice cream and it was perfect. Service was fast and attentive and we were never rushed out. 10/10.

The BEST sushi in all of Manhattan. I wish it was still a bit unknown so I could still walk in for a nice dinner date with my girlfriend haha! Affordable, top-notch quality, and consistent. Run, don't walk!

Came on a rainy day so didn't have to wait. Was surprised at the quality at such an affordable price. We ordered the sushi lunch ($16) and miyabi lunch ($20) that came with a choice of miso soup or salad. What a deal!

A cute little spot with a great lunch special, superb fish quality, and perfect for take out too!!

One of the best value lunch specials on the upper west side. Restaurant is quiet, clean and has a minimalistic ambience. Fresh fish, perfect rice, and friendly service. Been coming here for years and will continue to come back again and again. If you are looking for an affordable Japanese experience that doesn't skimp on quality, look no further. I had the chirashi bowl and tuna avocado app to start. Every dish is worth trying. Hot apps/cold/sushi and sashimi, they have it all.

I had heard that Sushi Yasaka had both affordable and good-quality sushi, and tried to come once for dinner with a friend as a walk-in. Turns out they were fully booked and wouldn't have a table for hours, so don't make our mistake and make a reservation! I came back another day for lunch with a reservation, though weekday lunch is definitely less busy so maybe you could get away without one. Plus, the lunch specials are a great deal for sushi! They come with your choice of miso soup or salad. I ordered a lunch sashimi set that came with five types of fish and a bowl of rice. It was a great portion, with my favorites being the special skin-on salmon and the seared yellowtail. Really impressed with them going the extra mile to sear that fish and it was so good! My friend got a soba noodle lunch set that also comes with a sushi roll of choice; I tried some and I found the noodles less impressive and the dipping sauce wasn't as flavorful as I've had elsewhere. Well, this is a sushi spot after all, so stick to the sushi and I think you won't be disappointed.

I came here with two others for dinner before we hit up the Beacon Theatre for a show. The food was delicious! So much that we ordered a second plate of the shrimp and veggie tempura plate. The miso was warming, and hit the spot. The sushi was fresh, and the tempura had the perfect texture. The service was good until the end, where we ordered our second tempura dish. We had to wait longer than expected (timing based on how fast the first tempura dish came out), so we ended up getting a to-go box and eating it later. Overall, it was a great experience. Worth visiting if you're in the area.

Tuesday night late dinner Pros: The warm sake was pretty good. In the cold weather, it hits the spot just right. Cons: I have nothing to recommend in terms of food. Everything we tried wasn't great. We ordered fried Japanese oysters as appetizer, but they had very heavy fishy smell and taste, to a point it was very unpleasant. We also ordered sashimi, to be honest it wasn't amazing. Maybe because of the high reviews we had high expectations. In the end it was quite disappointing. We also asked for rice on the side, it by no means was proper sushi grade rice. Texture was off, felt like recooked leftover rice. It just didn't taste like freshly cooked on the day of. The place was very tight and still had Covid era dividers between tables... perhaps time to take them down?

Super fresh and wonderful sushi. I love the lobster special. A full lobster tail cut into bite-size pieces fried and spicy. service was great. We ordered the unagi, the sea urchin and squid was interesting. I don't know if I'd order that again. The yellow tail was fabulous.

First time dining at this restaurant. This is a small and quaint establishment. Cleanliness and great service is the mantra here. I made reservations to dine in. There's two sets of service hours here. The staff here exudes professionalism (from the front of the establishment to the rear). My parties meals were pleasing to our palates (fresh and tasty). I wished we order two of everything on the menu. Maybe next time. Keep up the great service and fresh food Sushi Yasaka! If you're ever in the neighborhood. GET SOME!!!!

Visiting NYC for our annual pre-Xmas trip to see tree in Rockefeller Center, Broadway show, etc. Some members of family nursing injuries on Day 2 so couldn't make it to usual mid-town lunch location. Spontaneously decided to try Yasaka while passing by from subway to apartment rental. Amazingly good. Every ingredient tasted like it was plucked from the ocean or garden that morning (and it was Sunday!). Fast, friendly service. Many other happy, satisfied people at nearby tables. Two sushi chefs working away like artists.

If you want 5-star quality food without the high cost of a fancy dining experience, Sushi Yasaka is the place to go

Ambiance (4/5): We had a reservation on a weeknight and it was half full around 6:30 and then completely full by 7/8. The tables are separated by flimsy wall dividers. Due to the tight seating arrangement, the separators can cause some disturbance if your dining neighbors accidentally knock into them. Noise level is medium. Service (5/5): We were attended to throughout the meal. Food: Asari Miso $8 (4/5): The clam meat was minuscule in size but wasn't too much. The clam helped add a little flavor to the usual miso flavor. Sushi Deluxe $29 (5/5): This was more than enough for one person to eat! I had 6 nigiri, 1 6 pc eel roll, 12 pc sashimi! Everything tasted extremely fresh and I loved the variety offered in the mix. For the price point and portions, this is a great value. I would highly recommend this place!

.5/1 Ambience; 1.5/2 Food; 1/1 Service; 1/1 Value The restaurant is a dimly lit casual eatery with excellent sushi. The restaurant was completely full when we stepped in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The sushi bar is towards the back so patrons can see how their food is being prepared. The service was friendly and attentive, despite how busy it was. The sushi here is really good and a great value for the price! We both opted for and shared the 2 roll lunch combo with miso soups and the spicy salmon roll, spicy tuna roll, eel avocado roll, and spicy yellowtail roll. The fish in each roll was very fresh an flavorful in each roll. But I was most surprised with the quality of the rice, a component that I don't notice unless it's either extremely good or extremely bad, and in this case it was perfection. However, we couldn't taste the difference between the spicy salmon and spicy tuna rolls at all-- perhaps the order was incorrect or the flavor was masked completely. Overall, the sushi was solid and definitely is among the best I've had in the UWS. Each combo cost us $13, so it's very fulfilling and dare I say a steal given the price for the quality.

Popped in for a quick lunch before a broadway show and was pleasantly surprised. Their Chirashi lunch special is a steal at $21 a bowl, and even comes with a choice of soup or salad. I was delighted to see an impressive array of chutoro, salmon, ikura, egg, ebi, and yellowtail in my bowl. The fish was fresh, although the bowl was on the smaller side. Still, the amount of food was enough to make my stomach feel content. Great option for a casual lunch in a low key, modest, sushi restaurant.

I can't lie it's a bit of a trek to get here, but totally worth the trip (and also a great excuse to get out of your neighborhood for a change of scenery). This spot seems to be poppin and for good reason. I was pleasantly surprised by the sushi here, especially for the price. Went with one other person, we split a bottle of sake and got a handful of rolls and don't think the bill was much greater than $70. Not just that, but the rolls were good quality. Good rice, good fish, and good seaweed! Will definitely be back soon!

Overall decent sushi. Was sad that all the premium nigiri that usually gets added to the deluxe weren't available when we went (usually it has uni, for example). I came here after seeing photos of others' orders. At least they seem to be fresh. Ankimo: never had it before, but it was fun to try. Spicy scallop roll was a delicious and creative roll that I haven't had before. -1 star due to having a piece of blond hair (same color as the server's) in my original roll (didn't see it until I was halfway done with the roll). They DID at least replace the roll, but the overall process of getting there was why they lost a point: 1) came over after we flagged them down, showed him the hair (he couldn't see it), brought back to sushi chef to check 2) came back telling me they all didn't see the hair 3) proceeded to show him again the hair under the light (which, by the way is poor. I only saw it because I happened to pick up my piece with the hair under the lamp and it flashed shiny which made me inspect closer...thankfully didn't eat it) 4) they left the hair-y roll with plate on my table as a constant reminder (which to someone who usually keeps eating what's on my plate could've been dangerous) 5) when replacing new roll, didn't take the hair-y one away...I had to request someone to take the plate away the struggles

Sushi Yasaka is a fantastic casual sushi spot in the Upper West side. It's conveniently located not too far from the 1/2/3 subway line. *AMBIANCE* It gets very busy here! Highly recommend making a reservation here. Around 6pm on a weekday, it was already packed. They have a QR code you can use to pull up the menu and also offer a small separate menu of the specials. *FOOD* They have a great selection of sashimi and sushi rolls. I ended up trying the shrimp tempura, spicy yellowtail, and salmon avocado maki rolls which all came with six pieces. All the sushi rolls here are very fresh and tasty! *SERVICE* Very efficient service. We got our sushi fairly quickly and there was a steady stream of filling our water glasses. I would love to come back here for lunch - highly recommend!

I don't know why people complain about this place. It's a cheaper casual sushi spot. For $29 sushi deluxe you get 9 nigiri and sushi roll it was filling and good portion imo. It doesn't taste cheap and low quality either.

Pretty solid sushi for takeout. Was quite a bit of food for the sashimi, roll, and 9 pieces nigiri.

Go here for sushi and try the steak teriyaki roll! LOVED the sparkling saki did not think I'd like it but it was sweet and hit the spot. Service was excellent with the exception of them cancelling our reservation when someone with the same name had called to cancel earlier but they made it right and got us in before our show. The prices were very reasonable too!! VERY!! I don't recall what we had bc I told my friend to order varieties of the things but I do think it was good!

Made reservation for 4 at 12:30pm on Monday. We got there at noon and they were to able to sit us immediately. We are impressed with the quality and their lunch price is a steal. Very nice and clean restaurant with friendly service. We all enjoyed our lunch very much. We didn't order dessert as we want to try Levain cookies which is only a 5 mins walk away. Perfect lunch and we will absolutely come back again when we are back in New York next time.