Takahachi
Sushi restaurant · East Village ·
Casual sushi & Japanese home cooking, fresh fish, fair prices
Casual sushi & Japanese home cooking, fresh fish, fair prices
"Every neighborhood needs a local sushi joint, and for East Villagers, it’s been Takahachi for a while now. Cheap enough to be in regular rotation, good enough to warrant happy returns, and always crowded, probably because they don't deliver. There is a permanent "15 minute" wait, even at 11pm. Takahachi is everything you want out of your local Japanese home away from home. There are no frills, no omakase, and there aren’t even Japanese people cutting up your sushi - last time I went, we had a guy from Ecuador. What there is, however, is a large menu of reasonably priced cooked and raw things that will certainly leave you satisfied. This is not mind blowing food, this is "it's Tuesday, and I'm hungry food." On any given night, it’s safe to assume 75% of the restaurant are regulars. It's that kind of spot. Everyone seems to know one another, and everyone definitely knows Mr. Takahachi himself, who works the room, shakes hands, and kisses all the babies. Good food and a personal connection, no wonder people keep coming back. Next time you need sushi in the East Village, Takahachi is the move. Food Rundown Edamame There's something addictively awesome about Takahachi's Edamame. It needs to be on the table. Sushi Deluxe You can eat like a king here and not completely break the bank. Stick with the basics, they do them well. Sushi, sushi rolls and sashimi. Salmon, Tuna, Yellowtail, Mackerel...you know the drill. Here you get 8 pieces and a roll. Stay away from the special rolls section of the specials menu. That's not where you want to be. Keep it simple. Blackened Tuna A nice-sized helping of blackened seared tuna served with black pepper and mustard sauce. This isn't exactly Nobu-style Toro, but it gets the job done. Amazing Sushi A favorite off the sushi bar menu. Three different kinds of sushi, all with a different spicy sauce on top. Tuna with coriander sauce, yellowtail belly with jalapeno sauce, and king salmon and avocado with spicy mayo. If you like spicy, you need to get this. Kushiyaki a la carte Skewers Skewers are part of the program at Takahachi and need to be on the table. You can't really go wrong, but our three favorites: karubi beef, tsukune chicken ball with onion, the yakitori chicken with scallion. These are damn good. And pretty damn cheap, too. Chilean Sea Bass Bargain hunting? Get the sea bass. The miso glaze is on point, and the fish is cooked well and always has lots of moisture. We order this every time." - Andrew Steinthal
"Takahachi is the sushi spot that you want in your neighborhood - better quality than the place playing house music and serving California rolls with too much rice, but more casual than an omakase restaurant where you’ll spend at least $100 and still need to grab pizza on the way home. You can dine solo at the sushi counter or grab a table with a group. Either way, your order here is the $24 sushi deluxe, which comes with eight pieces of fresh sushi plus a roll and miso soup." - hannah albertine, matt tervooren
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"I definitely have a soft spot for the East Village, and I love all the old Japanese places, particularly Takahachi. I feel like that opened a couple years after I came to this neighborhood, if it wasn’t already open. I got to go to Takahachi the other day, it’s so fucking good, but I’ve barely ate sushi during this whole pandemic."
"You don’t know a ton about this person, but you do at least know that you both like sushi. Try Takahachi. This East Village restaurant is one of the best casual sushi spots in the city - mostly because it’s relatively easy to walk into, the fish is good, and the prices are pretty low (rolls are around $5). If Tribeca is more convenient for you, there’s another location there that we endorse for the same reasons." - Hannah Albertine, Bryan Kim, Neha Talreja
"One of the oldest East Village sushi bargains, this Avenue A spot offers an early-bird special from 5–7 p.m. that includes soup and green salad, a sushi or sashimi set, four yakitori brochettes, hijiki and lotus root salad, a small heap of squid tentacles, a fried dumpling, and dessert — all for $21.50, so you won’t walk away hungry." - Eater Staff