Sushi Yasaka

Food & Drink

Nov 5

Just had a sushi date with my cousin last night. She introduced me to her favorite sushi spot in NYC.

Sushi Yasaka is located on the Upper East Side and very accessible via the 1, 2, or 3 subway trains. The sushi restaurant is very well-known for their amazing selection of high-quality sushi, which was super fresh and came in a generous portion. This makes a huge difference, if you’re picky about texture like I am.

Food

Like I said before, I heard the restaurant is very well-known for their selection of high-quality sushi and organic ingredients. And I saw first-hand that it is true. I read on their website and a few other food critics’ reviews that the whole thing about Sushi Yasaka sourcing the best raw ingredients from local farmers is also true. The various fish that they serve actually comes from local fish markets in Manhattan each morning. From the rice stuffed in your sushi rolls to the seaweed wrapping up all those delicious flavors, it’s really recognizable in each dish that the chef and kitchen staff put a lot of love and care into the food they serve. I recommend the Sushi Deluxe (in the picture above) or the Sashimi Deluxe, depending on your preference. Plus, these deluxe platters come with uni when it’s available! Fun fact — Uni is actually the sex organ that produces roe and is usually served as a fried Japanese delicacy.

Drink

And they had a really good selection of sake, not great, but good enough for me because I’m not a sake expert. Actually, the only time I drink sake is when I’m out for sushi. At the recommendation of the waitress, I ordered the Masumi "Okuden Kanzukuri" Junmai, which is very mellow and has a mild flavor with a hint of sweetness. If you’re more of a beer person, I recommend the Sapporo, which is usually found on many Asian restaurants’ alcoholic beverage menus.

The Deets

In terms of logistics, I recommend booking a reservation on OpenTable since Sushi Yasaka is pretty popular for dinner on week nights. I saw quite a few disappointed hungry souls walking out because there were no tables available and they didn’t make a reservation. There is also bar seating, but of course, you’d be lucky to find one open seat at the bar during happy hour or dinner time anywhere in Manhattan.

In terms of the restaurant’s vibe, it had an intimate feel but the space itself really isn’t that small. Regarding dress code, feel free to go casual. But on a week night, you may notice a lot of suits because people are just stopping in after work.

The service was good, but definitely had room for improvement. The waitress wasn’t rude or anything, but she just wasn’t very friendly either. I couldn’t care less, but someone’s always asking me to elaborate on my customer service experience at restaurants, so there it is.