20 Best Japanese Restaurants in Long Island City

“Love this place! Excellent service, great food, wonderful environment! I’m going back. Love the moctels!!!!Great experience!“

“I’d make that joke more about your own snap judgment and the “authenticity police” rather than the staff’s ethnicity.

I came to Warabi Omakase because it was conveniently located near my friend’s house, which is apparently the extent of my restaurant research these days. No Michelin investigation. No deep dive into reviews. Just “it’s close.”

Somehow, this reckless strategy worked.

I walked in and was immediately impressed. The sushi counter was organized, there were plenty of sushi chefs behind the bar, and seeing an all Asian sushi team immediately activated my completely unscientific internal authenticity meter. Apparently, my brain decided, “Yep, this looks legit.” 😂 Then I saw unlimited drinks, including sake and beer, and suddenly my decision making looked significantly more sophisticated.

The 14 piece omakase was genuinely delicious, with a nice variety of fish, scallop, and botan ebi topped with uni, presumably Hokkaido uni. My only gripe was the seasoning. Both the rice and fish were seasoned a little too aggressively. At certain points, the seasoning was giving “main character syndrome” while the fish was standing there wondering why nobody was paying attention to it.

But then came the part where things got irresponsible: two rounds of unlimited nigiri. Tuna, fatty tuna, salmon, and wagyu. Yes, unlimited. Because apparently 14 pieces of sushi and unlimited drinks weren’t enough to make me question my life choices.

There is one catch. If you order it and don’t finish it, there’s a $5 per piece penalty. And I actually watched people get charged. 😅 So this is not the place to discover halfway through dinner that you “might be getting full.” Warabi does not believe in your excuses. Order responsibly or prepare to financially support your unfinished sushi.

By the end, I was so full I was basically one conveyor belt away from being rolled out of the restaurant.

For the price, this is seriously good value. I’ll definitely be back. I’d just love to see the chefs pull back on the seasoning a little and let the fish speak for itself.

Overall, Warabi was a fantastic surprise. I went because it was close to my friend’s house and left feeling like I had accidentally discovered a sushi buffet disguised as an omakase. Honestly, that’s the kind of bad decision I’m happy to make again.“

“The food (curry lunch set for my kiddo and salmon donburi lunch set for me) was delicious! We loved how cute/petite the ice cream cake dessert looked, decorated with the name of the restaurant. My kid enjoyed the couple games in the restaurant that entertained him. My kiddo said the theme felt like an arcade. He loved seeing the seafood. chef preparing the sashimi. It was a great place!“

“Bia was the most amazing host and server, highly attentive and super knowledgeable. We had Jazkaya Ramen with some fresh sushi rolls and edemame, annd perfect margs — all absolutely fire. The ambiance is 10/10 for the area, elevated by the live jazz by some of NY’s finest (shout out Avery on trumpet). Overall would recommend to anyone looking for amazing sushi, Japanese fusion, and a highly curated night of tasty food & tasteful music!“

“Such a cute restaurant! The interior is clean and lovely.

I ordered the Japanese matcha fluffy pancakes and the matcha rose iced tea, and both were pretty good! The Japanese-style dishes were not exactly authentic, but still good and enjoyable!

I’d love to come back and try more items from the menu.“

“The food and service was good. No liquor license yet but that's fine. Great location, just not much to seperate them from any other Japanese spot. Looked like they were allowing folks to byob, which is quite considerate. Prices decent considering the area.“

“I had a great time at Kaiyo. It has been a go to for me when I want sushi and am in Long Island City. The front of the restaurant is only the sushi counter, so it isn't noisy or distracting. It's a good place to sit and talk over a meal. The sushi is good and it is reasonably priced.“

“I've been here a few times. See the same staff every time, and they're great. I got the chirashi once, and now it's all I get. The fish in it is the best I've ever had. Great selection, huge pieces, super fresh, fair price. You won't be disappointed!“

“I've been here several times for dinner with my preschool-aged son and just went today for lunch. It's been a treat each time. I try a different side dish from their rotating menu on each visit, and I haven't been disappointed yet. Everything on their menu has been just the right savory, harmonious amount of flavor without being overly salty or overdone in any way. My son and I also love the fresh tofu. The staff has been very courteous, and everything is reasonably priced. I hope they stay around in LIC because there aren't very many restaurants like this that make things so comfortable in every way. I seldom dine out but I'd eat here anyday.“

“My family and I have made it a tradition to celebrate many of our birthdays at this location! Yesterday we had server Andrye and our experience (as always) did not disappoint. The attention he gave to my family was very appreciated, as always, we’ll be back for the next birthday celebration!“

“Absolutely one of the best omakase experiences in New York. Every course was beautifully presented, and the quality of the fish was outstanding. You can really feel the chef’s skill and dedication in every bite. The atmosphere is intimate and elegant — perfect for a special occasion.“

“Simple fresh and tasty options, many great choices to choose from and combinations are impressive. Hot foods are available just as well“

“Place is really nice and makes you want to go to Japan. Sent they're for lunch and had yaki udon which was quite filling and tasted good. There was only one server but that was enough for the 4 different sets of people. She was very helpful and always smiling. They had a lot off takeaways.“

“I was here a couple weeks ago. Very welcoming and friendly. I came here by myself sat at the bar. The attention to detail was there, the bartender was great with information on Japanese whiskey and cocktails. The dessert was blew my tastes bud away.“

“Such a cool hidden gem! The speakeasy atmosphere was incredible—dark, intimate, stylish, and with just the right amount of mystery. You can tell a lot of thought went into creating the experience.

And the bartenders, Jason & Bee, were so welcoming, super friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely made the night more memorable. The drinks were excellent, the service was on point, and the whole vibe was exactly what you want from a great speakeasy.

Definitely a place I’ll be coming back to. Highly recommend checking it out!“

“I was feeling chilly and wanted ramen, and was so happy I found this spot! The ramen was at affordable prices, and the staff was polite and friendly. I had the Tamashii Ramen, which was very flavorful. :) They have other items than ramen too, so the menu has a variety.“

“Ordered the 5-handroll lunch set for delivery, and was pleasantly surprised by both the quantity and quality of the meat. Every roll was great, but the spicy crab and miso cod were especially good. Much much better than Nami Nori imo (and better value for $)

Fyi the nori was individually wrapped so that it wouldnt get soggy, which I appreciated.“

“Asked for a little char, and they nailed it, perfection! I enjoy coming here for their chicken and teriyaki meals: simple, affordable, and always delicious. Special thanks to Lin and the team for being so kind and welcoming every time. It’s inside a food hall in a supermarket, so don’t expect anything fancy, just solid comfort food made with care.“

“If you go at 7pm(30 mins before closing) the prepped sushi and chirashi section is all 30 percent off!. So worth it. Its worth it even without the discount but if youre looking for dinner and in the neighborhood, dont miss out and great everything . They also have Japanese items like snacks, sauces and unique eats.“

“Very nice atmosphere. Food and drinks are good.“