Positives: the service and atmosphere are great. The waitress was very friendly and quick on water refills.
Negatives: the fish is just not good. They toast the top of almost every dish and/or douse it in yuzu / lemon / wasabi. The fish is not fresh and tastes low quality. The hand roll even has something akin to garlic powder in it. The food overall is below mid and not worth the 100 per person after tax in my opinion. They are cutting corners with ingredients and also with customer time (typical omakase is 90 minutes. Here is 60 to get more clients in and out). I actually didn’t mind the shorter time frame because as more dishes came out, couldn’t wait for it to be over and leave…
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Michelle Singh
Sushi Kai in the East Village is an absolute hidden gem for sushi lovers! From the moment you walk in, the cozy vibe and friendly staff make you feel right at home. Their sushi is unbelievably fresh—every bite practically melts in your mouth, and the chef’s creative twists on classic rolls keep things exciting. The omakase is a must-try if you want the full experience—it’s like a flavor journey straight from Tokyo. Whether you’re here for a casual night out or a special dinner, Sushi Kai delivers that perfect mix of quality and East Village charm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cody
Great fish and service—especially for the price.
Sean Hamilton
Very high quality sushi. Everything was amazing
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gloria Chou PR LLC
Delicious and amazing service. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kayla Bernardino
I’ve definitely had better - go to Sushi by M or Kaki or any of the other omakase spots nearby that have better service.
I get it, 9 pm is late for a reservation, but… maybe don’t offer it then? The experience felt so rushed (our sushi chef kinda stared at us and our sushi if we didn’t immediately pick up the food - I know proper sushi etiquette dictates IMMEDIATE eating for optimal fish temperature, etc. but maybe give us 30 seconds to finish a sentence), our server kicked us out saying they needed to close (this was barely after 10 pm - we had to down the sake in our glasses and take the rest of the bottle home), and while the sushi was good, I’d go elsewhere next time because of this unpleasant and slightly awkward experience. Way too many amazing places in NYC - sad this doesn’t seem to be one of them.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 2
An Le
Good sushi at great price
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mark Taveras
Great food!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Len Tabuchi
First time having Omkase, had a wonderful time with the selection of seafood. Thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Kai’S Omakase, Hand Roll, Wagyu, Scallop, Yaki King Salmon, Wagyu with Uni, Wagyu Uni Don
Yev Yak
I’ve had my eye on Sushi Kai for quite some time, but only now did I finally get to try it out. I’m a big fan of omakase, but it does tend to get pricey. Sushi Kai is a great “affordable” alternative if you’re trying to have high-quality sushi, without breaking the bank. Their omakase course comes with a three piece entree, 12-15 courses, and a hand roll, all for $85 per person - not bad!
Once I entered, I really liked the cozy and chill vibe. Made the dining experience really comfortable and relaxing.
And of course, the food. I was very surprised by the quality and freshness of the fish. All were super soft and melted in your mouth. Paired well with the perfect amount of rice and garnishes. The rice to fish combo was spot on - a lot of places will often go too heavy on the rice and it overpowers the fish, but the sushi chefs here do a great job and creating the ultimate balance.
Sake selection was good too and reasonably priced. I got the Dassai 39 bottle and it was very good, sweet and silky, paired very well with the fish.
The food was good, but the service was not nice. The atmosphere is not great and the music is bad.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Hand Roll
Aleynah Prieto
Very intimate space, authentic food, and great for dates! Perfect pacing between dishes to talk a bit and still had a pretty quick turnover.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Sushi
Andrei Ishkhanyantz
Highest quality sushi. Deserve a Michelin star.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
임서연
Why don't they take the $50 reservation deposit and give it back? I'm curious Everything was good, but I’m curious about this part.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chris G
Totally unprofessional. Gave away our seats by mistake 10 minutes before our reservation. Then were disrespectful and insulting in how they handled the situation. Based on other reviews this is NOT the only time this has happened.
I don’t leave bad reviews. But I was particularly insulted by how they handled this situation.
Positives: the service and atmosphere are great. The waitress was very friendly and quick on water refills.
Negatives: the fish is just not good. They toast the top of almost every dish and/or douse it in yuzu / lemon / wasabi. The fish is not fresh and tastes low quality. The hand roll even has something akin to garlic powder in it. The food overall is below mid and not worth the 100 per person after tax in my opinion. They are cutting corners with ingredients and also with customer time (typical omakase is 90 minutes. Here is 60 to get more clients in and out). I actually didn’t mind the shorter time frame because as more dishes came out, couldn’t wait for it to be over and leave…
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Sushi Kai in the East Village is an absolute hidden gem for sushi lovers! From the moment you walk in, the cozy vibe and friendly staff make you feel right at home. Their sushi is unbelievably fresh—every bite practically melts in your mouth, and the chef’s creative twists on classic rolls keep things exciting. The omakase is a must-try if you want the full experience—it’s like a flavor journey straight from Tokyo. Whether you’re here for a casual night out or a special dinner, Sushi Kai delivers that perfect mix of quality and East Village charm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great fish and service—especially for the price.
Very high quality sushi. Everything was amazing
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious and amazing service. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’ve definitely had better - go to Sushi by M or Kaki or any of the other omakase spots nearby that have better service.
I get it, 9 pm is late for a reservation, but… maybe don’t offer it then? The experience felt so rushed (our sushi chef kinda stared at us and our sushi if we didn’t immediately pick up the food - I know proper sushi etiquette dictates IMMEDIATE eating for optimal fish temperature, etc. but maybe give us 30 seconds to finish a sentence), our server kicked us out saying they needed to close (this was barely after 10 pm - we had to down the sake in our glasses and take the rest of the bottle home), and while the sushi was good, I’d go elsewhere next time because of this unpleasant and slightly awkward experience. Way too many amazing places in NYC - sad this doesn’t seem to be one of them.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 2
Good sushi at great price
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First time having Omkase, had a wonderful time with the selection of seafood. Thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Kai’S Omakase, Hand Roll, Wagyu, Scallop, Yaki King Salmon, Wagyu with Uni, Wagyu Uni Don
I’ve had my eye on Sushi Kai for quite some time, but only now did I finally get to try it out. I’m a big fan of omakase, but it does tend to get pricey. Sushi Kai is a great “affordable” alternative if you’re trying to have high-quality sushi, without breaking the bank. Their omakase course comes with a three piece entree, 12-15 courses, and a hand roll, all for $85 per person - not bad!
Once I entered, I really liked the cozy and chill vibe. Made the dining experience really comfortable and relaxing.
And of course, the food. I was very surprised by the quality and freshness of the fish. All were super soft and melted in your mouth. Paired well with the perfect amount of rice and garnishes. The rice to fish combo was spot on - a lot of places will often go too heavy on the rice and it overpowers the fish, but the sushi chefs here do a great job and creating the ultimate balance.
Sake selection was good too and reasonably priced. I got the Dassai 39 bottle and it was very good, sweet and silky, paired very well with the fish.
Great experience and awesome sushi. Will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The food was good, but the service was not nice. The atmosphere is not great and the music is bad.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Hand Roll
Very intimate space, authentic food, and great for dates! Perfect pacing between dishes to talk a bit and still had a pretty quick turnover.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Sushi
Highest quality sushi. Deserve a Michelin star.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
Why don't they take the $50 reservation deposit and give it back? I'm curious
Everything was good, but I’m curious about this part.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Totally unprofessional. Gave away our seats by mistake 10 minutes before our reservation. Then were disrespectful and insulting in how they handled the situation. Based on other reviews this is NOT the only time this has happened.
I don’t leave bad reviews. But I was particularly insulted by how they handled this situation.
Loading...