Geisha Table

Especially for the UWS, this place is great. I came here with my sister to satisfy intense sushi cravings. She’s a classic rolls girl so we opted to get a selection of rolls. We got the black truffle sandwich (very nice, very interesting, not too overpowering of truffle), California roll (same old), spicy tuna (same old), rainbow roll (slightly under average, the fish on top was not as good as I would have expected), and double salmon roll (BOMB! Nice crispy salmon skin in the middle and fresh salmon on top!) We also go a chicken thigh yakitori and that was delish! My only issue with any of the rolls is that the sushi rice was a little hard.
There’s a weird setup here as they share a space with Serafina so we ended up getting crème brûlée from that menu. it was good, lots of vanilla going on, but nothing spectacular.
For its price point and location, I can’t complain. It’s definitely not worth a trip out of the way.

I would have never found this place if a friend who lives in the area did not tell me about it. The restaurant is in the back of serafina restaurant which is a pizza/​Italian restaurant. You actually have to walk thru Serafina in order to get to Geisha Table which only has a few tables.
I had the $ 45 chef’s sushi plate was was some of the best I’ve had in NYC. The plate was totally worth the $ 45 because it had uni, toro, unagi, and all really expensive cuts of fish that most regular sushi restaurants would charge more for. Every piece of sushi just tasted like buttah and I was already planning my next visit even before I finished my last piece.

The sushi was mediocre. The waitress was a nasty little thing. Plus they charge five dollars for green tea.
AVOID!
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4.5 Stars.
I can’t thank my friend G. enough for introducing me to this little gem in the upper west side. At first glance, it appears to be a small hole in the wall that shares its space with Serifina. You are actually asked to wait at the Serifina bar while your table is being worked on. We went that day with a party of 4, my girlfriend, my friend and his wife. However, if you want to have the best experience, you MUST sit at the sushi counter (as with all great sushi restaurants) and get the omikase. Let yourself go and put your faith in Chef Don’s hands. You start off with the expertly grilled yakatori items, skirt steak with chimichurri, grilled miso samon, grilled pork belly, grilled red shrimp, etc. but that is only a taste of things to come.
Chef Don works his magic by bringing you whatever is freshest and tastiest that week, many items are ordered from Japan so you can go 2 weeks in a row and get different items. We started off with live uni (fresh out of the shell) and flying fish sashimi. Then the procession of sushi started… New Zealand King salmon, Maine lobster Sushi, Kanpachi, Chu Toro, Otoro, Japanese horse mackeral, butter fish, Japanese needlefish, Japanese sardine, Uni on torched hamachi, orange clam. etc. etc. the list goes on and on and on. At the final tally, we had over 30+ dishes/​peices.
Not to mention multiple uni dishes, uni and ikura on torched rice, uni rice with quail egg and chawanmushi with uni and lobster. It was like I’ve died and gone to Uni heaven.
You can ask the chef to stop anytime, but as it was my first time there, I just had to see what else was there to be eaten. We arrived at the restaurant at 7:00 and pretty much closed it out. However the time that passed was very enjoyable due to the chef’s humor and interesting stories. The fish was very fresh, and even though it may not achieve the same quality of Yasuda and Ichimura it was also the most value for your dollar, We had to be wheeled out in a wheelbarrow, but I can’t wait till the next time i go back there.

Overpriced tasteless tiny portions served in a cramped little space. I’m pretty sure the waitress didn’t want to be there either. That was my experience. Yours could be different. Do you feel lucky?

The crispy rice tuna was really delicious but a bit pricy ($ 18) and the other specialty rolls, yakitori were all mediocre. If i returned, it ould only be for the crispy rice tuna.

Unbelievably tasty. Black truffle tuna sandwich — I could eat all day long. Don’t try to have a big dinner here however because the place is small as it is a substitute to the actual Geisha restaurant that is under renovation on the UES. Fresh, and possibly the best sushi in the city. Can’t go wrong.

what a hidden gem! Geisha table is located in a tiny room connected to Serafina. The space is very small — one long table in the center, and seats at the sushi bar which makes for a nice atmosphere. The sushi was spectacular and incredibly fresh. They have a number of daily specials which are a nice addition to the menu. We will absolutely be coming back!

Um, yum. What more can I say? This place has a cozy, intimate atmosphere, delicious sushi, reasonable prices, and great service. If you’re in the area, I’d definitely give this place a shot.

Best Omakase Sushi Dinner I have had in New York City, Blows Away Yasuda and many noted staples. Chef Don is a genius, who takes great pride and joy in serving up his freshest finds. A delight and a small miracle for the UWS. As an aside I ordered the Chirashi for delivery and was also blown away.

I’ve dropped in twice to sit at the bar and each time was really impressed with the freshness of the fish (scallops literally melting on your tongue), the quality of the service and the general relaxed yet special vibe of the place! I will return with friends!

Although I can respect the experiences of other reviewers, I unfortunately cannot say that I had the same experience. The sushi was pretty mainstream as far as sushi goes; I wasn’t blown away by the quality or taste. Also, I was shocked at the amount of food my friends and I were given when we received our dishes. I was sure that, for example, for a TEN dollar california roll, I would be receiving a plentiful plate of food, but sadly, I was given a plate with six, puny pieces of sushi roll. I honestly cannot get over how expensive the check was, in light of the minute amount of food that we actually were served. Also, the restaurant itself is small and cramped. If you sit at the bar, hope to god you get the end seat, because if you have to get up for any reason, you will bump into people seated at the table less than a foot behind you.

Delicious. Classic and innovative at once. You could easily pay twice as much elsewhere for sushi this good. And ask for Travis, he’s fun :)

Entrance is not facing the broadway although the address is on the broadway. This place sharing a space with adjacent Italian? Restaurant; therefore, the entrance is on 77^th– just around corner.
I ordered 7pc sushi set with basic roll (6pc), $ 25. My wife had almond crusted roll and she was happy. I asked what in my plate then our friendly waitress said it’s chef’s choice and I won’t know till dish comes. Hmmm customer order a dish but they pick afterwords?!! They have 9pc dish at $ 45 but same deal. Not disclosing neta (fish). Sound little sneaky?
Waitress said its good, so I took it. I had tuna, shrimp, snapper, Shell, fluke, well I forgot the rest. Fish was so so. Overall sushi was rather small so does rice. Sushi chef wasn’t well experienced. Size is one thing but rice breaks easily. The science of sushi is how to gather rice in adequate pressure. Not too tight but also not loose. The rice easily breaks when I dip it in soy source. In this case, too loose.
The roll came as 6pc but rice was old, it was pre-​made. Without second thought, I asked waitress to make fresh one. They make new roll, and rice was much better. Bad habit.
Long story short, overpriced, volume is low, not well prepared. But the neta (fish) was OK. So I gave two stars. It can be improved in future.

2013 — Update!
This place is WAY too expensive now, and the portions are much smaller. Is it still good, yeah, but there are too many other options to spend this kind of money. We recently went on a Friday night at 8:00 p.m. and we were the only people in the restaurant. I think that’s pretty telling.
Could be the best meal I’ve EVEN eaten… wow! This place is tiny! Piece of advice (I wish we knew) if you make a reservation, ask for a bar table. Much more romantic and less claustrophobic.

Yeah, ok, so… just…wow. There’s absolutely no over hype here whatsoever, it is all warranted and justified. I have a group of friends that I visit in this area 1 or 2 times a month and we generally eat at different places but that won’t be happening anytime soon, it will be Geisha Table each time. I mean, not even going fancy here, just the salmon… it’s just salmon, right? NO! It’s not just salmon. It was the most fantastic salmon I’ve ever had. To be completely honest I had no clue a simple piece of salmon could be like that.
One of my favorite pieces of sushi is white tuna. This was the best white tuna I’ve ever had. The toro? My head dropped. It drained any strength in my body and left me limp. All sounds dwindled down to a low hum as my head began to buzz.
I did the omakase and I wish I were able to recollect everything but I started drinks early, as in, like, for breakfast, and while I waited for friends here I jumped right into some incredibly good cold sake recommended by the chef based on my preference, but I assure you everything was dynamite.
As for their specialty/​chef rolls, my friends said they really enjoyed them, I had a taste of only one and it was delicious, but when the sushi is this quality I stick with basics, there’s no need for frills. They also have some great yakitori if that’s more your bag, especially the short rib and the skirt steak were both exceptional.
They say money can’t buy happiness, but money can buy sushi at Geisha Table. So if somebody says that to you then you tell them I said they’re full of it.
Oh!!! The entrance is a little difficult to find. The address says Broadway but the entrance is actually on 77^th about 20 or 30 feet east of Broadway on the south side of 77^th.

Do yourself a favor: eat here. The food is delicious, and the Chefs are talented and so much fun. They vary their specials often so there’s always something new to try. I can’t say enough good about this place. Stop reading and go! Now!
PS – the price point is way off. It’s relatively inexpensive for top quality sushi. It’s a great value!

Geisha table is the beeeest!!!
the best sushi in NY!!!
Chef Ken & Don are the most amazing sushi chefs in all of Asia. Period!!.
Chef Rich & Juan are alsoooo amaazing!!! Yakitoriiiiii!!!
Thank you guys so much!!!
omedetouuuuuuuu!!!

Chef Don Pham puts the fun factor into the omakase experience. Having the privilege of sitting at the sushi bar to have Don and his team meticulously craft each piece of sushi is a real treat. I’ll let the pictures do the talking as far as style and presentation goes, but I would like to give this Geisha spinoff its proper due.
Offering an intimate and vibrant ambiance, Geisha Table has a vibe similar to that of Soba Totto (in midtown east) but with more wiggle room. You might have a tough time locating it with the restaurant situated in the back of Serafina. Everything on the menu is priced really reasonable, especially an omakase meal (for $ 75 and up) that includes the unforgettable Tuna Truffle Sandwich (price at $ 16). For any true sushi experience, an omakase MUST take place at the sushi bar to ensure the freshness remains from the moment of creation to first contact with your taste buds. Unless I get to sit in front of Chef Don, Rich, Huan, and Ken, I will simply have to refuse eating sushi.
To be frank, I cannot say that the sushi quality at Geisha Table is comparable to Sushi Yasuda and Ushiwakamaru. But what you will get is a five-​star experience in the spirit of what dining is all about. It is about enjoying food with friends, family, and loved ones. It is about food that is made with heart and passion. It is about laughter, fun, and everything that makes it a party. You even get to enjoy all of that with the masters behind the sushi bar that prepares your food. That is the «Geisha Table» experience, and you will not find that at Yasuda or Ushiwakamaru. You definitely will not find the amazing Chawanmushi with Black Truffle there either.
Thank you to Don, the chefs, and Jando S. for allowing me to have a dining experience that I can treasure in my memory for a very long time.
(Sushi highlights: Blue Fin Tuna Belly, Uni on Uni, Ika (Squid), Yellow Tail Belly, Kohada Spotted Sardine, and Cherry Blossom Trout)

Geisha on the Upper East Side might be closed (#1), but sushi aficionados need not fear, for Geisha Table is here. Master Sushi Chef Don Pham hits another one out of the park by offering what he does best in one of the most intimate venues in Manhattan. Despite being open for less than two weeks, they have handled their transition with ease. And the best part? My meal here tonight was one of the finest Japanese food experiences ever.
The random spawning of Geisha Table is interesting for several reasons: 1) Geisha was trendy and large, where as Geisha Table is small and Japanese. 2) There is no sign for this place. 3) It’s literally in the back of a Serafina (
). The place seats no more than 25 people — even 15 people would be feel cramped. The seats at the bar are the best place in the house, albeit a bit tight, it’s worth the strain to witness the chefs practice their craft. Chef Richard Lee and Don Pham man the evening counters for now till the restaurant empire expands, which could be any day now. Thus the time to enjoy their cuisines simultaneously has to be now.
After sampling a good portion of the omakase and several items off their specials menu for the evening, I can do nothing but tip my hat to the chefs. Every piece of fish was delectable, smooth, and above all, fresh. My group of hungry sushi loving eaters and I were learning about every piece of fish we put in our mouths as Chef Don explained the origin, significance, and with each piece executed flawlessly. He is clearly one of the finest sushi chefs the city has to offer.
There were countless standout pieces of the meal. Attempting to break them all down would turn this review into a novel. Here are a few that I can’t stop thinking about:
**
Tuna Truffle Sandwich /​Roll: A scintillating triangular mix of tuna, black truffles, micro greens, and sesame toast might be one of the greatest things I’ve ever eaten. The flavor is decadent, the senses are screaming, and my emotions are elated. That’s the essence of a real foodgasm and this particular dish will bring it out of me every time.
Double Uni Nigiri: Buttery sea urchin presented in two forms, (salted, freshwater) was like butter in seafood form. Truly one of the great pleasures in life, I’m on the same cloud nine Bourdain always refers in his quest for quality uni.
Grilled hamachi yakitori: Soft, juicy, and beautifully cooked, I think this is one of those fish that can taste as good cooked as it does raw.
Sakura Nigiri: A «cherry blossom» trout that was flawless from the first bite to the foodgasmic swallow. Seasonal fish only, this is one of the best things on their menu.
Otoro Nigiri: Fatty tuna is one thing, but fatty blue fin tuna is another. Anyone who is ever uneasy of the thought of good sushi needs to try this rich, buttery, mouth-​in-​your-​mouth fish. It’s one of the true pleasures of raw fish.
Bluefin Chutoro: See above comments for Otoro blue fin.
Chawanmushi: A hot dish with a flan /​custard like essence, with black truffle, Maine lobster all poached at the bottom. Need I say more?
**
There is good sushi and then there is amazing sushi. Good sushi, no matter how reasonably priced, is only adequate enough to keep my sushi-​craving salivating glands at bay. Amazing sushi is a palate change agent, reinstating a new standard for flavor, and Geisha Table has done that for me.
Don’t come for the service or the cramped seating, come for sushi made by some of the best chefs in Manhattan. Sit at the bar, enjoy the food, and savor every bite.
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(#1) Temporarily. They’re reopening after the renovation + move.