Tomoe Sushi

Had dinner at this restaurant recently. I had the Chirashi bowl. The fish was fresh and varied, not the typical three slices of salmon, tuna and then some other fish. The sizes were large, but given the price, that is to be expected, and would have been a disappointment if that were not the case. My only disappointment was the fact that the knife skills were woefully lacking. There were large pieces of fish almost like sheets, rather than sizes that were cut with care and attention to detail A few were so big, I needed to use my chopsticks to reduce them to bite sized pieces. So, while this place is good, it is not someplace where I would go out of my way to dine.
Also, cash or AmEx only.

Skip this place. The staff is practically deaf and the language barrier is heavy.
The hand rolls were disgusting, they were thrown together without any skill whatsoever and tasted so bland I couldn’t tell one from another.
When the spicy tuna and salmon taste exactly the same, it’s time to ask for the check and bounce somewhere else!

This is one of my favorite sushi restaurants around the NYU area. My metalsmithing professor took our class here at the end of the semester. You know it’s authentic when some of the everyday customers are Japanese.
When I come here, I always get the spicy tuna, shrimp tempura roll and enoki butter foil. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THE ENOKI BUTTER! It’s a great dish to share with friends.
This restaurant doesn’t take reservations, so the line can get pretty long. It’s not the best place for large parties, but if you get here early, I’m sure the staff would try to accommodate you. I don’t like to wait in line that long, so I usually come here with just a few friends.

I really wanted to like this place, but I didn’t like the quality of the fish the day I went. The nigiri pieces, while large, weren’t cut properly and were difficult to eat. The rolls are way too big to fit in your mouth with one bite. I do appreciate the legit seaweed used in the rolls though.
I might go again and see if it was just that day.

went here last night with my sister, her bf, and my hubs since we were in town for the weekend. my sister recommended this place and it lived up to the hype. its a simple little restaurant — nothing flashy. a simple mom and pop which is my fav. it seats probably like 20−30ish people and service is great, very attentive. the menu is pretty good in terms of options too. service is quick. We spent a total of $ 160ish or so for the following:
Edamame — stnadard could have used more salt.
2 Chirashis = $ 33 each but the cuts are big and you get good cuts of fish like amobea, scallop, etc. it also comes with ikura and tamago FYI
Sashimi and Sushi (Bigger One) — $ 30ish HUGE cuts of fish like sake, yellow tail, toro mash, scallop, tuna, tamago… very fish and totally worth it. My siter and I split this and it was more than enough
Hotae Roll — a little smaller with 6 pieces but it was tasty
3 uni nigiri — good quantity and very fresh
1 Ikura Nigiri — also didn’t know we would get this with our dishes
3 Tamago Nigiri — we didn’t know it came with our dishes but it was HUGE and delish. a little too sweet for me but was good.
only gripe — kinda wished the server told us our dishes came with tamago and ikura and that would have saved a little bit of money but regardless it was good. each entrée comes with either miso soup or salad too. Dressing is the traditional ginger.

Great sushi!!! How could I have missed this place for all these years when I used to work in the nearby neighborhood for years!!! I’m almost upset at myself for not discovering this place sooner! I got fooled by the not so appealing outward appearance, I just automatically dismissed it thinking it’s probably another non-​Japanese-​owned restaurant that serves fake Japanese food. To my surprise, this absolutely no-​frills laid back restaurant serves totally legit sushi, my sushi deluxe was banging! I’m a foodie originally from Japan who’s eaten at many authentic sushi restaurants in Japan including Tsukiji, Osaka’s Chuo Fish Market, etc., so I know what good sushi taste like. I like how they make sushi here, the chef gives pretty generous fresh slices of fish, the ratio of neta and shari is just like how I like it. The Sushi Deluxe combo is very reasonably priced for the quality and the quantity, I am willing to give 5 stars for it. As a side dish, I really loved the soft shell crab!!! It was excellent, worth splurging $ 15! I noticed there are some haters out there giving very low ratings but it’s great for Tomoe fans, we want to keep them away anyways, the less queue the better! This is the real deal, no nonsense good stuff without any frou frou pretense.

Friend refer me to try tomoe for quality sushi, i ordered sushi n shashimi combination. Hands down on the quality, it will not disappoint u.
I highly recommend u to try.
I think I will try unagi n scallop next time, it looks really good on next table. ^^

Went here for reminiscing my first date with my wife here. Tomoe never disappoints.
We had sushi deluxe, sushi and sashimi combo, uni, baby yellowtail, and toro.
You cannot be disappointed if you get sushi here.
BTW I would give 6 stars if they had omakase :-)

Came here on a Friday night around 7pm and waited for 45mins to have a table for 2. The place is very small and tight. The place is very fast paced due to the limited space and a long line.
Their sushi were very fresh, the price is decent. It was a full delicious meal but it’s not like a must try place. I don’t think it’s worth the long wait, I will probably come again when there is no line.

Tomoe is a down-​to-​earth small sushi place tucked on a side street in the West Village. My friend and I decided to have lunch here but had to plan accordingly since they do not open until 1pm on the weekdays. I got there a few mins early and was first at the door but soon a line was forming behind me.
We were seated right away and ordered shortly after. They keep a tight ship for the lunch crowd. They offer an extensive menu with small Japanese plates both cooked and raw options, sushi, as well as «specials» listed on pieces of paper taped on the walls.
I went with the sashimi salad — tuna, salmon topped with leeks and ginger sitting in a soy vinaigrette. The fish was fresh and the leeks and vinaigrette complimented it very well. I also had a TORO roll which was delicious. I’m a big fan of luscious fatty tuna. I don’t have toro that often as its not common in any ol’ sushi joint, so when I see it on a menu, I must have it.
I spent around $ 20 which is reasonable given the quality of the fish, and given the neighborhood. I probably could have used another roll though, as I was not completely stuffed. (I usually like to eat to the point of feeling sick. Then I go home and nap.)
Overall, a nice choice for a casual sushi weekday lunch.

Just went there again tonight, for the first time in probably two years. Still serving store bought, Kikkoman soy sauce. Even the most rudimentary sushi chef knows the flavor of the soy is half the taste of the fish, which is why places like Seki and Hasaki brew their own, amongst others.
To still be serving nothing but packets of kikkoman is an injustice to the incredible quality of their fish. Absolutely mind-​boggling.

If you are looking for delicate, aesthetically pleasing, and carefully cut and arranged sushi, with 5 star service and a romantic atmosphere, then this is not the sushi restaurant for you.
Instead, you’ll be crammed into a tiny storefront bumping elbows with the masses, with izakaya-​like signs all over the walls, kitschy decorations, and a sushi bar up close and personal. There will also probably be a wait or a line of people out the door, which is quite baffling to the uninitiated.
But once you sit down and get your first plate, you’ll understand. The sashimi comes in huge slabs here, while the maki rolls are massive (the California roll, in particular, was about the circumference of my wrist). Yet, what Tomoe lacks in sophistication, they definitely make up in taste. My hefty sashimi lunch was incredibly fresh, and the fish melted in my mouth.
We also tried the beef negimaki, which I probably wouldn’t order again; while the flavors were good, the beef and vegetables inside were a bit rubbery and tasted as if they had nuked the entire thing in a microwave.
Stick to the sushi, and be prepared for some serious chewing; you definitely won’t walk away hungry.

I had a quick lunch at this place while studying nearby. It was a small sushi joint run by Japanese people, which to me is always a plus. I thought the price for lunch was reasonable. I started calamari, which was ok. The portion was way bigger than I thought, however. Definitely more suitable to share rather than having it on your own. I had a sushi combo which had 7 – 8 pieces of sushi with some rolls. I thought the fish were pretty fresh.
The only thing is that they take credit card, but only amex. So unless you have one, don’t fall for «credit card accepted».

The host was extremely rude and I decided not to eat there because of him.
I was meeting up with a friend at Tomoe for dinner a few weeks ago, and she arrived a few minutes earlier than I did. So when I arrived I let the host know that my friend should already be here. He immediately tells me «no, we don’t seat everyone until the entire party is here.» This made sense since many restaurants have this policy. So I look around, couldn’t find my friend, and decided to call her. As the phone was ringing, the host kept rudely interjecting that she wasn’t there and that I’d have to wait outside. It was extremely cold outside, so I asked if I could at least try to see where my friend was before I walked outside. He pointed to the door and I obliged and walked out.
Turned out my friend left to get cash at the ATM since the place only took cash. I waited outside but as soon as my friend got back, we left to go somewhere else.
Definitely don’t go here if you don’t want to be treated like you’re not welcome.

most native new yorkers, (as opposed to transplant hipsters and tourists) very rarely would stand on long lines for food trends but make no mistake, tomoe sushi is not a trend and also, totally worth the lines…
we’ve been here for many years and they havent changed too much. consistently produces fresh, amazing fish and other dishes.

Fresh, tasty, bright fish! Excellent table service! My water glass was never empty!
I would wait in line again for a meal here anyday!

Great, fresh sushi. We ordered the sushi deluxe and sashimi set and it was just enough for two hungry people. Loved the generous amounts of matcha tea they copiously filled our cups with. Service was also quick despite a busy saturday night (we also went a bit early, around 5:30).
it has a very cozy hole-​in-​the wall ambience for a pretty pricey sushi place, and the tables are very close together– but people were all quietly emersed either in their own delicious food or their conversations. I feel like good, reasonably priced sushi is pretty hard to find in the city– but this one I would say, at least on my budget, was worth the special occasion with a special friend.

My favorite sushi place around downtown.
Fish are always fresh and tasty.
Only problem with this place it’s always packed and most likely you will have to wait outside!

I have been a customer since undergrad. which makes it over 2 decades of experience. There may be times you will swear never to stand in line again, especially when you are stuck in front of the next building’s first floor window a/​c unit, with the hot exhaust adding insult on a hot summer afternoon.
You may say skip any line and go to Yasuda, Masa or Gari. If you listen to that voice, you will miss a true New York Bargain. The fish is fresh as hell, but sliced «supervised» American style compared with other restaurants.
Factoring the small restaurant atmosphere, intimate settings (yes Dude with the ponytail talking about having it 10 times, everyone can hear you… not that we wanted to), this is a no-​brainer to go to.
Someone in the same industry once told me the restaurant is great. Great food quality, big menu but small and efficient kitchen.
I know the wait staff, and while they can get exhausted, smile them every now and then, they perk up and all is good.

I completely don’t understand why there is ever a line here. I was curious to try this place after seeing so many Unilocal reviews and seeing short lines waiting outside even on a weeknight.
The interior is humble, basic, if anything rather shabby, but my main focus tends to be on food first with less focus on ambiance.
I liked the house salad with the large abundance of ginger in the dressing — the salad dressing was pretty tasty. The tempura appetizer with several shrimps and vegetables was decent too, kind of hot, and tasty enough even though the grated radish for the tsuyu dipping sauce was rather rough. The tempura wasn’t the crispest, it had absorbed some oily, but it was still good enough that I would order it again.
The sushi and sashimi was so so roughcut. The fish was cut in large, rough chunks. While initially the presentation looked not bad, it was still noticeable how thick and big each piece of fish was (not delicate or quality at all). The fish might have been a few days old, it certainly wasn’t the freshest. The texture didn’t have the springiness of fresh fish… when I poked it with chopsticks, the fish ended up with several dents. For a sushi place, the sushi here was rather blah.
I didn’t even want to try the dessert at this place after the sashimi. This place does have a large menu and a large variety of traditional dishes to choose from, but I think the hot dishes would be preferable. Stay away from the sashimi!
Also, the service is rude and inattentive. They pretty much ignored us most of the time.
I don’t want to try this place again. It’s not worth a wait, not even a 10 minute wait.

Based on the majority of positive reviews, Tomoe was quite a disappointing experience on my first visit. For one, service was terrible in terms of speed. We might not have gotten our orders in until after 15 – 20 minutes of idle time waiting for staff to notice us in our cozy little corner. Busy, but not so busy that attention could not be paid. Food wise, was a bit of a downer both in departments of taste and presentation.
We each ordered the sushi lunch special which comes with 7 pieces of sushi and a tuna roll. For sharing, an appetizer of the Hamachi Kama, or Grilled Yellowtail Collar. The collar was an ample portion of fish lacking in a lot of flavor. They, for one, forgot to provide a side of dipping ponzu sauce, unless it was expected of us to use soy sauce. Ponzu sauce seems rather common with collar. Either way, zero flavor, and a sauce is needed regardless. The texture was a bit rough/​dry, so my guess, it was slightly overcooked. I have had worse. This was a respectable starter to share, nonetheless. Regarding the sushi lunch, a disappointment in all ways. The sushi was sloppy in terms of its preparation. It looked less appetizing on the worn out wooden block. I didn’t enjoy the sushi so much and for the price, which my guess was around $ 17, or close to about. Each cut of sushi was a mouthful in size, for a plus. But I didn’t enjoy the flavors so much. The rice was a good consistency. Wasabi was almost non existent under each bed of sushi. I finished my meal but with much reluctance and disappointment. Service continued to be slow, which didn’t add to the experience.
I was expecting more from Tomoe. I came with an empty stomach and a big appetite for that afternoon’s meal, but I left feeling dissatisfied overall. Cute restaurant that seemed like it had a lot to offer, but it was just not what I was expecting, or even close to it.

Ugh, where do I begin. First, I have been meaning to go to Tomoe Sushi for a long time since they are known for top notch sushi at affordable prices, it was neither. Tomoe usually has a line out the door, since it is a popular option and the restaurant is on the small side. When my friend and I were looking up places to grab lunch on a Saturday, sushi came up so we decided to go here, she was less impressed than I was and we were both kinda surprised how much we spent on an app and two sushi lunches. She also took issue with the sushi block the food was served on, she thought it was rather beat up. I do appreciate that the staff and chefs were Japanese, I hate to say it but I think it should be that way. I think when you go to a place like this, a person of that country should represent their cuisine.
The food:
Hamachi Kama– Grilled Yellowtail collar. This is one of my favorite things to order at any Japanese restaurant and the one here was kinda a miss. I think it was odd that the fish seemed overcooked yet greasy at the same time. The fish felt too firm and was missing that luciousness when you have a perfectly prepared piece of fish. The flavor was OK, but the fish by itself could have used more flavor or seasoning, the dipping sauce helped a lot but it could only do so much.
Sushi Lunch– Assorted 7 pcs sushi and half tuna roll. I have to admit, I was kinda surprised with their sushi, I was really expecting to be wowed but I wasn’t. First, this easily might have been the most sloppy sushi I ever had, the pieces looked like they were hacked with a saw. The tuna, when you look at the pic, was the most appealing cut of tuna I ever had. The hotate was huge and it tasted like the ocean had great flavor. The salmon and yellowtail both had a pleasant mouth feel and the flavor was fine. The boiled shrimp I am never a fan of, the tobiko sushi was fine and the tuna roll was just tuna roll. And I never actually thought this was going to be a bad thing but it was, the fish slices were humongous! Huge to point where it seemed off, you would think the bigger the slice the better, but it actually took away from it. The slices were so thick it felt like I was chewing on a slab of a tongue. Overall, the fish was fresh and the flavors were OK, the rice was seasoned OK but overall I felt like this would be a decent option for someone who was trying sushi for the first time.

I am really surprise that I did not review this place. One of my colleague recommend me this place. I was with a friend in west village and I offered him to try Tomoe Sushi.
There was a waiting line: a little bit annoying but it’s still a Good sign. We ask for the bar. It is my favorite place where you can see the sushi masters making the sushis, rolls and sashimis. We share an appetizer then we share a deluxe sashimi plate. the fish is fresh the hot sake really good. The atmosphere was really typical of japonese place. Sushi posters everywhere so you can practice the original. I loved the sushi clock on the wall. staff is super nice. I will recommend the place to my friends.

Casual Japanese restaurant, not too pricey, The food is good without being fancy. A place to drop after shopping your day away in Soho.

Ein Stückchen Japan mitten in New York. DAS ESSEN Ganz toll: eine breit gefächrte Auswahl an Sushi, die sowohl Klassiker als auch Exoten beinhaltet. Unbedingt Tagesangebote auf der Wand beachten, da sind tolle Sachen dabei, die teilweise mit praktischen Zeichnungen versehen sind. Fisch ist sehr frisch, Lachsqualität ist besonders hervorzuheben. Die Karte ist übrigens ohne Bilder. DIE GETRÄNKE Japanische Biersorten, Tee, Softdrinks. DAS AMBIENTE Sieht von Außen absolut einfach aus. Tagsüber, mit Licht aus und Fenster zu, würde man nicht auf die Idee kommen, da gibt’s was Gutes. Abends sieht man schicke Leute Schlange stehen, bei Tomoe nimmt nämlich keine Reservierungen auf. Innen ist alles sehr voll, Tische sehr nah beiander, aber es ist so laut, dass man sich paradoxerweise dann doch nicht in seiner Privatsphäre gestört fühlt. DIE BEDIENUNG Sehr nett und hilfsbereit, coole junge Japaner. PREIS-​LEISTUNGSVERHÄLTNIS Toll, insbesondere für New Yorker Verhältnisse. Menüs für Anfänger gibt’s schon ab 30 Dollar, die sind sehr großzügig. Auf der Karte gibt es teuere und günstigere Sachen. DAS FAZIT Ein Stückchen Japan mitten in New York.

30 $ für ein Sushi-​Menü: hört sich teuer an. Aber verglichen mit dem Durchschnittsniveau in New York ist das Tomoe Sushi wirklich ein erstklassiger Laden, was die Qualität des Fisches angeht.
Der Service ist hektisch und etwas ungeduldig, aber die meterlange Schlange draußen will auch endlich sitzen. Da sollte man vielleicht lieber bestellen, ganz besonders, wenn man in der Nähe wohnt. Hier wechseln alle 5 Minuten die Tischbesetzungen.

I came here a few weeks ago with my friends for dinner. We showed up around 4:30 and opening time is 5:00. We were the first ones there and just casually sat on the two chairs outside of the restaurant. As seconds and minutes passed, we saw a line form. I was getting a table for 4 and at that point only three of us were there. At the thought of losing our front line status because of an incomplete party I started to feel worried… fortunately they still sat us down even though our party wasn’t here so my day was saved.
Once we were seated they gave us a warm table to cleanse our hands and a bean sprout salad to munch on in the meantime. Green tea was also complimentary. The staff was the nicest and so polite.
I ordered the chirashi and for the most part liked it. The portions were generous and I definitely felt full afterwards. One thing that I though was disappointing was the pickled radish and the small onion in the dish tasted fishy, which detracted from my overall enjoyment. Maybe they store it together, but I wasn’t a fan of the fishiness. There were also some pieces of fish I didn’t put in my mouth because I just did not like the texture or the taste, but really I think that’s a me thing.
Lastly…cash or Amex only!!!