Perfection! Super ecstatic that we discovered this gem in Astoria. The quality of the food here is exceptional and the prices are decent for what you're receiving. The chef is Japanese, as well as the staff, so expect the food to be authentic and everything from hygiene to service to be top-notch! We sat at the bar with Chef Kondo directly before us, preparing our dishes. He was all smiles and extremely friendly, glancing occasionally to check on customers. When I reached the deep fried prawn head rested on the side of my sashimi platter, he advised me to break it in half first. I really needed some tips because the spikes from the head seriously would've caused me some injury. Besides the sashimi, we also ordered the octopus carpaccio, uni, fatty tuna roll, salmon avocado and eel avocado rolls (mad rolls) and everything was impeccably made. Do yourself a favor and eat here! read more

Kondo - Fatty tuna roll and uni - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Four.one star review. Prior to being Kondo, the previous spot was called Linn and one of the few actual Japanese restaurants around the area actually run by fine Japanese folks (not that I have anything against the Chinese and or Koreans running Japanese restaurants, but there is a difference). There are some Japanese-run restaurants around the Ditmars area as well. The decor is quite minimalist giving the atmosphere an intimate vibe. It also makes the interior look clean clear of clutter and noise. It adds on to the Japanese feel of the restaurant. No gimmicks or hipster prone designs. Now, I have to admit the food here is a bit more expensive than the other Japanese or sushi spots within the vicinity. But like I mentioned earlier, it is an actual Japanese restaurant and the fish here tastes more fresh. They don't diverge into new or "original" territory as far as sushi goes, but that's what Japanese sushi is primarily about, freshness and quality rather than trying to add or change too many things about what made sushi taste so great in the first place. The best time to come here is for lunch when there are lunch specials and more specials to choose from. For example, for lunch you could get an assorted sushi tray which comes with some spicy tuna, shrimp, mackerel, etc. Then there's also the fried chicken which comes with white rice, broccoli, potato, and carrots. The chicken is juicy and doesn't taste too oily. The batter is also nice rather than being overly too breaded. The pork belly is full of flavor in addition to the fat juicy goodness that I love. There are a handful of other items to try at Kondo. If you're willing to shell out more cash, having dinner here would also be a treat as it's usually calm since they're not a large restaurant. My only gripe is that once for lunch, the waitress had told us that she'd deduct $1.00 from the price of our pork belly since it was smaller than usual...but she forgot to to do that. It's nice to have a quality Japanese restaurant in this corner of Astoria. read more

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Again, I'll just let the pictures do all the talking. If you want great sushi, look no further. This is the real deal. read more

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I was never a huge sushi fan but after dining here I've become the complete opposite. Now, I love this place! They have the freshest sashimi and sushi. And the rice and fish ratio is perfect! If you love sushi and sashimi, then this is the place!! You can't go wrong with the spicy tuna rolls--simple and delicious! My favorite was the uni sushi and salmon sashimi. The raw shrimp and scallop sushi was also Awesome!! I think the quality of the food here is excellent! Plus, they give you complimentary miso soup. I will definitely be back over and over again! Please, go ahead and try it for yourself, and then stop by the family market next door for more Japanese goodness read more

Good service, quality food and nice ambience. Very satisfied with our first dinner experience here and will be back for more. Subsequently, we had come back several times for dinner. The quality of food was good. But I cannot say the same for their service. I hope they can be more service orientated and flexible. I have a 7 years old kid who wanted to seat at the bar table to look at the chef preparing the food. We were told children aren't allow at the bar table. read more

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All the food is noticeably fresh and high-quality. Service is excellent. Love this place.

I really wanted to like this place since it's so close to me but the food was disappointing. The restaurant is cute, clean and the service was friendly so I'm giving them 3 stars. But the fish was bland and really underwhelming. read more

For exquisite Japanese food in a spare, refined setting, look no further. This is the kind of place where you can go to truly experience the food as cuisine. It is not a clubstaurant, nor will you find a menu designed to go with a speed rack cocktail. This is the place to treat yourself to when you want to sample fish shipped from Japan and to really have quality sushi. Whether lunch or dinner, I have had lovely meals and service. Pricey, but so perfect for a splurge! read more

Quality sushi and great service! Great spots for dates and a more japanese experience than your normal sushi place.

We have been coming to Kondo for years, and unfortunately our latest visit for dinner left much to be desired. My girlfriend and I ordered a variety of items, ranging from edamame, to sushi rolls and a regular sushi platter. Everything was great until I noticed a hair sticking out from the spicy tuna roll on my girlfriends plate, I figured it was just a one off and put the piece aside. Finding a hair in my food is a pet peeve so I started examining the other pieces of spicy tuna roll and found another embedded hair in another piece. At that point we stopped eating and asked for the check. It's a real shame that after three years of being regulars we'll have to look elsewhere to get our sushi fix. read more

We ordered 3 sushi and sashimi combos to share and a bunch of other appetizers. The food was ordinary but it is not as pricy as other sushi places. read more

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Tldr: Tasty sashimi, good service, and quick food arrival on a Saturday night. We ordered edamame, chirashi and ikura don. The dinner started off with (free) hot tea and miso soup. Once we neared the end of soup, the edamame came out. And when we were almost done with that, our entrees arrived. Overall good pacing. The sashimi was fresh, as were the pickled and gingered sides. It was not the best sashimi I've ever had, but a few pieces did have the melt in your mouth quality. It's worth mentioning that the wasabi here is the real deal, ground from the root and much tastier than the more commonly served, artifical counterpart. Lastly, the service was attentive but not overbearing. Our waitress caught sight of me moving a few slivers of ice from the water glass to my boiling hot cup of tea. (I was too impatient to wait for my tea to cool down a bit...) She came over and proactively offered to bring me a cup of ice, which I very much appreciated and doubt would have happened at just any other restaurant. read more

Very good food. Went for birthday so the dessert Matcha Ice cream was great too. Had the Pork Loin w/ chimi sauce and that was amazing. Service was excellent as well. read more

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One star given because two of us, spent $60 for the dinner but feel like we didn't eat ANYTHING at all. Portion is super small. I almost can't find anything in their appetizer. You could have spent the money at somewhere else better than this Japanese restaurant. The waitress is not friendly neither: they were like "we told you about our portion being small" (sounds like "you should have ordered more") read more

I got to try the omakase for the first time on Valentine's Day and I have to say that this order is the way to go. You get a great selection of fish from Japan, uni, and fatty tuna for only $55. Perfect date night spot. read more

Kondo - Beautiful omakase-$55 - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

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The best place to eat Sushi in Astoria. Owned and ran by a lovely Japanese couple. They serve simple, traditional Japanese sushi, unlike other places that serve Americanized ones. The place and interior is clean, simple and fantastic much like the sushi they serve. I have a 5 year old that doesn't stop run around, so I can't eat there very often, but we still do take out once a week (it is our weekly treat to ourselves.) They have a great selection of Sake and appetizers, too. PRO TIP: They are closed on Monday, so go there on Tuesday, when their fish is freshest. read more

The best sushi in Astoria! Top notch service and food. 10/10

I'm sold. The fish the fresh, and you can taste in each bite that the sashimi has been carefully selected, treated and prepared. The chirashi is an excellent choice to sample an assortment of sashimi. The decor of the restaurant is simple, the staff friendly. Veering towards being an authentic Japanese sushi bar, you won't find any crudely made "ie. Dragon bomb rolls" Americanized sushi rolls here. read more

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Very impressed! Everything is so fresh and tasty. This was probably the best authentic sushi experience I've had so far. I recommend any of the appetizers on the specials menu. We got tempura whiting, the jumbo oyster, and tempura okra stuffed with shrimp, all delicious. We also paired everything with hot sake (outstanding). All the flavors throughout the meal paired really well. I'm so excited to go back and try more of the menu. Also the price point here is really good. Great quality food, and not too expensive! read more

Look -- the sushi here is really good. If that's what you care about, then ignore the rest of this. I order pick up weekly. I order when I pop out on the N/W and grab it on my walk home. It's about 15 minutes and usually my food is just finished when I get there to snag it. Today they said 30 mins when I called. Peak time or something. I said no problem. I got off the train and went to do some grocery shopping and popped in to pick up my dinner. I was a few minutes early. God forbid. I got to the counter and told the woman my name. She was visibly frustrated "it's not ready." I responded - "that's ok! I'll just pay." "Well it will be at least 15 more minutes. Maybe you can go home and come back. I told you 30." "Yea that's ok! It's been over 20 so I figured I'd come in instead of walking all the way home. I'm happy to wait" "Next time you should call earlier. Most people call earlier. Maybe just call before you get on the train." I was stunned by her rudeness. "Normally you guys are fast. I totally understand though-it's busy! I'm happy to wait" "You should have called earlier." (Why won't she let this go?) At this point they begrudgingly lead me to a table to wait. I inform them I'm happy to wait outside -- it's busy. 6 minutes later she comes out with my food and hands it to me before walking away. Not nice. I'm irritated by it and it might deter me from my frequent orders. Food is good though- so probably not. read more

Good service. The best sushi in Queens. Hope you will bring Japanese fish and uni back

I have been a fan of this kitchen for many years, and it just keeps getting better and better. Ostensibly a neighborhood Japanese restaurant in Astoria (Queens), the quality and attention to fresh ingredients and a good mix of classic and innovative dishes makes this more of a potential destination restaurant for the adventurous city crowd (only one block from the N train). Chef Kondo rules from his master station at the sushi counter; a nearby sous chef station was filled on a recent visit by one of his able young protégés. Fortunately, we had counter seats, which our dining companion and host for the evening secured for us very early in the evening. Watching Chef Kondo churn out dish after dish for the restaurant (and our party of three) through a 3 hour meal was both relaxing and fascinating -- each dish was built from memory and inspiration from its own template, master and protégé working together. Occasionally, other young chefs from the kitchen would emerge with hot ingredients just in time for prep and plating at the counter. Most dishes disappeared quickly into the crowded table sections of the restaurant; quietly serviced by 3 or 4 attentive waitresses. And about the food. Make sure you try a mix of the various types of dishes to enjoy the range of experiences Chef Kondo has in mind for you. Try one of the fish tempura apps with sesame salt. If pork belly (butta no kakuni) is on the menu that night, go for it. You can't go wrong with any of the sushi plates; all pieces will be delicious. The portion sizes to my appetite are perfect, but folks who enjoy a "monster sushi" approach will no doubt appreciate Chef Kondo's more humane approach to filling you up. For desert, we enjoyed a uniquely inventive approach to tiramisu, which used soybean flour (kinako) and brown sugar syrup. Each spoonful melted in the mouth like nothing you've ever tasted. read more

Came here w my gf who was visiting NY and we had such a great dinner here! The highlight of the night was definitely the sushi deluxe dish and the jumbo oysters (so freaken good! It was her first time havin raw oysters and she loved it!!!) also, please get their dessert cos it was THe perfect ending to our dinner! Everything was so good. Would definitely come back! read more

Came here for lunch one day and tried their lunch sushi combo and a couple of appetizers. My favorite part was their giant fresh oyster (although we were sitting right in front of the chef but we never saw the chef opening any shell for the oysters). The sushi pieces were smaller than what I was used to eating compared to other places. I guess it's because this place is Japanese owned so they operate differently? But the fishes were really fresh. One of the dishes I ordered was the asari clams. The clams were so tasty and it's cooked in a sake so the soup that came with the clams were alcoholic and it tastes like clams. I put it right next to me so I can drink it but I had to turn around to get something. And when i turned back, my clam soup was gone!!! The waitress took it away without asking me if I still wanted it or not! I'm giving three stars because she took away my clam soup. read more

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Looking to try a new sushi spot in the area, Kondo had great reviews and a welcoming interior. Despite some good drink deals, only wanted food: got the Fried Chicken ($6) and a Salmon/Avocado roll ($8). Fried chicken came first - not overly breaded and juicy on the inside. Didn't really need the tartar sauce but it did add a good amount of flavor over the breading. As for the sushi - it took a particularly long time to come out. For some reason they have one sushi guy making the rolls for the entire restaurant, not a great idea. When it finally did come out, I basically scarfed it down (basic roll, nothing out of the ordinary). Clean spot with good amount of room between tables, so probably good for a date, but nothing more than an average sushi joint. read more

Been here twice. I like the place; the food is very good and fresh and the service is always excellent. However, I think it's not a good value for the money. Dishes are very (very) small- not the type of place where you can eat abundantly unless you order 30 items of the menu per person. read more

Came here with 2 people and were easily seated. Did not have reservations but the place was not busy. For appetizers, we ordered the shishito peppers and black cod. I thought the shishito peppers was the better dish out of the two. Mainly because it was better cooked. It was lightly fried, the bell pepper wasn't too soggy and the salt that came with it was a good complement. The black cod itself was good but the skin was overcooked and a little burnt. There was too much alcohol in the dish. It wasn't a balanced dish. For main course, we ordered eel & avocado and soft shell crab rolls. We also ordered some kind of dashi mushroom soup and vegetable tempura. I thought out of all the dishes, the dashi mushroom + other ingredients (which I don't remember) soup stood out. The flavor profile felt more unique and more flavorful than the other dishes but it wasn't worth the price point. Nothing stood out in the other dishes. Overall, this place is over priced and the food was just alright. Unfortunately, we left hungry. The atmosphere is nice and the decor of the restaurant is great. From our time there, I saw quite a few patrons eating at the bar. My assumption is that they have good turn around for the sushi so nothing is left standing for too long. Perhaps their sashimi is better than their other options at this place but I doubt I will be coming back. read more

This place is my go-to spot and I've explored a good amount of the menu at this point. I'll break down my recommendations by type. Drinks: The wine menu is limited but pairs well, the beer is affordable and I've never tried their sake, they have a number of options. But read on; you're not here for the drinks. They'll also do a $15 corkage fee. Appetizers: Kara Age (fried chicken) is very good. Fried Oysters also very good. There is also usually something good on the special menu. Sushi & Sashimi: While they do offer a selection of rolls, they really hit their stride on the sushi and sashimi. The Jumbo Sweet Prawn is buttery and perfectly sweet, and the king salmon is very mild and perfectly textured. I highly recommend the Omakase, where you give a few items you like, say how much you want to spend per person, and they bring out a feast of sushi and sashimi, including a large variety not found on the menu. I have found it consistently good, and it's never been the same twice. If you're on a budget, the Chirashi at $21ish is of very good quality and is quite delicious. Teriyaki & Hot Food Universally of good quality, but not really inspired. A high-quality meal to a person who doesn't like sushi. This place is at it's heart a sushi experience. Dessert My wife orders the parfait every time we go. It has a bunch of green tea flavored cookie items and a mochi on top of weirdly well thought-out cornflakes encrusting green tea ice cream. I've tried the others, and they're good, but this it the go-to. read more

Waited about 35min and the food was well below par. The place is also rather expensive for Astoria. Bottom line, many other choices to choose from, I regret I picked this one. read more

Had a low key birthday dinner here with my toddler and spouse. Even though i had a good sushi dinner a few nights prior, i was in the mood and the draw was definitely all the notable mentions of the glorious green tea parfait. Based on other reviews, i was prepared for small portions but high quality and that was pretty much spot on our experience. Our final bill came out to about $100 and we ate fairly light. We got 2 orders of the fried chicken which my daughter gobbled up. An order of blue fin tuna medium sashmi, sushi deluxe plus 1 parfait. Everything tasted great. The deluxe is a good size for one but we were trying to stretch our budget by sharing it. The best pieces of the night was the scallop, silky and sweet, the uni velvetly, creamy and really mild, plus the yellowtail. The pieces of sushi are more on the petite side but it was well- balanced. Not too much rice and a perfect single bite. This is probably the best sushi we've had in Queens. We ended our meal with the parfait which to us was dessert perfection. I didn't think my daughter would like green tea flavor but she tried to take the whole dessert for herself. The ice cream had a pleasant bitter flavor balanced with a subtle sweetness. All the other little components were fun mix-ins that added either flavor or texture making the whole dessert interesting from first bite to last . The only thing i didn't like was the green cube which might have been mochi but the texture wasn't familiar. Can't wait to come back again for another sushi meal. read more

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I'll get it out of the way: this is the best sushi in Astoria. Actual sushi and sashimi (i.e., not Americanized sushi like California rolls). The fish was fresh, the seasonings accented without overpowering, and it was just a really good meal. Interesting pieces included anago (saltwater eel) rather than unagi (freshwater eel), and some really good squid (ika) sashimi. Now, the other stuff. When we ordered omakase, we were more or less told that we'd also get a few small plates before the actual sushi. Those never showed up; the only thing that did was miso soup. Not a dealbreaker, but maybe something got lost in translation. It's hard not to compare this to its previous occupant Linn, as they did the small plates at the start. Oh well - maybe if we had sat at the sushi bar. So I'd go back, but I'd be sure to clarify what we were ordering. Still worth it! read more

Finally good sushi in Astoria! What a pleasure. The prices are very reasonable for the quality too. It is nice to be able to get some nice uni and toro without having to venture to Manhattan. read more

Kondo - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

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I'm kind of surprised this place is rated higher than other sushi places nearby. It was great, don't get me wrong, but I couldn't help feel like it was no different than any other $$ sushi place. The nigri and shashimi were also very thin slices. For the price, they weren't bad at all. I just don't see this place as my new go to. Service was great and they helped seat us immediately so I definitely appreciated that! read more

This place is amazing, and I love great sushi and can't get enough. A definite must go! The sake listings here are top notch and a heavy and amazing pour, the fish is always fresh and well prepared and portioned. The Giant Oyster, wow - don't get me started ( but please don't order it so I never have to worry about not getting my share!). This is one of my Astoria go to places and it won't let you done. The set menus are great and they always have crazy good appetizers. read more

I love you, Kondo. Thank you for existing! I come here about every two weeks (or less). Their seafood is consistently fresh and the quality of ingredients is high. Their rice is so perfect. I used to go to Syo (RIP) for Japanese good and ended up coming to Kondo more often. I highly recommend to try their daily specials, everything is thoughtfully made and tasty. read more

I love this place. It is so nice and refreshing to have a genuine Japanese sushi restaurant in Astoria. The quality of the fish they use are great. The chef and the entire staff are all extremely friendly :) I love the simplicity of the menu, down to earth. I've eaten in the restaurant and love the ambiance. I've bought take out and they don't skimp on the display or the preparation. I have no idea what Petro M. Is talking about because this is my absolute favorite sushi join in Astoria. If you're looking for a cheap, Americanized sushi place, you're going to have to go somewhere else. As for me, I will stick to quality and deliciousness. read more

I would say about 3.5 stars overall. It's a very decent sushi place. Prices are on par with what you would expect at a decent sushi joint in Manhattan so I wouldn't say this place gives you great value. The sashimi deluxe is about $40 and my favorite was the fried shimp heads on the side. Not to say the sushi was bad. As I mentioned before, they are sufficiently fresh. There were a couple that were really good and a couple that I didn't care for. I did love that they had salmon roe as a part of the dish and gave an extra cup of rice for it. A couple of other points: - Got an "special" order of otoro. Probably the best piece of sushi on the night. - Rolls of salmon skin were a bit dry and I thought the sauce for the deep fried soft shell crab was a bit too sweet. Works fine as a neighborhood joint when going to the city is not an option. read more

I'm so glad Kondo opened, and I'm so glad the sushi chef from Linn is behind that counter. Their fish is fresh and melts in your mouth. Even Little Baby loved the yellowtail! Definitely come here if you like your sushi authentic. The service is efficient and friendly. We'll definitely be back. read more

I'm not a sushi connoisseur so I won't know the different between a $10 piece of fish and a $100 piece of fish. However, Kondo was a delightful surprise with super fresh fish and a beautiful minimalist setting. I would recommend this place, but make sure you don't come hungry or you'll rack up a pretty hefty bill. Perfect for a light dinner if you're craving quality sashimi. Many of the patrons that were there were Japanese (we were pretty much the only non-Japanese customers), so that spoke to the authenticity of the restaurant. In addition, there was no wait, but they seemed to only accommodate smaller parties -- the largest table we saw was for 6 people. read more

Kondo - Fried chicken - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

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So impressed!! Wow. The food here was really good. I stumbled into Kondo when looking for ramen and was a bit deflated when I looked at the menu and realized I wasn't at the izakaya restaurant a few shops over that I had been meaning to try and had accidentally gone to the wrong place.. What an awesome mistake!! I had eaten sushi at a hot new Williamsburg restaurant earlier that day for lunch so at this point, my tastebuds were like a mini control group. Kondo wasn't only better than the restaurant I had been to earlier that day, but was definitely some of the best Japanese cuisine I have ever had in my life! The only nearby competition for this place is the original NY sushi staple, Takesushi in Sunnyside. Let's get to the food. The fried scallop and burdock is a must-try. It comes with a side of special salt to dip into and ummfff it was so good. We also got a daily special item, the asparagus with some sort of pork paper and it was really nice as well. The sushi rolls were ab fab - we tried the spicy tuna and eel avo. Both rolls were perfectly balanced, flavor-wise. In their sushi, you can really taste the thoughtfulness of letting the flavor of the fish sing while accompanying it perfectly with delicious sauces as spices. You must must must leave room for dessert. I will never think about parfait the same way again. Kondo's green tea parfait was a party in a cup. There's so much happening with this dessert, just try it and you won't be let down! Also, with $5 16oz Sapporo on tap and excellent service, you can't go wrong. Loved it. read more