Amazing amazing hand rolls and apps, such great ambiance and truly a great restaurant for this area. Service was prompt and attentive. Highly recommend for any occasion! read more

Exceptional service, great tasting menu! One of the best hose tasting menu I have tried! read more

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OVERALL A shining addition to the burgeoning Korean food scene in NYC! Fantastic vibes in a modern restaurant with many a spacious center bar (where food is prepared) and some tables with velvety chairs in the back. If you are coming alone or with a small group, would recommend bar seating as you will get to see how each dish is meticulously prepared! FOOD The meal started with small bites (five dishes arranged in a wooden box). The pork sausage rice cake and crispy kimchi rice really stood out to me with their crunchy texture and delectable flavors. We then moved onto the highlights of the meal - 7 dishes of mari (salmon, scallop, mushroom, spicy tuna, snow crab, truffle chicken, beef). I was so impressed with the multidimensionality of flavors and texture. There were lots of depth to each roll with bursting flavors. The guksu to wrap up the meal is one of the heartiest dishes I have ever had. It's such a simple dish yet so elegantly executed. The few drops of gochu oil in the soup add a nice kick and a splash of excitement to the marvelous simplicity of this dish. DRINKS Had the "Sunrise at Mari" and "Pomegranate Margarita" and both were excellent. SERVICE Greeted and seated within 10 seconds of arrival. The staff to guest ratio is visibly high at Mari, and it made a great difference to the quality of service. Our orders were taken right away. Each dish was explained in great detail to us by friendly staff. Dishes were cleared immediately without feeling pushed for time. read more

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I would love Mari a whole lot more if they adjusted their price point just a smidge. Majority of the courses were good, but if I am expected to pay ~$170 per person (after tip and tax) , I would love if they could put more thought into elevating the ingredients they use. The tasting menu started off strong. My friend and I really enjoyed the jook and I felt like it would have been a much more enjoyable experience if we had similar courses to the jook. However, the central theme of Mari is their hand rolls, but I felt like none of the rolls had much of a wow factor. Also, uni would have been great and the wagyu should not have been a supplement and should have been part of the menu. Overall the meal felt mediocre at best compared to other tasting menus with similar price points. Otherwise, the service was attentive and the ambiance was great. read more

What a great experience! I really enjoyed the open kitchen concept - watching everyone create extravagant dishes but also not smelling when we left the restaurant. The Dec menu was great - just in time to celebrate the birthday. Each handroll (mari) was unique and tasted awesome. There was always more than one ingredient on each mari - ex: the prime mushroom mari was not just one type but had 3 types of mushrooms and were all prepared differently. The additional piece was DEVINE - Abolone (it was even better than the uni piece!!) WHO WOULDA THOUGHT?! The GUKSU was also amazing (chicken broth with noodle) as well. It was a piping hot bowl of noodle soup where we didn't leave a drop of soup behind. TIP: During the winter months - if you get cold easily or are wearing thin articles of clothing... DO NOT SIT BY THE DOOR (front bar section). They have an additional awning before their actual door but it opens directly in front of one another so the wind comes in with nothing blocking but you. read more

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Second time around lost a bit of its charm, loved the amuse b. Didnt care for the congee & meats at the the end of the handrolls. Didnt like that they mix the caviars either on the signature piece. Get rid of the cheap caviar and stick with the royal C. to kick this experience off. Loved the hot sundubu, but now its gone. Still loved the noodles at the end, but this time around, my noodles was cooked too soft. A bit of a letdown. The add-on sounded like the best part of the meal but it isnt, pay $37 extra and you will get the full experience or else just feel cheap and eat whats givin to you. Pickles werent any different, all 4 taste the same. Might as well combine it, instead of 4 compartments feelin like u gonna taste somethin differ. The palate cleanser was quite odd, a cracker?? Anyways, still ok for what it is. read more

Mari - Didnt care for the congee, the meats. - Korean Near Me - New York, New York

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Mari is really a spectacular spot in nyc. It's just one counter so you sit around the chefs while they serve you- it's very atmospheric and intimate. I got a cup of this red sake that I love. They have it at all their restaurants and find it very deep and kind of thick but in a good way. The tasting itself is great. The broth and dumpling was a great way to start it out. And the fish and veggie hand rolls were so fresh and delicious- I've never had Korean hand rolls and was not sure what the difference was between this and Japanese but I feel a similar love for these - rice, seaweed and filling. The tasting itself is very robust- I would almost say there was maybe too much food. By the time we got to noodles I was totally stuffed but you get your moneys worth for sure! read more

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This honestly seems more Japanese with some Korean flavoring to justify the theme. The waiters are very nice and helpful and informative. But for a tasting menu at this price point, the food is actually somewhat bland and generic. Sushi rolls are average tasting without a wow factor, and the dessert is also so par for the course at these types of restaurants it seems like it was copy-pasted from an AI recommendation (eg. small chocolate cake with ice cream, box with different types of candy). read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in NYC! I've been here many times for dinner since it opened a few years ago. The food is amazing, delicious and creative, and the restaurant is great about changing up the menu periodically. The craft cocktails are also great. The staff is very friendly and the restaurant is well designed. I highly recommend dinner here; it's one of the best tasting menus I've had. read more

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In contention for the best restaurant in NYC! Every dish we had at this tasting menu only spot was amazing and I left perfectly full and in awe of such a great experience. The maitake appetizer as well as some of the other small bites were really special; followed by 7 bites after, just follow the lead of the chef that prepares it right in front of you! I also really appreciated that they sensed we may not have been super full by this point (spoiler: we were fine), so they gave a ramen with bonchon to make sure we wouldn't leave hungry. Great service! And all in all, this was an amazing experience and a must go! read more

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We had an awesome experience and our server was a delight. Bartended was great too, and make sure get the cucumber radish vinegar sour thing. Food was great but my favorite dishes were the watermelon gazpacho and short rib/sweetbread bite, and hot and cold ramen thing to end the meal. I found myself wanting to drink the broth even after the noodles were gone. I wish I could just eat this on a hot day by the water with my dog. Make sure you sit at the counter and enjoy the behind the scenes view. It was great watching seeing the care the chefs put into your meal. read more

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Korean food has been gaining in popularity for over a decade now, which for me as a Korean-American is a beautiful thing. From KBBQ to tofu soup to kimchi & endless banchan, there's (generally) something for everyone to enjoy. NYC seems to feel the same way, as Korean restaurants are opening up all over town, many of which are getting special attention from our friends at Michelin. Mari, run by Chef Sungchul Shim, has been open for just under a year and recently received its first Michelin star. Mari, means "roll" in Korean, which is apt for the Japanese-style handrolls with the diversity of Korean flavors in each bite! one of my new favorite restaurants without a doubt! read more

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Took my husband here for Father's Day. Every course was very well thought out, from veggies to seafood, from cold plates to warm bites, handrolls, and dessert. There wasn't a bad dish but the stand outs for me were the bibimbap roll simply because of the amazing textures in one bite, I enjoyed it thoroughly without the addition of meat. And the fried doughnut in the end accompanied by the soybean ice cream was DIVINE. read more

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The food was delicious, but I'm not sure if it's worth the $175 for the tasting menu (including tax and tip). Call me a plebian, but I get a similar level of satisfaction from the (much more affordable) hand rolls at Nami Nori. The bite-sized appetizers (hansang) were probably the most interesting and Instagrammable part of the meal. My favorite hand rolls of the night were the scallop and the galbi. Both had just the right amount of garnish that complemented, but did not overpower, the protein. read more

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Amazing experience from start to finish. Went on NYE for the holiday tasting menu (mash-up with sister restaurant Kochi). We also had the sool pairing. The Michelin star is well deserved. 2nd time and it continues to exceed expectations. read more

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I had an excellent 5 star experience here and really liked the environment. Pure food wise, it's not a 5 star - I might actually prefer somewhere like Domo Domo. That being said, service is great, drinks are good, and I would come again with good company. It is expensive so if you anticipate not to enjoy your company as much, probably pick somewhere else since the food, while good, is not a total wow. read more

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Great meal! I've been twice. Sat at the bar bath times. The food is delicious and the menu changes with the seasons which is nice. It's a great spot to impress someone without breaking the bank. The service is always excellent and I enjoy the vibe inside. A great spot for dinner. read more

Absolutely amazing omakase experience. We didn't feel rushed and I was surprised by how full we were after several small bite sized courses. Keep an open mind as some items that were typically on my "pass" list were amazing like the mackerel. There is an option to add additional specials or courses. read more

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I love omakase, before its gotten all hyped up like it is now at least. Now its mostly all the same from restaurant to restaurant and really taken the meaning away from it. But I will say, I found Mari very different from what I'm used to, and also introduced me to a variety of different flavors in Korean cuisine asides from just kimchi and marinated grilled meats. We got the tasting menu, and two drinks to pair. I hatedddd my drink btw, but thats personal preference, I would have wanted it to be strained more and with less pear flavor (kinda tasted like pear perfume). The food was wonderful, though towards the end I felt like it was repeating a lot of the same flavor and texture combinations, just with a different base protein. It was a bit more than I thought it should have cost, so this isn't at the top of my recommendations list, though it was still a great one time experience. Also I will note, usually I walk away from omakase hungry, and I was pleasantly full at then end of this menu. read more

Will I outrage Korean people if I say this is a Korean take of Omakase? Mari serve only tasting menu consists mainly of hand rolls with mostly soy cured raw fish (and shrimp and scallop) with bold Korean seasonings. I really like the concept as this gives an exciting new take in a style of food that is widely thought to be exclusively Japanese, but rice seasoned with sweet vinegar with various topings is also very traditional to Korean cuisine and Mari did a very good job elevating this to fine dining. The amuse bouche consists of 5 small bites from top left to bottom right in the picture: tofu moose, oyster, fried rice with shrimp, wagyu tartare roll, shishito pepper stuffed with shrimp paste. My favorite is definitely the wagyu, it has a nice flavor toit. The oyster was quite bland. I expected a bit of saltiness and ocean flavor which I didn't get from here. Next is the steamed egg custard with shrimp. This is done very well. I saw the chef periodically checked the doneness of the egg by inserting a small probe into the custard and touch it on the back of his hand, and it was perfectly cooked. The spicy broth was really done well. Well balanced and refined. There were 8 hand rolls in total since I like and some I don't quite like. The salmon with carviar was very good. The scallop and shrimp were less to my liking because the seasoning overpowered the ingredients. The mushroom hand roll was interesting, very mushroomy, earthy. Spicy tuna was probably my favorite. I really like the fried potato on top. Crunchy. The saba was good too but a bit fishy. I like the smokiness of the duck pastrami roll. And wagyu with galbi marinade was the best again. It was creamy and rich. The last dish was the cold chicken noodle. I was surprised by the texture of the noodle as it was chewy and springy and you can't get that from rice noodle since it had no gluten. The chef did confirm that it was wheat noodle. It was delicious. The dessert was very nice and refreshing as well. Overall I'll give it a 4 stars. There certainly are room for improvement especially in the seasoning as this place tends to use strong seasoning (at least for my liking.) 4 stars - recommended. read more

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A foodie friend recommended this spot -- so glad I went! My 3 recommendations: 1) Sit at the bar so you can watch the chefs make your food. 2) Upgrade to the truffle wagyu for $15. The soy-braised galbi was a little dry and probably the weakest dish of the meal. My friend loved her wagyu. 3) Come HUNGRY. I made the mistake of having some charcuterie and wine an hour before. Was utterly stuffed by the end. (Worth it.) read more

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I went here for my birthday, and I had a reservation at 8:30 PM. I was seated 30 minutes later at 9:00 PM, and I was offered no condolences and the front of house manager did nothing to make the situation better or palatable. Food is fine, but for $135 pp, there are better experiences and food in NYC. I would point you to Oiji Mi or Jua - they have similar price points, and I have had a much better service experiences! read more

Mari - View of Restaurant - I was waiting right here for 30 minutes. - Korean Near Me - New York, New York

One of a kind Korean handroll experience I heard about this place from one of my work colleagues. Was intrigued by the concept so thought I would check it out. The decor is extremely cozy yet classy. Kind of a small space that is packed with customers. The only option is the tasting menu which is great for someone like me with decision fatigue. The menu started off with 5 bite sized appetizers. The octopus pancake and the Kimchi fried rice ball were so delicious. The next course was a mandu soup which was a nice transition to the 6 handrolls for the main. Each was unique and interesting with different meats and accoutrements. My favorites were the Salmon + caviar (super pure and creamy) and the galbi which was incredibly tender. We added on the abalone and the sea urchin - the latter of which I highly recomend. To close things off, there was a noodle soup in a rich chicken broth, followed by a cinnamon slushee, and a kicked up ice cream sandwhich designed to look like a Chocopie (tho no marshmallow). Overall, this experience was well worth the price. Everything was so creative and interesting with clear Korean influences. You get just enough of a taste of everything without feeling overwhelmed with volume. Servers were ultra attentive and ambiance was superb. read more

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The food was, on the whole, ok. But there are several areas that need improvement. Everything was too salty... the last dish especially was barely edible -- the fish was over cooked and dry, and the sauce was overpowering. The sushi rice was just... not great. Perhaps we've been spoiled by eating at the top Omakase places. Right after dessert was served, the waiter plopped the check on our table, saying, "whenever you're ready". But as we were still eating, THREE times they came over to pick up the check. I know the reservation was for 2 hrs but we were less than 1.5 hrs into our meal by then. So rude. Last straw, as we left, no one said thank you, no one came to ask how the food was. Meanwhile, the head chef or manager guy continues to chat with this one Korean/Chinese family, standing in that same spot since we arrived an hour an half ago. read more

Service mistake? Bad policy? I dunno what to say. I wish I tried the food. I reserved for 2 about a week in advanced and brought my 3yr old daughter on a date. She loves seaweed and trying new foods. I was so exited to have her watch some talented people put together her dishes right in front of her. A great experience for an interested 3 yr old! My reservation was counter only. I'm ok with that, especially since my girl can watch the action! They sat me and my daughter, then asked if I was waiting for another? I said no, it's date night with my daughter. They said they have no high chairs. I let them know it's all good, she's next to me and we'll enjoy. Then they came back 2 minutes later and said it's illegal to have her with me at the counter. That didn't make sense. They're serving food at the counter, not alcohol. It's not a bar. Needless to say, we didn't even get to eat. I just don't know what to say. I was just at a different restaurant with a similar style (Nomi Nori) and wanted to try Mari since it was tasting menu style. I guess I'll have to stick with Nomi Nori.... It was a little strange explaining to my daughter why we had to find a different place to eat. "I want kimbap" said my little girl. "I know you want kimbap, but they said it's illegal." Sometimes you want something in life but they may not want you back. Chef Shim, Run back the tape. 3/20/2022 17:28. I had to edit this review 5 minutes after writing. I'm just so annoyed at this entire ordeal. It would have been such an awesome date night with my daughter. We made the most of it and went to get shake shack. A cheese burger is a solution for temporary happy. **sigh** read more

Mari - Everything but food. Read me review. - Korean Near Me - New York, New York

Service 5/5 Food 4.5/5 Ambience 4/5 Value 4/5 Reservations available on Resy. We walked in on a Thursday @815 and were told there would be a table available at 845. Creative dishes. Great service. Great cocktails. Suz was our server throughout most of the meal and was very accommodating. The Chefs explained all the ingredients that came along each piece & replaced the pickled vegetables through out the night. Fish was really fresh and great quality. Toppings were creative and nothing you really see in traditional omakase experiences. The meat dishes weren't as great as the seafood dishes (in my opinion) I had the cold smoked pastrami and wagyu that come in the tasting menu. Added on the uni which is must in my opinion. Really fresh since it's from Santa Barbara. Dessert was fantastic and was a perfect way to end a meal. read more

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Interesting Korean twist on a more traditional omakase style of dining. Instead, Mari does a pre-fixe tasting menu ($135/person) featuring a few appetizers followed by multiple hand rolls paired with pickled vegetables. You can either sit at the counter or at dining tables. We sat at a dining table since we were a group but if I was going with one person I'd probably opt for the counter. Starting off the menu, the appetizers were very cute and petite and quite beautifully presented. My friends really enjoyed the take on a korean stew featuring an egg custard in a mushroom/kimchi broth. Very flavorful. Now on to the hand rolls. The first hand roll was by far the best. A strong start with a fresh caviar salmon that made for a beautiful bite. The following rolls were creative, with some being better than others. I particularly liked the "pastrami" roll and the wagyu roll. I didn't really like the spicy tuna roll (which was more like tuna salad than sushi tuna) or the clam. However, the handroll style was again very beautifully presented and did make for a fun dining experience. The meal ended with a little chocolate/marshmallow bite which tasted like an upscale twist on a supermarket classic. Overall, it was an interesting and creative menu. I do think there is room for improvement but overall had an enjoyable experience. read more

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Wow. Just wow. 5-star culinary adventure. We will be coming here next time (and every time) we're back in the Big Apple. Big Kudos!! read more

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The best meal I've had in my life. Everything was meticulously curated from start to finish, from the service to each course that is presented. I'm a big fan of hand rolls, so this restaurant was heaven, It's been a month since I visited and I still think about that salmon hand roll. Strongly recommend getting bar seats, it's an experience to watch the expert chefs carefully make each course. Hope to come back if I'm ever back in NYC. Michelin star well earned. read more

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A new offshoot of veteran chef's Sungchul Shim of Kochi fame, Mari is a similarly elevated concept with clear French/Japanese influence in a re-imagined korean cuisine tasting course. Starting off with an amuse bouche (almost similarly plated in the Jungsik style), the Banchan's or starters are eaten in a particular order with each adding another layer of flavor to the mix. The main draw here however, is the Nori style hand rolls, served one after the other at almost a frenetic pace in which many layers of ingredients are compressed into 2 bites at best. Certainly not for eaters that want to savor longer but for those searching for the perfect bite, this is it. Favorites include the Hansang amuse bouche, the mushroom based hand roll, the duck pastrami, the Uni hand roll, as well as the the famous Choco Pie 2.0. Decor is modern cafe style, lots of light woods, gold trim as well as cooling blues with attentive but not overbearing service. Though recently opened, Mari seems to have worked past the opening jitters in short time and service is a well oiled machine. 5/5, something to be experienced read more

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Totally stopped in on a whim with a couple of friends. Greeted right away and then learned they do an omakase for $125 per person, which was great! Thankfully we got seats right at the chef's counter, so we were able to watch everything being made. The best part was the chef overheard all of our commentary and started to talk with us about his favorite and explained the fancy rice maker. I was astonished by this machine as it created the perfect pad of rice for the sushi each time...amazing. I'd love to go back as the menu changes seasonally so I'm sure they will have tasty bites. Everything was delicious and we left satisfied and full. read more

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Food was amazing! The egg custard, toro mari, salmon mari, and branzino mari was absolutely delicious. The dessert was also one of the best I've had in NYC - coffee ice cream and small donuts were soooo good. Highly recommend this place for a date night!! read more

I was kind of on the fence about booking Mari. I had an unfortunate experience with Kochi (same chef/owner) where I discovered single diners cannot reserve at the counter. I mean...this is NYC. Come on! But I LOVE Omakase and Korean and I follow Mari on IG and I live in Vermont and, if I'm lucky, I get to NYC for two meals a month...I had to book and I was able to book at the counter. So fine. The recent IG posts from Mari have been FANTASTIC and I was pretty excited. I like to dine early and Mari's first seating is 5pm. Awkwardly I was the first person to arrive, but everyone at Mari was friendly and welcoming. Y'all Hell's Kitchen is The Place right now. I know there is a WHOLE lot of you who don't remember Manhattan from back in The Actual Day. But, Hell's Kitchen is just perfection right now: Theatre District/Midtown/Upper West Side adjacent. Presumably with slightly less idiotic rents and some restaurants are figuring that out. Most notably Kochi and Mari. But also there is an entire WEALTH of spots to eat down there along 9th Ave. Mari is right there, in the heart of it. I saw the matinee of "Kimberly Akimbo" at The Boothe Theatre on W 45th (between 8th and 9th) and then just walked to the corner and turned right on 9th and walked 1.5 blocks. This is a GENIUS LOCATION. GENIUS. There are two tasting menus at Mari. I'm just going to call them "smaller" ($145 handroll tasting) and "larger" ($185 Mari tasting). Obviously, I went "larger." I don't remember how many courses, but plenty. They did caution me to block out two hours for my meal. That is PRECISELY what I want to hear! 2 hours is my minimum restaurant visit. When I show up I am going to throw down! But also? If I'm showing up for a $185 tasting situation? That's going to be my only meal of the day because I want to ENJOY every moment of a spectacular meal. And I want every meal I eat out to be spectacular. Mari is just gorgeous inside: huge rectangular bar with 7 cooks/prep people behind it. The bar alone must seat about 40 people when full. Beautiful white marble (my absolutely favorite stone/surface). There is also a small "dining area" in the back with maybe 10 tables. Mari is slightly "unusual" for the kind of spots I love: Chef Songchul Sim (he's got 1 Michelin Star at Kochi and 1 Michelin Star here at Mari so SNAPS to this man!!) is the owner and was actually in the house last might while I was at Mari. So, YES, Chef-owned. ALWAYS ALWAYS throw your hard earned $$$ at the Chef Owned spots. Please. I don't eat beef, pork or poultry. Mari had no problem substituting for me. Service is excellent. The most extraordinary thing was that I told my chef (one of the chefs presents each course to you and describes it to you) that I'm a little hard of hearing and he ACTUALLY increased his speaking volume so I heard every word he said. People! You're thinking this isn't that impressive. This s VERY impressive. This almost never happens to me and then I just PRETEND I can hear what they're saying. LOL When eating an Omakase meal, knowing what you're being served is a huge part of the experiences. Being able to HEAR everything clearly is an important aspect. Including myself there were 3 people eating alone at the counter. The woman directly across the bar from me was celebrating her birthday. Great, fun, NYC vibe. You need your full 2 hrs because at the end of the Omakase, but before the dessert course you get the opportunity to "repeat" any course you've been served. Which I did, but I had to think on the fly! Next time I will pay closer to my menu because I like to have a whole PLAN when I eat. Omakase is my absolute favorite because someone else creates the plan for me! I want to eat all the delicious things. I'm here to eat all the delicious things that masterful, gifted people have planned and prepared. Mari is definitely on my list to visit as regular as I can manage! read more

This is my first experience at a Korean Handroll Omakase-style restaurant and I must say it was absolutely an amazing experience! Me and my foodie buddy partook in their established tasting menu ($135 pp), and went all out with the additional special mari supplements ($16 for urchin, $14 for seared abalone). The introduced the meal with starter courses, which is like mini-bento like boxes, presenting an array of high-quality appetizers like an oyster, wagyu tartar, clam, mussels (named Hansang and Geryan-jjim). Following the starters, the Mari tasting courses began (Caviar Salmon, Shrimp, Scallop, King Oyster Mushroom, Spicy Tuna, Mackerel, Duck, A5 Wagyu w/ Black truffle ($12 extra supplement...worth it!). I highly recommend getting the special mari supplement add-ons to the meal, since they sellout fast! The Hokkaido Uni and Seared Abalone were absolutely to die for, and were gone after our meal. Each mari was amazing in their own right, with their unique flavor and texture profiles. Although personally I loved the A5 Wagyu w/ black truffle, it was an absolute tasty work of art! The meal concluded with a palette cleansing bone broth soup w/ Pork Belly (Guksu). Wished I could have drank an entire pot of it. For dessert, a bougie variant of a Choco Pie ended the meal nicely. The cocktails ($18) were amazing as well, and the service was on-point with their staff being very accommodating and counter chefs presenting each Mari piece in a professional manner. Overall, this was definitely living up to the online hype. Worth going here on a special occasion with somebody. Total bill for 2 people was ~$500 including tax & tip, so it's definitely a splurge that's worth it! read more

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So I decided I review this restaurant based on blog reviews I read and since it was new. I am a secret reviewer so unbiased to the establishment. I was greeted by the hostess who was pleasant. I was a party of 1 so I had to sit at the bar. High chairs only. As you watch the sue chefs prepare your courses in the kitchen that is on display at the bar area you see the shuffle of sue chefs as they are dressed in white collar shirts, navy blue aprons that have "Mari" embroidered in them wearing blue baseball caps mostly turned backwards like modern sportsmen. The waitress keep your drinks filled while you wait for each course that is introduced to your setting. The sue chef explains what the hand roll is made of starting with the main meat, the layers and the garnishes that top it. I indulged myself and asked for everything on the menu that night including the specials. The entire course is a combo platter. For the rolls, generally speaking; the palettes cover spicy, sour, salty and sweet depending on the roll. As you understand the texture of the rolls and make out the different flavors you can watch the sue chefs craft each roll in an assembly line fashion delicately hand by hand. In between course you are replenished with palate cleansers which are vinegar-based vegetables on a personal sized burl wood plate. JP jokingly told me that was his only job for the night while he catered to my hearts desire of side garnishes. If you like traditional Korean garnish, this is an all you can eat experience. The rolls themselves were an experience. I enjoyed the variety and also started to feel they somewhat tasted the same by the 6th roll (that could be when the Japanese whiskey pairing kicked in or because it seems all the fish had a similar vinegar base.) My favorite tasting was the steam egged custard, mackerel roll, and the duck roll. Good thing after the rolls the course switched to enjoy a taste of "home-cooking" noodles. The meal finished with its 11th course (in my case 13th since I had two specials). I took one star away because of the repetitive flavors. I'm a stronger critic than most and if Mari restaurant tweaks the menu to truly be unique with each course then 5 stars all the way! My sue chef was Patrick who indulged me in his explanations of the roll, including identifying his favorites. They kitchen production was very organized. All ingredients was pre made. Also they can alter the order for pescatarian only-folks. Meal cost $200 + tip. Location: No great parking. Ambiance played top 20 pop/hip hop list. Good for conversation of two people. Not good for kids or families. Great for date night or single relaxation late at night. Enjoy! read more

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An awesome experience. We actually liked this meal more than the tasting menu at Kochi. Full disclosure: allot 2.5 hours to finish the whole meal. Favorites: spicy tuna, uni tuna add on for $14, scallop, Wagyu. Everything was good. The only thing lacking really was the pork belly - could have had more flavor. Service is top notch, counter seating is a lot of fun. Plus - I am glad certain items were actually spicy! The sundubu and guksu noodle soup. We left pleasantly full but not overwhelmingly full. read more

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It was nice experience but probably would not come back again for price of $125 per person. The seaweed in each mari tasted a little low quality seaweed I had in other hand roll places. Out of all mari, I don't remember that stood out, they were just okay. Presentations were nice but food was just average. (5.5/10). Came out around $350 for two w/ two glasses of wine. I could definitely get better Michelin star meal with this price. read more

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Definitely a great sister resturant to Kochi. Different take on Korean food compared to it. I would say that each element of the course has something that is traditional. Out of the rolls, my favorites were probably the scallop and spicy tuna. The banchan are variations of picked veggies - which is great as a palette cleanser (or if you're a huge fan of pickled things like me). I would say the cocktails are on the stronger side - we got the pear martini and jamong mule). I don't think I would come again but it was a nice and good experience. read more

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The ambiance was very lively. I didn't expect a restaurant like this to be in HK. The food was absolutely delicious. Most of the hand rolls were good but not amazing since most of them had too much rice. I loved the wagyu one but it had too much rice. The non hand rolls were better. The ramen at the end is actually one of the best in the city. read more

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IG: @mrtravelfoodie I'm not sure how or where to start with this review... My experience at Mari was... Service: I had such an amazing server and I wish I asked for her name again. She was so incredibly kind and made my experience so enjoyable. I came to celebrate my birthday and they got me a lil surprise item at the end of my meal, which was much appreciated. Ambiance: The decor is that of my dream restaurant and honestly how I want to open my own restaurant. Open kitchen with seating all around and a few tables in the back. The counter experience is a MUST in my opinion so opt in for that when you come. Food: I cannot stop thinking about HOW amazing the food was. It was like a 12 course meal with a box set of 5 items to start, then an egg crepe dish, before they served the main course of the 7 hand rolls, and then ending with the most amazing gukksu with tender pork belly, and dessert that BLEW MY MIND! My favorites of the night were the scallop Handroll, the snow crab Handroll, the Wagyu tartare bite, amberjack w/pickled apple (shaped like flower), the gukksu, and BLACK SESAME panna cotta (special dish they gave me for my birthday, the normal dessert is a caramel ice cream sandwich) Drinks: I ordered a glass of Seoul Night Plum Soju and this was so incredibly crisp, refreshing and perfect compliment to this entire dining experience. Overall, they are incredibly deserving of the one Michelin star that they received last month. Mari menu was so perfectly curated and the service, ambiance and more were one of the best that I've had. I am going to say this is one of the best restaurants that I have eaten at in NYC and actually surpasses my experience at Cote marginally. I highly recommend that you come check out Mari and I will also be giving Kochi a visit to see how their food is as well! Rating: 9.4/10 read more

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