Sushi was good but not outstanding . Service was very disappointing for a pricey sushi dinner $200+ For two with no alcohol. Our waiter counted his tip right in front of us and couldn't wait to clear us out. Never again read more

Walked in for solo dining to do omakase at the bar on a Thursday evening. No problem getting a seat. Food - Had only one complaint about the sushi. The rice was too loose and in some cases too warm. The warmth of the sushi can be forgiven if you assume that they're catering to your average American diner who takes his/her time while dining and lets a piece of sushi sit awhile before consuming. However, the rice was way too loose. The sushi broke apart even when I used my hands to pick up the pieces. (Yes, it is OK to use your hands to eat sushi as long as you don't have nikiri applied on sushi. And let's not start about using chopsticks properly. I'm Korean, so while I may not be the best chopstick user, I do know how to apply the proper pressure and pick up food.) Not sure why the chef packs his rice so loosely. The place was not packed and the check had plenty of time to work his magic. In fact, I'm kind of suspicious. I'm sort of led to believe that this may be the chef's "trademark" way of working? Portion-wise, the sushi pieces were very well proportioned. I found the sushi pieces to be slightly larger than sushi seki. And I was quite full after having the meal with two Asahi Super Dry beers. In fact, I skipped out on the final handroll. Service - Very good service. Prompt and very attentive. The chef and his helpers explained everything that was served and explained how you should eat the pieces, i.e. use soy sauce or don't use soy sauce. And they answered questions and made small talk quite easily. Very friendly and personal. I felt very at ease and the dining experience was enhanced. I found the service to be very attentive, personal, and warm, yet not overbearing. I hate chefs who talk too much. Apart from the above, I absolutely loved the dining experience and the food. VERY fresh fish. Everything tasted the way you wanted it to taste. I didn't have any, "Hmmmm, that was a bit too briny," feelings while eating. Everything was fresh and crisp. If I had it my way, I would have foregone the sushi where the rice was too loose and ate all the fish stuffs a la sashimi style without the rice. Price - You're eating sushi made with the chef's pride. As a general rule of thumb, if you're not prepared to pay 100 plus dollars per person to eat at the sushi bar omakase style, then you should stick to take-out sushi or $29.99 all-you-can eat sushi. With sushi and sashimi, you get what you pay for. And as far as I'm concerned, there is sushi and overpriced, overrated sushi. There is no such thing as cheap or budget sushi. Atmosphere - The place is small and cozy. But the decor is absolutely nothing to write home about. And the place is not for large groups. Go there to entertain a guest or two. Or go there with a date. But do sit at the sushi bar. That's part of the experience. And don't complain about the decor and atmosphere. You're not there for that. You're there for the food and the dining experience. Final verdict? I'd go again, but I'm going to ask the chef to do more sashimi for me over sushi. And I give this place 4 stars instead of 5 just because the rice was too loose. read more

All about the fish, they do it right. The butter fish, which I've not had anywhere, comes cooked, warm, over rice and seaweed, and is as it's named, just melt in your mouth awesomeness. All of the sushi is incredibly fresh, simplistically and perfectly presented, and delivered with instructions "soy sauce, no soy sauce, soy sauce". Not a fan of uni generally, I am told it was excellent. The sashimi appetizer was a wonderful way to start the meal. Service is polite, but brusque, and the place is sparse, but like I said, it's all about the fish, and they do it right. read more

I was there for lunch and decided to try the "trust me" chef's choice menu. I must say, everything was delicious and very very fresh. We were so pleased with the place...simple decor but authentic little bites very fresh and original fish. And THEN the bill arrived. $270 for about 6 little plates of sushi each, one glass of wine at $7 and two cups of hot tea. I almost gasped. The entire lunch took just under an hour. The express lunch with the Michelin starred price.They really should warn people of the exorbitant price tag. If money is no option, enjoy! Otherwise, perhaps the a la carte menu at a table might be more reasonable. read more

No frills, No fuss, just good fish, fast service. Definitely one of the best Japanese restaurants in the city

Well, I had high hopes for Sasabune as Yasuda was close for the holiday :-(! I think 2.8 stars would be my precise rating. The fish quality was good but was just not great! The albacore sashimi starter was served so cold that some of the pieces were practically freezing. The oysters were not as fresh as hoped. The highlights for me were probably the butter fish (cod), and the spanish mackerel. Service was good but fish course were served too quickly. All said and done, with 1 bottle of sake and 1 glass of Chardonay, bill for 2 was $300 + tip. Will not recommend. read more

Amazing omakase. Only problem is that 1. it is waaaay too much food and 2. comes out very quickly. My recommendation is to get sashimi omakase unless you are super hungry go for the normal omakase. Quality of the fish beats sushi seki and many other sushi restaurants in the city. Very chill atmosphere and very nice staff. Its only omakase so come here if you are starving and you will be satisfied. We paid around $130 each for the omakase - well worth the money. They dont accept tip. read more

Had my Omakase course all sashimi for the first time, and it was amazing! The mackerel was a little fishy, but other than that, everything tasted so fresh with the most precise flavoring. They often would tell you what needed soy sauce, and what already had some sort of sauce on it. So fun. So delicious. Will be back again! read more

I came here on a weeknight without a reservation. It was pretty busy during dinner time and calm down a bit after 830. I was lucky to steal a spot at the sushi bar. Decor - the decor was cozy and dark. I didn't go inside as I requested for a seat at the sushi bar. Definitely a bit of a more laid back feel compared to yasuda. I found the seats to be a little close together and I seated at the end of the bar where they organized all the orders from the chefs. I think I would have preferred to sit closer to the wall and facing the chefs as my view was seeing a waiter tabulate the bills and organizing a bunch of orders. There were too many dishes in front of me and it look like mass production and they seemed to be a bit organized so it kind of affected my experience a little bit. Food - overall I would give it a solid 4 stars. The sushi was for the part of was excellent, except for the oyster. I had the albacore, sea bass, fluke, snapper, butterfish, octopus, amberjack, scallop, giant clam and orange clam, sea urchin, oysters. I liked the fact that the pieces were big; although I was so full towards the end I skipped the blue crab roll. The rice fell apart on every piece, which I was not too excited about. For the pieces that they seasoned the flavour was great. Service - service was a bit inconsistent. They did a good job at whisking away plates as I was done and filled up the water whenever necessary, but overall they forgot the little things such as bringing soy sauce for the sushi that needed it, and clearing away plates before they brought the bill. These are just minor things however I think from a top restaurant the experience should be seamless from beginning to the end. The bill came out to be about $100 with small sake, and I was completely stuffed. I am split between Yasuda and Sababune - Sasabune offered a more casual environment, bigger pieces, and tasty flavours. Yasuda's service was more polished (however more stuffy), the pieces were more put together (rice not falling apart), offered more exotic choices and slightly fresher fish overall. Sasabune was an overall solid four stars experience and I would hightly recommend the restuarant if you looking for tasty and filling sushi! read more

Overall the food was great. Fish is fresh. Some of the top "traditional" sushi I've had. The service was horrible. We were rushed, didn't get all the dishes we were charged for (and it's really hard to figure out since they don't give you list beforehand) and more or less no information about what we ate. Left a lot to be desired for the price. Will not be back. read more

The best. This is where I fell in love with uni, sweet and creamy, like custard. Their Ikura is slippery and pops with flavor - not the goopy mess you almost always get at other places. The sashimi portions are generous. The traditional albacore sashimi that you get with omakase is great, but try the albacore sushi and ask for it with the sweet sauce...to die for! The Omakase is terrific and pretty filling, but if you go there enough, it becomes predictable and you may find yourself just ordering your favorites. RE: some of the reviewers complaining about their rice falling apart: Dipping your sushi fish-first (traditional etiquette) in sauce rather than rice-first, will rid you of that problem. Warm rice vs. cool rice is another matter...a matter of preference. IMO, the texture and temperature contrast of warm rice makes it the perfect foil to fresh fish. Yasuda has a wider variety of fish, but the mere mention of Sasabune has me salivating like one of Pavlov's dogs. "Trust Me!" read more

Phenomenal. This little hole-in-the-wall restaurant just may be my favorite sushi place in town. Freshest, most amazing, melt-in-your-mouth fish I've ever had (and I KNOW sushi)! I'd take this over Nobu and Bond St any day. The toro is truly to die for!!! read more

Best sushi I've ever had...period.

Their business card reads: No Spicy Tuna. No California Roll. TRUST ME. Gotta love it. This place wins the best sushi spot award when someone else is buying. I went here with my boss for a celebration and it was quite the experience. We went for the Omakase style meal where the chef selects what is the freshest best cuts of fish for the day and sends them your way. I don't remember everything we had, but the pacing was perfect. A dish would come and we'd relish it for a few minutes, then the next one would come out. We were drinking beers and doing sake shots too, so that would fill the time between courses as well. The service was great and attentive, but not intrusive. The decor of the place is nothing special, but also tidy, and the crowd is def "upscale" to say the least. I remember eating oysters, sashimi, some handrolls, octopus, and even some stranger selections like a fish liver. Everything was great. I didn't see the bill but I'm guessing it was pretty expensive. read more

Everything about this place screams that I should love it, but it just didn't blow me away. The omakase was something like $75 + beer so I ended up dropping a hundred or so. I got my share of fish (something like 14 pieces), usually two at a time. Alot of them were heavy on flavorings, glazes and the like, and everything was quite good, but not one piece of fish really jumped out at me the way I am used to from these types of affairs. Honestly, I much preferred Seki in the neighborhood - maybe I just caught a weak night, but at these prices I can't really afford to give second chances when there are so many other options out there. read more

After walking all over the city seeking highly rated eats I found it- an Omakase sushi restaurant that made my island walk worthwhile. Upon entry the server makes sure you understand what Omakase means or they recommend you eat elsewhere. If anyone asks for a menu they are asked to leave (but kindly). As with all Omakase style sushi places I've been it starts with albacore in ponze- most places will offer 3-5 pieces at most, but this offers a healthy 7 piece albacore sashmi in a citrus ponzu. The menu proceeded with 2 pieces of tuna- one in a homemade ponzu and one meant to lightly dip in shoyu. It wasn't until the third round- 2 kinds of snapper that I really tasted the quality. By the 4th round including Spanish mackerel the fish just melts on your tongue. The Spanish mackerel and bonita stood out the most in terms on mouth watering, tongue melting goodness. I was incredibly impressed until they brought out the uni. It wasn't bad uni, but I've had better. It looked mushy as if it had been handled too much or spent too long after cracking open the uni. I looked at the sushi plate of uni and they had better pieces, buy somehow I got the melty one. The meal ended with a blue crab handroll (YUM!) and I was told that was the last round :( I bought the chef's a round of sake and then I was immediately asked if I wanted anything else. The only other complaint (outside of the uni) was that they did bring out the rounds quickly which made me feel rushed and unable to savor more of the flavor. It also made me feel fuller faster- had I savored more I would have attempted a few more rounds. 2 pieces of advice to best enjoy this place: (1) don't think about price- it will hurt your wallet and hurt you for thinking about it- I would have paid much less though if I didn't buy the sake. (2) savor... because of the price you'll never know when you'll taste the slice of heaven the Spanish mackerel or bonita again... mmm and drool... read more

I have been in Sasabune 4 or 5 times. Tonight is the last time we go. We order Omakase, the first dishes were prepared well in advance we got to the restaurant. The others come so fast, that was impossible to have a taste of them They try to rush in order to have our group, out of the restaurant in 30 minutes, I feel a kind of rip off, I never went so disguted out of a supposed good quality japanese restaurant. Definively is not worth the high price you pay. read more

This place is not for everyone. You need to know sushi and be prepared to eat the real stuff. If you only do salmon and spicy tuna, go to Haru, here you will be wasting your money. For those with big wallets and who have been in Tokyo, this it the real shiat. Uni, ikura, hirame, toro, tako, etc absolutely unbelievable. All this at a freaking high price tag, minimum I would say $170 / person if you like to have few drinks. And forget about auditing your check, it's incomprehensible, written in Jap and with all that stuff you "supposedly" ate. Yeah right.... read more

I would give this place no star if yelp has this option. Horrible experience here. Service is the worst. Food. Noooooo. I am telling you can get way better Japanese food in any other Japanese restaurant in much cheaper place. Save ur money and stay away from this place. read more

I don't understand the hype. I had wanted to try this place for quite some time after reading all of the Yelp reviews, but really I found Sasabune disappointing. Arriving on a Saturday night, we waited about 45 minutes to an hour past our reservation. Meanwhile, we watched UES douchebags and the awful princess women who love them, cut in front of us and the seater just gave them our table! What because the UES kinds and queens of brattiness would throw a tantrum? Ok so maybe it wasn't a great start to the night, but the sushi just didn't deliver for the wait. Some of the pieces were nice, but many were drowning in yuzu sauce. I understand the command, "No soy sauce, no California roll, etc etc". These guys are kind of militant about it. But then why oh why would you drown pieces in sauce yourselves? Some of the pieces we ate also seemed partly frozen still. Other pieces were fantastic. Just a very uneven experience. Again, this was good sushi...it was obviously not run of the mill supermarket or cheap sushi. But, for a true sushi experience, I'm sticking with Yasuda. read more

My fiancee and I finally came here for dinner a few weeks back. We've wanted to stop by Sasabune many a time, but with a whole host of other sushi joints to visit first, we got sidetracked for a while. Nevertheless, we were able to score a last-minute reservation on a Friday night and got ourselves a table for two. The restaurant decor isn't terribly memorable; you have the main area out front, with additional seating in the back - kind of how Sushi of Gari's UES restaurant is set up. The service itself is okay; the one thing I didn't like is that it felt very rushed - almost as soon as you were done with one plate, the waiter was there to take it and put down the next serving in the omakase. While I suppose that might be beneficial in some instances, I really do want to take a moment to savor the flavors of the sushi I just had. As for the food itself - you're pretty much obligated to have the omakase, at least from the looks of it when we got there...we weren't even given a menu to look at before they started serving the food. The sashimi was yellowtail marinated in some kind of sauce; while the fish itself was good, it was overwhelmed by the marinade. I could definitely pass on that. Outside of that, though, the sushi omakase was fantastic. I will say that the regular tuna here (not the toro) that is imported from British Columbia is probably the best tuna sushi piece I've ever had - very rich flavor, without any of the blandness that can sometimes accompany regular cuts of tuna. The rest of the sushi was exemplary as well - very fresh, no over-doing it with the wasabi under the fish. Really, though, the service made it difficult to remember exact details about the rest of the plate, as we were getting a new plate each time we had just finished. In all, I'd probably want to come back and see if I can slow down the pace at all to really take in the flavors. It was all very good, but I think for the price point (the omakase came out to a little over $100/person), it's something where I'd rather go to a different joint (like Azabu, for example), where you can really take your time and enjoy every piece on its own. I'll definitely come back, though - it's pretty freakin' good. read more

Had incredible experience at Sasabune in L.A. so decided to give it a try in NY. They didn't disappoint me...I mean this is the hands down THE BEST sushi place in NY for serious sushi lovers. The quality, freshness, presentation and variety of omakase were excellent! Very glad that I tried this place and would like to recommend to anyone who is looking for the best sushi experience in NY! read more

Totally deserving of the hype. We finally tried Sasabune and had a flawless omakase meal. My one complaint is that omakase is the only option. I get the "no spicy tuna rolls" thing, and I quite like it, but I still wish I could duck in here at some point and just get a few quick pieces. Still amazing, I trusted and it was worth it. read more

dont quite get the joke with this restaurant. dont care thast there is no menu and the place is a dump. Food was good but not that stand out. lots and lots of sushi. monk fish liver was great. but otherwise it was sushi all the way. for this price it should be better. read more

I love this place and for you to love it, you have to trust the chef because there's no menu and you must be able to eat all sushi. It's not the most hardcore sushi places, but it is definitely something to try. The staff is friendly. The favorite seat is usually by the sushi bar. read more

Over the top across the board, the fish is the freshest quality you can find. If I could give it more stars I would. It is Omakase, so your meal is essentially already predetermined (which is a good thing because who better than the chef to decide what taste's best). Interestingly, the rice is actually served warm, which is something you will virtually never find at any other sushi serving restaurant (or at least to the quality and caliber that Sasabune serves it). Make no mistake, the bill is substantial (2 people with drinks could run you around $300), but the food is incomparable so if you are a lover of fish, you will be satisfied. Of note, the place is small (very likely you will end up sitting at the sushi bar), so keep this in mind and plan accordingly with reservations. read more

YUMMY fresh sushi. They do not have cali rolls and etc. I loved the eel roll the most and the crab roll in the very end!! They give you a lot to try so you can forgo the rice if you can't eat that much. You just have to tell them and they'll give you the fish itself. read more

Spectacular delight! From the quaint and traditional settings, to every incredible bite. The fresh seafood with perfectly warmed rice served omasake style is truly remarkable. Sake isn't optional. Take me back, now!! read more

DAYUM. this was indeed, an experience. the sign behind the sushi bar says "today's special. trust me" - hilarious. it's a beautiful thing when you can go out to eat without making any decisions. each dish was a surprise, to be eaten with/without soy sauce, in its own unique sauce, as sashimi, sushi or a roll, hot or cold, etc. you eagerly anticipated each dish and as soon as you finished your empty plate was whisked away quickly. i left incredibly full, about $250 less rich [for 2 ppl], but with an awesome awesome experience and the promise to myself that i'll go at least every other month. goodbye taxis [when i'm lazy], frequent trips to sephora, and anything other than $5 footlong lunches....i am seriously saving up to do this frequently. read more

Really fresh sushi and quite simple. Sat at the bar and had whatever the sushi chef presented in front of me. There were certain items I did not like as they were a little too fishy. Service was okay. read more

Their sushi was good, however, it wasn't great. The sweet shrimp sashimi was fantastic (we have had much sweeter ones in Asian Countries though) other than that, it wasn't memorable. It is more wallet friendly compare with all other high end sushi place in town. The environment part, well, you also get what you paid for. The space between tables is tiny. This place is probably similar to Poke in my opinion. read more

This restaurant was EXTREMELY over priced. 200$ for six pieces, and they were quite mediocre. Service was very odd, they took away the plates seconds after you finished and it felt as though you were being watched. Although the people were friendly would not recommend. read more

So for starters, this place is expensive, lunch dinner whatever, it is expensive. Do not be fooled by the exterior... it is PRICEY, I wandered in for lunch and it was $73 for the chef choice. It is a 5star type place though. The Sushi was amazing, and had an amazing number of flavors to it. I had some wonderful sushi in Tokyo and this place was actually has good as most of them for the most part. Definitely worth a try, not an all the time place, but do not miss going at least once, it is a 28 in zagat for a reason. read more

Ate here with my wife while on vacationing in New York. Everything I read on yelp was spot on! This was my first oskame experience as well. This was by far the best sushi I've had. It was blast to walk in with reservations sit down and start eating right away! read more

Maybe my expectations are off... Did the omakase, apparently, the minute I walked in, they, less than politely, quoted me a vague price and that it was a fixed menu....they couldn't even say omakase. Pretty insulting...STRIKE ONE BTW isn't it traditional to say welcome or more precisely (irashaimase)... They didn't even bother to ask what we were drinking when we, a party of 2, sat and only later tea or water, not a word of drinks nor the sake menu...and we don't look like we need to be carded...I could let this slide....but REALLY!?!?! The fish was good. But a few of the pieces were not cut through...picky picky...they re sushi chefs that take pride in their knife work I thought...STRIKE TWO Granted they were closing soon, but similar to others' my table ran out of space and they still continued to try to place more plates... aside from the several reminders that you close at 10, was the omakase supposed to be a rushed experience? STRIKE THREE And it keeps going down... SUCKED that I had to keep asking for more tea because wait, there is no real good reason...other than the waiters hanging around the white customers...strange that the two tables (and the only other customers)around us had their attention but we had to ask several times for attention, (it's a small and tight space, they had to see us going for one table to another......) There is also a difference in recommending how I flavor my food and DEMANDING how I did it. I draw the line when you repeatedly insist I only eat with this sauce and not that but you plate everything together. And please don't demand even if you know best. Many Chinese sushi joints have inconsistent service (you get what you pay for ) but I expect better from a highly touted Japanese joint. Finally, if you were in a hurry why the HELL did it take 15 minutes to get me my bill, which had items that I didn't have... Pluses - the Black cod, monk fish liver, tuna set, and abalone were superb. Cons - Not to be too insulting but McDonald's could train them. If an omakase is only about food, it was excellent. But since it is an experience, this is a failure, averaging 3 stars. read more

A great Omakase place in the upper east side, reasonably prices and has amazing sushi. This is a very small place and very intimate where you are directly in contact with the chef, definitely a place to try for any sushi lovers in New York. read more

My friend and I went after hearing so much about it. The sushi was definitely delicious. It was so good that my friend and I ate until we were so stuffed that it was physically uncomfortable. The decor was nothing to write home about and it was a little cramped inside. It was pretty darn pricey too. Overall a good experience and we would def go back. read more

The dinner experience was wonderful. We had a very friendly waiter that made our dining experience very pleasant. The fish were fresh and worth the money. Especially having had Sushi Yasuda 3 days later, I realized how much better Sasabune was compared to Yasuda. I would definitely try Sasabune over Yasuda. At least my trip to NY was not all a big disappointment. read more

Very pricey. Excellent food, but not amazing and should cost 1/3 of its price. Similar to Sushi of Gari. Omakase was $275 with 1 sake. Go to Sushi Yasuda instead for better Sushi. read more

My first Omakase meal, so I don't have much to compare it to, but definitely every single dish was SO tasty & fresh. The Monkfish liver was really memorable. I guess for the price, it should be expected. I was surprised how much food was delivered to the table. I felt full at the half mark! Everything was efficient... the servers, the spaces... as soon as you finish your plate, you'll find another appeared on the table. Despite a lot happening with servers going back and forth, they still maintain a serene dim environment. definitely will be back here if craving quality sushi. just when i have more money. read more