Nothing special about their lunch special. Will never go there again There are way too many sushi places I can go to. Don't waste your money on this one. Even the California roll was boring. read more

My heart breaks as I write this review because I have been a loyal Tenzan customer for at least three years. I made the mistake of going here with a friend an hour before they closed on a Friday night. The waitress who took our order forgot to bring us our sake and left for the evening leaving our table orphaned to the two remaining employees. It was impossible to get anyone's attention and finally i had to get up and ask for it. Fifteen minutes before they closed they turned off all the lights, music and the air conditioner. They basically sweated us out. My friend was visiting from out of town. I was so embaressed that we were treated this way that I will never go back here. I work in a restaurant, we didn't stay past close. we weren't rude. we didn't deserve to be treated like intruders for patronizing this restaurant during their business hours,. See you around Tenzan.. I'll be deleting you from my cell phone. read more

This place closed down and remodeled for a while and now it looks cool and clean. The sushi is actually really really good now, I get the spicy girl roll every time! The servers are friendly as well. This place had a questionable reputation but we gave it a chance anyway and really enjoyed the sushi! read more

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It was my first and last visit to this place. We got tricked from the look of this place and entered in expecting a nice sushi experience. Bad decision... the sushi and their Tenzan specials were mushy and salty, simply not edible. Sashimis were ok.. We sat outside and had total of 4 service trips to our table by 3 different waiter/waitress.. First one took our order and brought the drinks, the second one brought the food and the final one brought the check.. NO service during the meal.. I guess the waiters knew how bad the food was. I do not recommend this place if you are looking to eat sushi. read more

lets just say, I am super excited that this place is soooooo close to my apt! :) I recommend the special rolls, I loved the rainbow roll, and red lady roll was pretty good! The tuna tataki appetizer is greatttt! :) yummo this place is cute, has outside seating(which is super unusual for sushi places! think about it!!!! lol) enjoy read more

AS if there weren't enough sushi places to cloud the waters on the UES, Tenzan as opened their third branch up there. It has been open for a few months, we have been hesitant to go in, but we finally made the plunge and it was worth it. Tempura was crispy and light, and the rolls were good. The Chilean Sea Bass was the standout for me, clean, simple, tasty. We did not have a tuna roll after the recent discoveries about the mercury levels, and we had a huge Spicy Girl Roll, really big, but overall good. The restrooms were nice, private rooms, clean, simple decor, nothing extravagant, but overall nice. 4.25 Flushes. read more

Tried out Tenzan for a round of Monday night sushi. Positives: + The spicy scallop crunch roll - very good + The plum wine - very good + The warm towelette to start out + The appetizer we had. I don't even know what it was. They called in Maki Maki Chicken. It was essentially breaded chicken filled with cheese, shrimp, and vegetables. I have no idea why we ordered this. It didn't really go with the sushi. And it didn't really go with anything else on the menu. But it was yummy. Negatives: - The oyster roll was salty for my taste - The service was strange. We were super-rushed to have our orders taken, but the orders took forever to come out I agree with Sara B.'s take on this place. Would i recommend Tenzan to a sushi connosieur who only wants the best sushi available? No. Would I recommend Tenzan to people just in the mood for sushi that's going to be fresh? Sure. I was craving sushi, and my craving was satisfied. read more

my writer's workshop/cocktail fest broke early last night and i wasn't ready to go home yet, so after i left the auction house i decided to stop in here for a quick sushi hit. The place always seemed appealing to me from the outside, well lit pleasant, never empty. it was after the dinner rush, so i sat myself down at the sushi bar. i talked to the sushi chefs - asked what was good. they laughed and said in one breath that everything was good, and they were nearly sold out of everything because the dinner rush had been hectic. I told them to make me anything.. start me with 6 pieces .... the chef put together a brilliantly presented plate 2 pieces of tuna sashimi, 2 pieces yellowtail sashimi, and 2 pieces of white tuna sushi. the fish was impeccably fresh.. that translucent sheen that makes one cheer for sushi. the white tuna was long, and the rice was a very small ball, compared to the length of the fish, which made for a very pretty presentation. i then asked for a roll.. again omakase... what arrived was spicy tuna with avocado and topped with eel and tobiko. there was a beautiful sauce design on the plate made from eel sauce and some pinkish/orange mayonnaise based something... they really worked well together, and highlighted the maki without hiding its flavor. the textural contrast between the pop of the tobiko and the creamy eel softness was just right. i finished with a bowl of miso soup - now i know miso soup is not rocket science, but this was also a really well executed dish. not too heavy on miso bitterness, nice fresh wakame flavor, nice proportion of tofu chunkees this isnt a WOW place like yasuda or gari - but for a basic neighborhood sushi place it did what it did just right read more

I like to think i know something about eastern philosophy and/or eating, so sushi is right up my alley. Not to mention this place is 10 feet from my apt. The food was great, i ordered four or five rolls and ate everything except the eel. the drinks were overpriced and mildly strong. Definitely not a place for large groups or for family outings. Its also really bright and tightly enclosed, so probably not a date spot either. good for business meetings and maybe your mistress. The service was really weird, i felt like i was being watched the whole time. Otherwise it was pretty ok. read more

For a picky vegetarian sushi lover, this place hit the spot. I recently went here while visiting my sister and her boyfriend in the city. We stopped in for dinner and immediately got a seat. The service was good, though you had to be assertive to actually get the waiters' attention. Once we did, though, they were very helpful. This place earns four stars mostly for its awesome vegetarian menu, which offered such items as a sweet potato roll with pineapple sauce and a peanut and avocado roll. I've never had either of them before, but I've been thinking about how delicious they were ever since. They got one of our orders wrong, but let us keep the roll they messed up and brought the correct order after a minor delay. I agree with the previous reviews who said that the music (hip-hop) seemed strange, but it was lively on a Saturday night and it made us laugh and feel like we were at a middle school dance, so it worked. Overall, a nice and inexpensive place to have dinner and try something new. I'm definitely dragging my sister back here next time I come to visit! read more

We tried Tenzan for lunch, as it had pretty good looking specials. You can get a 3 roll lunch special for $11.50 - which I think is the best bet. The spicy tuna, spicy salmon, and white tuna and scallion rolls were all very good. I would particularly recommend the spicy rolls as they had a nice kick and good flavor. The sushi and sashimi lunch is quite filling, so unless you are starving or want to eat an entire fish for lunch, I would recommend getting just the smaller sushi or sashimi lunch plate. The sushi and sashimi tasted fresh, although I thought the sashimi was cut too thick. While I commend Tenzan for not serving tiny pieces of fish, it is kind of gross to eat a piece of sashimi the size of a slice of meatloaf. I also thought the miso soup was good - a nice balance of miso flavor, seaweed, and tofu. Overall, this is a pretty good place for a sushi lunch and you get some bang for your buck. read more

Sushi places like this are like Miller High Life-- They're only a notch up from the cheapest, bottom of the line choice and there's nothing special or distinctive about them, but they're actually pretty enjoyable. Tenzan has a pretty standard menu of traditional maki rolls and a few "special rolls" with a fruit or special sauce thrown in. Overall, the rolls were pretty tasty and sated my sushi craving. I have to admit that there were a couple of bites here and there that were a little off (I don't think it was a question of freshness, but just not a great cut of fish), but all in all I'd probably go back since I live in the neighborhood. read more

Yum, yum. I love this place. Every time I go back I like it more. If you go with a couple of folks and get a combo and some additional hand rolls to share, it's a decent sized meal and really a good deal. My favorites: - Hands down the spicy tuna crunch - Sweet Potato rolls The Dallas and Boston rolls aint bad either. read more

Tenzan has locations on both the UWS and the UES side -- we enjoyed the West Side location and decided to visit the UES as well, just a few blocks from home. And I'm really thrilled we did. We wound up ordering shrimp gyoza, edamame, shrimp/veggie tempura, and entrees chicken teriyaki, chirashi and a sushi/sashimi platter. Everything was presented well, tasty and solid. The fish was super-fresh, the dishes were theatrical, and everything tasted great. It's not run-of-the-mill, plain old boring sushi, so if that's what you're looking for you'll be (pleasantly) surprised. They present their dishes with flair, but not to mask or at the expense of taste and quality. The chirashi dish (sashimi with sushi rice) was really great and I'll order that each time I return, but everything we've ordered has been and continues to be great. I'm just glad we decided to stop by and even moreso that they're so close to us. read more

Since I moved to NYC in 2009, this has been my favorite sushi place in the whole city. I have tried other restaurants around Manhattan and the other boroughs, but Tenzan is my #1 sushi provider. Fresh ingredients, above-the-average maki sizes, very decent tempura... Nice decor (they have recently renovated the dining area, though I have not visited it yet since I usually order delivery), friendly staff and very affordable prices. I agree the UWS Tenzan is more upscale and nicer, but the UES location reminds me of how hooked I am to their sushi. read more

Not only is the food here subpar but the service is despicable. The menu prices that they advertise are not what they actually charge you! I placed an order on the phone and they did not say the exact price and hung up right away. I immediately called back to change the order and they said "they mad it already, too bad". Upon arriving I pointed out the discrepancies, she charged my card and didn't say anything. I will never be coming back here and I hope they change their menus ASAP so they don't have to worry about false advertising claims! read more

I used to go regularly for lunch. But after the recent renovation, things tuned toward mediocrity and today's lunch was the pits. The dour server acted as if he were in a trance and I had to repeat myself several times. Both soup and salad came with the three roll lunch special. The soup came the salad never made it. The miso soup had a peculiar taste, rather like a disinfectant. The three rolls were badly constructed and fell apart when touched. But it was the poor quality of the ingredients that disappointed me the most. The ever inattentive server, after clearing the table, took a seat at another table and proceeded to fiddle with some papers. I got up and put on my coat and the cashier brought the check. I was beginning to wonder if they had just returned from a funeral, there faces were so long their chins were scraping the floor. If you're looking for a side order of depression, this is the place to go. If your looking for a fun lunch - try something else - anything else! read more

I could not decide which sushi roll I loved more between the Under The Sea and the Lobster Tempura. Amazing food! So fresh!

I'm not sure what bothered me more. Was it the watery cocktail, the loud house music, the bad (read SLOW) service, or the sushi? This place is most of what I don't like about eating out. Tenzan seems like it might have been a hotspot in 2005, and now they are just riding it out. I will admit that we had a small party, so we didn't try a lot of the dishes, but the few things we had did not really work for us. There was something "off" about my yellowtail roll, and it later made me a bit nauseous to think about it. My wife's shrimp roll had some crazy color shrimp in it. It was bright pink. Odd. The waitstaff was not very attentive on the night we were there, and the place wasn't even crowded. Our drinks came, and they were flat and watery (gin and tonic). We returned them, and they were replaced with pretty much the same thing. Took a while to get our check, and ultimately had our daughter take the credit card up to the front to pay. Overall, I was not happy with the experience, and I felt the price was a bit high for what we got. We saw the delivery guys coming and going a lot, so I assume they do a good amount of their business on delivery. read more

Ate here all the time for lunch got the beef terriayki so good! Although I do agree with the others on the spicy tuna being watery then most other places a great value and great food! read more

Love this place. It's our neighborhood favorite and we love the rolls, the stir fry udon noodles, Kani salad n spencial rolls, we always order on seamless n they r fast n spot on. Also great lunch special and friendly service read more

Knowing that Tenzan is a chain helped narrow down my options for sushi in the Upper East Side. I've dined at their Midtown and UWS locations before, and while I was never wowed, I wasn't let down either. This location occupies the corner of the 2nd and 89th, with lots of natural light flooding into the restaurant. I could see myself getting delivery from Tenzan though, because their maki roll specials are on point. The fish to rice ratio is highly favorable, but what was most striking was the relatively lower price. Let's compare the prices of the same dishes between Tenzan and Ichiro, a sushi restaurant just one block south of Tenzan: Chirashi: $19 at Tenzan vs. $20 at Ichiro Maki roll combo: for $0.50 more, you get yellowtail at Tenzan instead of a California roll, all else being equal Not everything is definitely cheaper, but I typically only order the two above items, and I'll be going to my Tenzan specifically for my chirashi and/or maki roll combo fix. read more

My family dropped by Tenzan one evening for dinner and only just managed to get a seat before the place was full. It's a very small space, and they certainly pack their tables in, but its nicely done in light wood with low, warm lights. The music could like a little softer, but it didn't interfere with conversation too much. We weren't too hungry, so we shared edamame and each got one roll apiece (which for my dad means two, but he's a big guy). Since my younger sister has just gotten into the actual fish sushi, I suggested she try one of their special rolls, the Red Lady roll which is shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, mango and cucumber wrapped in pink soybean seaweed, and she loved it! The special rolls are huge, so you really don't need to order many of them, and you wouldn't want to considering the price. I'm having a love affair with spicy scallop, and while theirs was really good (very fresh and just spicy enough), I was hoping for maybe some cucumber or avocado in the roll instead of just the scallop. My dad had their spider roll (he loves soft shell crab) and a california roll, and my mom had their chicken negimaki appetizer. They both seemed pleased with their choices, although only my dad expressed pleasure over the spider roll. But Tenzan is a nice place for good sushi - not spectacular, but consistently good. If only the Upper East Side location was a little bigger. read more

I never really got the whole sushi craze until I visited Tenzan. Knowing this about myself I mostly steered towards non sushi-centric Japanese restaurant that served rice balls and teriyaki grilled fish. Unfortunately (I assumed), I wasn't given much of a choice for this meal which was very much a function of location (post Guggenheim hunger). Happily, I have been awakened to a new love for sushi and totally enjoyed this restaurant. The white teapots on the outdoor tables initially attracted one of my fellow diners to the eatery. They aren't teapots but soy sauce vessel, very common to Asian restaurant. But these were cute. Anyway, we walked in to a very clean, wooden interior. The benches were raised so you felt a little bit loftier than the waiters serving you. Good ego-boost. And then we had to order. The first wall that I ran up against was my simple uneducated mind: I don't know how to order sushi (I've babysat seven year olds that can order sushi with the best of them ). So I admitted my deficiency and has a quick consulting period with my husband. Edamame, miso soup, and two pieces each of yellowtail, tuna, and sea bass. The miso soup was predictably good. Maybe the seaweed was of high quality than other but after being cooked, it's all kind of the same. My edamame was far and away more impressive than the stuff I've been eating at home (frozen, Trader Joe's). Sushi's up: I loved it. The fish was SO fresh and kind of melted when you bit into it. I think the thing I loved best was the simple, pure flavor of just the fish and rice. It is an amazing combination. You could taste the life of that animal plucked from the ocean only hours before. That kind of taste doesn't make it though the hours of sitting out under lights in a grocery store of cheap sushi restaurant. I was also privileged to eat a piece of sweet potato sushi. It was spectacular and totally unexpected. The sweet potato was tempura and covered in a pineapple sauce and really surpassed what a sweet potato is expected to be. Will order next time! When all of the delicious sushi was eaten and the sake gone (flavored by cucumber; it was really good) we ordered some green tea ice cream to go. It was super rich and much stronger than any I have had before, in a terrific way. So, it was a wonderful accidental learning experience. All provided by a great restaurant in perfect walking range for hungry museum goers. read more

Tenzan offers great lunch specials, where prices are reasonably and portions are copious. The service was good, though they often lurked around a bit. Meaning that they were hovering over our table even though it wasn't busy. Just seemed like they wanted us out fast. Either way, I enjoyed the sushi and thought that it was very reasonable. I'll definitely be back soon! :) read more

i like this place because it has probably the most onions (i am a fan!) when ordering with the chicken teriyaki! the chicken was decent. I had better but this is a solid fall back. I also had a couple pieces of the sushi and i have to say.. I AM IN LOVE. i love the freshness of the salmon. it was bigger than most places too :) however, i am such an easy grader on sushi. because it's one of my favorites. I've been here twice and i will come back! p.s. i had the soup. it was miso and ok ;D read more

I'm very picky about Japanese food... When I come here, it doesn't really evoke... come try our fresh fish. Every time I've eaten here I always get the udon soup with tempura shrimp & vegetables. Its pretty perfect every time. My friends usually get the vegetable rolls, sweet potato and asparagus. Its very affordable, quick and provides good service. read more

I enjoy the atmosphere of this wooden sushi restaurant. The fish is very fresh, and all the food is good. It's your standard sushi restaurant. The best part about this place is that in the spring/summer they have outdoor seating. A rare attribute to a sushi joint. Try it! read more

Had dinner here tonight because well, I craved sushi and it was only a few blocks from my apartment. Sushi was really decent here. Ordered their Salmon Special (4pc salmon sushi, 4pc salmon sashimi, 6pc salmon maki). The salmon was fresh and thick-cut. Service wasn't too bad either. I'm still looking for that "great" sushi restaurant in NYC since I'm still kind of getting used to the city but I wouldn't mind coming back here for sushi. read more

This is by far my favorite sushi place to order delivery/take-out from. A lot of the places on UES gyp you when you order special rolls for delivery & serve them normal-roll sized/with 6 pcs instead of 8 (even though when you eat-in at these places, the same rolls are 8pcs) - not Tenzan! Their special rolls are perfectly sized & delivery is super fast - like....15-20 mins max. Eating in is nothing special, just a regular sushi place - but the quality of the rolls & fish is always really good. read more

Can only speak to their take out, but was pretty impressed. Prices are average, but the quality of fish is better than other places around here. Had the spicy yellowtail, spicy tuna, salmon avocado, sweet potato roll, and the godzilla roll, which was on point, definitely recommended. Also, they give out the little plastic tray for soy sauce, which is handy. Best part is that they allow you to sub brown rice for free... which makes sense since brown and white rice cost the same, but most places are jerks and charge a fee just because they can. So points to Tenzan for being cool about it. Given the quality of the fish, decent prices, and brown rice coolness, this will probably be my go-to spot for the neighborhood. read more

despite the reviews I ordered from here via DoorDash and everything was tasty, good portions and prices, and efficient delivery

A friend of mine came from Vegas, so we got a last-minute dinner reservation. Due to Covid it wasn't hard getting a reservation. we order different types of bento box ( shrimp and steak, Chicken teriyaki and shrimp veggie tempura combo box, and a salmon Bento box) we also order lots of large sake which was amazing. Food wise everything was great maybe the salmon was just a little dry but other than that it was amazing. The server was on point whenever we needed some thing. Like my friend who can't use chopstick so she bought a fork. Overall it was a great time even though it was Covid. read more

Wow, has it improved! We'd been to Tenzin 89 a few times before the renovation, and it had been a bit questionable, but it is now our go-to restaurant for good Japanese food! The servers are very helpful and friendly, and the sushi is incredible! They are very good with handling food allergies, and we love the outdoor tables! read more

Delicious Sushi. Absolutely loved the ambiance. A perfect place to hangout with friends and relish healthy food. Prices are reasonable as well. I am a vegetarian, and I ordered an avocado roll for $3.50 and cucumber roll for $3. I personally preferred the avocado roll. One should definitely try it! read more

Tenzan 89 - Delicious Sushi! Avocado and cucumber rolls. - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Don't sleep on this place, everything I've ever ordered from them has been delicious and super fresh. I normally order a spicy salmon and a spicy white tuna.... sooooo good! Better than most average sushi places. I also have ordered chicken lettuce wrap, which is a kitchen appetizer and perfect for someone on the Atkins or the Keto diet. I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone in the neighborhood. read more

Hi, In the neighborhood, looked clean, no obvious idols around (a reason I avoid some Thai and Oriental restaurants) and ordered a dinner of the soba noodles with vegetables and vegetable tempura (with salad). Maybe not a normal menu item but no problem. The tempura was light, far better than the norm on Long Island, and the soba has a good texture (another place where there is variance). Price was reasonable, portion large, shared. The lunch is probably even a better value. I was also impressed with the sincerity of the gals who took the order. They seemed to really care. Excellent. Sushi ? What's that ? :) Steven read more

I've never eaten in Tenzan 89 so this review is regarding their delivery. Always fast which is appreciated. Their salmon and shrimp rolls are always delicious and I highly recommend them. Stay away from raw tuna! It was very fishy and one of the worst I've had. Other than that, my experience with Tenzan 89 has been great and their prices are relatively affordable for the area read more

I have visited this place many times! I really love here! It has a lot of special rolls, mango Hawaii roll is my favor. Sushi is very fresh! People are friendly. People who like to have good food should visit here! read more

I'm very picky with sushi but I really like this place!