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    Wabi Sabi

    4.4 (351 reviews)
    PriceyJapanese
    Closed 4:30 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated a few days ago

    Wabi Sabi Photos

    WABI SABI ATMOSPHERE

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    Trendy
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    Moderate noise

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    Creme Brulee cheesecake with black sesame ice cream

    If you are a true sushi purist, you know that the best experiences often hide behind the most unassuming storefronts. This place is the definition of a hidden gem--a masterclass in traditional sushi sitting quietly on a culinary wasteland of a street. The commitment to quality here is staggering. This isn't your standard neighborhood joint slinging spicy mayo rolls; the seafood here boasts absolute freshness, with rare fish flown in weekly directly from Japan. You will find cuts here that are nearly impossible to source at standard sushi restaurants, elevating the experience to something you'd typically only find at an exclusive omakase counter. Let's talk about the tuna. The vast majority of sushi spots try to pass off cheap, frozen yellowfin as a premium offering. Not here. They source incredibly high-quality Spanish Bluefin--the exact same caliber of fish utilized by Michelin-starred establishments. What truly sets them apart is their ability to offer the complete trinity of bluefin cuts: the deep, ruby-red lean akami, the perfectly marbled chu-toro, and the rich, melt-in-your-mouth o-toro. The menu reads like a love letter to the ocean. Finding high-grade yellowtail belly can be a challenge, but here, it is a staple of exceptional quality. For those with an adventurous and educated palate, the chefs regularly feature incredibly hard-to-find selections like itoyori (golden threadfin bream), mejina (opaleye), and a luxuriously rich fatty bonito. The uni deserves its own paragraph. Sea urchin can be a gamble at lesser restaurants, but here it is pristine. On any given night, you might be lucky enough to find both creamy California uni and the briny, delicate Hokkaido uni available for side-by-side comparison. Another testament to their traditional approach and culinary respect is how they utilize the week's fresh catch to craft a warm, incredibly tasty fish head soup. It is a deeply comforting, umami-rich broth that extracts every ounce of flavor from the premium seafood they bring in, showcasing a level of authenticity you rarely see anymore. While the menu does offer French-inspired dishes and various hot kitchen items, let me be clear: you are here for the sushi. The hot food isn't bad by any means, but if you truly want a culinary experience, do not waste precious stomach space on it. You are here for the raw fish. The singular exception to this rule is the pork gyoza--they are remarkably juicy and absolutely worth the order. Do not skip dessert. In many sushi restaurants, desserts are an afterthought, but here they are top-notch and entirely homemade. The Japanese flan is impossibly silky and decadent. However, the true star is the crème brûlée cheesecake--it is remarkably smooth, slicing effortlessly at the touch of a fork, with a deeply satisfying flavor profile that entirely avoids being overly sweet. I have to address the elephant in the neighborhood: this place absolutely destroys Morimoto down the street. Morimoto has become a tourist trap resting on a recognizable name, employing inexperienced chefs to cater to the sheep-like masses who prioritize a flashy dining room over authentic taste. If you actually understand and respect true sushi, you skip the theatrical nonsense down the street and come here. Let's also be brutally honest about the price point: excellence comes at a premium. This is an uncompromising, high-end culinary experience, and the bill reflects the quality of ingredients flown in from Japan. If you are a bargain hunter, looking for cheap eats, or aren't willing to pay for top-tier craftsmanship, save your time and look elsewhere. This establishment is for serious diners who understand the value of good sushi and aren't just looking for a good enough "AYCE" experience.

    Panna cotta
    Nicole G.

    This a culinary experience. There are a lot of specials. Many touch each all of your taste buds at once. Small space, that offers excellent service and the freshest seafood in the area. Get dessert Make reservation

    Pink lady on top Raging Bull on the bottom
    Brianna R.

    Our usual favorite sushi spots were closed so we decided to give Wabi Sabi a try. The inside is small and quaint but not too small. We opted for booth seating but they did have a few chairs by the sushi bar. We started with a squid appetizer. We did not expect to be served TINY baby squid. The squid itself was quite fishy but the sauce was good. But a huge disappointment especially for the price point. For our entrees we ordered 4 sushi rolls to be split between 2 people as that usually fills us at our go to sushi spot. This was not the case. The first 4 rolls were all delicious (red dragon, dirty roll, kamikaze, dynamite) and made it hard to choose as favorite, but they felt smaller than average. We ended up ordering another 2 rolls that were okay, not bad but not amazing. (Pink lady, raging bull) Overall, we enjoyed our sushi and it was nice to try somewhere new. The sushi would make us come back but the price point would make us reconsider.

    Drew L.

    Absolutely incredible sushi. Incredibly fresh fish, beautifully prepared, and full of flavor. The service was warm and attentive without being overbearing. Easily one of the best sushi experiences I've had in a long time--can't wait to come back. 3* NYC Michelin quality sushi, NJ prices.

    Sean W.

    Wow, we were so disappointed especially with all these rave reviews. The restaurant was small, quaint and very clean. Our server was very nice. Unfortunately the food wasn't so good. The homemade pork wonton soup was not flavorful. The pork wonton was a bit tough, probably old and no flavor. The shrimp tempura Udon was very average. Tiny shrimps and Udon broth was basic. The sushi were very small portions. Nothing was cut even. No good flavor. Very disappointing. Unfortunately we would not return.

    Mejina $15 for 2

    My boyfriend and I visited Wabi Sabi a couple days ago which was supposed to be a nice treat on a friday night. Unfortunately we were left with subpar food, and empty stomachs. The food didn't necessarily taste "bad" but for the price they are offering it, it did not match quality at all. They brand themselves as a french/japanese fusion restaurant and the only thing french about it was that they offered escargot and a confit duck. Miso Glazed Sea Bass 3/10 $52 The seabass that came out was a very small portion and tasted like a typical white fish smothered in teriyaki sauce, and overly sweet. Definitely not worth the price point and felt as if it could be served in a bento box lunch special meal from any other establishment. See the picture below, it is the length of half a piece of asparagus. Garnished with inedible useless lemons for style points I guess. Mejina sushi 4/10 $15 for 2 pieces We were recommended this special by our waitress but unfortunately for those 2 pieces it was not worth it. It tasted like regular sushi. Sushi Deluxe 2/10 $48 We ordered 2 of these and it was the most subpar thing we have had on this menu. For almost 50 bucks you expect to be getting high end sushi but it is slightly above average and would not value it at this price whatsoever. The chef choice roll was a roll filled with only cucumber and avocado, topped with minimal amount of spicy tuna. Seared Toro Roll 3/10 $35(?) I don't remember the exact price for this one but it was around there. We received 8 pieces of very small rolls and honestly tasted okay, but again, 8 pieces of sushi for $35 was absolutely not worth it at all. Sparking/Still water is $10 and it is the Saratoga brand you get at the store for $2. I'm not sure how this restaurant has lasted this long, but having spent over $200 for mediocre food left a sour taste in our mouths. My boyfriend and I are big fans of sushi, and have went to both higher end omakases, and also small sushi joints. We love to support local businesses but Wabi Sabi needs some serious rebranding than the high end french/japanese cuisine they are supposedly trying to offer. If you're looking for some delicious fairly priced local sushi, I would recommend Sushi Koshi in Montclair. Amazing quality and quantity for the price point, and wonderful service. If you're looking for a fancy night out, I would suggest looking for a 14+ course omakase in the city since you will be paying about the same price for $100-$200 a person and it will be a much better experience, trust me! Not even michelin star restaurants charge this much per dish. I would gladly pay this if the quality was outstanding, but unfortunately it was sad and underwhelming. I havent been this disappointed in a sushi/dining experience in a very long time and hardly leave reviews, but Wabi Sabi deserved this one.

    Pri pri roll not deep fried
    Jocelyn L.

    Our experience here was nice, we went for an early dinner and were the only ones in the restaurant which was cool! The staff were super nice. It's BYOB so we brought a bottle of wine and the waitress brought us a bucket with ice right away. I got the pri pri roll but not deep fried (should've gotten it fried) and my friend got the sushi and sashimi. The pri pri roll was good but I was expecting more flavor. I would love to come back here to try some of their appetizers and other dishes!

    Grilled squid
    Steve C.

    I come here with the wife pretty often. Not many local sushi restaurants have the variety and quality of fish that Wabisabi has. Hard to find NY quality places like this in NJ. They have great specials menu that we always order from. The wait staff are super friendly and attentive and the atmosphere is great for a date night. Good idea to make a reservation, they get booked up sometimes, especially on weekends.

    John L.

    We haven't been here in quite some time. Nothing has changed, as close to perfection as we remembered. The sushi is so fresh, the freshest around.. It melts like butter, that's how fresh it is. The decor is so comforting and hip. And the service top notch. Also, it's a BYOB. Our table ordered several types of roll, but for me I had the Tuna Madness. Yummy!

    Sushi assortment

    Absolutely delicious!! The wagyu and toro nigiri, fried rice, edamame, truffle fries. The service was wonderful, so friendly!

    Roast duck miso Ramen noodles

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    3 months ago

    Amazing experience enjoy the friendly service I would happily come back again with friends soon.

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    1 year ago

    Excellent and creative menu lovingly prepared. Make sure to get their green tea and black sesame ice cream for dessert.

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    8 months ago

    Best sushi in NJ. I was blown away by how good it was, and the staff is extraordinarily knowledgeable and kind. Check it out!

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    8 months ago

    This was my first time here and we had great service and very fresh sushi. We also has the sea bass.... Amazing.

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    9 months ago

    The food is good, but prices are insane. It is bloomfield, not some fancy hotel on the waterfront in Monaco

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    11 months ago

    I love this place! The sushi is some of the best I've had, and the service is attentive. It's become one of my favorites around the area.

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    Wabi Sabi Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Wabi Sabi

    Do they deliver or have takeout?

    We don't have delivery service.

    Do you take lunch reservations?

    Yes we do! Our restaurant opens 11:30 am Thursday’s to Sunday’s!

    Does this serve vegetarian also?

    Yes! We have veggie ramens, veggie rolls, veggie tempura and more!

    Is it BYOB?

    Yes it is !

    How much is omakase?

    They will fit your budget. I've had $35 omakase and $85 omakase for a special occasion. It is definitely not NY prices, but NY quality is there. The sweet spot is around $50-$60 and you will get the good stuff and be stuffed.

    Where is the menu?

    They don't have a menu online. Their menu at the restaurant is extensive as they have fantastic sushi grade fish as well as many cooked items that are from French and Japanese cuisines.

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    Minoru

    Minoru

    4.4
    (81 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    Women-owned & operated
    LGBTQ friendly

    Honestly I had incredible conger eel in Japan and have never had a better experience since. Every…read moreeel I have had in the U.S. has never compared, even the eel I had in Seoul, so I was hesitant to order it at Minoru. But this was absolutely worth it. I'm so glad my husband pressured me to. The eel was incredibly tender and delicate on the inside with a delicious crispy exterior and a rich flavor with every bite. The contrast in texture was so so good and it honestly exceeded my expectations in every way. I wish I had more. Easily the best eel I have had in the U.S. I'm still thinking about it weeks later. My husband ordered the Wagyu donburi, which was excellent. The Wagyu was incredibly tender. The waitress also cracked an egg over the beef. It came with rice at the bottom, miso soup, and broth. I also really appreciated that our waitress came over and explained the different ways to enjoy both entrees. There were four different ways to eat each one, which made the experience feel much more thoughtful and interactive. I enjoyed eating mine plain and mixed with broth, scallions, and seaweed. These were the only two dishes we ordered and both were excellent. I will definitely be back for the eel again. It is definitely cheaper than flying to Japan to get my fix.

    Super cute date night / special occasion spot. I believe they only take reservations. There was…read moreplenty of paid street parking and you need to walk up their stairs to enter the restaurant. My first impression was that the railings were sticky. We were pleasantly greeted & sat down. The waitress took our order & provided us with the hand towels. We ordered a couple drinks, and plenty of food. The best item we tried was the Karage (fried chicken), it came out steaming hot & crispy. My husband ordered the Wagyy app & it was good too. I ordered the Shrimp Tempura noodles & my husband a Salmon sushi rice dish. All were presented beautifully, tasted fresh & light. The atmosphere is trendy & cute. The service is great & friendly. I definitely recommend this restaurant.

    Photos
    Restaurant
    Restaurant
    Shrimp Bun
    Shrimp Bun
    Mushroom

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    Mushroom
    Nami Nori

    Nami Nori

    4.4
    (171 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    My friend and I met for lunch at Nami Nori Saturday. She had been there before and recommended it…read morefor us. This was my first time there, and after that meal, it will not be my last. I love temaki! We started with shishito peppers with a smoked honey miso. I was curious to see how they did vegetarian options, so I went with five plant-based temaki. I'm hard-pressed to pick a favorite; each one was so delicious! -- avocado "toast" -- cucumber black sesame -- tofu chimichurri -- sweet potato tempura -- maitake truffle Our waiter was so nice and welcoming. She checked in on us and answered questions that we had about the menu. That kind of genuineness and hospitality always makes the dine-in experience a notch above. I hope to return again soon. The eatery is close to the Welmont, so I made a mental note to remember it next time I'm seeing a concert or show. Nami Nori in Montclair is highly recommended!

    Second time coming to Nami Nori and had amazing service as always! Always good to make a…read morereservation ahead of time as it gets pretty busy during the dinner rush! We love nami nori for its upscale and clean feel! Its well lit and doesn't seem like a night club lol. Food was amazing!! The spicy tuna dip was delicious and actually spicy! The caviar service has gone up a bit in price since we came here a couple years ago but it was too good of a deal before! All the handrolls were amazing but our favorite was the toro scallion. We added some of our leftover caviar from the apps and it mixed perfectly!!! Spicy lobster is definitely a must as well! Can't wait to come back for our next date!! Pro tip: theres a parking deck right across the street behind the bike store! You can cross through the lit up alley pretty safely there.

    Photos
    Ocean trout
    Ocean trout
    A la carte selection of Temaki (hand rolls)
    A la carte selection of Temaki (hand rolls)
    Japanese Potato Salad with Ikura

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    Japanese Potato Salad with Ikura
    Nori

    Nori

    3.7
    (294 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    Came here on a Tuesday night with some friends. The restaurant was very empty, but they did have a…read morelot of takeout orders ready. We were able to be seated right away and the person who greeted us was incredibly kind to us. The restaurant is fairly spacious. They have lots of tables and some booths. As we were looking through their very large menu to the side, what to order, the waiter brought an appetizer on the house, which I believe was some kind of tempura fish, which was pretty good! We ordered four rolls and one miso soup. I do have to say that other places give you the miso soup when you order more than one roll, so it was different that we had to order it separately and pay for it separately, but I understand that restaurants are different. We got the Montclair, the Caldwell, the salmon avocado, and their Hawaiian roll. The one that truly stood out to me was the Hawaiian roll, it had kiwi and mango on top which made for a delicious combination and very refreshing. The other three rolls were OK, nothing outstanding. That miso was a bit sweet, which was different for me. At the end of our meal, they gave us orange slices and they were actually delicious! It was a cute surprise and truly showed the vibe of the people who run this place. Overall, the bill came around $50ish which was incredibly cheap for all four rolls and the soup. I definitely would come here again to get the Hawaiian roll and maybe try out some other stuff!

    Is this the best sushi in NJ? No, but you get a friendly staff , great selection of apps and rolls,…read moresome unique menu items like sushi pizza and fried banana on sushi (digimon roll), but the number one selling point for me is the prive point. For how expensive everything is nowadays, they keep it affordable hell without it feeling like budget sushi. All the fish tasted fresh, no complaints here

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    Nori
    Nori
    Decor

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    Decor
    Kurobuta - White Charcoal Grille

    Kurobuta - White Charcoal Grille

    4.5
    (148 reviews)
    5.2 mi
    $$$
    Locally owned & operated
    Wheelchair accessible

    Honestly one of the best unknowns I've ever picked. Needed some food after a day of shopping and…read moremost things were already closed, so went a little out of our way to get some food. The place is a simpler local eatery, so decor wasn't exactly a designed by some of the best New York interior decorators, but it was pleasant and very calm. The food is a fusion of various Asian cuisines but it is picked very well and cooked to perfection. Kids loved the Baos and Ramen which is probably one of the best indicators of the quality. From what I can tell it is family owned and run, so service may be a little slower than most similar places but it is definitely attentive and friendlier then most.

    FYI - posting this a few months late (was in the drafts)…read more I really enjoyed my first dinner at Kurobuta with a friend! We shared some small plates and tried to get a good feel for the menu. Higher end vibe with some cool fusion elements to the options available - it's clear ingredients are high quality and presentation is very important to them. Even the drinks have fun little lights in them! Service was very kind and attentive but also lets you take your time - which is lovely! We had reservations which I don't think was necessary on a weeknight, but would recommend it for weekends. They mark your reserved table with a cute sign! Overall prices were a bit high for the portions but I understand it's likely for quality. Be prepared to spend if you're hungry!

    Photos
    Kurobuta - White Charcoal Grille
    Kurobuta - White Charcoal Grille
    Kurobuta - White Charcoal Grille

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    pastaRAMEN

    pastaRAMEN

    4.0
    (547 reviews)
    1.4 mi

    10/10, no notes!! I literally cannot wait to eat my…read moreleftovers today. We ordered quite a few items because we wanted the full experience after waiting so long to try this restaurant. WORTH ALLLL THE HYPE!! Speaking of hype, the vibes were good and the type of atmosphere that anyone would feel welcomed in. I saw dates going on and enjoying the tasting menu which is the perfect way to bond, groups of guy friends, families and then us, girls night out to catch up with my best friend. By the way- service was great, too. Friendly, fun & personable from everyone we encountered. Back to the food: *Calamari, super yum! *Caesar Salad, very yum!! Not your ordinary *Pescatarian Bestie ordered the Shrimp Scampi and enjoyed it! I ordered the Wagyu Short Rib Ramen and wowza, it's everything I hoped it would be and more. A generous portion of tented beef, I almost wish the ratio of ramen was higher though but seriously no complaints! I will be back, STAT!! Don't forget to bring your own vino cause it's BYOB

    Let's start by saying our server Matthew was incredible. He was observant, on top of everything,…read moreand had high awareness of the kitchen being behind and slow. We really didn't care about that as we were enjoying our wine and each other. Matthew alone 5 stars! This was our first time eating at pastaRAMEN and we had heard a lot of mixed reviews. The pictures on-line make it look like a fancy place so we did dress up. When we arrived we quickly realized it's not what they advertise and what's in the pictures as it's actually a small run down dive spot. The biggest attraction must be its BYOB as the line was out the door with people holding 2-3 bottles of wine and beer. We were really hopping for the food to be great! Unfortunately we were disappointed causing the 2 star review on food alone. The quality and freshness was poor and everything was soaked in multiple sauces. We had the Cucumber salad that should have been called the pickle salad as there were more pickles than cucumbers. Also the calamari which is hard to mess up but they somehow did with 3 different sweet sauces on it. Next we had the Ramen which they are known for and it had Fried Chicken in it??? It was frozen store bought chickens they warmed up. The last thing we ordered was the black cod, this could have caused us to get food poisoning!! One bit each and we both had to take a sip of wine quickly to get the taste out of our mouths. We couldn't even take a second bit. They did give us free dessert because everything took so long which was very nice but that was our great server Matthew. Dessert was good! Another side note the bathrooms were absolutely disgusting with pee on the floors and all over the toilet in both bathrooms. We did have a good night because we brought a very nice bottle of wine. Too bad they didn't give you real wine glasses. It was more of a plastic cup. I don't see us ever going back.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Delicious octopus skewers
    Delicious octopus skewers
    Cacio e Pepe Gyoza

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    Cacio e Pepe Gyoza

    Wabi Sabi - japanese - Updated August 2026

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