Superior--truly excellent--service from Nate, who was welcoming, engaging, and attentive. The sushi was very good (well above average in terms of fish quality) and the spicy miso soup was a perfect aperitif. Thanks! read more

The food was excellent. Although I don't typically eat sushi, it was definitely worth trying here. Everything tasted fresh and delicious, and I didn't experience any discomfort afterwards. The aroma of the food was delightful. Despite the service being decent, the outstanding quality of the food overshadowed any shortcomings. Despite the apparent busyness of the staff, they managed to attend to everyone efficiently and were very attentive. The decor was thoughtfully arranged, with well-placed decorations creating a pleasant ambiance. We were seated by a window, which added to the overall enjoyment of the experience. Additionally, it's worth noting that the restaurant is BYOB. read more

I'm really torn on this one. I've been to Wasai over a dozen times, from the very first week they opened, and I've done take out more times than I can count. If there is anything you take away from this review, it should be to order with care. Read on, and I will show you how. On the one hand, this is definitely the best sushi you can get without venturing further afield to the likes of Jersey City, Hoboken, and NYC. On the other hand, a restaurant like this would be unlikely to make it in those more competitive environments. Do order the Salmon Lovers and Tuna Madness combos. The salmon lovers is always on point, and the Bob's Roll that accompanies it is the best roll on offer. The tuna madness, however, may require you to contend with some white tuna sashimi that have not been totally defrosted. Be advised, their spicy rolls are not spicy. Literally 0/10 on the spice richter scale (and it's logarithmic!). I've heard many a confused patron ask the waitress if there was perhaps some miscommunication in the kitchen. The waitress assures them that there was, in fact, nothing lost in translation. The customers, perplexed, stare at their heaping rolls of slurified yellowtail, salmon, and tuna, reassessing the life choices that have led them to not reading this review. Wasai is sorry not sorry. On sushi, there will not be a single red pepper flake, nor dollop of spicy mayo, to be found. The spicy miso soup does often have a good bit of spice to it. When ordered, sometimes the spice, acidity, and umami are balanced. Sometimes they are not. Ever the optimist, I always order it, resigned to disappointment around half the time. Their special rolls are nothing to write home about, though the Godzilla Roll is satisfying if you're looking for a deep fried experience, and is quite large. Absolutely skip the Mes Reves Roll with wagyu. The sorry little steak strips that top this roll provide little of value to the pallet to justify their cost, nor do they help the roll itself become a cohesive dish. Beware ordering less popular sushi a la cart. I went for two pieces of toro sushi at $20+ that were not totally defrosted. If you're looking for more fish to supplement your meal, going for a simple roll is a safe bet. On the appetizers: The truffle fries have a tasty mayo dip. The fries are insufficiently salted and crisped. The mayo dip, served in insufficient quantity, saves them from obscurity. This is a good filler dish to keep your bill down prior to receiving your fish. The spicy seaweed salad is quite good, though they fluff the dish heavily with cheaper greens. You will not receive much seaweed, and sometimes your greens will be wilted, but this dish does still receive a cautious recommendation. Skip the Sear Foie Gras. The flavor is fine, but the portion is simply embarrassing. Think a half dollar coin - and that's being generous. The smoked duck is pretty cool, served under a domed glass full of cedar smoke. Tastes fine, and the cool factor is a bonus. The Peanut Butter dumplings are a heartbreaker. When they were first introduced, I could not get enough. The peanut butter sauce was delectable, and the filling was excellent. Nothing about this should have worked, but it did, and I loved it... Until, it disappeared from the menu. I would call once a week asking for it but, alas, "supply chain issues" reared their ugly head. Imagine my excitement when they finally returned! Never one for half measures, I took four orders with me that very day. The peanut sauce was the same, but the filling had became tasteless, the dish lost all cohesion, the texture was all wrong - mealy and crumbly; my disappointment was immeasurable, and my day was ruined. The dumplings turned to ashes in my mouth. I have not ordered them since. The salmon taco and the tuna tacos are unimpressive. Just skip them - the dish es do not come together in any meaningful way. The Kampachi Yuzu makes absolutely no sense, and is disappointing to say the least. One would expect a dish composed with yuzu to have some amount of acidity. Instead, the yellowtail is smothered in butter. The Lobster bisque had lobster that was hard, gritty, and the size of my pinky finger. I would expect better from a diner. Skip the truffle edamame as well. The dish smells like truffles from the truffle oil, but there is no truffle flavor at all. The dish is greasy to boot. If you have made it this far in the review, you would find it understandable that I have not ventured further into their cooked entrees. I enjoy some culinary self flagellation, but I am not sufficiently a masochist to attempt their duck confit. On to desserts: The cheesecake with sesame ice cream is divine. The creme brûlée is typically fine. The Bread Pudding and Belgian Flowerless Chocolate Cake are forgettable. In sum, Wasai is burdened by an over-expansive menu and a lack of focus. If you select with care, you can have a good experience here. read more

See all

Best sushi ! So many unique sushi choices in the menu! We love the Godzilla roll, kamikazi roll and meteor roll! You can't go wrong with any of their sushi ! It's elevated and truly Japanese made. We've also tried their ramen soup . They also offer a variety of dinner choices . Seabass was delicious! This place is a gem! read more

See all

A bit overdue for this review, but I was taken here for my birthday back in August. Wow what a unique and delicious dining experience. We tried everything from sushi to grilled squid and uni. Everything tasted really fresh and flavorful. I really enjoyed this meal and recommend you give them a try. read more

Wasai Bistro - Sushi and seafood pasta. Wow - French Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

It is the same bistro where "A Toute Heure" used to be, is probably why the quaintness is similar. Cozy decor and comfy seats. Jazz music floated in the background. Japanese-French fusion so I tried the Seafood Pasta Uni Cream. The pasta texture was just perfect for me and the creamy sauce coated it well. Generous portions of clams in their shells (spent a couple of minutes separating them), some scallops, some huge shrimps and a few tiny uni that was so buttery. I enjoyed this dish well. For the start though, I had their special of Torched Salmon Belly and Torched Cod Fish- those were tasty! But even before that I had the Clear Soup which very few Japanese restaurants offer and here, it was so soothing to my belly. I was too full to try any dessert, but will definitely get the panna cota for the next visit; will definitely try the roasted buttery oysters and the Eel Donburi. Service was very polite and unintrusive. Overall, a delightful experience. read more

See all

One of the best BYOB restaurants in the area. They have two seatings for dinner. Every item is thoughtfully prepared and delicious. The smoked duck breast is served in a cloud of smoke. The salmon sashimi is memorable. The service is helpful and attentive. read more

See all

The sushi here is DELICIOUS! This is now my go-to place for sushi. The salmon melted in my mouth, the avocado was incredibly creamy, the service was EXCELLENT and the ambience is very cute. I got an assortment of sushi rolls and they were all great. It's been a while since I've had a sushi place which would be THE place I go to, and I'm so happy I finally have a new one (after living in both NYC and LA) Prices are very fair. Above the average just-ok sushi place, but not so high that I'd only go for very special occasions. Highly recommended! read more

Wasai Bistro - Bob's Roll (I think?) - French Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

Classic food Ambiance and exciting food The service is very good but the food is the star. read more

Wow! What a gem this is. We enjoyed everything we ate. From grilled squid to duck risotto to signature sashimi to dessert, we are absolutely stuffed and happy. Please make sure you make reservations. read more

See all

Their food was really good :) Went here for my birthday dinner and I fairly enjoyed it. Uni was my favorite and I will definitely be back! read more

See all

Wasai was recommended to me and I'm glad to have finally checked them out for a girls brunch. What we got: Seared Tuna Tataki Grilled Octopus Escargot with Mushroom Sauce Mes Reves Roll Seared Tuna and Asparagus with Wasabi Chardonnay Sauce Roasted Duck Confit with Mushroom Risotto Premium Aged Angus Steak on the Stone We shared all the appetizers and enjoyed each one. The waitress recommended the duck confit and it was actually pretty tasty. It was cooked just right- not tough or rubbery! The tuna was filling and sauces for the steak were tasty as well read more

See all

What an almost perfect dinner! During covid my partner and I don't go out for obvious reasons and still because I'm immuno-compromised, we try to stay home. On this night we pampered ourselves, getting massages earlier and so, I wanted to get a special dinner as a date. Wasai on a Wednesday/weeknight after 7pm was at half capacity if that. We were greeted by an older Asian woman into a cozy hodgepodge farmhouse modern space with dim lighting and various wood interior. A hand drawn chalk wall mural of koi fish makes the space artistic and inviting. Upon entrance, there was no line. The first words she said to us were curt. "Do you have a reservation?" And "next time after 6pm make a reservation here because you won't be seated." Well. That was an unnecessarily brusk and frankly unhelpful welcome. Friends, can I tell you that we looked in the space and there were ample 4-5 tables empty for the remainder of the night?!? Ma'am. Aunty. Calm down. It's Cranford. Not Tribeca. Not Hollywood. Not even Manila on a Friday. Certainly the scruff salutation can be kept to yourself. It's also Wednesday. It'll be okay. Obviously, she had no idea I was ready to have a lavish meal, and gluttonously eat the entire kitchen down to its barest essentials! Aside from that initial orientation, the meal was strong and delicious. We ordered the tuna carpaccio which was light, fresh, tangy, and delicate. The chargrilled octopus arrived and it was sliced for us which felt like it lost its visual panache but the flavor still bursted with smokiness and a tart tamarind like sauce. The Spicy Miso Duck Ramen Soup had an unctious well flavored broth with succulent duck. The noodles were chewy and on the softer side, needed some bite. Premium Aged Angus Steak on Stone (Cooked Table-side) was exquisite but steep in price point and smaller in portion without a complimentary vegetable like broccolini or brussel sprouts, so we ordered the potato fries with Truffle aioli on the side. That's peculiar given that in nyc or even jersey city an entree at the 33$ range with a steak would offer a vegetable but I suppose you're paying for the gimmick of a 500F hot stone. On this rate, you could have LA kalbi cooked on a grill with at least banchan. The steak itself was easy to seer and had an okay marbling. The preparation and composition in all aspects of our meal felt thoughtful and polished. Over all, the meal was well-paced, our different server was warm, efficient, and sincerely helpful. The food was satisfying and well executed. Primary glitches were briefly in service and in overall portion size. We'll definitely try other Ramen options and I'm excited about the lambchops! Perhaps, I'll even make reservations on any future night just to avoid the possible stampede. read more

Wasai Bistro - Grilled Octopus - French Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

See all

While traveling through NJ in April, we were excited to find a sushi place with such high reviews. We were seated in a booth type table with cushions and I am pretty sure those cushions have either fleas or dust mites, we were attacked / bit by something in this restaurant. It was horribly uncomfortable to eat a meal while being bit! The Sushi was sub par at this establishment, too much rice too. The place was also way over priced, too bad I will never be able to get my 75 bucks back! read more

Wasai Bistro - DO NOT SIT IN THIS BOOTH - French Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

Best quality fish you can get in NJ or NY for that matter. The salmon and tuna was exceptionally fatty and delicious. You can't go wrong with Sam's roll, mes reves roll or pretty much any other roll. The inside has a nice small cafe charm to it and they have limited tables with 2 diner slots available at night. Overall, great experience and will be back soon read more

See all

This is the BEST French Japanese Restaurant in South Jersey. It was our first time here so we decided to try a lot of different dishes. For the entrees we ordered Peanut Butter Dumpling and Escargot with Mushroom Sauce. Our Main course we decided Chef's choice Sushi & Sashimi, the fish extremely fresh and Eel Fired Rice Sear Foie Gras & Cheesecake Both must try at one your visits. I would highly recommend Wasai Bistro and will definitely return. read more

See all

Very good food and service. Fresh fish and all the others. Good choices on desserts and drinks. Nice and cozy. read more

Wasai Bistro - French Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

See all

It's a fantastic restaurant; it surprised me! I was told this is a Japanese-French fusion-style restaurant, but I also feel it includes some Cantonese elements; for example, this super delicious duck confit reminds me of Cantonese roasted duck. Everything is excellent, except I feel a bit cold eating inside. But put it into a nutshell, it is worth a detour to experience read more

Wasai Bistro - French Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

See all

The restaurant is fairly small so you'll definitely need to book a reservation before dining here. It was our first time here so we decided to try a lot of different dishes. To start, we had the tuna avocado spicy yuzu dressing salad, rock shrimp, and Berkshire pork dumplings. The sauce for the rock shrimp was tasty with a small spicy kick to it. The salad was refreshing and I really enjoyed the yuzu dressing they used. The dumplings were good but nothing special in my opinion. For our main course we wanted to try the omakase but couldn't find that on the menu - not sure if they offer it or if we should've asked them? Instead, we went with the Wasai Signature and the Spicy Miso Duck Ramen Soup. The fish tasted extremely fresh but I think I would've preferred the Omakase experience over it based on the other yelpers' pictures. The duck ramen was flavorful too but I wish the soft boiled egg was a little more soft boiled. We ended the night with their cheesecake which was paired with black sesame ice cream. Overall, we finished all of our food and had no leftovers so I'd say we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Will definitely be back to enjoy their omakase! read more

See all

Delicious food. Small quaint and gorgeous restaurant. Shame they don't have some delicious drinks to compliment the food. 5/5 nonetheless. read more

I was debating if I wanted to write this at all but here I am. Let me start off by saying that I am very disappointed in this restaurant. When I walked up and peaked through the windows to see if it was packed but it wasn't. So I walk inside and half the restaurant is empty. I asked them "can I get a table for 2?" She the hostess or owner, I really don't know say "we're all booked up." So I do a quick look around and it's a handful of people in there but magically they won't accept us. I had my eye on one meal that I been thinking about all week the "duck confit with mushroom risotto." Guess I won't be trying that anytime soon. We just went to a restaurant that was way more busier that accepted us. They don't deserve our money anyway. Ooo yea, soon as I left somebody else walks in and I bet they got what they wanted. I'm gonna keep my negative thoughts to myself about this place. Peace! read more

THIS IS THE BEST JAPANESE & FRENCH FUSION RESTAURANT I've ever been to. Starting off with the Japanese side, SUSHI & SASHIMI are fresh and authentically served with custom handmade plates. Sashimi melt in my mouth with a great sense of ocean. I lived in San Francisco area for most of the time, yet this place is better than every single Japanese restaurant I've been to in asian densed SF and LA area. Moving on to the French cuisine, duck confit is by far my favorite. Duck leg is at perfect tenderness and the risotto rice are flavorful and creamy, forming a perfect balance. The miso glazed Chilean sea bass is crispy on the surface and tender on the inside, the rosemary on top not only add color decoration to the dish, but also bring up the flavor of the sea bass. I'm so glad to encounter this place and inevitably fall in love with it. Will come back soon! read more

See all

It was great lunch! The interior is really cute and food was so delicious. If you are craving for Japanese food, must check out! I ordered Maki combo and the portion was pretty big and miso soup was savory. Bread pudding has raisins inside and black bean ice cream on side. Good dessert to wrap the meal with. Thumbs up read more

See all

Not for me! Even with minimal acoustic panels, this small place was very noisy. I saw a minuscule number of patrons over 50 and probably for a good reason; the menus ultra fine unreadable print. So small I chose to order my standing litmus items. (Yes, I'm over 50). Miso soup was absolutely tasteless and watery. Seaweed Salad was a winner though, with great flavor and plentiful but towards the bottom they chose to put in some larger leaves that had a bitter taste. The, hard to believe, famous peanut butter dumplings, while innovative, had a thin and lackluster taste of the peanut butter sauce that covered it. I ordered 2 Hamachi hand rolls, even though they were not on the menu, that were truly unremarkable, had minimal fish and not very fresh. Popcorn shrimp was tasty but way over breaded. A Tuna roll had macerated tuna vs sliced or cubed and the flavor was nothing to cheer about. For me, this made the number 1 spot of the bottom half of the middle 30. read more

This place is amazing I love how much time and care they put into every dish and Nelson the owner is a true artist read more

Wasai Bistro - This is a special of the day and the owner of the restaurant - French Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

We had a truly great dinner at Wasai. I had read many of the Yelp reviews before going so I was aware that they operate on 2 seatings per night: 6-8 & 8-10. When I called to make the reservation I was told to pretty much know what I wanted to order upon arrival as well as the fact that Wasai was BYOB. Because we knew that in advance, our dinner was wonderful. I had the grilled octopus & the Grilled Salmon. Both were excellent: perfectly cooked and seasoned. The service was good, but not great. The fact that everyone in the restaurant sits & orders at the same time makes the wait staff extremely busy. That being said, the service was about as good as it could be with the staff bring stretched that thin. We will come to Wasai again. read more

See all

Wasai Bistro is a hidden gem. We ordered the Chef Special for take out and ended up going in a week later for dine in since the menu looked so delicious. Starting with the sashimi - the fish was super fresh, and had some unique bites added in. One note, this does not come with a side of sushi rice similar to most sashimi platters. It included wagyu, uni and botan shrimp as well as some fish classics. The wagyu was nicely seared, the botan shrimp head was perfectly fried and there was three pieces of uni. I normally don't like uni but this one was super fresh and clean. Enjoyed this platter! Next when we are in (it's BYO, don't forget) was the day of a bad snowstorm so the place was pretty empty. We ordered a ton of options and loved them all. Seared Snapper: this was a special for the night, they do offer the same preparation with salmon on their menu. This was buttery soft and seared to perfection. Amazing first bite and would order again if available, otherwise excited to try the salmon version Salmon Carpaccio: this place has great fish, that we know. Very good portion of the carpaccio, enjoyed the sauce Grilled Oyster: I was imagining something similar to NOLA, this is definitely a bit different. The oysters are huge and have a nice butter coating. They were a bit more ocean forward for my liking. Escargot: This was delicious, the escargot was out of the shell and bathed in a delicious mushroom sauce, ate every morsel. Would order in a heartbeat again Smoked Duck Breast: Presentation is beautiful, they smoke it on site. Great proportions, cooked nicely, only order if you enjoy the smokey flavor, similar to a cured meat vs a seared duck breast Steak on Hot Stone: This is just delicious, amazing price, amazing presentation and the steak itself is so good. A must try at one of your visits Cheesecake: I usually like cheesecake, this one I LOVED. It's a vanilla bean cheesecake with the fluffiest, lightest texture and slightly sweet but creamy flavor. The sesame ice cream is a great contrast with such an interesting flavor that is addicting Aside from the amazing food, the people here are amazing as well. So accommodating, so genuine and nice. I've already told so many people about this place so if you're on the fence, definitely go. Can't wait to come back read more

See all

Incredible. Nelson the chef/owner is an artist. Never would I think I would say that my risotto at a Japanese restaurant was incredible... but it was. Wow, to that, and everything else I had here. read more

Let me start off by saying this is the BEST Japanese food in all of Union county, NJ. The restaurant had a small intimate dining area with tasteful decor. We started of with Spicy Rock Shrimp & Grilled Octopus appetizers. The rock shrimp had a perfect crunchy outer and soft shrimp center with a subtle spiced dressing. The grilled octopus had a perfect balance of grilled outer flavor and supple center! The small salad served with the octopus was drizzled in Yuzu which was delish. For the entrees we ordered Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass and Godzilla Roll. The Sea Bass was flavored and cooked to perfection. The Miso was savory and mixed perfectly with the mashed potatoes. The Godzilla roll was filling and all the ingredients tasted fresh. I would highly recommend Wasai Bistro and will definitely return. read more

See all

This is an interesting little venue with very good Japanese food / sushi. It is not really a fusion but rather distinct menu items (sushi and French (?)). We only tried the sushi and other Japanese dishes and loved them. Service was good but the space is tight and seatings are limiting (6 or 8 pm) but definitely worth a trip. read more

We ordered take out at this new place. The way they packaged the take out food is very careful and thoughtful. Especially the way they packed the noodle soup. See picture for reference. XD You can definitely taste the freshness of the fish. The ramen soup base is full with flavors. The only thing I would say is, I wish the egg is soft boiled. Otherwise, everything is perfect. read more

See all

Food was excellent and nicely plated. I've been here twice. Once for lunch,a friend and I were the only diners. The host? never greeted us and waved us over to a table. never looked up. Woman comes over to take order,we just sat down. Goes away with a glum face. I dislike using a qr code for menu which should be available. I ask a question.about special tea, what's in it? Green tea blend. Well what's the blend. Curtly tells the blend. I ask her about red dragon.roll. she tell me to read the menu? Are we bothering you?? My friend was too timid to ask about sashimi. When we left no acknowledgement. Pick up food one not busy night. No greeting. Mumbles something about sit by.door. I'm glad I had cash with me. Hands me bag 30 minutes late. I left cash on counter. No acknowledgement. That's the last time you'll have my business. read more

We've come here twice for dinner and always great. My pre-teen kids loved cooking steak on the stone.

Thank you Nelson for a wonderful dining experience. The sushi was incredibly fresh and so well prepared. I drove 45 minutes to get here and it was totally worth the hype. The service and quality rivals any NYC sushi restaurant. read more

For NJ standards, you'll get a solid meal here. Chilean Sea Bass - it's solid. Not too dry. The miso complements it. It's a little sweet. The mashed potatoes were too salty and inedible. Duck Confit- The mushroom risotto was good. A little salty. The duck itself was pretty dry. I took a few bites of it before realizing it was dry for my tastes. I wouldn't order that again. I'd order the Chilean Sea Bass again and a side of mushroom risotto. It's solid. It's above average for NJ standards. At least their fish isn't dry. (I'm a little skeptical- are reviews less than 5 stars being deleted???) read more

Such good food. Great quality and taste. Nice ambience and staff is really good too. Overall money and time well spent for a great dining experience Definitely will come back and even for take out . read more

Because I don't eat seafood, I was skeptical to try this place. But surprisingly they had a lot of non-seafood options! I went with something I've always wanted to try, steak on a stone. Delicious! Each slice of steak only cooked about 30 seconds per side. read more

Wasai Bistro - Steak on a stone - French Near Me - Cranford, New Jersey

See all

My husband and I went here as a belated birthday celebration. We're lucky enough that we live close enough to walk here, so for us it's a new neighborhood spot. We started with the truffle edamame and smoked duck. The duck was exceptional, the best I've ever had. We followed that up with the Salmon Lovers Sushi and steak. The salmon was incredible - it melted in your mouth. The steak dish you cooked on a hot stone, so not only was it delicious but it was also a fun experience. We finished by splitting the creme brulee which was the perfect way to end the meal. My husband is already asking when we can go back. I'm so happy that we have a new, wonderful restaurant in Cranford. read more

Fantastic, everything I've eaten here has been fantastic, including the risotto lol - who knew! Couldn't recommend this place more highly.

Incredible experience from start to finish. Can't recommend this place enough. The freshest food I've had. Chef Nelson - you made us feel like part of the family - we look forward to going back soon. https://www.facebook.com/olga.rediger/posts/4018022254874628 read more

See all