Kotobuki Manhattan

Kotobuki, you’re the one.
I’ve been searching for a good $$ sushi place in the East Village, and I finally found the one. Prices are very reasonable, and I always get fresh delicious fish. The sushi deluxe is $ 24 and you get more than enough food for the price. Plus, their eel is divine.
Warning: it’s one of those «New York places» so plan to arrive early or face the ghastly 30 minute wait for a table during prime time.

It’s a solid go to on a sun-​thurs night/​lunch. The price is right and the quality is exceptional given the price point.
However, the acoustics in this place are terrible. Every little sound seems to echo off the walls and scream back at you. I’m not usually bothered by the noise level in restaurants but this one was bad enough to make me want to order take out the next time around.

I have no choice but to go the 1 star route with this.
My brother is a sushi buff, and we sometimes grab sushi dinner on Sunday nights. We both love the stuff. Nick always tells me how this is his favorite place to go, and I finally met him there.
You know what? The food was really good! The tuna fresh and the rolls creative and well balanced. The salmon was perfect and I did really like the food.
BUT. Big but.
The service was at an all time low. One of the most insane and ridiculous meals I have had. The food took over an hour to come. Other tables were getting their meals and every time we asked for it, they said okay, they would check. But never told us if it was coming. We only ordered sushi, nothing complicated, nothing that had to be cooked.
We had to ask a million times for more water, when the food finally came it came in piecemeal, and most of the sushi was warm. Like it had been sitting out on a counter for a while warm. Weird warm.
The waiter made no apologies, didn’t comp anything. We had to beg for our bill, beg for more water, beg for someone to take our credit cards so we could pay. We were there for almost two hours. Didn’t order one cocktail. Just wanted a quick in and out.
Most frustrating meal ever. And, the waitstaff was sort of rude about the whole thing. I mean, they would walk right by us when I loudly said «Excuse me! Can we please have more water?» I finally started asking any waiter I saw, instead of ours, and they would say okay and then never re-​appear. So weird. So angry.
So, I don’t care how good the sushi is. I am not coming back. There are tons and tons of delicious sushi places in this city, and in this area especially. Nope, nope, nope on Kotobuki.

Now, this is not high end sushi or anything along the lines of traditional. You don’t come here if you’re looking for the omakase/​kaiseke service you would get from the $$$$ Japanese restaurants (Masa, Yasuda, Nakazawa, etc).
If on the otherhand, you want casual sushi/​sashimi or Americanized sushi rolls, this would be the place to go because the portions are generous and the fish is fresh! I always order the Sashimi Deluxe which is the best offer in the area and the place does not look super sketchy or dirty. The Sashimi Deluxe also comes with a riceless UFO roll which is salmon/​tuna/​avocado wrapped in white daikon radish. It also comes with salmon carpaccio which is cajun/​old bay seasoned seared chunks of salmon. It’s a bit unnecessarily oily but as far as I see it, they’re very generous with the sashimi so I almost see this as a freebie or bonus when compared to what you’d get at the other restaurants in the area.
Service isn’t the best but they try. It honestly hasn’t really bothered me. They constantly refill my water and bring my food on a timely basis so I’m not complaining if they’re English is spotty. I come here at least twice a month when I just want to gorge myself on raw fish!

This place is probably one of the best Japanese restaurants for the $$ price range. We got 1 order of salmon sashimi (my all-​time fav), and surprise! It was 3 small/​medium slices of super fresh salmon: a nice bright pink, fatty streaks, moist and sweet –droolworthy stuff– for 3 bucks!
Also ordered 2 of the special rolls to try out: the mardi gras gone wild and coquette. Both were delicious. On a side note, I found the menu layout hilarious. It was like a challenge– are you an «amateur roll» type of person? Or will you go for the «super special list…» if you dare…
The yakiudon was good but a little pricey. I was itching to try some appetizers from the super special list like spicy tuna pizza, but sadly did not have the room :(
This is an awesome restaurant for a more casual Japanese dinner (we can’t all shell out $ 9 per piece for sashimi). Interior is standard/​trendy; service could’ve been better. And you kind of have to awkwardly squeeze between tables to make it to the restroom.
BUT all in all, there’s really fresh fish + interesting rolls + a variety of cooked dishes. Honestly, it tops all of the Japanese restaurants on St. Marks so eat dinner here, THEN walk over to grab some drinks, go barhop, whatever floats your boat.

I really, really like it here!
Last Saturday I ate here with 2 friends, and we all enjoyed our meal. The prices were super reasonable, and all of the sushi tasted incredibly fresh. The miso soup (something so simple), was really noteworthy. There were also several inexpensive sake options to choose from, which was great. The sushi bar looked impeccable clean, which is always appreciated.
After waiting about 20 – 30 min to be seated on a Saturday night (the time the hostess advised), the service was quick and efficient.
I would definitely recommend, and expect to be back.

I can see someone having a bad experience here since upon leaving at around 8−830PM, service was getting a bit spotty and the line for a table was out the door. I however got there at 630PM, sauntered right in and feasted with 3 friends.
We ordered up some edamame and kmac sliders (2 per order) to start. A heaping portion of hot, steaming edamame and the kmac sliders were spicy tuna tartar, rice and avocado patties sandwiched between two rice-​crisps that made up the «bun». Definitely a fun take on the slider and delicious to boot, but nothing too legendary.
We went with the sushi & sashimi platter for three. Mind you I was with three men and myself and this was MORE than enough food. Like almost left a man behind so much food. It was a little over $ 100. What? Literally I think it was 18 pieces of sashimi, 13 pieces of sushi, 7 rolls (including some bangers), soup, salad, salmon carpaccio and a tuna salad. It was a lot of delicious and very fresh fish. We were all so delighted that we found the sushi deal of the century in NYC. Seriously, all that food, sake and beers for about $ 50 per person? Like whoa.
Lets be honest, you can’t really get a better deal than that, and if you can, you best let me know ASAP.
If you’re a group and dining late, be prepared to wait for your food and a table, but you’re definitely not gonna find a better bang for your buck than that huge platter.
5 stars (although I have a feeling the 4 star average is spot on).

Was looking for a quick tasty lunch in the union sq area and Eric P suggested Kotobuki. I used to live in the area and never once stepped foot in here, man have I been missing out.
So its not authentic Japanese food, it seems Chinese run. But it really is a good bang for the buck, especially at lunch
Décor: ⁴⁄₅
Very clean
— this place is huge, there are alot of tables in the back
Service: ³⁄₅
Service was very friendly, waters refilled regularly
— only gripe is that food came out a little slow.
Food: 3.5÷5
I had the 15 $ omakase sashimi lunch
— comes with ~10 slices of sashimi, 3 pieces of their UFO roll (its riceless), and 3 – 4 pieces of seared salmon — tasted cajun-​y
— sashimi salmon and hamachi were quite good — melt in mouth
— tuna sashimi was a bit on the bland tough chewy side
— the salmon side dish was cooked perfectly, super moist in the middle
— also includes miso soup (wasnt very salty yay), and a salad (a bit on the soggy side), oh and a bowl of rice
I was stuffed.
My friend had the chirashi which looked equally good, it had tamago also.
If you’re looking to get stuffed with a fishy lunch give this place a try.

For my centesimal review it was just befitting to give it to Kotobuki and wow, it did not disappoint when I came back here the second time around. I was skeptical to come here for Saturday dinner without reservation since my first visit here required us to wait at least half an hour in order to be seated.
It was one of our lucky nights. When we arrived, A table for four was available and we were seated right away. Our waiter came to us and ask if we are ordering «sushi and sashimi for 3» we unanimously replied «yes».
We were offered something to drink and we all opted for some Japanese beer. A noodle nibble was available at the table together with a warm hand towels.
We were served with fried oysters as our amuse Bouche, it was delicious and cooked to perfection.
I was not very impressed with the miso soup and vegetables salad that came with our order, 1 star off, I thought that they could come up with something better than that.
Much to our delight, the sushi and sashimi platters for 3 were served in two huge separate plates with spicy tuna and salmon teriyaki bowl on the side. It was superabundant and surprisingly the quality and taste did not suffer, not to mention that it was also well plated.
Our waiter was very attentive and quickly suggested the best deal for us. Obviously, It’s definitely not my last visit here.

Very decent Japanese restaurant that won’t disappoint you, nor will it wow you. Prices here are very reasonable for Manhattan, and food quality is good enough for me to come back occasionally when I don’t want to spend too much on sushi.
First things first, this spicy tuna pizza that’s seemingly the hot item, overrated, skip it. My table of 4 didn’t even finish it. The «bread» part of it was too hard and chewy. I was having trouble detecting any actual tuna on the dish because it was covered by an excessive amount of spicy mayo. At least crab meat was visually there.
The fried oysters here are not bad, but that’s because they’re fried… and then also drenched in butter (I’m beginning to notice a theme of overloading things with sauce here). Too bad the breading on the oysters were soggy, but I still enjoyed it. I mean you could’ve given me fried bread (donut?) doused in butter and I would’ve been just as satisfied.
Each time I’ve come here, my group has also ordered the sushi for three, which can easily STUFF four people, and probably feed five. It comes with sushi and sashimi (tuna, salmon, and yellowtail mostly), an assortment of rolls, a bowl of tuna avocado salad, and a bowl of seasoned cooked salmon. To reiterate, sushi quality is not bad, and this is a value order because of the massive amounts of food you get.
The one thing Kotobuki has above most average sushi places, is that the ambiance is rather nice, and the décor is not tacky. The layout however, is somewhat fire hazardous. The back half of the restaurant has two walking aisles, and neither of them are wide enough for two people to walk by of each other, especially if one person is a waiter carrying a tray. So if you’re a casual diner sitting asking one of these aisles, be don’t be surprised if a buttocks or two brushes the back of your head during your meal.

Pros:
* Solid sushi here where they give you hefty portions of fresh fish! Recommend the Cinderella, Gold Coast, American Dream, Manhattan Salmon and Manhattan Spicy Tuna rolls.
* Complimentary starter small dishes of spicy glass noodles
Cons:
* Don’t recommend the Spicy Tuna pizza it’s not the best.
* When Kotobuki is crowded, quality of service diminishes very quickly. They need to add servers when it’s at its busiest time
Tip:
* Make sure to come early because it tends to get packed around 8pm.

This place is incredible! My favorite sushi spot in the East Village.
I’d been here once before a few months ago and had a great experience. I was craving sushi today so I invited Kevin to join me here for dinner again. We got there about 6:30 and the place was bustling already. We didn’t have to wait but all the people behind us had no such luck! The menu is super extensive, with tons of inventive appetizers and special rolls to choose from. We decided on the spicy tuna pizza, caterpillar remixed roll and the sushi+sashimi platter for one.
The spicy tuna pizza was a great starter. Spicy tuna and crab salad (coated with a generous amount of delicious spicy mayo) on top of this super crunchy rice/​nori patty. A tad heavy but so flavorful, and the textures worked well.
The sushi+sashimi platter for ONE was a ridiculous value. There were 10 pieces of sashimi, 5 pieces of sushi, a little bowl of salmon carpaccio, a tuna roll, two special rolls (ufo+rainbow) and more of the spicy tuna/​crab salad. Huge cuts and super fresh! The rolls were also excellent — generous filling, minimal rice! I am so glad we only ordered the platter for one — we barely finished it amongst the two of us and our caterpillar remixed roll hadn’t even come yet. 15 minutes later, it still wasn’t here. The waitress was super apologetic and said it was probably forgotten. Totally believable — I only counted 5 sushi chefs working. Their sushi bar is not nearly big enough for the amount of orders (mostly special rolls and sashimi platters, it looked like) they have to put through. Anyways, she said it was comped so that was nice! It came out about 5 minutes after that. It was so good! There was so much going on – sweet eel and shrimp filling topped with creamy avocado slices and a tobiko, spicy mayo and eel sauce concoction. Would have enjoyed it more if I wasn’t so full already though. Had to scrap our plans to go to the gelato lab afterwards.
Overall, great prices, amazing fresh sushi. Will be back!

I have been in and around the East Village off and on for years, how have I been so stupid as to not find this place before?! It’s sushi heaven. They don’t take reservations anymore, and when I got there on Saturday, I saw why.
We waited for a table for 2 for about 15 minutes, they sat us much faster than we thought we would be. It was packed and the line to put names down reached the sidewalk a few times. Once we were seated, our orders were taken quickly and we got our miso soups in a matter of minutes, but the sushi took a while. We didn’t complain, that’s expected on a Saturday at like 8pm in the middle of the east village– and we had wine. But our waitress brought us a salad on the house to share while we waited.
And then the sushi came and my world was turned upside down. The prices on the menu were muuuuch smaller than expected but the food that showed up was muuuch bigger than expected and so much better than any sushi I have ever had in New York City. I’m hesitant to say it’s the best I’ve ever had because I’m a sushi fiend, but I can’t think of another place that’s better off the top of my head.
the ½ Futomaki roll was mind-​blowing, the tobiko sushi pieces were overflowing with tobiko (they didn’t skimp at all) and the salmon sashimi was thick and fresh and mouthwatering. The sweet potato hand roll was double the size of what was served at the last few places I’ve been to, and the out of control roll was also scrumptious.
I’m rambling, I’ll stop, but I have only fantastic things to say about Kotobuki. I’m already planning on coming back in the next week or two.

Kotobuki, you are amazing!
I came here on a Monday night and it was pretty crowded, but we got seated immediately. We decided to get the Sushi and Sashimi for 2, which turned out to be sooo worth it! The fish was fresh and there was enough food to feed 3, maybe even 4 people. For the quality and the value, it was definitely worth the $ 68 they charged. Between the 2 of us, the check was $ 100 flat (including a large Sapporo and 2 hot sakes). The service was also pretty good; no complaints here!
Also as an added bonus, there was a live band who was playing some jazz-​like, mellow music. Not sure if they do this every night, but it was a nice addition to the environment.
I will definitely be returning to Kotobuki Manhattan the next time I’m in NYC!

I decided to take myself out for a change and why not treat myself to my favorite food… sushi.
Where has this place been hiding all my life? Now I’ve had some good sushi before but never goooood sushi, ya’know? Seriously, this was like my paradise. After my meal, I was ready to die.
I had the sushi & sashimi special for 1.
I think the menu made a typo though, it SHOULD have read:
«sushi & sashimi special for 10»
because, holy sh*tballs, that thing was huge!
In all fairness, the waiter warned me that sometimes two people can share that and it’s very rare that one person can finish it.
Sounds like a challenge to me!!!
He said I can take home whatever was left but I wasn’t about to chicken out. What kind of contender would I have been?
So in came the miso soup, as usual in any sushi restaurants. But then he brought a salad as well. (I’m used to picking only one of the two at other places… a part of me really thought he was challenging me to see if I can eat it all… so yes. I did.)
And then wow. My eyes began to water as he brought out this beautiful plate of deliciously prepared rolls (some of which I’ve never seen before, like ones that were rolled in half shrimp and half tuna) and just the whole sight of it was amazing. I had seen the light. The jealous table of two next to me, though, looked at me like I was crazy while they shared their sad little plate of the oyster appetizer. B*tches, don’t hate!
I find it unnecessary to explain how delicious my dinner was because the pictures speak for themselves.
I originally almost sat at the sushi bar but opted for a table since the bench looked comfy, and I sure thanked myself for that after devouring the entire thing!
The service was excellent. My waiter was very nice and checked on me enough. I never felt rushed while I took a few breaks to breathe, which I think is mandatory for any single person willing to finish that whole thing in the future.
I think I just found a new paradise to frequent!

It’s really, really crowded with long rows of tables and people packed together like sushi rolls. However, there is a reason: This is not a highfaluting Japanese sushi house catering to the business expense crowd or the true, authentic Japanese sushi aficionado. Kotobuki simply offers outstanding sushi and sashimi for the everyday person, with innovative enough rolls and specials to stand out from the crowd. Especially in the East Village!
Recently four of us finished a movie and used Unilocal to search for sushi. Kotobuki was a good walk from the theater, and when we got there close to 10PM there was still a line. After getting seated we discovered the menu book is huge, with old standards and «avant-​garde» selections. We ended up ordering two omakase sushi & sashimi specials for 2. The waiter recommended ordering less (saving us money) and we had one special for 3. Even that was almost too much as we were stuffing ourselves. Plate after plate of fresh fish kept streaming onto our table. It was awesome! We thought the sushi chefs were throwing everything but the kitchen sink at us because we were the last table before they cleaned up LOL. There may be some truth in that, but all the dishes were presented well and tasted great. Hamachi kama was also excellent.
By the time we left, we were the last patrons in the place before they locked the doors. But waiters and busboys never pushed us to leave, refilling our tea and water (but not our sake). Simply superb, attentive service all around. With so many menu items to try, we are coming back again and again!

First time there, I didn’t feel like being too adventurous, so I went for their sushi and sashimi combo as most other customers recommended.
At the glance of any picture you might not be able to tell the difference, but at the first bite… Wow. This soft and buttery taste truly proved the highest fish quality!
Also dining at the bar counter allowed me to befriend with the kind and skillful sushi chef as well as the neighbor seating right next to me. Interesting and inspiring conversation followed…
This place is one of the 4 restaurants by the same owner, including the other Kotobuki in Long Island apparently.
Anyways looking forward to going back soon!!! I am counting on the omakase next time, Mr Chef!

My friends in New York are Kotobuki regulars, so I was pretty pumped to finally get a taste when I came to the city for one of their birthdays.
They weren’t kidding. We started out with the K-​Mac sliders which is a cute, inventive appetizer of spicy tuna, avocado, and sushi rice between two crispy rice «buns.» $ 9 is a bit steep for the portion size, but they were delicious and worth it in my opinion since you can’t get that anywhere else.
For our main courses, many of us ordered the chirashi which includes miso soup and salad with ginger dressing. The entrée was a beautifully arranged plate of sashimi (tuna, salmon, octopus, crab, etc) as well as tamago (egg), cucumber, and avocado on a bed of sushi rice. Raw fish perfection. Everything tasted extremely fresh, and we ate so much yet didn’t feel overly full since you can eat as much rice as you’d like (which for me was very little since I wanted to consume as much of the good stuff as possible).
Since it was my friend’s birthday, they also brought banana tempura with green tea ice cream and a sparkler. A nice touch!
Kotobuki made my friend’s birthday very special. We made a reservation for 7 people at 8 PM on a Friday, they were all set for us when we arrived, and the place didn’t get overly crowded. The atmosphere is nice and the menu is extensive. I only wish I lived closer so I could try more! I know that I would be a regular just like my friends.

We found this place as we were perusing the East Village eateries and decided to give it a try.
On first impression, the space is open and inviting, although it can get a little dim in the back of the restaurant. We chose to sit at the front, just a few tables from the windows, so we had a nice view of the streets as well as fresh air from the outside.
The menu was overwhelming, but in a good way. We wanted to try everything.
For appetizers, my parents ordered a seaweed salad and a hamachi kama. The hamachi kama is to die for. For $ 9.50 a pop, you get a HUGE yellowtail collar. Most places I’ve been to will charge based on the size/​weight of the collar bone. Not here. Oh, no. They just give you the biggest, honking piece of collar bone they have available. We ordered ours broiled, and it was all sorts of deliciousness (sweet, tender, flakey, etc.). Although it was a little salty in certain areas, overall, it was very nicely done. No complaints on the seaweed salad either — it’s fresh, and you get a decent quantity for the price.
In terms of the main course, you really can’t go wrong with any of the maki rolls. After what seemed like hours of staring at the menu, we finally decided on the ‘Mardi Gras Gone Wild’ special roll, the ‘American Dream’ roll, and the ‘Shogun’ roll. The ingredients are fresh and the rolls are made with care. None of that loosely rolled business that falls apart at the touch of a chopstick. My favorite was the American Dream roll because of the sweet soy sauce that it was served with, and the runner up would have to be the Shogun roll, which was riceless (awesome, no extra carbs) and filled to the brim with three different kinds of sashimi.
Our meal really was fantastic, and the service wasn’t shabby either. This is definitely a spot to bring the out-​of-​towners, or just the people you’d want to impress in general. If I didn’t live outside of the city, it’s a sure bet I’d be there every weekend!

Can’t believe I didn’t find out about this gem earlier!!! This place is nothing compared to the low quality dirty sushi restaurants that serve you sushi with jasmin rice and old sashimi from yesterday morning.
Kotobuki’s sashimi lunch is by far the best deal I’ve ever had at $ 14 with thick, tender, fresh slices of raw fish, some cooked salmon on the side, and 3 pieces of a creative roll that incorporates tuna&salmon sashimi with radish. Everything was so delicious and beautifully plated. I was very pleased with my friend’s order of sukiyaki as well although the pork was cooked too long in the broth. The service was top notch with the atmosphere comfortable, elegant, and relaxing.
Missed my chance the first time, but I’ll try their K-​Mac sliders the next time I stop by here. Never again will I be paying for low quality sushi when Kotobuki is offering superior quality for the same price as other places!