Tokubei 86

I will miss Tokubei. I kind of joined Unilocal just to give it the hearty farewell it deserves.
As a born and bred Manhattanite who has never really lived elsewhere, Tokubei was the type of place that reminded me of the New York I grew up with. Over 35~36 years, it witnessed the neighborhood go from German to gentrified, and stood the test of time as more ‘restaurants of the moment’ cropped up around it. And it served mighty good Japanese comfort food and sushi.
Hiro, the chef-​owner, Adolfo, the sushi-​master, and Mucho, the bartender, were all the best at their roles. And they made the restaurant feel like you were walking into a living time capsule, where you could hear story after story about neighborhood characters who used to come in (including then struggling actor Kelsey Grammer), and you could feel the history of 86^th Street in the space (though I’ve seen some haters argue that the restaurant was simply old and out of date). And the regulars — oh, the passionate regulars! — ranged from people like myself, who went a couple of times a week for the 10 years I lived in the Upper East, to those who were coming since the day it opened. The kind of ‘olds’ that some chuckle at, but were probably much cooler than we were in their prime. And also many now grown men and women who had spent their childhoods eating there. I especially feel for them.
There used to be lines that went down the block during Tokubei’s heyday. But in the end, history could not change the future. Not much we can do about that. Sure, it’s sad. Sure, it makes me a little angry. But it was a good run. And I just hope that all New Yorkers are able to find and support a Tokubei of their own.
Sayonara, my friend.

Tokubei you get 3 stars plus one for Mucho.
So here is is: The best I can describe Tokubei is the highest end low end sushi available. The fish is fresh, the place is clean and behind the bar stands the legend, mucho. Inase is much more create and tasty and of course there are the big boys from Gari to Yasuda, but none of them has what Tokubei has and that is Mucho.
Now Mucho is a one star game changer. I say they get 3 plus Mucho. I am sure many give 2 stars, three minus Mucho.
But Mucho, like uni, is an acquired taste. If you order too much you will be shamed. If you drink too much you will be shamed. If you don’t follow etiquette you will be shamed. There is a chance that for no reason whatsoever, you will be shamed.
A very lively and very interesting group of regulars at the bar and Mucho behind it makes Tokubei an excellent place to stop in, order some decent sushi, have a drink and enjoy yourself.
Also, there is a 114% chance that if you go there more than 3 times Mucho will have told you the same story at least once and, as mentioned above, you will be shamed.
Have a thick skin and enjoy this joint.

Been here twice. Classic real Japanese food, very reasonable prices for UES. Most items were great but there are some items that are underwhelming. Service is superb, very attentive staff.

Tokubei is an insanely lovable, charming, unassuming neighborhood gem on the Upper East Side. 30 years (and hundreds of sushi restaurants around the world) after my first meal there, it still ranks among my absolute favorites. Warm, wonderful staff and an ambience that transports time and place. If a Japanese restaurant was a hug, that hug would be Tokubei 86.

Classic Japanese restaurant where time stands still. Mucho, the bartender, is a dear soul who makes fantastic martinis with wit and charm. The sushi is delicious, consistent and very affordable. Tokubei bucks the NYC trend of modern and sleek sushi restaurants in favor of a traditional feel that is packed with character… And some great regulars.

The place is good. The food was ok. The best part of the restaurant was the service. They were amazing! I cannot give more than 3 stars because to me the most important thing about a restaurant is the food and it wasn’t great.

This place is a joke! The guy behind the bar (mucho) took it upon himself to inform my friend (after one and a half drinks), that «ladies do not drink», and proceeded to explain to her the evils of alcohol! Talk about a buzz-​kill! I almost wanted to explain the evils of being a bartender for 20 years and not actually owning the place. But I kept my mouth shut!
Having said that, the calamari is good.

I love this place so much. It’s been around since like 1976 and it’s all old and adorable. There’s a full wall of vintage Japanese books.
Service is great– they didn’t even charge us for our drinks. The food takes a little while to come out but it’s worth it because it’s delicious. Highly recommend the gyoza.

Great place, high quality sushi.
The décor is charming in a non stereotypical way. I’d almost call it homey. Don’t go if it’s really a big deal to you. (but to me, it feels like a hidden gem.)

I was recommended this restaurant by a friend who said it was deliciously fresh and extremely authentic.
If authentic means horrible décor that looks like a pizzeria from the 90’s then it was authentic.
If authentic means fishy sushi and poorly executed dishes, then it’s authentic.
If authentic means a chef who won’t make simple changes for his customer (such as salmon instead of white fish) then yes it’s authentic.
This place was a disaster. Nothin. Authentic or delicious about it.

I love this place more than I can describe. Now that I’ve moved from NY to LA I have cravings for my favourite restaraunt out there and found that it is, of all places, Tokubei 86. I lived about 3 blocks away and went there all the time. I miss it!
I’ve been downtown to the St. Marks Japanese restaurants which I also love, but nothing beat the food and experience of Tokubei86.
The owner of the restaurant is native Japanese and has been their since at least the 70’s, if not earlier, and he cooks some of the dishes himself!
The vibe of the dining area is super warm, cozy, and the food is amazing.
I love their garlic seafood noodle dish (Sea Food Yaki-​udon Sauteed Assortment of Seafood On Japanese Noodles I believe is what it is called). And their sushi was pretty great. Try the Chicken Roll-​age if you are looking for a full and happy stomach. I always got the custard dessert after dinner.
I suggest going there for dinner since that’s when the best chefs are around. When I went for lunch 2 times, they didn’t have their main chef in the kitchen. Expect to spend some time there and enjoy the food. It takes time for them to make some of these dishes, which in my opinion is a good thing because it’s always fresh and never botched! I’ve been to Japan/​took my native Japanese coworker there and she claimed it was the most authentic Japanese food she’s had in New York. I also took every visitor I had to that place so it holds a lot of memories.
If you are there, sitting near the bar may give ear to some smalltown-​like conversation. You may make a friend!
All in all I love and miss the place.

Value is hard to beat if you know what to order — excellent clams — oysters — tofu fried. Sushi is good and reasonable. Friendly staff make it a very local homely spot where many people eat two or three times per week.

Ton Jiru. Yaki-​Buta. Sukiyaki. Tekka Maki. Ika-​Ikura-​Ae. Sake Sushi.
Each item better than the next. Tremendous!

The stark difference between my and seemingly majority of other reviewers’ experiences make me want to believe that somehow we ended up in a different restaurant. The service was EXTREMELY slow (regardless of the fact that the restaurant was barey half filled), even to do simple things like bring out the check or come to ask for the order, and the food was mediocre to say the least. The Beef Yaki Nabe was extremely bland, and the Sukiyaki was way too strong and salty. I ended up mixing the two dishes together on my plate so that the tastes were not so overwhelming/​underwhelming.
The age dofu had an original flair to it, with slices of lemon and olives perched on top of them, but they were good enough. My boyfriend enjoyed the seaweed salad at the center.
We tried the Japanese-​Jewish Roll (we’re a «JJ Roll» couple, so we felt like it was a necessity), and it was pretty good. However, overall, I don’t think it was worth at all the $ 50 bill for the Yaki Udon and Sukiyaki. We should perhaps have stuck with the sushi and rolls.

I’ve been to Tokubei twice and I’ve always enjoyed the food and the service is always friendly, talkative and positive. My boyfriend always orders the beef and vegetables which comes out on this hot sizzling plate that smells and taste delicious. I remember we got an app too the first time we went I think a tofu/​kitchen app and it was pretty good too. I usually go with the sushi route and got a Chirashi recently. I felt that their Chirashi was one of the better ones I’ve had in terms of fish and rice ratio which I appreciated and it wasnt grossly overpriced.
The atmosphere is kind of funky because of their weird mismatched table cloths but their food has been consistent so far. Some minor things about their service is that they can be a tad slow and they forgot a beer order once but again overall everyone is very friendly.

Whoever walks out of here unsatisfied is crazy… I went with my boyfriend on a Saturday night at 9 PM and there was still a decent bustle and great service. For an appetizer we got the avocado tuna salad– out of this world. The avocado was the PERFECT texture. For entrees, we ordered the deluxe sashimi plate and two maki rolls (salmon avocado and yellowtail scallion). All of the fish was extremely fresh and the servers were pleasant and helpful.
The interior is adorably quaint with a homey feel. Some reviewers have complained about the «ambiance” — if you want great sushi, come here. If you want strictly Japanese décor, don’t.
But really, come here! We watched other entrees going to different tables and wanted to try all of them.

Went for lunch on a Saturday. Quiet. New waiter in training. Poor guy…
The food was outstanding. We did NOT order sushi/​sashimi.
Shiitake in ponzu (5 stars!); unique dish. VERY satisfying.
Miso ramen (4 stars)
Yaki nasu (5 stars)
Baby bok choi (5 stars)
Hot barley tea (4 stars)
Cheaper than we get in the Midwest. Excellent quality.

In my opinion, THE BEST sushi in NYC, plus the traditional japanese food is wonderful!!!
Every bite was amazing. TRADITIONAL, AUTHENTIC, AMAZING!!!

After yoga, we wanted something light. Of course, Shake Shack crossed our minds, but Japanese sounded better (what’s wrong with us).
I had their lunch special. Came with a miso soup. «Hamberg croquette», it said, with potatoes inside. What came out on my plate was a meatloaf/​burger with mashed potatoes inside. It wasn’t as fried as I imagined a «croquette» to be. It wasn’t anything I could’ve imagined, actually. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing. My friend ordered the sashimi, but it was lackluster as well. Age tofu was cold and hot at the same time (what?).
The best part was the green tea ice cream (the only thing they didn’t cook; all they had to do was scoop).
Tablecloths were cheesy.

Came here for a quick dinner and was a bit thrown off by the place. It looked a bit disjointed. The feel of the restaurant said «Americanized,» but then the food was Japanese as well as the employees. I then realized I was in the UES…
Anywhoo, onto the food! Here’s what we ordered:
–dinner entrée which included: miso soup, salad, appetizer (Yaki– Buta Roast Pork), entrée (tempura shrimp and veggies) and dessert (~$ 20): lots of food for a great price. Food was average.
–sukiyaki ($ 14.75): not a lot of noodles and too much salty sauce
–dragon maki ($ 9.25): broiled unagi and avocado… average
–negi hamachi maki ($ 4.75): yellowtail and scallions… average
For Japanese food, I like the places with more of a Japanese feel. The sushi was fresh and the non-​sushi items were okay. Would probably go somewhere else.
Service was very friendly. Our waiter forgot to give the dessert that was included with the dinner entrée. Because we were in a rush to catch the bus, we decided to forgo dessert.