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Avenue A Japanese Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
105 Ave ANew York, NY 10009
Neighborhoods: East Village, Alphabet City
(212) 982-8109
- Nearest Transit:
-
2 Av (F)
1 Av (L)
Astor Pl (4, 6, 6X)
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
54 reviews for Avenue A Japanese Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"Definitely a great pre-party spot for the East Village." In 9 reviews -
"Definitely a place to eat here before going out." In 3 reviews -
"...best friend here for her birthday dinner and we had so much..." In 3 reviews
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54 reviews in English
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Review from Tracy P.
Binghamton, NY
4/7/2009
First....I am not a sushi fan. However there is something about this place. My bf's daughter loves it here. It's a hip place u would expect to find in the village. We love the staff and the saki. The sushi melts in ur mouth and they have a large selection. I love the veggie rolls. The prices are good too.
Between the music, the atmosphere and the food this makes for a fun night out. Unless u hate the village and fun.... If that's the case try going else where. -
Review from Davisha D.
Brooklyn, NY
6/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Ave A Sushi, what happened? I remember when this place opened, and we took it as a sign of the apocalypse - a SUSHI place, on Avenue A? That's yuppie food! Back when people could be called yuppies and it was still an acronym.
Over the years, I was enticed or tricked into going there, and I had to admit that the food was good and not expensive. As my taste for sushi matured, I learned that it was a very good and reliable place, good enough for both a spontaneous decision and to give out-of-town visitors a New York Dining Experience.
This Winter it was closed for 'vacations'. Damn. A few months later I eagerly went in with a friend, happy to return to a hard-earned favorite. We were informed upon being seated that the ownership and management had changed, and the new owners were "very happy to add Ave A Sushi to their roster of dining establishments". We were told that they also own an Italian and a Mexican place, and that to create a new/improved fancy Fusion Creation, had brought the flavors of their other restaurants to Ave A Sushi.
Eh? I like fusion, but it's really only good as a two-parter. Add a third flavor and it's not really Fusion anymore, it's a Carnival Cruise Buffet. But the waiter (manager? Some tall skinny Kid Coconut looking dude) assured us that the Sushi menu was unchanged and the Sushi Chef was the same. The menu was confusing and disappointing, to say the least. There was very little of the original menu left, and hardly any specialty rolls. We ordered, I got one Mex dish to dip my toe in. I avoided the oddball Italian choices.
The taco appetizer was actually quite good, but the white tuna tataki...it was served as if it were halfway to being a ceviche, the tuna was sliced all wrong, making it hard to chew. There's an art to cutting fish for sushi, it's not just buying high-quality fish and serving it on a plate! The roll was...fine. Not the flavor explosion that I was used to here.
All in all, incredibly disappointing, and a huge nertz to the new owners. The only aspect of Ave A Sushi that they saw fit to preserve was to allow underage drinking. Pathetic. The ubiquitous group of loud teenagers in the corner wasn't enough to make up for the changes to the menu.
I'll never go back, and I'll spread the word amongst my Sushi-fan friends to avoid it from now on. It's a shame. -
Review from Eve P.
2/21/2011
The basics were nice...Cute atmosphere, spacious booths, friendly waitress, half-price drinks on a Sunday evening.
We tried several of the Special sushi rolls, which were 3 for price of 2. Very creative combinations and well-executed. Presentation was appetizing, and the flavor combinations worked well. Everything seemed fresh and portions were average for sushi rolls. I highly recommend the Phoenix and Avenue A Special Roll - yum!
Why only 3 stars?
(1) Completely empty at 7:30 on a Sunday night...not super festive.
(2) Very slow service. We were the only ones there and it took about 30 minutes for them to fill our order of 6 rolls and one appetizer.
(3) They were out of tempura ice cream.
(4) Price isn't great considering the slow service and empty tables...about $12-14 for the special rolls, so with drinks and a couple extra pieces of sushi to make sure everyone was full, we ended up paying around $20 per person. Not bad, but I think they could offer a better deal and get more people in the door. -
Review from Olga V.
Cambridge, MA
3/20/2011
This place is average but the ambiance is fun!
So, make sure that if you go, you go to hang out with friends and drink because you're certainly not going for high grade sushi. Wait staff was very friendly and the ambiance is clubby for a sushi spot. Good place to go to on a Friday or Saturday night with friends before going out! -
Review from Max S.
6/30/2009
Here is the dilemma with this place:
Their sushi is actually pretty good, but..
- if you are looking to just have good sushi for dinner, you would not come here. This place is a dark bar with black lights and loud music.
- if you come here after bar hopping on the LES, half-drunk - you really shouldn't have high standards for sushi, other than it being fresh so you don't throw it up and so that it doesn't stir up something violent in your stomach.
- so when you are here and you're drunk - you end up dishing out a lot more $$$$ because some jackass of a friend thinks it's a good idea to do Sake bombs and even though you don't want one, the waiter will bring out the whole bottle of sake which you will have to pitch in for. -
Review from Jessica A.
Brooklyn, NY
4/18/2006
My friends call this place "Disco Sushi" for the disco balls, black walls filled with interesting art, and pumping music from the DJ. The bar is great to grab a drink, and the sushi is very reasonably priced and yummy. I learned to love cold saki at this place, and baby, I will never go back. They serve it in a small wine glass with a cucumber stuck on the rim. Hot.
Anyway, good portions, yum sushi, and great for a group of people- I don't think I have ever had to wait. And, my fav karaoke Sing Sing is on the next block. What a night!Listed in: Sushi Sushi Sushi!!!
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Review from Jenny S.
New York, NY
10/18/2007
Avenue A Sushi makes me want to dance. And just for the record, I do NOT dance.
This place rocks. The food, decor and general vibe are all seriously kick-ass and I will definitely become a regular.
update: they make brown rice sushi too. jackpot, bitchesssssss -
Review from Ilan M.
Manhattan, NY
3/6/2011
Came here on a Saturday night with some friends. It was pretty dark and played loud dance music, very club-ish for a sushi joint. Sushi itself was decent, nothing to write home about. Price was alright, very standard for the East Village. Service was friendly.
In all, I probably wouldn't come here given the wicked selection of sushi places around the area. Yoshi is better. -
Review from Jasmin G.
New York, NY
10/18/2006
This is a great place in the east village!! It's a bit hard to notice - so it took me a few moments to find it on avenue a - but its definitely a great place. The place is rather dark - with a club/lounge feel - there's a dj - but when i went last night, he wasn't playing anything too loud.
The sushi is really good and really fresh. Between 5 and 8 they have this $8 special where you can get 2 rolls of sushi, miso soup, salad, AND your choice of ice cream (green tea, red bean, chocolate, or vanilla) - its an awesome deal - and everything tasted great!
the place itself is kinda shady looking b/c its so dark, and for some reason the club-vibe made it seem kind of dirty - but the food and service were great.
it's sushi with an east-village edgy style. -
Review from Jason F.
Manhattan, NY
4/5/2011
Came here with a large party for a Friday night 10pm sake bombing dinner - we were one of the only groups in the entire restaurant. The server, who was decent, said there were new owners. This place is great for NYU students who want to get hammered on sake and not get ID'd, but the sushi roll I had tasted exactly like Nacho Cheese Doritos. The magnum bottle of sake was enough to get 5 of us pretty drunk, but at $90 for the bottle it better have.
Save this one for the 19 year olds - go to one of the 100 other sake sushi places in the E village. -
Review from Denis S.
9/6/2008
Is this a bar or a sushi restaurant? It's half of each and double the price. If you're going to get the regular rolls, then the prices are ok, and so is the quality. If you stray from that into something more interesting, the prices sky rockets.
Then we get to the drinks. That are far overpriced. Not only that, but they also ran out of hot sake. How does a sushi restaurant / bar run out of hot sake, on a Friday night! -
Review from Zach M.
New York, NY
10/19/2007
Me, calling Ave A for delivery at 11:30 last Thursday night...
Me: "Hi, I'd like to place an order for delivery?"
AveA: "*Loud beats pumping in the background* You are SOOOOO hungry! You want to eat? You get food!"
Me: "You're right. You have no idea how hungry I am. I want sushi."
AveA: "Sushi is good when you hungry! You eat lots of sushi!"
This guy is my favorite. And how fitting that the best sushi on Avenue A takes the street's name.
Have you ever seen such an awesome concept? Awesome sushi served in a unique ambiance. I'm huge on the use of an in-house DJ, because everyone knows that sushi always tastes better with fresh beats. Last time I was there they were playing The Fifth Element on the TVs. I LOVE THAT MOVIE. And they're not really my thing, but a lot of people go there for the sake bombs.
I've also ordered from the non-sushi menu. The curry chicken is somewhat bland for what I'm used to (I'm comparing it with Wagamama's chicken katsu curry, which is great beyond its years), but is definitely something I will order again.
Bringing your sense of humor to this place is as important as bringing your appetite.Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Isabel C.
NY
1/22/2008
I feel bad talking smack about a venerated institution such as Avenue A Sushi. I know it's being there for a long time and i know it is (was) quite a scene. But I also know that eating sushi there at 130 AM on a weekend was a TERRIBLE idea. It was probably the most expensive ($86 for 2 people) and stinky sushi I've ever had, and I left the restaurant weeping inside because across the street is my beloved Esashi (closed at 3 am).
I ordered the Tuna Tataki and it was lined with grey flecked skin that tasted worse (like rubber) than it looked (like dead dolphins) The ponzu sauce was the only thing that made it edible. I ordered a bunch of rolls from the Spicy Girl, spicy tuna, a baked oyster appetizer too, and anyway, they were ALL bad. One roll in particular was awful. It was topped with a tuna tartare concoction but tasted like corpse c*nt (at least what I imagine what it might taste like eeeeww...). -
Review from Monkey M.
Portland, ME
2/23/2006
The restaurant itself is a little all over the place- cute sushi bar, decent sized booths, loud 80's music from the DJ... but the floor sticks to you like a dive bar, and I think they made my cosmo with nail polish remover. Though it is great for delivery.
I'm not the most adventurous sushi eater, so I'll stick to what I know:
Killer shumai.
Great miso soup.
Fab shrimp tempura roll. -
Review from Jerry H.
Durham, NC
3/8/2007
Avenue A Sushi is one of my most favoritest Sushi spots, ever! It's part art gallery, there's a DJ Booth set up, The service generally sucks but that's okay, and the Sushi is creative and straight up yummy plus it's open late- What more do you need?
Ave A Sushi is a must; you will impress the hell out of your friends if you're the one initiating their first visit to this spot. The place has character and it really gives you a sense that you are in the Lower East Side without trying to make you feel like you are in the LES. Make sure you go to the Pyramid Bar afterwards or cop some dope from Tompkins Square Park.Listed in: To the 5 Burroughs.
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Review from Berto S.
New York, NY
4/11/2010
I used to go to this place all the time for years and always had a great time. Good food and an original eclectic atmosphere.
Since early April they have changed owners and went through a major renovation. They redid the whole place and I fear it very much not the same.
Cold, uninviting, and posh where posh doesn't belong. They changed the menu and it was disappointing. Normally they had this fantastic boat for a group with these amazing oysters. No longer on the menu. The staff was good and helpful, even offered free apps and dessert but it didn't make up for the change and the downgraded menu.
I guess if you have nothing to compare this place to then it could be a good time. However if you've been before it's just not the same and ya kinda feel let down.
Sorry to see you go Avenue A -
Review from Sheena B.
Brooklyn, NY
1/6/2009
Yuck!
I've been pulled into Avenue A sushi way too many times throughout the years & it's never pleasurable. I think that I liked it way back in the day, when I was young, dumb & actually wanted "Disco Sushi." Then I got a clue. I think of it as a tourist trap, or sushi 101 for people who need the distraction while they eat .
Nonetheless, I don't think that it will get you sick, it's been open at least since the early '90s, so feel free to bring traveling Midwesterners who might get a kick out of it. It's just not for people who like to eat good sushi. -
Review from Jessica R.
New York, NY
11/6/2007
Hands down my favorite spot for sushi! I could eat their Spicy Boy roll all day every day. I am also a big fan of their Rock & Roll. Their gyozas are great (but those are hard to mess up) and also a big fan of the butterfly shrimp with avocado sauce...yum! Highlight of the place is the music, fun service, and 3 bottles of saki and 6 liters of beer we had saki bomb style.
Love it!! -
Review from Natalie B.
New York, NY
3/12/2010
Good for:
group birthdays
sake bombs
drunken debauchery
students on a budget
Bad for:
date spots
sushi snobs
good service
I came here for a friend's birthday - we were a rowdy group of 18+ (number continued to grow as the dinner went on) - and it was fabulously fun. The gothic weirdness draping the walls and neon light assortments hanging from the ceilings offered a wickedly trippy escape for a night.
The service was tolerable of our large group and outrageous demands, so can't judge too fairly on it being sub-par relative to circumstances.
As for the food, it served it's purpose in being edible sushi that satiated our hungry bellies. I surely wouldn't come here if I wanted a (high) quality sushi, grade a fish. I'd grade it a C at best.
Most trek here for the sake bombing. Not too lenghty of a sake list, but enough to keep NYU students happy to pound, drop, then chug their way to a drunken, happy stupor. Isn't that the point of dive sushi places anyway?
I must say that the bill was priced pretty high, mainly due to the copious amounts of sake and sapporo consumed. Guess we had a great time after all! -
Review from Maria W.
3/8/2007
Good sushi and fun place to gather the troupes for an evening out in the 'hood. Whenever I have guest from out of town that like sushi, I make a point to start out here. Cranking DJ is a bonus.
Service is good and decor is delightfully dark. Staff is great about adding yet another chair and table to the group. If you're a local, or even if you're not, stop in early evening for their prix fixe special. -
Review from kawan t.
New York, NY
11/15/2007
I've heard a lot about this place! I met friends for dinner on a Tuesday night and there was only one other table seated. We waited for everyone to come and then ordered--the place doesn't look like your average sushi place, no bamboo colored anything, (ok except for the bead curtain next to our table) but it was dark inside w/a disco ball and tvs. Its a nice change from the minimalist style of most sushi joints. edamame came out quickly and the sushi was soon to follow.
I like some rolls with cream cheese in them, but not too much cream cheese, because it can easily overpower everything. In my brooklyn roll there was a little too much cream cheese, but everything was still really fresh and yummy! What you probably know by now (and what you'll read when my friends yelp this place) is that they make brown rice sushi. Myself, im somewhat of a renegade and opted for the traditional white sushi rice, but perhaps next time I'll deviate. If I'm feeling sassy. Service was o.k. i heard the sake bombs are fab. -
Review from Krit X.
Oakland, CA
12/26/2007
Been coming here for a while now and each time I have to order the Dyomiiiite....still not really sure what's in it but it tastes so good.
The other food isn't bad either, sushi, teriyaki, sake bombs.
Atmosphere is cool, kinda dark, DJ spinning. Not sure if I would call it a place for a romantic date...well unless your date likes doing sakebombs and sometimes screaming so you can hear them. -
Review from Billy C.
NJ
7/26/2007
Avenue A has been one of my favorite Japanese restaurants going back to the mid to early 90's.
Since my job takes me to different locations throughout the U.S. I haven't been back to Avenue A in the past 3 years.
My cousins called me last night wanting to meet up and have dinner at Avenue A just like old times, so we went.
Although the outside has since been updated it still pretty much looks like I remebered it to be. As we walked in, the black walls, neon lights and 80's dance music felt good and brought me back in time. As we walked by the sushi bar and seating area I noticed most of the staff to be non-Japanese, more like Chinese. It was kind of dark so I started to have my suspicions that it was no longer Japanese owned.
By the way, I have this peeve about Chinese owned/operated Japanese Sushi restaurants. Although some get away with it most don't! In my opinion, Sushi & Sashimi is an art form, as I recall from my youth when it was explained to me. In the past decade I feel the artform has been watered down and bastardized! For god's sake they even sell Sushi & Rolls at your local supermarket!
Anyway back to Avenue A. There was 5 of us. We were seated and then handed the menus. For the most part the menus look the same, with some additions.
When the waiter took the drink orders and then came back within 2 minutes and couldn't remember whose drink was whose, I knew we were in trouble. The Avenue A waiters I used to know were professionals and knew who ordered what.
We ordered the usual dishes, Dynamite, Oyster Boister and a variety of Rolls as I decided I didn't want to order the Sushi as I already began to have my suspicions.
When the dishes arrived the "Dynamite" & "Oyster Boister" looked the same but sure didn't taste the same. More saltier and sour than before. Definitely a bit disappointed. Everything in general was a tad bit saltier and I know Japanese chefs would not let this kind of thing happen as "Delicate" is of high importance.
Spicy Scallop roll - OK
Spicy Salmon roll - OK
Spicy Girl roll - Good
Spicy Boy roll - Good
Crouching tiger roll - Good
Salmon Skin roll - Jaw breaker! Becareful!
Eel Cucumber roll - good
Miso glazed Sea bass - Very good
Miso glazed Cod - good
Summary: Although the food was good overall, quality has certainly dropped off. Luckily the music, decor and ambiance sort of kept me distracted about the quality and authenticiy of the food.
Avenue A is definitely no longer one of my favorites but you gotta love the decor, ambiance and the 80's dance music. -
Review from elise h.
New York, NY
11/30/2008
Let me begin by saying that I've never been tempted to try the sushi at Avenue A, mostly because I'm picky about my raw fish and will only have sushi at my favorite, tried-and-true places (or my friends' favorite, tried-and-true places).
HOWEVER -- Avenue A Sushi rocks in my book for a different reason. It is a great place to drink! You can go there on a weekend or a weeknight, and there is usually a place or two at the bar for you and your friends to sit and have a drink. And the atmosphere of the place has "night out in the East Village" written all over it -- dark, clubby and oh so 80's. Pink and green neon lights, hanging curtains, plants, crazy artwork and black tiled walls set the mood and make you feel like you're on the set of "Desperately Seeking Susan." They play a mix of 80's, 90's and current pop hits on the sound system, but the music is never so loud that you can't hear your conversation. The bartenders here have always been very nice and we've always gotten prompt service.
Basically, the bar at Avenue A Sushi is a great place to land when you just need a simple, unassuming place to drink and chat -- and get away from the loud, crazy weekend warriors. ;) -
Review from Helena F.
Brooklyn, NY
2/23/2009
How can anyone eat under these conditions?? The lights, The music = VOM
Go next door and get a cocktail and a burger at 7A - trust me. -
Review from Nancy H.
NY
7/30/2007
Last week my friends and I came sake bombing here. We got there at 10 - the place is loud and dark enough that we didn't feel like complete assholes for being a bit rowdy (important on a sake bombing trip).
I also ordered an eel/avocado handroll. It was pretty good, but I have to say that the reason to come here is for sake bombs. -
Review from Jesse S.
Brooklyn, NY
1/13/2008
Disco Sushi!
Wow, I'm a little surprised that this place has been around as long as it has, on that sushi warzone of Avenue A, where so many sushi places open and close every other week.
I guess it's pretty cool to eat sushi in a room painted black with skateboards on the walls and a DJ pumping out big-room house and trance music. If that's your thing. The place has a fun vibe, and I'd recommend it as somewhere to meet up for cheap eats before going out in the East Village.
As you might expect, the food itself isn't exactly going to dazzle, but then again, that's not really the point, is it? It's about on par with take-away sushi: everything is pleasant, but there's really nothing worth mentioning. They have a nice menu with plenty of options for vegetarians, and the small sake menu offers several choices of inexpensive and pleasant sakes to go with your cheap sushi. As a connoisseur of electronic music, I'd also like to suggest to any management who might happen to stumble upon this review that you should look into getting better DJs.
Go for a birthday dinner or to get food before going out dancing. Definitely not a date place, and I was surprised to see how many putative dates were taking place. Definitely not the place for that... -
Review from jayda i.
New York, NY
7/9/2010
EWWWWWWWWW. bad sushi.
i am japanese. i know good sushi.
Avenue A is horrible food.
a gf chose this restaurant for a networking dinner.
sammy, the waitress was SO sweet, but the food was not good.
spent $40 on bad food. booooo
i am still mad i spent money on a terrible dinner.
i rarely one give out '1 star', but it's reserved for reviews such as these! -
Review from Lauren S.
Brooklyn, NY
3/15/2008
Decent sushi. Great price. Definitely a place to eat here before going out. Have a few drinks in the dark, clubby atmosphere.
Whenever I have a friend coming in to NY to visit who's low on funds, I take them here. It's cute, tasty, cheap and not too loud. -
Review from nigo u.
New York, NY
10/6/2008
Went in with zero expectations and a coupon from http://restaurant.com on hand I was hoping for a decent meal only to be severely disappointed. The coupon was rejected when it was nowhere near expiration and we were somewhat insulted by the way the manager handled the situation. That was fine, my party could've got up and left but instead we decided to continue and give this place a shot.
After ordering and 20 minutes of waiting the food finally came. It was definitely not worth the price. Sushi wasn't great and there are other places that offer more for better price and taste. The decor is not bad but nothing worthwhile. I wholeheartedly do not recommend this place as it will be the first and LAST time I ever go or suggest.
A good option would be Sapporo on 1st avenue or East on 27th which has cheaper sushi Tuesdays. Hope this review helped someone! -
Review from Liam C.
Pittsburgh, PA
7/17/2007
I was a little skeptical of this place since it looked totally empty on the initial walk by. I debated bypassing it for another, more lively spot, but stuck with it because of the positive reviews on yelp. I'm glad I did. It is much bigger than it looks from the outside....a whole dining room in the back. The service was prompt and friendly and the sushi was fresh and tasty.
The decor is interesting...kind of club like as others have said. They were jamming some old school Neil Young when I was there (a Tuesday night).
Go for the Ave A Spicy Roll...awesome. -
Review from Alyssa N.
New York, NY
11/13/2010
Who can argue with a place that serves tasty and fresh sushi at 11pm on a Wednesday?
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Review from Sherilyn T.
Oakland, CA
7/18/2007
i think i've been spoiled by sushi house in alameda, CA...where the sushi rolls are the size of my forearm. sure their service sucks ass, but who really goes to an asian restaurant for service? i joke.
anyhow, i found avenue a sushi to be rather expensive. some rolls were like 5.95, but a majority of them were like 10 bucks and they were all relatively small [compared to what i'm use to i guess]. the service was ok, the food was alright, and the price was a bit too pricey for the kinda rolls they were serving.Listed in: I *heart* NYC
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Review from Casey W.
3/14/2008
- overall rating: 2.5
- I've been with this restaurant through more than enough management changes; once upon a time my family's "go to" spot for Japanese
- they used to provide a very unique and interesting atmosphere along with great service and fresh reasonably priced sushi. . . still an interesting atmosphere, nothing compared to what it used to be, decent service, creative presentation, sub par sushi quality
- they cut the tuna sashimi improperly, though it looks pretty on the plate, they cut WITH the fatty grain and not against it, making eating each slice an unfortunate experience
- the seaweed skin of the sushi was stale. . . if you're an experienced sushi eater, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say the texture was kind of soggy, something which would never occur if kept properly
- the tobiko roll came out well enough but the ikura roll sadly did not, the eggs were not fresh and after having about 2 bites, I determined had very recently expired, suffice it to say, I didn't finish that roll -
Review from Arielle W.
New York, NY
12/19/2006
I had a birthday dinner here, originally the reservations were for 10 but they were very flexible when we had an extra guest. The sushi is great and CHEAP for what you're getting, and the atmosphere is jovial. Definitely a great pre-party spot for the East Village.
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Review from Lainy C.
9/6/2007
Wow this had to be one of my strangest dining experiences in ny. We decided to try Ave A sushi since it was close and had good yelp reviews. Upon arrival we hesitated. Yelpers mentioned the lounge-y vibe but failed to mention its more of a hipster meets cheesy disco. It is like they converted a normal restaurant and added random neon lights, surfboards, and pink paint on the exterior. Add the confused service and we were in for an interesting meal.
First off the bento box special is a good deal but the shumai was mushy. We ordered beef negimaki bento and it was gross - severely overcooked, dry meat and a weird aftertaste from the scallions. The Chilean sea bass was much better, tender and flaky overall. The highlight was the snowball roll - salmon avocado with white tuna. We ate it and instantly regretted not ordering more sushi instead of the awful negimaki. Also, the restaurant was really empty cause we went early but our server was so clueless it didnt make a difference. He didn't know about the specials, then tried to take our normal menus away just bc we wanted to see the specials. Though friendly, we had 3 different people coming to bring food, water, and change. I asked the busboy for a new spoon cause mine was dirty, and he took it away, gave it to our waiter...and 15 minutes later I was sharing a spoon with my date because both of them were chilling on chairs staring into space.
In summary? Avoid the beef at all costs, the sushi tasted pretty fresh, and the ambiance/service is just plain weird. If I had only eaten sushi, I probably would given it another star. -
Review from Nik N.
2/7/2009
meh.
that's all i got.
stopped in last night for drinks and dinner.
had a coupla soju martinis and the chicken yaki udon.
let me start with the cocktails.
firstly $9 for a "martini" served in a small ***plastic*** martini glass left me unimpressed. i am all about paying a price for a decent cocktail. but anything served in plastic should definately be at around a $5 pricepoint... unless of course you are sipping cocktails near a pool on a rooftop in LA...
then the food came.
bland. and bland. and chicken that was soo dry i was left to order 2 more of said overpriced cocktails to help wash it down?
why did i stay? i was starving and thirsty to the point of no return.
there's plenty of more pleasurable experiences to be had in the neighborhood.
i will likely not be back -
Review from Eloni F.
New York, NY
5/21/2010
AVOID THE NEW AVENUE A!
First of all I entered and it was all redone and it appears to have changed owners. All of the familiar old staff were replaced by new staff. I asked the bartender (this blond chick) what might have happened to the old staff and she asked me if they were Asian. I told her that no... one girl was Russian and one of the waiters was black. She proceeds to say that people tend to hire all Asian staff for places like that but when she gets to be the bar manager she's only going to hire white people... hot white people... so that the place becomes a hot night spot. I asked her "Do you dislike Asian people?" She says "No, but no one wants to come to a bar with a bunch of Asian people running the bar." (I am actually surprised she said Asian and not Oriental considering how many pennies I thought were rattling around in her head)
Really? Seriously? All but one of the other staff was Asian too... I can't justify spending money at a place that hires their bartenders from the Nazi Youth. Also, the new decor is boring and stifling... they took all the fun out of the place.
AVOID this place unless you don't like too many Asian people hanging out... then this is the place for you. -
Review from Jamie B.
Santa Barbara, CA
9/11/2007
A completly overated expierience. The sushi was nothing to write home about. The real reason to go here is to get drunk on Sake Bombs and make a great mess. Don't get me wrong its fun. Great if you go to NYU and are living the lavish trustafarian life and can spend this much to get drunk.
-
Review from alan l.
9/13/2008
let me preface this review by stating that i am a 'fake sushi' lover.
what does this mean? this means i don't do any raw fish. spicy california roll is about is wild'n'crazy as i get.
for what it's worth, ave a has good f-sushi and a cool decor - possibly suited better for visitors than locals.
that being said - a full star is just cause last time i was here the dj was rockin 'the loco-motion'!
ps - i love that the loco-motion has a wikipedia page - wowListed in: East Village
