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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhood: East Villagesunday specials
(served with m.soup /spicy m.soup)
any 6 pcsof sushi/sashimi with any 1 roll or any 3 rolls :$10.95…
Astor Place (6)
2nd Ave-Houston St (F, V)
8th St-Broadway (R, W)
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
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My girlfriend was craving sushi. Zen is usually my go-to because of the great value but I wanted to check out something new. Cherin was one of the related restaurants for Zen so we gave it a whirl.
Apparently tonight (11.8.09) was only their second Sunday open so the place was empty. Their happy hour specials on sushi and drinks extend pretty much all weekend it seems. We both had three sushi rolls for $9.95 (on any sushi roll originally priced from $3 to $6) and Sapporo bottles for $2.50 (all beers were). The sushi wasn't the world's greatest but who's one to complain at these prices? The quality certainly wasn't bad, it just wasn't mind-blowing.
Ambiance was quiet and comfortable and it looked like they could house a good amount of people given the plentiful seating. Service was quiet - as in they don't really talk to you which is definitely not a bad thing - and fast.
Would come again fo' sho!
I was meeting up with a few friends on a Friday night, and instead of the typical bar scene, we wanted to do a simpler dinner and drinks at Cherin Sushi since we heard it was BYOB.
Although the restaurant is really small, it actually takes reservations, even for parties of four - a true rarity in Manhattan. You could quickly tell that this was a hot spot for young (aka poor) ladies, such as ourselves. It was filled with groups of girls dressed up to essentially pregame while grabbing a cheap and hopefully not too filling meal before a good night out.
It's the BYOB and prices though that we couldn't get over. I don't think there was a single roll (chef's specialty included) on the menu that cost more than $8. And luckily the food wasn't half bad either. It wasn't memorable (like the arguably overpriced, but outstandingly delicious Sushi Sen-nin), but it wasn't nearly as bad as the cafeteria-style sushi served at Haru Sushi (I know people like it, but I just can't understand it...maybe it was an off night at the Union Sq location). It was good, it was cheap and I was happy.
After appetizers, and about two rolls a piece, we walked out of there spending between $15-20 each, with tax and tip. And even if you didn't bring your own wine/beer, you could have ordered drinks for a very low and reasonable price. This is definitely a place that I'll revisit again, and hopefully sometime soon.
Portions are small and of good-enough quality, but Cherin is extremely cheap and BYOB. The tables are always filled with attractive people, often more girls than guys.
Grab some liquor and some friends and take advantage of this inexpensive place to sit and pretend you're eating sushi while you drink your own booze. It's an underrated event that makes me consider 4-stars. Don't bother with a date....this is a group event.
Cherin is the first place I found in New York City, back when I first moved here, during my misspent youth a few years ago, that I regarded as a place that I found, a place that in some way belonged to me; a place about which I could say, "you want sushi? i found this great little place...." Cherin was the first restaurant in my food harem.
Its also my go-to place for sushi. It is cute, it is cheap (for sushi), it is tasty, and it is tiny and feels a little bit secret. It is not Masa. I've never had fish that wasn't fresh and good here, but its certainly not going to rival the best, most expensive, most refined hard-core sushi joints in the City. It is mainly a place to get, as my gentleman friend refers to them, "bullshit rolls". Really good ones at cheaper-than-grocery-store prices.
Rolls are smaller than average, it is true. They are also $5, less if you get the dinner special. To me, they are just the right size, each piece a perfectly portioned mouthful in which you can enjoy the harmonious combination of all that roll's ingredients without struggling to find room to chew. Sushi should not be like a big sloppy burger; bigger is not always better. What is more frustrating than ordering a delicious looking maki roll only to find that you can't fit one peice all in your mouth at one time, and have to choose either the fish half or the crunch half? And then the wrapper refuses to give up without a fight and before you know it, you've got rice and seaweed dangling from your mouth...
This is not like that. Perfect bites, perfect proportions of tasty ingredients, and liberal eel sauce usage.
Do yourself a favor; come here, order a $2.50 beer or some hot sake, along with the 4-roll dinner special for only $12. The Gillian roll is the best one, so definitely include that. Repeat as needed.
I'm a sucker for BYOB. Combine that with great tasting sushi and you have a very happy me. Add on the fact that the place is very very reasonably priced - especially if you arrive before 8pm - and you've got me coming back again and again.
The downside to this place is the limited seating, it's one of those enlongated places (which you swore was probably a closet of some sort back in the day) - which doesn't seat too many people.
Just rock up! You will not be disappointed. Oh and don't forget to bring your own booze.
Small place. The sushi rolls are smaller and take longer to make than most places but are tasty and creative. I liked the toasted crab meat toppings, something you don't usually see.
Thoroughly disappointing.
Not being from NY I was excited to set out on the NYC food scene because I have heard a lot of great things about the food here. We walked in randomly and had to wait for a table. This place is a hole in the wall, which usually I love, but that was not the case here.We quickly glanced at the menu outside and I saw that they had some sort of noodles; it may have been their lunch menu but I swear I saw it.
We were seated with menus and as I looked through it I didn't see anything but sushi. So I politely asked the waiter if they had anything besides sushi (maybe a dinner plate, chicken terriyaki, udon, something) and his reply was, "No. This is a SUSHI RESTAURANT". Sh*t. MY BAD. I don't know much about sushi joints in NY but in SF and the Bay Area, most places have at least a noodle or meat dish.
So I opted out for some gyoza, shu mai, miso, and a side of rice. First off the miso was too bitter. Second, the gyoza and shu mai were too soft and gooey inside (ew). It was almost inedible except I was so damn hungry and I couldn't eat anything else because this was a.... what?.... what was it now? a SUSHI RESTAURANT was it????
The gyoza sauce had too much vinegar in it and their "spicy" miso had a few driblets of chili oil in it that tasted almost exactly the same as the regular miso, which I'm sure costed less than the spicy one. The sister got a role (california role wrapped in tuna or something?) and said it was not good. And the sashimi my mom got gave her a stomach ache after we left.
Bottom line: cheap prices for cheap and nasty food.
Unfortunately, there are a lot more negatives than positives. The positive is that it's a BYOB sushi joint and it's pretty cheap. The negatives are the wait to sit, it's a tiny place, the slow service, tiny ass portions and basically waiting to pay the bill. However, the restaurant is pretty cool since it's really long but it doesn't seat that many patrons.
The spicy miso soup is good but it's just miso soup with a few drops of hot oil. Two of my friends ordered a sashimi regular which comes with 9 pieces of assorted sashimi, miso soup and salad. Although the sashimi is supposed to be assorted, the waiter allowed my friends to order specific types of fish. However, according to my friend, one piece was inedible because it tasted like rubber. I ordered three rolls that came out to a total of $16. The William roll (spicy tuna with crunch), Meredith Roll (tuna & avocado on top of spicy tuna & crunch) and soft shell crab roll were all pretty good but not the best I've had. They were pretty tiny and I probably could of ate 2 more rolls.
When it was time to leave, it took so long to flag down the staff to pay the bill. The total for 4 people came to about $44 so I guess you really can't argue with that.
The only redeeming qualities Cherin has are its BYOB policy and the cheap sushi. Even with a reservation, it takes forever to get a table. Once you're seated though, the service is actually not bad. They were really nice about putting our extra bottles on ice in the back. Butttt I went with a group of 6 and each person got a different roll, but somehow all of them ended up tasting exactly the same, bizarre.
Sorta...disappointing. Yes, it's a great deal...from 5-8pm on weekdays, 5-11:45 on Mondays means "Early Bird Special" where you can be on a "diet" with three rolls under $10 or go full tilt with four rolls for $13. And it's BYOB--though I didn't indulge on this particular occasion. I know, shocker.
All of this should have me grinning from ear to ear and smackin' the waiter on the back, shaking hands with the sushi don behind the bar. Instead, I was kinda underwhelmed. Perhaps my New Jersey born mom is right and New Yorkers can't enjoy things that are under-priced as they spend the entire time suspecting deceit. It wasn't deceit I found here, it was mediocrity. The dragon roll, eel lovers roll and tempura shrimp roll actually all tasted basically identical. Now, I probably don't have to tell you that these are not identical rolls.
The service was friendly and quick, though they were mostly empty at 7:45 on a weeknight. The moral of the story in this case? You get what you pay for...
This is not the best sushi in the world, but neither is it the worst.
This "early bird" special of 3 rolls for $10 or 4 rolls for $13 is appropriately mediocre. Our party of 7 ate dinner, including a couple orders of edamame, soup, 3 bottles of wine and several beers and our bill turned out to be $25 per person. With tip.
This is a good deal, and not just in NYC.
I call it Amuse-bouche sushi
Umm 3 rolls for 10 bucks! How can you NOT love the place!
The list of sushi seems like the same few rolls repeated over and over, but they have all the basics and some really original rolls as well (I recommend the one with Eel and Banana). The service was a bit slow, and the rolls were smaller than usual, but tasted pretty good - and it was an amazing deal! I mean its not the best sushi I have eaten by any stretch, but since an aversion to sushi every night is often price - this place rocks!
I went to Cherin this past friday with just one friend. Most of the people there are in groups of four or more, and the place is pretty teeny. That being said, it took us about an hour to be seated. And we had a reservation! Unfortunately, so did everyone else.
We got there at 9:15, but the waiter told us people generally start lining up around 7. That being said, it COULD have been a terrible experience due to our cranky dispositions. The staff is so nice and accommodating, though, and the food was pretty damn good. I especially enjoyed the miso dressing on my avocado salad, and the spicy shrimp tempura roll was excellent.
I'd return, but would def try to beat the line next time. Who knew BYOB would be in SUCH demand in this city?
This place seriously soured me on sushi.
It is inexpensive but tiny - 3 rolls is more the equilivant to about 2 medium sized rolls at a typical sushi place.
But the it is the quality of sushi that make me give it 2 stars. Good god, the quality was miserable.
I heard there is a better place that is also BYOB on Clinton St.
It's BYOB, cheap and fun to enjoy with a group. Corkage fee is 5$ per bottle. The sushi isn't supurb but for the price, it's totally do-able. Sometimes there is a long line, which I wouldn't wait for.
The dumplings are semi-flavorful, but the best is Joe roll or Jillian roll.
Great deal! 3 rolls for $10?! amazing and they aren't teeny tiny either. BYOB but they also have reasonably priced beer on the menu. It was packed by the time my party of 8 left and we were rushed out... so don't plan a leisurely dinner during busy times.
So, I went for a friends birthday, and the price was great and the rolls were satisfying. They had really interesting rolls too and all are included in their special (3 rolls for $10 and 4 rolls for $12) if you order before 8pm. The BYO aspect was fun too, though they serve beer on the menu. The only downside, which I think is a big one, is how rude the waiter was. We changed our reservation from 6:30 to 7pm, so when the next reservation came and left due to the wait, our waiter informed us it was our fault he lost the next reservation. I would go back because the sushi was fresh and at a really good price!
Oh, bother. Foiled again by an Early Bird Special.
I met a large (8 people) group of friends here, with wine and Framboise Lambic in tow. It took our waiter a really long time to bring glasses, even though our table was littered with bottles. BYOB always gets me in trouble...but more on that later. I decided to forgo the special everyone else was ordering (3 rolls for $10 or 4 for $13) and got the Sushi Regular Entree (soup, salad, 6 pieces of sushi and 1 roll) for $11.95. The Miso Soup and Salad with Ginger Dressing were just fine, but then those rubbery pieces of fish and the worst Spicy Tuna Roll I've ever had were placed in front of me. Womp, womp, womp. So DRY and tasteless. My friends had ordered the Olivia Roll (crab and shrimp, served warm...hmm) and the Dragon Rolls and loved both of them, but I say if a restaurant can't manage their simpler dishes, it's an issue of cheap/spoiled ingredients. The meal and service went downhill from there. My friend spilled half a bottle of the Lambic on my white skirt (cue the menstruation jokes) and when asked for club soda, our surly waiter took a good five minutes to deliver it. Never again!
Disclaimer at the bottom of the menu: "Our sushi appears small because we use less rice." Har har har...
How have only 7 people reviewed this place!? Maybe because others want to keep it a secret....
I almost didn't believe my friend when she told me about their 3 rolls for $9.95 special (from 5-8pm). It seemed too good to be true! So, we went last night with one of those humongo bottles of vino and were seated right away . They even left the bottle opener on the table for us while they went to get us water and glasses! I figured we would be limited to the boring, standard rolls for the special BUT no! We were allowed to order nearly any of the chef's special rolls!
The rolls were really tasty, but lots of emphasis on avocado and crunch. I love crunch, but wasn't in the mood for all the avo (had mexican for lunch). Also, DON'T order the edamame. I've noticed this trend among the cheap BYOB sushi spots- the edamame almost always tastes stale/like a dirty sock.
Our waitress was kind and attentive, but i did notice her chuckling when i was struggling to get the damn wine bottle open (screwed the opener in crooked- ai). Also, their menu graphics/design is way ugly. they could use a new look!
overall, good time. I'll be back for sure!
Fresh, basic sushi in East Village for value deals - best deals for nigiri and rolls, which are well detailed in reviews below.
The pieces are a nice size but thiner slices of fish - no fatty tuna or anything too far outside just the basics here.
If you prefer sashimi over nigiri, head a few blocks over to Takahachi on Ave A btw 5th and 6th for bigger and better pieces of fish at comparable prices (10 large pieces of salmon for $13).
perfect bite-size rolls, reasonable prices and BYOB, but terrible service and thimble-size seating
come here if you don't really care about a courteous wait-staff, if size doesn't matter, and you want to drink your own bodega-bought craft beer while you eat
I love sushi and I love Cherin. It's just the right size to be charming and the sushi menu is pretty great for a small place! Yep, the rolls are small but the selection is good and you can't beat that it's BYOB. I think sometime they'll charge you a corking fee, but I can't be sure when/why. On the weekends there can be a bit of a wait, but for such cheap sushi rolls, what's not worth waiting for?
Yeah the 3 rolls for 10 is cheap and there are a lot of options but I fail to see what is so great about this place. The reason why its so cheap is because there is so little fish you can barely taste it hidden among the rice. I guess it was fresh, hard to tell when there's so little fish. I don't go for monster rolls like Yama but if I just wanted to eat rice I would have ordered that. Also, it was pretty empty yet took forever...
I think it is crowded cause of the byob and early special but I wouldn't go back.
Good deals, chill atmosphere.
There's an "early bird special" that's available till like 11pm or midnight so pretty much all the time. Although the sushi pieces are definitely not Yama-sized, collectively the dinner special still makes for a filling meal.
The fish is fresh. The only weird thing I found was that the sushi rice was not vinegared....the strangest thing I've ever tasted in my life, definitely made me do a double take. But it's still edible because the fish used is good....just that the rice is plain.
I selected the "Cherin Roll" in my dinner special, it comes with unagi, avocado and fresh crab meat. Altogether was okay.
Terrific value. Obviously not Morimoto but where else in Manhattan can you get four decent rolls for $12.95 (special before 8pm)?
Miso soup and vegetable gyoza are standard. They have some creative maki options involving banana and apple. The shiitake mushroom roll may not be original but is excellent. I like that they don't use too much rice.
Of my two favorite go-to sushi spots in the East Village, this is the more expensive. Still, it's not so expensive. This is a good place to go with friends and split a moderate amount of sake.
The sushi is excellent and fresh. The fish is cut very thin and long and set over an appropriate amount of rice. I am shocked: how many places can't get these simple elements right.
Also, the complementary cherin salad tastes good.
Cherin Sushi is a great place to start a night out. I went tonight with four of my friends and we all thoroughly enjoyed our meal, particularly the John and Gillian rolls and the seaweed salad. Although the restaurant is small (be prepared to wait for a table) and the service is a bit slow, the ambiance is nice. You also CANNOT beat the prices (most rolls are $5)! Some rolls are a bit smaller than average, but overall, I was very full with 2 1/2 rolls. Second major plus is that the restaurant is BYOB. Of course, there are equally good and better sushi joints in the city, but this is pretty delicious bargain sushi! I will definitely be back!
Was invited here for a friends surprise party and as a group of 30+ people the party host reserved the front room for our group. Needless to say, upon our arrival non-invitees were seated in the front room forcing party to be half seated and others to wait outside for tables to clear. The service, oh the service, was basically nonexistent. It is a BYOB establishment and there was plenty of alcohol brought, but no glasses to drink out of. After a waitress was tracked down and practically forced to bring us glasses, ice and edamame we calmed down. The scene of this place was comical to say the least. Exhibit A: The table to the left of us (a group of 4 under drinking age girls) were sipping on wine mixed with orange juice, while munching on store bought cheese doodles. Exhibit B: Table to the right of us had ordered ice cream, paid the check, realized we needed their table for the rest of our group and then opened a new check to order more appetizers. Haha Okay back to the food part of this review..the edamame were decent, a little over cooked but came with sea salt on the side, which is a plus for me as I'm not a salt lover, so the less the better. The rolls were itty-bitty teeny-tiny, but tasty nonetheless. Once our entire party was seated and the drinking was underway, everyone was having fun and happy to be together. Thus Cherin gets an extra for providing our group with a spot to have a great night.
if you want good sushi for a reasonable price, cherin sushi is the place! also, save some money on alcohol and BYOB! they have hot sake for $2!!!
went on a monday and they have a $9.95 sushi combo all night!
it's a great find if your a sushi and BYOB fan!
they could up the wait staff. but the service is good enough.
Great, basic sushi joint in the E. Village! Monday night specials - including 3 rolls for $9.99, which works for my budget! Throw in their BYOB policy and you have a perfect cheap weeknight spot. Small and cozy, no frills but always good.
This place was recommended to a friend of mine by a fellow selling yak butter tea in Katmandu, Nepal. She gave me the fellow's name - he was apparently a brother of the owner, or something along those lines - and I filed it away on my "places to eat" list. I figured it would be just another run of the mill sushi restaurant, but when I finally went, I was very pleasantly surprised.
I told our server where I had heard about the place and showed her the fellow's name. She immediately knew who he was and was incredibly excited that we had come after receiving a recommendation half-way around the world. We were treated like family for the entire evening - with a complimentary round of sake before and after the sushi. The food itself was quite good, as were the prices. I'll definitely be back the next time I have a craving for sushi.
sushi deals. delicious. one of my favorite sushi places in the city. service..umm maybe if there was more than one waitress, it would be faster and friendlier. but it's okay, i wasn't thaaat irriated. the ambience and tasty sushi and white wine made up for it.
the best - martin and gillian rolls. yummmmmmmmmmmmmm
Quality: 5 Service: 2.5 Overall Atmosphere: 5
THis place is legit for delivery. We ordered the Cherin Salad (YUM!), shumai (good as always), and a few rolls. Everything was fresh and on point. Only reason I wouldn't give this place 5 stars is because I've def had better sushi but for a sushi craving this place is good. ALso, guy on the phone was very efficient and got the order right from the first try, which made the whole experience great.
When I moved to New York, it was surprisingly hard to find a sushi restaurant with a really great deal AND great sushi. Cherin is it! The BYOB every weekday AND weekend (although on the weekend the 2nd bottle is $5) is great and the dinner deal of 3 rolls for $9.95 and 4 rolls for $12.95 is even better than the $20 all you can eat places because 3 rolls is about all I can eat! The sushi tastes expensive and delicious and I didn't find it to be much smaller than a normal roll. Plus, the restaurant has great decor! Best sushi restaurant in the city by far!
Early special from 5:30-8pm.
4 sushi rolls : $10
9-piece sashmi and a sushi roll : $13.
You can bring your own drink. On Friday and Saturday's there is surcharge.
It's best to make a reservation. It is packed on Friday. Come on time or you will lose your seats.
Many of the sushi has the crunch option which gives it more texture.
This is a great place to grab sushi and your favorite booze (you can bring bring your own) with your friends. Who says you have to break the bank to enjoy good sushi? One downside, and i cannot confirm if this is a common occurrence, is that service is a bit slow. We had to wait 30 minutes to be seated WITH a reservation. They seem to be a bit understaffed. However, I'd go there again.
Sure, the early bird special -- 4 rolls for $12.95 -- is cheap, but it's cheap for a reason. The rolls are very small and the sushi is just OK. The best thing was the Sapporo for $2.50. Overall, it was a bit disappointing but I guess you get what you pay for.
I have mixed emotions writing about this one. It is a great place with great sushi, but as yet, somewhat unkown - and therefore, easy to get a table. The prices are ridiculously low and the staff is really friendly. So my only concern is that it might get too popular.
Went here on saturday recently with a group of about 6 people and had no problem getting a table. Not a huge place so I'd recommend going either early in the night or late like we did. I believe we showed up around 11:45pm. Sushi was freaking cheap as hell. I'm talking 5-7 bucks for per order of 6 rolls. The only downside is the rolls are a little of the smaller side. When I get sushi, I normally order about three different rolls, here I could have ordered 4 1/2 (if that is possible). A plus side is the place is byob and they are pretty tolerant on being rowdy. We rolled in with two six packs, three tall boys of pbr, and two huge draft cans of some Japanese beer. Needless to say, we were the last people in the restaurant and we were being real loud. Service was good and they should have prob kicked us out earlier. I'd recommend this place as a cheap dining option before going out at night.
when i first read about cherin sushi, i decided i just HAD to go. my friend and i arrived in plenty of time for the special- $13 for 4 rolls??! wowee. the restaurant is small and narrow, and got kind of crowded with people waiting for tables. it took a while for the food to arrive, but the waitress had warned us beforehand. apparently it's BYOB as well. wish i had known. i would never have left!
Private party in Honshu
Jersey City, NJ
Special~ Just for Yelpers!
Jersey City, NJ
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Sushi Bars
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