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Category: Sushi Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Long Island City30th Ave (N, W)
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Yeah, NO. I've eaten here and the other location on Ditmars a few times & officially decided to let it go. I just got a few rolls delivered and it took an hour (ok 54 minutes... still) on a Sunday at 5pm. I also only live 7 blocks away! Whatever that isn't even the problem with this place, but it certainly does not help this review.
I paid and tipped the delivery guy who could care less that it took so long. When I took the lid off to carry the tray to my table it almost broke in half from the weight of the sushi! They use styrofoam which cannot be re-used or recycled. The rolls were ice cold (all supposed to be cooked rolls btw) and the shrimp tempura, yep you guessed it, mush. My miso soup was the only edible thing (after I re-heated of course) but it had NO tofu and not one piece of wakame seaweed.
I'm not bothering to call or demand reparation of any kind because this is the best payback in my mind. The reason I gave 2 and not 1 star is because the gobdol bibimbob is not bad. That is if you go into the place and sit to order it, but the sushi leaves much to be desired.
Yeah so using yelp on the blackberry was too difficult so I entered unaware of what the queens yelpers thought of this astoria sushi spot. It was very empty around 5 6 pm on a Friday (July 3) so we went in. They have their bottled water written in mL volumes and asked for half a liter (500mL) bottle. First she looked at me like I was making things up and came back with 250 mL of pelligrino.
While we're sitting there (and I'm facing the sushi bar), the person who is supposed to make my rolls or maki combo covers his nose with one hand and precedes to pick his nose with another. Regardless of if you have a tissue (which he did not...he chose his finger to get all up in there) YOU DON'T FUCKING PICK YOUR NOSE WHEN YOU ARE THE SUSHI CHEF!!!!!! I was in such shock that I just sat there watching him for a good 90 seconds go at it. Then he ducked down under the sushi bar to do god knows what and at that moment the waiter comes to take our order.
I order the "no fucking thank you" and promptly walk across the street and ate at Ovelias.
Not great, but not terrible. Went on Mothers day, and my mom loved it, thu she is easy to please when it comes to food... Personally I'd say almost everything was a decent to not so good.
Our waitress had no idea what she was doing, and was not listening at all. I had to repeat a few things, and she ended up standing over me looking over my shoulder while i pointed to the menu... Even then she got a few things wrong.. Really bad service.
The miso soup was bland and it tasted fishy. Strange miso, not so good. The Shumia was the same standard stuff you buy in the freezer section. This was ok but not hot enough. We had asked for all the sushi together, which being in a sushi restaurant i expected to be served in some kitch boat or something, instead they put 3 rolls on 1 huge plate, and 1 big roll on another large plate.... So we each had to reach over a plate to grab the rest of our meal, terrible presentation...
The rolls themselves were not put together well at all, maybe that is what they are going for? Or maybe the sushi chefs are amateurs.. The spicy salmon tasted alright, the best roll of the 4 we had, but they cut it into 8 thin slices instead of 6 and the salmon was falling out... the spicy tuna was good, same problem thu. The smoked salmon roll was mostly cucumber, but what salmon was there was not fresh even for a smoked fish. We ordered some big role with about an entire eel on it... Sounded good, but by the time it arrived the eel was nearly room temperature. Still a good roll, but unless its cut in small pieces and served hot from a toaster I shouldn't order Eel. We ordered 2 pieces of White Tuna sushi to finish off the meal. Of course what we got was 4 pieces of sashimi... This i enjoyed alot, but it was cut way to large.
We waited forever for the bill but when it finally came we were informed that they have a special where you save 5% if you pay cash, which is nice. So i paid cash and it was surprisingly inexpensive, it came to about $40. The food and service was pretty bad, but its inexpensive.. So maybe if you went for some avacado or shitake rolls it might be worth it? Not recommended.
I went here a couple of years ago and one of my pieces of sushi was a bit warm. Not warm like cooked, but just luke-warm. I recoiled and almost spit it out on my plate.
I was off sushi for about 8 months after eating here. So if you are trying to kick the sushi habit, this is the place for you. This folks, is gross sushi.
Every time you pass by here, it is filled with people. I'm assuming it is all first time diners, because I can't imagine a diner returning to this craptacular place.
I order delivery from here maybe once a month on my day off and always have a tasty lunch. I have never had rice that was hard and have never gotten sick. The broiled rolls are unique to sushi places in Astoria. They do involve a few ingredients so if you are sushi purist, probably not for you; but if you want a little variety, the combination of creamy-crunchy-spicy between the filling and the topping is nice. Spicy beef roll is tasty and filling. I sometimes get the wasabi shumai, which is a nice little starter and that horseradish kick straight to the sinuses always wakes me up and gets me excited for my meal. At $2 piece/$4 a roll, you should realize you are not getting a Morimoto hand-selected cut off the finest tuna. But the fish is fresh and if you pick a roll with an addition that helps compliment and bring out the flavor of the fish, you will be getting a great value from gowasabi. Just to address a few of the more ridiculous comments from other users: a) 'i remember something happened here 3 years ago' - are you kidding? the restaurant industry moves fast, you might as well have eaten there in 1865 (b) 'there was not a great variety of rolls' - there are no fewer than 40 different kids of rolls on a quick check of the menu (c) 'i ordered delivery at 5pm on a sunday and had to wait 54 minutes' - everyone and their hung-over cousin orders delivery on sunday night in queens, you are going to have to wait your turn.
After eating here for dinner, I spent the entire night in the alternating from the fetal position and my head in the toilet, hoping that my life would end quickly.
NEVAR AGAIN
Closed down by the health inspector for a few weeks this past summer. I had eaten there the weekend… Read more »
Been to go wasabi a few times just because I was craving yet I always leave disappointed. Better off feeding the craving with a snickers. The service is good, but there is nothing special about the sushi or entree selection. Prices are fair. Fish isnt that fresh and the rice is hard. Very generic as far as sushi goes and wouldn't waste my time going back. They used to have predone sushi to go that was great if you were in a rush and didn't care about selection but since the togo case is gone I'd venture to other places. Overall forgettable
I went to Gowasabi for the very first time a few days ago...My sister told me it wasn't all that great and their prices were ridiculously high, but we went in anyways cuz the Thai restaurant we originally were gonna check out did not actually exist on the street.
Can I just say Korean dishes/lunch box spcials were RIDICULOUSLY A RIP OFF!!! ( I was fuming at the menu)
Hmm..All I remember was ordering 2 Asahi's and 2 Sapporos, a dragon roll, and the semi-cooked Tuna appetizer. Was it good you ask? I don't know. It wasn't good or bad. It was just food.
Piece of advice to all you sashimi yelpers: wherever you go and whatever you eat, order what majority is having. Real serious
diners know that this is the number one golden rule to a happy stomach~
huge portions, decently price, nice atmosphere, good presentation, great service. went with another couple and ordered a handful of items to share.. there was a ton of food. the vegetable tempura is awesome, as well as their dinner boats and specialty rolls.
I had just moved to Astoria and was wandering down 30th Ave with my new roommate when we decided to give this place a go. The service was good. Nothing special but nothing to complain about either. We both ordered the sushi/sashimi combo. It came on a tall boat. One disappointment was that the complimentary roll that came with the combo could not be changed. You were stuck with a California roll. Boring. I did not witness the nose-mining that the previous yelper mentioned so cannot comment on the extra flavor perhaps added by the sushiman's boogers. I had planned on visiting again to try some of their other offerings but I am now compelled to find another place to enjoy my sushi.
Agreed with angela g. - the word I would use to describe the food here is thoroughly 'eh.' The main attraction I can see to this place is the decor, which is cute contemporary Japanese-style. They used to show old cartoons and Japanese movies on the flat screen TVs on two of the walls - don't know if this is still the case. The monochromatic walls and sleek stainless steel-feeling atmosphere create a moddish feeling that I quite enjoy.
Food and service wise, it's a study in acceptable mediocrity. The numerous times I've eaten there the sushi has had that metallic tang of frozen fish and every interaction with the waitstaff was slow, albeit friendly. The fact is it is a cute place with acceptable food if you are having a sushi craving, but not where you want to go for a fantastic meal.
As for nearby sushi places of better quality- I'd venture down to 31st Avenue and try out JJ's, which is slightly more expensive but currently my neighborhood favorite.
The place is fine--for Astoria. Yes, there's better sushi in the city, but when you just want to stay home and order in, this place is adequate. Prices have been going up since it first opened, so either they're taking advantage of their popularity, or their costs are going up.
This place has a larger selection of creative rolls compared to other Japanese places nearby. Our favorite is the Red Hot Roll. It's spicy tuna with tempura flakes AND cucumbers, making it nice and crunchy.
***Note - Delivery Order Review***
I have a confession... I'm allergic to fish... Not shellfish, just fish... So when I eat maki rolls, it's usually boring stuff like avocado roll. Boston Roll... Kappa maki... oshinko maki...
But Go Wasabi has the King Mushroom Tempura Roll... I LOVE KING MUSHROOM!!!!!!! And they have a great spicy Spider Roll....
Judging from their menu, they have a really good selection of rolls, appetizers and entrees... Their entrees are a bit on the pricey side... Like bulgogi (yes, they have a few korean dishes) for $13... Um.. yeah.. that's pretty pricey... Or bibimbap for $12...
But delivery was quick and the rolls were yummy... Cost me $20... For two rolls including tip... crazy...
If you love bland sushi, then Gowasabi is the place for you. If you love good sushi, then I suggest you don't set foot at this establishment.
The atmosphere is nice, cozy, elegant, and they even have a jazz night on Fridays. However, when such a wonderful atmosphere isn't enough to make up for what the store lacks in their sushi, which is mainly taste and quality, then you are better off searching for a better place or spending a night at home, enjoying ramen noodles. At least with ramen, the taste is ensured.
This used to be a good sushi place in Astoria, but ever since the management changed, it's gotten worse. The last time I was there, it took 45 minutes to get 3 rolls even though we were only one of 2 parties there.
My friend who ordered hot food, got her dish and was halfway done before I got my rolls. I asked the waiter four times when I will get my food, and each time he said 5 minutes. After 20 minutes I had to get a bit loud, (I HATE having to resort to bitch mode but places like these test my patience). Also, it was frustrating having to constantly ask for tea. Come on, you mean to tell me that your 2 servers can't handle the 5 people that were there??
By the end of the meal we were so ready to leave, but couldn't because the incompetent waiter kept forgetting our check even though we flagged him down three times. (He kept forgetting because he was too busy chatting with the hostess.)
Needless to say, we didn't leave a tip.
I've gone to and received delivery from Go Wasabi several times. I really like the place and will stay a fan until I experience those "one star" situations myself (sorry Yelpers, those sound pretty foul). Without doubt, there are better sushi places in Manhattan (and a great one in Astoria on 31st Avenue named JJ's) but for the 30th Avenue crew, Go Wasabi is a sure thing.
Hmmm...lots of bad reviews here. My experiences with Go Wasabi (always the one on 30th Ave) have been consistently solid but I almost always order the same thing: gobdol bim bim bop - lots of fresh vegetables, an egg and beef over rice (you can get vegetarian or fish or chicken instead) served in a hot stone bowl that crisps the rice in your bowl while you eat! I also like the california rolls and appreciate ther cheap sodas and reasonably priced Asahi. The free miso soup with entree is also respectable. I'm not a big sushi person and when I've deviated from bim bim bop the results have been blah but the service has always been good and overall I'm happy to have this place to spice up my Astoria food rotation. Deserves 3.5 stars. Go bim bim bop (has to be gobdol style in the restaurant - it doesn't deliver as well because no hot stone)!
I was very disappointed by the sushi here, which is primarily what I came for. I had the red snapper sashimi, which was kind of bland, but not un-fresh. The flying fish roe (a la carte sushi piece) was certainly fresh, and the only good thing I had. I also got a little adventurous and tried the Spicy Salmon Tempura Roll (which was huge, but not the sumo size).
It was gross! It had a nasty "spicy" sauce which my body quickly rejected upon getting home (sorry for the graphic thoughts I am surely causing, but you need to be warned). I'm still holding my stomach as I type. I got this at the recommendation of another patron, so there are some people out there who may like this, but I prefer my sushi to be about the fish and flavorful and not about how many different flavors (both fish and other) that can be crammed into a single piece of sushi at once. And why such big pieces??? At least Woody Allen would be 1/2 pleased ("The food is so bad; and such small portions.")
Since the sashimi wasn't particularly flavorful, I am going to assume the traditional sushi (like a tekka maki roll - a standard I normally get, but didn't this time) wouldn't do well by me either.
The non-sushi apps I ordered were all standard fare (edameme, shumai and soft shell crab tempura), but didn't stand out as being either tasty or not.
The server kind of forgot about us even though the place was emptying out and we had to wait a while for him to come back so we could ask for the check.
I live for sushi, but I wouldn't be caught dead here again.
Close by is Tokyo on 24th Ave and 31st st, which is between this restaurant and the other (and there is one down further south on 31st st as well) which has similar pricing and much better food. I would recommend that place over this.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go curse this place out to the porcelain gods.
The 30th ave location is excellent. Don't let the other review deter you. Go on a weekend and eat off the lunch menu. It is incredibly cheap. They open at 1 and runs 1-3.
I must have had a decent night there, seeing the other not-so-good and bad reviews posted. Also, just as a comment, it seems that MANY of the restaurants on 30th ave in Astoria have "pest issues". Don't know what it is about the area.
Anyhoo, our food was really good- the only thing I wasn't into was the dressing on the salad- not good. But, nice atmosphere, fresh sushi- I had the spicy tuna sashimi dinner which was really quite excellent. My first time at the place, I will definitely return for sushi close to home. Food took a while to get to us, but worth it when it did. And, I didn't even have any sake. I mean, sober sushi with a good rating? Must be good, eh?
This place stinks. I got delivery from the Ditmars location once and it was a bit sub par. Then I tried the 30th Ave location and it was extremely sub par. Fish was nast and tasted like it had been sitting out for days. I went a while ago so my memory is a bit fuzzy about the whole experience, but I do remember that when I left I thought to myself I would never go back there again. I am just happy that I avoided getting sick like some other people did. I am baffled by how crowded it is all the time. Please avoid.
Sushi and sashimi good
Miso soup and salad are typical
Udon good, hot
Tempura good, crispy
Service good, but slow at bringing the check to the table
Servers nice, but they never refilled my tea
(I came on a not so busy day so everything came out quick)
Delivery is now a minimum of $15
Slow service on busy nights, live music on Fridays
I can't tell much about sushi, but I thought what I had at Go Wasabi was good. There are some good deals to be found on the menu, like the "Maki" specials which include soup (miso, seemed overly fishy) and salad with 3 different sushi rolls (18 pieces) for a pretty good price.
I had a tuna tempura roll which was different than I expected in that the Tuna was more cooked than I'd have preferred and there wasn't a tempura crunchyness, but it was good. I also had the "SoHo" which had shrimp tempura, avocado and a spicy orange sauce. I can't remember what else was in it, (and it isn't listed on their online menu) but I found it to be very tasty, if HUGE - these were 2-inch wide rolls which I could barely fit in my mouth.
The service was adequate and amusingly everyone on staff says goodbye and thank you as you leave the restaurant.
I always get the Soho (salmon) or Noho (tuna) SUMO rolls. These rolls are a mouthful and they're only $10 (includes salad and miso soup in the lunch special)
It has salmon or tuna, shrimp tempura, avacado, spicy sauce, etc and made just a little messy so that you can take credit for it at a party...
...my roommate and i ordered it for a party and convinced 30 guests it was homemade...
I ordered delivery sushi entree years ago. On the menu photo, it had 2 pieces of yellowtail. However, when my sushi arrived, there were only bunch of cheap stuff like tuna, salmon and others with no yellowtail at all. Sushi was ridiculously small as well. Price weren't cheap either compare to in Manhattan. Honestly, I think Manhattan sushi places were cheaper on average compare to what I got from Go Wasabi. I never spent any money on them since. I'm surprised to see them still in business. Maybe they changed their bad way.
Reading the reviews before mine, I'm almost embarrassed to say I liked my experience for this place, and did not experience anything unpleasant.
1st Visit Meal. I love their Spicy Tuna Sashimi on a platter(mashed!) -- an interesting dish that I was not expecting since it was out of the norm. Topped with crunchy flakes, paired off with two pieces of imitation crab meat and sweet egg custards, atop of rice. I was hoping the spiciness could be peaked up a notch, but it was a small delight, nonetheless. I felt a little "zing" was missing, given my palate had been delighted many times before, with spicy tuna/salmon sushi.
2nd Visit Meal. Their sushi a la carte also lacked a certain zing, but I enjoyed eating each fillet of various fish. My only complaint, is I wished they included caviar into this platter. The presentation(if this actually counts for anything) came freshly laid out on a bed of finely julienned, string-like radish, which served as a nest for the sushi pieces.
3rd Visit Meal. Udon with shrimp tempura. Delicious, came hot and very fulfilling. Can't really much about this meal, other than it was a perfect meal.
Prior to the actual entrees, the waited serves a bowl of ginger salad(loved it), miso soup(ehh, a little lack of taste?), and a hot cup of green tea. What is my verdict? I'm not so crazy with the taste... and the price is reasonable. I have to give 3 Stars.
Everything here is eh. Their fresh food tastes two days old and nothing has enough flavor to keep me coming back for more.
I say boo to this place. I've eaten here or gotten take out a couple of times, but I've never been impressed.
The other day I had a real hankering for sushi and ordered from here, but it was a total let down. The salmon was rubbery, the sushi was mediocre (even with me really, really wanting to like it), and they didn't include part of my order.
Worst part was that the food was packaged poorly and teriyaki leaked all over everything in the bag.
At least it was very expensive.
sushi is not bad... not the best. It is a little too crowded for my taste but the modern look was nice and the appetizers where to die for. I definitely think this place is a great place to bring a first date too!!!
I threw up after eating here. Twice. Well one time was the one on Ditmars but I'm pretty sure they are the same place/owners/food. And I never throw up. I don't really have a good explanation for why I came back after the first time, but I think now I have learned my lesson.
i came here once with my friend awhile back - maybe 3 years ago, and i spotted a rather large roach wandering the wall near the bathroom. that is all i remember about my experience here. oh, and a couple was having an argument when the woman stormed out.
since i didn't remember what the sushi was like, me and my bf ordered some take out a few weeks ago, and needless to say, it was pretty gross. just did not taste like real sushi, like the rice tasted like regular white rice and not sushi rice - i recommend jj's over it any day.
the one on 30th avenue is my favorite sushi place. delicious spicy tuna and spicy salmon!!! the service is a little slow if you sit down, but take-out is perfect. plus, the people who work there are really nice.
The sushi here just isn't very good. I've been three times and it's bland, sort of dry, not very well prepared. Yes, the interior is pretty, and I personally have not experienced food poisoning or bugs or bad service like some other reviewers. But to me, the fact that the sushi is on the boring side of mediocre just puts the nail in the coffin for me. Don't bother.
GoWasabi must be a small chain restaurant, because I have been to two locations in Astoria. This is the smaller of the two, and while it is less decorative inside, it is a good place to hang out with friends or to go on a casual date. I had the "boat" for two. It comes with an assortment of hot food and sushi, all loaded into a wooden boat. Great presentation, and fun to share! It is a good deal for the amount of food that you get. I did not have any sushi that stood out for being exceptional or super-creative, but the "standards" were all quite fresh-tasting and good!
I like to get the tekka-don for take out. It is like $18 with tax and tip and it comes with soup and salad. Tekka-don is the fresh peices of sushi, I think tuna and then the sushi rice beneath it. I always find the people there to be so friendly* Which in Astoris is a freaking god-sent* I always find the fish to be very fresh and the miso plentiful of flavor and tofu chunkles.
i'm not really a sushi fan; in fact, i'm rather unfamilar with asian dishes in general. i've got europe and latin america down but when it comes to the most populous continent on earth, i'm fairly clueless. but that's to be expected from a guy who, until the age of 17, would only eat steamed white rice at chinese/asian restaurants.
i like go wasabi. the food is fresh and tastes good. the sushi, although familiar and uninspired, are well priced and filling. The biggest problem I tend to have at sushi bars is that there's never enough food and i feel like the 4 pieces of sushi I bought is a rip off. But Gowasabi gives you bang for you buck. The non-sushi dishes are...interesting. If you are unfamiliar with Asian cuisine, or you have a palate that is landlocked, you might want to just stick to the sushi. Gowasabi does allow you to take a chance and expand your horizons so if you're adventerous, go ahead and give the noodle bowels a chance.
The atmosphere is cozy and well done. Service can be spotty - dishes are usually brought to the table at different times - so if you have 'manners' and don't eat until everyone is served, you might want to forget that while dining at Gowashabi.
It's fine. It's good for the lunch, though. Their sumo rolls are HUGE (each piece is about the size of my fist) and it's a good deal. I don't think I'll go all the time, but it's worth a cheap lunch.
hmm, I'm surprised by the bad reviews on here. I had the Edamame, Rainbow Roll, Alaska Roll and a California Roll and all were good. Not as good as my old neighborhood go-to place (Sushi Yu II), which I really miss, but not bad either. In fact, this place was better than JJ's (which I've been to twice now). The sushi was fresh and well crafted. The service was good (it was 10ish on a Friday, so it wasn't too packed). The place looked clean to me, so I can't believe that it has any more of a pest problem than anywhere else in this city. I'll go again for sure.
I usually go to a place in the city for sushi but my wife and I were lazy one day and decided to go here. There was not a large choice of interesting rolls, just the norm. If you like eel though, try the Godzilla roll. It is the only one i enjoyed. It is a huge piece of cooked eel, I mean like a foot long, drapped over rice.
Nothing special about this place. They added a jazz night with all that fancy baby grand piano, maybe to compensate for the quality of food. I think it's overpriced for something I can get fake Japanese fast food at Teriyaki boy. But I guess this is Astoria, and if you have no choice and craving for raw food then I can't stop you.
Happy Hour Deal~Just 4…
Jersey City, NJ
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