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Natori
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
58 St. Marks Pl(between 2nd Ave & 1st Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village
(212) 533-7711
- Nearest Transit:
-
Astor Pl (4, 6, 6X)
1 Av (L)
3 Av (L)
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
52 reviews for Natori
Review Highlights
"By far probably the best miso soup I have ever had."
(in 11 reviews)
"I also tried a fried alligator w/ plum sauce appetizer."
(in 5 reviews)
"...if they are offering the fatty tuna with scallion roll, I..."
(in 2 reviews)
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52 reviews in English
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Review from Jason C.
Queens, NY
9/23/2011
So it was a Friday 4:30 pm and I was craving Chicken Katsu donburi, one of my favorite Japanese meals growing up. 4:30 pm by the way is the worst time to try to find an open Japanese restaurant as they're usually prepping for dinner, as they typically open at 5:30 or 6pm. My stomach was growling and I was on St Marks place. I decided I was going to snack on a Xi'an Famous Foods lamb burger, so walked towards 1st ave. Chicken katsu donburi was still on my mind, so my eyes were looking out for any evidence of an open Japanese restaurant. As I was walking on the N side of St marks between 1st and 2nd, I spotted Natori. Looked at the menu and what did they have: Chicken (tori) katsu donburi. This is very rare because most Japanese restaurants only serve the standard Katsu Don with pork. So I got madd excited! I walked down a few stairs as Natori is a definite hole in the wall place (very hard to see as it's on the south side of st marks which has less walking traffic), in a basement, but I was pleasantly surprised at it's welcoming and homely feel. Very simple set up, nice wooden floors, maybe 8 tables at most, accommodating parties of 2 and 4-5 max. The time was 4:45 and I peeked my head in and asked the server if they were open (even though I knew they weren't), he said, sure we'll open a little early, took me to my table and flipped the closed sign outside to open. I was the first customer of the night. I kind gentleman brought me my menu but I knew exactly what I wanted. However he also brought me the "early bird special menu" which had a combo of an entree, choice of salad or miso soup and a beer/sake/soda of choice all for $11. It was on. Got the chicken katsu don (of course), miso soup and hot sake. I have to say out of all the Japanese restaurants I've been to in NYC, this place had the best miso soup. Almost tasted as good as Grandma's. The sake hit the spot as it was a cool rainy early evening on a Friday, after a long work week. The chicken katsu don came last... I was so excited. It looked great and authentic. Took a bite of it and it was exactly what I wanted!! Have to give it a 8.5 out of 10. That's high for me as I grew up on grandma and mom's chicken katsu don (actually I called my mom while I was at the restaurant and she told me it wasn't going to be as good as hers, haha) But it would have been a 9.5 if the portion was bigger. It was kind of small, but big enough where I wasn't still hungry. And out of respect for my mom and grams, there will never be a 10 katsu don, other than theirs. I am excited to go back and try the Aligator and sushi. Looking forward to introducing this place to some friends!
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Review from Lemon C.
Manhattan, NY
2/3/2012
Love this place!! Great sushi at such good prices!!! Everywhere else, you would pay at least double for this quality sushi. Nice little restaurant, unpretentious, and very nice staff.
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Review from Saad M.
Manhattan, NY
10/29/2011
Place is utterly bland - both in decor, atmosphere, and most importantly...the food. In a city and neighborhood spoiled for choice when it comes to sushi this place could use some work. A group of us tried 5 different rolls, none of them provoked any strong reaction - meh. Had the fried alligator as well - too salty and overfried as well. On top of that not even a fun place to grab a drink. Wont be coming back.
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Review from Amal D.
2/6/2011
Ummmm, how bout no!! This place really is a horrible place to get some quality sushi! Came here on a Sunday afternoon after seeing the $13 for 3 rolls special going on. Once you step in this joint, you feel like you've just stepped into a tiny, narrow laundromat. They had that whole paint peeling from the walls thing going on and it smelled like Tide.....and a fish tank.....not the best combo. The decor was pretty terrible, it's as if they just hung up whatever they found at the nearest corner shops. The service was absent and I was especially annoyed seeing as we were the only customers in there. Our waiter kept disappearing and we needed some water refills.
Now the sushi was definitely the worst part of this place. Out comes our dish and the rolls were warm!! I mean, really warm! WTF is that?? Last time I checked, people don't microwave sushi rolls....ever! And they were the kind of rolls you find at places like grocery stores in those plastic packaging. It's literally the same thing, except this place likes to defrost them by keeping them by the oven or something I'm assuming (yes, still referencing the warmth of the sushi because....COME ON!!). Yea I really think next time we're not going to be sucked in by the cheap specials (cheap for a reason, obviously) and find some quality sushi elsewhere. -
Review from Nina P.
1/17/2011
You have no interest in eating here.
Its much too cozy.
The food is too good.
It gets full way too easily.
And the traditional Japanese fare thing is just not what your used to.
Avoid this place.
Please.
I will bump you out of my seat if I see you there.
Just to save you the low bill and full belly, -
Review from Chie T.
Fountain Valley, CA
10/29/2010
First - I'm bummed I didn't take any pictures because there's only 1 on here.
Yes - it's a complete hole in the wall. Small (maybe 4 tables of 2 and another 3 tables for 4) although there's 2 parts and I've never quite figured that out.
I'm not all that surprised to hear people saying things like it's unimaginative or uninventive because we've created a culture where sushi really isn't too much about the fish and more about prettiness or creativity but if you want sushi - sushi you'll get.
We got a sushi plate (1 tuna roll, 2 pieces tuna, 2 pieces salmon, 1 piece fluke, 2 pieces yellowtail, 1 piece shrimp... I think?), and an extra eel and avocado roll and steamed matsutake mushrooms with ponzu sauce. Perfect for 2. Bill came out to $43.
Yes, the menu is basic but it seems like what it does it does well.
- Fish is FRESH
- Pieces of fish are generous
- They achieve that perfect consistency of rice where it doesn't fall apart when you try to eat your sushi in pieces instead of shoving the whole darn thing in your mouth.
- the GOOD ginger (not that pink stuff)
- service is amazing (truly - took a bit to get the guy's attention to get our bill but he was communicative about when everything was coming and checking up on us)
And best of all - we went at what I think is prime dinner hour in the East Village (8 or so?) and though it was crowded when we got there, it wasn't when we left and he didn't remotely hover to indicate he wanted us to settle our bill or clear our table even though we were at a 4-seater.
This could be a go-to for me.Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Elizabeth B.
Brooklyn, NY
7/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wow, that's a long time to wait for supermarket-quality sushi, for real.
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Review from Linh N.
11/23/2010 5 photos
I've walked by this place so many times and never did I know that they served so many great food. It was a small place, about 5 2-person tables and 4 4-person table. The service was quite fast, and the waiter and waitress was at your service when you need it. Brownie points for refilling water and not need to be ask for it.
Broiled Alligator Meat with Ginger Sauce - The meat tasted like pork but a bit more on the tough side. The ginger sauce was amazing, and made the gator meat flavorful with every chew I took. I like the little mini salad on the side of the dish, it's good to cleanse the mouth after every bit so I can bite into it and have the feeling of the first bite all over again.
Sushi - The fish were quite fresh and they came in generous portions. Big piece of fish, who wouldn't like?! I love how the rice didn't fall apart upon picking it up with the chopstick, kudos to the chef for that! And might I add, there's a little wasabi in every sushi and roll piece. So if you're allergic and don't like it, let the waiter/waitress know.
Fatty Tuna Sashimi (special) - My first time at this and I have no idea how I'm suppose to eat it and how it's suppose to taste. I always thought toro was suppose to melt in your mouth but apparently to me, it was so soft and slimey... it's a texture thing, I know!
Salt Grilled Mackerel Meal (special) - My favorite of all. The grilled mackerel was lightly seasoned with salt and with that was a bowl of rice. With a little lemon squeezed on top, the fish was very appetizing with a bit of tangy feeling to it. Flaky meat but you can still feel the texture of the fish being intact... oh how wonderful it was.
Fairly good experience. Good food. Good company. Good night. Would mostly likely head back. -
Review from Pearl H.
Long Island City, NY
7/25/2010
Total hole in the wall, but very subtly charming and good as an intimate setting.
The waiter/host was a bit off, but I think it was cause we got there early 4pm EST on a Sunday afternoon.
The fish was very fresh, they had toro! Oh man, oh so delicious!
We had 10 pieces of a la carte sushi, 5 rolls, and a large hot sake for less than $30 bucks per person.
Definitely going to check it out again. This may be my second favorite sushi place in the city (price, ambiance, and freshness). -
Review from Hideki K.
7/22/2010
Hole in the Wall Japanese that Serves Alligator
Natori is easy to miss because it's on the northern side of St Marks, bet 1st & 2nd Aves. The side of the block isn't highly traffic'ed. It is also a few stairs into the ground and split into two storefronts.
I went in to the half on the right last night and ordered their Grilled Alligator with Plum Sisho ($6) appetizer just to see what alligator Japanese style would be like.
The portion wasn't much, but a bunch of us split it. It didn't taste like the gator I've had in NOLA or FL, but did have the white fish texture, so it was real gator. It wasn't anything special, so whoever goes hoping to be wow'ed will be disappointed.
The place itself (Natori) is pretty depressing. I took a look at their raw fish and it strewn about randomly inside the sushi counter. I didn't notice much care given to it. I wouldn't want to eat sushi at a place like that. -
Review from elise h.
New York, NY
7/19/2008
Natori is my go-to restaurant for convenient, reliably good, tasty Japanese food with that home-cooking twist. And it's wonderfully affordable. I could eat here on any given night and be totally content.
This place is regularly frequented by a mix of Japanese and Americans. The space itself has absolutely no ambience at all -- it's brightly lit, small and not expensively decorated -- but you come here for the food, not the scene. It's a quiet, calm kind of place, but I've had dinner there with groups as large as 8 and chatted away the evening with lots of fish, sake and beer, and they were very accommodating. Be warned though, this is not the place to go if you are in a hurry. Their service is basic and polite but if they have a packed house the food can take a while to come up. You should come here when you are looking to relax, stay awhile and savor & enjoy the wonderful food.
This place doesn't cater to the average American palate -- some of the menus are in Japanese, and they have a lot of exotic dishes that you don't see on most sushi menus, like simmered pumpkin, natto pancakes, deep fried alligator meat and baby clams in miso. This is the Japanese "home cooking" twist that I appreciate so much about this place. When I go, I always order their awesome okonomiyaki, and if they are offering the fatty tuna with scallion roll, I order that too because of its delicate, delicious flavor. Another thing this place does very well is salads -- their seaweed salad has 3-4 different kinds of seaweed, and their green salads go beyond the usual iceberg lettuce. Their green salad with avocado is crisp and vinegary and big enough to share between 2 people.
If you order sashimi or sushi, you can be sure that the fish will be buttery, fresh and tasty -- always a delight. I have a bias toward their simple, perfect mackerel, but pretty much any fish you order is going to be very good -- I've had their salmon, eel, yellow tail and tuna also and it has all been great. Their rolls are also wonderful -- if you order the standards like the spicy tuna, they do them well, but the rolls they offer on their nightly specials are much more interesting -- like their nice crunchy salmon skin roll, and as I said, my favorite fatty tuna with scallion!
This place was introduced to me by an old roommate, and I in turn have introduced it to many -- and all have loved, loved the food. Definitely one of the better places on the St. Mark's Japanese Row!Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Kat H.
Brooklyn, NY
4/21/2009
This hole in the wall reigns over all of the mediocre to terrible sushi restaurants in the East Village, if only for their amazing Miso Soup. We came here on a Thursday (I love those rare moments when my seafood timing is dead-on) and the rolls were unbelievably fresh and luscious. High-quality yellowtail and tuna, with the creamiest avocado. The seaweed salad confused me, as it seemed to be just that: a variety of seaweed species without even a sesame seed or oil or...flavor. Also, skip the sake; it went down as easily as shards of broken glass. We kept it simple with the 3 Roll Special ($13 for Soup, Salad, 3 Rolls, and Sake), but I think it's better to order individual rolls. Though the pieces are small, it was enough to fill our bellies with room to spare for dessert (Momofuku Milk Bar, in this instance).
Hey, any restaurant that plays Deerhoof's "Milkman" all the way through has my support.Listed in: The East Village aka Reasons…, Where to Bring Your…
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Review from Jen D.
7/8/2007
This place serves my favorite type of Japanese food. Something I'd like to call comfort food. Everyone has a different idea of what their comfort food is, but for me, this is it.
Free range chicken
okonomiyaki - 4 different kinds
takoyaki
sashimi
assorted small dishes and large meals
beer
tea
The place isn't fancy AT ALL but the food has been consistently good. This place only gets 4 stars because the staff that work there are not nice. They take your order with a side of attitude. So beware. Don't take it personal. -
Review from Maria W.
3/8/2007
Love love love Natori. Their early bird special keeps me coming back for more. $13 for soup or salad, a bottle of sake or a beer and a regular sushi, $11 if you change your entree to donkatsu, which is absolutely delish.
It's never crowded which I totally don't get. Interestingly, I have seen quite a few celebs while eating there, like the cast of Big Love, Claire Daines, Julia Stiles. So Hollywood knows about this place but the locals not so much.
Service can get a bit attitudey depending on who you get. One particular waitress definitely. If the food wasn't so good and the restaurant practically at my doorstep, I might consider heading elsewhere so often for dinner. Ok, maybe not. Love this place. I let it go that the waitress just likes to eat pickles, hence the scrunched up sourpuss she sports. -
Review from Markus R.
La Habra, CA
6/5/2010
Super fresh sushi at very decent prices. Having lived in the Los Angeles/Orange County area for the past 10 years, it's so refreshing to come to a very genuine sushi house, run by actual Japanese folk and not Koreans pretending to have Japanese heritage. It's also nice that the place is quite small and comfortable without the distraction of really bad drunk people doing karaoke Lady Gaga or the Killers.
The menu was typical but had a lot of variety. Soft shell crab was intensely good. I'm definitely coming back here on my next trek back home. -
Review from Leo M.
Brooklyn, NY
11/13/2008
WOW! Cannot believe that this hole in the wall place was good, but I'd go back tomorrow! Stopped in because it was cold, and there was an "early bird" special in advertised outside that seemed like a good deal.
I'm happy if I leave a sushi place satisfied, and my bill is under 25 bucks. I got that, and I thought the service was super dupes, and I thought the sushi was also a little bit better than the rest, and maybe just a little more authentic.
The tuna roll was smaller, but better. I can't quite put my finger on why it was so good, it just was. Everything I had was tremendous, and it's a cozy little joint, off the beaten path, and it makes you feel like you're in on a secret.
I'll be back, and I'm bringing the troops. -
Review from Tuna D.
New Orleans, LA
4/1/2007
Place was packed when we went, hole in the wall and tiny as every other place in NY. Food is off the chain and love the soup, it was damn good, although the mushroom was a bit slimy, no it was not shitake mushrooms either.
Service was quick, cash and credit, parking is hard to find so get their on foot or by by ways of public transit and walk yer ass over der.
Had the bbq squid, sometimes i just like watching what other patrons are already eating and i ask them what they are having, usually a good thing to do. -
Review from Steph and B.
New York, NY
5/31/2011
Simple, delicious sushi & miso soup. If you want fancy pants rolls this is not the place for you. I'm so happy I found this hole in the wall... We'll deffinitely be back.
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Review from Princess M.
New York, NY
10/6/2008
I love this place primarily for their very tasty and well-made unagi tofu stew. It's served up in this large, flat cast-iron pan with a layer of napa cabbage, a layer of silken tofu triangles and pieces of unagi, then all lightly binded together with some beaten egg in a slightly sweet, sukiyaki-like broth. You pair this with a bowl of plain white rice on a cold day. OH!!!!!!!!!!! YUM!
They also have an appetizer made from fried chicken that is lightly stewed in a broth with grated radish. That's also really good. Chirashi here is always very fresh as well.
Overall, this is a reliable, affordable, down-to-earth place for a casual dinner with family or with friends. -
Review from S L.
Manhattan, NY
6/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Food was good, solid, Japanese food. They have some unique dishes that are harder to find in a restaurant setting like rice balls with plum paste.
Service was slow. -
Review from Michelle L.
Brooklyn, NY
2/9/2009
I think I've finally found it - my above and beyond Japanese restaurant in New York. I've been searching for so long, yet come up with case after case of not-terrible-but-not-great, especially in this neighborhood! But Natori is just what I've been craving.
First off, the gator. Oh my goodness, delicious! I've tried it both broiled and fried and both are nice. I think I prefer the broiled. It tastes a little like breakfast sausage. In a good way. Do they have alligators in Japan? Or is this a just-for-America specialty? Either way I'll be back for more.
Secondly, soft shell crab. mmmm. One of my new favorites and they just happen to serve it.
Thirdly, this is the only place I have ever had mackerel and enjoyed it. Usually it is a little too weird and "fishy" for me, but here it was fresh and had a hint of lemon - I was quite pleasantly surprised!
You should probably not come here because it is cute and small and I don't want to have to wait for a table.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Emi T.
Glenmont, NY
2/13/2009
All the positive reviews I read about this place convinced me to go. And to be honest, I would have been better off dipping my $20 in the soy sauce and eating it, because it sure would have tasted better than the food I ordered.
I got one of the specials which included miso soup, salad, a mini seafood okonomiyaki, and a donburi with broiled salmon, egg and some other stuff. The bottom line is, the miso soup was the best part of the meal. It had a good amount of seaweed and tofu in it. The okonomiyaki didn't have the usual sauce on it, but this weird orange dressing that completely ruined it. The salmon didn't taste like anything, and the salad was nothing more than a few pieces of iceberg lettuce swimming in dressing. I had to hold back my urge to imitate a commercial I saw in Japan and shout, "MAZUI!" Because that pretty much says it all. -
Review from Iris L.
Brooklyn, NY
5/18/2008
I liked how unassuming this place is, and overall I was pleased with our meal.
The service was slow and spotty but acceptable (sometimes the waitress will fill my water glass, but not my friends and vice versa.) We were in no kind of hurry and i didn't mind that they took quite a while bringing us our food because it was nice just to hang out in there. Don't go if you are trying to get in and out in under an hour. The space is tiny so I don't think there's room for more than one server.
The food was good, but not consistent. We ordered the sizzled pumpkin, age tofu, a big miso soup with salmon, tofu and noodles, an avocado roll and a fermented soybean roll.
The age tofu, avocado roll and soup were extremely delicious. the pumpkin was not very interesting, but not bad. The soybean roll was the most disgusting thing I have ever eaten in a Japanese restaurant. I think it's an acquired taste. Yuck.
We got green tea ice cream for dessert which was yummy.
Overall I had a good time and I would definitely go back. -
Review from Adrian C.
Nutley, NJ
8/9/2010
Well, we were in the neighborhood and yelp'd my desire for sashimi and here we found it. We sat in the left side, so that's my perspective of this review; apparently there's another side of the place that we didn't get to see.
So, it was a small cozy place, which is perfect for my taste. The waitress didn't understand my order and didn't bring me my beer, which was a little upsetting, but not too much since I was just recovering from a cold. I also craved a spider roll, but I didn't see it. Perhaps I missed it?
Sashimi and sushi hit the spot though. The fish was fresh and the portion for the price was wonderful.
I would go back again, though next time I would probably end up pointing at the menu while ordering. -
Review from Matt S.
Brooklyn, NY
4/24/2011
I really like this place. Their red snapper is great.
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Review from Amanda L.
Queens, NY
10/10/2009
I liked the fact that this place was a hole in the wall. With it's lighting and small space, It made me feel like I was in some ironic indie flick. It's just somewhere to sit and not feel like you are underdressed or overdressed. What you see is what you get.
I wish that my house salad had that miso orange ginger dressing but it had something else on there that I didn't really like. My friend ended up eating it.
The miso soup was just what I needed and my sushi was delicious. And when we got the check we were obviously happy with the money we spent! -
Review from Irene H.
5/15/2008
I finally stopped by for dinner after walking by this place twice a day for the past year.
I got a sashimi plate. My friends got the choleste don (chirashi with uni) and salmon neck (daily special). The salmon neck was very salty. The chirashi looked awesome. My sashimi was really fresh and a good portion. The rest of the menu looked very good...
Food was fast. Nothing to complain about with the service. I love this block of St Marks because it's not as loud and bustle-y. And the restaurant is so unassuming. I'd love to come back here again and try more of the dishes. (Might even bump it up to 4!)
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06/23/08 update:
I came back here with a friend. I wasn't extremely hungry so I got the special seafood okonomiyaki which came with squid, shrimp, and another kind of seafood. The okonomiyaki was excellent (I like it on the crispier side) as was the salmon sashimi. However, the service wasn't that great. I'd give this place 3.5 stars... If service was better, maybe I'd bump it up to 4. -
Review from Shachi B.
12/7/2009
My friends and I ducked into this place for a quick bite as we waited out the rain last Saturday. Seriously, we were NOT disappointed!
My friends ordered standard sushi fare, and I ordered a tuna/yellowtail bowl. I rarely fish, and must admit, this stuff was pretty damn good. The bowl came with generous slices of tuna and yellowtail on top of rice with some thinly sliced seaweed. Sushi deconstructed, if you will. Pay the extra 3 bucks and request some avocado in there - you'll definitely be glad you did! The green tea has a nice, smoky flavor to it which I also love love love.
A nice meal for 25 bucks - how can you possibly go wrong?!
The next time I'm in NY, I'll definitely stop by! -
Review from Debra E.
1/30/2011
Its more of a 2.5 star place...Amal D. and I had a food adventure day. In the process we stumbled upon some friggin' awesomeeeeee deals and this place ended up being one of them. At 4:30 on a Sunday..for $13 you can get 3 sushi rolls and a drink or soup or salad. They give you tuna, yellowtail and california. Oh yeah amazing ginger dressing on the salad.The place was small. Decor blah, one half of the wall had some paintings and on the other side some Graffiti drawing. The fish tasted warm to the both of us.. The tuna seemed fresh and the california roll had too much scallion in it and not enough crabmeat. I think next time if I go I would try out some of the suggestions such as the Alligator.
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Review from Erik F.
Brooklyn, NY
5/24/2009
Last night I was looking for some sushi on St. Marks...there are many options. I wanted to try a new place, with decent sushi but not very expernsive sushi. I also wanted somewhere quiet...Natori hit the spot.
It is a hole in the wall as other Yelpers have noted. It is laid back and friendly. The tables contained calm students and families.
They let me read for a bit after my meal with no hassle.
There are a few happy hour specials which led me to get a plate with 3 rolls...tuna, california, and yellow tail. Solid sushi. Not huge but pleasing. It comes with choice of miso soup or salad. I had a miso...it was good with a rich smell...I don't think I would rave about it as some Yelpers have but like the sushi it is solid...not just a bowl of sugar soup and a piece of tofu like some places.
I also tried a fried alligator w/ plum sauce appetizer. This was a surprise...I don't know when I last had alligator but I wouldn't have expected it on this menu. It is served deep fried sliced in half and in that slice they put a touch of plum sauce and some kind of leaf. Sweet, rich, clean....yummy.
I will definately go back.
4 solid stars...for solid sushi. -
Review from Jett t.
Queens, NY
6/7/2009
The freshest sushi for the price, hands-down. My favorite sushi/Japanese restaurant in the city. The natto pancake is something everyone should try too.
The service is consistently friendly and attentive. A totally unpretentious place. It does tend to get packed though at dinner. -
Review from jess m.
Ozone Park, NY
2/14/2011
We decided to try this place after a night of drinking at a bar across the street. we walked in, and the place was surprisingly empty for a Friday night considering it's location. Of course-right after we order our beers, a group of loud teenagers from Long Island come in and sat right next to us. Our sushi was delicious! I ordered the lobster tempura roll, and eel avocado roll. My fiancée ordered a whole bunch of stuff that i can't remember-but he really liked his dinner. The staff was very attentive and kept checking on us to make sure that we were all set. Our server even apologized (discreetly) for us having to deal with the rowdy crowd next to us. I will definitely come back to this restaurant.
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Review from Tendy C.
New York, NY
1/9/2010
Coming from the west coast, I was disappointed by what passes for sushi here. I have been looking for reasonably priced yet edible-when-sober sushi for quite some time and am entirely satisfied with my experience with Natori.
The toro roll has a good texture and taste, I've been looking for a decent toro roll for under for ages! The spicy tuna roll leaves a little to be desired, the one I had was good but the spicy sauce had a bit of an odd flavor to it -Not necessarily bad but different and not unambiguously good either. The hot sake also had an oddly metallic-bitter aftertaste. Yeah, you take your chances with house sake and nobody with a brain heats up GOOD sake but this was noticible. Ah well, it was satisfyingly hot and alcoholic on a forbiddingly cold night and under those circumstances (and at that price) I am willing to be forgiving.
The teriyaki bass, however, now that's worth writing home about. Flaky, sweet, hot, and inexpensive at something like $9. All in all it was a solid meal, inexpensive, good service, I will definitely be returning. -
Review from Suet C.
New York, NY
2/5/2009
Japanese tapas night! Just order off the appetizer and daily special lists and you can't go wrong.
Chirashi was excellent, just the perfect balance of fish and rice (more fish to rice is always the way to go!). Friends got the udon, and maki rolls, but I still think the apps were the best.
Did get a bit confused by the double entrance. Guess we showed up just before the other entrance opened up, and we stood inside the first entrance like dorks, and got stared at. (Normally, I just like looking at other people like dorks.) -
Review from Allison h.
New York, NY
9/8/2010
Totally fine and reasonably priced. Fresh fish, but not that inventive. We sat outside which was a bonus, it'sa tiny place. I prefer Kanoyama.
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Review from Che W.
New York, NY
12/6/2009
Deep-fried muenster wrapped in seaweed with panko crumbs, oh my!
The only other table of customers in the restaurant included one sorta famous indie chick.
I went with my boyfriend and we wanted to try the hot sake. We accidentally got a large bottle of it, and we had also ordered a good-sized bottle of cold sake. For food, we got the sushi platter, the sashimi platter, the appetizer mentioned above, and mochi. And green tea. Our bill was under $60, and that my friend, is worth 5 stars.
But seriously--I love the atmosphere here--it's so no-nonsense but warm and cozy. -
Review from Melissa C.
New York, NY
12/4/2010
I did not hate this place. I had a really nice little time, but the service was poor and very slow and they didn't refill our drinks even once. The sushi was poorly made and kept falling apart. I really wish this had been better.
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Review from Lawrence L.
New York, NY
12/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
Although the atmosphere seemed kinda dingy and "unimaginative", the chilean sea bass was among the best i've ever had. the fried alligator was decent as an appetizer. the chicken katsudon was also pretty good. It had a much homier feel and taste than many of the other japanese restaurants on st. marks.
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Review from Briana M.
7/9/2009
I see no reason to ever return here. The most average of sushi. Inexpensive for the area. Yes, the avocado is creamy. But it was just...the most boring sushi experience of my life. In the most boring nook ever. With the most inconvenient bathroom. Blah. Blah. Blah.
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Review from Tessa V.
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY
3/2/2009
My parents used to go on dates here before I was born, and it's my mothers favorite restaurant. The first time I came I took one bite of the tuna and avocado salad and I was sold. Natori is my favorite restaurant now, too. I don't care if you won't eat raw fish or hate fish in general. Unless it is a threat to your health, you must try this salad..
I'm not saying that's the only reason to come to Natori! I'm really into the whole cardboard box dining thing (I'd be more flattered if a date took me to a hole in the wall like this rather than some upscale Americanized Japanese restaurant). I've enjoyed every dish that I've tried here, and each one has a very home-cooked taste.
I also reccomend the miso soup, the chicken katsudon, the nabeyaki udon, and any of the teriyaki dishes.
