Sharaku Japanese Restaurant
8 Stuyvesant St
(between 11th St & 12th St)
New York, NY 10003 (212) 598-0403
- Nearest Transit:
Astor Place (6)
8th St-Broadway (R, W)
3rd Ave-14th St (L)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
29 Reviews for Sharaku Japanese Restaurant
I dont remember it being particularly amazing but it was fresh and cheap. The specials give you variety and a lot of food...not necessarily a destination place but if you're in the neighborhood and not in the izakaya mood its worth a try.
based on one thing:
Yakiniku Donburi. Consistently good. Don't think I've ever had anything else in the....6 ish years (give or take) I've been eating here. why mess with a good thing.
good service, great anytime of day.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
we wanted sushi- we were in the area and it was mainly the prix fixe early bird dinner special that drew us in:
either a choice two entrees - 13.50ish
or a single entree and either shashimi or sushi-15.50ish
meals come with small salad & miso soup.
we decided to share the tempura entree&sushi even though i think they're meant to be served for one
-the service was definitely 4stars as we were greeted with hot towels and we got to seat ourselves and found a nice spot in the front with open windows the street. it helps that it was a beautiful evening outside and you get to see all pretty faces of the east village, freaks and chics alike.
-the soup was okay, a lil below average miso, didnt like eating out of a plastic soup spoon but did like added bamboo shoots- the salad was...good, mushy and mild dressing but still tasty.
then we waited and waited - for what must of been 15-20 mins for our food and i had to check my watch once or twice
once our food came it came on a set dinner tray complete with the tempura- 6small tuna rolls and 4 pieces of assorted openfaced sushi, some raspberry sorbet thing, some cooked spinach and yer rice. everything was pretty tasty but nothing mindblowing, ive certainly tasted fresher sushi...however i think i bit into a tempura and was surprised to find raw fish in there... it was my first tempura sashimi bite ever...not too shabby
anyways- prices were decent and so was the food- great service though. might go back but maybe only for lunch. dinner looks a little too pricey for just an average meal.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
I found this place while walking amidst the blistering cold - after not being able to get in anywhere on St. Marks. I have to say, it was a pretty bloody good find.
1/ They were able to seat a party of 8 in around ten minutes on a friday evening (it was not empty by any means, but just not as insane as the scene on St. Marks)
2/ The salmon steak main course was excellent - im almost scared NOT to label it the best salmon i've ever had, anywhere.
3/ The service was pretty top notch.
4/ The restaurant itself is nice, and well lit.
I'm definitely going back!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Okay, I'll admit it. I'm a lazy eater. Whenever I'm in well-trodden neighborhoods and have a craving, I'll usually just opt for the easiest, most convenient & reliable option. I generally don't like waiting a long time for a table or for food. Sometimes I just want to be fed, damnit.
Which is probably why I've eaten so many meals at Sharaku. Yeah, I know that there are a ton of Japanese restaurants in this stretch of the East Village. Yeah, I know that there are better slices of sushi to be scarfed down elsewhere. But ya know what, there's always a table waiting for me at Sharaku, and my wallet never takes a beating from eating here.
The menu is ample, the servings are generous, the service is usually pretty good and you can get in some decent people-watching if you score a table near the window on either floor. Not only that, but they have all these lunch & dinner specials, and they're open fairly late. The sushi and sushi rolls are pretty good, too.
So don't be surprised if you see me sitting at a window table chowing down on some Sharaku sushi. I'm a lazy eater and Sharaku ought to love me for it.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (4)
Cool (3)
One of my favorite restaurants for about 2 years now. The lunch portions are generous.The dinner portion "Chicken of Sharaku" is delicious. I find my self craving it often. The manager is super nice and the prices are reasonable. The only thing I feel needs consistancy is the flavor of the green tea. Some times it less or more flavorful than other times but they refill your cup as many times as you want -no charge...
Went to lunch here because I heard about the awesome $10 lunch specials and true enough, these were well worth my $10!
I had the Toro Steak with Sushi Special and was pleasantly greeted with a yummy & satisfying meal (including salad & miso soup)! The other lunch specials looked delicious too! My girlfriend mentioned how she'd come here for dinner rather than lunch :)
There's definitely a second time round!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
Great neighborhood gem. I love Sharaku! Their fish has always been fresh for me and their prices are affordable enough to dine here nightly. This isn't a mexican runned kitchen, but japanese sushi chefs behind the sushi counter.
If you dine 5-7PM they have an awesome deal. SetA: Soup and Salad, 2 entrees, white/brown rice with a bit of veggie and strawberry yogurt for $13.75. SetB: Same but instead its one entree plus sushi or sashimi for $15.75. I always go for set B sashimi option at the sushi bar. Also, when I dine at the counter, the sushi chefs starts me off with a special appetizer compliments from them. You wont get this if you seat at the tables. As for the sashimi entree, they give you 8 slices of 4 variations. I'm usually full by the time my 2nd entree arrives so I usually tell them to pack it to go along with an order of yellowtail collar. So good!
Their late night special starts at 10PM-closing and it includes free sake or sapporo beer.
During the cold season, I usually go for their sukiyaki.
This isn't a destination place but if you live in the neighborhood or just so happen to be in the 'hood, its a gem.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (3)
Ooola~
I went this place with my bro after all of kind yelpers' suggestions..
I like the price range and FOOD..
had combo sushi and sashimi dishes..
we both loved hot sake and salmon skin salad!
People thought this was:
Useful (7)
Funny (3)
Cool (8)
Sharaku is a tried and true place for good food and nice dining atmosphere. I've been there countless times but only twice in the last three years because I think their food has gone down a notch. Their once super-fresh sushi/sashimi is hit or miss, and their awesome Sharaku Steak has disappeared. Bring back my Sharaku Steak! Overall, it is still a great value for Japanese in the city with above average food experience.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (2)
This place felt like a quick fix for Japanese food but it
wasn't anything special. The staff was really helpful and
I found the service to be very good, but the food didn't really
feel or taste like anything special.
Maybe I didn't order the right stuff??
Got an order of pork gyoza and an udon noodle soup with
chicken, shrimp and veggies. Gyoza was tasty, a little to
"crispy" compared to the other pan seared kinds I have had
before. The soup's broth had a good flavor, a little salty - but
the chicken pieces were kind of rubbery....
Moderate in price and taste - just in case, they take credit cards.
its one of those restaurants that's always there, its always an option, and you'll never argue with the prices because their menu is a used car dealership it has so many deals (EAT IT PENN!)
Its kind of thrown in there with the St. Mark's half off sushi restaurants but its a little more streamlined and just as NYU heavy. The sushi was unremarkable but nothing to complain about, and I got some basic appetizers like gyoza which were fine but not incredibly tasty.
the decor is nothing to brag about, but its not aiming for that, what is nice though is the full windows and you can at least people watch, its a cozy mini-block so at least it has that.
If you're in need of a quick sushi fix, its perfect. If you want something more, well then you can go to McSorley's. Well they don't have sushi, but......but.....
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I can still remember the sushi melting in my mouth! Really fresh and yummy! This was a pleasant find and I can't wait to go again. I preferred the sushi here over Blue Ribbon and Sushi Samba hands down. Great for groups or with a friend, get a seat upstairs and enjoy the street view.
I love this place! My friend & I took a chance and ate there 2 years ago and, since then, it has been one of my regular eating spots. The best time to go is during lunch. They have a special for $10 that includes soup, salad, california rolls, & an entree. If you sit at the sushi bar, the chefs hook you up with some free samples.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Stationed right on the NYU campus, this student-friendly sushi joint features great service, even better deals to make for a great establishment. Each time I've gone, the service has always been stellar and attentive. The sushi itself is decent and with the late night/lunch time deals, it marks as some of the most affordable in the area. The interior of the place is decent, organized in such a way that allows many people to cram into a small place. One must try the after 10PM specials for a rolls, nigiri, and drink combinations.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Japanese Cuisine.
I've passed by this place several times but have yet to walk in, but finally went there recently. They have pretty reasonable dinner specials like a prix fix menu daily from 5-7 with your choice of entrees, or for those who eat late, after 10pm dinner specials also. They also have a Monday dinner special which lets you choose an entree along with a sushi platter.
Now, on to the quality of the food. I mainly try to stick to raw foods when I eat Japanese food, so I can't vouch for the quality of the cooked foods, but they did look very good though. I did have a shrimp tempura appetizer, in which I thought the shrimp was a little small compared to other places I've gone to.
The sushi is reasonably fresh. I had the spicy tuna and spicy salmon rolls, which are not done the typical mayo'ed up style. There is a little mayo in there, but they do put something in there to give it that spicy kick, pretty good, but not the best I've had. The spider roll was reasonably priced at $8. Most places charge about 10, but the soft shell crab was overly cooked, very brown as you could see in the roll. The 6 different types of fish on rainbow roll were pretty good, it tasted similar to the fish I've had at Yuka, but not as fresh as Yama. And I think a somewhat good deal was their 'house special' roll, which had 5 types of fish in a large cucumber wrapped roll. It was well worth it for $7.50.
This place has potential in my opinion, even though it has been here for a while now. It's not perfect, but it's worth a try. Prices are reasonable, but for the amount of food I ate, it was probaby worth a trip to some AYCE sushi, but then I wasn't planning to trek uptown. Lack of a perfect score is due to inconsistant table service as it took a while for our waiter to take our order.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
For their salad alone I give them 5 stars. It is hard to find a restaurant that doesn't throw a chunk of iceberg lettuce in a bowl and call it a salad. They give you a mixed green salad with a tasty carrot dressing. Since my boyfriend doesn't eat salad I usually swap my miso soup for his salad. It adds to my enjoyment of the meal.
They offer pre-fix sets that are highly affordable. These sets include enough food to keep your tummy happy.
ordered the "village jumbo sushi" to share with my boyfriend thinking that it would be some kind of sushi boat with lots of little sushi to share. What came to our table was OBSCENE: a butcher block with ENORMOUS slabs of fish draped over littls balls of rice. Our neighboring diners gasped at the sight of so much quivering flesh on our table. And I squealed with glee. It will be very very hard to go back to normal sized sushi after this.
We also had a perfectly decent tempura appetizer and a faboo bottle of "milky saki" (i'm not a saki expert but this was very richly flavored compared to other saki's i've tried...and GREAT). One star off for serving saki with dirty glasses.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
I went to Sharaku on accident with a friend. We were looking for a sushi place and thought a different place was at the same location, so be it. First we downed a dragon roll which was pretty good. Miso soup, eh. So...we ordered the Jumbo Sushi platter figuring we'd split a bunch of sushi and go home happy. Little did we know that "jumbo" meant HUGE pieces. They were ridiculous! All time biggest sushi pieces. See photo.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
although this place was not our first choice, we ended up here and loved it. also the fact that they can actually seat you in under an hour and there's space to breathe in there is a plus. every other japanese restaurant was busting at its seams.
we got the shabu shabu which was outrageously good, although we were forced to move to a bigger table which could accommodate the meal. they made it a pretty smooth transition though. our food was seriously amazing and at $34 for a meal which is more than enough for 2 people. we also got vegetable tempura and edamame, both of which were great. i wish they served their edamame hot though.
be warned - a big group got totally yelled at by the manager for doing sake bombs - this is not the place to come if you're looking for a crazy time.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
Stands out amongst a tough crowd, being set in a Japanese food orgy along 9th st between 3rd ave and 2nd ave. Fantastic Sushi at reasonable prices.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
One of my favorite japanese restaurants in St. Marks! The sushi is fresh, you can get Shabu-Shabu here, they have a late night menu, and if you sit at the bar, the chef gives you a complimentary appetizer. I always go with my boyfriend and one time we ordered so much food the waitress told us to eat first then order more if we were still hungry. And to top that off, our bill that night was only 60 bucks and we must have had 8 dishes or so...my faves here are the UNAGI TOFU, TUNA TAR TAR, THE CHICKEN W/ MESCLUN SALAD AND SOBA.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
My favorite sushi spot in lower Manhattan. Right on the corner off 3rd Ave. It is split level, I prefer upstairs which is always less hectic than the street level. The sushi has always been fresh, and the staff is great. They also have unique appetizers and specialty dishes. This has been my regular sushi spot for years. The outer walls are made up of windows which leave for great people watching while you enjoy your meal.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
jumbo nigiri with pieces the length of chopsticks.
and they had black cod! for that they get 5 stars.
A clean cozy Japanese restaurant. Food is average. They have a decent lunch menu.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Is it possible to be a sushi addict?? 12 steps here I come! I may be an addict, but I can still see beyond my fiend-frenzy to tell when I got the good shit, and Sharaku is the shit. Delicious fish and big pieces of nigiri. I enjoyed the unique presentation of the chirashi, over an inverted bowl of rice, with a typically spare Japanese ornamentation of vegetables. The miso soup had chunks of daikon in addition to the usual tofu/seaweed concoction. Good enough for a second trip in a one-week period, I returned for the lunch special. Salmon/tobiko don was fabulous with a fabulous price and just the right portion for a midday meal.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I had my b-day party there in June. It was really good sushi place.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
could we all be really talking about the same place?!? i came here for lunch today and everything from the service to the the food was bad. i ordered the ginger pork lunch set and the wasabi pork dumplings. the dumplings probably had more wasabi than meat in it, making it virtually inedible. the rubberized pork was of such poor quality it would have taken me all week to chew through my meal. service was downright rude and hygiene was an issue too (the guy next to me had a fly in his drink). i would have rated my experience zero stars if that were possible (btw, we should all email yelp customer service about having zero stars a feature .. ). Would definitely not return.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
Satisfaction Guaranteed
When I'm looking for a good meal, these places… -
When I want to CHILL
somedays you just want to sit back relax wear your… -
Asian Pride
represent'n. I can't live without my Asian… -
The Lazy Eater
Yummy yummy, can't wait to get you in my tummy!… -
Top Restaurants
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Hot and New
- Caracas Arepa Bar
141 reviews
Neighborhood: Manhattan/East Village
- Death and Company
97 reviews
Neighborhood: Manhattan/East Village
- Clinton St. Baking Company
150 reviews
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Lower East Side
- Prosperity Dumpling
28 reviews
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Chinatown
- The Spotted Pig
155 reviews
Neighborhood: Manhattan/West Village