Sushi Yasu
“Didn't think it would be enough so we ordered the Marilyn Mon-ROLL and it was just way too much food!!”
“My personal favorites of the night were: the giant scallop (amazingly fresh and sweet) sushi, eat it with one bite and no need for sauce.”
“Definitely need to go for the Omakase here which isn't expensive at all when you compare to other places that have this option.”
Sushi Yasu
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I always order their fresh sashimi and their bento boxes. They give you a pretty generous amount of food in their bento boxes, but I like to order their sushi/sashimi a la carte and a bowl of gyu don or marinated sliced beef over rice. Pricing is similar to that of the city but they have everything if not more the city has to offer in a more relaxed environment.
So, I was invited here by one of my very best friends since HS school. Its been a really long times since I saw him. We decided to go Omakase style. Ended up going a little over board and did the $100 per person. They have different levels starting at $60 I think. Anyway, our chef was really cool (interactive and funny). My friend works in the area and apparently knows the chef since he goes there alot. The food was really good. Some spots that do omakase will give you 1 piece at a time. Here he served us 3 at a time. Honestly, I had an amazing culinary experience here. It was worth the $. =)
My friend brought me here because he tried it once and thought it wasn't bad, knowing that i love omakase and sushi he decided to bring me here. This place is authentic in that everyone who works here including the chef spoke japanese, their omakase bar had a good number of seating and we got seated right away because there were very few customers here and they were not busy. The only thing good about this restaruant was that their chef and their waiters are super friendly (the chef even opened the door for us after when we were leaving! whoasss!) they have a very very limited variety of fish, everything is pretty much what you see in front of you, their omakase is very affordable which is where one of the stars went to $60 for 16/18 peices! I did not like that i had to be swatting flies while eating my sushi. (not sure if this is their fault but i am sure they could do something about this..set up a fly trapper for fruit flies after hours or when you are closed!) the sushi were luke warm, which is a negative for me because i like my sushi cold or at least a little cooler than room temperature the chef although he tried did not create any mind blowing pieces of flavored sushi. Final thoughts, loved the service but will probably not come back. This is a little out of the way for me and I had better.
ONE STAR GOES TO THEIR AMAZING SERVICE , ONE STAR GOES TO THEIR AFFORDABILITY
Hands down to the best sushi place in Queens or even better than other places in manhattan.
I came here for the first time with my boyfriend. We sat on the bar because I had the $80 omakase. It is the same as $60 that has miso lobster soup & omakase starter plate with assorted stuff like fried botan ebi head, snails, tuna. but the omakase is 16 pieces while the $60 has 12 pieces. Great price for really good omakase! From the soup to the last dish of this meal is perfect! Everything was delicious. Its heaven in my mouth.
Chef yasu split the $80 omakase for me & my bf because my bf ordered 3 types of rolls so we end up sharing everything together. Each of us had 8 pieces omakase & we shared the rolls. Even the rolls are super delicious! My bf & I enjoyed our meal especially that chef Yasu is such a nice guy that when I came back with Ben & Roger my yelper friends, he still remembers me & we did the $60 omakase again & he gave us a free dessert.
Service & food was great, it just melt in your mouth. Can't wait to go back!
From the outside, it doesn't look like much. But the sushi was fresh, the chicken karaage was tasty without being too oily, and the tempura soba was good and the broth was hearty. Prices are a little high for the area, but the quality is great. Service was also excellent — tea was refilled very quickly, food came out fast. I'd definitely come back.
Japanese for lunch? Yes. One large Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box $12.95 for one enable me to eat my fill. Two table choices of soy sauce: low salt and regular. Service is prompt, efficient and courteous. Quality of food is average which the Bento Box comes with one fresh strawberry and Miso soup. I did not like the ginger salad dressing. No comment on alcohol as I did not intake any.
Pretty good. I had the Marilyn Mon-roll $15, salmon & avocado roll $5.50, and the shrimp tempera udon noodles. Marilyn Mon-roll was PRETTY good like 4/5 good, but doesn't quite live up to it's hype on yelp. It's unique as it has scallop on top.. but other wise it was just a roll. Quite pricey for what you got portion size. Salmon & avocado roll was just ok. I feel like I get better and bigger rolls at Sushi Time up the block. The shrimp tempura udon has a nice variety of veggies, but I didn't like the soup base as it was too sweet.
Takoyaki (round ocotopus balls), was quite good! Best I've had in a while.
Nice staff, pretty nice ambiance…… curious to try their omasake..
Austin Street in Forest Hills is often touted as a worthwhile day destination for those in Queens, and even from outside the borough, but whether one considers that true or not, its food is certainly not. This has begun to change in the past few years, but most dining establishments along the commercial strip remain mediocre at best.
Slightly below street level, Sushi Yasu is easy to miss. Nothing distinguishes it from other sushi places in the area. And indeed, when first entering the right side of the restaurant, it appears much like a typical neighborhood Japanese sushi restaurant that is not run by folks who have had any level of proper training in sushi making; a few two-top and four-top tables in a narrow space, it looks more like a take-out joint.
Somewhat hidden from the street level and not visible from the entry dining area is a separate side of the restaurant on the left. In this well-worn space is the long sushi bar and a few tables. What is immediately evident is the absence of that pristine zen evoked by many an upscale sushi bar in Manhattan, where one may feel compelled to be a model diner; instead, it is reminiscent of unassuming neighborhood sushi joints that can be found all over Japanese cities and towns. That makes for a comfortable, laid-back dining experience, without compromising the high level of service that the Japanese are known for.
At this sushi bar, a legitimate omakase can be had, with a choice of $60, $80, or $120 menus, prepared by Chef Yasu. He is confident, steadfast, and exudes an easy-going style that again, reminds me more of casual sushi-yas in Japan than most competent sushi-yas in NYC. His counter can get quite cluttered with seasonings and garnishes being used, but you suspect he knows exactly where everything is. And while his focus is never in question, he works with a pleasing jauntiness.
The $60 omakase is a remarkable bargain. It includes a sashimi course with 4 – 5 items that may include tender ankimo (monkfish liver), deep fried shrimp head, amaebi (sweet shrimp), or akami (lean bluefin tuna). There is a flavorful lobster miso soup, which can be served early or later. But the highlight is truly the sushi, 12 pieces in all. It bears mentioning that the shari, or sushi rice, is the real deal; the grains texturally distinct with a smooth mouthfeel. The neta (sushi toppings) are served at a proper temperature, not too cold nor warm.
Although serving piece by piece is best, Chef Yasu economizes on time by preparing three at a time on a narrow, long plate. His style is not consistent. Some pieces are classically traditional, with just a dab of wasabi and a brush of nikiri (soy based sauce). Others employ varying levels of garnishes to enhance or contrast flavors, which can be just a bit of plum sauce on tai (sea bream) or a sliver of jalapeño on hamachi (yellowtail). Or it can whole-heartedly embrace the type of experimental verve that Sushi Seki and Sushi of Gari are known for, such as topping sake (salmon) with roasted tomato, or searing a dab of butter over lobster, a tried and true combination that gets a lovely boost of extra saltiness from tobiko (flying fish roe). The end result is unpredictability, as neta and toppings change constantly.
Sushi Yasu is a rarity in Queens, a place to have properly prepared sushi, with a bargain omakase. The food is not perfect; one can rightfully nitpick that much of the seafood and garnishes could be fresher. But for what it offers, in the neighborhood that it is offered in, and for the price it is offered at, that level of perfection is simply not needed. And although I avoid eating sushi that isn't prepared in real time at the bar, the sushi prepared for table service is probably better than most in the area.
Return visits? Inevitable.