Maru
“Their udon soup is also made just right and you have your choice of meat or tofu.”
“Doesn't matter, this is my go to place for fresh sushi for about ($5 for the basic stuff) $10 a roll for the good stuff (Tommy Roll is my favorite).”
“This is a small hole in the wall takeout sushi Ramen and bibimbap place, with the really reasonable prices especially for this area.”
Maru
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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Great choice for a quick lunch to-go!
Was craving sushi rolls, so decided to check out Maru 2. I ordered the lunch special which included regular udon noodles and a salmon & avocado roll. By the time I got there, they had run out of a lot of the rolls on display, which is a good sign. The size of the rolls were smaller than those from M2M, but it was quite delicious.
The server was also very friendly. Great, fast service so I'm definitely returning to try their other rolls.
Tiny place, served by the sweetest man! I got the udon and sushi lunch special and I can't say too much about it. It was an okay lunch, and did the job of satisfying my hunger. The sushi roll was salmon and avocado, and they were TINY. I asked for ginger and wasabi and he told me it was already in there. When I looked in at first I thought me messed up and forgot it, but really, it was just such a small portion of both that I completely missed it the tray! Service was really sweet, so at least it was a pleasant lunch in that sense.
This place is a must visit for Japanese food to go. The owners are genuinely super friendly and make you feel special each time you open the door, enthusiastically saying hello and asking how you are. And to top it off, service is super quick. With just a staff of two. They both work pretty fast, making sure you get your lunch right away with a minimal wait.
I've tried almost everything on their menu and liked everything I had. The ready-made rolls are good and priced well. Their udon soup is also made just right and you have your choice of meat or tofu. On the hot summer days, I've had the cold soba noodles as well. The chicken teriyaki is tasty and interesting as it is shredded chicken almost like a pulled pork version. They always give a free bowl of miso soup along with an order. I've also had the bibimap and all the ingredients they use are fresh.
Maru is an example of why I love hole in the walls. They are on 17th street between 8th and 7th Ave. Closer to 8th than 7th on the north side of the street. The place is tiny with a sign just as tiny which can be easily missed. But now that you've read my review, look out for it :D.
I always get the Yummy Stick, which consists of sushi rice, fried egg, crab sticks, sriracha, spicy mayo, and white sauce (mayo-based) wrapped in seaweed. I usually get this without the mayos. The owner prepares it fresh for you, so the sushi rice is always warm and the egg is freshly fried. Only $5. Ingredients are simple and you might ask what's so special about it. I don't know, but it's so addicting. My week isn't completely unless I get this at last once. Ask them for an extra container of soy sauce if you need it.
I've also tried their $5 chicken teriyaki and $10 beef bibimbap. The chicken teriyaki was weird. They use shredded chicken instead of chicken pieces. The sauce was okay, but I really liked the rice the use. You get pretty much what you pay for with the chicken terikyaki, but it's pretty filling for the cheap price. Similarly, for the bibimbap they use ground beef instead of strips of bibimbap, but they top it off with an enormous amount of pickled vegetables and a fried egg. You'll be stuffed after eating this for only $10.89 (including tax). Ask for extra gochujang. One isn't enough.
It gets busier around noon, but it usually goes pretty quick. By 1pm, there aren't any lines. I always see high school and elementary kids line up for lunch here, so just get in before they start coming in masses.
The Korean owners are super nice. After a couple of times, the owner started recognizing me and know I don't want mayo in my yummy stick and only want Sriracha. I'll keep on coming here when I'm in the area just to support them.
This is a small hole in the wall takeout sushi Ramen and bibimbap place, with the really reasonable prices especially for this area. I got the yummy stick, which is the rice burrito with Fried egg, crabmeat, house special Japanese mayo. It's more filling and flavorful than sushi and lighter and also more flavorful than a burrito.
The Korean store owner is also a really humble and friendly!
Tiny closet take-out japanese place. I've had their rolls before – I suppose they are good, but I don't recall as it's been quite a while. I come here for their tofu udon.
Huge container. Cheap. Warm and spicy. With the constant winter-time polar vortex blizzard conditions recently, I'm finding myself coming more often as big noodle-y soup is necessary in this weather.
Holy moly, I almost forgot to mention how friendly these guys are. Friendly. You kind of want to hug them.
4.0-Stars for the Miso Soup
3.5-Stars for the Udon Noodles
3.0-Stars for the Sushi
For a small takeout place, this place is great. The sushi isn't going to knock your socks off and you can't compare it to a Gari, Morimoto, Blue Ribbon, etc. But for good quality, quick, cheap sushi, this place can't be beat.
In the Summer, I like to get the sushi and in the Winter, I like the udon noodles.
There's a tiny, and I mean tiny, counter where two people can place their food and eat, but it's by no means a sit-down place. But, for something fast and tasty, it can't be beat. And the owners are extremely friendly and gracious.
Another good casual, inexpensive place for sushi is the takeout from the Lobster Place in Chelsea Market.
It's a quick bites cheap eats kinda lunch spot. Basically the sushi rice wasn't to par and you'll find tiny pieces of fish in the sushi. Hardly i would even call it sushi as it contained so small of a portion of fish. Had the spicey salmon roll and udon lunch combo. The udon was way overcooked and noodles were so limp with no bite. Small shop with great service but the food was subpar.