When it comes to sushi, striking the perfect balance of fresh, delicious and affordable can be quite the challenge. Finding it all near campus? A mission. But of course, we have you covered. Here are our best five spots for every sashimi lover’s heaven.
1.Okinii
Okinii is your classic and affordable sushi bar. Located only a few short blocks from Washington Square Park, it’s the sushi standby you’ve been endlessly searching for. Perfect for the budget-conscious student (because let’s be real, who’s trying to drop serious cash on just a few rolls?), Okinii offers lunch specials starting at about $10. Incredible. Service is on the faster side; another reason that it’s a perfect option for a quick but nutritious meal in between classes. As one Yelper put it, “Okinii in NYC, the Bomb sushi!”
2. Sushi on Jones
Self-hailed as New York’s “first al fresco omakase bar,” Sushi on Jones delivers just what it promises. Within thirty minutes, they promise the classic fish-only Omakase meal in a new dining experience. Located in The Bowery Market (with an indoor location on West 10th), Sushi on Jones is not only a tasty, but also a very fun experience as well. Keep in mind though, they only seat six, max eight people, so make a reservation. At $58 for 12 pieces, it’s a bit pricier than are more traditional sushi joints, but the price includes gratuity which makes it somewhat more justifiable (for splurging).
3. Sushi Para 88
$26 All You Can Eat Sushi. We repeat: Twenty-six-dollars. All-you-can-eat.
The sushi is fresh, tasty, and servings are generously plentiful. Specialty rolls include the “Under Control Roll,” or shrimp tempura, cucumber, spicy tuna, and eel sauce, the “spicy girl roll” which is filled with pepper tuna, avocado, scallions, and topped with snow crab spicy mayo, and a wide variety of the “classics” such as the Godzilla and Volcano Rolls.
4. KazuNori
You walk in, fill out a piece of paper, and quickly take a seat. Sounds more like an exam than a sushi restaurant, but that’s KazuNori. The concept, brought to you by the founders of Sugarfish, is fun, quick, affordable, and definitely very Instagramable. Diners select between three and six handrolls, paying the respective $13-$28. At the minimum, the meal comes with salmon, bay scallop, and crab hand rolls. At the max price, you can indulge in toro, yellowtail, and lobster. However, for our vegetarians out there, KazuNori may not be ideal as their vegetarian selections are rather limited.
5. Beyond Sushi
Okay, so this is not the place to take your meat-and-potatoes grandmother, but it is an exceptional casual sushi-bar offering some of the best vegetable sushi options in Manhattan. Serving exclusively vegan sushi, Beyond Sushi dishes out the most innovative vegetarian rolls on this side of the country. Forget avocado-cucumber only, and think black rice with braised fennel, sundried tomato, and fresh avocado, all topped with butternut squash and almond pesto sauce. Or, try the “Nutty Buddy” rice paper wrap: baby greens, peanut butter, carrots, cashews, avocado, baked tofu, and cilantro with ponzu sauce. Other options include the “Curry Flower” or “Spicy Mushroom” rice paper wraps as well as various salads, soups, noodles, and of course, rolls.